What DIESEL college kid in need of HELP!!!!!!!

[covey9626]

Hello, new to the site, Im a college student that is in love with FJ40. My problem is it is a gas hog. I cannot afford gas prices but do not want to give up and by a little car. Would like to convert to diesel. I would use it as a daily driver and on the highway to get home from school. I have been told that 4BT is a good conversion that would be the easiest but also I heard that it does only 55-60 tops, but then I saw one in a jeep and he said it got 90 top speed. So im looking for the easiest diesel swap into a FJ40 that i later could convert into biodiesel. I also saw that isuzu 3.9 would be a good conversion but those seem to be alittle more pricer because they are in the NPR trucks where the step vans with the cummins seems to be cheaper and parts would be easier to find. It just seems i keep hearing of people that think it would be a good swap, does anyone know for sure?So please if you have any information on what would be the easiest diesel swap that could handle highway speeds please let me know. Thanks, Take care

 

[made4surf]

I kind of doubt the price of your conversion will pay for your savings in fuel, or at least not for a long long time. Also if you intend to throw in a 4bt you will most likely need a SOA lift due to the height of the engine which is more $, and the speed your cruiser goes depends on your gearing and trans. Are you looking for a 10 second fj40 that runs on diesel?

 

[cruiser_guy]

Speed can be taken care of with gearing and/or tire size.

Unless your engine is toast I'd agree with "made4surf". If your engine is toast and you need to replace anyways then look at diesels.

 

[Japan4X4]

I would love to send you an engine, but since you are in school my advice is forget the cruiser, get good grades, work your ass off and then get a good job. Make some bucks and buy what you want then.

School only lasts a few years, unless you take my route.

 

[Eco 45]

I would look at finding ways to improve the gas mileage of your gas engine. Doing a diesel swap will take several several years to recover in gas prices.

 

[covey9626]

Thanks guys way to crush my dreams....lol just kidding.....thanks for the input...I probably should be saving the money to pay off the debt I am accumulating. Although im going to be a Lutheran high school science teacher so i will be able to pay it off in a week, because ill be raking in the big bucks( sorry for the sarcasm)....but I guess for future information and just in case I find someone who might be trying to get the motor of their hands, what should I keep my eye open for to be the easiest conversion for the FJ40? Thanks again, Take care

 

[ThePookieBear]

One thing I always wonder about is, yeah using regular diesel it will take a LONG time to pay for the conversion. But, if you make the conversion with using a homemade fuel in mind, it will end up paying for it much quicker. Just my two cents. : ). However, they probably have good advice. Maybe you could sell your forty and buy an older BJ40 from canada. Nearly the same as yours, and already diesel. Just a thought. But, I think bio is a good route to take either way.

 

[watrob]

Hi, Save you pennies, ask your friend & parents that on your next birthday you want birthday cards with cash in them, that will buy you your diesel motor.Hang onto the FJ, its lasted 30 years and it will last another 30 years, never sell it or give it away. When your 45yr old semi-retired give it a rebuild and pass it down to your kids if you want to.If you read through the forum threads you will see that 100's of members had FJ's when they young and now they have gone out and bought one to do a rebuild and they wish they had never sold it to begin with.My $0.02

 

[boots4]

Maybe you could sell your forty and buy an older BJ40 from canada. Nearly the same as yours, and already diesel.

If you really are looking for the easiest way, that's the best advice. Buy one with a diesel already in it.

Doing a conversion takes time, money, and isn't easy. If you are not up to the challenge then it probably won't get completed and will become a garage fixture. Don't mean to sound harsh but just want you to know it's not a weekend project... it's many, many weekends!

On the bright side you've got a couple of years of research you can do while going to school. You'll know exactly what you want and how to do it with all that reading.

 

[covey9626]

hmmm......I was definitely going to go bio diesel.....maybe just get an old diesel truck instead......ok anyway now i have more hope again on the land cruiser....I was going to see if I could get one from canada but the BJ40 probably wont handle the highway very well.....I go to school 400 miles away from school....I have a 1973 beetle that I bought for $450 that i got running for like $5. So i drive that around in the summer and I would drive it up to school but the thing wouldnt be able to handle the highway that long with its 48HP engine. Plus i love the landcruiser, need the 4X4. So do you think the BJ40 could handle highway speeds of around 70? Thanks, I appreciate the input. means alot!

 

[covey9626]

I dunno....I probably would have to do some suspension work .......maybe turbo for BJ40 might do the trick?

 

[Deny]

I used my BJ42 to drive everyday for 7 years while going to university ~30miles a day, was good. Then I moved up north ~600miles one way, and have done that trip a few times, but without turbo and with swampers, it is a bit of a pain. If your travel doesn't include too many hills, it wouldn't be too bad, but it all depends on how you can handle it. Before I bought my Dodge cummins, the BJ42 was all I knew, and delt with it, thought it was pretty good, but now I think I would trailer my truck back home for 13 hrs, instead of drive it for 15-17hrs. (I might change my mind if I install turbo, and bolt up something other than my ltbs.
Cheers,
Deny

 

[tntoyota]

What are you judging you base line on?

is your engine wore out in need of a tune?

or is it a spic and spam rebuilt with factory compression?


IMO a rebuild then going to EFI is your answer....

I'd say thats about less than 25% (.25 collage boy) of a Diesel swap, but dont get me wrong If I thought you had the time AND THE finances I'd say go Diesel and dont look back (at all the gas stations you'd be passing! )


then get a 5 speed.......


these, as far as Diesel motors are concerned are the bottom of the barrel but they can be made to work....

********* Chev 6.2L Diesel Engine, Auto Trans, Radiator *********

 

[canucksafari]

There are 3 BJ40s on Craigslist Seattle from one seller. One says it needs minor engine work and is listed at $8500. Depending on what the seller means by minor engine work, it could be way cheaper and easier than doing a swap on your rig. Check it out: ** Toyota Land Cruiser 79" Rare Diesel ** There is another one here on the Vancouver BC Craiglist all ready to go but it isn't going to be easy on the wallet: landcruiser , land cruiser BJ40 1979

 

[Tapage]

As many other here said .. diesel swap aren't the easy or cheapest way .. sell your 40 and get a Diesel could be a option ( here are for cheap ) 4BT in a 40 .. sounds to me a badass proyect .. just check the Boots4 thread in the hard core corner and figure out what involved ..

When I was in the college and University dream with a cruiser .. but only have a Celica 81 with 2T engine to go everyplace ..

 

[covey9626]

Yea the 2F engine is fine but sure does suck gas. So taking a BJ40/42 engine and putting it into a FJ40 is still just as much of a project as putting in the 4Bt i take it? I think i might get a diesel pickup and run biodiesel and just keep my eye open for a amazing deal on BJ40/42 that i could afford. Thanks again for the help.

 

[ThePookieBear]

Not sure if you have your mind set on a forty, but they also have sixty series with the 3B Toyota Diesel, and then later on they come with a 2H and a turbo version which is a six cylinder.

 

[covey9626]

definitely have to go with the 40 body style, Can anyone explain to me how the 4bt swap would be much more expensive than buying a regular bj40/42? Cause i think i can get an old ice cream truck for around 2000 maybe if i find the right one for 1500 with the 4BT.....my brother has a 400TH at home that he is not using that im sure i could pawn off of him......and i could recycle the body of the truck for probably $200 and sell the old 2F engine for $400-600. conversion kit maybe run ($200?) It would take me all summer to do the swap probably but hey if you enjoy that kinda stuff its not so bad?? But i feel like you guys know something i dont lol. So let me know what im missing. Also would an old BJ40 engine be a easier swap? If i even end up doing this swap.....now i got my hopes up again. Thanks again for all the input really do appreciate it! take care

 

[Tapage]

asuming that you have in your bank account near to 4K to spend in this proyect .. and found a reasonable ice cream truck for 2K you still have to do a spring over in your cruisers .. that some sort of money and lots of work ( most in the front axle for a C&T ). And it all come from this part up to end in your fab welding skills and facilities at home ( or buddyes garage ).

After the SO, comes the drive train .. 4BT nice .. TH400 nice .. rebuild the TH400 ( or it's in perfect shape to handle the 4BT power ) and the adapter for the 4BT and the TH400 .. and then the other ( expensive ) adapter for the T-case .. ( split case that I thought that you have BF1A )

Now you are done with your drive train .. start with DS front and rear .. cross member, and motor mounts .. shifter for your tranny and misc stuff ..

At the end ( and I'm only with the most expensive parts that come to my mind .. sure that it's much more in detail ) new tires .. or drop your 4.11 and sell 'em to buy a new 3.70 R&P ( used of course that it's a easy job coz much more are happy to get 4.11 instead of 3.70 ) and tires ..

 

[covey9626]

I think im in over my head.........What about using the original transmission in the FJ40 with the 4BT.........so i dont have to mess with the transfer case?? thanks