Builds The Clustertruck Rides Again - Refurbishing a 1975 Chevota (2 Viewers)

[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!