Builds The Architect's '77 FJ40

[GA Architect]

Replaced the old brittle rubber hood latch bumpers.

 

[63cruiser]

Where did you get the bumpers?

 

[GA Architect]

Where did you get the bumpers?

> click here < Post #12

McMaster-Carr

 

[orangefj45]

Nice work bud!!!

Thank you for the order and your patience, i appreciate you sending business my way.

Georg @ Valley Hybrids & Cruiser Brothers

 

[Racer65]

I probably missed it, but how do you make your valve cover so shiny?

 

[GA Architect]

I probably missed it, but how do you make your valve cover so shiny?

Being the valve cover is aluminum, I took a polishing wheel, some compound, a little time and some patience.....

It went from this:

To this:

Also used a dremel with a polishing head to get into the tight spots.

 

[GA Architect]

Being that I run 32" tires and upgraded my 3rd members to 3.70 gears, my speedometer was obviously off. So after installing the new 3rds, I did a few test runs using GPS speeds vs the OEM speedometer. I took the GPS speed and divided by the OEM speedometer, and that was my ratio for a correction device. For my rig, I ran the speedo up to 40 and the GPS was a 48. The I ran the speedo up to 50 and the GPS was at 60. Thus my calculation were 48/40 and 60/50 which equaled 1.20 as my correction ratio.

I did a lot of research on MUD and found a company out of Sacramento, CA - Commercial Speedometer. Gave them a call, talked to Chuck, and he built me a Correction Syncro box and shipped it out that night. Great guy to work with!!! It arrived 2 days later, and for $85 bucks shipped from west coast to east coast, BARGAIN!.....And let me just say, it is nice knowing that when I'm looking at my Gauge Cluster, my speedometer is actually a useful device now.

Here is correction box installed.

 

[gcrump01]

^^ - I gotta get that done too - thanks for the reminder..

 

[onemanarmy]

thanks for the info on the speedometer fix. great to know there are other options.

 

[ginmtb]

Yes that seems like a much easier solution vs putting in a new plastic gear... and they are right near me. How many banana install?

 

[GA Architect]

Yes that seems like a much easier solution vs putting in a new plastic gear... and they are right near me. How many banana install?

Installation - simple...

Note: When you remove the speedometer cable from the trasfercase, just don't let the cable slide out too far. If you do, then you will have to remove the speedo cable from the gauge cluster, install the new gear box, attach the speedometer cable to the new box and reinstall the cable into the cluster.

Disclaimer: Should you have to mess with the gauge cluster, remember to disconnect the battery or inline fuse.

Being that I planned ahead, I actually removed my speedometer cable to inspect it, clean and apply some lithium grease.

 

[TheHardWay]

Did you remove the cable from the casing in order to smear the lithium?

 

[GA Architect]

Did you remove the cable from the casing in order to smear the lithium?

Yep, and I cleaned out the covering while the cable was out.

 

[franklin40]

i just installed one of those in my fj62 last night. i wish i had found your place though. i like the metal body design. mine is plastic.

did they need your cable to design it or do they just know what size threads to use for your cable to thread into? mine needed the cable for them to custom build.

 

[GA Architect]

i just installed one of those in my fj62 last night. i wish i had found your place though. i like the metal body design. mine is plastic.

did they need your cable to design it or do they just know what size threads to use for your cable to thread into? mine needed the cable for them to custom build.

Commercial Speedometer didn't need my cable, they said all foreign auto speedometer cable connections are an M22 metric. I guess they know what they are talking about, it fit with no issues.

 

[tstepp920]

I'm sending my 40 to you for the rebuild. Let me know when I can come get it.......

 

[bikersmurf]

Being that I run 32" tires and upgraded my 3rd members to 3.70 gears, my speedometer was obviously off. So after installing the new 3rds, I did a few test runs using GPS speeds vs the OEM speedometer. I took the GPS speed and divided by the OEM speedometer, and that was my ratio for a correction device. For my rig, I ran the speedo up to 40 and the GPS was a 48. The I ran the speedo up to 50 and the GPS was at 60. Thus my calculation were 48/40 and 60/50 which equaled 1.20 as my correction ratio.

I did a lot of research on MUD and found a company out of Sacramento, CA - Commercial Speedometer. Gave them a call, talked to Chuck, and he built me a Correction Syncro box and shipped it out that night. Great guy to work with!!! It arrived 2 days later, and for $85 bucks shipped from west coast to east coast, BARGAIN!.....And let me just say, it is nice knowing that when I'm looking at my Gauge Cluster, my speedometer is actually a useful device now.

Here is correction box installed.
View attachment 1539182
View attachment 1539183

Good to know about this option. A few years back, I got a set of corrected lettering for my speedometer from another Mud member. Now it is corrected the roughly 25%.

Soon I'll have to dig into why it has stopped working after being parked for about 1.5 years.

 

[bikersmurf]

Being the valve cover is aluminum, I took a polishing wheel, some compound, a little time and some patience.....

It went from this:
View attachment 1539162

To this:
View attachment 1539167

Also used a dremel with a polishing head to get into the tight spots.

Jewler's Rouge or Autosol and a cotton wheel do wonders... not that you haven't figured it all out.

 

[GA Architect]

Starting to close things down at the lake house, it was a perfect day to be in the hills with the 40.

Yep, I trust my parking brake....plus 1st gear.....and a fail safe of the oak for good measure....

 

[GA Architect]

Installed four new Toyota OEM soft brake lines.