- Thread starter
- #21
I'm considering powder for the VCs depending on how much prep time is required. The garage owner has a special shade of red set aside for me. Had my 80 wheels pc'd that color.
Replacement 1GR for my 2007 FJC
- Thread starter BMThiker
- Start date
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Either soda blasting or glass bead blasting works great on aluminum alloy, but they will leave a matt finish (glass beads even more so than soda).
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- #24
Kitty got everything lined up from a list I started and one of their previous customer's overhaul list. $2200 in parts ordered so far.
But, did you get an OEM gasket kit?
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- #26
I'm not doing the heads. So, no, didn't order the master gasket kit.
Copy.
Man. Old DigDug getting gutted and getting a new heart.
Same here…
Nice work, Rick.
- Thread starter
- #28
How i feel driving around with the current power plant 
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- Thread starter
- #30
Not really but it did keep me from driving 2000mi round-trip to Katemcy.
This is where I am with the 2F in FJ60
- Thread starter
- #32
Been traveling the last few weekends so not much progress. Will do the timing this weekend.
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- #33
Not as much progress as I was hoping because I discovered a few parts I still needed before I could close up the timing cover. I missed a o-ring that's inside the timing case. And a few unrelated 4mm studs on the backside of the block for the water return passage. I am reusing the donor chain tensioners (3x) because they don't seem to be too vulnerable. The main one ratchets as it extends so seems unlikely to fail.
My friend is the lead tech at ACC and was leading this process with his copy of the FSM. Driver side timing gears proved to be a bit tricky. The vvti adjusters bear two sets of alignment marks...one for passenger side and one for the driver side (same part # for both sides). Didn't catch that at first and when we hand turned the crank we hit an interference point. Backed off and removed the main chain again. That's when we realized that the driver side gears are aligned with the secondary marks to install the smaller chain and then the main chain can go on using the primary marks. We had to read the FSM 3-4 times and scrutinize the tiny diagrams to figure that out.
Anyway I couldn't put the cover back on so we called it a day. Parts will arrive this week.
My friend is the lead tech at ACC and was leading this process with his copy of the FSM. Driver side timing gears proved to be a bit tricky. The vvti adjusters bear two sets of alignment marks...one for passenger side and one for the driver side (same part # for both sides). Didn't catch that at first and when we hand turned the crank we hit an interference point. Backed off and removed the main chain again. That's when we realized that the driver side gears are aligned with the secondary marks to install the smaller chain and then the main chain can go on using the primary marks. We had to read the FSM 3-4 times and scrutinize the tiny diagrams to figure that out.
Anyway I couldn't put the cover back on so we called it a day. Parts will arrive this week.
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- #34
The multi colored paint pen is because we had to undo the original build-back and ended up torquing each bolt twice 
- Thread starter
- #35
Got a few parts in that I was missing but 4 threaded studs that hold the water return joint at the back of the block are on backorder. They *may* arrive this week. But the big one was the oil pump o-ring that I omitted from my initial parts list. This allowed me to button up the timing case. I made sure to put extra FIPG at the joints to the heads. The passenger side (outer edge) was especially egregious in that the surfaces were not matched and you could feel the difference with your finger. Extra extra FIPG went there. The driver side and the two in the valley seemed a tighter match.
FYI, you can't remove these steel water passages without removing the heads. They got new o-rings though. There are a couple crank position sensors down in there too that you cannot get to unless the water pipe assy is removed. Regrettably, they are remaining untouched.
FYI, you can't remove these steel water passages without removing the heads. They got new o-rings though. There are a couple crank position sensors down in there too that you cannot get to unless the water pipe assy is removed. Regrettably, they are remaining untouched.
- Thread starter
- #36
All the above allowed me to continue with fuel rail, water pump and valve covers. I sent 12 injectors to a guy who tests, cleans/rebuilds and tests them again. I used the best 6 for this install. Six left over are perfectly fine, with numbers well within spec.
Installed the new tensioner assembly but still has an old pulley on it. Will replace that pulley during the swap.
Started connecting the rubber coolant lines and realized I needed to replace the spring clips that secure them. They will arrive this week as well. For now thermostat housing is just temporarily installed until those lines in the valley are secured.
Didn't snap a pic, but it was recommended I also remove the rear main seal panel. It's easier to install the rear main seal with it removed and I will need to reapply FIPG to seal it back up. The factory gray FIPG was dried up and brittle, so good call on that. Once I get it back on I can then install the upper oil pan.
Loving the red, but I know not much of it will show once the air intake manifold and surge box go back on. For now it has the old coil packs installed just to keep those openings protected.
Installed the new tensioner assembly but still has an old pulley on it. Will replace that pulley during the swap.
Started connecting the rubber coolant lines and realized I needed to replace the spring clips that secure them. They will arrive this week as well. For now thermostat housing is just temporarily installed until those lines in the valley are secured.
Didn't snap a pic, but it was recommended I also remove the rear main seal panel. It's easier to install the rear main seal with it removed and I will need to reapply FIPG to seal it back up. The factory gray FIPG was dried up and brittle, so good call on that. Once I get it back on I can then install the upper oil pan.
Loving the red, but I know not much of it will show once the air intake manifold and surge box go back on. For now it has the old coil packs installed just to keep those openings protected.
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- #37
Got the rear main seal installed in the back plate. Then the upper oil pan and lower oil pan. Bolted on the fan pulley/clutch, a couple idlers and the crank pulley is just hand tight for the moment. Gonna need a second set of hands to torque properly. The return water fixture is mounted on the back of the heads. And I test fitted the surge air intake. It won't be permanently installed until the engine is installed in the truck, so I can run the fuel lines and wiring harness that route under the air intake assembly. Still need a couple of odds and ends like spring clips small water bypass hoses, o-ring for the dipstick and the o-ring for the throttle body. I'm sure I still need some of the plastic wiring harness clips that attach to the valve covers and back of the engine.
GSMTR is less than 2 wks away, so I think I'm going to punt and do the swap after that event. Don't want to rush through at this stage.
GSMTR is less than 2 wks away, so I think I'm going to punt and do the swap after that event. Don't want to rush through at this stage.
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- #38
Got the last of my spring clips and the o-ring for the dipstick. Finished off the small bypass lines that go into the valley. Tentatively scheduling the engine swap for the weekend of the 27/28th. Actually planning to take Friday the 26th off from work and will drop the truck off at the garage Thursday night so I've got a room temp engine & exhaust on Friday morning.
I performed my last oil change on the current power plant this past weekend. This old thing is still running strong with a little bit of chain/valve chatter on cold starts, but I've got oil-contaminated coolant. Luckily it's not coolant-contaminated oil. So while my silicon coolant hoses aren't oleophilic, the radiator is gonna be replaced with brand new because I can't properly clean this one and re-install it in one weekend.
I performed my last oil change on the current power plant this past weekend. This old thing is still running strong with a little bit of chain/valve chatter on cold starts, but I've got oil-contaminated coolant. Luckily it's not coolant-contaminated oil. So while my silicon coolant hoses aren't oleophilic, the radiator is gonna be replaced with brand new because I can't properly clean this one and re-install it in one weekend.
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- #39
The final push was this past weekend. I took Friday off to get a jumpstart on disassembly/extraction - dropping my truck off at the garage Thursday night so everything was "room temp" when I would begin on Friday. I backed the rig onto the lift station so that we could use the forklift for the final extraction.
I started with removing the hood, front bumper hoop, grille and radiator. Next was the top of engine - air intake hose, air cleaner box and air surge tank. Raised the lift, then drained the oil and removed the exhaust manifolds.
At this point I removed the front wheels and lowered the truck to the point the rotors were nearly touching down. It made access from the front a lot easier. Now the most tedious part of the removal is the disconnection of all the wiring harness plugs. Each one is different and a puzzle that must be solved - combined with 20 years of grime & dust. One of the most difficult (for me) were the O2 sensors that are located above the bellhousing. Another head scratcher is the crank position sensor which is behind the AC compressor and tensioner pulley assembly. It was easier to remove the whole sensor from the block and then clean the harness clasp. Even still, it is a three-handed operation because it has a spring loaded sliding lock.
First light at the garage on Friday morning
Air intake assembly and coils removed. Battery, radiator, fan and fuel lines have left the room. Fan clutch also removed for easier extraction of the block. I left the power steering pump plumbed and just hung it off the front corner of the bay. The PS lines mostly stay out of the way once you remove the holding brackets.
After removing the bellhousing bolts and getting all the harness plugs undone the forklift swooped in for a quick removal. I mounted the wheels again so I could roll it towards the garage door for cleaning the next morning. We towed it using the forklift and chocked the wheels so I could use the power washer on the ramped driveway. Day one was about 10 hours of work, nearly solo.
Dirty beast
More to come...
I started with removing the hood, front bumper hoop, grille and radiator. Next was the top of engine - air intake hose, air cleaner box and air surge tank. Raised the lift, then drained the oil and removed the exhaust manifolds.
At this point I removed the front wheels and lowered the truck to the point the rotors were nearly touching down. It made access from the front a lot easier. Now the most tedious part of the removal is the disconnection of all the wiring harness plugs. Each one is different and a puzzle that must be solved - combined with 20 years of grime & dust. One of the most difficult (for me) were the O2 sensors that are located above the bellhousing. Another head scratcher is the crank position sensor which is behind the AC compressor and tensioner pulley assembly. It was easier to remove the whole sensor from the block and then clean the harness clasp. Even still, it is a three-handed operation because it has a spring loaded sliding lock.
First light at the garage on Friday morning
Air intake assembly and coils removed. Battery, radiator, fan and fuel lines have left the room. Fan clutch also removed for easier extraction of the block. I left the power steering pump plumbed and just hung it off the front corner of the bay. The PS lines mostly stay out of the way once you remove the holding brackets.
After removing the bellhousing bolts and getting all the harness plugs undone the forklift swooped in for a quick removal. I mounted the wheels again so I could roll it towards the garage door for cleaning the next morning. We towed it using the forklift and chocked the wheels so I could use the power washer on the ramped driveway. Day one was about 10 hours of work, nearly solo.
Dirty beast
More to come...
- Thread starter
- #40
Saturday started around 8:30 and I started disassembling parts of the old engine that were going to transfer to the new one. A few brackets that support parts of the wiring harness & air intake assembly, the assembly itself, the coil packs and the tensioner pulley. I sandblasted the steel brackets and gave them a fresh coat of paint. Once the rest of the support team arrived, we moved the truck to the edge of the ramped driveway so I could power wash the engine bay. Before they arrived I had soaked everything down with engine degreaser. It still did not cut through everything but good enough for now.
While I was in the empty engine bay cleaning I wanted to inspect the driver side motor mount closer, because a few years ago there was a crack developing. It was noticed when I had some muffler work done and I patched it up as best I could at the time by removing the steering shaft and exhaust down pipe and having someone with more experience than me weld up the vertical crack on the frame. Fast forward to today and there was a visible horizontal crack on the top corner of the mount. Towers grabbed the Millermatic and I went and found some scrap 1/4" plate to shape into a scab plate. A few minutes later Towers had the original crack welded and then welded the scab plate over the top of the rest of the mount. A little black spray paint and it was time for tacos and lots of water.
Next I installed the plugs (anti-seize applied) and coil packs while Towers worked on drilling out my exhaust manifold bolts in the down pipes. New studs installed and set aside for later. My wife continued going through my ziploc-organized nuts & bolts and cleaned everything up in the parts washer. The only accessory I put on before we dropped the engine in was the alternator. You can't put the AC compressor on until you seat the crank position sensor on the driver side of the upper oil pan (that tricky spring-loaded one). The power steering pump was still in the engine bay and the air intake would just be in the way for trying to attach chains to the engine for hoisting.
We spent a little while trying to get the new engine balanced on the chains on the forklift and repositioned them a few times and utilized a ratchet strap to finesse it a bit. We got the passenger side bellhousing alignment pin matched up and quickly put a bolt through that side. Then I moved to the driver side and worked from the lower end as Towers jockeyed the forks and my wife manned a 3ft prybar. Finally the driver side alignment pin hit center. Hours had magically passed during this process, it was 3:30pm at this point.
Notice the difference in orange strap and chain alignments between above photo and below photo - we did this a few times . . .
Once the engine was seated I climbed around the bellhousing finishing off all the trans mounting bolts, some are 17mm heads and some are 14mm and you'll need all the socket wrench extensions you have in your tool box to get those top ones. Then the starter and all the power cables to the battery and main grounds. Towers was working on the wiring harness with a quickness. By the time I climbed out from under the truck, he had almost all the plugs matched up and the power steering lines remounted to the frame. The transmission cooling lines were also reattached. I got the CPS attached and then the AC compressor. Towers reattached the AC lines we disconnected at both ends and started pressurizing the system.
Next the new radiator went in and all the hoses. Towers started checking for leaks using a fancy vacuum system hooked up to the radiator cap. The same vacuum helps fill the system with less air ingested. I worked on getting the exhaust manifolds installed and the O2 sensor wiring behind the block. I had to crawl up on the block again using a foam pad to lie prone and reach down along the firewall to reattach the plugs. The plan at this point was to turn the key over with the EFI fuses removed so that the oil pump could bathe everything before firing it up for real. I turned the ignition and let it crank over for about 15-20 secs and then we did it again for another 10-15 secs until Towers felt it had developed some pressure. Fuse went back in and relay box closed up.
Towers was still filling the radiator with a funnel at this point, letting it gurgle in slowly. So, I was waiting on him to finish filling the radiator and apparently he was waiting on me to turn the damn key for real this time. To be fair, it had been a long day and I was feeling a combination of giddiness that we were done and exhaustion. He wanted the water pump to pull more fluid before removing the funnel (I knew this, duh.) I turned the key at 7:15pm and it cranked up with a belligerent bocka-bocka-bocka-bocka. . . I looked wide-eyed through the windshield as Towers peered into the engine bay. It was the driver side manifold that I had forgotten to torque down
I turned it off, but also noted that the 4WD light was flashing on the dash. I asked Towers if he had plugged in the ADD actuator while he was on that side. Negative. I crawled under and tightened up the manifold bolts and found the ADD harness. We cranked it again and it sounded just like it should. Let it run for a few minutes and I look down at the table that all my parts were sitting on and see the front driveshaft sitting on the floor. I left the truck running at Towers suggestion and worked quickly to reattach the DS while avoiding the heat coming off the cat.
After letting it idle for about 20 minutes and checking for any visible leaks to any of the systems I took it around Commerce Circle a few times, first at about 20-25mph, then about 35-40, and finally around the back straight I opened it up to 55 briefly. Each time I passed the swingers club and Club Wax to the bemusement of each establishments bouncers. It was 8pm and time to call it a day. I went back to the garage and told my crew we had succeeded. Towers said he would lock up the garage and me and
packed up a few of my things and headed home. I still have to go back and retrieve the folding table we brought and pack up the extra parts that were ordered "just in case".
I thanked my friend Towers from the depths of my aching body for all his expert work and I think he was equally excited that Dig-Dug gets to keep on keeping on.
While I was in the empty engine bay cleaning I wanted to inspect the driver side motor mount closer, because a few years ago there was a crack developing. It was noticed when I had some muffler work done and I patched it up as best I could at the time by removing the steering shaft and exhaust down pipe and having someone with more experience than me weld up the vertical crack on the frame. Fast forward to today and there was a visible horizontal crack on the top corner of the mount. Towers grabbed the Millermatic and I went and found some scrap 1/4" plate to shape into a scab plate. A few minutes later Towers had the original crack welded and then welded the scab plate over the top of the rest of the mount. A little black spray paint and it was time for tacos and lots of water.
Next I installed the plugs (anti-seize applied) and coil packs while Towers worked on drilling out my exhaust manifold bolts in the down pipes. New studs installed and set aside for later. My wife continued going through my ziploc-organized nuts & bolts and cleaned everything up in the parts washer. The only accessory I put on before we dropped the engine in was the alternator. You can't put the AC compressor on until you seat the crank position sensor on the driver side of the upper oil pan (that tricky spring-loaded one). The power steering pump was still in the engine bay and the air intake would just be in the way for trying to attach chains to the engine for hoisting.
We spent a little while trying to get the new engine balanced on the chains on the forklift and repositioned them a few times and utilized a ratchet strap to finesse it a bit. We got the passenger side bellhousing alignment pin matched up and quickly put a bolt through that side. Then I moved to the driver side and worked from the lower end as Towers jockeyed the forks and my wife manned a 3ft prybar. Finally the driver side alignment pin hit center. Hours had magically passed during this process, it was 3:30pm at this point.
Notice the difference in orange strap and chain alignments between above photo and below photo - we did this a few times . . .
Once the engine was seated I climbed around the bellhousing finishing off all the trans mounting bolts, some are 17mm heads and some are 14mm and you'll need all the socket wrench extensions you have in your tool box to get those top ones. Then the starter and all the power cables to the battery and main grounds. Towers was working on the wiring harness with a quickness. By the time I climbed out from under the truck, he had almost all the plugs matched up and the power steering lines remounted to the frame. The transmission cooling lines were also reattached. I got the CPS attached and then the AC compressor. Towers reattached the AC lines we disconnected at both ends and started pressurizing the system.
Next the new radiator went in and all the hoses. Towers started checking for leaks using a fancy vacuum system hooked up to the radiator cap. The same vacuum helps fill the system with less air ingested. I worked on getting the exhaust manifolds installed and the O2 sensor wiring behind the block. I had to crawl up on the block again using a foam pad to lie prone and reach down along the firewall to reattach the plugs. The plan at this point was to turn the key over with the EFI fuses removed so that the oil pump could bathe everything before firing it up for real. I turned the ignition and let it crank over for about 15-20 secs and then we did it again for another 10-15 secs until Towers felt it had developed some pressure. Fuse went back in and relay box closed up.
Towers was still filling the radiator with a funnel at this point, letting it gurgle in slowly. So, I was waiting on him to finish filling the radiator and apparently he was waiting on me to turn the damn key for real this time. To be fair, it had been a long day and I was feeling a combination of giddiness that we were done and exhaustion. He wanted the water pump to pull more fluid before removing the funnel (I knew this, duh.) I turned the key at 7:15pm and it cranked up with a belligerent bocka-bocka-bocka-bocka. . . I looked wide-eyed through the windshield as Towers peered into the engine bay. It was the driver side manifold that I had forgotten to torque down
I turned it off, but also noted that the 4WD light was flashing on the dash. I asked Towers if he had plugged in the ADD actuator while he was on that side. Negative. I crawled under and tightened up the manifold bolts and found the ADD harness. We cranked it again and it sounded just like it should. Let it run for a few minutes and I look down at the table that all my parts were sitting on and see the front driveshaft sitting on the floor. I left the truck running at Towers suggestion and worked quickly to reattach the DS while avoiding the heat coming off the cat. After letting it idle for about 20 minutes and checking for any visible leaks to any of the systems I took it around Commerce Circle a few times, first at about 20-25mph, then about 35-40, and finally around the back straight I opened it up to 55 briefly. Each time I passed the swingers club and Club Wax to the bemusement of each establishments bouncers. It was 8pm and time to call it a day. I went back to the garage and told my crew we had succeeded. Towers said he would lock up the garage and me and
packed up a few of my things and headed home. I still have to go back and retrieve the folding table we brought and pack up the extra parts that were ordered "just in case".I thanked my friend Towers from the depths of my aching body for all his expert work and I think he was equally excited that Dig-Dug gets to keep on keeping on.