Off to War

[Autobot]

I'm new here so please be kind

My son-in-law has just been deployed to Afghanistan for a year and I thought it would be a cool idea to surprise him by fixing up his 89 FJ62.

I'm thinking of a lift, tires & [COLOR=blue !important][COLOR=blue !important]wheels[/COLOR][/COLOR], winch, and if I can pull it off maybe new paint.

My budget is all but non existent and I don't know much about FJ's so any help on what works,what doesn't, where to get parts ect.
I have a pretty clear picture of what is on his wish list and it's pretty mild. #1 is to have a dependable ride to take his wife and kids camping and fishing (although camping may be out for awhile after living in a tent for a year). He has told me he likes the 2-2-1/2 HFS lift with 33" BFG's on mat black wheels (31's now). It has the original A/T and we have a 3FE (complete) that has had the head removed. We had it checked and it's standard with no ridge in the cylinders. I'm an old school mechanic and it seems to me we could just re-ring & new bearings the thing and be fine (thoughts ?) I'm not in this alone but any help/advice is greatly appreciated.
I posted this on the main forum and it was recommended I post it here.

Thanks and God Bless Our Troops !

Autobot

 

[pappy]

I'm new here so please be kind

We will. Well, most of us. Ok, some of us ...

Welcome to our little slice of MUD. Glad you stopped by <- official MUD welcome.

Well, if you want to hang here you will need to listen to the same old FZJ80/1FZ-FE blah, blah, blah. There are those of us that have a warm place in our heart for the 3FE, or at least something that looks like a 3FE.

First observation.

#1 is to have a dependable ride to take his wife and kids camping and fishing

For me that would leave the winch until last. There are other priorities.

He has told me he likes the 2-2-1/2 HFS lift with 33" BFG's on mat black wheels (31's now).

Great place to start. I would do both at the same time. Well, lift followed promptly by tires. The question is which 33" BFG. I ask that because the ATs come in 33x9.5, 33x10.5, and 33x12.5. If his wheeling is going to be a bit light, and he doesn't need the width, then the 10.5" would be a great choice. I run them as daily drivers on my 4Runner. Once you get the lift on you can try them on for size. I also have a set of 33x12.50 MT/KM shoes you can try on. The 12.5 will have a more aggressive stance, which might be to his liking. With light wheeling I would not waste the bucks on the MTs. They are loud, and wear fast. The ATs will last forever.

The one concern I might have is the gearing (4.11 in the FJ62). The A440F (auto tranny) might be an issue, I don't know. I would search MUD or 3FE : Toyota 3FE group (FJ62, '91-92 FJ80), or even ask a few FJ62 owners what they thought when they upsized the tires. You already have an overdrive tranny, and the additional tire height will either hurt (around town) or help (on the highway), depending on the health of the 3FE.

It has the original A/T and we have a 3FE (complete) that has had the head removed. We had it checked and it's standard with no ridge in the cylinders. I'm an old school mechanic and it seems to me we could just re-ring & new bearings the thing and be fine (thoughts ?) I'm not in this alone but any help/advice is greatly appreciated.

Well, my FZJ80 compadres will disagree, but I think the 3FE rocks. Especially after it's ported, cc'd, balanced, cam'd, and given a better way to exhale. It's even better with a long stroke 2F block under it, but that is another story. As with any engine a little "hot rodding" will go along way. Simply getting it balanced will help, and if you have the engine apart I would look into one of the aftermarket RV grind cams like the one from MAF. Also, depending on where the truck is registered, desmogging is a grand idea.

As far as the auto tranny I would seriously consider an oil cooler. As I recall, while the FJ80 did get a cooler, Toyota didn't install one in the FJ62. It can go a long way to keeping the tranny healthy. If you go to the 3FE list there are a few A440F ideas there like the Rodney flush, and a valve body upgrade. Down the road you can also consider an H55F transplant (5 speed) but that is a lot of work, but worth it.

I'm not in this alone but any help/advice is greatly appreciated.

Nope, you are not alone, not any more. We have no problem giving people ideas on how to spend their money.

My son-in-law has just been deployed to Afghanistan for a year and I thought it would be a cool idea to surprise him by fixing up his 89 FJ62.

Thanks and God Bless Our Troops !

Thank your SIL for serving.

 

[sirenmoses]

And other thanking your SIL for serving.

Photo's of the vehicle in question always serve to get the ideas flowing.... Plus we just like photo's. My vote: engine, pm's, lift, rims n rubber, linex + paint, in that order. Winch is way down the list: consider a Hi-lift, tow strap, jumper cables and decent tool kit first (unless he's already got 'em). A receiver hitch is quite handy, if the rig doesn't have one already.

#1: unless you know of a major issue w/his 62, it will serve that purpose well, once you get the engine lined out. I drove an 84 60 2f w/230-265k on it for nearly 10 years, and it never left me stranded, no matter how many dogs I was hauling or how far away the agility match was. Let my dog buddies drive it when I was on fire assignments: no problems.

Recently sold it to a co-worker b/c I'd bought another 84 w/lower miles, and put a (no longer available) BDS 2.5" lift on it. Took about 4500mi and some weight towed 5h in a trailer to dismiss the rocking horse: you'll find most lift threads agree that OME is the way to go. Kurt at Cruiser Outfitters was super cool w/me when I was trying to make a decision, and he'll be my go-to guy if I have to source LC suspension again.

Wheels: try MudBay. I snagged some nice AL rims w/sum rubber for small monies.
Rubber: another vote for AT's. They've served me well in 10y of East Mountain living, co-worker taxi, firewood hauling, etc.

Many more folks are sure to chime in: look forward to watching yr build, happy to lend my small wrenching skills if the stars align.

 

[bonfire]

Best of luck for your son in law. Wishing him a happy return. Welcome to mud

 

[Autobot]

Thanks for the advise and words of encouragement. I will keep you posted on the progress.

 

[Autobot]

Off to War update

I know its been a long time coming so please forgive me. Life sometimes gets in the way.

We are about at the half way point of our project (time wise) Fund raising has been slow and we are being very careful on how we spend what we have.
That being said we have accomplished quite a bit with limited funds.

To date we have;

Removed fuel tank, cleaned it and replaced the fuel pump
Installed all new oem breaks
Rebuilt the steering knuckles (that was quite a task)
Rebuilt the 3fe engine complete with new oil pump & valve job, water pump, freeze plugs, rings , bearings, ect.
Installed rebuilt springs with poly bushings and new shackles & pins
Installed new front Transmission seal
Replaced the fluid in all the gear boxes
Power washed the undercarriage
Removed most of the interior for recovering

This weekend we hope to get the engine installed with new belts and hoses and then off to another shop for some minor body repair.

As I look at the list it feels like we haven't made much progress, but we still have time. At least I hope.

I need to mention that the support we have received from family, friends, and strangers has been awesome. Without all there help this would still just be a dream of mine.

We started a blog to, if nothing else track the progress of the project. I encourage you to take look. There are a lot of pictures

TUFYS Blog

Thanks !

 

[gr8wrk]

"As I look at the list it feels like we haven't made much progress,..."

We all feel like that, its a common symptom. But it looks like you've made great progress. Don't be shy about posting up here when there's going to be work days, or you just need a hand.

 

[DanS HJ-45]

That looks like great progress to me!

Why was the knuckle rebuild such a job? I'm sure someone here would have helped, and if you've done it before, it's only a day job or so...

Which begs the question: what is left to do on it?
When might you need a hand? (I will be around a bit the last of January/1st of February, and would definitely make some time to lend a hand if I could).
Any parts you are desperately searching for? I'm off to Yota Jim's tomorrow, so I might be of some help there...

That engine bay looks too clean. I wish our 60 looked that clean under the hood...

Dan

 

[Autobot]

We will be holding our 3rd work day this Saturday. Any and all help is welcome. Food and beer will be provided. E-mail me for directions if you would like to stop by. kmoudy1@gmail.com
Did I mention there will be beer ?

 

[Autobot]

To do list:
Install engine and get it running
Install new shocks (we don't have them yet)
Body work / prep for paint / paint
Send to shop to have custom bumpers fabbed
Install reupholstered interior (not done yet)
Install stereo system
Window tinting /new wind shield
Reinstall exterior trim
Install new tires & wheels
Alignment
Emissions test

I'm sure I missed some things and the list is not necessarily in order but it's a start.

 

[DanS HJ-45]

Send to shop to have custom bumpers fabbed

What's the plans here? Front and rear?

If rear, I'd seriously consider one of these: https://forum.ih8mud.com/merchandise-storefront/343628-fj60-62-rear-bumper-kits.html

I highly doubt that price can be beat, and they look great IMHO. I wish I had the extra bucks to order one myself right now.

I wish I were around this Sunday to lend a hand.

Dan

 

[Autobot]

The work day is This Saturday

 

[gr8wrk]

Went down to lend these guys a hand on Saturday. Good sized turnout for their workday.

Rear axle went in on springs made locally by McBride's. With rims and tires on, the fresh motor went from stand to engine bay and accessories put back on. Not bad for a day's work.

 

[DanS HJ-45]

Very cool! Looks good indeed....

Autobot: you'll have to tell me about the springs from McBride's. We've used them in the past for some of our big truck work, but I'd be really curious what you think of their springs once the truck gets some miles on it....

Dan