Intro and 4bt FJ60/camper rig
- Thread starter bahndo
- Start date
bahndo
Supporting Sponsor: Bahn Camper Works
C red- Case is on the list, I applied to 10 schools, everywhere from MD to OR, I'd be psyched w/ Case.
151fab- damn, I had no idea the VW top fit so well. I had been thinking of trying one as there is an old one in the junk yard where I am working on my rig, now I will make sure I go and snag it.
151fab- damn, I had no idea the VW top fit so well. I had been thinking of trying one as there is an old one in the junk yard where I am working on my rig, now I will make sure I go and snag it.
dieselcruiserhead
16 Years on ExPo. Whoa!!
Good stuff 
The only thing is you will be downgrading a little with the 80 down to the 60. As much as I absolutely love 60s it may begin to wear you down a little and you will question whether it was all worth it. Also while I sure am a proponent of the 4BT of course, it is a loud and rougher engine and feel. Basically it will still be a cruiser, will be awesome, but the whole build will require an attention to detail and patience that will need to be thorough and complete for the final scenario to not drive you nuts. So I hope it helps. That said you have a hell of a setup there. Sort of like going back to the great era of the Toyota, before they got extremely popular and were great because of their awesome heavy duty and stripped down nature. That said I've driven across the country in a 60, which only 10 years ago was still standard technology. The weakness is the leaf springs but with good tweaking/design you can get leafs to work well. But they will never run as well as your current coils. When I took my similar route with my FJ55, the big dampener was my body. It was 50%/medocre when I started. I went crazy with the body work (I'll see if I can find the thread from pirate) but it still never panned out, it was not salvagable. I would say starting with a clean body is very important IMO.
So just my $.02. Everything there looks absolutely great. Stick with the stock axle gearing (cheaper, easier), and if you search "dieselcruiserhead's motor" on my board you'll see how i routed the AC compressor which will be an early Dodge unit, and I believe the AC hoses should bolt up, otherwise custom AC hoses are about $90 each (and you need two). Otherwise you can completely retain the 80 series AC unit. It is much less labor intensive this way rather than retaining the 60 series AC compressor.
I hope it helps!!
The only thing is you will be downgrading a little with the 80 down to the 60. As much as I absolutely love 60s it may begin to wear you down a little and you will question whether it was all worth it. Also while I sure am a proponent of the 4BT of course, it is a loud and rougher engine and feel. Basically it will still be a cruiser, will be awesome, but the whole build will require an attention to detail and patience that will need to be thorough and complete for the final scenario to not drive you nuts. So I hope it helps. That said you have a hell of a setup there. Sort of like going back to the great era of the Toyota, before they got extremely popular and were great because of their awesome heavy duty and stripped down nature. That said I've driven across the country in a 60, which only 10 years ago was still standard technology. The weakness is the leaf springs but with good tweaking/design you can get leafs to work well. But they will never run as well as your current coils. When I took my similar route with my FJ55, the big dampener was my body. It was 50%/medocre when I started. I went crazy with the body work (I'll see if I can find the thread from pirate) but it still never panned out, it was not salvagable. I would say starting with a clean body is very important IMO.
So just my $.02. Everything there looks absolutely great. Stick with the stock axle gearing (cheaper, easier), and if you search "dieselcruiserhead's motor" on my board you'll see how i routed the AC compressor which will be an early Dodge unit, and I believe the AC hoses should bolt up, otherwise custom AC hoses are about $90 each (and you need two). Otherwise you can completely retain the 80 series AC unit. It is much less labor intensive this way rather than retaining the 60 series AC compressor.
I hope it helps!!
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bahndo
Supporting Sponsor: Bahn Camper Works
Thanks, glad to hear you guys think I'm on the right path!
Andre- your original diesel swap web site is what really turned me on to this project some years ago. I followed you first 4bt/55 build and was following your last 55 build but I haven't checked it out lately. I hear you on the 80, that's why I got the one I have now. After driving it for a while I decided that I want to start out with a simplier build and have a pretty basic reliable vehicle. If all goes well I will eventually build the 80 but right now it's not in the cards and if I take apart another LC without having something to replace it I think my wife will kill me (I'm on my second 60 tear down). I have been thinking of going with either a 6bt or a 4bd2t for the 80 and adapting it to the a rebuilt (extreme from Wholesale automatics in Oz) toyota tranny. Seeing as the cost of the tranny is somewhere north of $4000, I have to save up, maybe wait til I get out of dental school.
Anyway.... The 60 is where I am going for this one so that's what I need to focus on now. You have had plenty of experience with SOA and 4bt's, what do you think of leaving it sprung under and modifying the pan to accomidate the the DS/diff.?
Thanks,
Bahndo
Andre- your original diesel swap web site is what really turned me on to this project some years ago. I followed you first 4bt/55 build and was following your last 55 build but I haven't checked it out lately. I hear you on the 80, that's why I got the one I have now. After driving it for a while I decided that I want to start out with a simplier build and have a pretty basic reliable vehicle. If all goes well I will eventually build the 80 but right now it's not in the cards and if I take apart another LC without having something to replace it I think my wife will kill me (I'm on my second 60 tear down). I have been thinking of going with either a 6bt or a 4bd2t for the 80 and adapting it to the a rebuilt (extreme from Wholesale automatics in Oz) toyota tranny. Seeing as the cost of the tranny is somewhere north of $4000, I have to save up, maybe wait til I get out of dental school.
Anyway.... The 60 is where I am going for this one so that's what I need to focus on now. You have had plenty of experience with SOA and 4bt's, what do you think of leaving it sprung under and modifying the pan to accomidate the the DS/diff.?
Thanks,
Bahndo
dieselcruiserhead
16 Years on ExPo. Whoa!!
That mod is difficult... But can be done. The oil capacity I think is 10 quarts so you could easily trim a few out and be OK But the SOA route is much cleaner, but 60s on 35's SOA are BIG. When you get to Moab/Cruiser Moab it feels small/traditional but all other times it feels big... but you can still tune them to very good, most of the proffits 60s are this way...
But that is the prefered setup, IMO, the straight up SOA and looks like you are already close to it... But anything can be done and it would be neat to see...
anywhoo, cool and welcome to Expo as well, a lot of us meandering over here. My #1 home I think for anything car related, for a number of reasons. Cheers! A
But the SOA route is much cleaner, but 60s on 35's SOA are BIG. When you get to Moab/Cruiser Moab it feels small/traditional but all other times it feels big... but you can still tune them to very good, most of the proffits 60s are this way...But that is the prefered setup, IMO, the straight up SOA and looks like you are already close to it... But anything can be done and it would be neat to see...
anywhoo, cool and welcome to Expo as well, a lot of us meandering over here. My #1 home I think for anything car related, for a number of reasons. Cheers! A
bahndo
Supporting Sponsor: Bahn Camper Works
dieselcruiserhead said:
Yeah that was kind of my thinking. after driving the 80 with 6" springs on it I have a little more of a feeling for what is really *needed*. Don't get me wrong the 80 will go pretty much anywhere but when trying to make up time on a few hundred miles of highway it just doesn't feel that safe. I know that this is primarily due to the somewhat budget lift that is on it and that it was built with off road capability in mind, but still that much weight, up that high, with a rack loaded with boats....
The SOA is practically done (just need shock mounts, sway bar mounts, clean and paint) so there is still a good chance I'll go that route. I am just trying to keep in mind the goal of being able to drive cross country in this rig and be fairly comfortable and still have a rig that can get off the beaten path to explore rivers, beaches, and the mountains, not to build an extremely capable rock crawler that is a nightmare to take over 55 mph.
Heading to Durango for a bachelor party this weekend, if anybody is in town and wants to check out a pretty funny haloween kayak race, come on down to Santa Rita park just after noon!
Grease Cruiser
Adventurer
A well done SOA 60 will run down the highway w/ no problems. My 4BT powered FJ60 would run down the highway at 80 mph very comfortably. It did not feel awkward at all and I felt very safe in it. It felt a helluva lot safer than the 4" Alcan springs that were on it for awhile. That's a story for another time.
Good ol D'go. I was just there a few weeks ago and I had not been down there for about 7 years. Wow! That place has changed a little since I graduated from FLC. Went and saw the SKA boys at their new facility. They've come a long ways since I used to brew there.
Have fun at Smelter. I remember those rapids well.
Good ol D'go. I was just there a few weeks ago and I had not been down there for about 7 years. Wow! That place has changed a little since I graduated from FLC. Went and saw the SKA boys at their new facility. They've come a long ways since I used to brew there.
Have fun at Smelter. I remember those rapids well.
bahndo said:
bahndo
Supporting Sponsor: Bahn Camper Works
Thanks for the advice on the SOA, I'm still a little up in the air. I think it would be pretty cool to have a semi-low slung (maybe 1" lift) 60 on 35's with trimmed fenders.
D-town certainly has changed since my time at Fort Leisure, I to was blown away by the new ska facility. My buddy and old roomate Arlo seems to have graduated from bar room action figure. It sure was nice to be back in town and the weather was gorgeous.
I'm hoping to get out and do some work later this week so hopefully I'll have some updates then as far as the build goes.
-Bahndo
D-town certainly has changed since my time at Fort Leisure, I to was blown away by the new ska facility. My buddy and old roomate Arlo seems to have graduated from bar room action figure. It sure was nice to be back in town and the weather was gorgeous.
I'm hoping to get out and do some work later this week so hopefully I'll have some updates then as far as the build goes.
-Bahndo
Grease Cruiser
Adventurer
That wouldn't be Arlo from Salida, would it? If it's the same person, he used to host an event at the Carbondale Mountain Fair for years. I kind of knew Arlo back in D'go from working at the brewery. Small world.
bahndo said:
dieselcruiserhead
16 Years on ExPo. Whoa!!
Too cool and jealous... I still have some durango microbrew in cans from a rafting trip on the Dolores earlier this year and in honor of this thread, I'm going to crack open an Old Chub (8.0 percent of Stout action, Lyons Colorado)...
Anywhoo I 100% agree about the SOA being very stable too. There was only 1 time ever I was not psyched with my suspension which was on dirt roads and hauling *** over the ruff stuff. Looking back at it it was the only real place where there was a clear advantage with coils... I guess I wrapped myself up with my current coil projects to forget about this
Cheers guys and agian that Westy lid or similar sounds awesome.. I think I mentioned it but I was considering it on my 55, here is a pic of basically where it's at (prime opportunity ). I was thinknig I'd fab similar to the German camper mods...
Anywhoo I 100% agree about the SOA being very stable too. There was only 1 time ever I was not psyched with my suspension which was on dirt roads and hauling *** over the ruff stuff. Looking back at it it was the only real place where there was a clear advantage with coils... I guess I wrapped myself up with my current coil projects to forget about this
Cheers guys and agian that Westy lid or similar sounds awesome.. I think I mentioned it but I was considering it on my 55, here is a pic of basically where it's at (prime opportunity
). I was thinknig I'd fab similar to the German camper mods...Attachments
bahndo
Supporting Sponsor: Bahn Camper Works
Update
Well I finally got some time to work on my project this weekend so I figured I'd post up and show some progress. First I spent Friday in the shop at school and finally finished the tranny cross member and cut some frame tabs to weld in. I took some measurements and designed the profile of the cross member. I had the profile laser cut out of 1/4" steel, 2 pieces (front and back). I also added some spacers (also out of 1/4") and the mount plates for the tranny. I boxed the whole thing in with some 14 gauge for added stiffness/strength.
I knew I wanted to damped this motor as much as possible so I decided to add some bushings at the frame mounts. I happened to have some extra spring bushing (for an fj60) so I bored out some 1.5" steel stock to fit and welded them on. I am psyched that I put this together b/c now I can easily order more and replace them if needed. Here you can see the bushing in place and the clearance for the front driveshaft.
Next on to the brakes. I am going with the GM MC and hydroboost from the bread van so I needed to make an adapter to bolt it up to the fire wall. Pretty simple really, we had some m10x1.25 all thread so I cut 4 pieces and welded them to another plate courtesy of the laser at school :jumping:
I found some adapters online to go from the NPT fitting on the MC to the inverted flare toyota lines. So I should be able to retain the rest of the brake system.
The whole unit-
Well I finally got some time to work on my project this weekend so I figured I'd post up and show some progress. First I spent Friday in the shop at school and finally finished the tranny cross member and cut some frame tabs to weld in. I took some measurements and designed the profile of the cross member. I had the profile laser cut out of 1/4" steel, 2 pieces (front and back). I also added some spacers (also out of 1/4") and the mount plates for the tranny. I boxed the whole thing in with some 14 gauge for added stiffness/strength.
I knew I wanted to damped this motor as much as possible so I decided to add some bushings at the frame mounts. I happened to have some extra spring bushing (for an fj60) so I bored out some 1.5" steel stock to fit and welded them on. I am psyched that I put this together b/c now I can easily order more and replace them if needed. Here you can see the bushing in place and the clearance for the front driveshaft.
Next on to the brakes. I am going with the GM MC and hydroboost from the bread van so I needed to make an adapter to bolt it up to the fire wall. Pretty simple really, we had some m10x1.25 all thread so I cut 4 pieces and welded them to another plate courtesy of the laser at school :jumping:
I found some adapters online to go from the NPT fitting on the MC to the inverted flare toyota lines. So I should be able to retain the rest of the brake system.
The whole unit-
bahndo
Supporting Sponsor: Bahn Camper Works
I also decided to go with a SOA since I am pretty much done with it. I finished welding the perches on and bolted the axle under the truck.
While I was out working on the truck I took a break and headed over to junk yard to check on the condition of the westfalia (sp?) pop top. Here is what I found:
Yes that is an airplane on top of it, so it looks as though I need to find another source for my camper top.
That's pretty much it for this weekend. Next up is to pull the engine, clean it up and get it running on the stand. I also have lots of parts that need paint so I may start working on that too.
While I was out working on the truck I took a break and headed over to junk yard to check on the condition of the westfalia (sp?) pop top. Here is what I found:
Yes that is an airplane on top of it, so it looks as though I need to find another source for my camper top.
That's pretty much it for this weekend. Next up is to pull the engine, clean it up and get it running on the stand. I also have lots of parts that need paint so I may start working on that too.