Builds RevISK’s ‘80 FJ40 - A Girl Named Norman (2 Viewers)

[OlYellr]

You’ll be well practiced before I bring my rig down! Very kind of you.

(I found a welding class at the community college- I’m thinking of enrolling in - that stuff is dark arts to me and my only magic is a wallet)

 

[RevISK]

You’ll be well practiced before I bring my rig down! Very kind of you.

(I found a welding class at the community college- I’m thinking of enrolling in - that stuff is dark arts to me and my only magic is a wallet)

I weld a bit when I was a kid with my grandfather on his ancient (even back then) arc welder. It had been many many years since I’d welded anything.

All that to say I started from scratch again.
The true magic is prep with welding so it’s closer to painting than say, carpentry.

It really isn’t hard honestly. A good ground is key (isn’t it always?) along with good clean metal and a good dose of patience with this thin stuff. I advocate for you to just jump in and go for it.
Get a welder and some scrap and start gluing metal together. I’m definitely no expert but I’ll gladly talk you through things to the extent that I can.

Do it!

 

[RevISK]

Well… that escalated fast.

Sprung a leak in very hard to reach return hose from the oil cooler to the water pump. Made even harder to get to because of the AC compressors massive mounting bracket.

The AC is inoperative and I’m considering yanking it for the time being to fix it and convert it to 134 if possible. I know next to nothing about air conditioning systems and this slope is getting pretty slippery already. I probably don’t have the correct provision to mount my alternator.

 

[firemanj92]

Well… that escalated fast.
View attachment 3487564
Sprung a leak in very hard to reach return hose from the oil cooler to the water pump. Made even harder to get to because of the AC compressors massive mounting bracket.

The AC is inoperative and I’m considering yanking it for the time being to fix it and convert it to 134 if possible. I know next to nothing about air conditioning systems and this slope is getting pretty slippery already. I probably don’t have the correct provision to mount my alternator.

Converting AC is somewhat easy . It literally is just 2 fittings that screw on the old fittings, evac all old stuff. I just had a shop do 2 vehicles this year. I had a shop to do the labor/evac. It was around $250 including their kit per vehicle). The kit is found at any auto store (around $16).

 

[RevISK]

Converting AC is somewhat easy . It literally is just 2 fittings that screw on the old fittings, evac all old stuff. I just had a shop do 2 vehicles this year. The cost was from the shop to do the labor/evac. (around $250 including their kit per vehicle). The kit is found at any auto store (around $16).

Thanks, that gives me some insight.
I’ve only done a cursory look into the conversion as it is pretty far down the list given the Canadian AC in the truck now.

After a cup of coffee staring at my set up I think I’ll leave everything as is and focus on bib repair and general clean up while I’m in there.

 

[Green Bean]

The “while I’m in there” will get you every time. You are only a few steps removed from a complete frame off with engine, tranny and transfer case rebuild.

 

[RevISK]

The “while I’m in there” will get you every time. You are only a few steps removed from a complete frame off with engine, tranny and transfer case rebuild.

I am going to respectfully request that you shhhhhh...

All this simple hose replacement will involve is: Lower bib repair, radiator shroud repair and refresh, clean up the alternator, reroute some coolant lines, clean up some rust on the fenders and do the fan shroud 2 piece mod... simple....

 

[ijonesinsp]

Thanks, that gives me some insight.
I’ve only done a cursory look into the conversion as it is pretty far down the list given the Canadian AC in the truck now.

After a cup of coffee staring at my set up I think I’ll leave everything as is and focus on bib repair and general clean up while I’m in there.

Be careful the slope here…@rockymtnflyfisher

I am going to respectfully request that you shhhhhh...

All this simple hose replacement will involve is: Lower bib repair, radiator shroud repair and refresh, clean up the alternator, reroute some coolant lines, clean up some rust on the fenders and do the fan shroud 2 piece mod... simple....

Does @rkymtnflyfisher come to mind?

 

[RevISK]

Be careful the slope here…@rockymtnflyfisher


Does @rkymtnflyfisher come to mind?

Accidental frame off? Oh hell no, not here, not yet. The skis are staying in the closet for a few years yet. Putting the cramp ons on and stalling my slide.

My mantra with this truck is and has been, no more than a week down at a time. Hose will be here Friday and I'm about to turn off the work hole and dive into the bib repair which is the classic Swiss cheese sandwich across the bottom... This will be my most challenging fab yet.

 

[MOTOV8R]

Thanks, that gives me some insight.
I’ve only done a cursory look into the conversion as it is pretty far down the list given the Canadian AC in the truck now.

After a cup of coffee staring at my set up I think I’ll leave everything as is and focus on bib repair and general clean up while I’m in there.

The dreaded “while I’m in there” been in there done that.

 

[rkymtnflyfisher]

Accidental frame off? Oh hell no, not here, not yet. The skis are staying in the closet for a few years yet. Putting the cramp ons on and stalling my slide.

My mantra with this truck is and has been, no more than a week down at a time. Hose will be here Friday and I'm about to turn off the work hole and dive into the bib repair which is the classic Swiss cheese sandwich across the bottom... This will be my most challenging fab yet.

Follow me to the dark side!

 

[RevISK]

Follow me to the dark side!

You’re not my father! (Pulls out lightsaber disguised as an angle grinder)

Oh and I need to add a few items to the not slippery slope list…

Figure a little bondo should fix this:

It could be worse (he tells himself while filling his beer with tears). It could have eaten up all of the tricky bits.

 

[fjc-man]

tpautoparts.com ( Topnault) has your late style bib on sale for 430.00, just saying…

 

[rkymtnflyfisher]

And it begins!

 

[RevISK]

tpautoparts.com ( Topnault) has your late style bib on sale for 430.00, just saying…

And Real Steel has the lower patch for $190.

However, I have inadequate tools, limited experience fabricating steel sheet metal body parts and a sheet of 16 gauge cold roll, so naturally I will tackle it myself.

I just spent 2 hours making this piece, it’s wrong, but close.

 

[RevISK]

And it begins!

Oh, it’s on.
Not sure exactly what “it” is, but I assure you that the status of “it” is “on”.

 

[fjc-man]

Oh, it’s on.
Not sure exactly what “it” is, but I assure you that the status of “it” is “on”.

Yea, I was thinking about your “down time” statement.

 

[RevISK]

Yea, I was thinking about your “down time” statement.

true. I’ve got 5 days until I break that oath.

There is a lot of good and original metal on this bib and I’d like to save it. Have faith my friend, it may become something I redo in the future but I will fix this and possibly learn something in the process…
That’ll probably be listening to you in the first place

 

[Green Bean]

And Real Steel has the lower patch for $190.

However, I have inadequate tools, limited experience fabricating steel sheet metal body parts and a sheet of 16 gauge cold roll, so naturally I will tackle it myself.

I just spent 2 hours making this piece, it’s wrong, but close.
View attachment 3488338

Nice! What did you use to get that profile?

 

[RevISK]

Nice! What did you use to get that profile?

Thank you
A side of table mounted Pony wood working vise and a cheap set of HF body hammers.
The second one turned out the same. The issue I’m having is that the curved part of the profile is really close to the 90 and I don’t have a lot of space to work that curve.

I’m going to try a crappy bead roller I have to try and get the radius then somehow the 90. I only need a few inches of that profile and the rest of the repair is the angle across the bottom plus what bracing I put back on the backside. I may go get some 1/8” angle from Home Depot instead of doubling up like it was originally. That’s just a rust sandwich waiting to happen again.