The Machinist's "Project" Thread: 86' FJ60 [Lots Of Pics]

[The Machinist]

Last weekend my power steering pump went out on me and sprayed its fluid everywhere. After a few emails and a phone call, I drove to Stockton Friday night after work to pick up a used pump and a rebuild kit from Georg @ValleyHybrids (Orangefj45). I ended up driving out since I'm trying to have it fixed before a fishing trip next weekend and if I waited for shipping I wouldn't have time during the week to finish it. I got to his place to pick up the parts around 10pm; situations like that are exactly why I always try to buy parts through him.

I spent most of the day trying to remove the power steering pump that was in my truck, then cleaned both pumps up, checked the shafts movement to see which pump was in better shape ("new" pump turned smoother and more quietly), and started to tear them down. I'm going to use the reservoir from my old pump since its in better shape.

I had a hell of a time getting the pump out of the truck this afternoon.

The first issue I had was to simply get the pulley off. The best way to do it was to make the belt extra tight, then push down on it while going at it with a wrench in the other hand. (I didn't know this at first, but a quick call to Georg and it was off on the first try. Thanks again dude!)

The next issue was getting the pump off the engine. There are 3 bolts that hold the pump to its bracket; two on the front behind the pulley, and one on the back of the pump. The two on the front are easy to remove, but the one at the back has very little room between it and the exhaust manifold. Most people have issues with removing the bolt after loosening it, but I couldn't even break the bolt loose. I rounded a few of the corners trying. (ended up needing a 3.5' jack handle on the wrench to get it off at the workbench! ) The bolt I replace that one with will be cut slightly shorter so that it can squeeze past the exhaust manifold.
Untitled by Darrell Vaughn, on Flickr

So the next option is to remove the bracket that holds the pump to the block. With all the smog crap right there, its not exactly a fun thing to do. The number of combinations of extensions, elbows and special wrench attachments I tried to get to the bolts is off the charts. Eventually I got it off, but not after several curse words and a few trips to the parts store for a couple of new wrenches.
Untitled by Darrell Vaughn, on Flickr

Untitled by Darrell Vaughn, on Flickr

I let the replacement pump soak in some degreaser overnight so it would be a little bit easier to work on.
Untitled by Darrell Vaughn, on Flickr

I got the reservoir taken off my old pump, then tore down the replacement pump. I had to stop when I got to the snapring on the flow control valve since I don't have a set of snapring pliers. (tomorrow I will. lol) From that point I just cleaned up the parts, preparing them for paint in the morning.
Untitled by Darrell Vaughn, on Flickr

Untitled by Darrell Vaughn, on Flickr

The internal parts are all bagged and tagged, ready for a quick cleaning and reassembly.
Untitled by Darrell Vaughn, on Flickr

...meanwhile the workbench looks like s***. More to come tomorrow.
Untitled by Darrell Vaughn, on Flickr

 

[WHG423]

I feel your pain with that bolt!



I went the same route, pulled the while bracket and all, then removed it on the bench.
Good luck thin the pump rebuild!

 

[gregnash]

Yup been there done that... there is a special tool that you can get from O'Reilly/Autozone to remove the pulley from the pump while it is on the truck still and then that makes getting the pump off without the bracket a lot easier.. Since you have the pump off the bracket now NOTCH that one bolt hole so that you can easily remove the others, loosen that one and slide the F'r off... I have seen a couple posts on it here and seems pretty easy to do. Did Georg get you the rebuild kit from Toyota?

 

[klinetime574]

Dang. That pump is clean now. What kind of degreaser did you use on that?

Good work man

 

[vipergrhd]

Your pump should look like this when it's done.

BTW you might as well replace your high pressure hose,it will start leaking after you install that rebuilt pump.

 

[The Machinist]

@vipergrhd I think that might be a 62 pump, mine is different. This is what it looked like before I put it back in. I'm still having issues getting it to work though, its not giving me any boost at lower RPMs. I spent the last hour and a half trying to get more air bubbles out of the system, hopefully that's all that's wrong.

Untitled by Darrell Vaughn, on Flickr

 

[vipergrhd]

@Machinist I'm sorry bro i forgot that this was out of my hi-lux.LOL

 

[ModisetteJ]

Just read through your entire thread (i know, i'm really bored and at work) and loved all of it! I'm in the process of finding a good starter 60 and your thread has been very inspiring!! I don't have as much mechanical knowledge as you seem to have but I'm really pumped to get my 60 and start getting into it! Pumped on the community ih8mud seems to have breeded here among people who love their LandCruiser. Stoked to be a part of it!

 

[robustbambi]

That pump is gorgeous.

 

[The Machinist]

Just read through your entire thread (i know, i'm really bored and at work) and loved all of it! I'm in the process of finding a good starter 60 and your thread has been very inspiring!! I don't have as much mechanical knowledge as you seem to have but I'm really pumped to get my 60 and start getting into it! Pumped on the community ih8mud seems to have breeded here among people who love their LandCruiser. Stoked to be a part of it!

Good luck on the search! I've learned a lot about maintaining and fixing up cars with this thing over the last few years, but I've still got a LOT to learn! The more things you work on the easier it gets, by the time you go through all the things you want/need to fix and gain a general understanding of how all the stuff works, breaking down on the side of the road (rarely happens in these things!) becomes less and less stressful because you know you can fix it.

'Mud and the LandCruiser community are awesome; many other enthusiast groups don't even come close to the level of knowledge and camaraderie we collectively have here.

That pump is gorgeous.

I cant stand putting dirty/rusty parts back on my rig if I can help it! Degreaser, wire brushes, some elbow grease and a fresh coat of paint go a long way towards making me feel like I did the job right. (even if it still doesn't work just right ) ... I don't think I have OCD...

 

[TallCanDan]

I'm in the same boat with mine- fluid is EVERYWHERE!
You mentioned you still were having issues after install, was it air bubbles?
Do you have the PN for the gasket set, or is it the same as what Viper posted?

Thanks!

 

[TallCanDan]

Bump!

 

[The Machinist]

I'm in the same boat with mine- fluid is EVERYWHERE!
You mentioned you still were having issues after install, was it air bubbles?
Do you have the PN for the gasket set, or is it the same as what Viper posted?
Thanks!

Still not sure exactly what's up with it, but I think I got most of the air bubbles out of it. It seems to work ok except at idle, where I need it the most! I've also been heating some clunks when turning, especially when it gets closer to lock. I just got my axle to caliper brake lines in the mail from Georg so now I need to get working on my knuckle rebuild; I might to see if I can get a local 4x4 mechanic that has helped me out in the past help me with it since im starting to run out of time. I'll see if he has any ideas.

The part # viper posted is probably different since it's for a hilux pump. I can try to find the bag with the part number, but I might have thrown it in the trash. Orangefj45, Beno, or any of the other parts guy here should be able to get you that part number/part.

Typos sent via Android

 

[The Machinist]

IH8-POWERSTEERING.

I dropped the truck off at my mechanic to get a few things done since I'm running out of time before the Gold Lake trip I'm hosting on the 18-20th. When I showed up to check in this afternoon he tells me that the power steering pump started spewing fluid all over the place when he pulled it into the garage. Since I had just rebuilt it, I didn't believe him at first, but there was indeed ATF all over the place.

So I either have a totally roasted pump, or something else is causing it to be blow out. (...or both...) Is there any way that there could be something screwed up with the gearbox or some sort of blockage in one of the lines that would cause the pump to over-pressurize and blowout the main seal? FWIW, I was never able to get much of any steering assist before OR after rebuilding it.

Its really going to suck if I cant get this fixed in time to take it on this trip, I've been planning and prepping for it all year!


It also sort of sucks that I haven't driven my truck for at least a month while I've been rebuilding and fixing a bunch of stuff (update incoming), during which I noticed that my transfer case is leaking pretty good and my rear main seal is continuing to leak. I swear every time I feel like I'm getting ahead with this thing it sends me right back to square one.

 

[The Machinist]

Update:

Recently I did my first knuckle rebuild, which was actually easier than getting that powersteering pump out! I haven't driven it much lately since I also changed some brake parts and have been working on those, so hopefully I did everything right!!

Starting to get it torn down, caliper removed, hub removed, brake rotor removed.

20140607_152524 by Darrell Vaughn, on Flickr

Spindle, backing plate, and knuckle removed.

20140607_184137 by Darrell Vaughn, on Flickr

20140607_202106 by Darrell Vaughn, on Flickr

All cleaned up.

20140607_202222 by Darrell Vaughn, on Flickr

All the parts removed and ready for cleaning (minus the hub dials). There really isn't much to these things!

20140607_202238 by Darrell Vaughn, on Flickr

The knuckle assembly re-assembled with new trunnion bearings and races, new Marlin inner axle seal, new felts, wipers and almost a tub of molly grease.

20140607_234353 by Darrell Vaughn, on Flickr

20140608_202118 by Darrell Vaughn, on Flickr

Spindle and backing plate re-installed.

20140608_011115 by Darrell Vaughn, on Flickr

20140608_202136 by Darrell Vaughn, on Flickr

20140608_202158 by Darrell Vaughn, on Flickr

Wheel bearings repacked, disk and hub reinstalled. Wheel bearing preload set, star washer staked down, some more grease applied, hub dial installed and brake caliper reinstalled. While I was in there I replaced the rubber brake lines with braided stainless steel lines.

20140608_224423 by Darrell Vaughn, on Flickr

20140527_152114 by Darrell Vaughn, on Flickr

All done! Wasn't so bad after all! Everyone (myself included) builds this project up as being a big and difficult job, but although it is a VERY messy and slightly time consuming one, it is not by any means very hard to do. I'm glad I finally got this "LandCruiser right of passage" out of the way.

Before deciding to jump into this project, I read a lot of threads here and while doing the work, referred to my FSM often. I also watched these videos beforehand. They were really helpful in getting me to go ahead and do it myself; if the guy who made them is reading this, thanks!




20140608_225007 by Darrell Vaughn, on Flickr

...Tools everywhere.... so much grease to wipe off them...

20140608_224238 by Darrell Vaughn, on Flickr

20140608_224307 by Darrell Vaughn, on Flickr


On to the next project!

 

[KeepCruzin]

Hang in there man! My trucks been down for a month now too. I miss driving it so much.

As to your power steering, disconnect the hoses and blow them out with air. It's easy and that way you don't do a bunch of work to the pump just to have it gum up.
I can talk to some guys at the cruiser shop I work at for ya! See what they think.

Good luck!

 

[The Machinist]

Next up was to bleed the brakes since I had replaced the soft lines. Since the system was cracked open anyway and I knew that my master cylinder was leaky and my brakes squishy, I thought there was no better time to replace the master and the damaged booster.

I ended up ordering a new booster from Cruiserparts.net and a V6 4Runner booster from Rockauto.com. (booster part#: A-1 CARDONE532776)

20140617_020245 by Darrell Vaughn, on Flickr

First thing I did was to suck all the brake fluid out of the reservoir with an old coolant tester we had lying around. (think turkey baster ) After that was done, I disconnected the brake lines connected to the master cylinder and proceeded to remove the 4 bolts that hold it to the booster. What I found confirmed what I thought was causing my poor brake performance; the master had been leaking into the booster. The pushrod on the booster could be almost completely pulled out with no resistance, so my guess is that the internal diaphragms were eroded away by the leaked brake fluid.

20140621_172516 by Darrell Vaughn, on Flickr

The booster is attached to the firewall by 4 nuts that can be accessed in the driver's footwell. Before removing them, disconnect the brake pedal return spring and pull the cotter pin from the brake booster clevis. Remove the pin and proceed to removing the booster.

20140621_191625 by Darrell Vaughn, on Flickr

Comparison of the stock FJ60 brake booster to the 4runner brake booster. Note the larger diameter of the 4runner booster. More surface area for the diaphragm = more boost.

20140621_191747 by Darrell Vaughn, on Flickr

Before installing, make sure that the pushrod extends far enough into the master, but does not touch the master's piston when the brake pedal is NOT depressed. See your FSM for the exact clearance. (I just eyeballed it with my index finger... was pretty much the same distance from the master's mounting surface as the original, so I left it alone.)

NOTE THE CLOCKING OF THE VACUUM PORT ON THE BOOSTER IN THE FOLLOWING PICS.

Bolting the master up is pretty self explanatory, but MAKE SURE YOU BENCH BLEED IT FIRST!!! (I bench bleed mine improperly and fought with bleeding the damn thing for weeks. ...don't be me!)

You will have to make a few bends to the vacuum tube that goes under the master and connects to the booster to clear the big booster. (or just run a longer rubber line if you prefer, just avoid getting near the exhaust.)

20140622_003242 by Darrell Vaughn, on Flickr

20140622_003441 by Darrell Vaughn, on Flickr

(The tube looks closer to the steering shaft in the pic than it actually is.)

20140622_003348 by Darrell Vaughn, on Flickr

20140622_003411 by Darrell Vaughn, on Flickr

Now just bleed your brakes until you get all the air out of the lines and you will be good to go. Even with only driving it around the block a few times, there is a very noticeable difference in braking power. Everyone should do this upgrade for safety's sake!

 

[The Machinist]

On to the fun, easy jobs.

Since I'm planning on taking the "Metal Slug" 2,000mi round trip to Grand Teton Nat. Park in Wyoming at the end of August, I decided to do a few things that would help make that drive slightly more comfortable.

I was getting pretty tired of not being able to connect my phone or an mp3 player to my outdated radio so I went down to best buy and got a new one to shove in place of the antiquated one. I decided to get an Alpine in hopes that the connector would be the same as the old one, allowing it to pretty much be a plug-and-play deal. Of course, with my luck, the connector was slightly different... square pegs instead of round and it was ever so slightly wider. Since all the wires were in the same configuration and there were not any new things to wire up, I just cut the old radio's harness and matched the colors. All connectors used were crimp/heat shrink.

Oh, and someone put a penny in my old one's tape player...?

20140706_170023 by Darrell Vaughn, on Flickr

20140706_165915 by Darrell Vaughn, on Flickr

20140706_172003 by Darrell Vaughn, on Flickr



The next thing I did was make a new swaybar drop link to replace the one I "misplaced" at Hollister Hills... (remember to check your hood for parts before heading out if you like to put stuff up there... ) Once that was done I replaced the bushings with poly ones from SOR and went ahead and bolted the bar back up and adjusted the links to the proper height.

I also ordered some new tie rod ends and a T-shirt.

20140705_164551 by Darrell Vaughn, on Flickr

I followed up the swaybar by putting on a couple of used bumpstops I've been wanting to get put on. Socket head cap screws because racecar.

20140705_211614 by Darrell Vaughn, on Flickr


Lastly, I picked up a set of third gen 4Runner "5 Star" wheels and got them painted. The spacers and new lug nuts showed up today. I was planing on getting new tires for them next weekend until the powersteering pump failed again... (see 2 posts up).

20140705_122512 by Darrell Vaughn, on Flickr

Before paint, and after color (before clear).

20140622_152912 by Darrell Vaughn, on Flickr

After clear coat. These things are going to look sick! They will be my street tires, still keeping the BFG's, but 85-90% of my driving is on the street so the lower gearing of the 265/75/16's that I'm getting will be nice.

20140706_205350 by Darrell Vaughn, on Flickr

 

[vipergrhd]

Nice work young stud,i really want to see that 5 spoke on your 60 on your next post. I'm considering using the TRD rims that came with the FJ cruiser if it would fit with minimal spacer,hope you fix that power steering issue your having before the trip up to Gold lake.

 

[The Machinist]

Nice work young stud,i really want to see that 5 spoke on your 60 on your next post. I'm considering using the TRD rims that came with the FJ cruiser if it would fit with minimal spacer,hope you fix that power steering issue your having before the trip up to Gold lake.

The wheels are on hold now since I'll be out of cash for the new tires for a few weeks due to the steering issue. You will need at least an 1.25" spacer to fit these wheels, I ordered 1.5" spacers because I wanted it to have just a slightly wider stance.