Builds Project Old Blue Eyes (2 Viewers)

[cruisermatt]

We are finishing up a 5.3/4l60e/splitcase conversion here at the shop so figured might as well build duplicate crossmember for Sanjay.

 

[jesus888]

Pew pew pew… #shotsfire

 

[cruisermatt]

More goodies.. if you’re installing a 60 series rear axle in your pre-75 40 you’ll need lower shock mounts (since they are mounting to the original 40 axle housing)

 

[jesus888]

I've been ordering up some parts for this girl, got some confirmation that we're getting started on it mid-July.

I'm planning on painting the wheels (after adding @cruisermatt 's hubcap rings to the 17" FJ Cruiser steelies) in a grey color along with the roll cage that I have... so these should "match" up pretty nicely...

I wasn't ready to commit to Scheel-mann's bc my bank account doesn't look like that, and after re-covering/refurbishing the stock seats, I knew it'd probably be a pretty penny just for the materials, and lastly, I'm only 5'5" and I know that having seats that put you where you want to be along with being comfortable is super important so I pulled the trigger.

I bought these Recaros on ebay... did the ebay trick where you put em on your watchlist and 24 hrs later, I received an "offer" to purchase them shipped for $2,040 and just went ahead and did it. They should be here today/tomorrow (ordered a week ago). I won't be able to provide impressions or get em mounted for a while, we're probably getting started on this at my buddy's shop in mid-July. But daaaaang they look good.

 

[cruisermatt]

The parts pile and plan for this project is awesome /insane

 

[jesus888]

Things are happening…

 

[aging fleet]

@jesus888, how'd the Recaros look when they showed up? I've been watching a few pairs of their seats as well.

 

[jesus888]

@jesus888, how'd the Recaros look when they showed up? I've been watching a few pairs of their seats as well.

I pulled one of em outta the box and they look as advertised. I believe they’re either repops or refurbished frames and all new nice upholstery. Obv have no idea how they’ll wear but they look GREAT…

Also I watched it (the old watch list trick on eBay) and got an offer at a pretty discounted price within a day or 2…

 

[aging fleet]

Also I watched it (the old watch list trick on eBay) and got an offer at a pretty discounted price within a day or 2…

I didn't even have to watch them, eBay gave me a "because you looked at these, we'd like to present you with an offer..." Glad they looked good out of the box, I assumed they're locally reupholstering older seats, so was curious how they'd look in person. Can't wait to see them in your 40!

 

[jesus888]

I didn't even have to watch them, eBay gave me a "because you looked at these, we'd like to present you with an offer..." Glad they looked good out of the box, I assumed they're locally reupholstering older seats, so was curious how they'd look in person. Can't wait to see them in your 40!

You and me both gonna be a minute but we’ll get there!!

 

[jesus888]

So I did a thing… bought @SipLife ‘s 40 since it puts me waaaay ahead of the game and I can make the adjustments to a running/driving rig that’s 75% of the way where I want it to be today.

That means I’m going to be selling some of the parts I’ve accumulated along with Old Blue in the coming weeks.

I’m gonna do my best to get the parts I’m selling listed in the classified, but if someone wants to buy everything I’m not gonna use as a great start to a 40-LS-swap (including a donor rig), HMU!!

 

[jesus888]

For sale thread is here and I'll be adding to it as I figure out WTF I'm gonna do!!!

 

[jesus888]

Just a little progress update here since I took delivery of the 40…

I put about 200 miles on her, and I had a handful of things I need to address…

• Exhaust smell is stroooong, and that’s ok, has no cats and I have a different set of headers from summit (that @cruisermatt had suggested) that I already bought and was gonna just replace what’s there and maybe redo the exhaust…
• Gas smell… ugh… but what I’ve noticed, is it basically was happening as I was downshifting, and letting the engine brakes slow me down, AFR on the Terminator go sky high, enter closed loop, and voila, inside the truck fills with a gas smell… was gonna triple check the fuel lines and possibly dial this in with my tuner…
• Then one more thing that actually prevented me from driving… since I received the truck, the Battery Voltage on the terminator screen read “Low, Err” but everything ran great, so I figured something wasn’t hooked up. Well, until it change to just reading a very low number… when that happens the truck stumbles, AFR goes down, basically the computer is hunting for an idle and truck either wants to surge or stall… I did call @SipLife about that, and he said that Battery Voltage reading was always pretty spot on - 12.5-13.5 - so there must have been an issue sometime in transit or something that made that change.
• I pulled all the power and grounds and cleaned/scraped the surface/dielectric grease on all connections and battery and still getting same issue… so I went ahead and set to tuner to see if he could figure it out because as stated previously, I’m a dummy, but know people that are much smarter than me.

 

[jesus888]

Spent this morning with the tuner and he verified main harness being powered directly from the battery
Verified voltage from the battery to the Terminator is consistent and correct

Next steps, in order to rule anything being wrong with the actual terminator ecu, he’s going to load his tune on a spare ecu that has and swap them to if the issue is coming from the unit…

Also to note, this problem happens intermittently (but often enough to where it’s just not comfortable to drive) when he put his base tune on the terminator, it started and ran beautifully and he thought, well your problem is no longer a problem… and then the battery voltage went from “Low, err” to 3-4 and it fell on its face…

Once we figure this out, and get the tune dialed, I’m sure it’s gonna kick some ass, but until then, everyone’s got a parking space I guess? #silverlining

 

[jesus888]

This is a video of the Terminator Display, where the stumble is very present …

 

[jesus888]

If any of your Terminator/Sniper experts wanna chime in and voice your opinion, I’m all ears. I guess we’ll see when we swap in a different ECU if that’s the issue, kinda hope so because that can be fixed quickly…

 

[jesus888]

Quick Update:

• Good news is the new ECU (that the tuner had) made everything better, battery voltage is on point and seem to have found the “smoking gun”
• Bad news is I’m impatient AF and from what tuner said it’s ~$350/6 weeks to get the original Terminator X Max ECU fixed from Holley and suggested I find a Terminator X (since I’m not gonna use any of the Terminator X Max functions - transmission programming, turbo, 2-step) for sale locally and that I can get mine fixed and just sell it later…
• So I found one in SC, paid and just gotta wait on it to get here… and will follow up with the completion of the tune and maybe a dyno run…

 

[jesus888]

Found this in the mail when we got home… gonna run it up to the shop in the morning, hopefully meet the tuner and plug her up to see if that fixes the Battery Voltage/Intermitent Stumbe issue…

 

[jesus888]

Couple updates…

• The new-to-me Terminator X ECU seemed to have done the trick, things are reading correctly…
• Tomorrow is dyno-tune day…

Whatdya think that number will be? Thinking stock 5.3… maybe something like 240? 235? I’m stoked…

 

[jesus888]

212hp/270tq on 87 pump gas…
And the maps are nice and smooth, gas smell is all but gone… he said with very little cost, can add 100hp… for now, I’m fine. Maybe later if I ever get tired of the current power which feels like a rocket ship compared to my other vehicles

Power delivery is smooth and consistent, I’m stoked to keep moving forward!