Builds New project, 1969 fj40 (2 Viewers)

[6f40j9]

I bought a gasket kit from specter that is supposed to be appropriate.

 

[Green Bean]

I bought a gasket kit from specter that is supposed to be appropriate.

Great job on your restoration. Love all of the work that you've done so far.

 

[6f40j9]

Putting the top back on for winter reminded me how I have the wrong cap for my year, and how bad the front lip is. It won’t let the cap sit all the way down on the side panel.
It’s not going anywhere until I get a head, but finding the right cap is looking to be a challenge.
I should just get the right front rail from CCOT and swap it out...

 

[6f40j9]

I guess this means I have to step back into the engine bay for a bit...

 

[letterman52]

Dang!

 

[6f40j9]

Since the truck is still laid up with no head, I figured I’d make it a little more weather resistant and less janky looking while it sits in the driveway.
I pulled the top cap off and scrubbed the ‘headliner’. I chased all the threads and reinstalled it, along with the door spreader bars.
One issue I’m having is that the more I get the top on, I can’t get the angle brackets on the windshield (for the door bars to attach to) to fit right. The top seems too narrow.
I also put the doors and hatch back on and vacuumed out all the oak leafs.
One of these days I’ll get to putting the new head on, not sure when though.

 

[6f40j9]

Waiting patiently.

 

[65swb45]

What’s the hold up on installing the head?

 

[6f40j9]

What’s the hood up on installing the head?

Nerves, weather, time. I need a day without distractions to at least get the head and valve cover on, without leaving it half way done.

 

[6f40j9]

Finally getting back to it. Long way to go still but it feels good to be moving in the right direction.

 

[6f40j9]

Little more progress. Trying clr and ospho again, reassembled the blower.

 

[6f40j9]

Little more work in today.
Head is torqued, pushrods in, rocker arms in. Took me a few minutes to figure out the rocker arm bolts.
Slowly but surely...

 

[6f40j9]

Calling it a day. One of the threads in the head for the rocker arms is bunk. I’ll pull it apart next time.

 

[middlecalf]

Great job!

Wasn‘t sure from posts, is that is a new head or did you have your old one refurbed? If new, what was issue with old one? (I have some milkshake on my fill cap also but I’m not losing coolant as best I can tell, so not sure if it’s just condensation or something more serious. I do have some blowby). Paul

 

[6f40j9]

Great job!

Wasn‘t sure from posts, is that is a new head or did you have your old one refurbed? If new, what was issue with old one? (I have some milkshake on my fill cap also but I’m not losing coolant as best I can tell, so not sure if it’s just condensation or something more serious. I do have some blowby). Paul

My headgasket was blown. I think I cracked my old head trying to remove it, I tried prying up from the ports and cracked one inside. The shop had re done the whole thing before realizing it because it was in an odd spot.
This is a refurbished head. I’m sure I did something wrong along the way to mess up the threads somehow. I’m just kind of bumbling my way through this...

 

[middlecalf]

Well your bumbling along great, that’s half the fun right?

Hope you don’t mind me asking questions wrt your engine work as I might be headed that way but hoping I can “step” through it vice just going full Monty on a rebuild or replacement. Did you see white smoke (burning coolant) of significance from the tailpipe? I’ve seen a few posts where the milkshake in the fill tube can be just from condensation. I’m still driving/testing to see if I‘m going through coolant. No oil in the coolant so far. Thanks. Paul

 

[6f40j9]

Well your bumbling along great, that’s half the fun right?

Hope you don’t mind me asking questions wrt your engine work as I might be headed that way but hoping I can “step” through it vice just going full Monty on a rebuild or replacement. Did you see white smoke (burning coolant) of significance from the tailpipe? I’ve seen a few posts where the milkshake in the fill tube can be just from condensation. I’m still driving/testing to see if I‘m going through coolant. No oil in the coolant so far. Thanks. Paul

No white smoke, it ran pretty good. Then it started stumbling.
I had seen the milkshake earlier and was hoping mine was condensation as well, but it wasn’t.

 

[middlecalf]

Did you see any milkshake on the top of the head, on the rocker arm or valves when you took valve cover off? Was the blown part of the head gasket obvious (clear pathway for coolant to get to the oil pan)? Did you see coolant in the oil in the oil pan? Were you consuming coolant somehow? Thanks. Paul

 

[6f40j9]

Did you see any milkshake on the top of the head, on the rocker arm or valves when you took valve cover off? Was the blown part of the head gasket obvious (clear pathway for coolant to get to the oil pan)? Did you see coolant in the oil in the oil pan? Were you consuming coolant somehow? Thanks. Paul

I didn’t run it long enough to lose coolant but it was low. The rockers were milky and rusty. The gasket was noticeable where it failed, somewhere up front.

 

[middlecalf]

Thanks for the info. GL with the build, I’ll be watching your “bumbling”