What have you done to your Land Cruiser this week?
- Thread starter IH8MUD
- Start date
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This guy is now on youtube as part of the Kincrome 'Build wars' series. Check them all out they are a good watch.
MatthewMcD
SILVER Star
Ditto this on my '75. The combo worked perfectly and quieted the window rattle.
Thanks! Is there an indicator anywhere on the box that identifies if this kit will work? This is what I have:
Huntsville, TX is getting a cold snap this week, so this morning between the cold, the choke, and the 4 year old Toyota TrueStart battery, I was dead in the water. Had to take the truck to work. But, as I am wont to do, the work computer instantly became a research vessel for my options to replace the battery. What I quickly discovered is that group 27/27R/27F AGM batteries are not available locally, and are expensive. My current Toyota TrueStart 27F battery has the poles reversed, which I like because on a '78 it keeps the negative cable away from my washer bottle. After much reading, I had to leave work, but here is what I jotted down on a sticky note:
Group 27
12.0625 L
6.8125 W
8.875 H
Group H7
12.4 L
6.9 W
7.5 H
Group 65
12.1 L
7.2 W
7.6 H
So, observation of the battery hold down, the tray, and everything below it, has revealed to me that lead acid batteries "outgas" or leak, whatever, like crazy and eat up your metal stuff. My 74403-60050, aka the "12 inch battery tray" after 4 years looks like crud! So the goal now is to switch to an AGM Battery... but not spend a ton of money. Quick anecdote on AGM and why you want it: my 4 wheeler has a "PowerSport" battery, the ones you add the acid to after you buy it. Those things have always been good for maybe a year, and then you have to start putting the charger on them, and then within 8 months you are replacing them again. I put an AGM battery in there and now it cranks every time. I mean it is actually weird to me, to walk down to the shed and the wheel turns over, even if it has been sitting for 6 months. So now the diesel truck has 2 AGM batteries, and it is about time the 40 joined the club. So, the TrueStart came out, and let's clean stuff up. I made a baking soda solution to soak stuff in and measured the tray as thus:
12.25 L
7.0 W
7.5-8.5 H
That's Fluid Film all in the bottom of the tray, it did not look so yellow in person. So, after everything was cleaned up, I test fit the battery... Note that 12.4 length, yeah that was kind of a problem. It was SO CLOSE. BUT, new batteries have this big lip around the bottom, because modern cars use that lip to lock the battery into the tray with a rubber block. So, for the 40, that lip can be CAREFULLY trimmed.
Watch the center of your cutoff wheel and DO NOT get it into the body of the battery like I did. But it survived, thankfully. Just be careful, this is so close it does not take much, in fact I tried using a manual file first, but it takes a little more than that.
The file was handy to cleanup afterwards. After this, I just made sure the tray and hold-down were clean and covered in Fluid Film, and then I installed the new battery. Oh, I kinda forgot the whole point: the H7 EverStart AGM battery is less than $200. And I have had good luck with this brand, they are all made by the same people.
Things I like:
AGM
Price
My military battery terminals fit perfect into the sunken recess design.
After a bit of surgery, this is probably the biggest battery you are going to fit in that tray.
850 CCA.
Another option.
Things I don't like:
Having to cut on a new battery.
The battery is shorter meaning the hold down nuts have to be threaded WAY down.
The hold down angled corners do not touch due to the battery design, so the middle is all that is holding it.
Not Toyota (come on!).
So there you have it, I read many excellent write ups here on our forum about some of these options, but no one had touched the H7 yet, so thought I would share. The 65 might be a good one as well, but I wish the 27R AGM was more available and less expensive. Hope it helps someone. Have a great day!
Group 27
12.0625 L
6.8125 W
8.875 H
Group H7
12.4 L
6.9 W
7.5 H
Group 65
12.1 L
7.2 W
7.6 H
So, observation of the battery hold down, the tray, and everything below it, has revealed to me that lead acid batteries "outgas" or leak, whatever, like crazy and eat up your metal stuff. My 74403-60050, aka the "12 inch battery tray" after 4 years looks like crud! So the goal now is to switch to an AGM Battery... but not spend a ton of money. Quick anecdote on AGM and why you want it: my 4 wheeler has a "PowerSport" battery, the ones you add the acid to after you buy it. Those things have always been good for maybe a year, and then you have to start putting the charger on them, and then within 8 months you are replacing them again. I put an AGM battery in there and now it cranks every time. I mean it is actually weird to me, to walk down to the shed and the wheel turns over, even if it has been sitting for 6 months. So now the diesel truck has 2 AGM batteries, and it is about time the 40 joined the club. So, the TrueStart came out, and let's clean stuff up. I made a baking soda solution to soak stuff in and measured the tray as thus:
12.25 L
7.0 W
7.5-8.5 H
That's Fluid Film all in the bottom of the tray, it did not look so yellow in person. So, after everything was cleaned up, I test fit the battery... Note that 12.4 length, yeah that was kind of a problem. It was SO CLOSE. BUT, new batteries have this big lip around the bottom, because modern cars use that lip to lock the battery into the tray with a rubber block. So, for the 40, that lip can be CAREFULLY trimmed.
Watch the center of your cutoff wheel and DO NOT get it into the body of the battery like I did. But it survived, thankfully. Just be careful, this is so close it does not take much, in fact I tried using a manual file first, but it takes a little more than that.
The file was handy to cleanup afterwards. After this, I just made sure the tray and hold-down were clean and covered in Fluid Film, and then I installed the new battery. Oh, I kinda forgot the whole point: the H7 EverStart AGM battery is less than $200. And I have had good luck with this brand, they are all made by the same people.
Things I like:
AGM
Price
My military battery terminals fit perfect into the sunken recess design.
After a bit of surgery, this is probably the biggest battery you are going to fit in that tray.
850 CCA.
Another option.
Things I don't like:
Having to cut on a new battery.
The battery is shorter meaning the hold down nuts have to be threaded WAY down.
The hold down angled corners do not touch due to the battery design, so the middle is all that is holding it.
Not Toyota (come on!).
So there you have it, I read many excellent write ups here on our forum about some of these options, but no one had touched the H7 yet, so thought I would share. The 65 might be a good one as well, but I wish the 27R AGM was more available and less expensive. Hope it helps someone. Have a great day!
I put on 2/0 copper cables with cast on terminals. Cranks over much better than 2 size wire that was there. I like big batteries my last one was like $200
Re: the battery files,
I recently put a group 31 battery in the '63. I needed to fold down the rear side of the tray but that was trivial to do.
I've not had any battery related issues ever since I started using Odyssey brand batteries. You get what you pay for.
I recently put a group 31 battery in the '63. I needed to fold down the rear side of the tray but that was trivial to do.
I've not had any battery related issues ever since I started using Odyssey brand batteries. You get what you pay for.
I did a thing.
Can’t wait to see what fancy bracket you come up with to mount ALL those shocks!
I’ve got the octopus shock mount designed in my head it’s the quad front leafs that is causing me grief.
@Jdc1 wow… this I gotta see! Is this the build you’re thinking of before when you said..radical?
yes, need the additional springs for the turret.
@Jdc1 you know, the last time I heard the word “turret” it spelled TANK….
Definitely not the sourcing anything from Heemeyer Muffler….@Jdc1 you know, the last time I heard the word “turret” it spelled TANK….
Is that related to Smitzer bicycles model MP38?
I see your dad in the support role. Good stuff.
Yep! Everything I'm doing is stuff he taught me to do. I know that this project will be our last together and I'm really trying to savor it. He's still my hero and Alzheimers sucks.I see your dad in the support role. Good stuff.