The Elsie Blanco Project: A 1969 FJ40 Rebuild Adventure

[rustyj40]

Greetings!

This is the first post in what is hopefully the chronicle of a pleasantly self-inflicted headache to rebuild and upgrade a 1969 Toyota Land Cruiser FJ40. I have always enjoyed reading the build threads on this site over the years, and it is high time I give back and share my experiences with rescuing this classic 4x4.

I have previously owned two Toyota Land Cruisers. I had a 1973 FJ40 that I never was able to complete and put back on the road. I also had a 1974 FJ40 that was road worthy but somewhat of a Frankensteen’s Monster that taught me a lot about what was a good place to start in terms of a restoration. This is one of the reasons I am excited about this current project. This 1969 FJ40 is essentially all original and in fairly decent shape in terms of body panels, frame and drive train from what I can assess. The prospect of having someone else's mistakes to rework caused me to pass over quite a few FJ40's in the past.

I purchased the vehicle December of last year (2017) near my mother's home in central Mississippi. The previous owner had the truck for about 10 years, but was never able to find the time to restore/modify it. According to the previous owner before he purchased the truck, it spent some time in Tennessee on a farm and was well taken care of. Currently, the truck is sitting under my brother in law's tractor shed back in Mississippi. I am planning to bring it home this weekend to Texas to kick off the restoration.

My plans for the rebuild/restoration are intended to maintain the classic FJ40 Land Cruiser aesthetic but upgrade the mechanical and electrical components in order to make it more friendly to drive on the road while keeping an acceptable level of off road capabilities. I realize that taking an all original FJ40 and swapping out the OEM components could be considered sacrilegious by many purist, but after 50 years vehicle technology and drivability have significantly improved. Also, I plan for this to be solidly Toyota! I know there is a lot of enthusiasm for V8 and the unknowns with that swap have been consistently resolved which presents a compelling option, but in my opinion an FJ40 is not “authentic” if it has anything but a Toyota straight six. At this point the still being formulated and locked down, but a short list of upgrades would include:

• Full frame and body repairs with new paint including rebuilding a correct FJ40 top (truck currently has early FJ top without rounded corner windows.
• Toyota 3FE engine overhaul and installation
• Toyota H55F 5 speed transmission overhaul and installation
• Toyota split transfer case installation
• Drive shaft modifications (if necessary)
• New rims and 33 inch or 35 inch tires
• Shackle reversal components
• New leaf springs front and rear
• Upgrade to power steering (Currently considering multiple options)
• Upgrade to 4 wheel power disc brakes (Currently considering multiple options)
• Arb air locker(s) - perhaps just rear axle only
• Front and rear bumper upgrades
• Winch installation
• New roll cage/roll bar
• Optima Battery upgrade
• New seating and interior upgrades
• Air Conditioning and Heating in the cab
• New air freshener
• Plus other smaller items to be determined

I intend to take detailed notes and will try to keep tabs on cost of parts, tools and equipment, as well as services rendered by body and machine shops as well as post photos of my work as things progress. I greatly appreciate the other users/members that provide informative feedback and document the work they do. I am a mechanical engineer by degree so details are always important to me!

This thread will hopefully be a place to share knowledge and information and experiences, and I look forward to interacting with those of you who are interested. I ask that any comments and feedback remain courteous and constructive and "to the point" without high-jacking the discussion.

I look forward to this effort. I have been wanting to do something like this since I sold my 1974 back in 2002. Hopefully, it will be minimal time spent banging my head against the wall!


More to follow


JOSH

 

[Rock40]

Cool, looks like a great start! If it's a 69' tho, the top is mismatched from an older pre-68' truck.

 

[rustyj40]

Cool, looks like a great start! If it's a 69' tho, the top is mismatched from an older pre-68' truck.

Hi Rock40, Yes the top is not the correct one for a 1969, but the PO threw in the parts to assemble a accurate top for 1969 model year as part of the deal. They are in good shape, but will need to be repainted to match the truck and then reassembled. All the windows and hinges are "perfect" and there is little rust. I believe the PO got the pieces from someone in New Mexico? I don't currently have any photos of the parts, but will get some up by next week after I bring everything back to Houston.

JOSH

 

[rustyj40]

06 February 2018
Houston, TX

This is the second posting and first update to my restoration project for my 1969 40 Series.

A good bit has happened since my last update. I was able to rescue the truck from my brother in law's farm in Mississippi and trailer it to Texas. The trip included a car hauler rental from U-Haul, one blown out trailer tire in Mississippi, one flat trailer tire in Louisiana, an unexpected night at a fairly comfy Best Western in Ruston, Louisiana and a terrific patty melt sandwich at Waffle House #689 in Rayville, Louisiana. I would consider the entire journey Type 2 fun for those of you who understand what I am puttin' down.

I was also able to score a 3FE, H55 and a split transfer case from a great fellow in Columbus, MS. The drive train parts were only part of the good fortune though as this gentleman, we will call him "Mr. K", has a restored FJ75 truck that was formerly in service to the USMC in operation Desert Storm. He now has the truck and restored it to tip top condition! I have some photos that I will post in a follow up. (Can I post more than 5 pictures in each post?) After securing the 3FE and the transmission/transfer case in the bed of my Tundra we loaded up the FJ40 and headed for Texas experiencing the aforementioned incidents.

The truck is now safe and sound here in my garage in Houston. I have spent the last few weeks getting the garage in order so as to have space, light and tools in place to start in on my project. I haven't tackled one of these things since college so I am slightly out of practice as in my work space.

I have decided that my first step will be to get Elise's frame ready for sand blasting, so I have started removing the front body panels. In general the panels are in acceptable shape but the bolts are breaking on a steady 2:1 ratio. I am sure Spectre Offroad is going to be getting quite a few orders for replacements. I have lined up sand blasting services here in Houston, and will provide that resource information once the job is complete. The quote was very reasonable and I intend to take the shop the frame with detached axles.

A few points of decision that I will share with everyone for input:

• I have decided to keep the rear axle drum brakes so that I can hopefully add a parking brake. The split transfer case does not have the same set up as the 3 speed transfer case parking brake.
• The front axle will be converted to disc brakes. I want to use Toyota Land Cruiser parts if possible which would mean finding a later model 40 series or a 60 series donor axle or truck. If anyone in or around Houston can point me to a salvage yard that might have this that would be great. I would also use the Toyota pick up parts, but want to stay away from the after market disc brake conversion parts at this time.
• After reading here on MUD and also other forums on the topic it sounds like epoxy primer/paint is the way to go for frame painting. I originally thought powder coating would be the best option but apparently there are drawbacks related to repairs? Also, cost appears to be lower with epoxy paint.
• After sand blasting the axles and the frame I want to have a suspension system ready to install. I have decided that for tires 33 inches will be my limit for this truck. I want to maintain good drive line angles with the extended length that the H55 and split transfer case induce. I did some rough measurements under the truck yesterday and it looks like the H55 and split transfer case will eat up about 10 inches after swapping out the F engine and 3 speed transmission. If anyone has any feedback on this it would be appreciated. I have been reading the other 3FE and H55 threads but feel free to rub my nose in it. Still have a little homework to do for the lift kit. There appear to be a number of good options out there. Also, I'd like to extend the wheel base a few inches front and rear to recover some of the drive shaft length.

A few of other items:

• My TLCA registration arrived in the mail today. It feels good to finally be a member of a cool club. I no longer feel like the kid not picked for kickball.
• I also received some classic literature from SOR.COM. I look forward to digging into all of that!

And now...for photos!

 

[rustyj40]

POST #0003
28 April 2020
Houston, TX


Wow, it has been many moons since I last posted any updates for this project. When I originally set off on this effort I was planning to take most of 2018 and turn Elsie Blanco into a fine example of what an FJ40 restomod could be. Here it is over 2 years later. The world is in the middle of a pandemic, oil prices recently turned negative for the first time in history, I bought a little farm in the country north of Houston and a 1988 FJ62 for good measure. Meanwhile, the 1969 FJ40 has been sitting patiently in my garage intermittently calling my name. I have not been listening all that much until lately. The money I had originally set aside for rebuilding this truck turned into a down payment on some land, and so for a time I have had to abandoned my project. Priorities have a way of conflicting with each other wouldn't you say? However, the purchase of the 62 series and the pleasure it brings has really put the hook in me to get back on the FJ40 effort. I have a little jingle back in my pocket and what appears to be a slightly more modest approach to the restoration.

My original plan was to update the old girl with a 3FE and H55, but after much deliberation about the character I want this truck to have and an honest assessment of my wrenching abilities I have decided that a fuel injected heart and legs with an overdrive is more than I want to impose on this lady. I have taken a step back and realized that going from the F to the 3FE is too big of a jump for what is technically my first engine swap. My goal is really to get her back on the road and purring as quickly as possible after taking such a long time to return to the effort. Expediting the road to recovery in mind, I have sourced a 2F from a 78 FJ45 and a 4speed with a split case from an FJ60. Some of you might disagree with this change of heart, but in my mind it just seems to fit the truck's personality. She will spend most of her time living at the farm on the back roads near the Trinity River. I don't need to be comfortable at 70 MPH. I need to be slower and more deliberate at a healthy 55 MPH. That way I can be traveling slow enough to see other "road side gold" that might be waiting on me.

I have also recovered the front axle out of the FJ60 and will use it to perform the swap to disc brakes. I have an opportunity to snag the power steering box from the FJ60 as well, but I am not convinced I want to make that swap. it seems a little too invasive for this effort. I still need to decide on power brake options. I have read lots of the threads here on MUD, but have yet to coalesce around my preferred option. With the early 40 series, adding a booster appears to create the need for surgery on the fire wall. All these an many other decisions are yet to be made.

My first steps out of the gate are as follows:

1. Bolt up 2F, 4 speed and t-case for fit up in truck. (This is after I remove the original F motor and drive line from the truck)
NOTE: I had actually thought about keeping the F and rebuilding it and adding just the 4 speed and split t-case, but by all accounts the F engines are much more expensive and slightly more difficult to rebuild. Feedback on this is appreciated.

2. Once fit up is complete I plan to strip everything down to the frame, sand blast the frame and axle housings and then powder coat. I originally was going to just blast and paint, but have decided to powder coat based on a number of recommendations from reliable sources. I have yet to select or get quotes from a powder coating provider but will post those numbers when I get them.

3. I am going to replace the existing suspension with OME. I have done lots of reading on the subject, but plan on making a call to them in order to get their assistance selecting the appropriate components. I will publish the selected bill of materials once that is available.

4. Rebuild the front and rear axles using the FJ60 brake components for the front and rebuilt drum units for the rear. I had originally though about replacing the drums with the "Chevy" kit, but feel as though it just isn't in keeping with my overall idea for the truck. I have read threads about using Toyota disc components on the rear, but I could not seem to find anything definitive or a parts list or supplier. If there is any specific information on this I am all ears. Rebuilt drums will work for now. There will be no real mudding in this truck so the drums should hopefully stay nice and clean.

5. Research and select a Texas machine shop for machine work on the old 2F. I have done a little research on machine shops which have experience with Land Cruisers, but I am open to suggestions from the community. I don't need fancy. I just want reliable.

6. ...I think steps 1-5 is all I am going to handle right now. The body will eventually receive full attention along with rebuilding the old hard top, but for now I am going to focus on the "foundation" and get it right. I feel like there will be time to spruce up the body in the future after the mechanical and electrical are complete.

I am going to commit to the community to posting more regularly. I really do enjoy this stuff, but sometimes life puts us on a slightly different track for a while and it is more difficult to pursue all our passions simultaneously. I am looking forward to continuing to publish information and reflections on this process. Thanks for your support in advance.

 

[rustyj40]

POST #0003-Supplement
28 April 2020
Houston, TX

Photos of 2F, 4speed with split case, and 1988 FJ62

 

[rustyj40]

POST #0004
29 April 2020
Houston, TX

"Mike, Mike, MIKE! Guess what day it is?"

I feel as though I might have gotten over a hump today. Elsie has been sitting in the garage with her heart and guts all expose for the last...long time now, but today I knocked off work early and set out to pull the original F engine out of her. I had already done a little work to prep for the removal by pulling the fenders and the front clip. Do people on here call it a clip? A bib? I am not sure, but I assume everyone reading this knows what I mean. Today I started by pulling the radiator bracket and radiator, drained the oil, pulled the drive shafts front and rear, removed the skid pan under the transfer case and cut off the old exhaust pipe. The transmission linkages and other miscellaneous wires and cables were already disconnected. Also, I removed the front bumper which was about the only real "damage" that was visible on the truck when I purchased it a couple years ago. Looks like it was on the losing end of a quick encounter with a small tree or sturdy fence post.

As a side note on the preparations for the removal of the engine I would like to make an award. Most everything was relatively easy to remove, but today the driver's side transmission support bolt gave me a little trouble. As such this component is going to receive the "BASTARD OF THE DAY AWARD". In my mind the Bastard of the Day Award will go to the component or system that just doesn't quite want to cooperate. I am sure there will be more.

Once I had all the prerequisites for engine pulling removed I pulled out the engine hoist and set it up for plucking the F. I am not sure what brand hoist I am using but I purchased it from the Pepboys near me here in Houston. It's solid and works well. The F has two lifting brackets that are fastened on opposite corners of the cylinder head and with a piece of chain and a good engine hoist, oh, and all the correct items disconnected, removing the engine, transmission and transfer case was quite easy. My advice to anyone doing this for the first time would be to take your time and disconnect everything. A number of the items I disconnected were thrown away to be replaced by new or reconditioned parts later. I tried to save as many fasteners as I could, but many of these aren't worth saving. The engine came right out of the chassis. I lifted then pulled and then lifted then pulled again until it came free and was then suspended in mid air like a great big 50 year old tough as nails bird. The amount of grime and gunk on the engine and especially the transmission and transfer case was astounding. I will spend some time in the coming days cleaning it up a bit to take some reference photos.

I will say that for as stout and heavy and robust in appearance as the engine block is, the 3-speed transmission sitting right behind it is, well, it's dinky. Is dinky a technical term? Apparently some people fasten V8's to these things? I don't see how they get more than a mile down the road before turning the little guy into sausage. The transfer case is a little more robust, but comparing this early transfer case to the two split transfer cases I have sitting in the garage it leaves no question the transmission and transfer case will be swapped out.

In other news, I dispatched an email to Mosley Motors in Memphis about a rebuild. I know in my last post I stated that I wanted to go with the 2F, but to be honest there is still a small part of me that wants to keep the old F engine in the truck. If I don't rebuild it and put it in this truck then what the hell is it ever going to be used for? I am hoping that I can begin to get a better understanding of the cost of rebuilding. My assumptions at this point are that the machine work can be done by any reputable shop, assembly is probably something I want some professional assistance with, and sourcing parts should be taken quite seriously. I have yet to do any comparisons on suppliers for engine parts, but suggestions are welcome from anyone who has had good experience. I don't mind taking my business to Memphis, but I am sure there are reputable shops here in Texas that can perform the work I need done as well. I appreciate any recommendations there too. I have found a few shops here in Houston that get great google reviews but have yet to ask them specifically about Land Cruiser engines.

So, in closing, I really feel like I did get over a hump today instead of the usual getting strapped over a barrel. Pulling the engine will put me on a few different paths to getting this legitimately kicked off. I will begin fit up of the 2F to try it on for size and then I can work on getting the frame detached from all the clingers and ready to be sent to the powder coating shop. It is a good feeling after allowing the old girl to sit cooped up in the garage for such an extended period of time. It might be too early but I am going to try to have her back on the road no later than the end of this year. I will probably spend more money than I would care to, but I suppose it is similar to any other commitment you make...you do right by the ones you love. We will see what happens!

Post Script and Q&A:

1. I have a chance to get a few more FJ60 parts.

First, the steering box and steering column from a decent donor truck is available for probably an extremely acceptable price. My question is should I go for the FJ60 power steering conversion? I was planning on pursuing the minitruck conversion, but the more I think about it the FJ60 power steering conversion might be more practical and "better". I think running 33 inch tires is going to be as large as I want to go. Thoughts?

Second, the question of gearing is pinging around in my head so I might as well barf it out and pose the question. 3.73 from the FJ60 vs. 4.11 from the FJ40? Most of my miles will be just around the farm and on the Texas back roads. I am going to spend a little time with the engine RPM calculator I made in excel to get a better idea of my "top speed", but any feed back from real world experience is appreciated. I am about 80% sure that I am going to put the H42 4 speed in this truck and save the H55 5 speed for another TBD project.

2. Are there any die hard "F" engine fans? The thought of keeping the old engine in this truck just won't go away. Perhaps my understanding of the feasibility of this endeavor in keeping the F engine and swapping to a new transmission is limited, but based on what I have read it appears to be an option. It might be cost prohibitive and a huge headache, but the idea just won't quite turn me loose. I am hoping Mosley can shed some much needed light on the situation.

Photos to follow in the supplement to this post.

 

[rustyj40]

POST #0004-Supplement
29 April 2020
Houston, TX

 

[69LC]

One really nice thing about using the 60 PS box is that you lose a bunch of extra pivot points. It is not very difficult to mod the steering column to add a flange and bearing. I’d guess the steering shaft from the 60 would be a good swap candidate too, but I’d have to see it first. Some early-mid 80s trucks had rebuildable u-joint shafts.

 

[rustyj40]

POST #0005
05 May 2020
Houston, TX

PREFACIO

Today is Cinco de Mayo. Today is also Taco Tuesday! I guess this happens every 7 years or so, but today all that is ruined because of a stupid virus that is ironically named after a beer from Mexico. Fear not though...I have been informed by my lady that she has some things in store for us this afternoon that are in keeping with the fiesta tradition. I hope that means booze and greasy food. Speaking of beer and greasy food, I sure could have used some last night. I got much done and learned a lot, but in the process didn't eat much between the hours of 1115 and 2230. Time seems to fly when you are working on an FJ. When you actually commit to them, they have a way of sucking you in and encouraging you to make them the best little FJs they can be. I will confess that my previous level of wrench time has suffered in the past 15 years. In high school and community college there was plenty of time for wrenching on a few old classics that my friends and I found ourselves owning, but then came a transfer to university and with it the time commitments of a mechanical engineering student and tuition put a big fat dirty hold on truck stuff. After graduating and taking a job I was eager and willing to go where the company sent me which never put me in a place long enough to settle in and get back on the Land Cruiser game. It is good to finally be in a spot with plenty of fantastic Mexican food joints, cold beer, a stable job and good people with Land Cruisers. You know, Texas! I hope it continues for quite some time...

ACTUALIZACION

The first thing I will say is that for reference you cannot feasibly have a wood shop and an automotive shop in the same garage. Trust me. I tried this and can tell you from experience that the two do not mix. I wouldn't say working on old Land Cruisers is a hobby where you can expect to stay nice and tidy on a consistent basis, and while old trucks do shed layers of grease and grime and dirt and engine coolant when you tilt the engine block a few degrees they don't generate saw dust. Saw dust gets everywhere. It also gets everywhere. You can expect this even with a decent dust collection system.

The first part of my effort yesterday was spent cleaning. I moved all my woodworking kit to the small outbuilding up at the farm in order to dedicate the garage in Houston to Elsie. She deserves it. My garage isn't the Hilton in Midtown Manhattan, but it could be compared to the Best Western I used to stay in when making field trips to Casper, WY for work...clean sheets, single serving shampoo bottles and a continental breakfast with powdered eggs and Fruit Loops. It really makes a difference to have a clean organized space. When diving into a rebuild like this there is so much dirt and yuck that seems to accumulate and so much of it ends up on the floor. I would suggest a good first purchase would be a decent shop broom and a medium sized shop vac.

My focus has been on getting ready to mock up and fit a number of different engine transmission combinations to really get a solid idea of what I am working with. The community here on MUD is great and there are terrific build and tech threads by some extremely capable people, but in my experience there is no substitute for experience. So, while I am not keen to repeat the mistakes of others doing things for myself helps me to visualize the nature of the problem and put a mental picture in my head of how to proceed. I am sure many of you are like this...perhaps?

In order to make the fit up of the engine and transmission combinations easier I started out by removing all the "stuff" from the front of the frame between the front cross member and just behind the firewall on the frame. I had already pulled out most of the items when I pulled the engine but there were a few items left like brake lines, fuel lines, battery tray, dirt, dirt, dirt and the little hinge that secures the front clip to the front cross member. I ended up screwing all the bolts I removed as part of this effort back into the frame to protect the bolt holes and to keep from losing the bolts. Losing my bolts and my nuts is a reoccurring theme with me. I have a disability called the "set it downs". I set s*** down in random places and then can't remember where I put it. It is quite debilitating. This effort to minimize interference is something I would recommend. The engine and transmission combo hanging in the engine bay will actively look for any opportunity to get stuck or caught up like fishing line looks for ways to tie itself in a knot.

After clean up duty and clearing what was left in the engine bay I started in on divorcing the old F engine and 3 speed transmission combo I had pulled last week. Apparently, there was no prenuptial for this divorce, but it still wasn't too rough. As I have mentioned, I wanted to see if I could successfully mate and fit the F engine with the H42 and split transfer case, but I had to first remove the old gear boxes. The old 3 speed transmission connects to the F style bell housing via 4 bolts. 2 bolts are at the front of the top of the transmission and are clearly visible. The other 2 bolts are at the bottom of the front of the transmission and must be accessed by removing the cover bolted to the bottom of bell housing...which is easy. Once the bell housing cover is removed the bottom two bolts can be removed. Then, once all these transmission to bell housing bolts are removed the transmission will slide back out of the clutch assembly with a little coaxing from a small shop hammer and some slight elbow grease.

Once the old gear boxes were removed the clutch assembly and flywheel must be removed in order to disconnect the bell housing from the engine block as there are 4 bolts behind the flywheel that cannot be accessed unless the flywheel is removed. At least I don't know of a way to do it? After the clutch assembly is removed the F engine flywheel can be pulled off after disconnecting the 6 bolts and 3 flywheel clips that are inserted under each pair of bolts on the flywheel. The bolt heads are 18 mm which was unexpected. I am not sure if 18 mm bolts make there way into other parts of the engine assembly? It seemed odd since I have used the 17 mm and 19 mm for most of the larger bolts thus far. I had a little trouble getting these bolts out. If you are performing a flywheel-dectomy make sure you secure the flywheel to keep it from turning. I initially tried an impact wrench but soon realized a large non ratcheting 1/2 inch driver was more ideal. After the flywheel is removed the bell housing to engine bolts are accessible and the bell housing can be easily removed. As a note, looking at Specter Offroad online parts catalog, it appears the early style bell housing used for the 3 speed transmissions was used from 1958 until August of 1974. This bell housing will not work with the H42 and must be swapped out for the newer style bell housing that was used when the 2F engine started to appear. Upon a quick visual inspection, it is fairly obvious the two bell housings are different. They have some similarities, but the port where the transmission spline shaft fits through on the early bell housing is round and the later model bell housing looks like a figure 8 in this location. Also, the bolt holes on the rear face of the bell housing are in a slightly different location. Whatever the case, it is not possible to bolt the H42 up to the old style bell housing. However, the new style bell housing will fasten to the F engine. This was my main objective for this effort so it was good to see that this was successful. It appears that the flywheel is common to both engines, and I plan on reusing the flywheel I removed from the F and getting it resurfaced. I have yet to dive into the details on the clutch assembly, but don't expect this to be insurmountable. My knowledge is just limited at this time.

After successfully removing all the old components from the back of the F engine I secured the new style 2F bell housing to the F engine using the same bolts I took off the old F bell housing. They fit in all the same places. Once the bell housing was secured I then attached the H42 4 speed transmission to the back of the bell housing. I was planning to utilize the old transmission to bell housing bolts but quickly realized they are a different thread pitch. The early bolts have a more coarse pitch and will not thread into the rear of the 2F bell housing. Fortunately, I had bolts from the donor vehicle with the finer threads which worked perfectly. Once the engine and transmission and transfer case were all bolted together I hoisted the assembly into the engine bay for fit up. Make sure to use the longest setting for the boom of the engine hoist in order to have the maneuverability you will need to place the engine all the way back into the truck.

Unfortunately, this is where I have to end this post. I was able to get the engine hanging in the engine bay but because the moment created by the dangling transfer case causes the entire set up to droop I was unable to get it fit up successfully. Confession to the community...I have no floor jack. But, I am just back on the game, so I ask forgiveness! I plan to procure a floor jack from Pepboys for this effort and support the assembly under the transmission/transfer case. This should allow me to more easily load everything back into the truck onto the mounts more evenly. I will report back once this is finished.

POSDATA Y PREGUNTAS

1. I am going to get a cheap Pepboys floor jack to get me where I need to be in the immediate future, but I would like to buy a much nicer floor jack than the $25 dollar variety that is typically available at the local parts house. I was looking at Jegs and they seem to have some good options, but I wasn't sure if I would just be paying for the name. If anyone has a recommendation on a good quality, safe floor jack...

2. Does anyone have recommendations or feedback on clutch assemblies? I will need a new one as I am not inclined to reuse the old clutch I removed from the truck. I need to do more research on this, but any information is welcome. Also, I am assuming I need a clutch that was for the 1987 FJ60 donor truck, but if other options are better that will bolt in I am all ears.

3. I was able to pick up the complete front axle from the 1987 FJ60 on Sunday. It is in good shape, and I will be posting more about the disc brake swap in the coming days as I can get to that. I plan on rebuilding the hubs with new hardware, seals, bearings, etc. I found a good set of videos on a pick up axle rebuild and will share that too when the time comes. I need to find a source for those rebuild parts so suggestions are welcome.

4. I have been doing some preliminary reading and browsing on suspensions. I originally thought about OME suspensions because that is what I have heard about for years. BUT...the Dobinsons kits look to be pretty awesome. Other ideas are Ironman and something called Trail Tamer which I don't know much about. I plan on having a front bumper and rear tire carrier so I will probably go with the heavy springs. I will dedicate more time to this in the coming weeks as I want to have the suspension in hand when I get the frame and axle tubes back from the powder coaters.

5. I have all but decided to run the 3.73 gears at this point. I developed an engine RPM calculator in Excel. With 31 inch tires at 55 MPH the 3.73 gears keep the engine at about 2200 RPM. With 31 inch tires at 55 MPH the 4.11 gears bump this number up to about 2450. With 33 inch tires which I am planning to run at this point, the difference in the final numbers don't change much. The final numbers are lower with 33 inch tires but the difference between those final numbers doesn't significantly change. I know this might be controversial, but the truck isn't going to be off the road a ton and I would rather have a little extra pedal on the back roads here in Texas. Please feel free to chime in on this.

Photos to follow in the supplement to this post.

 

[rustyj40]

POST #0005 - Supplement
05 May 2020
Houston, TX

Tres Amigos

H42 and Split Transfer Case Mated to F Engine

Transmission to Bell Housing Bolts
- Upper bolt is from 2F to H42 arrangement
- Lower bolt is from F to 3 Speed arrangement, note coarse threads compared with upper bolt

The Breakup
- 3 Speed column shift style transmission and early transfer case recently separated from F engine

Land Cruiser Bell Housings
- Upper housing is for F engine to 3 speed transmission, note circle opening for transmission spline shaft access
- Lower housing is from 2F to H42 (and other) transmissions. Note the figure 8 opening for transmission spline shaft access.