Restoration FJ62 Ongoing

[TexasLandCruiser]

that engine bay is lit up like an operating theater. even i'd be able to fumble around in there

3 years ago dark corners didn’t bother me, now I get why my parents sat in a room with every light on

 

[TexasLandCruiser]

I tend to find that tape very easily at stores or at some of our suppliers. I was recommended tesa tape and a few others but I definitely like the 3m templex.
You pilots sure keep your stuff in tip top shape. My nephew is one and he is meticulous. I'm jealous

ha I literally stopped at the Napa out by the racetrack at lunch today for spare 3M Temflex, other friction tape holds ok but the 3M is the only one that hasn’t turned to goo. I also did a burn test on the 3M and abandoned the burn after 30 seconds at 600 degrees. All others failed 3M didn’t do anything

Well everyone enjoys being in a sterile cockpit, I do! (Though sterile cockpit means no chitchat…lol)

 

[sschruff]

I bought a carpet set from them 2 years ago, was molded FJ62 premarked for various cuts underside. The heel square in the footwell drivers side was wrong and sewn wrong, it was an awful thing to spend all day to be so black and white. What’s her name said “you got the last one they were discontinued due to fitment issues”. That was so bizarre, an operation that thinks like that won’t be persuaded with constructive argument.. the internals on the rods are s**t.

I needed a speedo cable because I was headed to this years solid axle summit, drove over to pick it up, leaving the next day. I asked if they wanted me to throw some of their cool calendars into Wednesday night raffle, she said not interested but you’re welcome to buy some.

I’m digging on them. S**t service will come back to haunt you.

Lexutech in Fort Worth is on my s**t list also. After months of will start on the wiring next Monday. 3 months later I walked in and fired them, took the keys and left. Only reason I bring this up is both of these shops offered good quality service for years, now they just don’t care.

Love it. The truth only hurts if you aren't doing your best. I'm a firm believer in burning bridges as it both helps me see better at night and a good burn optimizes down time=)

 

[TexasLandCruiser]

Love it. The truth only hurts if you aren't doing your best. I'm a firm believer in burning bridges as it both helps me see better at night and a good burn optimizes down time=)

Haha! Love it.

3 years ago I was 75% reliant on shops to make repairs, I’m 99% now on my own, I just need to get HP Tuners cause those shops at $500 for hour session.

I’m also trying to be a compassionate ass***e. The other thing is communication, I’d rather you ruin my day and let me process whatever it is, not to give me half truth and slow burn me. I’ve never ask the cost or set the completion schedule, you do your job and I’ll do mine and I’ll send more cruisers

 

[TexasLandCruiser]

I even went to the hose clamp guru and nothing seems to stop minor leaks. Suggested put some Gates Power Grips on so here we go. Don’t worry I carry spares galore.

My OME sticker on dampener just came off. The factory put the entire kit on the crate with wet paint. When everything arrived I had to do some minor paint work. Since the sticker is gone might as well put CO on there. They helped me a ton early on, patient and made me feel like they were down the block available any time.

Have some quick connect on all the cotter pin holes to get me by. Last night had to do some more adjustments to rods. Hate that you have to drop one end or the other to get a turn. Safety first y’all.

My U Bolts were coated black when I put everything in. The alignment shop called me and said they added 3 degree shim but they ran out of thread. They were so proud they had some replacements in stock, instead of asking me I went to pick it up and they already had rust on them. Picked another battle that week

 

[TexasLandCruiser]

Spent the last few weeks trying to take my time and do it right. Got the gang switches installed, new power cable supply to drivers side. Ran the new under bumper lights, and added rheostat to indirect lights. Finishing up the final location of each strip

 

[TexasLandCruiser]

Follow up photo of the back camp indirect lights

 

[TexasLandCruiser]

I was pretty skeptical about the Gates PowerGrip thermo hose claps so drove around pretty close to the house. However after a week heat cycles and cold mornings they appear to be great. I spent $8-10 per clamp wide metal bands and they still were awful at staying torqued.

Scrolling through YT I saw this short engineered test on the cycles of a clamp. Obviously the spring clamp is OEM and certainly does a good job but around minute 2:15 in the video they show some controlled test in the lab graphed out of the torque cycling of each type. THIS type stuff is what gets me out of bed every day. Carry a spare metal clamp in kit anyway so if anything goes wrong. The thermo plastic material holds to out of round shapes…like my heater core tubes at firwall

 

[TexasLandCruiser]

Here’s something else I learned in that video I never thought about but made perfect sense. Silicone hoses weep fluids. The silicone hoses will literally sweat the water from cooling system. The glycol properties will not sweat out, so the concentration will go up over time. So water must be added not 50/50 or concentrate. Check the ratio periodically if you have silicone. Though most cruiser guys use rubber…

Another thing I saw when I drained my coolant with hose change was some trash. I did a very thorough flush last year and got most of the junk out of the heater core but I found little bitty pieces of stuff that was not from this world. Only thing I can think of was perhaps some stuff from the manufacturing of the radiator and was in the bottom. Last year I found so much weird s&!t in the coolant.

They are using the logic of what tractor trailers use with critical systems. A lot of stuff going on there.

 

[TexasLandCruiser]

Ripped open my filter and was clean. 5k mile change. I put 80lbs magnets on the trans pan and oil filter. Every little bit helps.

Made some changes to electrical system. Moved my thermal breakers up to a cooler place. Also trimmed a total of 2 feet off charge and starter cable. I was getting some drawl it was struggling a little. This helps a lot. Maintained 13.5 volts with headlights, ac on and 2 sets of bumper fogs. Square amperage at alternator and downstream of battery to system.

100amp breaker is for cooling fan and the Auxbeam system and backup fan. Other is alternator.

 

[TexasLandCruiser]

Over the weekend pulled my drivers door and cleaned up some rust. Slow methodical process but came out good. Ultimately probably need an inner skin but will see how it holds. Re-harnessed my door harness that had the corrugated plastic. Paint match by Automotive Touchup 4G8 champagne (pronounce it with heavy emphasis on CH and you’ll sound sophisticated)

 

[TexasLandCruiser]

Side note post from the Land Cruiser Roundup

 

[TexasLandCruiser]

Thursday I leaned into my passenger door, based on the drivers door I had work to do. Before and after. Last night soaked rust in Jenolite and today prepped with grinding and primer. Pick up some 2k sealer tomorrow and hope to finish with 4G8 and Spray Max clear Saturday.

Champagne 4G8 from Touchup matches well.

 

[TexasLandCruiser]

Not too bad for the first body work I’ve done. The 2k epoxy seam sealer is absolutely my kryptonite! I’ll do better.

This was truly worth the experience. I called a local autoparts store cause the counter guy said if I ever needed touchup paint. Brought him my fuel door which had both the champagne and brown(?) yet to have someone tell me the actual name. I believe it may be a perfect match. SprayMax can system to aerosol with Dynocoat. Putting Automotive Touchup 2k clear on tomorrow. Check it out.

Bottom pic shows how it started. Those are my finish sample boards to put with the logbooks

 

[TexasLandCruiser]

Close out the door rust repair with pics of the jig I made and some shiny paint. Washed the door harness after broke apart then updated new split and tape

 

[TexasLandCruiser]

I remember the very dude that over torqued the plugs. I spent 3 hours dicking with the fill plug. Tapped it and back on track. I learned about grinding down the bevel on the M24 socket and that is a priceless piece of info to get a better bite. Even after the tap was in and had plenty of meat it still wouldn’t budge and I know why, took my dremel and cut a V shape down to the washer and as soon as the cut was done it unscrewed by hand . THATS some soft material in the plug

 

[TexasLandCruiser]

250,000 today at 35yo

 

[SteveH]

Great work and photos!

Be sure to squirt some aerosol Lithium grease (or Fluid Film, whatever) into those door bottoms that you so carefully de-rusted and painted. If you don't, they will rust again after a few rainstorms. By getting a sloppy grease in there to soak into the seams, you will stop the future rust. As a kid in Michigan, we diluted 90wt with gasoline and squirted it into doors and frames. The gasoline helps the 90wt soak into the seams and the evaporates. But, the smell is a problem, so I suggest using less stinky components.

 

[dbbowen]

how are your power grip clamps holding up? ive got one on one of my heater hoses but im about to try them on all of my other hose connections. Just about every one of my hoses has a little baby leak. Ive replaced all of the clamps and even double clamped most of them. Im honestly at the point where im going to delete the rear heater to eliminate 4 baby leaks. I dont know if the LS based motors have higher coolant pressure or what but somethings not jiving

 

[TexasLandCruiser]

how are your power grip clamps holding up? ive got one on one of my heater hoses but im about to try them on all of my other hose connections. Just about every one of my hoses has a little baby leak. Ive replaced all of the clamps and even double clamped most of them. Im honestly at the point where im going to delete the rear heater to eliminate 4 baby leaks. I dont know if the LS based motors have higher coolant pressure or what but somethings not jiving

Dan, I changed them all at once and zero leaks since. Very very impressed. They are obscure to the car market so keep a spare clamp with me. I’d do it again in a second. Good enough for a Mac truck figure it’ll handle our stuff