The Tent - 79’ FJ40 Frame-Off Resto (3 Viewers)

[rghouse]

Auto electric guys came over and couldn’t fix electrical issues Need help/guidance

Fuel gauge: all wiring checks out, sending unit new, and gauge even works when voltage applied with 9v battery.??? Guy said send it to a place to check circuit board??

Seat belt/brake dash lights won’t work. Seat belt switch does work with ignition buzzer. Just not getting power I think. Bulbs look good.

 

[rghouse]

more troubleshooting leads to good idling tonight. So many times ready to throw in the towel, then find one more thing to try.

I suspect the issue has been ECC and/or idle solenoid (aka FCS) primarily but hard to say. If this holds, shes going down to get smogged soon woohoo.

 

[rghouse]

I wasn’t so sure but she passed with flying colors

First day driving to work

 

[Brian/99uzj100]

View attachment 3164687
I wasn’t so sure but she passed with flying colors

View attachment 3164689View attachment 3164688
First day driving to work

Congrats! Always a good day when your rig passes easily.

 

[Nhirsch]

View attachment 3164687
I wasn’t so sure but she passed with flying colors

View attachment 3164689View attachment 3164688
First day driving to work

Congrats! Looks great. Did you end-up using the a-team performance hei distributor? I'm thinking of getting one but reviewes are mixed....

 

[rghouse]

Congrats! Looks great. Did you end-up using the a-team performance hei distributor? I'm thinking of getting one but reviewes are mixed....

No, somebody posted that was the wrong size dizzy so I left it alone (Dad purchased it a few years back). That was my next step though if carb and vacuum etc. didn’t pan out.

 

[rghouse]

Lots of loose ends:

-Add a few lug nuts and install hub caps (!!)
-Wire license plate lights
-work on windshield/hard top/door bracket. Windshield is not butted-up against hard top outside in front, got about 1/4”. Hoping I can loosen windshield bolts on dash and get it tight
-install Wx stripping on pass. Door
-adjust headlights. Man the city racers are bright, and had to literally point them down to avoid blinding people. Did entail some jerry-rigging with zip-ties; stock headlight attachment is not a stellar design
-goop up the low fan side (of the resistor) with liquid electrical tape to get that working. Solder wouldn’t take and it was dangling
-needs more lean-drop tuning. 50 or so miles has idle higher than it should be
-need to burp cooling system, temps are not stabilizing at idle, thought I had that licked but must have needed more driving to sort out ?? Isn’t hot but creeps to half way. Used to always be pinned right passed 2nd tick

 

[rghouse]

Fixed gas gauge! Yellow/red wire was severed under the loom b/w the tank and the next plug connector. 2 hours labor payed to auto-electric guys and they didn’t trace ohms from tank to gauge (wow, just assumed they did).

Found the cover plate to ambulance door! holy cow this was astonishing, thought body shop lost it. Cleaning up the build area and the tub that held the windows had it sandwiched in some cardboard. Dad painted it a silver color but I thought it used to be gray, will probably paint it as it just doesn’t look right.

Been driving around town and little issues are popping up.

-One by one coolant drips from different fittings and need tightened. There is a small drip from what I believe is the drain on the radiator, might need a new plug? This is a small black 1/2” tube end hanging down on passenger side bottom of rad.
-cooling system needs vacuumed/burped or something because it runs hot when idling now and then and I know it shouldn’t. Although maybe it’s the hoses that are leaking now that I write this…(releasing pressure)

- new clunking has my rattled. First trip off-road (to church Mud Run property) and gravel roads produced a new solid noise which is 3-5 clunks over any bumps. Originally thought it was passenger front but now hear it underneath more. Drive train looks fine. Suspect 4x4 linkage ??It first started in 4hi. Now does it in 4x2 also and even when coasting in Neutral. Checked shock mounts and all good. Concerning.
- add more Wx stripping to cracks around top and rear door spot (at tub/top joint)
-idle is up and down sometimes, bouncing b/w maybe 750-950ish(need to install a permanent tach) No idea, could be ECC, fuel filter, switch somewhere, or something vacuum related

It’s pretty much a photo op everywhere I go, but I’ll be through the honeymoon phase sooner or later

More parts finds!

Take boys to bmx track and trail test. Short wheel base passes tight V gully with O scrape (no way the 80 would have made it without some creativity)

Had to jump the 80. Red top apparently goes dead randomly (or intermittent parasitic load). New best friends lol. Boys have nicknamed the “short cruiser” and the “long cruiser”.

 

[Green Bean]

Fixed gas gauge! Yellow/red wire was severed under the loom b/w the tank and the next plug connector. 2 hours labor payed to auto-electric guys and they didn’t trace ohms from tank to gauge (wow, just assumed they did).

Found the cover plate to ambulance door! holy cow this was astonishing, thought body shop lost it. Cleaning up the build area and the tub that held the windows had it sandwiched in some cardboard. Dad painted it a silver color but I thought it used to be gray, will probably paint it as it just doesn’t look right.

Been driving around town and little issues are popping up.

-One by one coolant drips from different fittings and need tightened. There is a small drip from what I believe is the drain on the radiator, might need a new plug? This is a small black 1/2” tube end hanging down on passenger side bottom of rad.
-cooling system needs vacuumed/burped or something because it runs hot when idling now and then and I know it shouldn’t. Although maybe it’s the hoses that are leaking now that I write this…(releasing pressure)

- new clunking has my rattled. First trip off-road (to church Mud Run property) and gravel roads produced a new solid noise which is 3-5 clunks over any bumps. Originally thought it was passenger front but now hear it underneath more. Drive train looks fine. Suspect 4x4 linkage ??It first started in 4hi. Now does it in 4x2 also and even when coasting in Neutral. Checked shock mounts and all good. Concerning.
- add more Wx stripping to cracks around top and rear door spot (at tub/top joint)
-idle is up and down sometimes, bouncing b/w maybe 750-950ish(need to install a permanent tach) No idea, could be ECC, fuel filter, switch somewhere, or something vacuum related

It’s pretty much a photo op everywhere I go, but I’ll be through the honeymoon phase sooner or later

View attachment 3175120
More parts finds!
View attachment 3175121View attachment 3175122
View attachment 3175123
Take boys to bmx track and trail test. Short wheel base passes tight V gully with O scrape (no way the 80 would have made it without some creativity)
View attachment 3175127
Had to jump the 80. Red top apparently goes dead randomly (or intermittent parasitic load). New best friends lol. Boys have nicknamed the “short cruiser” and the “long cruiser”.

Your rig looks fantastic! Not sure if the CR headlight are LED or not but I found that with the Koito with JDM LED's that I had to rotate the bulb. Unlike a halogen bulb which has a 360 degree filament, the LED headlight bulbs have a flat design that has to be orientated correctly in order to get the correct light pattern. There is a procedure for removing/rotating the bulb just in case you find that to be an issue.