The FRITOTA is Alive!!!

[Exiled]

Congratulations, Grease Cruiser, mine's next at Proffitt's, I'm glad yours turned out as nice as it did.

I was wondering if you're running a pyrommeter and boost gauge for the turbo? If so, where did you get them and how did you mount them? I've been struggling with that portion of the conversion.

Also, you left your 3.70's as is, right? So at what RPM's are you turning when you hit 80 MPH? This is another point of contention for me, I'm going to run 37's on mine but I'm debating whether to keep the 4.11's or go down to 3.70's. I was going to go to 3.70's, but I might keep the 4.11's after I crunch some numbers. I'm going to run an H55F instead of the NV4500, so my overdrive is smaller. Still, 37s vs. 33's should be a significant difference.

Also, where did you mount your battery(s)?

 

[GLTHFJ60]

Would dual batteries be too hard to incorporate? That is what I'm going to do.

 

[JasonH]

Also, you left your 3.70's as is, right? So at what RPM's are you turning when you hit 80 MPH? This is another point of contention for me, I'm going to run 37's on mine but I'm debating whether to keep the 4.11's or go down to 3.70's. I was going to go to 3.70's, but I might keep the 4.11's after I crunch some numbers. I'm going to run an H55F instead of the NV4500, so my overdrive is smaller. Still, 37s vs. 33's should be a significant difference.

Assuming tire size is true....

NV4500, 3.70's, 33's = 2200rpm at 80mph
H55F, 3.70's, 37's = 2271rpm at 80mph
H55F, 4.11's, 37's = 2523rpm at 80mph

This conversion is totally cool. I may have to find me a 62 or an early 80 to do this to.

 

[RredFJ40]

This is so freakin' cool. Got to talk the wife into letting me start to assemble parts.

Grease: what did this cost you in parts alone? Or minus Jeremiah's labor? I don't have the money to pay someone to do this.

 

[ChuckB]

This conversion is totally cool. I may have to find me a 62 or an early 80 to do this to.

I'm debating between a 60 and 91-92 80... Somebody needs to break ground on this so we can see how it works on an 80 I'd do it but its going to be atleast a year before I can start....

How much lift (if any) would be required to fit a 4BT into an FJ80???

 

[Grease Cruiser]

Congratulations, Grease Cruiser, mine's next at Proffitt's, I'm glad yours turned out as nice as it did.

I was wondering if you're running a pyrommeter and boost gauge for the turbo? If so, where did you get them and how did you mount them? I've been struggling with that portion of the conversion.

Also, you left your 3.70's as is, right? So at what RPM's are you turning when you hit 80 MPH? This is another point of contention for me, I'm going to run 37's on mine but I'm debating whether to keep the 4.11's or go down to 3.70's. I was going to go to 3.70's, but I might keep the 4.11's after I crunch some numbers. I'm going to run an H55F instead of the NV4500, so my overdrive is smaller. Still, 37s vs. 33's should be a significant difference.

Also, where did you mount your battery(s)?

Hey Exiled,
Glad to finally hear from ya. Saw your truck over at Proffitt's the past few times I was there. Pretty sweet ride.
As of right now I am not running a pyrrometer or boost gauge or EGT (exhaust gas temperature gauge). I feel that I do not need one unless I turn up the fuel or carry heavy loads. I have left the injection pump alone so it is running turned down just as it did in the P-van. I was thinking of adding a EGT gauge just for the hell of it because I do plan on pulling a trailer every once in awhile. I was also wanting to run another fuel gauge for my future auxiliary tank and also a line pressure gauge for my waste veggie conversion. I was planning on mounting the gauges either in the pocket below the stereo or in the stereo cutout on the dash. I would then put my stereo in a Tuffy console. Talk to Jeremiah, he has put gauges in both places. Although, you do have a 62, but he can make it fit and look nice.

I am running the 3.70's. Unfortunately I do not have a tach right now so I do not know what RPM's I am turning. I want my 60 to look mostly stock around the dash so I need to hook up my tach to the Cummins. Problem is, the factory tach is for a 6 cylinder but the Cummins is a 4. I am fortunate to have a BJ60 that I have been parting out. I am planning on pulling the 4 cylinder tach out of the BJ and put into the Cummins 60. Maybe it will work.

I only have one battery right now. It is mounted in the factory location. I plan on running dual red top Optimas. there is enough room on the other side of the radiator(driver's side) for another batter. This is where I will mount the other.

Jason H: My receipt shows about $6,000 in small parts. This DOES NOT INCLUDE the price of the motor. I spent $2,300 on the van but was able to sell the shell/tranny for $700. My bill was quite a bit higher due to accessories like ARB bull bar, custome rear bumper, EZ liner, etc. I factored in about $12,000 for the entire vehicle including the $1,000 I paid for it. Right now, I am at $11,500. This conversion is not cheap! Small parts eat you alive. I would say $10K should do it, you might be able to get away with $8K if you were really resourceful. Good luck.

ChuckB: Someone has already beat you to it on the 80. Jeremiah will put a 4Bt into an 80 as soon as Cruise Moab is over.

My truck also goes back to Jeremiah after Cruise Moab. He got mine running so I could use it for awhile. He had something like 9 trucks to finish a few weeks ago. Mine needs the receiver hitch mounted, rear swing out tire carrier, another battery mounted, and some other miscellaneous stuff done to it before it is completely finished. After all said and done, it should be a really sweet ride.

 

[ridgerunner]

I would go with a Pyrometer- you'd be surprised how hot your EGT's can get while going up a long hill. It's also nice to see how quick you can shut off the engine after you've been running it- waiting usually does the trick, but the guage is great to be sure.

And boost guages are just fun to watch.

 

[Exiled]

ChuckB: Someone has already beat you to it on the 80. Jeremiah will put a 4Bt into an 80 as soon as Cruise Moab is over.

My truck also goes back to Jeremiah after Cruise Moab. He got mine running so I could use it for awhile. He had something like 9 trucks to finish a few weeks ago. Mine needs the receiver hitch mounted, rear swing out tire carrier, another battery mounted, and some other miscellaneous stuff done to it before it is completely finished. After all said and done, it should be a really sweet ride.

D'OH! I hope this doesn't mean I get my truck back in November, I was hoping to make at least one of the summer trips in the making.....

I think I will play it safe and run the 3.70's (running a Toybox, so not worried about the offroad issues), and I'm going to source a pyrommeter and boost gauge to add to the already way-gone budget. Any suggestions out there on some good quality, smaller gauges?

 

[ChuckB]

Hey Exiled,

ChuckB: Someone has already beat you to it on the 80. Jeremiah will put a 4Bt into an 80 as soon as Cruise Moab is over.

This person wouldn't happen to be on "MUD" would they???

 

[GLTHFJ60]

Cool. I bet that if you put used parts into your rig that you could do the conversion for less than $8000. I think that it could be done, although not as clean as your conversions. I found a 4BT on the turbodieselregistry.com site for $1200. I think that it could work.

 

[Grease Cruiser]

ChuckB: Not sure if the owner of the 80 having a 4BT put in is on the board or not. I will see Jeremiah tomorrow at Cruise Moab, I'll find out.

Exiled: Not to worry about your 62. Jeremiah will take good care of you. You will have your truck in no time. Mine took awhile because we had to track down some parts. Now that he has all the info and sources, yours should be a snap. Patience Grasshopper!

GLTHFJ60: $1,200 does not sound too bad for a 4BT. How many miles and what condition? I have seen some that come from the East Coast that are in great working order but covered in rust. Probably not a problem but just looks ugly.

As far as used parts go to save money, I used a lot. The only big items I bought new were the flywheel, clutch, electric fans, radiator, and lift kit/shocks. I also bought a rebuilt NV4500. All of these parts added to almost $3,500.

By buying the entire van for $2,300 I was able to sell the shell/tranny for $700 which brought my motor cost down to $1,600. I was able to rob the GM hydroboost brakes off of the van, so that saved me a few hundred bucks and gave me a lot better braking system. I also got some bad ass liquid filled motor mounts. These were a factory Cummins part and they want $250 a piece for them.

In my personal opinion, the best way to go is to buy a Frito Lay van. Call your local Frito Lay distributor and see when the next wave of decommissioned trucks come out. They usually do it 3-4 times a year. If you buy one with the SM420, you will have saved yourself a few bucks by already having the flywheel and not having to buy one. Just a thought.

Like I said before, this is not a cheap conversion. Sure, you can pinch your pennies but to what cost are you sacrificing the vehicle that you really want. All in all, I have a $12K FJ60. Sure, this is a lot of money to spend on a 20+ year old truck. But, it is exactly what I wanted and I know it will last a long time. Besides, what was I going to go out and buy for $12K, a used 4Runner or a used 80 with high miles and gets s***ty gas mileage. With MY rig, I have exactly what I want= a classic looking vehicle that gets awesome mileage (27mpg) and I can pull a trailer with if I need to. My .02 worth and a little bit of gloating.

Good luck to you all and may the force be with you. Cheers.

 

[GLTHFJ60]

I have no idea how much the engine has seen other than it was a wood chipper motor. Therefore, it has no miles, but it has probably seen a significant amount of stress.

I have no problem with surface rust as long as it is ONLY surface rust. That can be scraped off and painted. Rot is what I am dealing with on my truck and the least amount of that is desireable.

 

[GLTHFJ60]

I forgot to add that you should post many pics of Cruise Moab. I might be attending in a few years. Thanks!

 

[Durango60]

I just got back from Moab and the installation on this truck is incredible. If you didn't know there was supposed to be a 2F in the engine compartment you would swear it was a factory job.

 

[GLTHFJ60]

Pictures always help!!

 

[Tapage]

Pictures always help!!

 

[Grease Cruiser]

Go to the first page. You will see 3 pics of the motor. What more do you want?

Durango 60: Thanks for the compliment. Nice to meet you at Cruise Moab. Next time I come down to D'go, I will look you up. Let's go get a SKA brew.

 

[GLTHFJ60]

Not any more from you Grease Cruiser. I admire your truck, but I would like pics from Durango60 for comparison. Thank you.

 

[Spook50]

I forgot to mention that I do not have to conform to smog regulations where I live.

I did however have to change the title and registration to say "Diesel" No big deal really. Just had to do a VIN inspection and show the receipt of the engine conversion. It cost me about $10 to change the title.

Maybe I missed it in another post, but did you have a Cummins place do the conversion? Did they do all the work?

Edit: Nevermind, I looked closer, and sure enough I missed it

Wonder where I can find a Frito Lay distributor in eastern WA...

 

[squeezer]

Decisions...

Mudders...
I have a 4bt sitting in the garage that needs a home. The truck that was supposed to be the repower platform was stolen a few weeks back so I have a clean slate.

Considering 2 options: A late model FJ60 or an 80 series. Before we go into the debate on 60 vs. 80 I have owned a BJ60, FJ62, and drive a mildly built FZJ80 daily. I am happy to drive either series knowing both very well.

Let me bench build each truck.

Start with a nice looking high millage 60 ($4K) Add an H55 ($2K) and a lift for clearance ($2K). (Going to leave out incedentals as they should be the same for either series) This should be a dead simple swap. No driveline work, no T-case adapter, no BS... ($8K Baseline)

Start with a clean 80 ($8K) NV4500 & adapters, (engine and T-case) $4k. Clutch set up ???? ($.5K) Lift $1K. Drive line mods, interior work, gauge work, more work period. ($13.5K Baseline)

I say "baseline" as both trucks will require a similar amount of work for fuel system work, cooling system work, filtration set-up and the like. Figure final cost is baseline plus $2K

My ultimate goal for this truck is a high MPG daily commuter. I have the 80 built for trips and don't have a ton of interest in crawling. I will throw in a few wildcards here. I LOVE my 80 but when the BJ was still in the driveway it was driven way more often than the FZJ (just not on the long trips) I also have a line on a reasonably clean original owner 1984 BJ60 for $8K Canadian, it could use paint and some interior work to be really nice Would have $11K in that one to get it on par paint and interior wise to the 60's and 80's I can buy here. (Have imported before so thats not a big deal...).

Not sure how to go ahead at this point. A target FJ60 has been located but might be already sold, the right FJ/FZJ80 might be even easier to find than a strait 60... An easily restoreable BJ is a phone call away. Odly enough all three would be in the $12-14K range when completed

Does anybody know the status of the 80 at Proffits ? A bit of feedback on that truck would help.

Please guys tear apart my logic...