Over the past few years I've slowly become a diesel-nut. My first was a 1985 FJ60 that I swapped an Onan L634T (old old UPS truck engine) into. Was a nice little motor, but I wasn't totally satisfied. It actually pulled better then my friend Luke's 12HT-powered HJ61.
Cruiser's aside, I also bought a 1994 Dodge Cummins, 12-valve p-pump. With a 4” exhaust and a fuel-plate, that thing can get up and go. Also had a 1998 Mercedes E300 TurboDiesel, chipped it would chirp the tires in almost ever gear. It was faster then…well… it was fast.
Then, I decided I wanted a factory diesel. Next thing I know, I had a BJ70 converted to 13BT, cable lockers, longer wheelbase… think BJ74. This was nice… but soon I was on to a new project.
Then I started building a 4BT-powered 80. Well, most of the work was by Ken Hanna. I did all the research and parts gathering… he provided the head-scratching and (top-notch) work. The truck ended up similar to what Proffitt's builds… but a bit more work then the way they do it. The engine was level. The oil pan was modified to allow a standard height OME lift. We used a larger turbo. And the truck was converted to NV4500/Orion. It drives great, has terrific power, and having a 5-speed 80 series is sweet. Having 100:1 to crawl ration is awesome also. But… but the 4BT is just… loud. Looking back on it, I could have kept it and had some cool ideas for filling the inner fenders with foam and covering the valve cover and oil pan with sound deadening… but my friend was excited about it, so we worked out a deal… and I move on.
I looked at how much I had spent on the 4BT80, and even though the motor was only $900... everything else added up to the point that I realized I could have just done a factory diesel in the first place. So I started researching how I could build a factory diesel 80. I talked to wrecking yards in Oz, Specter (in person), G&S Cruisers, and Proffitt's. At one point I had a lead on a 1HDFT/H151 drivetrain for $8500. (Yeah, that's a lot of money, but I don't care. I want to build my dream truck. It's what makes me happy.). Anyway, one of the questions I had was how reliable the engine is, and how hard it is to get parts. So, I emailed a few people who had done this swap. Some guy in Berkeley who bought a converted 80, who works for Plant Drive. Sheldon at G&S. Then I stumbled on this guy on Mud, who 3 years ago had posted "starting my 1HDFT swap" blah blah blah, but then never really posted much else. So, I sent him and email "hey, did you like your truck, is it worth it, etc.".
So, this guy lives in Boulder. He bought a super clean 80 on eBay, then decided to do the 1HDFT with 5-speed H151 swap using Raymond Fourie (who, I don't think coverts trucks anymore) in Vancouver to do it all with factory parts. He then drove it for a few years... loving it. Through a series of events… his friend ended up with the truck. Truck and friend were residing on a Lakota reservation in S.Dakota.
So, Ryan and I talked for a few hours one day, and I dropped the hint that I'd be interested in buying the truck from his friend. Ryan talked to friend, and they thought it might be better for him to own a more standard truck (trying to get parts for a 1HDFT on Lakota reservation is probably not easy).
I flew out to Boulder one weekend and met with the Ryan and his friend. We worked out a deal, and soon I was on my 20 hour drive back to California. The truck, while built very well and using all factory parts… has seen some hard miles. Everything works... all the gauges, cruise control, etc. It has 3" exhaust, intercooler, and turned-up pump. It's sitting on 255 MT's (33x10.5), but otherwise stock.
I started by removing the front/rear damage enhancers, fender flares, roof rack, welded up the roof, and installed J springs and Slee-caster plates. After doing some math… I figured out that the timing belt has 130K miles at least. So, ordered up timing belt. When I took the timing belt cover off, I found the seal was missing and mud and grease was everywhere. So, I kept digging in, and cleaning up.
To date I have or am in the middle of:
rebuilt starter,
rebuilt turbo,
patched intercooler tubing (and soon will replumb),
removed main pulley to replace main seal.
Patched and painted cracked timing belt cover
Replaced alternator with Tundra 130A
Replaced radiator with copper unit
New water pump
Going to do the BEB as well.
And just cleaning cleaning cleaning. Took the whole interior out. Shampoo'd the headliner. Super clean inside now. Have pressure washed the motor, but now am slowly repainting what I can (block, valve-cover, etc.).
Waiting for a bunch of seals and such to show up from Japan4x4. I don't know where I'd be without Mr. Stedman. The 1HDFT motor doesn't share a whole lot of parts with North American Cruisers (ie: Canadian mine trucks).
This will soon be a long-range camping and wheeling truck. I'm running 285 all-terrain's on 16” steel wheels (from the 70 series). 4x4Labs rear bumper. Custom made front (don't like the ARB all that much). And probably going with the 3:1 gear from Marks'. Being a 5-speed, the gearing is not very forgiving, and I could use anything lower I can find. Right now I have 4x2.48x4.1= 40.6:1 The Mark's gears would get me to 49.2:1. Compared to my FJ46 (91:1), this is a far cry from a true rock-crawler… but it's a start.
Cruiser's aside, I also bought a 1994 Dodge Cummins, 12-valve p-pump. With a 4” exhaust and a fuel-plate, that thing can get up and go. Also had a 1998 Mercedes E300 TurboDiesel, chipped it would chirp the tires in almost ever gear. It was faster then…well… it was fast.
Then, I decided I wanted a factory diesel. Next thing I know, I had a BJ70 converted to 13BT, cable lockers, longer wheelbase… think BJ74. This was nice… but soon I was on to a new project.
Then I started building a 4BT-powered 80. Well, most of the work was by Ken Hanna. I did all the research and parts gathering… he provided the head-scratching and (top-notch) work. The truck ended up similar to what Proffitt's builds… but a bit more work then the way they do it. The engine was level. The oil pan was modified to allow a standard height OME lift. We used a larger turbo. And the truck was converted to NV4500/Orion. It drives great, has terrific power, and having a 5-speed 80 series is sweet. Having 100:1 to crawl ration is awesome also. But… but the 4BT is just… loud. Looking back on it, I could have kept it and had some cool ideas for filling the inner fenders with foam and covering the valve cover and oil pan with sound deadening… but my friend was excited about it, so we worked out a deal… and I move on.
I looked at how much I had spent on the 4BT80, and even though the motor was only $900... everything else added up to the point that I realized I could have just done a factory diesel in the first place. So I started researching how I could build a factory diesel 80. I talked to wrecking yards in Oz, Specter (in person), G&S Cruisers, and Proffitt's. At one point I had a lead on a 1HDFT/H151 drivetrain for $8500. (Yeah, that's a lot of money, but I don't care. I want to build my dream truck. It's what makes me happy.). Anyway, one of the questions I had was how reliable the engine is, and how hard it is to get parts. So, I emailed a few people who had done this swap. Some guy in Berkeley who bought a converted 80, who works for Plant Drive. Sheldon at G&S. Then I stumbled on this guy on Mud, who 3 years ago had posted "starting my 1HDFT swap" blah blah blah, but then never really posted much else. So, I sent him and email "hey, did you like your truck, is it worth it, etc.".
So, this guy lives in Boulder. He bought a super clean 80 on eBay, then decided to do the 1HDFT with 5-speed H151 swap using Raymond Fourie (who, I don't think coverts trucks anymore) in Vancouver to do it all with factory parts. He then drove it for a few years... loving it. Through a series of events… his friend ended up with the truck. Truck and friend were residing on a Lakota reservation in S.Dakota.
So, Ryan and I talked for a few hours one day, and I dropped the hint that I'd be interested in buying the truck from his friend. Ryan talked to friend, and they thought it might be better for him to own a more standard truck (trying to get parts for a 1HDFT on Lakota reservation is probably not easy).
I flew out to Boulder one weekend and met with the Ryan and his friend. We worked out a deal, and soon I was on my 20 hour drive back to California. The truck, while built very well and using all factory parts… has seen some hard miles. Everything works... all the gauges, cruise control, etc. It has 3" exhaust, intercooler, and turned-up pump. It's sitting on 255 MT's (33x10.5), but otherwise stock.
I started by removing the front/rear damage enhancers, fender flares, roof rack, welded up the roof, and installed J springs and Slee-caster plates. After doing some math… I figured out that the timing belt has 130K miles at least. So, ordered up timing belt. When I took the timing belt cover off, I found the seal was missing and mud and grease was everywhere. So, I kept digging in, and cleaning up.
To date I have or am in the middle of:
rebuilt starter,
rebuilt turbo,
patched intercooler tubing (and soon will replumb),
removed main pulley to replace main seal.
Patched and painted cracked timing belt cover
Replaced alternator with Tundra 130A
Replaced radiator with copper unit
New water pump
Going to do the BEB as well.
And just cleaning cleaning cleaning. Took the whole interior out. Shampoo'd the headliner. Super clean inside now. Have pressure washed the motor, but now am slowly repainting what I can (block, valve-cover, etc.).
Waiting for a bunch of seals and such to show up from Japan4x4. I don't know where I'd be without Mr. Stedman. The 1HDFT motor doesn't share a whole lot of parts with North American Cruisers (ie: Canadian mine trucks).
This will soon be a long-range camping and wheeling truck. I'm running 285 all-terrain's on 16” steel wheels (from the 70 series). 4x4Labs rear bumper. Custom made front (don't like the ARB all that much). And probably going with the 3:1 gear from Marks'. Being a 5-speed, the gearing is not very forgiving, and I could use anything lower I can find. Right now I have 4x2.48x4.1= 40.6:1 The Mark's gears would get me to 49.2:1. Compared to my FJ46 (91:1), this is a far cry from a true rock-crawler… but it's a start.
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