Build Roma's 78 fj40 gets a refurb

[roma042987]

The 3b nose cone was filthy so I decided to fully disassemble it and clean it up. At this point I decided it would be best to use as many of the new components as possible from the new starter, so the flywheel engagement gear needed to be swapped.

Getting ready to use my favorite tool in the shop.

Right as I start blasting, I hear a giant crash behind me and turn to see my 5-year-old laying on the ground beside his 40 with his leg still partially in it. He had been driving it around in the woods behind the house on the upper portion of the property just moments before. I ran over to him and picked him up pulling his wedged leg out from the cruiser. I had expected the worst but miraculously all he was a small bruise on his butt. Apparently, he had backed off that 5 foot or so ledge and landed right between a bunch of rocks and the aluminum 40. He was honestly more scared than hurt.

 

[roma042987]

After that little fiasco I was able to get back to this starter. I'm pretty sure he learned a very valuable lesson, and in my mind anytime they have any kind of wreck or fall that doesn't involve them getting hurt it's a good thing.


The nose cone cleaned up really nice and looks better than the new 1HZ part.

Removing this engagement drive gear was a pain in the butt. I probably spent at least a couple of hours just on this and even succeeded in impaling my finger with a pick trying to get the snap ring off.

 

[roma042987]

Victory was finally mine and I ended up with this. A new 12 volt Denso 3b starter assembly.

"She's a beaut Clark"

 

[charliemeyer007]

That is one well used hammer impact driver. I'd grind that perimeter head clean. My favorite hammer for those and my other tools is a lead one - have 3 sizes 1, 3, 6 pound units with the molds.

 

[roma042987]

Ha ha yeah, I used to turn wrenches back in the day and it was regularly used for brake rotor screws. I have a Snap-on air hammer attachment I started using for that at some point but I believe some part of it broke and its been lying in the bottom of my tool box for probably 15 years.

 

[roma042987]

I needed to source a 12 volt alternator for this engine and all of my research showed that a 1hz alternator was a direct replacement.

Couple of observations to note:
1) My 15bf currently in the 40 utilizes a single groove pulley for the alternator belt. I found a Fourrunner alternator to be a good match for that engine and do not know if the pulley is the only difference between the single and double pulley configurations.
2) I have seen three different alternator configurations on 15bft engines and a fourth if you include the 15bf configuration.
3) I have not seen a single belt alternator 15bft configuration

Anyway, the alternator came in and it ALMOST fits. The upper slide bar adjuster is jogged too much by the width of the adjuster which is about a 1/4".
Now I'm not sure if people that say this alternator is a direct fit have something else going on or make some sort of modification.
I was hesitant to bend the adjuster so I explored spacing it out away from the head with a bushing to go on the front side of alternator ear as well as making a whole new bar. I wasn't keen on either option and the more I looked at it the more I thought I could make the current bar work by bending it twice in opposing directions at each bend.

 

[roma042987]

Press came in handy for this project as it took little effort to adjust the bar. Now the alternator fits like a glove.

This is an 80amp unit that also appears to be available from some dealers. I got this one from cruisermatt.

Factory belts available from the local dealer.

 

[MatthewMcD]

Press came in handy for this project as it took little effort to adjust the bar. Now the alternator fits like a glove.

View attachment 4085920

This is an 80amp unit that also appears to be available from some dealers. I got this one from cruisermatt.
View attachment 4085921View attachment 4085922

Factory belts available from the local dealer.
View attachment 4085923

View attachment 4085924

My OCD thanks you for your belt alignment.

 

[roma042987]

Started building a heater supply pipe today. I had this 3bii heater pipe that was similar to what I needed but it was in rough shape so I wanted to make something nicer.

I made the first mock up piece out of copper pipe just to see if I could get the bends close enough to original. The tubing bender I have here will only do a 2.5" radius for 5/8 tube so it's not as tight as factory but not too bad.

 

[roma042987]

I ordered three different sizes of tubing in stainless before I settled on 0.049. I originally tried 0.065 but it was difficult to bend and would not bead very well. Then I tried 0.020 and it collapsed on itself in the bender.

 

[roma042987]

I used a big framing square to check it for square.

I've wanted one of these small tube beading kits since about 2018 when I needed to make some 12ht coolant lines but the buggers are pricey. With this project in the que, I started looking at them again and found this set on ebay. I got into a small bidding war but came out on top.

 

[roma042987]

Spent a good three hours on this thing before I was happy with the results. I still need to make a couple of support brackets for it before its done but I'm pleased with the geometry. Being stainless, it should outlast everything else on the truck.

I started with a 6' stick which came out to be enough for two pieces so I started making a second one for my other engine.

 

[roma042987]

I ordered some stainless 8mm thick bushings for the brackets and used a stainless shelf support to make the actual bracket.

 

[roma042987]

Finished product. Id like to get a TIG machine for this kind of work for prettier welds but the MIG with stainless wire did the trick. I picked up this Harbor Freight welding table this week for $40. It's obviously not one of the heavy steel ones but I wasn't ready to drop a bunch of money and this sure beats welding on the floor like I've been doing the last decade.

 

[roma042987]

 

[charliemeyer007]

I hit the lottery I'm doing the full Fireball tool system! And yes it will need to be a big win too as I need a shop to put it in.