navyRedneck's 1985 Pickup Build-Up Thread

[Bskey]

Great thread! Thanks for the details....

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[navyredneck]

Originally Posted by Hoopster

I'm still trying to get my first turkey!

I've hunted two turkey seasons now with no bird taken. I've called them in, I've snuck up on them, and every single time they've come in from an unexpected direction when I wasn't expecting them. Ah well, for me it's more of a chance to get out in the early spring and enjoy hiking around.

Here's what I did to fix the windshield (well, an attempt at it anyway):
I cut the strips using sheet metal as a guide:


Spread glue on the back:


Smeared it all across:


Taped up each section as I finished:


Corners last which I custom cut:


Finished picture later as my finish-picture got deleted.

I still get water on the floorboard though not as much so I'm gonna pull off the cowl soon to finish the bottom and look for rust in the cowl.

I also went back a day later and shoved windshield glue under any vinyl that came loose.


Today is a proud moment. I finished installing the 3" 4crawler lift kit. I started replacing the 3" lift kit in February. I couldn't do it by hand, couldn't with a 500 ft-lb impact wrench, a torch helped but wasn't enough so...

I went to Lowe's and got a 3 foot section of black iron pipe which fits perfectly over my 2 foot breaker bar and smaller ratchet. That worked to break loose the nuts holding onto the bolts. Then I used a reciprocating saw on the last 3 pucks that were frozen on the bolts. After 4 hours of work today I finished replacing the last 5 pucks. Now maybe my bed will stop shifting as I'm driving around.

[waskillywabbit]

You get your parts order yet?

[navyredneck]

Naw, they said the 24th. I found my clutch leak, too... Dripping right on that brand new paint on my newly painted floorboard. Ah well, just the way it goes. I put a diaper on it to hold back the downpour. Looks like I've already emptied half the clutch reservoir onto my floorboard. Gonna replace the clutch slave and master at the same time

[navyredneck]

Parts came in on Monday. Thanks, Brian. Another question, for you, though. Are you still happy with that All-pro transfer case parking brake you installed? I'm trying to decide between their kit and Sky manufacturing. Sky's looks beefier but I can't find any reviews on their kit. Seems like everyone uses All-pro.

I tested my rear brakes the other day on a gravel road and I'm not sure they're working at all. I couldn't get them to lock up and both rear wheels never get hot during city driving. Instead of dumping money on the drums which probably need everything replaced I'm looking to upgrade to rear disc brakes. At the moment, though, I'd like some means of stopping the truck on an incline as my driveway even has a slope to it. This way I could install the parking brake this month and save my pennies for the rear disc conversion which looks like it will cost around $500.

[waskillywabbit]

I have an AP t-brake and it works great. Not a lick of problems.

If you are going to do rear discs, just do the rear full floater from FROR and then you can use all Toyota OEM parts. Cost a bit more, but well worth it IMO. Shoot me an email if you have any specifics about the FROR rear full floater/rear disc set up. I love it.

[navyredneck]

Based on this write-up here:

http://www.4x4wire.com/toyota/reviews/fullfloater

...it sounds like I can do the kit and keep a regular parking brake?!?

In that case if I have to choose between:
Option A - All-pro transfer case brake $200 and rear disc conversion $500
Option B - everything all at once plus float the rear axles for $789 and I get to keep toyota parts with a factory e-brake

Option B starts to sound pretty good. I'm guessing it would end up around $1000 based on buying hubs and calipers and the misc crap you always need. Thanks, Brian, for the most excellent idea!

BTW, the 4runner sold so I may have a few extra dollars to contribute soon to this project.

[waskillywabbit]

You can keep the regular parking brake, but IMO you don't want to...ask Brian at FROR about the e-brake in the calipers...it sucks.

I'd still do the AP parking brake.

The FROR kit...all you need are the adapter and the axles...everything else you can source yourself - calipers, rotors, SFA spindles and wheel hubs. I bought new loaded calipers and rotors and it was still less than $900.

Nothing like the rear discs.

[navyredneck]

Here's the linky to my question:

http://www.frontrangeoffroadfab.com/...topic.php?t=27

Next question: I still have the drive flange from my 4runner when I did the manual hub conversion. Can I use that with SFA hubs so I won't have to buy SFA locking hubs for my rear axle? (I don't see a need for locking hubs on the rear of my pickup)

One more: If I pull my rear axles to do any type of disc brake mod should I pull the differential as well? I hear clunks when I shift often times and I wonder if it can be fixed by checking the torques on my differential. I have a mechanic that I would trust to do that. The risk that I see is that the bolts might be stuck, stripped, etc. besides requiring extra work.

[4Crawler]

Originally Posted by navyredneck

I still have the drive flange from my 4runner when I did the manual hub conversion. Can I use that with SFA hubs so I won't have to buy SFA locking hubs for my rear axle? (I don't see a need for locking hubs on the rear of my pickup)

One more: If I pull my rear axles to do any type of disc brake mod should I pull the differential as well? I hear clunks when I shift often times and I wonder if it can be fixed by checking the torques on my differential. I have a mechanic that I would trust to do that. The risk that I see is that the bolts might be stuck, stripped, etc. besides requiring extra work.

Yes you can use a drive flange, but the IFS flange won't fit, just like the IFS hubs won't fit, 27 vs. 30 splines. You can get an FJ80 drive flange to use for that.

[navyredneck]

4crawler, I just noticed from your website that you are using the FROR full floater kit. How do you like the integrated parking brake using the Supra calipers?

[4Crawler]

Don't have the axle ready to install yet.

[navyredneck]

Wanna guess what I'm replacing?


Master install went fine with the exception of shooting the spring across the cab. The slave wasn't too bad and the bolts didn't seem difficult until...


It's blurry but you can see the sheared head of a bolt...


Fortunately as you can see in the picture, part of the bolt portrudes so I tried putting lock pliers on it and PB blaster which did not work.

Advice?

Heat with torch and spray with PB blaster and try to budge with lock pliers?

[navyredneck]

Well, I tried heating with a torch and spraying with PB Blaster. Eventually the portion of the bolt showing broke off as well.

The good news is that my mechanic friend was already bringing his car hauler by my house to help me move something. I'll just go ahead and get him to haul the truck to his shop so he can easy-out it or drill it. I don't care. I've broken too many easy-outs and I can't afford the time to pull a transmission bell-housing because of a broke easy-out.

I was gonna get him to re-adjust the carb again anyway. My oil keeps getting really dirty which I'm assuming means I'm still running slightly rich.

Other news is that I have some new presents in the mail:
SR5 cluster (hope it works...)
power steering gearbox so I can finally install power steering

Finally found them for some good prices on TTORA and Pirate4x4.

I'm also leaning pretty close to doing the FROR floating rear axle mod. I've found some axle parts near by. Trying to set up shipping/delivery now. Looks like I may end up with a full front axle. If so, that would give some flexibility when I redo the front end (after hunting season). If I redo the rear end and master brake cylinder when I install the floating rear axle and the front end after Christmas, I will have officially rebuilt everything on the truck (except tranny and transfer case).

I also sold my MT's the other day. I chew up MT's doing as much daily driving as I do (2k per month). I had hoped to buy some AT's but I may just wait as the FROR mod will be expensive. I don't really like the roller skate look that my truck has with the 3" BL and the 31" tires but I need to prioritize and worry about all the mechanical issues first. I think I'm reaping the benefits of daily driving a truck that probably sat for several years.

[navyredneck]

The mechanic friend told me he thought I could get it done... I should have just told him to haul the thing away. I worked for 4 hours on it today. First I had to remove both engine mounts to drop the bellhousing low enough for me to reach the bolt.

Then I tried drilling it straight and dead center. I worked for 10 minutes and still drilled it off center. Now the result is that I can't get the remainder out. I even tried drilling it with a 1/4" drill bit and then tapping it to M8-1,25 (yeah, I know the tap drill size chart says 6.80 mm but try finding that size anywhere around here...). Anyway, the tap kept freezing up and I WILL NOT break off a tap/easy out/drill bit in this bolt.

Sooo... current plan is to make this the redneck-rigged truck. I have the tap maybe 1/3 inch into the hole. Any reason I can't bolt the first bolt (good hole with new bolt) with lock-tite and then bolt the 2nd bolt with a whole bunch of stacked washers with lock-tite? Do you think this would hold until I pull the engine/tranny (probably in about 3 months when the engine decides to implode based on my poor mechanical ability)?

[85toy]

your gonna pull the engine? i thought you just recently put a new one in.

[navyredneck]

haha, no. But let me put it this way. I learn most stuff by making mistakes and I look back and see lots of mistakes on this first engine swap. So I'm just saying that I will permanently fix the bellhousing when I pull the engine next which I would love to be 10 years from now but realistically will be much sooner.

[navyredneck]

One day a month ago or so my ground connector to my battery was loose and came off which cause the brake light and some other light which I forget now.

Today, after I raised the engine back up, reinstalled the engine mounts, I got just the brake light light on. This light changes in intensity if I pull the parking brake. This thread has some ideas:

http://www.yotatech.com/f115/brake-l...rn-off-118639/

Tomorrow I'm gonna go into work late and try getting under the truck after sunrise to see what I can find. Probably a wire pulled loose or something.

[rowdy235]

EDIT: Never Mind, you already knew

[navyredneck]

Brake light was in because the reservoir on the master cylinder was low. Why that coincided with me raising and lowering the engine and replacing the two clutch cylinders, I don't know...

[navyredneck]

Ok, I re-bled the clutch today and no air bubbles but the clutch lever arm at the tranny doesn't move far enough. I'm thinking I need to adjust the clutch play?

I also removed the wipers and the cowl cover to continue working on my leaking windshield.



Next I looked in the cowl:



This is it removed:



For any city-slickers that's a rat's nest! Or at least a squirrel (tree-rat) nest or some other varmint. Oh, I was pretty excited to see no rust. What an exciting find that was... pretty much made my day.

I also yanked off the front quarter panel to see if there was any rust or obvious places for water to leak.

At this point I'm willing to bet that all the water coming in is coming in from the windshield. So tomorrow I'm hoping to finish sealing the bottom of the windshield up. I hope there's no reason not to yank off all those clips on the bottom because they are going away to make room for the caulk rope.

On another note Interlux Brightside came in today. I got 3 qts, one black and two fire red, for $82.93 shipped from http://search.store.yahoo.com/cgi-bi....html&x=15&y=7. They have the best price I could find and buying it locally would have cost me $105 plus tax. That's also some crazy fast shipping as I only ordered it on Friday and it's here by Tuesday.

The black is for some other stuff around the house that I have to paint although any leftover will get used up on the frame of the truck. The red may get some use soon as I'd like to paint the cowl area before I close it back up.

I'm still undecided on the FROR front axle. I'm having a really hard time sourcing the front axle parts. I found two axles in NC but one guy backed out and the other guy's axle is in pretty rough shape and he won't part it out. I've also tried a few guys on here with no response. Pretty frustrating...

[navyredneck]

Finally figured out the clutch problem. I didn't have the arm adjusted so I was only getting about half the travel I needed. Once I adjusted that arm, the clutch moves further which in turn makes the clutch itself travel further so now no problems. This arm's length is adjusted by turning a nut just in front of the clutch pedal before the master cylinder. If you get under there you won't miss it.

Next I continued sealing the windshield. Yesterday I smeared RTV in all the cracks in the bottom seal. Today I smeared more and stuck that cord caulk into the gap.


Then I smeared more RTV to cover the caulk. Tomorrow I hope to cut the vinyl flooring to fit, test fit the vinyl and cowl to ensure everything works then glue it all down.


I'm also painting the rusty windshield wiper arms. Those things were in pretty rough shape. They look pretty good now, though.

I also put in the FROR order today. I'm getting:
FROR kit for pickup calipers (no e-brake)
new wheel bearings for the rear axle (which must come from a front axle kit)
u-bolt flip kit for the rear
proportioning valve so I can cut off the LPSV

The plan is also gonna call for me to pull the diff and get it checked and retorqued. Hoping to get rid of the 'clunk' sound every time I shift gears.

Still looking for front axle parts. There is a possible donor vehicle that I may buy for parts here in Charleston. Failing that govt.mule is gonna hook me up.

[4Crawler]

There should be some louvered covers for most of the holes in the cowl area. My '85 has them. For the holes not covered, I used some heavy duty window screen and cut pieces to fit over the hole then glued the edges in place. Did that to keep leaves and pine needles from getting down into the blower intake. Also added a long strip of the screen on the bottom side of the louvers on the cowl cover. That sort of makes a double barrier, seems to work fine.

[navyredneck]

Originally Posted by 4Crawler

There should be some louvered covers for most of the holes in the cowl area. My '85 has them. For the holes not covered, I used some heavy duty window screen and cut pieces to fit over the hole then glued the edges in place. Did that to keep leaves and pine needles from getting down into the blower intake. Also added a long strip of the screen on the bottom side of the louvers on the cowl cover. That sort of makes a double barrier, seems to work fine.

4Crawler, you are a genius! I'm definitely gonna do that idea. How's the FROR axle swap going? I need your lessons learned so I can make new and different mistakes

[navyredneck]

Okay, despite sealing the entire windshield I still get water in both floorboards when it rains. I'm really disgusted by it but lately I'm breaking stuff faster than I can fix it so the leak will probably get put on the back burner.

I also replaced a ton of vacuum lines and the carb still surges. Have a weber 34 on the way to fix that.

Two Saturdays I got called by a friend of a friend. This guy was in a jeep and buried up to his bumper. A second jeep couldn't jerk him out and he said he needed a diesel or a v8. I got in after dark so no good pictures but my 8k Harbor Freight winch yanked him out like nothing. I don't have a rear bumper to anchor so I put the front edge (where it's 1/4" steel) of my brushguard against a tree and started winching. It was nice to see that $100 winch work perfectly on the first attempt.

Last night my lights started flashing the car ahead of me with the high beams. At one point all the lights went out. I looked at 4crawler's fix here:
http://www.4crawler.com/4x4/CheapTri...adlights.shtml

There was lots of grease everywhere and as a side benefit now my steering wheel will finally be centered . I also cleaned my contact points with sandpaper as I had no thin file onhand. I also strengthened the spring that holds the small ball bearing. Last I noticed this solder joint was broken. The real question is did I do that trying to get to the contact points? Tomorrow I will get my former navy ET friend to solder it back up. I'm hoping that's the cause of the ghost lights (if not, maybe halloween?).


(look for the big yellow arrow)

4crawler, I looked at your lighting harness. Basically your harness allows low current to flow through the existing mechanical connections so no arcing to minimize wear of the contact points? If that's the case then I probably will have to order one when I save up some more moolah.

My hubs and spindles came in and I think one set is damaged. My FROR rear axle parts are also starting to come in. It's gonna be busy for the next couple of months. The first step is gonna be to install the proportioning valve and toss that lspv valve. I was about to replace the lspv valve the other day with the 90 degree elbow (front right wheel well of most toyota trucks) when I started getting worried about locking up my rear tires. I decided to wait until I had the valve.

Are our vehicles supposed to indicate a 4wd light on the instrument cluster?