Not Needed (hopefully): Over-priced Machine Shop with experience resurfacing 2F intake/exhaust manifolds (1 Viewer)

[Rusto]

Thanks @Spike Strip - I had the same thoughts on JB Weld not being good enough for this job, but I went with the "high temp" JB weld that says it's good to 2,400 degrees. ExtremeHeat
Agree with you the on the preference of having a welder do it, but I'm going to give this a go. Can't imagine that pipe getting hotter than that.

Thanks for confirmation of Stainless Steel material. I thought it was, but wanted to be sure. I'll shine that up nice before putting it back in. Shiny is better, right?

With everything freshly cleaned up and more easily put together, I should be able to remove and replace the EGR pipe if JB can't hack it.

 

[Rusto]

Sweet glory be! This project is DONE and the 60 is back on the road. Fired up the first time after getting it all back together as well.
It is SOOOO quiet. Amazing what fixing four exhaust leaks will do. Now, it just runs like a tractor - no longer sounds like one.

It was a long, arduous and sometimes frustrating project, but all in all, a job well done with some surprises from a PO hack, to some heating and bending of parts, and my very own resurfacing of the exhaust manifold in my garage. I have to say kudos to the remflex gaskets and of course all the MUDers that helped along the way.

I can attest that the smooth surface (aquarium glass in my case), sand paper and pushing and pulling the manifold back and forth works.

@OSS, @F226continental, @lcolon @Spike Strip @DFXR and @cruisermatt for tips, advice etc.
@ToyotaMatt for some quality parts and real-time phone support on a Saturday.
@fj60dan - for the slightly bent air-rail (as advertised) at a fair price. A little heat and some bending, and it mated up nicely. Fixed a PO hack and it's back to OEM.
@tjhaga - for some very nice air injection nozzles to replace the PO hack versions and a couple of my rusted ones.

Of course, now I can hear the exhaust leak that's emanating from somewhere down the line (I think where it connects to the catalytic converter), the timing is a bit off from me changing the push-rod cover gasket, and I can't get it to idle below 900 RPMs, but hey - I'd get bored if it was all dialed in 100%.

Thanks again everybody for making this a successful venture. I saved a ton of money, learned a lot about the inner working of 2F manifolds and their emission systems and did the job better and more thorough than a mechanic would have done.

On to the next one!

 

[Miloslavich]

Congrats on a job well done. Your change in idle likely is due to the change in "unmetered" air coming into the head from before & after your intake manifold job. you likely had vaccum leaks before, and probably (hopefully) eliminated them all after your work there.

one way to check for vac leaks- get a bottle of starter fluid, start the rig, let it idle, and spray carb spray around the intake manifold where it meets the head, base of the carb etc. if the idle rises, you've got a vac leak. (its sucking in Ether)

if you've got no vac leaks, (hell yes congrats, have a brew) then its time to perform a lean drop on the carb, set the fast and slow idle, reset your timing, and if you're feeling really froggy check your valve clearances. Your rig will run better than it has in years!

 

[Miloslavich]

If you're gonna use anything at all, use K&W copper coat High temp in a can with a dauber swab.... NOT the spray stuff.

Why? The K&W spray can lay down beautiful perfectly even coats, and works extremely well. I've had awesome success with it on my FJ60, various Audi's, Porsches, Airplanes, all types of exhaust projects

 

[Rusto]

Thanks @Miloslavich for the input and the well wishes! I had replaced all of the vacuum lines recently and all were snug re-attaching. I reset the timing again, and put it around 9 degrees BDTC to account for living at 6,500 feet. I had pulled the distributor to change out the pushrod cover gasket, so it was just a bit off when I put it back in. Then I adjusted the idle and fast idle and it's much better. Right around 750ish (from the stock tach, so who really knows) seems to be it's happy place. And it idles up to 2k when the choke is pulled out about halfway, which works for me.

I will be checking the vacuum soon just to know, but it's running the best its run in years.

After vacuum check, it's onto finally adding a couple of leafs to my left side to fix the Cruiser Lean, touch up some interior bits and maybe swap out my leak 60 steering box for an 80.

Of course, with it being as quiet as it is, I can now hear the every so slight exhaust leak below the cab, probably where it connects the cat.

mucho progress!

 

[Miloslavich]

Nice work @Rusto ! feels damn good when you do one of those huge projects and get her all dialed in. Once you seal up that exhaust leak you'll be right there. recommend still trying that starter spray trick to check for vac leaks, the bane of Cruisers everywhere.

Makes you want to keep them forever once you get it dialed, and do it yourself

I considered selling mine once- only once - only for a Turbo Diesel BJ72 from Japan, but I couldn't bring myself to do it when I saw how small they were in person down in Central America. You cant sleep in the back of those!

like your sig line: "the vehicle that I will always have"

 

[Rusto]

Even got pulled over for speeding on my birthday Saturday taking it out for a nice drive. He asked why I was speeding, and (47 in a 35) and I told him that I was just excited to be driving it after six weeks of it in my driveway and that it was running great. He checked all my stuff and said he'd have to be a real jerk to give me a ticket on my birthday and let me off with a warning.

 

[HemiAlex]

A friend just paid $560 for this set up to get surfaced and fixed up.

Ouch.

 

[Spike Strip]

Why? The K&W spray can lay down beautiful perfectly even coats, and works extremely well. I've had awesome success with it on my FJ60, various Audi's, Porsches, Airplanes, all types of exhaust projects

The stuff in the can (with brush) is lacquer-based and full strength. The spray is diluted. When the lacquer is heated, it cures to a rock-hard sealant. Many of the 2F gurus use it. The spray-on is good stuff and has its place, it's just the can is what better for this application.

I only use it when replacing a Int/Exh assy that has not been surfaced, or if the head mating surface is not quite straight. Otherwise, I use no sealer and always use the OEM gasket.

Use whatever works for you.

 

[Seth S]

I picked up a match machined set from the classifieds a few months ago. Unfortunately all the threaded bosses in the intake are either stripped or have bad helicoils. I ordered the Time-Sert tools and inserts and I'll drill them all out and fix them so I can get my truck back on the road.

 

[Rusto]

@HemiAlex - ouch, indeed! His do look a little more polished than mine, pun intended, but not $560 worth. I spent $30 on my machinist edge and $20 on sandpaper, found the aquarium glass in a trash heap and mine ain't leaking. I'll be sure to mention your friend's cash outlay to my missus if I ever catch any flak on other 60-related costs. @Seth S it'll be worth it, once it's done. Good luck! Be sure to post your experience and results. I was so worried about stripping out the aluminum threads.

 

[Seth S]

My original plan was to run a set of 3FE manifolds I picked up....but then my daily driver died and riding any real distance on my 450cc Trail motorcyle is less than ideal. So for now I'll put it back together as stock and that will give me time to build up a new down pipe to mate the 3FE manifolds with the stock FJ60 exhaust.

 

[HemiAlex]

My original plan was to run a set of 3FE manifolds I picked up....but then my daily driver died and riding any real distance on my 450cc Trail motorcyle is less than ideal. So for now I'll put it back together as stock and that will give me time to build up a new down pipe to mate the 3FE manifolds with the stock FJ60 exhaust.

I’ve had issues with my planed manifold leaking. I was about to put a remflex gasket on it and call it a day but now, I have a 3FE manifold set from deo along with a spare 2F intake manifold that we will modify to work.

Ive got a list of hardware and a plan. I feel the divorced 3FE exhaust manifolds will greatly reduce the likely hood of leaks. Not being physically attached to the intake and causing weird heating and cooling of disimillar metals will help immensely.

 

[DFXR]

A friend just paid $560 for this set up to get surfaced and fixed up.

Ouch.

Yeah, that seems steep. But now I feel better about paying $700 for a NOS set from a guy in Germany a couple years ago. DHL shipping ran that up quite a bit more...