Builds The Clustertruck Rides Again - Refurbishing a 1975 Chevota

[RWBeringer4x4]

Hey, I’m just trying to follow the rules and the rules Toyota put forth disagree with eachother in this case. I’m no mechanic, I just pretend to be one on the weekend sometimes. This will be the third time I’ve been in the wheel bearings…

Ironically, I’m a biologist by degree so blastopores make a lot more sense to me

 

[RWBeringer4x4]

Well, it’s starting to look like a knuckle again…

In order to keep this looking something like a build thread, I’ll add the couple photos of the steps taken to get here.

Literally all of this was torn down to install this Time-Sert. This was mildly terrifying because when it comes to drilling a straight hole in anything I’m about as reliable as a cross-eyed ape with a concussion. But all in all, things came out pretty parallel. Parallel enough to allow the caliper to install so I think we should be good…

The Time-Sert procedure is pretty slick. I forgot to take pictures, but essentially it’s:

1. Spend an outrageous amount of money on a time-sert kit that includes the appropriately sized drill bit, 5 inserts, (M12x1.25 - 15mm) a reamer, a tap, and a special insert bit to install the insert.

I got mine from: Time-Sert Thread Repair - Mechanics Tools & Bits - https://www.mechanicstoolsandbits.com/time-sert

Seems like a local PA outfit, free shipping and price as good as anywhere else I could find.

2. Chuck up the drill bit with copious lube. I chose to use a hand tap so I had a bit more control over the angle and make sure things were relatively straight and square. Bite down on something hard, pray you’re square (or do something smart like use a drill guide) and bore out the old threads.

3. The inserts have a wide shoulder roughly 2mm deep. This is where the reamer comes in. It’s indexed to the hole you just drilled. For this I used a hand drill and bored in 2-3 mm - there’s a shoulder on the reamer that tells you where to stop.

4. Tap new wider threads to accommodate the outer threads of the time sert. Once again, tapping relatively square is key.

5. Lube up the insert tool, thread on an insert and run it in by hand until it bottoms out on the shoulder you reamed, at which point the bit will expand/distort the insert and lock it in place. This is suposedly permanent but I put some blue thread locker on the outer threads to be sure.

6. Exhale

 

[rkymtnflyfisher]

7. Crack a cold beer.

 

[RWBeringer4x4]

7. Crack a cold beer.

I guess technically this was like step 1.5. Right before I started drilling…

 

[brian]

Sooo you didnt start off with beer?

 

[ToyotaMatt]

Sooo you didnt start off with beer?

I guess technically this was like step 1.5. Right before I started drilling…

 

[RWBeringer4x4]

Sooo you didnt start off with beer?

It's all about optimization. I drank to forget how much I paid for the Time-Sert, which also allowed me to get properly calibrated with sufficient liquid courage to drill, tap, and potentially mangle my steering knuckle. Sort of like timing the stock market, but more fun and you don't lose as much money.

 

[RWBeringer4x4]

Back on the road! Running like a top. Brakes might be a TOUCH soft but the hubs don’t get too hot. May re-bleed them to be safe but so far we seem to be back in business

 

[hanzo111]

Awesome thread, I will use this for my build. Thanks!

 

[shmukster]

Very interesting. I not only never used a time-sert but didn't know they existed. In the steel mill where I worked we had helicoil kits in all sizes and I have several here in my toolbox. we also had a good variety of threaded inserts- but these were only able to be used where you had plenty of meat around the damaged threaded hole. The time-sert doesn't need a lot of meat. I like them. Not cheap but a complete system in one box- and it worked for you! Great job and thanks for posting.

 

[RWBeringer4x4]

Awesome thread, I will use this for my build. Thanks!

Thanks! Far from finished, and much, much delayed - but 2 young kids and about a million house projects have sidelined me for now. I still drive the 40 quite a bit, but I haven't wrench on it in a good long while. The good news is, I haven't needed to! It's due for an oil change, if nothing else, before long. Ultimately, I still want to get it geared lower for offroad, but I'm really torn on how to do it.

- I have an H41 "granny low" 3rd world 4-speed I'd intended to mate to an Orion, but the H41 needs a rebuild (and has been sitting on my bench next to the rebuild kit for a few years now), and I've heard of a lot of people having issues with Orions falling out of gear, quality control issues, etc. that has always prevented me from pulling the trigger.

- I probably don't NEED the low first gear AND a 4:1 transfer case - I don't make the truck work hard enough that I'd probably notice a big difference between 60:1 gearing and 80:1 gearing. Either would be a huge improvement over 27:1! I've also tossed around keeping a H42, mated to a split case with lower gears for crawling and an underdrive gear for the road... This seems like a really slick option, but would force me to redo my driveshafts (again) and figure out a parking brake.

- I've also considered a H55F, mated to either the orion or split case, as above - but now we're talking a huge outlay of cash and a stackup of all the split case and orion issues combined. Would be a great setup when done.

Someday, I'll get back to it! Until then, it stays nice and dry in the garage and get my groceries a couple times a month.

Very interesting. I not only never used a time-sert but didn't know they existed. In the steel mill where I worked we had helicoil kits in all sizes and I have several here in my toolbox. we also had a good variety of threaded inserts- but these were only able to be used where you had plenty of meat around the damaged threaded hole. The time-sert doesn't need a lot of meat. I like them. Not cheap but a complete system in one box- and it worked for you! Great job and thanks for posting.

Thanks Gary! I did a lot of research before I pulled the trigger on time-sert. Bottom line is, just about any threaded insert would have done the job here, but the time-sert seemed like the sturdiest option - and sturdy is good when you're working on brake componnets. Hope to get back out on the trails with you guys one of these days...

 

[shmukster]

Rick way back when I was wheeling and still developing my 55 in the early 2000 years, I bought a used H41 from one of the outfits in New England, got a killer delivered to my door deal on it as I remember. With a three speed transfer case behind it the new to me lower gearing was a tremendous improvement on the trails and hardly noticeable on the road, a lower first gear being the only difference in daily driving. I ran that setup enjoyably for several years before finding a used H42/Toybox setup up in Vermont. Took the H41/three speed transfer with me and delivered to a guy from New Hampshire while picking up the new unit. It was 7 below the day I picked it up, damn cold.
In any event why not just get a three speed transfer somewhere and bolt it up behind your H41? It would most likely provide you with as much low gearing as you'll ever want/need. Finding a split case is difficult these days and as you say going that route would mean modifying driveshafts.

 

[RWBeringer4x4]

Rick way back when I was wheeling and still developing my 55 in the early 2000 years, I bought a used H41 from one of the outfits in New England, got a killer delivered to my door deal on it as I remember. With a three speed transfer case behind it the new to me lower gearing was a tremendous improvement on the trails and hardly noticeable on the road, a lower first gear being the only difference in daily driving. I ran that setup enjoyably for several years before finding a used H42/Toybox setup up in Vermont. Took the H41/three speed transfer with me and delivered to a guy from New Hampshire while picking up the new unit. It was 7 below the day I picked it up, damn cold.
In any event why not just get a three speed transfer somewhere and bolt it up behind your H41? It would most likely provide you with as much low gearing as you'll ever want/need. Finding a split case is difficult these days and as you say going that route would mean modifying driveshafts.

The H41 only really concerns me because this truck is about 95% road driven, 5% wheeled (as you well know). I'm not overly worried about the granny low because the 350 would probably have no issue starting the truck in second gear if I asked it to. I do that already on my H42 if the first gear synchro isn't cooperating. That said, leaving an H42 in the mix would still get me in the realm of 60:1 gearing with a 4:1 transfer case, which is probably plenty, and leaves the truck a little bit more road-friendly (if only slightly).

You probably recall that you brokered the deal for my H41 (I picked it up from your house) and it came to me with a 3 speed case. The H41/3Speed setup is sitting in my garage and is potentially an option. In fact, I have no shortage of transfercases - I have one later 4 speed Tcase in the truck (rebuilt back when I put the 350 in), another sitting on the shelf that was intended to be the donor for an Orion, and the 3 speed case that came with the H41. The 3 Speed case needs a rebuild - and needs the older, thicker bronze gear bushings that are unicorns. I think RedLine is reproducing them now though - I haven't asked how much they cost yet. The only one I DON'T have is a split case. In a perfect world, I'd find one with a 3rd world parking drum brake adapter to deal with the parking brake problem, but that setup would probably cost more than my FJ40 did...

My logic for NOT going the 3 speed case route was simply that, if I had to rebuild a transfercase regardless, might as well just build an Orion and get 80:1 instead of 45:1 low gearing (even if it's overkill for the trails this truck sees). I even had an Orion "in the cart" ready to buy from AA during the pandemic, but that's when all the warped shift fork, missing parts, and cracked casting issues started cropping up on the ORION thread and scared me off. The last thing I want is a case that doesn't stay in gear. I also know there's been a lot of talk about the 3 speed cases being more fragile (again, probably not to the point I'd ever break it). I do agree though, that 45:1 in the H41/3Speed case combo is probably "enough" and still almost double what I currently have.

Anyway - at the time, Orion and H41/3Speed case both felt like a compromise - that's what triggered me looking at split cases and thinking they might be the best solution - I like the gearing availability on them, at the very least. An H41 (or H55) mated to a split case with an underdrive high gear and a 4:1 low gear would be phenominal - the only thing making the compromises then would be my wallet

Bottom line is, it's all tabled for now... The kids are almost 5, and almost 2 - weekends are full of swim lessons and soccer and kids' birthday parties and trips to the zoo. I'm also (re)building my deck, putting in a garden, which will all segue straight into finishing the basement. I know full well if I pull the driveline out of the FJ40, it'll be three years (minimum) before anything goes back in - so I'd rather drive it "as is" and wish I was wheeling!

 

[RWBeringer4x4]

Well, another year gone by and very little actual “work” done on the 40. I recently added a 4Plus 8274 Bumper in hopes to someday add a winch. It also got an oil change and a bit of a carb tune as it had started to develop a bit of a “skip” in the idle. I need to drive it a bit to see if what I did smoothed it out.

I’ve also had a really intermittent, but bad, rattle from the transmission or transfer case lately. It seems to only happen when I’m “coasting” - with the transmission in 3rd or 4th gear and my foot on the clutch. It was bad enough one day I turned around and headed for home… but it hasn’t done it again since… hopefully it stays that way, but maybe that’s my sign I need to stop dragging my feet on the H41 rebuild…

In other news, I recently picked up a 2020 Tundra - which is hands down the nicest vehicle I’ve ever owned. I had no intention of buying a “Limited” but this one was a work truck truck - commercial titled, a few scratches and dents, and the dealer made me an offer I couldn’t refuse (by modern truck standards, which are insane), to get it off the lot.

Now I’m just short a car trailer and I can be like all the cool kids who drag their rigs to the trail! (if I ever get back to the trails)…

Otherwise, a lot of time is being invested wrapping up some woodworking projects so I can close up shop for a while, get the tools out of the basement and make a playroom for the kids, and an office for myself.

Luckily I have a (sometimes willing, always entertaining) helper. My dear daughter won a goldfish at an Oktoberfest in Delaware last year, who is quickly outgrowing my childhood 10 gallon tank - so we are working on a fish tank stand to hold a 40 gallon… hard to believe she’s already on her way to first grade…

Hopefully I’ll get back to actually working on the 40 one of these days - but I still have too much fun driving it to tear anything back down… with such limited free time these days, I know if I take it apart it may be years before it goes back together…

 

[archie73]

Our neighbor gave our son a goldfish some years ago. It was supposed to be pay back for something we gave their kid… Damn thing won’t die, going on 7 years. Eats anything other then sucker fish we put in there. Urban legend says they won’t grow bigger than the tank they live in…

Don’t worry, time will come for personal projects. Enjoy the time when they still want to hang with you. I’m a glorified limo driver and atm machine most days, but there are still those magical moments that make it worth it.

 

[bikersmurf]

Well, another year gone by and very little actual “work” done on the 40. I recently added a 4Plus 8274 Bumper in hopes to someday add a winch. It also got an oil change and a bit of a carb tune as it had started to develop a bit of a “skip” in the idle. I need to drive it a bit to see if what I did smoothed it out.

I’ve also had a really intermittent, but bad, rattle from the transmission or transfer case lately. It seems to only happen when I’m “coasting” - with the transmission in 3rd or 4th gear and my foot on the clutch. It was bad enough one day I turned around and headed for home… but it hasn’t done it again since… hopefully it stays that way, but maybe that’s my sign I need to stop dragging my feet on the H41 rebuild…

View attachment 3658922

In other news, I recently picked up a 2020 Tundra - which is hands down the nicest vehicle I’ve ever owned. I had no intention of buying a “Limited” but this one was a work truck truck - commercial titled, a few scratches and dents, and the dealer made me an offer I couldn’t refuse (by modern truck standards, which are insane), to get it off the lot.

View attachment 3658921

Now I’m just short a car trailer and I can be like all the cool kids who drag their rigs to the trail! (if I ever get back to the trails)…

Otherwise, a lot of time is being invested wrapping up some woodworking projects so I can close up shop for a while, get the tools out of the basement and make a playroom for the kids, and an office for myself.

Luckily I have a (sometimes willing, always entertaining) helper. My dear daughter won a goldfish at an Oktoberfest in Delaware last year, who is quickly outgrowing my childhood 10 gallon tank - so we are working on a fish tank stand to hold a 40 gallon… hard to believe she’s already on her way to first grade…

View attachment 3658923

View attachment 3658924

Hopefully I’ll get back to actually working on the 40 one of these days - but I still have too much fun driving it to tear anything back down… with such limited free time these days, I know if I take it apart it may be years before it goes back together…

Careful, before you know it, she'll be graduating high school.

I'm going to my 2nd youngest's grad ceremony.... come September, he'll be starting post secondary education. He was starting grade one the last time my diff ratios matched.... untill a few months ago when I finally found time to swap in a fresh fromt axle with the 3.70 3rd that was sitting on the shop floor since I swapped in the rear one. Between the 3.70 gears and 33" tires... 4th gear is now 20ish % overdrive.

 

[RWBeringer4x4]

Our neighbor gave our son a goldfish some years ago. It was supposed to be pay back for something we gave their kid… Damn thing won’t die, going on 7 years. Eats anything other then sucker fish we put in there. Urban legend says they won’t grow bigger than the tank they live in…

Don’t worry, time will come for personal projects. Enjoy the time when they still want to hang with you. I’m a glorified limo driver and atm machine most days, but there are still those magical moments that make it worth it.

It's funny, she begged us all night at Oktoberfest to play the goldfish game, and all night, we told her "no" over and over again. Maybe she wore us down, or maybe I finally drank enough beer that I caved... We let her and her (2 year old) brother split a bucket of balls and play the game. We naturally assumed the 2 year old didn't stand a chance. Our daughter had about 6-8 shots, all missed, but on the VERY LAST BALL it was like something out of a basketball movie. It must have bounced off the rim 3 times (in slow motion, in my mind) and then dropped in. She was ecstatic. I was panicking because now I had to care for this fish, or explain death to my kids... So we put the fish in a tupperware container overnight, then drove up to my parents the next morning to pull my old fish tank from when I was about 10 out of the attic. Luckily, most of the important stuff still worked, and the tank still held water.

Edit to add the picture - look how proud she is!

Everyone told me not to worry about it, and it would be dead in 2 weeks and we could move on. I'll be damned if the thing isn't still kicking almost a year later, pushing 6 inches long. I figure, at this point, it has earned an upgrade.

Tank stand progress:

Careful, before you know it, she'll be graduating high school.

I'm going to my 2nd youngest's grad ceremony.... come September, he'll be starting post secondary education. He was starting grade one the last time my diff ratios matched.... untill a few months ago when I finally found time to swap in a fresh fromt axle with the 3.70 3rd that was sitting on the shop floor since I swapped in the rear one. Between the 3.70 gears and 33" tires... 4th gear is now 20ish % overdrive.

I'm certainly not wishing the time away (though, realistically, she's basically a teenager already when it comes to attitude and wanting to spend time with her dad). Kids are a lot of fun, and I wouldn't trade this time for the world, but I do mourn the loss of myself, a little - I used to have so much TIME, so many hobbies, all in good balance and with few constraints outside of working to pay for them. I bought the H41 just before my son was born. It still sits on my workbench, exactly where I left it, 3 years later.

 

[ijonesinsp]

It's funny, she begged us all night at Oktoberfest to play the goldfish game, and all night, we told her "no" over and over again. Maybe she wore us down, or maybe I finally drank enough beer that I caved... We let her and her (2 year old) brother split a bucket of balls and play the game. We naturally assumed the 2 year old didn't stand a chance. Our daughter had about 6-8 shots, all missed, but on the VERY LAST BALL it was like something out of a basketball movie. It must have bounced off the rim 3 times (in slow motion, in my mind) and then dropped in. She was ecstatic. I was panicking because now I had to care for this fish, or explain death to my kids... So we put the fish in a tupperware container overnight, then drove up to my parents the next morning to pull my old fish tank from when I was about 10 out of the attic. Luckily, most of the important stuff still worked, and the tank still held water.

Edit to add the picture - look how proud she is!

View attachment 3659371

Everyone told me not to worry about it, and it would be dead in 2 weeks and we could move on. I'll be damned if the thing isn't still kicking almost a year later, pushing 6 inches long. I figure, at this point, it has earned an upgrade.

Tank stand progress:

View attachment 3659370




I'm certainly not wishing the time away (though, realistically, she's basically a teenager already when it comes to attitude and wanting to spend time with her dad). Kids are a lot of fun, and I wouldn't trade this time for the world, but I do mourn the loss of myself, a little - I used to have so much TIME, so many hobbies, all in good balance and with few constraints outside of working to pay for them. I bought the H41 just before my son was born. It still sits on my workbench, exactly where I left it, 3 years later.

We all feel the same way to a certain extent. My cruiser was gonna take me a year to put together…I am now in year 4. The only way we can handle it is try to pass the torch and get them hooked before they think you aren’t the hero anymore. Enjoy it my friend!

Ian

 

[RWBeringer4x4]

We all feel the same way to a certain extent. My cruiser was gonna take me a year to put together…I am now in year 4. The only way we can handle it is try to pass the torch and get them hooked before they think you aren’t the hero anymore. Enjoy it my friend!

Ian

Hard to believe I've owned mine for 12 years, and how little progress I've made, but the goal was always to get this thing rolling reliably without a real plan beyond that...so I guess in that sense, I've accomplished the mission. Some day I still want to make it "pretty" but if I make it pretty, will I still want to wheel it? I still don't know what I want my truck to be when it grows up .

I've tried to get my daughter turning a wrench but she's pretty resistant so far. That said, she's VERY interested in air-cooled beetles so if that continues, I might need to add one of those to the stable. My son likes climbing in the 40 and laying on the horn... so that's a start!

 

[bikersmurf]

It's funny, she begged us all night at Oktoberfest to play the goldfish game, and all night, we told her "no" over and over again. Maybe she wore us down, or maybe I finally drank enough beer that I caved... We let her and her (2 year old) brother split a bucket of balls and play the game. We naturally assumed the 2 year old didn't stand a chance. Our daughter had about 6-8 shots, all missed, but on the VERY LAST BALL it was like something out of a basketball movie. It must have bounced off the rim 3 times (in slow motion, in my mind) and then dropped in. She was ecstatic. I was panicking because now I had to care for this fish, or explain death to my kids... So we put the fish in a tupperware container overnight, then drove up to my parents the next morning to pull my old fish tank from when I was about 10 out of the attic. Luckily, most of the important stuff still worked, and the tank still held water.

Edit to add the picture - look how proud she is!

View attachment 3659371

Everyone told me not to worry about it, and it would be dead in 2 weeks and we could move on. I'll be damned if the thing isn't still kicking almost a year later, pushing 6 inches long. I figure, at this point, it has earned an upgrade.

Tank stand progress:

View attachment 3659370




I'm certainly not wishing the time away (though, realistically, she's basically a teenager already when it comes to attitude and wanting to spend time with her dad). Kids are a lot of fun, and I wouldn't trade this time for the world, but I do mourn the loss of myself, a little - I used to have so much TIME, so many hobbies, all in good balance and with few constraints outside of working to pay for them. I bought the H41 just before my son was born. It still sits on my workbench, exactly where I left it, 3 years later.

That’s how it goes… pulled the rear FF axles and popped in the first 3,70 3rd… if I didn’t like it, it wouldn’t be hard to go back to 4.11.

I liked it, and the 2nd 3rd sat for 12 years till I juggled things enough to put it in. Now all I need to do is find some time to drive it somewhere…

Now to find somewhere that isn’t gated off or closed due to dry weather.