Builds Salt wagon My first fj40 (build) (2 Viewers)

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Not necessarily on the pushrod.

The shoes: are they adjusted correctly for operation with little to no drag or;

Are they adjusted right to the drum so you can’t turn the wheels?
 
Not necessarily on the pushrod.

The shoes: are they adjusted correctly for operation with little to no drag or;

Are they adjusted right to the drum so you can’t turn the wheels?
I adjusted them for a little drag. I can turn the tires but I can hear the pads dragging slightly
 
Adjust those suckers tight! After bleeding you can back them off where they need to be.
 
I bet it will. I think most people find the shoes being tight helps their bleeding woes. Requires a lot less pedal travel and fluid because there’s nowhere for the cylinder to move to.
 
You do have to start all this with a bled master cylinder.
 
You do have to start all this with a bled master cylinder.
Missed that part in the post. Definitely bleed the master into itself first.
 
You do have to start all this with a bled master cylinder.
Missed that part in the post. Definitely bleed the master into itself first.
Well I feel stupid.. this is what I was thinking I got wrong and in the back of my head I knew I should have bleed the master. its a simple system can only be so many things but I let it get the best of me... Seems like this will be a tomorrow/Monday project Its raining now and I don't have any extra break line to do it. However I did find some adapters that I bought if I want to change everything to 10mm line. Ill swing by the local garage here that carries brake line and get some 10mm on monday so I can bench bleed the master.

Thanks guys!
 
Still Having break issues. I will not let it beat me. I bleed the master then went and bleed all of the cylinders from the furthest one working my way closer. But it did not seem to change any of the issues I was having yesterday. Here are the symptoms: I can pump up the breaks and it will hold pressure for a few seconds. then it just goes to the floor as soon as I let my foot off. I would say within 10 seconds. It feels like its good when its pumped up. its not leaking fluid anywhere. Think the master cylinder is bad? I guess my next course of action for tomorrow would be double checking the adjustment on the wheel cylinders and then the pushrod. I had breaks before I went and replaced the cylinders so I am not sure the pushrod would be an issue. I have read quite a few threads where bleeding is issue for these Drum brake cruisers.

some other updates:
1. I put a vinyl floor mat in. I think It looks so much better. I am going to get some boots for the shifters soon.

2. I also got the Cruiser Outfitters bug catcher window gasket mostly installed on the drivers side. I just need to do some trimming. Its nice to have it in there now though.

3. while under the 40 adjusting the drums I found an alarming accident waiting to happen. The bolts holding the drive shaft and Ujoints to the rear axle were only finger tight. Well actually I would just say loose. I am surprised it did not come off all together to be honest. very very sketchy. I drove this 60mph a few times all while not knowing this. something I should have checked when I bought it. But they are tight now.

I have one weather stripping question. I have Oem door stripping and I am curious if you are suppost to cut the top part off on the stripping.Or would I just glue it to the top of the window frame. Look at the pictures below. I noticed that part of the old stripping was glued to the upper part of the door jam (Last picture). I dont know what that part is technically called) I didn't want to do anything before I asked on here.



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IMG_0923.JPG
IMG_0922 2.jpg


And below is a picture of the bug catcher gaskets mostly installed. and the vinyl mat installed.

I
IMG_0920.JPG
IMG_0918.JPG
 
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The weatherstrip is not on the top of the door frame? I think the one you tried is for the ? up to '74 type window frames. The ? up to '74 frames are thicker at top. I admit total weatherstrip failure, and I stick to generic self-adhesive types. I see so many Cruisers with front doors bulging out opposite the hinges (usually '75+), I wonder what is going on? Threads on the web are too lengthy for me to figure out what is up. I bought some weatherstrip that would not allow the door to even catch, it was completely unable to compress. The rear OEM ambulance door weatherstrip appears pretty worthless, or someone must have cut my doors small? Folks selling Cruiser parts have no clue about when the changes came about with the doors before '75, so double check what you are ordering. I have a useless short glass for one of mine because the vendor thought it would retro-fit. The glass regulators are the same, but the glass isn't.

How much do you crack the bleeder screw open when bleeding? How is the vinyl tube an oriented relative to the bleeder nipple, does it go up so air bubbles can go up?
 
The weatherstrip is not on the top of the door frame? I think the one you tried is for the ? up to '74 type window frames. The ? up to '74 frames are thicker at top. I admit total weatherstrip failure, and I stick to generic self-adhesive types. I see so many Cruisers with front doors bulging out opposite the hinges (usually '75+), I wonder what is going on? Threads on the web are too lengthy for me to figure out what is up. I bought some weatherstrip that would not allow the door to even catch, it was completely unable to compress. The rear OEM ambulance door weatherstrip appears pretty worthless, or someone must have cut my doors small? Folks selling Cruiser parts have no clue about when the changes came about with the doors before '75, so double check what you are ordering. I have a useless short glass for one of mine because the vendor thought it would retro-fit. The glass regulators are the same, but the glass isn't.

How much do you crack the bleeder screw open when bleeding? How is the vinyl tube an oriented relative to the bleeder nipple, does it go up so air bubbles can go up?
I think the weather stripping is oem 63-71. Or at least thats what I think it says on the bag it came on. The weather stripping came with the cruiser when I bought it. So the good news is it essentially was for free.

I think the issue I see is that my door is different than most maybe or its how the early doors are? . My door does not have a place to glue the weather stripping on the top part of the door frame like the door frame below. I think this photo is from a 1970 fj40 door.

The break fluid coming out of all the bleeders seem to have no bubbles anymore from what I can see from the tube.
CruiserDSdoor001.jpg
IMG_0923.jpg
 
Someone in the past suggested the use of this. You could probably find bulb weather strip at the corner auto retailer. It will squish down very thin, but, it has a good reach. I don't know how well it will perform to settle door rattle, but, just for regular driving it will be fine.

I'd try to run a long horizontal strip of this so that it touches the inner face of the door, and meets what you already have on the sides, but with overlap. Hopefully you won't see weatherstrip on the top when the doors are closed, it will all be painted metal.
 
Maybe on this side? But here is the product that I have on the back doors now. It will squeeze down to about 3/16" with not too much pressure.

20221204_201431.jpg



It fits on this side of the frame. Like exactly the same width as the top section of door frame from '64 FJ45 shown, like yours. But, it might look wrong when it is squished wider?


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The top strip needs to be cutoff and glued to the top of the doorframe. That’s the way the early bug-catcher window’d doors are set up. Nolen @wngrog can verify.

As for brakes, keep at it. It’s a pain, some more than others. My two drummed rigs have been relatively easy, both with mostly new hardware. Have no idea why though. Nolen @wngrog will try and talk you out of the drums 😂. I bought his drum master after he gave up 😝.

Good job on the bug windows! Did you join (glue) the corner joints or are they just overlapped? I have a set of the gaskets I bought a bunch of years ago. Someday I’ll get them in 😂.
 
Drum brake tech from the masters.


F front drums.

 
Drum brake tech from the masters.


F front drums.

Seems like you went through the same issues I am. Except I am pumping 5 to 6 times to get it firm. I feel like I have done all I can do to get the air out. I am going to adjust the pads down till the wheels dont move. then Ill back it off a few clicks. I did it just to what it sounded like it was dragging. but I am now thinking I need to do more. I really wish I had bought one of those adjuster tools. I may take the drums off this afternoon and check everything is correct too.

Does anybody know how to tell if the master cylinder is bad? I am thinking my issues are because my pads are not adjusted correctly. However I am thinking I might want to buy one just in case.

Before anyone says change to disks - I want to keep the drums. I like originality. Most of what I am doing to the land cruiser is to put it back more original. Except for the engine haha.
 
Unless your master is dual-circuit (leaking internally), or leaking anywhere, it should be fine.

Knowing which way the adjuster turns to loosen/tighten gets me often. I wrote it down somewhere. The brake spoon from factory is nice but not imperative. What is most important is that the adjusters freely move on their threads (unlike your typical barn-finds or forgotten for service trucks). When finished the adjuster holes are capped with plugs from Toyota so it keeps stuff out.

If you open your bleeder screw too much, you pull in air thru the loose fit on the bleeder/cylinder casting, during pedal return. I open mine just enough so I can squeeze out DOT3. If your helper, I don't have one, holds the pedal down, you can do a quick crack open/closed on the bleeder screw, then repeat cycle, so you move more fluid faster, and get more air past the upper cylinder space, and high spots on the brake lines.
 
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Unless your master is dual-circuit (leaking internally), or leaking anywhere, it should be fine.

Knowing which way the adjuster turns to loosen/tighten gets me often. I wrote it down somewhere. The brake spoon from factory is nice but not imperative. What is most important is that the adjusters freely move on their threads (unlike your typical barn-finds or forgotten for service trucks). When finished the adjuster holes are capped with plugs from Toyota so it keeps stuff out.

If you open your bleeder screw too much, you pull in air thru the loose fit on the bleeder/cylinder casting, during pedal return. I open mine just enough so I can squeeze out DOT3. If your helper, I don't have one, holds the pedal down, you can do a quick crack open/closed on the bleeder screw, then repeat cycle, so you move more fluid faster, and get more air past the upper cylinder space, and high spots on the brake lines.
Thanks for the info on the master. I think it was replaced recently before I purchased the fj40 so I dont think It would be bad.

Yeah one of my plans is to pull the drum off this afternoon after work to make sure I am turning the adjuster correctly. and hopfully get them adjusted all the way before it gets dark. god I would love a garage. hopfully soon. Luckily these adjusters are new and move nicely. I opted to buy new cylinders from city racer so I can have the old ones as rebuilds in case I need to do that down the road.

Yeah I am having my father help me with the break bleeding. He is holding the peddle down to bleed. He has been helping out when he can.

I have had the adjusters on a friends old jeep cj5 give me truble because they were seized. The design of these drums are way better I feel like. (other than the fact they are giving me trouble now haha.)
 
This is the wrong part number for plugs. There is a plug for the non-adjuster spots, and a plug for the adjusters, and they are different, iirc, mid '70's FJ40. Drum brakes are a 'crash course,' initially, but, I don't mind doing them. This is the view from the hardtop of the truck for the adjusters, in my notes. I have not made notes for the back cylinder adjusters yet.

wheel adjusters.jpg
 
The top strip needs to be cutoff and glued to the top of the doorframe. That’s the way the early bug-catcher window’d doors are set up. Nolen @wngrog can verify.

As for brakes, keep at it. It’s a pain, some more than others. My two drummed rigs have been relatively easy, both with mostly new hardware. Have no idea why though. Nolen @wngrog will try and talk you out of the drums 😂. I bought his drum master after he gave up 😝.

Good job on the bug windows! Did you join (glue) the corner joints or are they just overlapped? I have a set of the gaskets I bought a bunch of years ago. Someday I’ll get them in 😂.
I have not glued the corners of the bug window gaskets yet. they are overlapped slightly. I have not decided if I am going to trim and glue or just glue. I did oops them a few times but overall it went pretty well. Its certainly better than the gasket that did not fit haha.

Thanks for the info on the top of the weather stripping. I know I dont want to buy it again if it can be made to work. It will be nice once both doors are completly rebuilt weather stripping wise. so far I have just been working on the drivers door and keeping the passenger until I have it all figured out. So I have a reference when I mess something up.

As for the brakes, I am hopping its all down to issues with the adjustment of the pads. I feel like there is no way there is air in the system anymore. I have gone through almost a gallon of brake fluid just with bleeding and air is not comming out but the peddles still require to be pumped up alot.
 

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