Builds Old Landy: An HJ45 Story/Build Thread (2 Viewers)
- Thread starter Cowboy45
- Start date
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POTATO LAUNCHER
TLCA #6928
No pics? Your brother at least posted some pics of his build. 
FJBen
SILVER Star
We just moved, into a temporary rental, and I'm fully dreading moving again here soon....I get it.
Cowboy45
Old Landy: An HJ45 Story/Build Thread
- Thread starter
- #866
Here comes the long overdue update... These past couple days have been aimed to throw the necessary components on the mach up engine to get it running and check some clearances. Started with AC brackets and compressor all of which went in fairly easily except when it came down to the alternator.
The top cat ear on the alternator didn’t seem to align fully on the AC compressor alternator bracket. One of the bolts that holds the alternator housing together touches the alternator bracket right before the hole can I align. I loosened everything to try to get some wiggle room, still nothing. I tried to file it down to give myself just enough clearance for it to line up but it would fit so tight that I wouldn’t be able to use the alternator as a belt tensioner. I also would have to file every alternator I get from that point onwards.
The top cat ear on the alternator didn’t seem to align fully on the AC compressor alternator bracket. One of the bolts that holds the alternator housing together touches the alternator bracket right before the hole can I align. I loosened everything to try to get some wiggle room, still nothing. I tried to file it down to give myself just enough clearance for it to line up but it would fit so tight that I wouldn’t be able to use the alternator as a belt tensioner. I also would have to file every alternator I get from that point onwards.
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Cowboy45
Old Landy: An HJ45 Story/Build Thread
- Thread starter
- #868
Upon a little research I figured out I actually had the wrong alternator. I will drop some pictures below but basically the cat ears I had on my alternator are 180 degrees from each other, but the one I need is a little more offset allowing for the hole to align before the alternator will start to touch the bracket. I don’t necessarily need this right away to get the engine running so just decided to move on from it for now.
Nice you are doing the AC. Those brackets are gold.
Cowboy45
Old Landy: An HJ45 Story/Build Thread
- Thread starter
- #870
Next, I wanted to see how the radiator and fan clutch were aligning. I threw on a 12HT fan with the shortest fan clutch and the radiator. But I started to run into a couple problems.
The first thing was the fan blades were catching on the top of the harmonic balancer. The fan was also rubbing the radiator quite significantly. I could throw on the longer fan clutch and a fan with a deeper recess to clear the harmonic balancer but that would still get me the slightest rub I could also bring the engine up a little bit to level out the fan but then I risk the bell housing rubbing the firewall and I would still rub on the radiator.
This left me with pretty much one option. I noticed I had some room between the core support and the bib so I decided to cut some notches where the support mounts and move the radiator forward just enough for the fan to clear. (Rough cuts; will be smoothed) This worked but I still was rubbing the harmonic balancer. I tried the longer fan clutch and the deeper recess fan which cleared the harmonic balancer, but again I’m getting the slightest rub on the radiator. I also can’t move radiator any farther forward because the bib is already not seating how it should.
There are three things I can do to fix this. I can shave down the blades of the fan just enough to clear the radiator but then I pose the risk of it being off-balance. I could also make bib modifications but I really don’t want to do that. And lastly, there is about a 1 or 3/4 inch lip sticking out of the core support that I could grind down which would allow me to move the radiator forward a little bit and also let the bib seat better, but I am not to keen on grinding down a perfectly good core support. Also knowing that being how tight it already is, if I need to put an AC condenser in between the radiator and the bib I don’t know if I’m going to have enough room.
^^ The lip
How the bib sits as of now ^^^
The first thing was the fan blades were catching on the top of the harmonic balancer. The fan was also rubbing the radiator quite significantly. I could throw on the longer fan clutch and a fan with a deeper recess to clear the harmonic balancer but that would still get me the slightest rub I could also bring the engine up a little bit to level out the fan but then I risk the bell housing rubbing the firewall and I would still rub on the radiator.
This left me with pretty much one option. I noticed I had some room between the core support and the bib so I decided to cut some notches where the support mounts and move the radiator forward just enough for the fan to clear. (Rough cuts; will be smoothed) This worked but I still was rubbing the harmonic balancer. I tried the longer fan clutch and the deeper recess fan which cleared the harmonic balancer, but again I’m getting the slightest rub on the radiator. I also can’t move radiator any farther forward because the bib is already not seating how it should.
There are three things I can do to fix this. I can shave down the blades of the fan just enough to clear the radiator but then I pose the risk of it being off-balance. I could also make bib modifications but I really don’t want to do that. And lastly, there is about a 1 or 3/4 inch lip sticking out of the core support that I could grind down which would allow me to move the radiator forward a little bit and also let the bib seat better, but I am not to keen on grinding down a perfectly good core support. Also knowing that being how tight it already is, if I need to put an AC condenser in between the radiator and the bib I don’t know if I’m going to have enough room.
^^ The lip
How the bib sits as of now ^^^
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I hate to add this, but remember the fan blades will flex towards the radiator at full revs. Fortunately you are looking at only a little over 2000 rpm’s vs 5500 on a gasser but still should leave room for that. Keep up the good work!
Cowboy45
Old Landy: An HJ45 Story/Build Thread
- Thread starter
- #873
Not knowing what I wanted to do just yet I moved on to other things. During the installation of the radiator I noticed that the outlet on the bottom of the radiator was directly in front of the power steering pump. It’s so close that I won’t be able to get a hose on it without touching the pulley. I contacted @Michael B who ran into a similar problem during his build. He recommended me to a Ron Davis radiator that reconfigures that outlet (pics below). So more likely than not we will go with that radiator.
OEM ^^^
OEM ^^^
I think I maybe going out on a limb here to say that this is a first of its kind. 2H/H55 with PS and AC in a HJ45. Hj47 usually came with PS but not AC as far as I know. We know others have done 12HT with PS/AC in a 45/47. 2H and 2HTs are similar in many ways. Interferences @Cowboy45 is fighting are similar. We know the motor is in the right place. I forget at times he is 15. He is working through it. Wanting to preserve Old Landy the best way possible weighs on him as well. Patience in uncertainty does help find a way out. We are kicking around some options.
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Wrench a bit faster they are waiting for you !
..... Cowboy.
..... Cowboy.
We are realizing that factory AC radiators on 1980+ Fj40s vs non AC radiators are of different thicknesses. Mainly to accommodate the condenser. See pic with red bib down for 1980+ AC radiator/condenser set up. Old Landy is a 1978. We can modify Old Landy’s bib to look like 1980+ AC radiator support. We will also modify Old Landy bib to overcome interferences in the bib. Notice back of red bib in pic of post 1980 is flat. Old Landy’s is not but can be made to match.
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We are trying to figure out if we can get a fan that works without needing to move the radiator too far forward so that it leaves space for the condenser.
@cruiseroutfit is very helpful. They have a bunch of fans. We sent him bolt pattern for the fan clutch to see if there is a fan with different recess depths. There are and the last one with a 1/2 offset might work. Going to try it out.
@cruiseroutfit is very helpful. They have a bunch of fans. We sent him bolt pattern for the fan clutch to see if there is a fan with different recess depths. There are and the last one with a 1/2 offset might work. Going to try it out.
We also looking for a thinner condenser. Needs to be about 3/4” thick. Nostalgic air. With inlet and outlet ports on the right (as you face engine). Great for the RHD set up. Compressor is on the right on the 2H straight shot to the PS firewall. Clean and shorter AC line runs.
Gotta love @cruiseroutfit . Amazing knowledge and parts source.
If you flip it over the ports will be on the left, make sure you open the package the right way
