UZ Swap into RJ77 (picture heavy)

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Full drivetrain! Sorry for all the spam! Big thanks to my friend who lent his muscles to help lift and bolt everything!

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Headers Cerakote complete! I did some headlight retrofit for my buddy who does powder and ceramic coating for metal things in exchange for this silver coating!

These are SC400 headers…they hug the block tightest out of all the UZ series. Others have reported that tundra UZ headers also hug the block nicely!

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Man…been fairly busy with organizing inventory and also trying to create a spot where I can take on more retrofits and also test retrofits/LED kits. I’ve been lagging on the build so here’s an update…drivetrain is in, floor is cut a little more so I was able to raise the drivetrain a bit. I also cut out the rear toolbox so I can begin install of the long range automotive gas tank…it is made for the newer 2007+ 7x series wagons but someone has done it in older pre 2007. I will try to document it as best as I can.

Big shoutout to my friend who let me use his lift to install the dual transfercase. It’s damn near impossible without a lift I think…or maybe I need to lift weights

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Got some work done again on the tank…slowly but surely…

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Good news for us pre-2007 70 series guys who want an LRA tank from a 2007+

Just took two brackets drilled with holes to make it work!

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I’m currently overseas sourcing parts to ship back and also enjoying some of the local trails. I’ll share more in my Prado VZJ95 build thread since that is my trail rig out here (mine is a GCC spec with dual tanks). I had a couple items fabricated for the 77 series swap. You can see a transmission tunnel cover for in front of and behind the front seat support bracket (2 pcs obviously) and a tool panel replacement cover. For the tool box area this will be an access cover for me to service the fuel pump and other items related to the LRA tank.

And yes…the pieces I had fabricated match the oem floor indents and grooves. I just need to add holes. I had them fabricated to have a larger area because it is easier to cut away material than add material. I am also considering flattening out the areas with the ridges on the transmission cover in order to achieve a more usable transmission cover. Either way…this will make my swap so much easier since I have a blank canvas to work with.

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So I started chippin away at the transmission tunnel cover…the second transfercase cover I will do some other time. Hoping to make steady progress on this after taking 2 months away from the truck.

Next steps: tcase #2 cover, cut open holes for the shifters, drill holes to mount covers, and finish tank access panel

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Nice work !
 
Slow and steady….need a filler piece to bridge the rear fuel tank access or I will add a cross brace and anchor the filler pieces there.

Shift boots looking right at home! I have to remove the passenger side seat bracket for the passenger side of the bench seat before completing the rear trabsfercase cover. I am going to do two bucket seats so wont need the offset bench seat mount.

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Been lagging on this! Truck is now running! Was compiling video footage for the Youtube Channel! Stay tuned :)

Youtube: DustCollectorGarage
 
Not going to lie…I got stagnant in this build for a while because I was not happy with what I had in terms of my first iteration of the radiator mounts. So I reverse engineered a radiator mount I did on my LS3 swap that I’m doing on the Youtube channel. I started the base for the new radiator mounts…stay tuned

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Back on the build…removed intercooler…will be going a different route. But good news! Version 2 of the radiator mounts are in progress

I also have the front body mounts en route so I can finally install the front end!

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Was not happy with what I did so I am giving it another go…this time with the OEM cover

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Been a slow moving build recently as my grandfather recently passed away

Worked on it a little bit. As everyone knows, ordering parts from overseas has been a pain for multiple reasons. If things get tougher to secure from overseas, I did not want to run into that issue in the future if I have to replace parts so I’m keeping this as USDM as possible.

Enter…the FJ40 radiator support. If you’ve been shopping for your dream V8 swapped 40 you’ll know that they make drop in 4 and 5 row V8 swap radiators for FJ40s. The good thing…it fits between the frame rails of the 70 series so the height on the radiator is a non factor. No, it does not hang below the frame rail.

Bonus points…I got to use some intercooler mounts that I did not plan on using along with some steel angle I had laying around that I also ended up not using. Also got to reuse an FJ40 radiator support I had laying around. Epiphany on the radiator support came when I was working on the 45 we had here in the shop for restoration

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Also got my oem VDJ/HDJ/GRJ7x body mounts that I brought back with me…so I went to the metal shop to find DOM tubing that will fit. For those wondering…its 2.25” DOM

They have lots of different things at the metal shop to make fab easier! Its both good and bad

Good that its there, bad that it makes you spend🤣

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Have the radiator support pretty much set before tacking. I will paint the areas that won’t be welded prior to tacking it in!

Need to sandblast my FJ40 rad support as well. If I place the lateral plate under the mounts it will lower the radiator a bit which would be nice.

Need to work on upper mounts but those will be a piece of cake due to space!

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Aluminum radiator is on order so now I have to think of the condenser and winch…

Condenser will be an FJ40 from vintage air since it will have the mounts to bracket it and the drier onto the oem rad support.

Key dimensions:
-28.25” +/- outer frame rails
-24.125” +/- inner frame rails
-5.5” front of rad support to front frame horns
-8” from bottom of frame rail to bottom of oem rad support (76 series)

I really want to run the HZJ76 front oem bumper so I will build some tube bumper behind it for damage protection. I will also mount the winch with a Barnes 4wd winch plate…comes in 33” wide so should be decent size between frame rails. Should I weld the winch plate on the frame or just bolt it on? I don’t foresee needing to remove the winch plate for anything

Thoughts? Photos of chevy is not mine, I got it from Barnes 4wd site!

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Worked on the LRA extended range tank today. Sectioned off the areas that need to be sectioned off.

Will get started on the front bracket for the tank. The O/C distance between the two front mounting holes on the tank on my RJ77 is 14-5/8”

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