Builds Patches - My '76 40. B3.3 Swap and some general fixin' up

[Kleatus]

I guess we can call this progress, I brought her up over Memorial Day weekend, and rented a 10x20 storage unit for the time being. At least it's in the same zip code now (well at least the same one my mail has been going to lately). I've been on the road since then so haven't had a chance to do anything yet, but am thinking I will remove the front clip, top, doors, and windshield frame and leave them in the unit for now and bring the rest back to the garage (after I clean up what little space I have.) I am stuck with a single garage with very limited headroom, so things will be tight. I need to finish up the tranny mounts, and convince myself my engine mounts are in the right place. I don't have much clearance from the oil pan to axle, and the clutch fork is very close to the frame rail.



I've since spent a couple weeks in Chicago, and spotted this beauty along the lakefront on a walkabout. Motivation! Seeing what the finished product will look like is good for the wife's tolerance of the Cruisers current condition too . Whoever owns this one, thanks for the motivation!

 

[Kleatus]

Redid the motor mounts.. Wasn't happy with the placement before. Need to get in gear and make a tranny mount, then pull the drivetrain out and apart for a clutch, weld in a mount for the 60 series steering box that's been sitting on the bench for months, and galvanize the frame.... At least she's in good company for the time being!

 

[Kleatus]

Well for the first time since disassembly… There's no floor jack or chain binder between the framerails holding the transmission up..



At the very least this will allow me to move the thing around and with some additional reinforcement will be serviceable to test things out. No real plan here, just using up what I had laying around. I was going to add some 1.5x0.25" flat bar vertically to the sides of the 3x0.375 bar and bend the ends in to tie in to the sides of the 2x1x0.125 tube, but this will do for now. This is probably the last time anything gets done on Patches till we're settled into a new place.. Time marches on.

 

[Kleatus]

I guess this thread is overdue for its yearly update. Patches is patiently waiting... 2,000 miles away. Hopefully late summer she can make her way West.

 

[Kleatus]

She's home. New tank and electric diesel pump is on the way. Want to run the engine a bit in the frame, get the steering box mounted and then pull the drivetrain to put in a clutch and reseal the t-case.
As much as I want to start on tearing out rust and replacing the quarters and sill - it needs to run and drive first.

 

[Kleatus]

Well, she's kindof alive now. I think there's still some air in the lines though.



Took the fender and left shock mount off and am looking at where/how to mount the 60 series box and Ford shock mount.

The engine has a flange for a standard hydraulic pump that I considered using for steering and brakes, but in the end I think it will be easier and cheaper to use the whole pump/hydroboost system for a late model HD Chevy.

 

[velillen]

Be curious to see how you end up mounting the 60 PS box and ford shock tower. Ill be tackling that in the near future on my Fj40. Previous owner used some weird bracket to run the shock off the top of the PS previous so where its mounted now will have to be moved.

But my (quick!) mockup looked about the same as yours!

 

[Kleatus]

Clutch kit, flywheel and hardware en route from Summit. Seals and gaskets for the T-case coming from @cruiseroutfit, and a set of new 33x10.5 KO2's on the way from 4WP (that my '62 will be "borrowing" for a while.) Rear quarter panels, sill, corner channels and DS floor pan are incoming from CCOT.

I realized two things - my last order from Kurt was a legitimate maintenance item and is still in the back of my DD waiting to get installed and here I go ordering more stuff for a truck that's still in pieces. Furthermore, the same truck that's still in pieces will be the recipient of the first ever complete set of brand spankin new tires I have ever purchased.. New pairs, yes. Zero mile second hand takeoffs, yes. But never a "new new" set. It may be a foregone conclusion, but I am starting to think I may have a LandCruiser problem..

 

[Downey]

Kleatus, when the time comes to get a gas tank, consider the rear fuel cell, ebay #252412660991. With this tank you would want to use the Centroid Products electronic sending unit, their #CGFP-9.5-12V-120/17-5H will fit this tank and match your 1976 stock dash gauge, BUT specify you are using diesel when ordering. Diesel will read about 5% different than gas, so they can make your sending unit adjusted for diesel- - -easy deal.

 

[Kleatus]

Kleatus, when the time comes to get a gas tank, consider the rear fuel cell, ebay #252412660991. With this tank you would want to use the Centroid Products electronic sending unit, their #CGFP-9.5-12V-120/17-5H will fit this tank and match your 1976 stock dash gauge, BUT specify you are using diesel when ordering. Diesel will read about 5% different than gas, so they can make your sending unit adjusted for diesel- - -easy deal.

That looks like a nice option for some extra juice @Downey! I had already bought a standard tank and sending unit a couple weeks ago though. I'm thinking the stock tank with the little diesel should have pretty decent range, and was already tossing around ideas for a hinged storage compartment under the rear floor. I don't like "wasted" space. Every time I see one of the old 70's Camper Special Fords I wonder why those little compartments under the bed on the side didn't quite catch on. I suppose cost?

 

[Kleatus]

Shut down!

 

[Kleatus]

Flywheel and clutch and parts are here. Wish I had some more clearance around the power steering pump with respect to the rad hose..

 

[Kleatus]

Bondo on top of booger welds on top of rust. Yummy.

 

[Kleatus]

For Halloween this year I thought I'd decorate the garage with body parts!

 

[Kleatus]

Rear quarters and wheel well tops removed.

I had not anticipated getting this deep into bodywork at this stage, but it makes sense. I have to have this thing operational by next summer, so in order to accomplish this I may need to just epoxy prime the new metalwork I do, and leave the doors forward for later when I have time to pull it down for paint. That way I have time to get everything else in order and not worry about a nice paint job for a while..

 

[Kleatus]

A real spot weld cutter and some other goodies. More dismembering.

More mice nests..

Center beam was crunchy..

I should be able to salvage the floor with some patches and new support channels.

 

[Kleatus]

I cut samples out of the good parts left in the middle and front bed channels, and a piece of the center box beam so I can take them to the sheetmetal shop and get some new ones made. Had work stuff this am so I got these cut out just about the time they closed. I'll have to run them over next weekend. In the meantime I should be able to get some of the soft spots in the bed fixed up.

 

[Kleatus]

Surgery continues.

 

[Kleatus]

A couple of patches in the bed floor; she's starting to live up to her name.

 

[Kleatus]

More Patches! (Not exactly a pun in this case!)
Fixing up the wheel well sides, they were full of holes and caulked (yes, bathtub caulk..) where the wheel well supports attached. The tops were pretty far gone so I have some new ones along with supports from CCOT.