Reverse Jerry-Rigging a 1973 FJ40 to operation

[40LandCruising]

Cleaning up around the water pump.

 

[40LandCruising]

We have everything plumbed up for the muriatic acid flush, just waiting on the simp pump. Then after the flush we will replace the water pump(ordered from Napa) and do something about the radiator(get boiled or replace).

 

[40LandCruising]

We got the full system hooked up, and are currently running vinegar through the block. The vinegar has run for 24hours, and turned completely dark dark red. We replaced the vinegar tonight and it changed colors quickly. My guess is it is slowly cleaning rust off.

 

[40LandCruising]

Update: I just pulled the block drain and got nothing. So it's time to pull out the big guns and flush it with muriatic acid. We are going to get more acid and flush as soon as possible.

 

[40LandCruising]

I was going to buy muriatic acid today and flush the block with it but I got to Home Depot 6mins after they closed. How smooth. I'm going to get the acid tomorrow and proceed to flush.

 

[40LandCruising]

We did an acid flush, and it got a bunch of junk out but still can't get anything out of the block drain. So we decided to try a more direct path. We found a brass pipe fitting that fit inside the drain plug and connected a hose to that which we then filled with muriatic acid. So hopefully that direct method will break it up. We let the block drain plug soak in some acid for 30mins and it had the gunk on it and it cleaned it completely. So I imagine this should work.

 

[40LandCruising]

You can see the acid became green and foamy, and in the other images the direct method we are trying.

 

[40LandCruising]

Well we had no luck clearing the block, but we did make it worse. The acid are the plastic in the pump and creates foam that solidified in the block. Acid eats it right up but we can't circulate the acid without the pump.

That is what the foam looks like, as well as the old water pump once it was removed. The impeller is cracked because I couldn't get the screws for the backing plate off so I pried/beat it off.

 

[40LandCruising]

Gonna try one more Hail Mary on getting the clog out of our block. We are going to make a plate to cap off the hole where the water pump goes, and remove the thermostat housing. Then pour acid directly into the block where the thermostat housing was and let it sit, hopefully this will eat any and everything inside the block.

 

[120mm]

Why not try mechanically roto-rootering the hole?

I've seen several other people do that on this board.

 

[40LandCruising]

I haven't been able to get anything into the hole, I drilled into it but I can't go off to either side. @120mm

 

[40LandCruising]

For everyone's enjoyment, here are some pictures of the 1973 Ford Pinto Dirt track car my friend Jacob traded for. I'm the pit crew and occasional driver. @TB03

 

[40LandCruising]

So there have been lots of progression lately with the 1F in the 40. We were removing the thermostat housing and snapped a bolt off almost flush in the block. We tried to use easyouts to get it out but it was really stuck. We decided to pull the head to get the bolt machined out and have the head gone through while we were at it. Currently the head is at Bush’s machine shop in Clemmons. It is being resurfaced, and cleaned and they are going to replace the valve stem seals as well.

 

[David70FJ40]

Remember; have the intake valve seats replaced to hardened seats if it hasn't been done already. I was advised to do this since we are using unleaded gas.

 

[40LandCruising]

@David1947 I will talk to my friend who is machining the head about the valve seats, I think that would be the smartest thing to do.

 

[40LandCruising]

We decided to go ahead and pull the block and have it hot dipped and honed. That way we know the block will be completely clean. We ended up pulling the block, tranny, and t-case all at once and it went smoothly, then only snags where the clutch slave kept getting caught on the header but I sawzawed the header off and it came right out. Couldn’t have done it without @CAW16 or my friend Jacob. Once we got it all out I was able to get the tranny divorced from the bellhousing pretty easily.

 

[40LandCruising]

Now I can remove the bell housing and get it on an engine stand. Once I have that set up my friend from the machine shop is going to come help me disassemble the bottom end and then take it to hot dip it.

 

[greenbeasty]

You are doing great work there, keep it up!

 

[40LandCruising]

I appreciate it @greenbeasty , I'm excited to get her going again!

 

[greenbeasty]

@40LandCruising , we need to visit sometime, we are not so far apart. Do you do anything with any local LC folk?
I am fixin to part out a 74 FJ40 to fund a more streetable build on a 76.