First post in two weeks! (and a video!)

I bet my Mom is getting bored without a new post, since she's about the only person that looks at this anyway.

I've been enjoying the topless '40 in the Spring weather around Denver lately.

Played around under the hood a little tonight. I've made a list of maintenance tasks I want to take care of. The simplest, and the first on the list, was to clean the carburetor. I'm talking about an on-vehicle cleaning, nothing involving disassembly.









I used the carb cleaner sparingly, and cleaned some other stuff up while I was in there. Cinched up all the EGR/emissions equipment and hoses, double-checked all the vacuum lines, etc.

I noticed while tinkering around that the carburetor assembly would actually wiggle a little. I tightened up the bolts that secure the carb assembly (very tricky to access, by the way), and it got rid of the wiggle.

I also discovered that the distributor no longer contains the factory points & condensor. One of the previous owners installed an electronic (magnet) ignition module. It appears to be a clean install, and the truck runs well, so I'm happy about that. I'll carry a spare set of points just in case.

Here's a video of engine start-up and idle. The lighting is pretty bad since the raised hood blocks the closest shop light, but video is always interesting. Also, the camera audio quality makes it sound like a tractor diesel, but it's not nearly as rickety-sounding in person.



The '40 is running pretty smoothly. Valve adjustment is next. I poked around for the timing hole on the bellhousing, but couldn't find anything tonight, so I'll have to do some research there.

Oil change (and leak)

I changed the oil tonight, twice. I'll have to change it again tomorrow. What?

I changed the oil and filter. This engine holds a lot of oil.



But, soon after I finished filling the oil, I noticed it was leaking from the drain plug. As I poured the old oil into the empty containers, I noticed a crush washer in the bottom of the drain pan.

So I changed the oil again. Cleaned out my drain pan, drained all my new oil, replaced the crush washer, and filled the engine again. It still leaks. I don't want to overtighten it because stripping the drain plug threads can compromise an otherwise good oil pan. It's snug enough that it shouldn't be leaking.

Here's hoping that the Toyota dealer near work has a drain plug crush washer/gasket in stock for pickup tomorrow.

I got my plates yesterday. They're good until 2013!



I replaced the hood hinges. No more "thunk!" This is a huge step, because this fixes one of the few remaining "noises." Another noise bothering me is what sounds like a lifter(s) tap. It occurs more when the engine is warm, which also suggests lifters, I think. I'm sure I could use a valve adjustment, and I know it's running a little rich. Neither are emergencies. I'll attempt to tweak the fuel delivery a little more sometime soon, but I've heard stories about how complex these carburetors are. I'll take it really slowly.





I also noticed awhile back the the driver-side caliper pistons are not retracting all the way, so the brake is dragging 100% of the time. This is not good for gas mileage. I ordered and received a caliper rebuild kit from CCOT, but realized later that a rebuilt, loaded caliper is only $10 more than the rebuild kit, which is just a few rings and caliper seals/boots. I'll return the CCOT stuff for credit. I need a weekend to do the brakes, because I'll go ahead and replace all the fluid and the lines at the same time. The sticking pistons could also be a sign that the master cylinder is in need of replacement, right? Master cylinders are not worth the rebuild either, because to do it correctly you have to hone the cylinder. And it probably makes sense to replace both calipers if I'm going to replace one.

The 40 isn't looking so bad these days!

Fenders and aprons back on

Lots of progress today. The weather finally started to cooperate here in Denver, and in a big way. It was near-freezing when I woke up this morning, but by midday the temperature had risen into the 60s, and the sun was out in full force. Old Man Winter may have had his last hurrah- I sure hope so.

The tulips are beginning to form buds in our back yard.



Each of the fenders got several coats of undercoating on the bottom, and primer on the top.



I'm pleased with the way this 3M undercoating looks.









I had all kinds of new hardware prepared for the fenders:


I cannot recommend the factory Toyota fenders enough. There is an ongoing discussion among FJ40 owners about factory vs. reproduction fenders- after seeing how well these fit, I feel sorry for the guys trying to bend their Taiwanese metal into place.



Every bolt hole aligned perfectly:



There's nothing like installing brand new parts with brand new hardware:





So, the '40 is back on the road.

CCOT "Hell for Stout" bumper

My bumper and some other stuff arrived from CCOT yesterday. I'm pretty impressed with this bumper. It is HEAVY. Slapped it on last night- here are some photos.









There is a 30% chance of snow here today...ARGH! I don't mind the snow usually, but for the last two weeks it has prevented me from getting the fenders back on. As soon as we get some decent weather (tomorrow?), the fenders will get their finishing coats of primer and undercoat, and the '40 will be back in service!

Summer top loops

My SOR Summer Top arrived late last week. The top came with footman loops that are intended to be bolted to the quarter panel upper support channels. I decided to look for an alternative way to secure the straps in the rear to avoid drilling any unnecessary holes in the body.



I thought I might be able to use the included footman loops with the existing bolt holes, but SOR isn't quite that clever. They are a little too big.



So, I wandered the aisles at Lowe's for a little while and came up with this solution: using a few inches of vinyl-coated steel cable, several copper lugs, and tools I found in the cable/chain aisle, I made some "loops." The entire time I was constructing these things (at Lowe's)- using the cable cutter marked "For employee use only," and the big crimping tool- I didn't get a single offer for help from an employee, which was fine with me, but surprising.



These made a pretty nice substitute for the footman loops, and I was able to attach them to the backside of existing holes for the door hinges.



Can't wait to get rid of that rust.



The fenders are coming along nicely. I'm really anxious to get them back on the truck, though- I've been driving the Beetle for more than a week. The undersides have been sprayed with 3M Rubberized undercoating over the factory primer, and I primed the tops with rattle cans. I'm getting better at this as I go along. I'll get pics of the undercoating tomorrow- it looks and feels pretty tough.



The fender was inside because I was doing more paint removal with the grinder and abrasive wheel in the garage, and didn't want to risk contaminating the primer before it dried.

Fenders

I picked up my fenders from Mile High Toyota earlier this week. They arrived in great shape- I think I'm going to be happy that I went with OEM in this case. After comparing to the old fenders, I confirmed that all the bolt holes and the turn signal holes are correct.



Removing the fender aprons and the old fenders was a cinch. They just unbolt and come right off. The charcoal canister, coil and a couple fluid reservoirs have to be removed from the inside of the passenger side fender, and there are a few things to unbolt from the inside of the driver's side as well.







It is pretty easy to poke around in the engine compartment with the fenders removed.





I'm going to replace the fuel filter, battery tray and hold-down, spark plug wires, and battery ground cable while I've got easy access. I started prepping the aprons for primer also. They were in pretty decent shape- I probably could've foregone the rust-preventative primer coat until the real paint job, but why not since I've already got 'em unbolted. The fenders will get a coat of primer as well, if only to seal up the places where the factory primer coat has been scratched. The undersides will be sprayed with some undercoating or something similar.

Unfortunately, it has been raining and cold here. Not great painting weather. I need to read up on fender undercoating a little more, but hopefully I'll have the truck back on the road early next week.