What have you done to your Land Cruiser this week? (12 Viewers)

[1911]

Looks great 1911! What shackles + Springs are you running? 2.5" lift?

Thanks. Those are Alcan 3" lift springs. Stock-length anti-inversion shackles in the front, and an inch or so (I forget) longer than stock anti-inversion shackles in the rear. Shackles are either Man-A-Fre or Spector, I forget which. Put those on enough years ago that I don't remember for sure.

 

[grapestomper]

They are MetalTech and I like them really well. I reviewed them (along with some Redline tube doors I previously had) in this thread here: https://forum.ih8mud.com/threads/tube-doors-redline-metal-tech-compared-on-the-same-truck.623479/

You can adjust the provided door strikers pretty easily so they don't rattle. I do have some thin foam tape on the tub where the doors touch, mostly to keep the paint from wearing off.

Thanks, we ride with the top off mostly and I have been thinking of changing out my doors for the summer.
Will look into those. Your rig looks awesome too.

 

[RWBeringer4x4]

Took the top off for the summer.

Is that the Metal Tech Jackson cage? How do you like it? I've been tossing that idea around for down the road. Looks like you're not running the jump seats - I'd like to keep mine. I think that's possible with the Jackson cage...I believe someone on Mud managed to accomplish it...Looks great!

 

[1911]

Is that the Metal Tech Jackson cage? How do you like it? I've been tossing that idea around for down the road. Looks like you're not running the jump seats - I'd like to keep mine. I think that's possible with the Jackson cage...I believe someone on Mud managed to accomplish it...Looks great!

Yes, it is a MetalTech "Jackson" cage, built from their kit. I like it a lot, and it's sturdy too; I flopped on one side attempting to climb a near-vertical creek bank in the bottom of Mule or Ruin Canyon in southern Utah, and even after landing on on side and getting pulled upright by a winch connected to the other side, the cage is still straight.

"If you like your jump seats, you can keep your jump seats..." I took mine out to have more room to pack stuff and because I hardly ever used them. The Jackson cage has flat plates between the bottom of the B and C pillars that might get in the way of the jump seat mounts; it's been so long since I took mine out that I don't remember exactly how they mount.

 

[antFJ]

Boxed the frame and used Ruff Stuff hangers, powdercoat on Monday. John

don't bend this one!

 

[74HogGuy]

Got the old 3-spd pulled out and the clutch and flywheel out. Looks like the flywheel will need to be machined as it has some hairline cracks. Tomorrow will be getting the bell housing off and replacing the rear main seal.

 

[78fj40mg]

Got the old 3-spd pulled out and the clutch and flywheel out. Looks like the flywheel will need to be machined as it has some hairline cracks. Tomorrow will be getting the bell housing off and replacing the rear main seal. View attachment 1052096View attachment 1052097View attachment 1052100View attachment 1052102

Don't forget the pilot bearing.

 

[74HogGuy]

Don't forget the pilot bearing.

Definitely. I ordered a new pilot bearing, throw out bearing and clutch.

 

[78fj40mg]

Got the old 3-spd pulled out and the clutch and flywheel out. Looks like the flywheel will need to be machined as it has some hairline cracks. Tomorrow will be getting the bell housing off and replacing the rear main seal. View attachment 1052096View attachment 1052097View attachment 1052100View attachment 1052102

My flywheel had some minor hairline cracks as well I had it machined at a local NAPA shop and they did a great job.

I'm looking at your flywheel and thinking why is it so deep like a dish? Maybe it was machined once too many times? I honestly do not know but that's something worth investigating and possibly start thinking about a new flywheel. Is your rig a 1974?

 

[74HogGuy]

Its the 3-finger pressure plate style flywheel. The 74 and earlier I believe had this style and the later ones are like yours with the diaphram style clutch.

Here: https://forum.ih8mud.com/threads/flywheel-step-measurments-faq.101191/

Justin

 

[TwelveGravity]

Pulled the front end out to install the housing with correct rolled knuckles. Just a start to a long list of ideas.

 

[Shark56]

Working on doors for my half top.

Had to use my Vessel 2500 Impact Driver to get some screws loose. Get them apart. turn one upsidedown to dump out the rust and bugs. Hear something rattling around inside . Out pops an old, slightly rusty impact driver. Humm, looks the same as the Vessel I was just using. A short cleaning on the wire wheel on the bench grinder. It's a Vessel 2500!. Guess at sometime in the past someone was working on the same doors and somehow put their Impact Driver inside the door. Wonder how long that sucker has been in there? A liitle cleaning and a shot of oil and it works as good as new .

After cleaning

 

[74HogGuy]

So much for the bread trick...now I have one exploded pilot bearing and will have to drimmel out the rest of the bearing.

 

[spotcruiser]

Don't all auto parts places have pilot bearing pullers you can borrow?

I've done the Dremel thing on pilot bearings also and it does the job quicker than driving to the parts place.

So much for the bread trick...now I have one exploded pilot bearing and will have to drimmel out the rest of the bearing. View attachment 1052442View attachment 1052443

 

[RWBeringer4x4]

View attachment 1052418 Working on doors for my half top.

Had to use my Vessel 2500 Impact Driver to get some screws loose. Get them apart. turn one upsidedown to dump out the rust and bugs. Hear something rattling around inside . Out pops an old, slightly rusty impact driver. Humm, looks the same as the Vessel I was just using. A short cleaning on the wire wheel on the bench grinder. It's a Vessel 2500!. Guess at sometime in the past someone was working on the same doors and somehow put their Impact Driver inside the door. Wonder how long that sucker has been in there? A liitle cleaning and a shot of oil and it works as good as new .

View attachment 1052428

After cleaning

Looking awesome man! Too funny about the Vessel, I've been eying one of those up on E-bay. Nothing that cool has fallen out my my cruiser yet. So far the most interesting stuff was a mouse nest in the glove box full of unused spark plugs and a half consumed joint that looked like it might have been original from around the same era as the truck. It was a California truck so this is in no way surprising

 

[78fj40mg]

So much for the bread trick...now I have one exploded pilot bearing and will have to drimmel out the rest of the bearing. View attachment 1052442View attachment 1052443

The bread trick works very well with the proper tools, however, it's not the removal method at fault here, in your case it was a badly worn pilot bearing, hence, exploding apart.

 

[RWBeringer4x4]

After a long detour through my entire charging system, I finally got my IPF harness and headlights installed along with some Hella offroad 80/100W halogen bulbs. The difference is incredible. The FJ40 now has better headlights than my Mazda 3!

In the process of installing the wiring harness, I found out that my alternator was dead, and that my truck was a wire fire waiting to happen. In an effort to not pull a @Vae Victus, I wound up replacing the externally regulated GM alternator with a 12SI internally regulated one, and installing fusible links on the alternator cable, voltage sensing cable, and main harness cable (the PO wasn't running any). I also added in a full grounding system (bat-tub, bat-frame, frame-engine, starter-frame, and alternator-tub). Added all new charging wire, bypassed the AMP meeter and main harness so I don't melt it with the 94 amp alternator. Also installed a new, not-melted starter cable. There's only room for one truck named SMOKEY on IH8MUD!

I also replaced the turn signals, and installed ground cable from inside the signals to the tub, to avoid future issues with bad/rusty body grounds:

And last but not least - new horns! To replace the single Ford horn that had been wired up behind the battery (as seen in the engine bay shot above)...

Truly awesome to be able to drive at night, and have working turn signals finally! It's the little things.

The next project will be a major one to get this truck mechanically sound - I need to move the V8 backward in the bay about 4-5 inches, reseal it so it stops puking oil, replace the clutch, and check out the transmission...The cruiser fund has a long way to recuperate before all this can happen. I've already got the full @Downey bellhousing/clutch setup ready to go...I'll need to determine if the 283 is worth saving, or if it's time to ditch it for a 350.

I'll also be swapping out the tranny's top cover to an FJ60 top cover to move the shift tower back a bit, then replacing the leaky exhaust, Ram's Horns all the way back, and changing the driveshaft lengths to accommodate the new (correct) setup.

 

[74HogGuy]

Don't all auto parts places have pilot bearing pullers you can borrow?

I've done the Dremel thing on pilot bearings also and it does the job quicker than driving to the parts place.

Probably, but I had high hopes from reading the FAQ that the bread trick would work.

The bread trick works very well with the proper tools, however, it's not the removal method at fault here, in your case it was a badly worn pilot bearing, hence, exploding apart.

Good thing all these are getting replaced. I noticed my T/O bearing doesn't spin the smoothest either.

 

[MicahMan]

Went topless today

 

[byrd_hntr]

New radiator. Blew the top seam on my last ride last fall.