The Mule.

[Hugh Heifer]

The Mule. AKA The Red Menace

Well, I think you guys might appreciate this because you know me and as of yet have not seen my 40 and may think I only come to the meetings to drink hundreds of beers. I have been working on the rig as much as I can with the crazy work hours but it is getting there.

I bought this '71 40 with a 4 speed and a 4 inch lift running 35"s about a year ago in Knoxville off E-Bay and know a lot more then I did then...enough to know I was not hosed or taken but paid too much.



I got it home and discovered the oil leaks in the engine were not just that. I never bothered to check the compression becasue I started it one day and it blew oil all over the wall.



So I cleaned all the oil off and found a rebuilt 2F from a friend for about $700 and jumped on it.

After some work I got the F out with a little help

 

[Hugh Heifer]

First I had to drain the radiator, however and discovered this was left by the PO (staged after it was removed BTW):



Once the bolt was out and I dug around in the hole a bit I got a bucket of this (probably explains the over heating):



And finally I got the radiator out.

 

[Hugh Heifer]

I did a lot of cleaning and rattle canning before I met Sk8salamon and his powder coating (thanks Sean!!!)



I modified an F oil pan to replace the one the 2F had been resting on for over a year:


and I got my radiator cleaned and repaired as needed for $35 here in Rome.

 

[Hugh Heifer]

And right now the "new" motor is in and the tranny/Xfer case are attached.

Here is a pick of the moor after I had put on my new improved oil pan:



Followed Poser's instructiond for puting on the side gaskeet and oil pan gasket in the 40 section and it worked great...well I will know for sure once I try to start it!

(I am BTW looking for a different dizzy - something not retarded you might say)

I am looking forward to getting some parts back from Sean (including my radiator splash guard and heater) so I can get that stuff back in and have a chance at getting this thing running. I owe a pick of the engine in.

I will keep you all posted.

 

[chattfj40]

and may think I only come to the meetings to drink hundreds of beers.

I, for one, have no problem with this

Yes its 4am and I just got back from the hospital, nothing like a 19hr day after sleeping with no AC for the past 2 nights. Went out and bought a 8K BTU window unit during a break in the action today. Its now 65 in my bedroom and 90 in the rest of the house.

Should have the new motor in the condensor later today (sat), but it really fawked by trip to Tellico up this weekend.

/Hijack over...oh yeah looking good

 

[sk8salomon]

parts turned out great. probably the nicest floor jacks i've ever seen. you won't want to use them
the 40 is really coming along bro! nice garage. now stop working so much and get back to the LC.

 

[Hugh Heifer]

I, for one, have no problem with this

Yes its 4am and I just got back from the hospital, nothing like a 19hr day after sleeping with no AC for the past 2 nights. Went out and bought a 8K BTU window unit during a break in the action today. Its now 65 in my bedroom and 90 in the rest of the house.

Should have the new motor in the condensor later today (sat), but it really fawked by trip to Tellico up this weekend.

/Hijack over...oh yeah looking good

No s***! It is fawkin like living on the sun the past week! Glad I have AC pumping into the shop

 

[Hugh Heifer]

parts turned out great. probably the nicest floor jacks i've ever seen. you won't want to use them
the 40 is really coming along bro! nice garage. now stop working so much and get back to the LC.

And maybe one day this week I will be able see them!!!

 

[Hugh Heifer]

Here are a couple random interior pics:







Not sure what those seats are out of and not sure I like the mounts either. PO welded them out of square tube and diamond plate. I got some free stock '78 seats on the board and they are stored in VA at the folks house right now. Not sure If I am going to save those for 40 or not.

BTW found a sandblaster in Dalton Yesterday that blasts for $110 an hour and can do a frame in about an hour and a half and his turn around is two days.

 

[Hugh Heifer]

So, as promised, pics of the "new" 2F installed and a semi-clean XMSN and XFER case.







Note Poser's XFER case saver. All the cool kids have 'em

 

[Hugh Heifer]

...and one more from the bottom. Now just gotta stake the nut and torque the drive shafts.

 

[sk8salomon]

i think i'm most impressed by this make-shift spray booth.

 

[Hugh Heifer]

i think i'm most impressed by this make-shift spray booth.

This FJ40 s*** is truly a thinkin man's game!!

I will come get my parts tomorrow I think Sean!

 

[chattfj40]

View attachment 164969

Sweet zombie jesus...that steering wheel is fxxxing awful...though it does fit ya...sorta

todd

 

[Hugh Heifer]

Sweet zombie jesus...that steering wheel is fxxxing awful...though it does fit ya...sorta

todd

Why thatnk you, Todd. I am thinking of making it my next Avator! Maybe these picks will enhance my failing reputation as a dude!

I was able to slide by Sean's place and pick up the powder coating he got done for me at what I would consider to be a very reasonible price (since most places would have charged me for each peice what I ended up paying for the whole kit-and-kaboodle!)

Let the drooling begin:

 

[sk8salomon]

Nice stuff, glad it worked out like it did. Thanks for the sandblasting. Wish i was working in the garage today instead of being stuck here without !!!

 

[Hugh Heifer]

So I did not get nearly what I hoped done this weekend but I did do this:

Heater Restoration <LINK

I thought that was worth posting.

The other thing I did was get the radiator back in place.

I bolted it all back together with new hardware on the floor:



If you notice, the shroud is upside down and I had to take it apart and turn it over. LOL!

Then I cut some chunks out of a $5 18 wheeler mud flap for some cushioning. When I took the thing apart the PO used pieces of an old tire!





Then mounted the thing with new hardware and a newly powdercoated splash guard (thanks again Sean!)

 

[Hugh Heifer]

So here it is back on the truck. I was unable to get it all together becasue I discovered I did not have any 5mm washers or split washers.

 

[Hugh Heifer]

The other thing I did was hang the starter back in. Now, I discovered that the large wire going from the starter to the solenoid was no longer insulated due to oil and heat and I stripped off what was left, cleaned it with brake cleaner and the painted it with liquid electrical tape:



It was a good solution I think.

So a trip to Ace Hardware for some more metric hardware for a bolt for the starter (12mmx1.75x25 with a flat and split washer and a 17mm head according to the nut and bolt thread) as well as those 5mm washers to complete the install of the radiator as well as bolts for my clutch cylinder will get me going good.

I also need to stake the emergency brake nut and install the drive shafts and torque them. (It was on my list for the weekend but I did not get to it.)

I am planning on removing and lubing all my heater/fresh air stuff prior to reinstalling the heater box so I will be unable to start the truck 'til then. I am also waiting on a non-USA dizzy from a mud member and then I will add the Pertronix. I will post a thread in Tech when I do that. I know everybody has questions about how those go in.

to most of you to Todd for making fun of my sweet retro steering wheel!

 

[sk8salomon]

re-fabbed radiator looks good! we should just powdercoat the whole damn truck!