Well, I think I have figured out my driveshaft issue. After much googling and whatnot, I have determined that the culprit is a non-Toyota flange and u-joint that someone welded onto the Toyota driveshaft tube. Despite many searches, I haven't been able to determine the type/brand of the flange/u-joint. It's an outer lock type that has a capital "T" in a small circle that is cast into both the flange and u-joint bearing caps. Maybe it's a really old brand that doesn't exist anymore, but ultimately it doesn't matter because it's going to go bye-bye. So I guess I'll be heading back to the boneyard to see if they have a driveshaft for me. So glad I wasted $100 on this useless piece of junk. Caveat emptor, I guess. Some lessons are more expensive than others.
Anyway. Over the past couple of nights I've been working on building a fan shroud. Is it a masterpiece of engineering and welding? No. It is not. Is it made from scrap steel that I salvaged from my old furnace that I had to replace last year? Yes. Yes it is. So basically I have zero dollars into this thing, which helps make up for the $100 that I flushed down the toilet on the driveshaft fiasco.
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To build this, I made a simple template out of cardboard. I cut a piece of cardboard to roughly the size of the radiator (including mounting flange), and held it in place with tape while I marked the outer radius of the fan. I also pushed the cardboard against the rad mounting bolt heads to mark the location of the mounting holes. I cut the template to shape and transferred it to a sheet of pretty thin galvanized furnace steel (don't worry - I removed the galvanization before welding!). I then calculated the length of steel I'd need for the "tunnel" or whatever it's called. Grade 10 math came in handy here: 2πR to determine the circumference. The metal I had on hand wasn't quite long enough, but close. The gap at the bottom will be closed by a removable "bridge" that I will screw in place. I searched the shop for something roughly 18" in diameter to bend the tunnel around, finally settling on my buddy's drain pan. I bent the strip of steel around the pan, then tacked it in place before fully welding the entire circumference. I then drilled the mounting holes and cut into them from the edge with a grinder, so that I can remove and reinstall without completely removing the rad mounting bolts.
Here's the final test fit before painting. I did give it a coat of Rustoleum last night, so next time I'm in the shop I'll be installing it for reals.
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So yeah, it's not pretty, but I think it'll work fine.
I also brought over my winch, which I plan to install on the 40. I'm starting to think about bumper plans, and I want to incorporate a winch mount into my design. The winch is an old Warn 5687, which should be about period correct for an early 70s Land Cruiser. I've tested it, and it works well. Looks to be in pretty good shape, too. I have the cab controls and cables, too, that I'll be installing at some point.
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That's the update for this week! Stay warm out there!
