Tools for Resto

[greenbeast]

I'm purchasing Alberto's 1979 j40 project and although I have all the socket sets and drills and jacks what else do I need? I have a couple torque wrenches, all the screwdrivers also but what are some unique tools that everyone has that i may not be thinking of. Another mudder mentioned a tap and die set so this is on my short list.

I will be having the body work and paint done by another shop and I probably won't be welding much due to lack of space

I have a craftsman 12.5 gallon compressor and some air tools but I have never been too happy with it. I do not have 220 in my garage though so I may be limited there but am willing to upgrade some.

What has anyone who has put a cruiser back together found to be helpful?

 

[rkymtnflyfisher]

A huge pile of money.

 

[greenbeast]

im screwed then! trying to get wife to get a couple more jobs so I can do this project!

 

[upperblack]

What's the level of the resto? Complete frame off nut and bolt? Plans for the mechanical (engine/tranny)piece?

 

[greenbeast]

It will be a frame off and Alberto has been gracious enough to have the frame dipped and powder coated while he has it along with the axles. I am having him also chemically strip the body at which time I will get it off his hands as a rolling chassis

So to answer your questions, my intent is to replace most nuts and bolts. I'm definitely cheating here cause Jim C has pretty much rebuilt to the tranny and Alberto has done quite a bit of work to the 3b.

 

[upperblack]

Sounds like a cool project, please do a build thread... Would love to follow - I have a 79 as well
FSMs are helpful.

 

[greenbeast]

I'm totally gonna do a thread. today I found fella to build a work bench for me in the corner of the garage. Also going to have better lighting installed in the garage. I bet I have most of what I need but on the other hand I'm sure there are several things I don't have.

I can't give enough KUDOs to Alberto for what he is doing to help. I just don't have access to several things like the galvanizing, powder coating. When I lived in Tulsa I could rent whatever I needed when redoing the front end of my 82, not so fortunate here.

 

[47coeman]

Take it slow you have plenty of good advice from fellow mudders and you can do this with there help. Yes there will be $ involved but careful planing will help to get you through this project. Best

 

[greenbeast]

Thanks, oh we're committed to doing this right. I'm scouring build threads every night to learn a little and am organizing the garage for the project. When we get it we should hit the ground running.

A new job in January will permit me to be very close to home where I can dedicate quite a few hours each week towards it until its done!

 

[Delancy]

A huge pile of money.

A little shortsighted......like claiming the toolbox complete with a crescent wrench.

Need Visa, MasterCard, AmEx, PayPal, and checks just like 10, 12, 14mm wrenches.

The most important tools are patience, dedication, and fortitude. Without those three, a Snap-On semi and four bay shop with lifts are about useless.

Not saying you don't have or attempting to dissuade, but considering relatively close proximity to, I'd think Robbie's mobile number would be equivalent to a magic wand tool (and not the Hitachi variety), one thumb operated (again, quit thinking Hitachi), very effective, and within a picturesque drives distance, to get the occasional fix, enjoy the process, without teaching the kids new words or trips to ER for stitches (in your case, on the dominant hand) and/or tetanus shots.

 

[Delancy]

That said, next time you're down, I hit the mother lode of hand tools in a bay, whose owner decided to spend life in prison, and will gladly load you up.

I've pulled triplicates of about every size, configuration, spline variation of wrenches and sockets, most snap on or pre-India Crafstman and haven't put a dent in the cache.

 

[Dynosoar]

A welder. A decent (Miller, Hobart, Lincoln) welder is a must have tool for anyone seriously working on a Land Cruiser. A 120V will do most of the work you will need to do. Although, for a few more $ you could have a very robust 220V machine.

yno

 

[greenbeast]

Well my tetanus is UTD, I know someone for antibiotics if the scraped knuckles become infected. I watched First Blood and feel I could probably stitch myself up with a certain amount to Bourbon.

Have not been one to go cheaply into the cruiser world and definitely not going to start now. The purpose is to learn and teach during this adventure and even my beautiful wife is up at night looking at cruiser things now!

 

[greenbeast]

Chris
That and the fact that i have a better air compressor down there are good reasons for a road trip! I wonder if that lucky tool guy use to work for me?

 

[greenbeast]

A welder. A decent (Miller, Hobart, Lincoln) welder is a must have tool for anyone seriously working on a Land Cruiser. A 120V will do most of the work you will need to do. Although, for a few more $ you could have a very robust 220V machine.

yno

There is great guy here in the boat who has a machine shop and 2 cruisers. I'm sure that Dale (tancruiser) will help when the need arises if I ask nice enough!

 

[rkymtnflyfisher]

I spent 23 years living in Tulsa and never once saw a FJ40, 15 years later every time I read Mud there is another cruiserhead and 40 around Tulsa. What the heck happened!

 

[greenbeast]

It really isn't like you would think, Delancy posts around 500 times a day so it seems like a lot of tulsans have cruisers! Of course when I had mine there it was over 100 degrees 40 days in a row, made for some sweaty moments.

I know there have been discussions about an intervention for Chris also, but I'm going to wait on that till I see the tools!

 

[kerplunk]

It sounds like most of your tear down is complete. But maybe even for some of the reassembly, wrenches and sockets, get 6 point sockets and closed end wrenches. Not as convenient as the 12 or 18 point sockets on nice, hard, rust free bolts, but much less likely to round off all the edges of any of the 35 year old bolts.
A nice 120v wire feed welder isn't too expensive, small, and very convenient if you know how to use it. It might not be up to putting new brackets on axles and such, but if you not an experienced welder you probably want to find someone else to do that anyways.
Outside of that, most tools I use are for cleaning and finishing. 4-1/2 inch grinder with a wire brush comes to mind first, for cleaning rust.

Just get used to going to the tool store and browsing. Figure out what's close, and which stores have a good selection, and which stores have good prices. There a lot of little special tools I've collected over the years I forget I have until I need them. (I inherited all my father's tools, and like Spicoli my father was also a television repairman, and he had this ultimate set of tools)

 

[65swb45]

Beadblaster.

 

[kevos37]

Patience and planning are your best tools. A dedicated work table w/ vise is a nessisity. Air tools are nice, but a small 4" electric grinder is indispensable....you can cut, sand, wire wheel and of course grind. The tap and die is fine, but maybe look for thread cleaning taps too. Sharp files (a small knife file is handy). Starting a build thread is great, but documenting you progress/teardown with a camera gives you a reference to fall back on.

The list goes on....

Good Luck

Kevin