Build "The Milk Truck" FJ45 Preservation Sorta

[2fpower]

I know not on point, more of an FYI, @kc_chevota just figured out the headlight issue with using a new grounding style harness with old single bulb 40 series setup. I had not thought about the issue of the new headlights have two bulbs, thus two negative terminals, while the round fj40 headlights have one negative, so he is adding relays out by the bulb to make the negative switched wires turn on positive power from battery to fire high/low.

 

[ToyotaMatt]

Wiring the headlight, taillight, hazard, turn and dimmer switches is making my head hurt. My original approach is not working.

The 80 series harness I am using for the chassis with all the relays and wiring to the switches doesn’t communicate with the 40 and 55 series pull switches as is. The 80 series switches all go to ground it seems while non of the 40/55 switches do that all the grounding is at the lights, so they don’t function to activate the relay or at least I can’t make them do what I want.

I think my plan now is it to start pulling all the extra relays from the 80 harness that don’t exist in the 40 harness. I am thinking I need to shape the 80 harness to replicate the 40 harness to use the pull switches.

Anyone know we’re I can buy the harness side plugs and terminals to fit 40/55 pull switches? I would prefer to build it myself but I would also buy the plugs as complete pigtails if that is how they come.

i HAVE Every single 40/ 55 SWITCH option pigtails both NON-USA and USA spec. all withthe correct OEM color coded tracer stripes wire for EAZY PEEZY plug and play

Reference is your factory EWD it pertains too


- this is what i do

and

- this is how i do it

​

 

[Tank5]

I know not on point, more of an FYI, @kc_chevota just figured out the headlight issue with using a new grounding style harness with old single bulb 40 series setup. I had not thought about the issue of the new headlights have two bulbs, thus two negative terminals, while the round fj40 headlights have one negative, so he is adding relays out by the bulb to make the negative switched wires turn on positive power from battery to fire high/low.

Thanks for the insights on the head light wiring. I was completely expecting to have to alter the head lights. I had purchased a set of these fancy modern Koito lights from @ToyotaMatt. They come with their own harness and relay setup but only have one plug that interfaces with the light harness and two eyelets ends that I suspect are grounds but not sure. They didn't come with directions, so I will have to see if I can google them. They seem like they should be simple enough but I will have to modify my bib to fit the new light buckets before I add them to the truck. I already started working on this.

Who knows how these lights get wired up?

 

[DangerNoodle]

Those lights are really simple, just 12v+, ground, and high/low from an existing plug that just connects to the wiring harness.

 

[Tank5]

Those lights are really simple, just 12v+, ground, and high/low from an existing plug that just connects to the wiring harness.

Awesome thanks! The two eyelet connections are both grounds then?

Like @2fpower pointed out the 80 harness has 4 headlight plugs, so I will need to combined the high and low into one and eliminate the rest. Doesn’t sound too hard but we will see if I mess it up.

 

[DangerNoodle]

Awesome thanks! The two eyelet connections are both grounds then?

Like @2fpower pointed out the 80 harness has 4 headlight plugs, so I will need to combined the high and low into one and eliminate the rest. Doesn’t sound too hard but we will see if I mess it up.

I believe one is power, one is ground. Should be red / black.

 

[ToyotaMatt]

Thanks for the insights on the head light wiring. I was completely expecting to have to alter the head lights. I had purchased a set of these fancy modern Koito lights from @ToyotaMatt. They come with their own harness and relay setup but only have one plug that interfaces with the light harness and two eyelets ends that I suspect are grounds but not sure. They didn't come with directions, so I will have to see if I can google them. They seem like they should be simple enough but I will have to modify my bib to fit the new light buckets before I add them to the truck. I already started working on this.

Who knows how these lights get wired up?

View attachment 3090607

View attachment 3090608

ill post the Instructions sheets here Tank ,


sorry they were not in the box , they should have been shipped to you with the lamps for sure ?


stand by :

 

[KT40]

I was looking at the original hood hinges that were really loose and the holes had been elongated from years of abuse. I had a set of hood hinge pins that @SMG makes for the later hood hinges.

I wanted to retain the old hinges for their patina and decided to experiment.

I drilled the hinge pin hole out with a 3/8 bit.
View attachment 3087140
I used 4 bushings per hinge, one on each side of each half.
View attachment 3087141
There’s a small gap in the center to accommodate the bushings but the hing is tight and functions as it should. I ordered more bushings to do the second hinge and will bolt them on to make sure everything lines up. I am happy with the results.
View attachment 3087142

I am still chipping away at the little things, which seem to take time.

You beat me to it on the early hinge fix! I was going to try doing the same thing. Happy to hear it worked. I will be making an order for his kit.

 

[Tank5]

I had a productive and satisfying night. I didn’t take very many pictures though. I pulled the old headlight buckets out and disassembled the bib after marking it to cut.

I needed to swap in some newer headlight buckets to fit the LED headlights and create space.

I had to cut a little space out to fit the newer buckets and reposition the mounting holes. After drilling the holes I used the spot welder to add capture nuts for mounting. I am sure this has been done before.

After that was done I reassemble the bib with a newer mesh grill, repro. marker lights, then the head lights. I added newer turn signal lights with the clear lenses to the fenders. With some luck I might have some of the lights working this weekend.

 

[Tank5]

I have the front marker and headlights working including the hi/lo beam switch. I am trying to wire up the tail lights but there are only two wires, I recognize one is for the turn signal and the other as the running light. I am trying to figure out how the brake light gets wired into the light. Does it get get spliced into the running light?

I know the ground goes through the housing although I plan to attach a ground wire to it.

Here is a picture of the taillight I am working with for clarification and to try and make this post slightly better.

 

[mrboatman]

If I remember your brake light circuit and turn light are the same and tail light is stand alone

 

[Tank5]

If I remember your brake light circuit and turn light are the same and tail light is stand alone

Thank you, I have been searching though old wiring diagrams trying to determine where the turn signal and brake light circuits combine. I have found one diagram of them combining through the turn signal switch but that diagram doesn’t show wire color. It is not the easiest to read.

I have a starting point at least.

 

[mrboatman]

Thank you, I have been searching though old wiring diagrams trying to determine where the turn signal and brake light circuits combine. I have found one diagram of them combining through the turn signal switch but that diagram doesn’t show wire color. It is not the easiest to read.

I have a starting point at least.

I just found this on @Coolerman web site How the 58 to 9/71 turn switch works electrically the last sentence confirms the brake light question I think

 

[Tank5]

I didn’t get to spend as much time on the wiring as I had hoped. I got a call in the morning about an 80 that had slid of the road and was held in place by a tree preventing it from rolling down into a canyon. Luckily the tree was there and the occupants were not injured. They called a wrecker but the wrecker gave up after snapping his winch cable.

I met up with another club member and we were able to winch them back on the road using an 80 and my Tundra Camper. There was some damage to the roof where it landed on the tree but it drove home.

With the time I had, I got the tail lights working and the brake lights working through the turn signal switch. Next is the hazards and turn signals.

I am sure as I plug more things in I will have to make adjustments. Wiring the 40 switches into the 80 harness has not gone exactly as I thought it would. Certainly has made me think a little harder about how it all works together.

 

[Tank5]

I have been planning to solder and heat shrink any splices in my harness but I recently used some of the self-solder heat shrink connectors and they are pretty quick and easy to use.

Anyone have any long term or professional experience with these connections? Is there something better anyone would suggest?

DX Engineering DXE-HSIB-PACK3 DX Engineering Heat Shrink Self-Solder Wire Splice Connectors | Summit Racing

Free Shipping - DX Engineering Heat Shrink Self-Solder Wire Splice Connectors with qualifying orders of $125. Shop Wiring Terminals at Summit Racing.

www.summitracing.com

 

[samc2447]

I have been planning to solder and heat shrink any splices in my harness but I recently used some of the self-solder heat shrink connectors and they are pretty quick and easy to use.

Anyone have any long term or professional experience with these connections? Is there something better anyone would suggest?

DX Engineering DXE-HSIB-PACK3 DX Engineering Heat Shrink Self-Solder Wire Splice Connectors | Summit Racing

Free Shipping - DX Engineering Heat Shrink Self-Solder Wire Splice Connectors with qualifying orders of $125. Shop Wiring Terminals at Summit Racing.

www.summitracing.com

I have used those exact ones from Summit. Just had to redo a bunch of them on my car hauler after less than a year in service. Based on the short life I had with them I would now only use them for field repairs. On all our builds we use conventional solder and water proof glue backed heat shrink.

 

[Tank5]

I have used those exact ones from Summit. Just had to redo a bunch of them on my car hauler after less than a year in service. Based on the short life I had with them I would now only use them for field repairs. On all our builds we use conventional solder and water proof glue backed heat shrink.

Thanks that is what I was looking for. I will stick with solder and heat shrink unless someone else shares something better. I have never had a solder joint. Come apart.

 

[SipLife]

I have been planning to solder and heat shrink any splices in my harness but I recently used some of the self-solder heat shrink connectors and they are pretty quick and easy to use.

Anyone have any long term or professional experience with these connections? Is there something better anyone would suggest?

DX Engineering DXE-HSIB-PACK3 DX Engineering Heat Shrink Self-Solder Wire Splice Connectors | Summit Racing

Free Shipping - DX Engineering Heat Shrink Self-Solder Wire Splice Connectors with qualifying orders of $125. Shop Wiring Terminals at Summit Racing.

www.summitracing.com

Have used a set I bought at harbor freight on a couple places in my 40. If you’re going to use them slide an extra waterproof heat shrink tube over them after bonding the connector. So far have had no issues with mine. Have not yet seen how they hold up long term though. Traditional solder and heat shrink do the job just fine it’s really not that much more time consuming.

 

[EmanC]

I have used those exact ones from Summit. Just had to redo a bunch of them on my car hauler after less than a year in service. Based on the short life I had with them I would now only use them for field repairs. On all our builds we use conventional solder and water proof glue backed heat shrink.

Same experience here. Lost a whole afternoon chasing down an issue caused by one of these. Never occurred to me the connection deteriorated and was causing intermittent connection.

Still have them in my repairs kit, but if I have time I'll bring out the soldering station.

 

[Tank5]

I had to take a break from the 40 to get something other things done. I back at the wiring. All the lights, blinkers, and hazards work but I have sort out a few issues such as:

1. The brake lights don’t work when the running lights are on but work otherwise. I think I just have the brake lights wired into the wrong filament in the tail light, so need to sort that out.
2. When I activate the left turn signal it bleeds to the RH signal. The RH turn signal works as it should.
3. When I activate the the left turn signal with running lights on it comes on but doesn’t blink. With the running lights off it works fine except for the bleed over.

I am open to ideas if anyone has some but as reminder I am using 65 lights with a 93 80 harness and an array of mid 70s fj40 and fj55 switches. Still learning as I go and slowly making progress when I have time think through the issues.