The Tent - 79’ FJ40 Frame-Off Resto (1 Viewer)

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Joined
Mar 1, 2015
Threads
95
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771
Location
Oroville, CA
Hi Mud! Started this thread in the hopes of getting help, and documenting the re-building process of our stock, Feb 79', U.S., FJ40. Dad took it apart (frame-off) 15 years ago, now I'm putting the puzzle back together.

This Land Cruiser has been in the family since 93', and was my rig as an irresponsible high school kid during the 90s. I went to 7-11 every Friday morning to get the newly published Truck Trader and the 79’ finally showed up on sale in my home town (!!!). We were the first there and purchased for $3100 with 4x out (Dad soon re-built the transfer case).

Engine was rebuilt in 2000 (after I blew a rod driving it to Oregon) The complete break down to the frame was done by Dad starting around 06'. I took it over again in 2017 when Dad got sick. Body, frame, and metal work has been done, all parts are stock, save for the suspension. Mileage ______ need to check on that, I know it rolled back to 0 in the late 90s

I have been piecing it back together over the last couple years, but family, work, and house have always gotten in the way. I now have set a deadline (taking advice from others) in order to get my butt in gear. This Land Cruiser will be on the road by November 1st, 2022!

Thanks in advance to all members, this forum is invaluable. Dad, I need you down here to help!


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Cleaned up the "tent" April 2022. tons of pieces scattered everywhere thrown in bins and sent back to the barn. Started Steering column/pedal assembly
 
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Currently working on installing pedal assembly (brake and clutch)/steering column/main wiring harness drivers side. (having trouble with steering column bracket set-up. Figured out I am missing the bottom bracket, and metal guy welded up a temporary bracket that got painted. Located a stock part in the barn after some head scratching and googling
Next: rear wiring, fuel lines, gas tank, finish dash, finish roll bar/seatbelts/jump seats
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First question: what wiring goes through this hole, there is one unused 4 slot electrical female receptacle just inside the firewall but not sure that’s it.
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And, why 2 different seatbelt mounts. I am assuming smaller one is driver? This is the portion that hangs on roll cage where belt slides towards passengers
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Thanks @Living in the Past. Ya, I realized the short side had more wear on the belt too. The nuts, bolts, and washers setup on the upper belts was a brain teaser. Will need to pick up some plastic washer/bushings. Those didn’t make it. Thinking of putting them in between the body and the buckles. Wondering if there are washers installed below the buckles-to-body anchor point; will have to look on SOR, their schematics have been helpful.

-got pedal assembly in, found steering wheel gasket! Waiting on lower bracket from Kevo.

-brake master cylinder is froze up or maybe just needs fluid. Lines connected at mc

-got brake switch threaded in (not sure about adjustment on it- will do later) and springs attached to pedals. Gas pedal is missing

-lots of little nicks in new paint 🙁 from assembling but over it. Dad didn’t want liner inside. Will need to up my blanket/rag protection game

-need to find home for 2nd relay and horn relay. Many models show horn relay in engine bay on fender, but mines way too clean.

-hoping to finish dash so I can proceed on fan/heater assembly soon

-attached rest of roll cage, and new clean seatbelts 🙂 kids were stoked. Can’t believe my buds used to ride back here on trips to sierras back in the day

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Oxy cleaned the rear seatbelts
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Lots of tapping threads because of body and paint residue
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Sorted and found new miscellaneous parts. Not sure where this switch goes.
 
She used to be green btw, a solid color for sure. Always loved it. Picking a color is tough, but had to switch it up to the iconic Dune Biege. The metal work was done in Jackson by Dan Smalley (Pure Metal Works) what a skilled individual. Tub is original. Body and paint at 5th Ave body shop; thanks Bobby! Such craftsmen, highly recommended. I stepped in at this point and brought to Oroville. Holy cow there are about 30 or more body parts on this thing!

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Towing home to Oroville from Jackson 17’
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Alpine 05’ (before tear down) apparently dad found rust lol
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Dad working on something. So glad flares are gone
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At 5th Ave
 
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Currently working on installing pedal assembly (brake and clutch)/steering column/main wiring harness drivers side. (having trouble with steering column bracket set-up. Figured out I am missing the bottom bracket, and metal guy welded up a temporary bracket that got painted. Located a stock part in the barn after some head scratching and googling
Next: rear wiring, fuel lines, gas tank, finish dash, finish roll bar/seatbelts/jump seatsView attachment 2988961View attachment 2988962View attachment 2988963
Did you find your lower column bracket? This is it.
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@fjc-man yes thank you! @kevos37 hooked me up! Hand delivered. Great individual and apparently he has collected a good amount of parts (and sells them very reasonably). hoping no more parts come up missing but you know how that goes
 
Can Anybody ID this metal line. Barbs on both ends for flex hose. There are 4 anchors on it, it smaller than cooling/heating lines.

Maybe off of charcoal canister and routed across firewall towards driver side? There is correct sized rubber line coming off the CC
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maybe CC hard line from the top canister hose back down the passenger side, under the cowl.
 
It’s the larger diameter tubing on the firewall. The hose attached to it on the right side is going to the large float bowl vent pipe on the carb. The other end snakes under the firewall heater pipes and attaches to the outer vent control valve.
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spent a solid 14 hours or so down in the tent last couple days! Made some serious headway, too much to list. Activity was focused on passenger firewall, and down that side underneath. Studied dads old photographs -yes the kind you can bend and touch. Was able to make more Electrical connections, mount more hard lines, hook up heater lines/cables. It’s pretty neat when things start clicking and you see connections and various parts start lining up.
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Got windshield finished up and ready for glass
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Pic of the tub before
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Time to mount the side fender! And emblem 😊
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The cruiser is now ready for cleanup again. Man it becomes a real storm of activity as you stumble upon things, try and wrap others up, and are constantly fetching, cleaning, and attaching parts,
 
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If I can help just drop me a note…..I did a full frame off restoration of a 1979 FJ40 about 10 years ago….still have the truck. I have tons of ’take a part’ pictures and ‘rebuild’ pictures as well. If not already mentioned get yourself one of the Haynes manuals or better yet the Toyota factory service manuals. They help a bunch. Are you going with full stock engine setup? If so, the vacuum lines are a real bear figuring all of the stuff out….good luck with the rebuild.
 
Awesome, thanks @crewzerdog I appreciate that and will definitely hit you up. Yes, full stock. I am not excited about vacuum hoses, it’s a tangled web, especially with those little white filter looking deals (?) that 2-3 hoses route through.

Right now I could use a few pics of the side walls in the engine bay. I can’t find good ones. Would like to see if anything else is mounted, wire routing, and organization. Also, I can’t seem to find this metal line in my parts. What is it? For some reason it pokes into the frame with a grommet and then does a 90 in that track to ??. I’m also not seeing anything empty where it pops up near charcoal canister. Fuel line?
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Under passenger side looking down, along floor boards where they angle up toward firewall below charcoal canister
 
fjc man is correct …..although my is currrently disconnected. The return line to your tank from your stock fuel pump follows the inside frame rail. The line you are pointing to goes up and over the back of the engine over to the carb area……I’ve seen that in other pics of my old setup before I restored the truck. You can see that on the 1/79 fuel line/emission routing diagraphms. I’m currently having some fuel issues of my own…..engine was starved for fuel no matter how much I choked it/pumped pedal….no fire. I could pour a little gas down the carb and it would fire right up….so did the trace back. Lines from my tank are clear and can pump out fuel fine with a small hand pump…..fuel filter is clear as well…..will hook up a secondary fuel tank and pump directly from it to fuel pump and have the line to carb discounted and discharging into a container to see if the fuel pump is operational…..I’m thinking not. Anyway here’s a few pictures for you….you will see my battery and batt tray are currently removed……

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crewserdog, can you see gas in the float bowl sight glass? Is your idle solenoid working? Maybe the needle and seat is stuck, not letting gas into the float bowl.
 
Thanks…..I rebuilt the top end of the carb a few months back….so the float and all are all working. I confirmed no gas getting to the carb ——had disconnected the supply line at the carb and cranked the engine repeatedly……nothing came out. That’s when I pulled the battery and tray to get at the fuel filter and fuel pump connections…..was able to vacuum hand pump gas from the tank without any problem. Fuel filter wasn’t clogged so next in line is the factory pump….I’m going t check that out tomorrow to confirm its toast. Thanks!
 

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