Resurrecting my first FJ40.... list o'crap, what else?

[dave22r]

I brought home a non running 74 2 weeks ago. Needed some love but it's running. Had some wiring issues between the starter, coil and distributor. I worked that out with Pertronix and a wiring diagram from here....

So now that she's alive, the real fun begins. From the best I can tell she hasn't been on the road since about 96. The PO bought it out of some lady's yard and replaced a bunch of stuff in the last 6 months, but I'm sorting the rest before getting on the road.

What she is:
74 1F 4 speed
Pretty much stock everything
Body is straight af, lived in the desert
Engine runs great, haven't been out of the garage yet though
Tires are new BFG but have a 1996 born on date.....


What's been done:
Oil
Starter
Boiled tank and new fuel lines
Rebuilt carb
New coolant and heater hoses
New plugs, cap, rotor, coil, ignitor, eliminated points/ballast resistor
Brakes/Clutch fresh fluid and bled


My to-do list:
New belts
Change fluids in F/R diffs, t-case, trans
Verify vacuum routing (not getting vacuum to distributor)
I think I have an exhaust leak, hunt that down
All the rubber in the steering linkage is dry/cracked
Shocks, maybe replace/repack leafs
Tires.... I don't want to though!

So my question... What else should I add to my to-do list? I know after sitting that long things need some attention. She is going to stay stock. Later down the road needs a top and lockers but not today.

 

[imyahucklbrry]

No answers for you.............. until you post pictures

 

[Shark56]

Pictures first...
You hit most important stuff on your done list.
I would check all drive train fluid levels.
Pinky finger in the holes will tell alot on the condition of fluid.
Picture of the steering rag joint. If its dry and brittle definitely replace.
Drive it for awhile! Enjoy it before going in too deep.
Welcome to Mud!

 

[dave22r]

No answers for you.............. until you post pictures

Omg where are my manners?!?!
Here she is on the way home. I’ll get a few more up as I go... weather has been crap since the adoption. Not many pics yet

 

[Dizzy]

It probably is a good idea to rebuild all of the hydraulic components. Clutch slave and master, wheel cylinders and brake master. Check that wheel bearings are properly adjusted. Coolant.

 

[dave22r]

Pictures first...
You hit most important stuff on your done list.
I would check all drive train fluid levels.
Pinky finger in the holes will tell alot on the condition of fluid.
Picture of the steering rag joint. If its dry and brittle definitely replace.
Drive it for awhile! Enjoy it before going in too deep.
Welcome to Mud!

I'll check out the rag joint over the weekend. Fluids are just getting changed; I'm sure they're 40 years old
And thank you! Long time forum creeper, finally joined up!

It probably is a good idea to rebuild all of the hydraulic components. Clutch slave and master, wheel cylinders and brake master. Check that wheel bearings are properly adjusted. Coolant.

Oh I didn't think of the wheel bearings. Added! Hydro components added to the later list. Thanks!

 

[imyahucklbrry]

Good starting list... you mentioned steering linkage rubber being rough - guessin you’ll be replacing TREs (Cruiser Outfitters is a good source). Do you know the condition of your front axels?
Couple of good links:
40-series FAQ
Vendors

Agree with @Shark56 ....after you baseline the truck, drive, enjoy... get to know it’s ‘personality’

*And WELCOME!

 

[Michael Hanson]

Hi, Good start. Drive it ,it ( name it ) and it will tell you what it needs. Mike

 

[dave22r]

Good starting list... you mentioned steering linkage rubber being rough - guessin you’ll be replacing TREs (Cruiser Outfitters is a good source). Do you know the condition of your front axels?
Couple of good links:
40-series FAQ
Vendors

Agree with @Shark56 ....after you baseline the truck, drive, enjoy... get to know it’s ‘personality’

*And WELCOME!

Man I've been all over that FAQ. I don't want to be that guy that asks something and has 900000 people tell me to search the dead horse question..... nobody likes that guy!!
No clue about the front axle. When I get it in the air I'll be back in the axle section of the FAQ
*and Thanks!!


Mike- that's about the plan. I'm just picking your brains to expand my list and to make sure there isn't a grenade I'm overlooking before driving. Names.... yeah. My wife names all her rides and even mowers, pressure washers, etc. I stick to the cruiser, the truck or the Camry. She wants to name the FJ40, I'm not that exciting hahaha!

 

[Dizzy]

The most important cruiser lesson I had was discovering that your distributor can get you spark, but if you have it clamped too far up on its neck, your oil pump is out of commission.

 

[imyahucklbrry]

About the axels......... like Mr. Hanson says “It will tell you what it needs”

Mine did

 

[fyton2v]

I'll second what Dizzy said above. I'd worry about your clutch and brake master... and wheel cylinders. Brakes are pretty damn important. After my truck sat for 15 years, those things were about toast and I didn't work out the kinks until after it became a pretty inconvenient problem.

 

[Dizzy]

Oops, what did I say! I meant that if the distributor is seated too far up, it no longer turns the oil pump.

 

[thebigredrocker]

You scored!, that is a nice looking rig Since the top has been off, when you go to drain the tranny, crack open the fill plug first, hopefully water doesn’t come out.

If your dissy is the stock retard 74, I’ve read guru’s recommend running it on mechanical advance only, disconnect the vac hose. Food for thought

At some point you’ll probably want to add cleaning up all the electrical connections to your “to-do” list. If gremlins creep up you may need to pull the switches apart and clean inside them.

CruiserOutfitter’s sell Japanese made rebuild kits for all your hydraulic stuff. You can save some coin by honing/re-sealing your brake cylinder’s versus buying all new. You won’t save time though

Enjoy the journey

 

[JohnnyC]

Clean looking cruiser...

You need to start saving $$$$ for all the goodies

Btw the hood is not original... somebody put an earlier split hood on it ... it’s a better hood imho

Welcome to mud

 

[JohnnyC]

Btw how stock do you want to go?

There is things that aren’t stock ... if you want to know how much isn’t Post more pics

We are good at pointing out what’s wrong with others rigs while keeping a blind eye to our own lol

 

[John in Utah]

Welcome! Cruiser looks great! It might be an unpopular opinion around here but I think the white on red is working for it.

Drive the crap out of it! you've already done way more than I did when I first brought mine home - things will pop up as you put some miles on her. Definitely get new tires ... those things were put on when I was two years old

Tehachapi is beautiful in the spring, I spent a day there when I passed through on the PCT a couple years back

 

[rrv333]

That patina rocks

 

[C6H12O6]

Welcome from another owner of a '74 that has been sitting for too long. Looking forward to more pics. At least your bezel is on correctly!

Love the patina. Mine is in similar shape—dang straight, mostly rust free, and red. I'd love to know your VIN and manufacture date to see how far apart our trucks are. Do you know if it was originally a hardtop?

Might be worth pulling the speedometer cable for the first few test drives until you can make sure everything is spinning properly inside the gauge. I've heard of people snapping the gears in the speedometer off on their first few drives of these old sitting-too-long trucks. Crusty, old grease? Not sure. I haven't gotten there yet, either.

Also, probably not a bad idea to make sure the motor is properly pumping oil up to the head before you run it too long.

 

[FJ404345]

Nice rig ! Welcome to the madness !