Interior looks to be in good shape! Man, you've got a nice truck, Dave. So will it be competing against The Crockpot for trail time eventually?
The Turdle Has Arrived!
- Thread starter roadstr6
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I would paint the tuffy console with an oil rubbed bronze or deeper brown, its color really grabbed my attention...nice score and good work
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- #23
Yeah, the console is really too yellow for the rest of the interior. It kind-of matches but not quite right. I continued to work on the paint correction on the passenger side last night. You guys have been seeing the better side of this truck. The passenger side is not nearly as pretty! There was evidently some light damage on the passenger front fender and front door. Carfax shows a repair was done back in '90. The repair was done with base/clear instead of Mr. T's single stage. The paint match is not great and the clear is chalky. I can't seem to be able to wet sand and buff it back into shape. I may end up shooting the fender and door with an HVLP gun in my driveway. Besides the paint issue on the passenger side, it looks like one of the PO's dragged the truck up against a rock or stump. The scrape/dent is down low and goes from the front door bottom all the way to the rear quarter panel. Typical rock rash stuff. Anyway, I don't want to misrepresent this truck to be all rainbows and unicorns. It's still a decent truck but far from perfect. Besides the cosmetic stuff, the transfer case is noisy. I think I may have to put a new trans/transfer case in it. These things can suffer from a bad seal between the trans and transfer case. What happens most of the time is that the transfer case pumps all of its oil back into the transmission. The trans gets overfilled and case runs dry. I was looking through the service records last night and it appears that this truck had been diagnosed with the affliction. I think it was fixed but it may have been too late. This is something I need to look into before I start putting miles on the truck.
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Dave I have a trans out of an 86 if you find you require another one. I still have the T-case attached to it, that case is going into Heather's 80 but I will not be using the trans for anything.
There is also a guy on MUD that builds and sells a braided hose that connects the fill ports of the trans and transfer case to help with the seal issue. It is a band aid, but a pretty handy one since the cost is much less (in time and "while you are in there" parts).
Eric has the uninstalled one that I bought for the 73 (it did not have the issue, but I looked at it as a potential preventative measure).
Eric has the uninstalled one that I bought for the 73 (it did not have the issue, but I looked at it as a potential preventative measure).
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- #26
Stan, Thanks for your support but I believe the trans you have is the long version. They changed over in late '85. I don't think I can use it. Sam, I have heard of the solution you speak of. I wish the PO had because it may have saved this case. I think a similar band-aid can be cobbled together with hardware store parts for about $10. I may do that. I believe I have a receipt showing the new seal was installed but it may have been too little too late for this one. I'm going to do some investigation into the noisy transmission and/or transfer case. I'll crack the fill ports first. If one is overfull and the other is low, that will tell me a lot about the condition of the seal. I'll then drain both units and look for metal debris. That should tell me the condition of the bearings in each unit. From there I guess I'll decide what to do.
The noisyness happens anytime the engine is running and I am not pressing the clutch. In other words, pressing in the clutch disengages the trans causes it to go silent. The transfer case lever (2hi-4hi-4lo) is where I feel the noise transferring to a nasty vibration. That's what is making me think transfer case as opposed to the trans. I may be barking up the wrong tree but the trans shifts great and the vibration in the shift lever seems normal. I'm reasonably sure it is not an issue of a bad TOB. I've had those before. They typically chirp and squeal with a high pitch and you can sometimes feel a little vibration in the clutch pedal. That's not what is going on here and the TOB has less than 2K on it (as does the clutch). This is a low, grindy, rumbly kind of noise and it gets worse with rpm and becomes more pronounced if I shift into 4 hi or lo.
The noisyness happens anytime the engine is running and I am not pressing the clutch. In other words, pressing in the clutch disengages the trans causes it to go silent. The transfer case lever (2hi-4hi-4lo) is where I feel the noise transferring to a nasty vibration. That's what is making me think transfer case as opposed to the trans. I may be barking up the wrong tree but the trans shifts great and the vibration in the shift lever seems normal. I'm reasonably sure it is not an issue of a bad TOB. I've had those before. They typically chirp and squeal with a high pitch and you can sometimes feel a little vibration in the clutch pedal. That's not what is going on here and the TOB has less than 2K on it (as does the clutch). This is a low, grindy, rumbly kind of noise and it gets worse with rpm and becomes more pronounced if I shift into 4 hi or lo.
My transfer did this when the prior repair on the rear seal resulted in the output shaft nut being installed finger tight before being staked in place. This caused the companion flange to be loose on the shaft. Perhaps this may the the issue for you as well
Fingers crossed
Fingers crossed
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- #28
Whoa! A fix that simple would be like hitting the lottery! I guess it's possible that the nut could have not been staked as well and backed itself off. Hmm.....any idea what the torque spec is for that nut? Could you physically feel slop in the output shaft before you tightened it up? I'll get under there tonight and poke around a bit. Thanks for your assistance, Sam. Like you said...fingers crossed.
The output shaft was tight. The companion flange was tight when I tried to move it straight up and down, but if I tried to rock it, it would wobble ...
Torque spec is 94 ft-lbs.
In the 73, the vibration was there off throttle ...
Torque spec is 94 ft-lbs.
In the 73, the vibration was there off throttle ...
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- #30
I get it all the time but on / off it is more pronounced. I'll check it tonight. 94 ft-lbs. 10-4. Thanks for the info Mr. Houston!
I think I have two stake nuts and the thick washers if you end up needing them. The nuts are non reusable parts according to the FSM
Also, vibration is a relative term when the power plant is a 3B. 
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- #33
I finally got a chance to spend some time under the Turdle last night. I pulled the factory skid plate off and began assessing the transmission noise. I pulled the driveshaft loose from the transfer case and found the nut to be on good and tight. I actually unstaked it and tried to tighten it but it was tight as hell already. Check that off the list. Then I pulled the fill plugs for the trans and transfer case. Nothing was overfilled. They both were maybe a couple ounces low. Totally normal. Then I drained the fluid from both units. Fluid was perfect. No metal on the drain plug magnets other than the typical slight gray haze. Wiped them both off with my finger. Reinstalled and re-filled both units with new juice. Hooked the driveshaft up and fired the engine. Guess what? No transmission noise! WTF?
I haven't had any time to take the Turdle down the road to confirm but here's what I think the problem was....The flimsy !@#$% factory skidplate had been tweaked and was touching the transfer case, acting like the head of a steel drum and amplifying all the engine and transmission vibrations and sending them uback into the cab by way of the shift lever...or maybe the shift linkage was touching the skid plate...I don't know. It's damn near silent now. Skid plate is still off awaiting a pressure wash. I'll check it tonight for shiny spots where metal had been touching metal and whack it with a BFH to bend those areas away from the transfer case before I re-install. Sometimes I don't give these old trucks enough credit. I am always expecting some major issue and usually it's something real simple.
I did take the opportunity to hit all the grease fittings while I was underneath. Everything looks good under there. Body and frame are rust free. There are a couple of leaks (timing cover and lifter covers) and everything was pretty grimy underneath but all in all, I'm impressed with the condition of this turd. I can't wait to get it tagged and give it a shake-down run.
I haven't had any time to take the Turdle down the road to confirm but here's what I think the problem was....The flimsy !@#$% factory skidplate had been tweaked and was touching the transfer case, acting like the head of a steel drum and amplifying all the engine and transmission vibrations and sending them uback into the cab by way of the shift lever...or maybe the shift linkage was touching the skid plate...I don't know. It's damn near silent now. Skid plate is still off awaiting a pressure wash. I'll check it tonight for shiny spots where metal had been touching metal and whack it with a BFH to bend those areas away from the transfer case before I re-install. Sometimes I don't give these old trucks enough credit. I am always expecting some major issue and usually it's something real simple.
I did take the opportunity to hit all the grease fittings while I was underneath. Everything looks good under there. Body and frame are rust free. There are a couple of leaks (timing cover and lifter covers) and everything was pretty grimy underneath but all in all, I'm impressed with the condition of this turd. I can't wait to get it tagged and give it a shake-down run.
Very cool Dave!! Cruiser Karma paying you back for having to deal with your brakes on a trip 
Love it when it is something so simple. I think your 60 just wanted a gear oil change and that is how it asked.
Love it when it is something so simple. I think your 60 just wanted a gear oil change and that is how it asked.
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- #36
Yeah, Stan. These old trucks do speak to me and I'm usually a pretty good listener. I'm sure Amanda wishes I would listen to her half as well as I do to the junk in my garage. BTW, I've totally redone the rear brakes on the Crockpot. I decided to go ahead and replace the cylinders so that everything would be minty back there. Hopefully no more issues on the trail or otherwise!
They never break in the driveway! I was telling a buddy about Raffi's fix to get you off the mountain, impressive. They always require something and when you have finally replaced it all the first thing you fixed, breaks 
I bought my FJ Cruiser in 12/06 for the main reason NEW. I figured I would take out drive line stuff and suspension but I'd not have to worry about any power train stuff for a while. Worst thing that happened to that truck was a snapped output shaft on the T-case resulting from a blown ring and pinion. I wheeled the snot out of that truck but a few things about it just wore me out.
The older LCs just have more soul to me. We love the 80 for all it does for us. I base lined that truck and it has run fine since. We have a 40 waiting in the wings for when the time and money come together at the same time. There is a 60 series out there in my future too. We are still figuring out Heather's next DD. I can tell you the odds of it being a new car are slim to none. She wants a reliable hot rod of some sort, she will know what car when it picks her, and I get to build it
I bought my FJ Cruiser in 12/06 for the main reason NEW. I figured I would take out drive line stuff and suspension but I'd not have to worry about any power train stuff for a while. Worst thing that happened to that truck was a snapped output shaft on the T-case resulting from a blown ring and pinion. I wheeled the snot out of that truck but a few things about it just wore me out.
The older LCs just have more soul to me. We love the 80 for all it does for us. I base lined that truck and it has run fine since. We have a 40 waiting in the wings for when the time and money come together at the same time. There is a 60 series out there in my future too. We are still figuring out Heather's next DD. I can tell you the odds of it being a new car are slim to none. She wants a reliable hot rod of some sort, she will know what car when it picks her, and I get to build it
Has she been wearing a skid plate and vibrating?
If not, I'd ask "what can she expect?"
Clearly you're doing your bit.
The failure of communication must be all on her end, right?
Here at the beach, I've seen many a rebuilt whiney wife...typically lifted with the rebuild