Breather Relocation

NOTE: It's been a while since I've done this and may have forgotten something, also, this is the last article I typed in for v1.0 so I'm pretty fried. If I say something that seems wrong, it probably is. Anyone who tries these directions, drop me a line and let me know if I missed anything. (Rob Mullen)

Depending on what year and model of Cruiser you own, you may have the pop valve axle breathers mounted directly to the axle housing. If you truck ever sees any water off-road (or good flooding on road) this set-up is inadequate. The check valves always become clogged. This either allows water to stream into your axle housing, or worse, does not allowing your axle to breathe which results in blown seals which THEN let water in. For water over bumper height, even Toyota's breather hoses that reach up to the frame height aren't enough.

Fortunately, replacing your breathers is both simple and cheap. First you must remove the check valves. Before doing this, ensure the area around the breather is free of mud/grime--you don't want to have any grit falling into the breather hole and wearing your ring and pinion. Once the valves are out, check the threads to determine if they're fine or coarse (all breathers after 1971 are fine thread. Some rear breathers from prior to 71 are coarse. I am not sure if this procedure would work with coarse threads so attempt it at your own risk.

Temporarily pop the valves back in and go to your hardware store. You will need 2 1/4" brass right angle NPT to compression fittings, 2 plastic ferrules and hose inserts, 15' of 1/4"OD nylon hose (poly will do in a pinch, a T junction with compression fittings on all sides, a whole whack of small *zip-ties, a 10mm tapping die (same thread as your breathers), some 3/8" washers, 2 M10x1.25 nuts, 3" of 1/4"ID rubber hose (like fuel line), 2 1/4" hose clamps, cutting fluid (oil will do in a pinch), Blue Loctite 242, and (recommended but not required) 15' of corregated wire loom covering that will fit over the pipe. If your axles are the style where the rear breather comes up through the brake line T, you will also need a 1-1/2" length of 3/8" brass pipe (often available as a pre-threaded length) and a fitting for joining the pipe to the right angle fitting.

The following procedure applies to situations where the brass pipe and coupler are not required.

1. Re-cut the NPT threads on the angle fittings with a 10mmx1.25 die. If you don't have a die handle, you can always use a wrench, but this increases your chances of cross-threading. Don't forget 1 turn forwards, 1/2 turn back, and use lots of cutting fluid. You may have a couple of threads that are messed up because of interference between the metric and NPT threads, but it should still be strong enough.
2. Coat the threads on the fitting with Blue Loctite
3. Thread a M10x1.25 nut onto the right angle fitting.
4. Thread the right angle fitting into the axle until it won't go any farther(DO NOT OVERTIGHTEN -- the brass is nowhere near as strong as steel)
5. Back the fitting off until it's pointing in the direction you want.
6. Tighten the bolt.
7.  
8. The following procedure applies to those who bought the brass pipe and coupler
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10. Coat the coupler's threads with Blue Loctite. Thread the pipe into one end and the right angle fitting into the other.
11. Re-cut the threads on the pipe as per #1 above. Cut approximately 5/16" of threads.
12. Coat the pipe's threads with Loctite
13. Thread the assembly into the axle. (If tightens pointing in the wrong direction, remove it and try shimming it with a washer so it points in the right direction)

Once the angles are in place, you can put on the hose.

1. Remove the compression nut and brass ferrule from the right angle fitting.
2. Plan out the routing of your hose. It is best to have it travel up along the brake lines, that way there is less of a chance of the hose being damaged by branches etc under the truck. A good location for the T is right against the brake line L that is mounted on the frame below the master cylinder. True hard-core types who don't mind the smell of gear oil can route the line that comes off the T through the firewall into the passenger compartment for maximum fording ablility. Otherwise if you're not equipped with a snorkle, plan to send the line up along the fire wall to hood height. Those lucky enough to have snorkels should route the line up the back side of the snorkle.
3. Once you've planned the route, cut the plastic tubing and loom cover to the required lengths.
4. Slide the compression nut and a plastic ferrule onto each end of the hose.
5. Place the hose inserts inside each end of the hose to prevent it from being crushed when you tighten the compression nuts.
6. Slide the hose into the angle fitting, and tighten the compression nut.
7. Route the hose along the frame of the truck and attach the other end to the T.
8. Snap the loom cover over the hose and zip tie it securely to the frame or a brake line along its whole length.
9. Place the compression nut ferrule and hose insert onto one end of the hose that is to be routed up along the firewall/into the passenger compartment/up the snorkle and tighten it down.
10. Thead/stuff the one of the old breather pop valves into the rubber hose and clamp it securely with a hose clamp.
11. Fit the other end of the rubber hose over the top of the plastic tubing and clamp it with the second hose clamp.

Now your axles are waterproof (if the seals are good :) Unfortunately, there are still two breathers you must worry about for SERIOUS fording. They are on the transfer case and steering box. Unfortunately, I haven't gotten around to relocating these yet. All that will be required when I do this is splicing two more T's into the plastic tubing. The steering box should require a procedure identical to the one outlined here, but I think the transfer case may have a different sized breather plug and require something more creative.

Rob Mullen

It is considerably cheaper to buy your glow plugs from somebody other than Toyota. NGK makes 2 models that fit B's, 3B's, and 2H's. The part number for the 12V version is Y107R and the 24V version is Y197R.

In the event that your glow plugs fail far from civilizaton, it is still possible to start your truck (as long as it is not too cold outside. Simply heat a largish pot of water until it is about to come to a rolling boil. Then pour the hot water over the intake manifold and injection nozzles of the truck. The truck should start as if you'd actually used the glow plugs. If the truck still won't start, try several more pots of water to heat the manifold further.

Rob Mullen

Short wheel base trucks ride rough and there is not a whole lot that can be done about it. There are a few options to soften the ride though. In order of "Bang-For-The-Buck" they are:

1. AVOID ADD-A-LEAFS!
   These will make your Cruiser ride like the axles are bolted directly to the frame.
2. Keep lifts as small as possible
   The higher up you are, the more pitching motions of the truck are amplified.
3. Use the right shocks.
   In BC, the preferred shock set up for FJ40's is 70/30 Gas charged shocks (like KYB Gas-A-Just) up front and 50/50 Oil shocks in the rear (Like Rancho RS5000) The B series engines are lighter than the F's so 70/30 shocks in the front give a _VERY_ harsh ride. The preferred set-up for BJ-40's is 50/50 oil shocks at all four corners. This may also be the best set-up for V8 Owners
4. If you have the Rancho 2.5" 7 leaf Lift, you can improve the ride quality by modifying the spring wrappers. Rancho makes the wrappers too tight for proper spring movement. If you pry open the outermost sets of wrappers, the ride will become softer and your articulation will increase by several inches. The remaining three wrappers are sufficient to prevent spring pack shifting.
5. If your truck is lifted, you can soften the ride by removing one of the short leaves. Unfortunately, removing a leaf will also decrease ride height.
6. Front shackle reversal
7. Reversing the front shackles allows the axle to pivot up and backwards (away) from obstacles instead of forwards into them. Shackle reversal will also decrease bump steer by keeping the steering linkage geometry constant over obstacles. Reversals that recess the shackle mount into the frame are superior because they do not increase lift, and the fixed front mounts are not as likely to become "boulder finders" However, they may also create shackle movement problems.
8.  
9. Polyurethane Bushings/Greasable Shackles
   Adding polyurethane bushings will not soften the ride but will improve handling by preventing the springs from twisting relative to the mounts. Polyurethane is also required for greasable shackles because dino-based grease will break down rubber bushings quickly. Using after-market shackles will further improve handling by resisting shackle twisting, while greasable pins allow the springs to move more freely to absorb bumps.

Steering Wandering

Rob Mullen

There are four basic components in the 40 series steering system that can wear out/go out of adjustment and cause steering slop/wandering. They are the tie rod ends, drag link end, centre arm, and steering box.

A small amount of play in each of the tie rod edns can add up to a huge amount of steering slop. The only way tie rods should be able to be moved by hand is to rotate slightly on an axis that runs through the ball joints at each end of the rod. Even this motion should feel "snug." If the tie rod can be moved in any other direction the ball joints are probably worn and should be replaced.

The drag link connects to the pitman arm that comes off the steering box. If the link can be moved in a fore-aft motion without the pitman arm moving, the end is out of adjustment. The adjustment procedure is fairly simple. Remove the cotter pin, and with a very large slot screwdriver tighten the end plug as far as you can, then back it out 1/2 turn. Finally, put in a new cotter pin.

The centre arm probably accounts for most 40 series steering problems. It is located on the drivers side in front of the front frame crossmember. To test if your centre arm is worn or needs adjustment, have someone turn the steering wheel back and forth while you stand in front of your truck. The centre arm shaft should only rotate about a vertical axis and not twist side-side. If the shaft twists, it may only be out of adjustment. To adjust it, loosen the lock bolt on top of the centre arm. Next remove the top cap. Check inside the arm for grease. If there is none, chances are you centre arm is scrap, but it's worth packing it and re-testing it anyways before you blow $100 on a re-build kit. Once you've filled the housing with grease, replace the top cap. Tighten it down as far as you can then back it of 1/4 turn. Then tighten the locking bolt. Finally, repeat the steering wheel turn test. If the shaft still twists, you need a re-build.

The 40 series manual steering box will only fail to outlive you if one of two things happen: it's run without oil, or its not adjusted periodically. The only way for the oil to get out is if the sector shaft seal fails. Should this happen, you can get by by packing the housing with grease until you have time to replace the seal. Adjustment of the steering box should only be attempted after reading the Toyota Steering or Body/Chassis manual.

If you are running larger than stock tires, you will need a larger than stock steering dampener to stop wandering. IMHO, the Old Man Emu stabilizer is the way to go. It is a VERY sturdy bolt-in replacement for the stock stabilizer.

The other alternative is to get something like the Rancho kit or Heckthorn "Big Yellow" which require adding brackets to the axle and tie rod. I believe the OME unit is superior because it puts the stabilizer higher up where it is less likely to be smacked by rocks or submerged in water, it doesn't introduce any strange off-axis forces in the tie rods and it doesn't require the cheezy clamp-on brackets.

Steering can also be improved by using polyurethane bushings/aftermarket shackles as detailed in the section on Ride Harshness.

Rob Mullen

The transmission and transfer case should be removed as a unit, even if you only need to remove the transfer case. The transmission will separate easily from the bellhousing whereas separating the transfer case from the transmission usually requires a puller. Removing the transmission also allows you to inspect the clutch and pilot bearing.

Save your old large-eye rubber spring bushings. They are great for removing the shifter from your manual transmission. Instead of using two screwdrivers to push and twist (and scratch) the shift lever cap, use the bushing. First, remove the ball at the end of the shifter. Slide the bushing (narrow end down) to the base of the shifter. Then slide a 19mm or larger box end wrench (or the end of a large crescent wrench) down the shifter. Clamp a set of Vise-Grips on to the bushing tight enough to twist it, but not so tight as to clamp it to the shifter. Then while pushing down HARD on the box-end wrench, twist the Vise-Grips clockwise. The shift lever cap should pop right off.

The pilot bearing should be replaced every time you remove the transmission as it is an inexpensive part that can cause major headaches if it fails. The easiest way to remove the pilot bearing is with the Toyota puller (SST# 09303-55010 F&HJ, SST# 09303-35010 BJ) Sometimes the bearing is so tightly wedged into the crankshaft that more drastic measures are required. If the bearing cannot be budged with the puller, the next easiest method is to cut it out. To prepare for this, you must first remove the inner race and ball bearings. To remove the inner race, knock out the black ball bearing cover with a screw driver. Next, poke out the bearing cage. Removal of the cage will allow you to move all the ball bearings to one side of the race. The inner race should then pop out easily.

After you fish out all the ball bearings, you are ready to begin cutting the outer race. For this, you will need a Dremel tool and some cut-off disks. The 1-1/4" discs are too large and will need to be worn down to 1" or smaller for this to work. To wear the disk down, find a piece of scrap steel and cut it. Pressing too hard will quickly wear the disk down. Once the disk is small enough, you can begin to cut the race, You will need to make two cuts, 90 degrees to each other. If the disk is 1" in diamater, you will be able to make two cuts 180 degrees to each other at the same time. Keep a close eye on your cutting to ensure you do not cut cut the crank shaft. Don't worry abou making a small nick or two in the race seat. It will not cause serious problems. Once you have made 2 (or 4) cuts in the outer race, pry it out with a screw driver. You should place something to pry against on the flywheel in the recessed area that does not contact the clutch (Don't scratch the face that contacts the clutch!) A piece of steel similar to a pre-'81 shackle works well for this. If you're blessed with a newer Cruiser, a piece of 1/2"x3"x1" steel channel (fig A) (or something similar) will also do.

Putting the tranny back in is a tiresome process. An engine hoist is essential if you want to preserve your sanity. Jacking the tranny/transfer assmebly from below is virtually impossible. You should buy 3 M12x60(x1.5?) or so bolts to help you allign the transmission. Manouver the tranny into position so that the input shaft is through the throw-out bearing and at least one of the tranny-bellhousing holes is alligned (the lower passenger side one is a good place to start) Thread one of the longer M12 bolts through the tranny and into the bellhousing (be sure there's alot of thread going into the bellhousing so it won't tear out if it has to take some of the tranny's weight. Next, rotate the tranny about the bolt until another hole is alligned. Pop in another of your M12 bolts in. You may have to level the tranny a little before you can get the last bolt in. (Put it on the passenger's side--it's easier to remove) You should then be able to walk the tranny along the bolts until its right up snug with the bellhousing. It may take a little push to close the final 1/4" gap. If there is resistance before this point, chances are the tranny's input shaft is not going through the pilot bearing properly. BE CAREFUL. If you crush the pilot bearing, you'll have to repeat the whole removal/installation process! Once the tranny is in position, put one of the stock length bolts into the driver's side top hole. Finally, remove the allignment bolts one by one and install the stock bolts.

V8 FJ40 Cooling Tips

Fred Welland

TEMPERATURE RANGES

The ideal maximum temperature for a SB Chevy in a Land Cruiser is 200 degrees Fahrenheit. The maximum allowable is probably in the 230-240 range.

FAN TYPES

Flex fans are generally regarded as the poorest type for extreme cooling. Clutch fans are the next worst Electrical fans are the next. They have two advantages: the ablility to be manually shut off during water crossings to prevent splashing, and greater fuel economy. However, a single electrical fan does not move enough air--a dual fan push-pull arrangement may be better though. It is generally agreed that some type of fixed pitch fan with many deep blades is the best. It will move the greatest amount of air, however, it will provide your truck with DC-3 on takeoff roll sound-effects and will function as an excellent screw in water crossings. Some sources of thes monster props are air conditioning suppliers and Cadillacs.

WATER PUMPS & HOSES

A high flow water pump can be good for as much as a 10 degree temperature drop.
For extreme temperature duty, molded hoses tend to be more rupture-resistant than flexible ones.

TEMPERATURE SENDER PLACEMENT

In most cases, the sender is located on the side of the block between cylinders 1 and 2.

LOWERING STOCK RADIATOR

Piece of cake. I hoped I could just slide the radiator down in the u-shaped channel and drill some new holes. Nope, I couldn't get the radiator down enough: you might be able to. If not, take out the radiator and u-shaped mount. The radiator mounts to the u-shaped mount and the u-shaped mount sits on two brackets extending back from the front crossmember. Figure out where you want the radiator to sit (fore and aft) and then cut off enough of the existing brackets so the radiator and mount will move straight down. Figure out how low you want the radiator to sit and then weld two pieces of angle iron to the ends of the brackets to make a new lower shelf for the u-shaped mount to sit on.

When I got my radiator low enough, the corner of my u-shaped mount wanted to occupy the same space as my steering column shaft. I chopped a section out of the u-shaped mount for clearance around the steering shaft and just reinforced the inside of the mount with another small piece of steel. Looks funny, but it works. Bend, cut, weld, or something so you can reattach the side braces and your down the road!

FAN SHROUDS

Some claim that a fan shoud makes all the differnce in the world, however some there are also those that say installing a shroud had no effect.

OIL COOLERS

Adding an oil cooler should make a difference in your engine temperature because theoretically you now have two paths for heat to leave the engine. Adding an oil cooler has the advantage of increasing your oil capacity (although it will cost you more for an oil change)

COOLANT ADDITIVES

Water Wetter is available from any Super Shops. It's $6.95/bottle. If they don't have it in stock they will order it for you. Water Wetter is made by Redline. You can order it directly from them at 1-800-624-7958 if you can't find it locally. However, it may be subject to a minimum order. It works.

 
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