Builds Tucker and Roma's 75 FJ40 Restore

[roma042987]

Tucker wire wheeled all the welds and actually the entire exhaust and cleaned it with alcohol before painting it with high temp exhaust paint

 

[roma042987]

Brackets back from powder coating and exhaust painted.

 

[roma042987]

 

[waiting for time]

 

[roma042987]

So Tucker's had some seat time in the 40 and we've decided the 3.70 gears are too high with the 33" tires and the 5 speed. The gearing puts the HZ out of its power range. Fortunately I sourced some cable locked 4.10 diffs from an hj61 from land cruisers direct that @SteveJackson brought over. I'm actually using the trussed front housing and the full floater rear on my 60 build and I'm installing cable locked 3.70s back in those housing for my 60.

The axles are in pretty good shape but since we are this far in we decided to tear them down. I pulled the axle partially apart in preparation for having it blasted.

The brake bits and backing plates removed.

 

[roma042987]

The front axle I had already torn down and built back up for my 60 so that third has been patiently sitting in a bucket the last year or so.


Back from blasting.

Got some surface rust from the trailer being wet.

I got it stripped the rest of the way and emptied the third member of its innards. There was one broken bolt stuck in the housing that the welder made quick removal of.

I decided to try powder coating the diff housing with my new powder gun. Here it is taped up in prep for the powder. I removed the masking tape before it went in the oven.

 

[roma042987]

The powder coat job came out decent but I've decided that the Eastwood powder gun is crap.

All the bearings look pretty good but I decided to replace both pinion bearings along with the pinion seal, crush sleeve and nut.

Powder coated the flanges as well.

Pinion shaft is installed here and torqued to a preload of 17inch pounds

 

[2fpower]

I have been using silicone tape that can stand the oven temps. Pretty cheap on ebay. That way, you can tape once and put multiple coats on.

My .02, that you did not ask for. I have learned when powdercoating parts like that (exposed to grease) to heat oven, put part in, let heat to full temp. Remove from oven and let cool, then put on powder, put back in oven and let full bake. Pull out of oven, put on second coat (I do while hot and it just melts onto the part, then bake again.

the first cooking, lets it offgas any grease or fingerprint grease and makes a better final product.

 

[roma042987]

Crappy pic but the carrier is installed and torqued to 58lb. Ft.

Since the 40 already has a full float axle a diff swap is a piece of cake...at least on the rear.

 

[roma042987]

Had to install two longer studs for the locked third. We ordered several but the ones on the left were the only ones required.

When I built this axle last year I had already clearanced it on the left side for the locking hub and fork.

You can see the clearanced area better here. It's the opened up area at the 9 o'clock position.

What I failed to do was remove the sway bar bracket to the left of the diff opening. This axle came from a 45 so it had provisions for a sway bar. I had to grind the bracket off so the locker mechanism would clear in that area. Tucker put a nice coat of por15 on it before I installed the third. We got it back together last night and took it for a spin. The 4.10 make all the difference in my opinion.

 

[Michael B]

So where are you running the cables to?

 

[roma042987]

Tucker actually ended up putting a coat of por15 over the powder on that rear third before I installed it and he also por15'd the front diff housing. This morning I pressed in the pinion races and bearings and installed the pinion. Still need to set preload and get the carrier installed. We also ordered a long splined 40 front shaft from longfield to work with the front locker so hoping to get the front installed in the next week or so. We also still need to figure out what kind of actuation cables we are going to use to work the lockers.

 

[roma042987]

I have been using silicone tape that can stand the oven temps. Pretty cheap on ebay. That way, you can tape once and put multiple coats on.

My .02, that you did not ask for. I have learned when powdercoating parts like that (exposed to grease) to heat oven, put part in, let heat to full temp. Remove from oven and let cool, then put on powder, put back in oven and let full bake. Pull out of oven, put on second coat (I do while hot and it just melts onto the part, then bake again.

the first cooking, lets it offgas any grease or fingerprint grease and makes a better final product.

Yep I use the green tape too just didn't want to waste a bunch on the big opening. I also preheat the part before powdering and wipe down one last time before spraying it on. I havent tried a second coat though I'll give that a shot.

Green tape I use

 

[tucker74]

The 4.10 make all the difference in my opinion.

Yep - had to do the exact same swap on my diesel Pig with H55, was just geared wrong in the low gears with the 3:73s. Wish I had a FF on that weekend ...

Tucker

 

[roma042987]

Yep - had to do the exact same swap on my diesel Pig with H55, was just geared wrong in the low gears with the 3:73s. Wish I had a FF on that weekend ...

Tucker

Went down that road with my 40 too. Swapped in 3.7s and hated them with the 33s and h55. Pulled them out a month later. (3b turbo)

 

[tstepp920]

Went down that road with my 40 too. Swapped in 3.7s and hated them with the 33s and h55. Pulled them out a month later. (3b turbo)

Explain to this dummy, before he spends a small fortune, why are the 33/10.50s and the h55 not a good match. My plan was to complete the h55 swap into my 1980, that has 3.7s, and use BFG 33/1050s. I don't intend to do any serious wheeling. Just trips to the happy hunting grounds, 5-6 hours away, and on short camping/fishing trips a hundred miles or so away. Thx

 

[roma042987]

Explain to this dummy, before he spends a small fortune, why are the 33/10.50s and the h55 not a good match. My plan was to complete the h55 swap into my 1980, that has 3.7s, and use BFG 33/1050s. I don't intend to do any serious wheeling. Just trips to the happy hunting grounds, 5-6 hours away, and on short camping/fishing trips a hundred miles or so away. Thx

Too much gear in my opinion. You'll be able to run 85-90 mph going down hill and then shifting down to third to go up hill. In my experience a 2f, hz, and turbo 3b don't have sufficient power for that gear combo. My 60 has 3.70 and an h55 powered by a 12ht that engine by far has more power than any of the others but I'm still hesitant to install 33s on it. (Currently has 31s)

 

[tucker74]

It's just too tall, you feel like you're going 900MPH wheeling in 4-LO and don't really want to go 75MPH on the highway (trust me, it's scary in an old Cruiser). This goes double in a diesel where you actually want to keep the revs up to spin the turbo and have power. 33s are fine, but you want H55/4:11s ...

Tucker

 

[tstepp920]

Hmmmm...33's and the original 4 speed with 3.7s is less expensive. Maybe I need to to reconsider. My goal was to lower the rpms while on the streets and highways, not speed. I don't like speed.

 

[roma042987]

Front diff is done and ready for installation.

My 60 rear axle needing some attention