The Wall of Shame

[rockcod]

Back when I bought “Sully” the first time, the PO who will remain nameless (there may be a few that know the individual) in an effort to save money and make a quick sale, resurfaced the flywheel with an angle grinder. Needless to say it didn’t work, the clutch chattered so bad the 40 bucked and rattled to beat the band. Luckily it was able to be saved, they weren’t sure if it would clean up or not.

 

[ceylonfj40nut]

PO putting flat pistons in a domed piston block/head combo!!! Ripped it open to replace one piston which showed weak compression! Luckily block got away unscathed and was std bore. Bent over at $OR to get domed set. Kuddos to @cruisermatt for noticing it! I did not!

 

[archie73]

I recently bought a 40 back from a friend that I had owned 10 years prior when I was in a different stage of life. When I pulled it in the garage for a refresh I was horrified at all the half-assed work done by the PO... Baling wire and bent up clothes hangers for exhaust hangers. A random ubolt for a windshield hinge pin. Self tapping screws. Bubblegum welds abound. Single circuit non-boosted brakes without an ebrake. The list goes on... It was a deathtrap.

Turns out, it was all my work!

It turns out not all of us were born with a wrench in one hand and a tig torch in the other. We learn as we go, but life often gets in the way of the process. Mine is far from car show dragging rights, but it’s fun to drive and does pretty well offroad.

 

[BlueCruiser84]

I mean. This makes sense Brian.

I thought I was doing pretty good back then. Turns out I was wrong! Things like ”safety” never crossed my mind in my early 20s. Hauling kids around in a vehicle really changes your perspective.

Hope you’re doing well, Onur! It’s been too long!

 

[Grayscale]

PO putting flat pistons in a domed piston block/head combo!!! Ripped it open to replace one piston which showed weak compression! Luckily block got away unscathed and was std bore. Bent over at $OR to get domed set. Kuddos to @cruisermatt for noticing it! I did not!

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Did the cylinders receive a fresh hone?

 

[bikersmurf]

I recently bought a 40 back from a friend that I had owned 10 years prior when I was in a different stage of life. When I pulled it in the garage for a refresh I was horrified at all the half-assed work done by the PO... Baling wire and bent up clothes hangers for exhaust hangers. A random ubolt for a windshield hinge pin. Self tapping screws. Bubblegum welds abound. Single circuit non-boosted brakes without an ebrake. The list goes on... It was a deathtrap.

Turns out, it was all my work!

I come across various things that were done to my 40… 30 plus years ago… and I’d like to blame them on a PO… but I can’t… it was me.

After replacing the front axle, rear axle, floor, frame, hood, hardtop, hatch, engine, transmission, transfer case, booster, both master cylinders, rear bench, clutch slave, disc brakes, P/S, steering wheel, gauge cluster, bumper, fenders, lights, windshield, etc…

There’s very little I can blame on a PO. Perhaps the cherry red & blue paint over a freeborn red 40.

I can’t even blame the desert camo under the Rustoleum tan paint on a PO.

 

[3_puppies]

I was buying some parts from a guy and he threw these ambulance doors in, they weren't even worth the ride home.
nothing a few pails of bondo couldn't "fix"
the bolts for the hinges went all the way thru the doors
they weighed atleast twice as much as they should have

 

[ceylonfj40nut]

PO putting flat pistons in a domed piston block/head combo!!! Ripped it open to replace one piston which showed weak compression! Luckily block got away unscathed and was std bore. Bent over at $OR to get domed set. Kuddos to @cruisermatt for noticing it! I did not!

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Back together with a really anal aisan carb rebuild. Night and day. Amazing what a good rebuild on a carb does!

 

[3_puppies]

what is wrong here?
left and right front springs first 2 are the front, last 2 pics are the rear

 

[cruzer971]

The castor shims are between the spring and plate instead of between the spring and axle.

 

[JVZii]

Did a vehicle inspection on a customer’s 40 on Friday. Preliminaries include
jotting down VIN and odometer readings ( helps me with ordering parts for them down the road and tracking things like warranties).

I stuck my head up to the horn button to see the odometer and saw something I’ve never seen in 40 years!
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The owner had no idea that anything was wrong.

www.marksoffroad.net

I wonder if the the white wheel was worn out? I have seen many odometers where the wheels were locked up and the 10ths wheel was forced past the wheel next to it so many times that the white wheel is ruined. A trick to get it working would be to put the white wheel on the other end.

I see the 10s wheel in this situation so often I have run out of spare white wheels for the earlier odometers. My trick to get the odometer working is below.

I use a spare black wheel in place of the white wheel. Don't walk of shame me if you see an odometer like this .

 

[65swb45]

Got a 60 carb in for a rebuild last week that was majorly monkeyed with. Right off the bat I noticed that someone had swapped on the bellcrank from a Chinese 3F carburetor and ham-handed the accel pump lift rod into the curved slot in the bellcrank, basically ensuring that it would never work. Then I noticed that the link for the auxiliary pump had been purposely cut, rather than being simply removed. Obvious they were chasing down an overly rich primary, but with not a lot of patience.

Once I removed the AC compensator from the front of the carb, my hunch was confirmed!

Someone took the time to drill and tap the jet access plug and create a homemade needle that would theoretically be able to partially restrict fuel flow through the primary jet!

Theoretical, because neither the tip of the needle or the hole in the access plug were/are centered

 

[V8FJ4078]

Here are the pictures from the 1961 FJ40 that my father just started restoring. He noticed the cover was had a weird bump on the outside and wondered how they filled the 3rd member with oil, but once he had it out, he discovered why. The fill plug was on the inside. I don't have a picture of the 3rd member but there was also a plug that was drilled and tapped in the cast housing, about the same level as the fill plug.

 

[65swb45]

Oops! Just realized I forgot to post the pic of the homemade metering rod/restrictor IN the carb!

 

[65swb45]

Well, under the category of ‘only thing worse than doing a job is having to do it over’…

I took a job a couple of months ago to rebuild a 4 speed transmission that a customer bought from a well known Landcruiser vendor in the east coast. …

The case was pretty rusty; the gears not so bad. I blasted the gears and deemed them worthy and went ahead and rebuilt the unit. The customer said he would clean and paint the case after. So he does, installs the unit, and it starts leaking. Upon close inspection he determined that the housing was cracked! He calls me and I have to tell him: never in 40 years have I seen a cracked transmission housing!

He cleaned around the crack, so it’s obvious now.

My best guess is that someone dropped this. Fortunately I have a few extra cases around. Just sad to have to do this job over.

 

[DIRDY]

My parking drum looked the same!

How about "Death Fang Shackles" as @Weber Sarge called them.

I think these were made out of some sort of wall bracket!

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What

 

[Spike Strip]

We can take a good guess where that came from ...

 

[Pitter Patter]

Well, under the category of ‘only thing worse than doing a job is having to do it over’…

I took a job a couple of months ago to rebuild a 4 speed transmission that a customer bought from a well known Landcruiser vendor in the east coast. …

The case was pretty rusty; the gears not so bad. I blasted the gears and deemed them worthy and went ahead and rebuilt the unit. The customer said he would clean and paint the case after. So he does, installs the unit, and it starts leaking. Upon close inspection he determined that the housing was cracked! He calls me and I have to tell him: never in 40 years have I seen a cracked transmission housing!

He cleaned around the crack, so it’s obvious now.
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My best guess is that someone dropped this. Fortunately I have a few extra cases around. Just sad to have to do this job over.

Also looks like someone was starting to drill the ends of the cracks to weld it up, poorly drill.

 

[3_puppies]

2 separate cracks?

 

[65swb45]

2 separate cracks?

Looks like. He was initially daydreaming that he could have it welded. Of course in LA in 2025, there are far too many shops that just want to see what they can get away with He told me he was quoted 2k for welding by a shop that only offered a 50/50 chance.

I quoted half that to pull the tcase, teardown the trans, supply a replacement case (blasted and painted) and reassemble.