Builds Skreddy Bought an 87 FJ60 (2 Viewers)

[Skreddy]

Brakes are done and it runs like $#!+!!!!! Ok, I didn’t touch anything so what the heck. If I gingerly drive it, it’s fine but if I try to get above 1/4 throttle it coughs and chugs and puffing black smoke then dies. Doesn’t do it with the hood up and hand activating the throttle so maybe it’s load related? I’ll abridge this story here. Tore the carb apart 3 times to adjust float height. Distributor cap off to check stuff twice. I’ve been driving it without the air cleaner and the issue is that under load (high vacuum from carb throat) it’s sucking the hood insulation down to the carb throat and cutting off the air supply. This took me over an hour to have the “ah-ha!” moment. Ugh. So, air cleaner on and runs great again! Tons of fresh Toyota parts installed today like brakes, filters, wipers, dome light parts, marker lights. But no pics. But it did snow 3 or 4”.

 

[red66toy]

Brakes are done and it runs like $#!+!!!!! Ok, I didn’t touch anything so what the heck. If I gingerly drive it, it’s fine but if I try to get above 1/4 throttle it coughs and chugs and puffing black smoke then dies. Doesn’t do it with the hood up and hand activating the throttle so maybe it’s load related? I’ll abridge this story here. Tore the carb apart 3 times to adjust float height. Distributor cap off to check stuff twice. I’ve been driving it without the air cleaner and the issue is that under load (high vacuum from carb throat) it’s sucking the hood insulation down to the carb throat and cutting off the air supply. This took me over an hour to have the “ah-ha!” moment. Ugh. So, air cleaner on and runs great again! Tons of fresh Toyota parts installed today like brakes, filters, wipers, dome light parts, marker lights. But no pics. But it did snow 3 or 4”.

At least at the end it was an easy fix.

 

[Dekeman]

Carb probably vacuumed the mice living in the insulation too. Another bonus.

 

[Skreddy]

At least at the end it was an easy fix.

Had me and a buddy stumped for awhile. Glad it was simple. I finally said out loud the damn problem is only there when the hood is closed! Then saw the perfect circle in the insulation right above the carb.

 

[Skreddy]

Today I spent some time sorting wiring. The “desmog” on this consisted of cutting all the wires to emissions equipment at the firewall and slapping on a Webber. Wires cut included horn, marker lights, emissions, carb fan, temp sender, brake warning light harness; basically half of everything on the drivers fender.
Brake warning light was staying on and figured out that the power and ground wires to the carb fan both are making a ground that was causing the dash brake light… Same with horn. Tach doesn’t work. Gauge lights don’t work. Peeled back wiring tape and there’s live wires with ground wires: both with exposed strands; taped up together. Horn wiring has 6” that got so hot the copper wire melted away.
But it’s running pretty dang good! Taped up wires and trying to make short trips to sort other issues. Making a color correct order to Coolerman but in the meantime there’s taped wires and half assed fixes.

Took the kindergartener to the bus this morning.

 

[Skreddy]

Was putting in the new oem fuel filter today. There was an aftermarket canister Racor filter setup screwed to the firewall. Interestingly, none of the fittings were tight, none on the hose clamps were tight and the return line from frame was hooked to the feed line on pump and running through the filter setup. Haven’t driven it to see if there’s any change.

 

[Skreddy]

I’ve been trying to fix little things (mostly electrical) and the more I dig the more I find. Had a bad tach and @NookShneer from Torfab hooked me up with one to try today and it works! Got all the gauge bulbs changed out too.
Been figuring out what wires I need since the harness was just hacked at the firewall when the crude desmog was done. Some stuff got hot, that’s for sure. But I got the carb fan working today. So I’m still making a list of what wire I need then I’ll be replacing everything up here that got hot.

 

[Dekeman]

I share your pain on the gas line. This was the pig dung I pulled from mine on day one.

 

[moclakens]

I'm a little late, but Awesome find!

 

[Skreddy]

Sorry if whoever worked on this truck in the past is on here, but please don’t do wiring work ever again….

Lots of black and red electrical tape on the drivers inner fender area. I’ve figured out which wires I need and which I don’t and have been properly removing them from their connectors or cutting and sealing up the ends for ticking in harness tape later. So redoing this black and red tape just leads to more tape. And more tape. And more tape…. The fire waiting to happen this is covering up makes me glad I’m going through the effort to fix it.

 

[Skreddy]

While I wait for the wiring, it was a nice sunny day so I wanted to replace the plexiglass cargo window with a correct, glass one. The plexiglass window leaked, even with a fair bit of adhesive on it.
Before.

The replacement.

Old window out and opening cleaned up.

New old window in.

And with the chrome strip in place. Hopefully no more leaks and looks a lot better!

 

[Skreddy]

Started playing with seats a little today. I was going to go a different route for seats but got a killer deal on a set of gray CCOT covers from @jas89 that I couldn’t pass up. I ordered a heated seat kit for both fronts as well (nice to have warm buns at 10 degrees late elk hunting). My foam is trashed on the drivers side and the passenger seat is pretty well flat. I wanted something with more bolstering so I went to pick-n-pull this morning with my measurements and seat drawings and I think I found a good foam option. The seats came from a 96 or 98 Nissan Pathfinder. Little better bolstering but not so much that the new covers won’t form too them. Much more comfortable than the cruiser seats and at $100 for the pair, I’m into it way cheaper than new foams or trying to shape my own foam.
Quick and dirty test fit of the covers over the foam on the pathfinder frames and they fit really good. Can’t wait to get the foams on the cruiser frames but waiting on the seat heaters.

 

[Skreddy]

Half done with the rear seat. I’m really happy with the fit of these CCOT covers so far. Wish they had the little pockets to put the seat belts in so they don’t get stuck under the seat but it’s a minor inconvenience.
Can’t even see that big center wrinkle in person. Shrug.

 

[Skreddy]

Back seat is done. Lower fit was good but not quite as good as the top. The pleated section seemed to have 1/2”-3/4” too much front overhang but it’s not bad (maybe this is correct?). Seat is pretty comfy.
The front of the lower seat was eaten by some type of animal so I needed to cut it out and glue in/shape some new foam before covering. The foam I had was a little less dense but you can’t really tell with the covers on.

 

[jas89]

Nice work! Those seats look awesome.

 

[Skreddy]

My wiring from @Coolerman showed up over the weekend and I got an early start today. Got it pretty well finished up, need the proper connector for the fender marker light and to mount my temp sensor for the carb fan. But now everything seems to work and none of the smoke made it out of the wires! Even got my some light working when the doors open. One of the rivets holding the contacts was a tiny bit loose and must’ve built up some corrosion. A quick smash with a punch and it works!

Top contact/river got the smash.

 

[Skreddy]

Passenger seat done.

 

[moclakens]

Pathfinder foam on 60 seat base?

 

[Skreddy]

@moclakens Yep. It’s really close. I’ve got more pics I’ll put up later how I had to modify them. The top corners of the seat back are a little loose because the pathfinder foam is rounder. I could’ve added some foam there but these CCOT vinyl covers are stiff enough you can’t tell. I think with the Cruiser Corps cloth covers, you’d need to fill those corners otherwise they’d look like deflated balloons up there.

The foams fill the covers out really nicely. My wife sat in there and says it feels like a completely different truck.

 

[Skreddy]

Some more details about the seats. I used the foams from a 96 or 98 pathfinder with cloth seats. Not sure if it matters but the 2 in the junkyard with leather seats seemed to have “plushier” foam.
I used a cheap electric carving knife for cutting the foams and used the old foams and the seat frames as a guide.

The bottom foam need the back trimmed where there’s a kick up. Also, the underside needs a hump trimmed off in the center. After this, it basically is an exact fit on the seat pan. The listing wire groove is even in the correct spot for the cruiser covers.

Adding the heated seat elements, needed to layout and make cuts where the listing attachment goes through. (Can see the kickup cut off the back).

The backs required more work, but not a ton.

The top section that goes over the seat frame needs slit so it hinges instead of pulling over. This may not be needed, but the internal shape that fits the frame needs a slight recontour. I’m not sure this could be done without slitting. (The stock foams are slit to hinge over the frame). The upper part that wraps around the back of the seat frame also needs shaved thinner, just used the carving knife and it did pretty well. Followed anything that needed more work/shaping with a die grinder and 60 grit sanding disc.
The listing wire for the upper cover needs to be about directly in the middle of the 2 existing grooves. I just made a V trough and drilled 3 holes with a 5/8” paddle bit.

Missed pics of some details but it was fairly straight forward. I’m no upholstery guy and my harbor freight hog ring pliers prove it…. I’ve done 2 FJ40 front benches, 3 sets of FJ40 front buckets, rear bench from my Chevelle and now the full set of these FJ60 seats. Maybe it was the covers, the oversized foam or a combo, but I think these may have gone the best of any of the seats I’ve done.