What Did You Do with Your 80 This Weekend?

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I've been pushing hard to get the cruiser running after installing a new cylinder head. My 16 yo daughter just recently got her driver's license and has been bugging me to let her drive the cruiser off-road. Here is a three week recap:

Three weekends ago:

FZJ80 drivetrain.webp



engine on hoist.webp


Two weeks ago:
Buttoned up, fluids filled, ac recharged
engine installed.webp


This week:
Shakedown run on the Rubicon with a brand new driver:

solene rubicon2.webp


solene rubicon3.webp
 
Descaled the frame and cleaned up the exterior wheel wells. Used an Eastwood aerosol encapsulator/sealant… turned out just fine… the Eastwood product lays down so much easier than the brush on KBS/POR-15 equivalents. Now, I’ll have to wait and see how it hold up.


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I've been pushing hard to get the cruiser running after installing a new cylinder head. My 16 yo daughter just recently got her driver's license and has been bugging me to let her drive the cruiser off-road. Here is a three week recap:

Three weekends ago:

View attachment 4176022


View attachment 4176023

Two weeks ago:
Buttoned up, fluids filled, ac recharged
View attachment 4176024

This week:
Shakedown run on the Rubicon with a brand new driver:

View attachment 4176027

View attachment 4176032
Right on!
 
Got the cockpit tidied up fairly nicely. Still have have few aux wires/plugs to sort out, but on the whole, she’s ready to roll for our wheeling trip to The Red River Gorge later this week,

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If anyone happens to have a spare lower DS dash fuse block cover, please dm me. I don’t care about the color… just want to seal everything up nicely.

Our rig is a 94 FZJ80.
 
Descaled the frame and cleaned up the exterior wheel wells. Used an Eastwood aerosol encapsulator/sealant… turned out just fine… the Eastwood product lays down so much easier than the brush on KBS/POR-15 equivalents. Now, I’ll have to wait and see how it hold up.


View attachment 4176068View attachment 4176069
Look forward to seeing this rig on Friday.
 
Look forward to seeing this rig on Friday.
Looking forward to meeting you and seeing your truck too.

I doubt that we’ll be heading out too early on Friday… Thursday is likely to be a long night… lol. You should be able to swing right into the camp ground to check out lots of trucks.
 
Looking forward to meeting you and seeing your truck too.

I doubt that we’ll be heading out too early on Friday… Thursday is likely to be a long night… lol. You should be able to swing right into the camp ground to check out lots of trucks.
I’ll be down early Friday since it’s my only day there. Any idea of the vendors that will be there ? There seems to be very little info online about the weekend outside of dates and how to sign up.
 
I’ll be down early Friday since it’s my only day there. Any idea of the vendors that will be there ? There seems to be very little info online about the weekend outside of dates and how to sign up.
I’m not sure how many vendors will be there on Friday morning, but there will likely be at least a few. They will roll in throughout the day on Friday.

There’s probably more info at the KYTLCA FB page… I’m just a Luddite and don’t do any socials but Mud.
 
I’m not sure how many vendors will be there on Friday morning, but there will likely be at least a few. They will roll in throughout the day on Friday.

There’s probably more info at the KYTLCA FB page… I’m just a Luddite and don’t do any socials but Mud.
Yeah I quit social media 2.5 years ago. I’ll check on my wife’s but last time I looked, it just was info on sign ups. Hopefully by Friday afternoon a bunch of vendors will be there.
 
I've been pushing hard to get the cruiser running after installing a new cylinder head. My 16 yo daughter just recently got her driver's license and has been bugging me to let her drive the cruiser off-road. Here is a three week recap:

Three weekends ago:

View attachment 4176022


View attachment 4176023

Two weeks ago:
Buttoned up, fluids filled, ac recharged
View attachment 4176024

This week:
Shakedown run on the Rubicon with a brand new driver:

That is one shinny engine bay!!
 
Went wheeling. Sprung a leak in a soft brake line. Bush fix got me home. Does anyone have the part number for this guy handy? It's on the passenger side. :)

View attachment 4175965
Perfect PSA for @Delta VS trail fix plug...I keep 2 now, 1 for me and 1 for a friend in need! Saved a buddy's weekend last summer and got him home for the proper repair. He lost a sway bar link up front which mangled that hard line...we ended up plugging it up at the ABS box, much easier to get to!

 
Dave @Delta VS I see a run on these 😁 I just ordered some.
 
If anyone happens to have a spare lower DS dash fuse block cover, please dm me. I don’t care about the color… just want to seal everything up nicely.

Our rig is a 94 FZJ80.
Found one on the 'bay after watching for one for months.
 
Since buying my cruiser back in March I decided not to use it until all the initial baseline maintenance had been done. Mostly routine stuff, but some slightly more urgent, like a very leaky passenger side front knuckle, and some severely cracked and perished tires. I finally had a gap last weekend to get the knuckles done, so got to work. All components cleaned up and painted with Armaguard epoxy paint. The axle ends showed very mild pitting to these were filled with epoxy metal filler, sanded and painted. New Koyo swivel bearings, all new Toyota seals and gaskets, axle refilled with Redline 75w-90 and knuckles filled with Mobil Mobilith grease. One of the ABS sensors was sadly cracked so while Ive refitted that Im on the look out for a replacement.

Other work completed so far includes:
Coolant system flushed and renewed with Toyota Red. (Amusingly when I was trying to remove the block drain plug I took the oil pressure relief valve out by mistake, which gave me quite a shock when I was expecting coolant and got nice black oil in the mix!)
Fitted a set of 33" BFG KO2s.
Cleaned out all window rubbers, greased with Honda Shin-Etzu and also fitted a Window Rocket.
Sorted out a drivers wobbly mirror, diy fix with a little bracket fabricated from 1.25mm stainless sheet.
Wiper linkage bushes disassembled and re-greased. Wiper arms replaced with OEM Toyota.
Fitted CDL switch and useless cubby cup-holder.

Next up are the remainder of the fluids, and a good dose of chassis preventative maintenance. Still a lot of other things to do but I have entered the car into a 90's nostalgia car show mid August so that is my deadline.

PS please have a good laugh at our uselessly small UK standard size garage doors. It looks like a kids playhouse door next to the cruiser (which is on its original saggy springs), so as much as Id love to keep it in there, the car port will have to do.

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Great work, but I have to ask (sorry if I missed it) but what AC compressor is that?
It is a York 210 compressor converted for on-board air to refill tires. My stock A/C compressor is still in its original location underneath the York.

The York was originally found in 70s-80s era Volvos, Mercedes, VW as well as a variety of American cars. To run it in the Land Cruiser requires a custom mounting bracket and a triple groove pulley for the additional belt.
A search online will provide all the details.
 
It is a York 210 compressor converted for on-board air to refill tires. My stock A/C compressor is still in its original location underneath the York.

The York was originally found in 70s-80s era Volvos, Mercedes, VW as well as a variety of American cars. To run it in the Land Cruiser requires a custom mounting bracket and a triple groove pulley for the additional belt.
A search online will provide all the details.
Excellent work, thanks for the info. Looks very well integrated
 
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