Build New project, 1969 fj40

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate
links, including eBay, Amazon, Skimlinks, and others.

Messed around with the turn signal switch wiring (I didn’t pay enough attention when I took it apart), hooked up the speedo, reattached the oil pressure wire and voila, all the gauges except the ammeteter work.
Took my kid for a drive and kept an eye on the ‘vitals’.
Drove it again tonight and it seems to be holding steady.
 
MDH33 said:
Nice job!

If you want to compare wiring for the ammeter, my '69 is set up correctly. Do you have the original alternator and VR?
Click to expand...
Maybe not original, but supposedly the correct ones. I know I replaced the VR this summer with a new oem one.
There’s only (2) wires going to the gauge. I thought I had put them back on correctly but I did have the thought that maybe that’s why it didn’t work. I remember it working before I cleaned up the gauges.
 
So I’ve driven this thing a half a dozen times now, maybe 8 miles total.
I notice that the temp gauge floats in between the center and ~3/4 mark. Is this normal?
I probably need to adjust the valves ‘hot’, would this help it out? Coolant seems to be staying full, water pump and thermostat are new.
It hasn’t gone above the last mark, but figured I’d ask before it does.
 
In my build thread you can see I had the same issue; which turned out to be that the new gauge was not “calibrated”. You can adjust the low and high side if want it to sit in a particular spot.
But most importantly just check the temperature with an infrared or thermocouple on a multimeter. They can be had pretty cheap. You can set it right at the temp sender housing to read your temp.
So I’m my case before I adjusted the gauge; it was all the over to hot but the temp was 190.

If you’re actually running hot; that’s another issue and I wouldn’t be as helpful there. Haha.

Someone posted this on another thread:

IMG_4552.webp
 
royal cake said:
In my build thread you can see I had the same issue; which turned out to be that the new gauge was not “calibrated”. You can adjust the low and high side if want it to sit in a particular spot.
But most importantly just check the temperature with an infrared or thermocouple on a multimeter. They can be had pretty cheap. You can set it right at the temp sender housing to read your temp.
So I’m my case before I adjusted the gauge; it was all the over to hot but the temp was 190.

If you’re actually running hot; that’s another issue and I wouldn’t be as helpful there. Haha.

Someone posted this on another thread:

View attachment 3450438
Click to expand...
It hasn’t gone above or even hit ‘C’ yet but gets closer than I’d like, but I didn’t know the degrees. I guess I want it to hang in the middle for ocd reasons lol.
 
Working on installing my swap meet rear seats. I think they’ve been modded a time or two and don’t want to fit at all.
I can get both rear body tabs to work, and most of the posts I can tweak to fit, but both of the front body tabs sit way high and inside to bolt up.
I’ve beat on the area where the posts sit (it’s a bit rusty and that f&$”ing bedliner crap) to try and lower them but I think I have to cut them off and have someone weld them back on once I get the uppers to bolt up.

IMG_8624.jpeg


IMG_8620.jpeg


F6799D6F-56AB-4706-A2F9-62A02ACE8C49.jpeg
 
Not sure what these seats were out of but nothing lined up. The holes in the bottom tabs are too close together to fit the threaded holes in the tub even though they look the same as the tabs on my spare frame that does fit.
The front tabs for the body are too high.
I guess I’m going to make a couple feet with the correct spacing and have them welded on to the frame in place of the ones on there now.
Grind off the front bracket and have it welded on lower.

IMG_8649.webp


IMG_8647.webp


IMG_8620.webp
 
Not sure how clean you want to make them, but do you have enough room on the upper brackets to just elongate the holes?
On the bottom ones you could also weld on some material and drill another hole; but probably the same effort as welding on a new foot like you mentioned.
I can’t answer as far as why the holes are different; I don’t know how they changed over the years.
 
royal cake said:
Not sure how clean you want to make them, but do you have enough room on the upper brackets to just elongate the holes?
On the bottom ones you could also weld on some material and drill another hole; but probably the same effort as welding on a new foot like you mentioned.
I can’t answer as far as why the holes are different; I don’t know how they changed over the years.
Click to expand...
If the bracket didn’t extend above the sill, I probably would enlarge the wholes, but they’re pretty big already.
Now that I’ve removed them from one frame, I have an idea of what I’m up against. It’s the welding them back on that is a pita. Hopefully I can find someone local and drive it over there to have them done.
 
I’m far from a good welder; but it’s really handy. If you think you’ll use it in the future you can pick up a mig for decent prices and the learning curve isn’t too bad. I wouldn’t trust my welds on an axle or something but most stuff is ok.
 
Removed the windshield frame. What a pita. Worst part is, I broke the glass in the process. 😬
Got all the bolts out though. I have another one that is way less rusty and I don’t have to unpaint it.

IMG_8695.webp


IMG_8698.webp


IMG_8703.webp


2CC9AC1C-61A0-4719-B29B-7F75CF1FFDA4.webp


IMG_8708.webp
 
MDH33 said:
Here's a pic of the stock seats out of my '69. The feet look slightly different compared to yours, maybe? Are your seat bottoms rectangular or angled?

i-pHsftXd-L.jpg
Click to expand...
Those look like mine from what I can tell. Both of my swap meet seats had feet that looked like the ones that came with my seat, the holes were just closer together by ~3/8”. Weirdest thing. I either have to find a junk seat with the correct feet or make my own. Both options about the same level of difficulty.
 
6f40j9 said:
Removed the windshield frame. What a pita. Worst part is, I broke the glass in the process. 😬
Got all the bolts out though. I have another one that is way less rusty and I don’t have to unpaint it.

View attachment 3465159

View attachment 3465160

View attachment 3465161

View attachment 3465162

View attachment 3465163
Click to expand...
Bummer, but any glass shop can cut you a new windshield. Hopefully, there is a good glass shop in the North Bay near you. I think I paid around $200. They can use your old one as a template.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Back
Top Bottom