Build The Mountain Goat - An FJ140/2UZ-FE/Ute Build

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Doug - bummer on the 60 man. I’m sure that you’ll work out a solution that looks essentially perfect again.

Excited about the 2uz info. Keep it coming.

Any news from Cummins on a second (larger) Rseries Motor in the future?
 
NookShneer said:
Any news from Cummins on a second (larger) Rseries Motor in the future?
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I asked them that directly, I'd love to see the 5.0L as their next offering. They aren't ready to announce anything but are clearly looking at options for another engine. I think the V8 makes a lot of sense for full size trucks so hopefully they'll go that direction, but time will tell I guess. They did say they're still working with California to try and get the R2.8 approved and issued a CARB number, it's just taking way longer than they want of course. Fingers crossed that they get over that hurdle.
 
Sorry the 60 got banged up, but I am glad it protected your wife. We know a project is good when there are unforeseen distractions... stay focused and you'll find the time. I'll be following your R2.8 40 build when you begin. That is one of 3 engines I am looking into for my 40 in it's version 3.0 (and hopefully final) rendition.

You have me so close to chopping the back end of my 60 off and copying you. The Expedition Overland guys live down the road from me and have crawled all over their latest Tundra build with the Patriot Camper Canopy on the back. Man, for camping and long distance travel, I can't think of a more efficient use of space. Add a RTT (which I don't prefer) and you have a nimble, powerful, capable "camper" that can do the vast majority of trails in the lower 48.

In your opinion, how easy would the 2.8 be for the competent enthusiast/hobbyist to pull off? Compared to a late model LS swap?
 
REZARF said:
In your opinion, how easy would the 2.8 be for the competent enthusiast/hobbyist to pull off? Compared to a late model LS swap?
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The Cummins package is really complete - you get the engine, wiring harness, accessory drive, etc. In that sense, it's easier than piecing together a junkyard LS, though if you pony up for one of the crate engines with it's associated controllers you're about on the same footing. Either way you're custom making engine mounts and crossmembers, exhaust, etc so that's all pretty much a wash. Both require adapters in either the bellhousing and/or the tcase depending on what route you go. In either case, cooling system upgrades are warranted so either direct-fit aftermarket radiators and fans should be swapped. The R2.8 adds the complexity of an intercooler so there's some additional custom fitting and mounting there.

So all in all, I'd say it's pretty equivalent between an R2.8 and LS. Both are going to require some welding and custom plumbing/wiring so if you assume the competent enthusiast can tackle those things I'd say either is feasible. Tor is selling his install kit for the R2.8 in a 60-series so that takes care of some of the custom elements of the swap.
 
Interesting concept. I've seen a similar one on an Aussie website that looks very cool. Subscribed!
 
So just before SEMA I got a few days in on the truck and continued the teardown. I'm a few steps behind Pat @dogfishlake in his Chunk build, but using the same techniques. Side windows came out perfect...

IMG_20181103_121708.webp


The headliner is quite nice in this truck so I took my time and tried to save it. Once the bobbing is complete I'm not yet sure how I'm going to finish the interior off so maybe this headliner can be used in some modified form, if not it may find it's way into another truck.

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While trying to remove the windshield I cracked it, not a big deal really since I planned on replacing it anyway. Just a reminder though how tough those windshields and gaskets are to remove. This one originally had the chrome lock strip but I'm going to black out the trim so none of it was saved or reused. Judicious use of the razor knife made quick work of getting the glass out.

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With the windshield out I started on the dash. The dash pad comes out really quick, it's the HVAC and other bits that take some time. I started pulling all this because I have a little bit of rust at the base of the passenger side A-pillar to address and will need to weld in that area.

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Unfortunately as I pulled the blower motor assembly I discovered a new challenge. Taking apart these old trucks always seems to yield some unexpected surprises and this one didn't let me off the hook too easily. This is going to take some careful metal shaping and welding to patch this up...

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You're looking up at the passenger side air inlet which connects to the cowl. I've dealt with cowl rust in vintage Mustangs, but this will be my first go-round with a Land Cruiser. Let this be a lesson to all of you out there to keep your cowls free of leaves and debris and make sure those drains are clear. This is a tricky flange to repair due to the square interface with the air inlet and tough welding access. I'll probably end up cutting an access hole in the exterior cowl panel to get in and patch it all up. I'm going to save that for later though and first tackle the bobbing of the rear.

How many days until SEMA next year? Already starting to feel like this is going to be a grind to get it all done in time...
 
Well Sorted said:
So just before SEMA I got a few days in on the truck and continued the teardown. I'm a few steps behind Pat @dogfishlake in his Chunk build, but using the same techniques. Side windows came out perfect...

View attachment 1826253

The headliner is quite nice in this truck so I took my time and tried to save it. Once the bobbing is complete I'm not yet sure how I'm going to finish the interior off so maybe this headliner can be used in some modified form, if not it may find it's way into another truck.

View attachment 1826252

While trying to remove the windshield I cracked it, not a big deal really since I planned on replacing it anyway. Just a reminder though how tough those windshields and gaskets are to remove. This one originally had the chrome lock strip but I'm going to black out the trim so none of it was saved or reused. Judicious use of the razor knife made quick work of getting the glass out.

View attachment 1826251

With the windshield out I started on the dash. The dash pad comes out really quick, it's the HVAC and other bits that take some time. I started pulling all this because I have a little bit of rust at the base of the passenger side A-pillar to address and will need to weld in that area.

View attachment 1826250

Unfortunately as I pulled the blower motor assembly I discovered a new challenge. Taking apart these old trucks always seems to yield some unexpected surprises and this one didn't let me off the hook too easily. This is going to take some careful metal shaping and welding to patch this up...

View attachment 1826257

You're looking up at the passenger side air inlet which connects to the cowl. I've dealt with cowl rust in vintage Mustangs, but this will be my first go-round with a Land Cruiser. Let this be a lesson to all of you out there to keep your cowls free of leaves and debris and make sure those drains are clear. This is a tricky flange to repair due to the square interface with the air inlet and tough welding access. I'll probably end up cutting an access hole in the exterior cowl panel to get in and patch it all up. I'm going to save that for later though and first tackle the bobbing of the rear.

How many days until SEMA next year? Already starting to feel like this is going to be a grind to get it all done in time...
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Yikes! Now I'm afraid of that cowl spot too. I ran out and crawled around Chunk and I think the cowl is solid but I will gave to look a bit harder with the blower still in there. Could you maybe graft in a piece from a 60 that is good in that spot? I am going to part my donor truck when I'm done with what I need and you can have that piece if it is solid on mine. I just don't know how soon I will get to that part.
 
dogfishlake said:
Yikes! Now I'm afraid of that cowl spot too. I ran out and crawled around Chunk and I think the cowl is solid but I will gave to look a bit harder with the blower still in there. Could you maybe graft in a piece from a 60 that is good in that spot? I am going to part my donor truck when I'm done with what I need and you can have that piece if it is solid on mine. I just don't know how soon I will get to that part.
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I was thinking I may graft in a piece rather than hand form it so if you can cut it out of your donor that would be great. Alternatively, Classic Cruisers in only about 30 minutes from here so I can go see them, they might cut one out for me. No rush on this job though, I'm tackling the rear first, want to make sure I can get the bobbing done and looking good before I bother with the other problem areas.
 
Goodies arrived. @bdyer12 hooked me up with a 2UZ from an 01 Tundra that he was planning to use for another project. He also provided the engine wiring harness, body harness, proper 100-series oil pan, and some other random odds and ends to go with it. This will make things a fair bit easier.

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I'm thinking I may build a little engine run cart to debug everything before trying to put it all in the truck. It would be nice to have an easy turn-key setup to test various ECM's, wiring harnesses, and other random bits that may make the 2UZ swaps possible.

In the meantime I bought a fresh set of these. Sh!t's about to get real... :)

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Correct me if I'm wrong, and please point me to where one is, but I think this will be the first 2UZ 5spd manual write up. Keep the details coming!
 
Borrego said:
Correct me if I'm wrong, and please point me to where one is, but I think this will be the first 2UZ 5spd manual write up. Keep the details coming!
Click to expand...

There are rumors of swaps being completed but no clear documentation, that's part of why I am going to document it here. Hopefully it won't be too difficult, I'm feeling reasonably confident that I can make the ECU happy and have a nice solution for 60-series and prior guys.
 
Catching back up a bit...

If you're following in Instagram you already saw this, but this past weekend was a big one. On a quiet Sunday afternoon I went through with the cut job...



To be honest, the cutting is the easy part. It's the fitting it all back together that gets tricky. I'm starting on that now, and there will be a fair bit of sitting and pondering involved. This sort of build is a labor of love, if I had to tally up all the hours I spend sitting in front of the truck, visualizing, brainstorming, and trying to figure out where to go with it I'd never be able to make any money at this.
 
So after the cutting I'm left with a selection of body parts. Some of this goes to scrap, but most will be used to donate various pieces, curves, lines etc. to make the new rear wall blend as seamlessly as possible with the main cab. For now the only thing I really put in the trash pile was the roof section.

IMG_20181111_180108.webp


With the cut job done, the first thing I did was start working on my donor roof section. This is going to be the replacement for where the original body was rusted above the rear hatch. I decided to remove the roof panel from the framework. This will give me much better access to the underlying structure where I need to graft it to the body. Drilling spot welds isn't glamorous work, but with a decent cutter it goes pretty quick (hint: buy a Rotobroach). Before removing the panel it looks like this:

IMG_20181113_095704.webp


And after drilling what seems like 100 spot welds out and coaxing it a little bit with small pry bars I'm left with this. (Can you tell the dog is used to a lot of fabrication noises? She sleeps through anything...)

IMG_20181113_102022.webp


With that done, I moved over to the main cab. The first thing I wanted to do was cut back some of the roof to give me access to the top of the C-pillars. Much like the replacement section above, I drilled the spot welds out in the rain gutters, but this time only 5 per side. I made a cut across the top and peeled off 12 inches or so of the original roof panel.

IMG_20181113_162500.webp


Much like the sawzall cuts, this is only a rough first-pass. Once the main structural portions are on and fully welded I'll come back and trim this original roof and the replacement section I took off to match. That will be one of the last steps in the metal work though, there's much more to do to join the rest of this together.

This is where things start to get tricky. Joining the roof section with this c-pillar is where I've stopped for the moment. I'll trim back the upper roof rail some, but need to leave the main structure fairly intact as it holds the shoulder belt anchor and generally supports the rear roof. I may cut off some of the pinch weld to blend in the D-pillar, but I'm not certain yet. The moves come slower now, there is more pondering and brainstorming needed and the cuts get smaller as we go...
 
@ddelong6767 i think I know someone that may be interested in that 1/5 of red roof. Can you hold on to it for a few days?
 
gt7058a said:
@ddelong6767 i think I know someone that may be interested in that 1/5 of red roof. Can you hold on to it for a few days?
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Absolutely. Scrap is a relative term, the old junk usually sits out behind the building for quite a while before we finally get around to getting rid of things.
 
Way to go man, you're right to take your time. It's tough foreseeing 17 steps down the road and how this one decision will create a chain reaction for the future. I am impressed with the work so far. Are you going to square off the back or try to retain the drip rail and corners all the way around?

Got a plan for the rear window or will you go solid wall since you'll have the canopy there? Either way, I think your concept is a keeper and I am tempted to copy you... but in reality I don't have the space to make it happen without crazy frustration. Until then, I'll live through your build!
 
REZARF said:
Way to go man, you're right to take your time. It's tough foreseeing 17 steps down the road and how this one decision will create a chain reaction for the future. I am impressed with the work so far. Are you going to square off the back or try to retain the drip rail and corners all the way around?

Got a plan for the rear window or will you go solid wall since you'll have the canopy there? Either way, I think your concept is a keeper and I am tempted to copy you... but in reality I don't have the space to make it happen without crazy frustration. Until then, I'll live through your build!
Click to expand...

Thank you sir, I'm methodical in my methods, perhaps to a fault. I blame it on Engineer brain, it's got its plusses and minuses. I'm honored you want to follow the path, but maybe wait until this is further along. Then we can determine if it's a fool's errand. :)

The plan is to maintain the factory rear roof drip rail at the rear, I think it will look cleaner and be most functional. I have debated having a window or not. I'm leaning towards keeping the factory hatch if I can, including the open function. That way if I can design it as a tray and removable box I'll have the ability to open the rear. I'm not exactly sure why I'd need that to be honest, but it seems easier to put it in now than wish for it later.
 
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