FJ 60 information

[rmcnabb]

Hey -
I'm new to Toyota being a Land Rover guy for the past 15 years but I'm thinking seriously of pulling the trigger on a clean bone stock '83 FJ60.

I'd like to know the strengths and weaknesses (if any) of this particular model. It's got the standard engine and 4 speed manual, and I want to use it for long distance travel and wheeling up to I suppose the heavy moderate level (no extreme rock crawling). I would like to keep things as stock as possible and I believe the drivetrain is excellent as it was originally designed, but I'd appreciate advice/info/input on the ins and outs of the FJ60. What you'd recommend, what you'd upgrade, etc.

I do not think I would do a SOA, nor would I seek to run tires larger than 32 - 33".

I've had about all the Land Rover fun I can stand for one lifetime, and I'm eager to get into something I can actually depend on.

Thanks very much.

 

[roscoFJ73]

Generally they dont have any weak points. Toyotas method of gradually improving one design over a long period and never introducing a new body with a new engine,means they are virtually flawless.
Of course,good maintenance is the key.

If I did upgrade, I would do the 5 sp swap
Maybe a mild lift and 33in tyres.
The bigger tyres seem to find a sweet spot on the highway.
The original springs will probably be a bit tired by now.

IH8MUD in the 60 series forum has volumes on buying a 60 for newbies

 

[LifeOverland]

GO FOR IT!!

I just got into the Land Cruisers as well. I've got a 1990 FJ62, pretty much the same with an auto, and power windows/doors.
One thing you want to make certain is the level of rust. There's more than likely going to be a little, just make sure it's not significant. Check the rear frame rail channels, behind the rear wheels.
I'd suggest the Old Man Emu suspension and 33x10.5 tires.

Check out www.ih8mud.com for all of your Land Cruiser tech needs, great bunch of guys!!

 

[ntsqd]

I went with the oft recommended OME springs on my '84 FJ60. On highway I'm not too impressed. With similar monotube shocks on both (Fox's on the FJ, Bilsteins on the Mini), my Mini rides a lot nicer. Off highway the OME's are slowly earning my respect.
If you're willing to try something new look for lcwizard's thread on the "Mojave Springs" in Mud's 60's forum. Prime problem, as I see it, is that the LC springs are short. Long term I'm considering going to the GM 63" rear spring that all of the Mini guys like. I have a set on my Mini and I like them too.

A 33" tire doesn't need SOA, which I think is a good thing. Going SOA creates at least one problem that has no good solution (in spite of what those that have done it say).

The front knuckle rebuild is a LC Rite of Passage. No doubt a former LR owner is familiar with the knuckle ball maintenance job. Buy Marlin's inner axle seals when you do that job.

The best Customer Service I've ever gotten from any vendor, work or play, has been from Kurt @ Cruiser Outfitters (A forum member & participant both here and on Mud).

 

[Jonathan Hanson]

rmcnab,

A clean '83 '60 is a real find.

Please avoid the SOA. Some will disagree, but it's just not the right modification for a 60. 32 - 33-inch tires are perfect for the vehicle and won't stress the drivetrain at all. Combine them with a very moderate lift and you'll have a gem of an overlanding vehicle.

One shortcoming of a stock 60 is fuel economy. However, you can significantly enhance your highway mileage by staying under the speed at which the secondary throttle plate opens. Usually this is somewhere around 62 mph. I've seen people go from 13-14 mpg on the highway to 16 or a bit more just by dropping their speed a couple of mph. A Toyota factory five-speed would definitely help there; that's certainly a worthy long-term investment.

Check back issues of Overland Journal for articles on the conservation project FJ60. Its main focus is a turbodiesel conversion, but there are a lot of ancillary modifications worthy of consideration.

 

[BCcamp]

x2 on the ih8mud.com 60 series forum. Tons of info there about the FJ60 and FJ62.

These things are strongly built and reliable, but there are areas where maintenance may have been overlooked (assuming the engine and drivetrain check out OK): radiator and cooling system, burfield joints, steering, and brakes. If the suspension is original, it will probably need to be replaced.

We, too, are keeping our FJ62 as original and stock as we can. We did go with the OME 2.5" suspension kit for both the lift, ride, and performance on and off road (and looks pretty damn good, too). Tires are 33x10.5, which are the biggest recommended to us for the stock gearing (4.11 in the FJ62).

These are slow vehicles on the highway. We cruise comfortably at 60-65, but hills can be a challenge (think downshift early and often), and twisty 2-lane roads are best taken at a leisurely pace. With Land Rover experience, you are probably already familiar with this routine.

Off road, especially for the kind of driving you described, these things are awesome as delivered.

 

[Mike S]

The two modifications I would strongly recommend are the OME suspension (all four springs, greasable shackles, shocks, and steering stabilizer) and the H55F 5-speed transmission. These two mods transformed my FJ60 into a passable road driver, and added capability off- highway. I regularly got 16-17 MPG with this set-up.

The stock 3.73 differential gearing is a bit tall for 33 tires. I used 31" MTRs and liked them. If you go taller, get the thirds from an FJ62 (it's a straight swap) - they are 4.10 and should work better with 33" tires. I would not go wider than 10.50 aspect ratio.

Other than that the 60 is a very good rig for back country travel and is easy to work on.

 

[rmcnabb]

Thanks very much for the excellent replies. Does the 5 speed only add an overdrive, or is first gear lower as well?

Is it a drop in job?

Thanks.

 

[cruiseroutfit]

Thanks very much for the excellent replies. Does the 5 speed only add an overdrive, or is first gear lower as well?

Both, you get the 4.843:1 1st gear (opposed to the 3.55:1 1st in the H42 4 spd) and the .845:1 5th gear.

Is it a drop in job?...

No. If you had a later model FJ60 with the 'spacer' between the H42 & the split-case it would be a direct bolt in swap. With the earlier shorter H42 such as the one in your 83', you will need to modify drive shafts, shifter linkages and some other small items, all very minor in the grand scheme of things. I've been running an H55F for 8-9 years now, absolutely love it and wouldn't think of going back to the H42. In addition to the lower 1st gear and the obvious drive-ability benefits... you also get a very smooth shifting and quiet transmission versus what could be a worn and noisy 4 spd. The H42's are very bullet-proof units, but with time they get noisy and syncro's start to wear.


As for the suspension, I wouldn't rule out a properly done SOA in such a broad stroke but I would definitely recommend one really spend some time discussing all the tradeoffs with an SOA wagon owner. I've spent days and days out on the trail with both setups... they both shine in their own way but the simplicity and reliability of a quality SUA suspension lift is hard to beat when you compare the $1500 OME price tag to a $3000 SOA price tag. I prefer not to look at it as SUA versus SOA so much as 'what size tire do you desire to run'? 33" tires or less and SUA has the game, if 35's or 37's are your goal, the SOA is the way to get there.

 

[HopLite]

As a mechanical engineer who is a newb to auto mechanics...my 2 years with my 87 FJ60 has taught me much:

The 2F has 2 weaknesses:
1) Above the #5 spark plug, there is a small port in which Toyota press-fit a cap. If the cap is blown out, the motor will spew oil and bleed to death. The best fix is to thread the port and place a corresponding bolt/allen/etc. Be careful...if you snap the tap it can be a nightmare.
2) Cooling...even though the radiors are 4-core, they do gradually go bad. An inspection of the coolant system will bode you well.
- Some do not trust the oem engine temp gauge. They use it as a 'dummy light' to let you know when something is really wrong. As suggested by others, I plan on eventually placing my own engine temp gauge. There is no modern replacement for the oem sending unit.

Typically, the suspension becomes saggy. Some like this as it affords greater flex. I opted for the OME (Old Man Emu) heavy/heavy lift from cruiseroutfitters. The owner of the company knows his stuff and is immensely customer oriented. He has one of the nicest FJ40's I have seen and he still finds time get out in on the trails (usually customer appreciation runs...). OME is one of several suspensions...the others are custom to your specific application. If you don't know exactly what you'll do with the truck, OME is great all-around.

The 5-speed makes a difference if you frequent interstates. The 4speed does well until about 65mph (at least mine did). But the presence of an overdrive makes the 5speed worth it if you travel 65+mph regurlarly (or even semi-regurlarly). The lower 1st gear of the 5speed is noticeable on start-ups and does make idling and slow speed control a bit nicer. Even with the 5-speed, you'll still enjoy the sights from the slow lane...

The emissions can be a pain. If your power steering pump leaks...it will leak onto the smog pump. If not taken care of relatively quickly (weeks...not hours), the smog pump will seize. The smog pump is on the same belt as the water pump/fan. So if the smog pump goes...so too does the belt and thus no water pump/fan. Some say the a/c belt can be used, but i have not tried it. Two fixes: (1) keep an eye on the p/s pump, keep spare belts, and spare smog pump or (2) de-smog. For those who can, the de-smog really opens up the engine compartment and makes the 2F of your 60 as simple as antique tractor engine (or a giant lawn mower).

No matter what you do, this beast will suck down the gas. Some have converted to propane. Most drool for the diesel.

Parts availability is actually decent. Once you become aware of the network of vendors, you will not have any trouble finding what you need.

Hope this helps. If you move forward with the buy...you'll never look back :smiley_drive:

~Hoplite

 

[ntsqd]

The "as simple as antique tractor engine (or a giant lawn mower)" comment reminded me of two sig file quotes on Mud. One goes something like " ...these are just a crew cab tractor... " and the other makes a similar comment. I concur.

 

[the dude]

Sounds like a great rig. Get all the maintenance done and have fun with it!

ntsqd I am interested in what the one problem with a SOA cruiser is.

We have two xJ60s in the family, one is on OME and the other is Belton. I also have OME on my SOA 61. On all the suspensions it was a game of taking leafs out letting things settle, adding leafs back in ect to get a nice ride. In the end, the OME has out performed the Belton on ride quality.

Even with 33s as the max tire you want, I would look at axle replacements from longfield. I just don't trust the stock birfields when at angle. I have broken more then my share.

The Marlin inner axle seals are a must if servicing the front end.

You might even look at a small body lift to clear some 34x10.5 tires (about perfect on a stockish cruiser IMO)

I also find the stock electrical can do with some upgrades. Heavier battery cables, better headlight wiring harness ect.

sorry, not much help with the 2F

 

[Jonathan Hanson]

Kurt's reply actually illuminated my biggest objection to SOA 60s. SOAs more often than not go hand in hand with very large/heavy tires, acute driveshaft angles, etc., and as soon as you head down that road you are compromising the durability of the stock drivetrain. Suddenly you need aftermarket birfields and aftermarket driveshafts and aftermarket third members, castor correction plates, etc. etc. etc.

Go to Africa and look at working Land Cruisers there. I've never heard of anyone there installing heavy-duty birfields, etc. Why? Because they run 7.50 x 16 tires with modestly powered (to put it mildly) diesel engines, and they simply don't have the kinds of driveline problems people here do with SOA suspensions and 37-inch tires. And African Land Cruisers see heavy use, day in and day out.

So my answer was offered in the context of building the best possible overlanding vehicle from an FJ60. For that purpose, and to retain as much fuel economy as possible, a mild lift and modest tires work best to keep that thing as reliable as it should be.

 

[the dude]

Go to Africa and look at working Land Cruisers there. I've never heard of anyone there installing heavy-duty birfields, etc. Why? Because they run 7.50 x 16 tires with modestly powered (to put it mildly) diesel engines, and they simply don't have the kinds of driveline problems people here do with SOA suspensions and 37-inch tires. And African Land Cruisers see heavy use, day in and day out.

uhhm.. I am no expert, but my father lived in Nigeria for years and frequents Zambia and Tanzania and he has seen his fair share of hard working land cruiser, and lots of them have broken birfields...at least in his experience but his biggest complaint, tires. But that's for another discussion.

I just think it's a good upgrade, regardless of tire size. Maybe it's our higher speeds or availability to parts that we brake more in NA?? I drive differently 4000km away from home then I do in my own back yard.

 

[60LCConvert]

I think everyoone covered it pretty good, they are indeed tough as boiled owl. Tons of after market products exist, conversions swaps adapters and such abound. You do need to remember that they will get you there pretty much wherever there is, you just need to budget the time to get there especially if there is on the other side of a paved hill. Personally I have a 82 FJ60 with a Jeep 258 inline 6 mated to an SM465 NP203doubler and finally Toyota 60 split case. Oh yeah it sits on a OME lift 4+ shakles OME shocks and 33's clear just fine. Someone posted to keep an I out for the Mohave springs, from personally witnessing them in action my OME springs will be offered up cheap just as soon as the mohave's are available.