TBIJ55

[bigsal]

OK. Just got the sbc350, Ranger OD, H42 and split case from SKINNER last weekend. I'm planning and plotting the swap of my tired old F motor. Since it is 12 degrees at my house and sheet ice in the drive, I will be doing this at my father in laws place in Stockton over the next couple weeks. I'm trying to get all the TBI stuff together also. I'll post more photos once this gets off the ground. I am travelling in Bolivia this week for work ( drooling over land cruisers) and then hitting it big tiime.
Anyone ever modify an early fj60 cross member into a pig? I'm gonna try.
Also I'd love to see a photo of someones Ranger shifter in a 55. Anyone have a photo they could share? I'll have to fab up the shifter.

 

[riderjgs]

I'll be pulling my engine/trans/tcase out, hopefully in the in the next month or so to install my Ranger and correct some PO mistakes in the original SBC install. I'll be interested in details of yours, particularly measurements for location of motor mounts and positioning of the drive train, what you end up doing with driveshafts, etc. I'm also going to do a mini-truck power steering conversion at the same time.

 

[bigsal]

What kind of problems did the PO do to you? I am not sure where the motor will live yet. I do intend to use the fan from the motor, but I have a 60 series radiator to install as well, so we'll be setting the entire drive train in place, marking the motor mounts, then pulling it out and welding those in. Any advice on what NOT to do?
Do you have the split case or one piece?

On driveshafts, I was given the rear driveshaft with the kit, so I'll be swapping out the flanges at the TC end on both, then depending on how the install goes, will be sending them in to be resized and balanced.

 

[riderjgs]

PO used stock Toyota rear mounts to the bellhousing and situated things so that the front driveshaft angle was bad (even before the lift) and the passenger mount interfers with the driveshaft. Have the original 74 single piece case. It'll be easiest just to take everything out and start fresh since we need to pull the transmission from the bellhousing and insert the Ranger in place of the adapter plate. Might as well redo the clutch while doing that. Going to cut all mounts off the frame and reinstall with aftermarket mounts.
AA instructions for the Ranger install are available on the AA website. No measurements for the 55. I'm trying to get my head around a 7.5" overdrive replacing a 3/4" adapter plate and the resulting adjustments that will be necessary. I could move forward toward the radiator about 1" and gain another 1.5" by replacing the long water pump with a short one, but that means redoing pulleys and brackets. Suspect we'll just pull everything out and "design by inventory."
Look into replacing your transmission shift plate and shifter with one from an FJ60. It'll bolt in and moves the shifter back about 3" so you won't be cutting and rewelding the stock shifter to avoid heater interference. Can't tell for certain, but that may already be on yours.

 

[bigsal]

oh, Yeah, it sounds like you've got osme work to do. I am just fresh out of the jungle in Bolivia and now thinking about my motor. I did get the shift plate from teh 60. I also have ordered a stock shifter for the ranger along with a gasket set to install. The previous ranger shifter looks like it would have been up my arse... I am curious to see just how much I can push the sbc forward to retain space for the drivelines. The plan is to put the entire diveline in as one unit right now, measure the mount locations, take it back out, weld the mounts and put it all back in... Pics to come on Friday.

PO used stock Toyota rear mounts to the bellhousing and situated things so that the front driveshaft angle was bad (even before the lift) and the passenger mount interfers with the driveshaft. Have the original 74 single piece case. It'll be easiest just to take everything out and start fresh since we need to pull the transmission from the bellhousing and insert the Ranger in place of the adapter plate. Might as well redo the clutch while doing that. Going to cut all mounts off the frame and reinstall with aftermarket mounts.
AA instructions for the Ranger install are available on the AA website. No measurements for the 55. I'm trying to get my head around a 7.5" overdrive replacing a 3/4" adapter plate and the resulting adjustments that will be necessary. I could move forward toward the radiator about 1" and gain another 1.5" by replacing the long water pump with a short one, but that means redoing pulleys and brackets. Suspect we'll just pull everything out and "design by inventory."
Look into replacing your transmission shift plate and shifter with one from an FJ60. It'll bolt in and moves the shifter back about 3" so you won't be cutting and rewelding the stock shifter to avoid heater interference. Can't tell for certain, but that may already be on yours.

 

[bigsal]

Had a big weekend. I've currently got 36 hours into this swap now. Drove it down to Stockton on Friday, and four hours later, the F motor was out, still warm even... Took the next day to prep the motor mounts and tack them in. Pulled the motor back out, made the mounts purdy and then back in with the entire drive train. Next came the cross member for the split case.

 

[bigsal]

Spend day three getting the motor back in on the fresh mounts, then took an early fj60 cross member, modified it to fit into the pig and welded the L brackets in, bolted in the cross member and then started to wire up the TBI. Still have at least one wire I don't know about. It's the brown wire that reads... crank signal. Where does that go? I still need to read the instructions though. The other issue is the alternator. There are three wires to my alternator, besides the main white one that goes to the battery. Does anyone know what wires I should connect to my new GM alternator. It has two wires. Mine are white with red, purple and black stripes. My new alternator does have an internal regulator. Big thanks to Georg at Valley Hibrids as he was willing to sell me a few things while he had a ton of people at his shop. That guy needs a waiting room, or maybe just let people sit in one of those bad azz rigs sitting around his shop.

 

[bigsal]

A few more things. I was able to use a factory throttle cable and bracket from a 78 camero, It hooked right up to my acc. pedal. I used my old fan as I just couldn't get room for that fan with the clutch. Also I used a fj60 radiator, so a little farication got that in place. I had to change out my pinon flanges with course splined round ones. They fit the driveshafts from the donor 60 just fine. I still need to have them resized.

Two lingering questions.

How does the internally regulated alternator get wired?
Where does the little brown wire on the harness get hooked up?
Anyone got any ideas?


I took my old coolant temp sender off the old motor. I had two. I grabbed the one with the blade connection, so still have to hook that up. I got a new oil sending unit for a chevy motor and hopefully my guage will jive with it.

I put the computer up behind the glove box. It would not fit inside due to the wires being a little too short to reach all the way to the dizzy.
​

 

[bigsal]

Just a couple more.

 

[bigsal]

Last one, sold the old motor to Gurr, who just got a pig in Santa Cruz. That motor should drop right into his rig. He got the entire drive train, along with drivelines and all. Should be a bolt up and drive... might not even need to be tuned. she purred like a kittly....

 

[riderjgs]

Getting ready to pull my drivetrain and insert the Ranger between my SBC and 4 spd. in the next few weeks. If you have time to pull some measurements of where you end up locating the motor mounts, holes in the tranny hump, etc., that would probably save me some time. About the only difference will be that my SBC is carbureted and I'm using a stock recored radiator. I'll be installing a minitruck power steering conversion at the same time.
Anthing you have time to do would definitely be much appreciated. Nice job you've done so far.

 

[bigsal]

PM sent

 

[bigsal]

Got one of the finishing touches done today. ordered up a custom cable from Control Cables, Inc. and put it on my TSM parking brake. it works OK. I think it needs to be driven and see how it goes. I don't think it is adjusted all the way yet. I need to see how much it rubs on the disc to see how much more I can draw it in. It does keep the pig from rolling backwards in the driveway, but I don't think it would hold on a hill. I gotta drive to San Francisco for work in a month... gulp....It better hold there, along with motor compression... ha!

Also had to remount the slave on the old AA bracket. The Previous PO ( the owner before the owner before me...) had turned the slave upside down for easier bleeding i guess, and added a plate to the old AA bracket, but the slave rod had about a 5 or 7 degree downward angle to it, making it even harder to get the full throw. I turned it back around, redrilled the old holes and just bled the slave in the motor compartment by manually turning it so the bleeder was upright, then remounted it... for now.
I have ordered a pre 69 brake master to use for the clutch and ordered a new fresh AA bracket. It works for now, but I think I will get the throw I need once I get that new brake master to put on there. Apparently the pre 69 brake master will bolt up to my old clutch master spot. I have a three bolt clutch master.