Builds Skreddy’s 70 Non-Resto (1 Viewer)

[EWheeler]

All stripped down, I found 3 issues but only 2 major/minor ones.
There is a broken nut on the frame where the side plate attaches that will need welded.
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There’s also a broken spring tab on the back section that will need welded. Luckily the broken piece was in the seat.
View attachment 2885367

The easiest issue was just some of the smaller springs and clips that locate the coils in the lower seat had shifted or become disconnected. Those will get sorted out and once the welding is done, I can get on reassembly.
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I bought the same sale and have the same benches to re-cover with coral covers. Will be copying you, thanks for sharing!

 

[MDH33]

I did the split bench in my 69 this summer too but used SOR covers and foam. Looking forward to seeing how yours turns out!

 

[Skreddy]

I get the foam, batting and burlap at hobby lobby or Joann fabric, whichever one my wife feels like going to…. I’m no pro and I’m positive there’s better methods and materials. This is probably the 5th or 6th bench seat I’ve done and this way holds up well. I usually use 1” foam and 2” high loft cotton batting that compresses down. This time I went for 2” foam and 3/4” batting. We will see.

I hog ring the burlap over the springs to protect the foam.

Then the batting and foam. Missed a couple pics here. With this batting, I folded it over so it was double thick over the burlap and still had a tail long enough to do a 3rd fold. Then I put the foam on, hog ringed the sides and bottom to keep it in place and wrapped the batting back over from the lower side, up and over the top and the seat frame.

Then fold the cover inside out, aligned it on the seat and started folding the edges over and shoving it on.

 

[Skreddy]

Here it is with the cover on and lower edge hog ringed in place. I like the Cruiser Corps covers and think they are good quality. However, they don’t seem to have as much material as the factory cover so you can’t really stretch the cover over and hog ring to the springs.

To get by this, I drill holes in the lip that the back cover screws to, then hog ring to that.

I try to get it snug, but it is really easy to suck the springs too tight and have a wavy seat back or pull the pleats out of alignment. Also, being a split bench, if you get one seat too tight, it looks goofy next to the other one if they aren’t similar depth.

I know, hard to focus on that seat back with that patterned Berber carpet distracting you….
Then I just need to finish up the bottom and the drivers seat all in similar fashion.

 

[Skreddy]

Here is the finished passenger side of the front bench. I ran out of hog rings so it’ll be a few days for the passenger side. Still need to attach the back panel but the trim welt is gray so I have some plastic black door edge guard that I will use instead.

 

[EWheeler]

Here is the finished passenger side of the front bench. I ran out of hog rings so it’ll be a few days for the passenger side. Still need to attach the back panel but the trim welt is gray so I have some plastic black door edge guard that I will use instead.
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Looks great. What size hog rings are you using, 3/8"?

 

[Skreddy]

Looks great. What size hog rings are you using, 3/8"?

They are 3/4”. Probably a little too big but I had them from another project and I’ve used this size on a few sets of seats now and they seem to work well.

 

[Skreddy]

Finished up the driver seat today and got both seats installed then took the family for a drive for 40 or so miles. Leak out of the valve cover I need to address and that carb throttle shaft still is sucking air causing a hanging idle but it’s driving pretty good! My new battery cables and FJ62 gear reduction starter came today so that’s next on the list. I bought an FJ55 on Friday for the drivetrain and it came with a bunch of parts inside; one of which is a nice shape carb!

 

[CondeCruiser]

Those seats look great, man. Very nice.

 

[Skreddy]

 

[Skreddy]

Huge thanks to @Green Bean for hooking me up with a horn center button!

 

[Skreddy]

I have 3 oil leaks. First I addressed is the valve cover. It was over tightened at some point and the center was spread apart, not making a good seal. I removed it and slowly clamped it back into shape and it is installed with no leaks. I have a 2F cover I had vapor honed I was debating on putting on but I’ll hold onto that for now.
Next leak was the bolt in the front of the engine, through the timing plate that goes into (I believe) the end of the long oil passage. It was visibly leaking. I removed it, cleaned the bolt and threads, applied sealer and it too seems to be fixed.
Last leak(s) is from the transmission. Running down both sides so I need to inspect a little better but guessing it’s the top cover or shift shaft seals. Need to pull the trans cover to get a better look, may do some of that black light/uv dye to find it.

Got the new starter in too. All new cables as well. Man this thing cranks fast!

 

[Skreddy]

I changed out my signal switch assembly today and @Green Bean said he was going to be doing this as well so I took pics along the way.
This is the older style switch (mine is 1970).

First I disconnected the battery. Then pull off the horn button and remove the 17mm wrench size nut holding on the wheel and horn bits. I did not need a puller since I’ve had it off recently. Make sure you don’t lose the spring assembly that goes through the wheel to make the horn work.

Then, the screw out of the bottom.

 

[Skreddy]

Next step, I needed to pull out the 3 on the column shifter arm from the rest of the assembly that runs up the column. There are 2 stepped pins with a spring between them that locate and hold the soft arm in. They look like a tapered pin but it’s not, though they may need a little tap to unseat 50ish year old grease and dirt.

I use a small screwdriver or pin punch on top and bottom then slowly wiggle the shift arm out. Once those pins are showing halfway or more out of their holes, no need for the pins but I wrap my free hand around where they are so when the arm is free, the spring doesn’t shoot them wherever trajectory feels like. Here’s what they look like out (the steps face out when installed and the spring fits inside the hollow).

Then wiggle the head assembly that the signal arm is attached to up and off the column. It should also have a piece that came out of the column shift that is threaded into the head piece (whatever any of it is called). And below is what you’re left with. Good time to shine up the face of the column where the horn button makes contact.

Here’s the new and old parts laid out. Note there’s a spring in the column shift assembly I removed as well.

 

[Skreddy]

Next, under the dash attached to the column is the electrical portion of the switch. Undo the wires and unscrew the screw holding the assembly to the column. It’s like a clamshell. With the upper end of the shift assembly removed first, it makes it easier to get this clamshell off, then slide the whole assembly down until the signal activator rod can clear the dash/column mount and out. (This was actually already out in the last pic of previous post).

Now I will clean up the shift arm, spring and the piece the ball end of the arm goes into. I’ll use silicone grease where it contacts the rubber boot and regular grease on the spring and ball end of the arm. I use more than needed and wipe the excess after assembly. Makes for a nice and smooth shift assembly.
The threaded piece goes into the head piece (new piece with signal arm attached) and try to semi line up the end the ball the shift arm goes in with the opening. Slide this assembly down over the end of the column until the groove in the bottom of the column matches where the pinch bolt goes. I needed to use some rubber mallet persuasion. In the pic: I had the switch assembly already in. It’s easier to do it after this step so you don’t have to line it all up at once. But, I at least set the lower switch where it goes on the column, but lower down the shaft.

Now the shift arm assembly can go in. It had a cant or dog leg to it. I install it with ball end and lever facing toward the dash (makes sense when you look at it in your hand). Get the ball end started enough where you can get the springs and stepped retainers in and pinch with your fingers. Wiggle the shift arm a little more until you see the retaining pins in the holes. May need to rotate the arm slightly to get them to spring into their holes.
Now I would install the lower electrical portion of the switch in revers of disassembly. If you already have it over the column shaft, just slide it up to engage the upper signal arm and locate the lower housing into the hole on the column. Close the clamshell, crank the screw and Bob’s your uncle. Ugh. Wait. The worst part. Contort yourself under the dash to hook up those wires, just match up the right colored stripes and that’s it. Toyota gives you EXACTLY enough wire length to hook up and not a decimeter more.

 

[Skreddy]

Now you can hook the battery up and test your hazards and blinkers. All work? Great! Now I ground the column shaft to the column to simulate the horn and make sure I didn’t pull that apart. If it works, wheel and horn parts back on and done! Should look exactly like it did when you took it apart! In my case, the linkage from upper to lower switches was so sloppy, I could only get the signal to work if I held it up against the stop. But then the other side wouldn’t engage. I was also missing my cancelling pieces so buying the whole new switch assembly was a no brained for me.

 

[Skreddy]

Then, because there’s no end to the rabbit hole…. May as well change your Speedo cable and disassemble your cluster to clean it and clean/relube the sticking odometer too!

 

[Green Bean]

Great write-up, Ben. Thank you for the very useful information and photos. I'm planning on doing the same thing this weekend. Fantastic job on your instrument cluster as well!

 

[EWheeler]

@Skreddy Did the new "head piece" come from toyota tapped? Mine did not, and I had to tap threads in it in order for the thread-in shaft that supports the top end of the shift rod.

 

[Skreddy]

@Skreddy Did the new "head piece" come from toyota tapped? Mine did not, and I had to tap threads in it in order for the thread-in shaft that supports the top end of the shift rod.

Mine did NOT come tapped with the threads. It looks like it’s drilled the proper size for the M10x1.25 tap already but no threads. Maybe newer ones weren’t threaded? Unlikely? Small annoyance but I forgot to include that part.