FJ60 LS Swap - From Oil Burner to Gas V8 - Stoffregen Motorsports

Update on the green FJ60 LS Swap.

The customer has been dealing with pressure buildup in the fuel tank. When we bought the new long range fuel tank from Man-A-Fre, I had trouble figuring out how to hook up all the vent ports, since they were vastly different from the original tank and because the trucks vapor line system was butchered by the guy who put the diesel in that we took out (I know, blame the other guy...). We think we have it figured out now (we better, because I am just now finishing up fab work on another FJ60 LS Swap), but if anyone has any suggestions or knowledge on this Man-A-Fre fuel tank, I'd like to hear from you.
 

Carpdawg

New member
I know that this is bumping a pretty old thread, and I'm sorry to call on the memory cell, but I'm planning a swap myself and I was wondering about how things are working with this truck. In particular, how is the cooling working out? Does the crossover tube on the exhaust cause any issues with the clutch or throw-out bearing? I've been reading some other swap threads saying that the Mark's adapter moved the motor too close to the radiator to allow for manual fans. Obviously, you didn't have this problem. Do you think that was because of the previous swap?

Excellent build. Thank you for sharing!
 
Ironically, this truck is in the shop as we speak. Not my shop, but one closer to where the owner lives. I got a call from him Monday for some advice. It's running great, but he's having some transfer case problems after driving it for hundreds of miles while engaged in 4wd. Oops.

The crossover pipe has not caused any issues, and a lot of MFGs do their exhaust this way. Some directly under the oil pan, some very close to the trans. In this case, the routing under the bellhousing couldn't have worked out better, There's nothing there to overheat.

The Marks adapter...I don't use it as they intended. I move the t-case crossmember back to get the engine as far back as possible, about an inch and a half from the firewall. Using it as they designed leaves you with a very short front driveshaft, and on lifted trucks, every inch you can add to the front driveshaft will be beneficial.

Thanks.
 

Carpdawg

New member
Great info, thanks! Didn't realize (or most likely, didn't catch it) from your thread that you moved the crossmember and changed driveshafts. That makes the Mark's adapter less of a deal then...
 

DCH109

Adventurer
The Marks adapter...I don't use it as they intended. I move the t-case crossmember back to get the engine as far back as possible, about an inch and a half from the firewall. Using it as they designed leaves you with a very short front driveshaft, and on lifted trucks, every inch you can add to the front driveshaft will be beneficial.

Thanks.

Is this because the diesel motor changed the location of the trans and transfercase?

I am looking to do a swap soon and wanted it use the Mark's Adapter as well. Ideally not to change the driveshafts, transmission location etc. I have a stock 2f with H55 in an 86 Fj60. So everyting is in the correct location now
 
It wasn't because the diesel engine location, but whoever did that conversion cut the old crossmember out and fabbed a new one, so when I put the LC crossmember back in, I put it where I wanted it.

I think the Marks kit is simple enough, but I wish it didn't stack onto the original iron bellhousing. Seems like a waste of valuable space.
 

LuisGW

Active member
Do you see any problem using the stock Toyota condenser with GM AC compressor? I am doing similar LS swap now.

 

LuisGW

Active member
Getting the proper VSS to communicate with the manual trans ECU was trickier than I thought. I called APT instruments and they had a solution, but it was too complex. Of course there's always Dakota Digital, but gadgets don't really do it for me. But I found a really cool solution. Just down the road from me...ok, 125 miles... is a shop called Jags That Run. They are famous for V8 swaps in mid year Jaguars. They just happened to have exactly what we needed, with no doohickeys, just a simple reluctor ring and an OE GM VSS. Part of the issue lay with the pulse requirements of the manual trans computer; 17 pulse, but they had the right parts in stock.

It's a really neat solution. Check it out.





I had a couple leaks to fix in the t-case while I was in there, but other than that, installation was very easy.







But of course, there is another problem. The new VSS is clocked so that it interferes with the speedo correction gearbox. Out of the frying pan, into the fire...
I'll have to have a new gearbox made in 90 degrees. APT can help me with that.

I got this VSS module from Jags that Run recently but they got the mating flange hole layout wrong. They made it with evenly spaced hole layout but the holes are not regularly spaced. I had a local shop remake the mating flange with the correct layout. Also they provided a reluctor with 40 teeth. I am told it is programmable so that it should work. I hoping they are right.
 

LuisGW

Active member
Do you have a photo showing how the rear mounting brackets for the Manafre tank are supposed to work? Thank you.
 

Gifu

Observer
rereading through this thread as I prep for an LS swap... just for future reference, I seem to remember that the ac amplifier in FJ60 need to see the original tach signal. Guys who have done diesel swaps have had problems getting the air con to fire up; and an amplifier from a mini truck (like you used) or from (if memory serves) an FJ62 seems to solve the problem.
 

Forum statistics

Threads
185,535
Messages
2,875,628
Members
224,922
Latest member
Randy Towles
Top