Builds "The Cucumber" build. Ultimate 80-series. 1HD-FT, H152F (world's first), PTO. Titanium and carbon fiber galore. (3 Viewers)

[scottryana]

If you are going to warm countries, ditch the leather. It sucks anyways. Haha.

...New leather upholstery with cooled and heated seats ..

Interested in what options you've seen here as planing Africa and other 'warm' countries in the future

 

[TurboDennis]

Dennis,
Just checking this out with some crappy Argentinian internet and the wiring work alone scares me. When you factor in the whole project it's just damn impressive.
Cheers!

Thanks Tim! I used to hate wiring as well, however after working on some modern cars i started to appreciate how simple the wiring is on the 80 (especially with a diesel). Have fun in Argentina!

There has to be other differences than the obvious external one in the FZJ and HDJ master cylinders, right?

The master cylinder differences are really quite puzzling. The cylinders are not connected to the engine in any way, and all the components/parts that they are connected to are identical between diesel and gas powered trucks. So i have no idea why they are different.

...New leather upholstery with cooled and heated seats ..

Interested in what options you've seen here as planing Africa and other 'warm' countries in the future

All the info here:

Seat Coolers

Because everyone needs the snowflake option on their seat warmer switch :grinpimp: Build thread coming soon...

forum.ih8mud.com

I already have all the parts on hand, just need to find the time to install them.

 

[IoN6]

Thanks Dennis, the one I ordered looks like the HDJ one in your pic.

 

[TurboDennis]

So time for an update.
Didn't get much done during the winter but will try to expedite things now that the weather is getting better.

Last week i rebuilt the transfer case and PTO unit for the winch completely. Replaced all the bearings and seals inside.
As far as a i could tell, the only difference on the PTO transfer case is the opening for the PTO unit, and the PTO drive gear on the input shaft (and the input shaft itself has a longer splined section for the gear). Another interesting difference (although i dont think its related to PTO) is that the US transfer case has a large vibration dampener weight thing hanging on the passenger side. European PTO case has a wind channeling "wing" on the bottom instead. Both cases have holes to mount either device, but they only came with one of these devices depending on the market.

Another thing i did to the T-case is replace the speedometer gears to correct for 33" tires. Speedo is 100% accurate now. It's kinda neat that there is OEM solution for speedo corrections for various tire/ring and pinion combos.

Drove the truck around to make sure the transfer case worked correctly. It did. Then i proceeded to troubleshoot my lack of heat issue.
I suspected earlier that heater cores (both front and rear) were clogged.. And after checking, that was confirmed to be the case. Not sure why. Im thinking that the previous owner used some sort of head gasket sealer crap in the truck at some point..
So off comes the dash to install the shiny new heater box unit that i had. At that point i wanted to think real hard whether or not to proceed with my earlier plan to swap all the wiring in the truck for correct HDJ80 looms. And i made the decision to go ahead. I will probably regret this decision later, but what the hell..

So this past weekend was spent mapping the LHD 1HD-FT dash harness and "rebuilding" it - replacing all the tape, and any wires or connectors that didn't look 100%. Will be installing it, and putting the dash back together this week.

 

[TurboDennis]

Big progress! After about 60-70 hours spent on this, the wiring swap is pretty much complete. This is now the closest to factory 1HD-FT as an American 80-series will ever be.

I replaced dash, engine, tranny and front harnesses (again, they all came from a LHD 1HD-FT Euro truck with 5spd of the same year as my truck).

I started out by refurbishing the harnesses. Replaced all electrical tape (went through 7x 66ft rolls, any worn connectors, attachment clips, repaired any wires that were not perfect/damaged in any way. Also replaced both rubber firewall grommets on the dash harness (both were cut by the previous owner... definitely a job - had to unpin and repin all the connectors on the harness i was installing, as well as the donor one).

Then i had to compare EWD's to verify that the pins where the dash harness connects to the original floor/roof harnesses all matched up. Some of them didn't, so i had to switch them around.

After installing all the wiring into the truck, i hooked up the JDM diesel gauge cluster, turned the key, and... Nothing... Worse than nothing, actually. Nothing worked as it should, but a few lights were always on with the gauge fuse disconnected! It was a big "WTF?" moment. I couldn't believe i messed up THIS bad. After sleeping on it, i realized what the issue was. I assumed all 1HD-FT clusters were the same. Wrong. The pinout on the cluster connectors is COMPLETELY different on Euro and JDM 1HD-FT clusters, despite the clusters being almost identical. So i began re-pinning everything to match. Found a couple of mistakes in EWD that sent me on a wild goose chase for HOURS. Im very lucky that I didn't burn up the gauge cluster when I hooked it up wrong.

In the end it all worked out as I was hoping. EVERYTHING works now. All the gauges, dash lights, factory glow system (although its not connected yet), tach. Yes, TACH. So my theory from an earlier post about the EGR brain being necessary to drive the tach is 100% confirmed. Later i will find out what exactly the EGR module does to the tach signal and will try to emulate it, and dump the EGR module. At the same time, i will remove all the redundant connectors/wires from the engine harness for the EGR system.

The only problem I currently have is that I have no head lights. Euro trucks came with H4/H1 headlights, so the plugs wont plug into the US 9005/9006 bulbs. I have ordered a set of European-spec head lights to fix this. Also need to install the second battery and the WW tank.

P.S. The glow light that you see in the video basically acts as a "check engine" light on the diesel truck. It comes on because the EGR brain sees a fault (since there aren't any EGR components on the engine for it to control. This will be solved shortly.
P.P.S. Yes, i know i need to clean up inside the engine bay to make it all nice and shiny. I can't have this engine looking like it's actually being used once in a while...



While the dash was out, i replaced the heater box assembly with a new unit. The old heater core was clogged, as i suspected, which explained my no heat issue from earlier.
Also replaced all the cables, and installed the PTO winch cable.

All the wiring is in and dash ready to go back on.

The evil EGR module that has to stay until i figure out how to make the tach work without it.

Next on the list (hopefully to be done this week) will be to re-upholster the seats (with seat coolers/heaters) and replace worn out suspension parts.

 

[thelal]

wow, just a little bit of work, then

 

[bigredmachine]

is that new heater core aluminum of tinned brass

 

[TurboDennis]

is that new heater core aluminum of tinned brass

It's aluminum. For 1997 models Toyota redesigned both heater cores. They were changed to aluminum (from brass), and the shape changed slightly as well. The heater cores are not interchangeable, but the heater box assemblies are. I figured that Toyota engineers must've had a very good reason to redesign the heater cores in the last year of production, so I wanted to change to the newer design.

 

[bigredmachine]

I figured that Toyota engineers must've had a very good reason to redesign the heater cores in the last year of production, so I wanted to change to the newer design.

probably cost cutting, got to save a fer pennys here and there. good info on the not being interchangeable with the update. do you know if they still make the non updated core for the older design box

 

[TurboDennis]

probably cost cutting, got to save a fer pennys here and there. good info on the not being interchangeable with the update. do you know if they still make the non updated core for the older design box

I highly doubt cost cutting had anything to do with it. Thermal conductivity of aluminum is nearly twice as good as brass.. Besides, 80's were built with the very best materials and technology available at the time, and it just makes no sense that Toyota would get their engineering team to redesign the heater cores with one year of production left just to save a few pennies.

Last i checked, the 1990-1996 heater cores were still available from Toyota overseas. Not sure if that's still the case

 

[TurboDennis]

A small update.

Finally got some fuel consumption numbers in.

I put about 1200km on the truck so far since putting the drivetrain in.
The only hwy trip where i measured fuel consumption was about 200km, and i got 10.5L/100KM, or 22.4MPG. Truck was fairly light and was going about 110km/h. Pretty good, but i was hoping for slightly better in "economy mode". Will need to do some more testing.
Driving around the city mostly i got about 19 MPG.

The reason im not driving it much is because the A/C has been kicking my ass. I have made it a priority, and spent a ridiculous amount of time on it, so other mods (like the PTO install) have been on hold. Here's the thread about it, but in short i had a few leaks that have proved to be very difficult to repair.. It seems that i finally have it working (for now), so hopefully i'll be able to drive it more and get more data in.

I have also installed Katzskin degreez heating/cooling kits into the front seats with new leather. I've decided to let the leather settle a bit on its' own before taking a steamer/heat gun to it. (that's why it may appear a bit loose). And yes, steering wheel is on the list!

Note the PTO handle under the steering.

 

[Workhorse]

Hey Dennis,

Any updates from this summer of driving?

 

[jomelo]

^ what he said. Would love some updates, especially on the transmission.

 

[TurboDennis]

Hey Dennis,

Any updates from this summer of driving?

^ what he said. Would love some updates, especially on the transmission.

Not many updates as far as the actual build goes. I've been busy with other projects and i wanted to minimize the downtime and just enjoy driving the truck around (considering that i only get to drive the thing maybe 7 months out of the year because of winter).
I've put about 3000km on the truck this season so far. Which is a lot for me - i usually drive about 5000km/year on average.

Truck runs absolutely wonderful. There are still a few small quirks that i need to sort out (for example the wiring harness that i installed did not have the wires for the front door speakers, and the wires to open/lock all the locks from the passenger side switch. Those wires were definitely not there from the factory. Not sure why... Some sort of weird European thing? I'll need to pull the dash again and add those wires in.)

Im getting pretty consistent 10.5L/100KM with mixed driving (22.5MPG for you folks who prefer the weird measurement system )
I have not done any long hwy trips, but im sure it would get under 10L/100KM

As far as the transmission goes... The shifting issues that i was experiencing earlier are gone. Shifts smooth now (as smooth as an H-series can be expected to shift). Im not sure if its because i replaced the master cylinder with another one or if it just needed to be broken in a bit.
The first gear is kinda useless for street driving (which i knew before). I usually start in second on flat terrain when the truck is not loaded.

Overall im convinced that H152 is the best tranny for the HDJ80. Before installing it, I've heard some complaints from Australia that the 5th gear is too tall (for the 70 series there). That has not been my experience at all. 5th gear is perfect. Truck can easily cruise in 5th gear at 80km/h on flat terrain. If you are running huge tires, it might become an issue though.


The only things i really did over the summer are: Install new suspension, rebuild stabilizer bars, replace some random hoses and cables.

I went with OEM shocks in all 4 corners, OEM springs for the front. These are the heaviest springs that were originally available for the 80-series. They came on trucks with 1HD, dual batteries and PTO winch. Part number 48131-6A760 They were a real pain in the ass to source. I know i could've gone with aftermarket springs that would accomplish the same thing, but i want to stay with original parts as much as possible.
For the rear, i had to go with OME springs (medium, factory height), because i could not find the correct part number for an 80 with 3rd row seats AND sub tank. I dont believe Toyota offered this.

This gave me about 1-1.5" all around lift compared to old original springs (that were sagging from age and extra weight of the diesel). Truck is unbelievably smooth. All the years driving lifted 80's i almost forgot how nice stock suspension is on these trucks when it's new. I had a passenger that told me that it rides "like a bank vault floating through the air"

 

[TurboDennis]

Im still torn on which direction i want to take with this truck. Part of me wants to keep it as original as possible, but i also wanted to pursue my dream of driving the thing to Argentina with my wife and daughter. I'm leaning towards modifying it for that purpose - building it into a long distance touring rig with an emphasis on reliability and weight. So grade 5 titanium armor, and a custom drawer/sleeping platform made from ultra light materials (such as carbon fiber, aluminum honeycomb, and a combination of 7075 aluminum, Gr5 Titanium) is probably a go. The plan is to have a fully outfitted "overland" truck with no extra weight compared to what this truck weighted originally in my configuration (1HD, winch, sub tank).

Meanwhile this is another project i picked up recently. 1995 HDJ81 that im converting to LHD. Should be done in a few weeks. Will post a separate build thread on this later.

And this is what a driveway of an 80-series lover should look like
12.6 liters of turbo-diesel goodness.

 

[Lumpskie]

A small update.

Finally got some fuel consumption numbers in.

I put about 1200km on the truck so far since putting the drivetrain in.
The only hwy trip where i measured fuel consumption was about 200km, and i got 10.5L/100KM, or 22.4MPG. Truck was fairly light and was going about 110km/h. Pretty good, but i was hoping for slightly better in "economy mode". Will need to do some more testing.
Driving around the city mostly i got about 19 MPG.

The reason im not driving it much is because the A/C has been kicking my ass. I have made it a priority, and spent a ridiculous amount of time on it, so other mods (like the PTO install) have been on hold. Here's the thread about it, but in short i had a few leaks that have proved to be very difficult to repair.. It seems that i finally have it working (for now), so hopefully i'll be able to drive it more and get more data in.

I have also installed Katzskin degreez heating/cooling kits into the front seats with new leather. I've decided to let the leather settle a bit on its' own before taking a steamer/heat gun to it. (that's why it may appear a bit loose). And yes, steering wheel is on the list!

Note the PTO handle under the steering.

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Now that you've used your seat coolers and leather for a summer... what are your thoughts of the system? How hard was the install and how well does it work? I just bought this setup as well.

 

[AussieHJCruza]

For the rear, i had to go with OME springs (medium, factory height), because i could not find the correct part number for an 80 with 3rd row seats AND sub tank. I dont believe Toyota offered this.

My AU market 11/92 HDJ80 had factory dual tanks and 3rd row seats. I had an idea that the springs were NLA (I could well be wrong on this) because I needed a stock set to pass roadworthy inspection and could only find secondhand.

 

[jaymar]

So grade 5 titanium armor, and a custom drawer/sleeping platform made from ultra light materials (such as carbon fiber, aluminum honeycomb, and a combination of 7075 aluminum, Gr5 Titanium) is probably a go. The plan is to have a fully outfitted "overland" truck with no extra weight compared to what this truck weighted originally in my configuration (1HD, winch, sub tank).

What kind of info has your research turned up on titanium armor and ultralight materials for cargo system/sleeping platform etc.?

 

[TurboDennis]

Now that you've used your seat coolers and leather for a summer... what are your thoughts of the system? How hard was the install and how well does it work? I just bought this setup as well.

Seat coolers are awesome. They work great, and provide a sweaty ass relief much faster than it takes for the A/C to cool the truck down after it's been parked in the sun for a while. Installation was not difficult at all. Just tedious and time consuming.

My AU market 11/92 HDJ80 had factory dual tanks and 3rd row seats. I had an idea that the springs were NLA (I could well be wrong on this) because I needed a stock set to pass roadworthy inspection and could only find secondhand.

Interesting. I could not find that combination in the parts catalogs. I'll need to have another look.
Most of the sprigs for the 80 series are NLA. I found a set of NOS front ones in a random warehouse in Europe.
PTO+Turbo diesel springs are different (heavier) than the the electric winch+TD ones.

What kind of info has your research turned up on titanium armor and ultralight materials for cargo system/sleeping platform etc.?

Here are my thoughts on weight..
Most people here tend to think that trying to keep the weight down on a truck is a waste of time/money, but I've followed and spoke to a lot of people that do REAL "overlanding" (hate that term) with the 80 and pretty much all of them agree that extra weight sucks big time. It might not be a big deal if you just use your truck for an occasional wheeling trip, but when you're travelling for months into remote areas and third world countries, weight makes a HUGE difference.
Extra weight makes the truck handle like crap. It severely reduces braking performance (ever heard on this forum how "80 series brakes are under-powered" ? Well, they arent - they are only under-powered for an overloaded rig). It significantly increases fuel consumption. It increases wear on suspension and drivetrain tremendously. It decreases off-road performance and increases the chance of breaking things. I could go on..

Every 80 that I've owned before has been "overweight". Since my main goal with the truck is ultimate reliability/dependability, i will attempt to keep the weight down to absolute minimum and use ultra-light materials whenever possible, without sacrificing function.

As far as metal choice for armor (bumpers/sliders/skids).. Let's look at some metals/alloys that are out there, and their specific strength (tensile strength to density (weight) ratio) :

1) Mild steel. This is what most of the armor is built from. Density 7.9 g/cm^3. Tensile strength 440 MPa. Specific strength 55
2) 6061-T6 Aluminum. Far less common, but popular in some parts of the world for vehicle armor. Density 2.7 , Tensile strength ~300, Specific strength 115
3) 7075-T6 Aluminum. This material is great for some things, but it has one huge drawback for armor - it's absolutely not weldable. It can still be used for some things where welding is not required. Density 2.8 , Tensile strength 570 , Specific strength 204.
4) Grade 5 titanium. This material is readily weldable (although requires special techniques). Density 4.7 , Tensile strength 1150. Specific strength 245

As you can see, Gr5 Ti is BY FAR the best choice in terms of material properties. Its' strength to weight ratio is nearly 5 times higher than mild steel. In simple terms, this means that you can make armor from it that is just as strong as steel, but at nearly 1/5 of the weight. This would add up to HUGE weight savings when we're talking both bumpers, sliders and possibly skids. Literally hundreds of pounds... It also has higher yield strength than steel, and completely corrosion-proof (in automotive environment). The only major downside is material cost..
However, considering that i will be fabricating it myself, i expect the final cost to be in line with what premium steel bumpers sell for.


For sleeping platform/drawers, same concepts apply. Frame from either 7075 Al or Gr5 Ti, and panels from Carbon Fiber (which has incredibly high strength to weight and stiffness to weight ratios. Many times higher than materials that are typically used for these types of things such as plywood). I even found a company that has a huge selection of specialized drawer slides. They can make slides from 7075 aluminum that will weigh 1/3 of regular steel slides with the same load rating. And they are actually surprisingly affordable. Sliding Systems - Heavy duty drawer slides, telescopic slides, drawer runners, rails,

 

[SNLC]

Having driven to Panama and back three times in two different trucks I built myself, I agree with you on weight.

Cheers