The dead FJ60

Hi all, figured I’d start a little thread on my new to me FJ60. I started looking into older Toyotas and they tickled a certain fancy for me. I started watching marketplace for a good deal and stumbled upon a 84’ FJ60 that was at an estate auction. Did I over bid? Probably.. do I care? Not really because I’ve been itching for a project and boy did this thing deliver! It was “non running” and sat as a mouse house for 12 years of its life. However, the owner who parked it left seat covers on the seats and I got very lucky to have non torn, non mouse stained seats. Overall the interior is cleaning up nicely!
Now for the kick to the gonads.. I bought this sight unseen, the poor thing has a blown engine. I reached out to a friend who’s an FJ guy and he connected me with another guy who has a donor engine for it. Over the holiday weekend I snagged an engine hoist and proceeded to pull the dead engine out. Now it’s a few hundred pounds lighter and sitting in waiting for her donor engine.
I’ve been tinkering here and there with other odds and ends, such as the nice dent the front passenger fender came with. I’m no body shop guy but it seemed like a task I could handle. It turned out decent overall!
This thing hasn’t seen a sponge let alone a car wash in well over a decade, so first night I had it home I gave it a try on washing and “polishing” the beast. I got through half the car and the sun set and I went in. The good is, this paint is in good shape and I think it’s gonna polish up nicely. The body is in okay shape, has your typical rust. I’m just getting started and got turned onto this website by a couple folks.
Check out the progress pics, sorry if they aren’t in a good order. Any questions about the rig I’d be happy to answer! Im looking forward to being here with you knowledgeable folks.

Nice score! @timmbuck2 has a couple parts rigs if you need some parts along the way.

HDavis said:

Nice score! @timmbuck2 has a couple parts rigs if you need some parts along the way.

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He’s who I’m getting the engine from! I’m sure I’ll be needing more from him but for now my goal is to see this thing move under its own power!

Congrats! My first was a tan FJ60. It got wrecked
Seats look great. Body looks great.
Is that broken camshaft?!!

A re manufactured head, new rings, and rebuilt carb do wonders for a 2F. I did all that plus rod bearings on my Fj60's 2f back in the late 1990s when I knew a lot less than I know now and we had no internet. Just a Haynes manual, Specter Catalog, and the LCML (Land Cruiser Mailing List). That was with the block in the truck. You already have a donor engine on a stand, just saying.

Keep the posts coming!

Inukshuk said:

Congrats! My first was a tan FJ60. It got wrecked
Seats look great. Body looks great.
Is that broken camshaft?!!

A re manufactured head, new rings, and rebuilt carb do wonders for a 2F. I did all that plus rod bearings on my Fj60's 2f back in the late 1990s when I knew a lot less than I know now and we had no internet. Just a Haynes manual, Specter Catalog, and the LCML (Land Cruiser Mailing List). That was with the block in the truck. You already have a donor engine on a stand, just saying.

Keep the posts coming!

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that is indeed a broken cam shaft! I’ve been able to piece together its life leading up to sitting for 12 years. I found an order of suspension for a young man’s license for speeding and a host of other issues. How you manage to get a speeding ticket in this brick on wheels is a testament to a cam shaft sitting in the oil pan. I’d love to rebuild this one but on the same coin, it has other issues I’m sure I’d stumble upon. It would need more than a rebuild considering the flywheel damn near fell out while I was pulling the engine yesterday.
Today even with the cold temps I had to do something. So I took the fender off and worked the massive dent out to the best of my ability, I’m not a body work guy but I was pleasantly surprised with the results. The passenger door needs something and frankly I’m not sure where to begin.

Great find
Love the color one of my favorite

Cocarlisle said:

Great find
Love the color one of my favorite

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Couldn’t agree more! It’s my favorite from this era.

Congrats on your 60. Looks like a good starting point, and good job on keeping it 2F. keep all those spare parts off the old engine. Getting harder to find stuff. Will you be able to de-smog, or are you in emissions testing territory?

Shout out if you need assembly references. My 85 2F is still all stock and operational.

MDH33 said:

Congrats on your 60. Looks like a good starting point, and good job on keeping it 2F. keep all those spare parts off the old engine. Getting harder to find stuff. Will you be able to de-smog, or are you in emissions testing territory?

Shout out if you need assembly references. My 85 2F is still all stock and operational.

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Well unfortunately I live in an emissions county. But from what I’ve read there really is not much benefit to de-smogging these engines other than fighting vacuum leaks. I plan to replace all the vacuum lines I can think of once I have the donor here and installed.

Welcome to the forum and the world of 60's. They are one of my favorite models in the land cruiser lineage.

LoafNvi733 said:

It would need more than a rebuild considering the flywheel damn near fell out while I was pulling the engine yesterday.

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Sorry I was unclear. I was suggesting you refresh a few things on the donor engine while its out. All good!

Time for a little FJ60 update:
Haven't really made any more progress on the FJ-60, I've been tinkering here and there, pumped out the old foul gas in preparation for the new engine. I've been working with @timmbuck2 to get his donor out and into mine. I was over at his shop getting the engine ready to be pulled! The great news is each bolt and connection that is pulled or removed is one step closer to having it back on the road. I cant wait to get this girl running under its own power again. To make things easier, i removed the front bulbar because it was majorly in the way and frankly I hated the bulbar. The front bumper was some home made and rinkydink welded in place. unfortunately, the damage was done and im going to have to figure out a way to cut the bumper off and preserve the integrity of the frame mount.
In prep to get the engine to pass emissions, vie downloaded the emissions FSM so I can follow verbatim for the spaghetti noodle mess. I'm planning to clean up the donor, install new vac hoses and replace the basics for a Italian tuneup.

getting closer each time i touch it. Cant wait to drive it!

I had a bit of a struggle getting my 1987 60 through emissions last winter. One main takeaway for my case was the cat was bad and needed replacing. I can give you more info on my experience once you get to that point if you’d like. I don’t know where you’re located but the Longmont emissions station seems to be favorable to the old rigs. Boulder station is a fecal matinee.

RDub said:

I had a bit of a struggle getting my 1987 60 through emissions last winter. One main takeaway for my case was the cat was bad and needed replacing. I can give you more info on my experience once you get to that point if you’d like. I don’t know where you’re located but the Longmont emissions station seems to be favorable to the old rigs. Boulder station is a fecal matinee.

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I’m in Jeffco. I’ve heard of small shops in Denver/west metro that do emissions and for a “fee” you can get a pass slip. I may need some feedback once I get the engine in and running. I’m hoping this weekend I’ll be able to have the engine in the truck and start tuning/troubleshooting.

Gasoline engine emissions are exclusively through AirCare Colorado, as far as I know. Diesel emissions are done privately. If you have any questions please ask, I may be able to help. Many on this forum have been through this wringer.

Update time!!!
Engine home and thanks to this incredibly nice weather I’m planning to stab in the engine this week. Here’s my next question for you gurus.. is it easier to stab in the engine or should I pull the transmission/TC in order to drop the whole thing in?
Are the rubber mounts on the engine the same on both sides? Donor engine had a bad bushing so I’m planning to replace before installing. Oreilly has one match and the description leads me to think both bushings are the same for both sides.
Are after market fuel pumps worth while? Reason I ask is I’d like to buy a spare to throw in the truck once it’s running.
I may need some help/guidance once I have it installed for the vacuum lines and such!
Huge thank you to Tim for allowing me to use his tools and his space to pull the donor. If you don’t know, Tim has quite the collection of FJ60s!

(Not a guru, just some dude.)

Is it easier to stab in the engine or should I pull the transmission/TC in order to drop the whole thing in?
The answer tends to lie in the tools that you have at your disposal.
If you have a floor jack and a cherry picker, I'd suggest mating the Trans/TC to the 2F BEFORE you stab everything.
Trying to get the input shaft lined up to the splines/pilot bearing/clutch release bearing can be a bear if you're on your back trying to muscle everything into place.

I'd also suggest buying/borrowing a load leveler if you don't already have one. (Something like this.)
Are the rubber mounts on the engine the same on both sides?
Yessir. Part #: 12361-61020, installed in two locations.

Are after market fuel pumps worth while?
That one I don't have a lot of data on. You mainly see non-OEM pumps in conjunction with aftermarket Fuel injection.

If you're running a carburetor, the fuel pump just needs to keep pressure in the line at the bowl, so the carb can continue to meter fuel. The mechanical fuel pump is up to the task through most conditions.

Are you worried about the pump failing and having to replace it? Or are you just looking at options?

My $0.02, I'm going to run the OEM fuel pump until I get tired of carbs and run a Holley Sniper. (Gasp.) Then I'd probably switch to an in-tank fuel pump.

I may need some help/guidance once I have it installed for the vacuum lines and such!
The easy method: side-by-side reference of another 1984 FJ60. Mine's about to go under the knife, otherwise I'd offer the reference.

The harder, but more long term method: Learn/read through the 2F Emissions control Manual.

If you break it down system by system, it's a little easier to digest.
Bonus: You learn what all the Vac-spaghetti does, and you can talk to other nerds about things like: HAI, HAC, HIC, etc.

Hope that helps.

MonPetiteShoe said:

(Not a guru, just some dude.)

Is it easier to stab in the engine or should I pull the transmission/TC in order to drop the whole thing in?
The answer tends to lie in the tools that you have at your disposal.
If you have a floor jack and a cherry picker, I'd suggest mating the Trans/TC to the 2F BEFORE you stab everything.
Trying to get the input shaft lined up to the splines/pilot bearing/clutch release bearing can be a bear if you're on your back trying to muscle everything into place.

I'd also suggest buying/borrowing a load leveler if you don't already have one. (Something like this.)
Are the rubber mounts on the engine the same on both sides?
Yessir. Part #: 12361-61020, installed in two locations.

Are after market fuel pumps worth while?
That one I don't have a lot of data on. You mainly see non-OEM pumps in conjunction with aftermarket Fuel injection.

If you're running a carburetor, the fuel pump just needs to keep pressure in the line at the bowl, so the carb can continue to meter fuel. The mechanical fuel pump is up to the task through most conditions.

Are you worried about the pump failing and having to replace it? Or are you just looking at options?

My $0.02, I'm going to run the OEM fuel pump until I get tired of carbs and run a Holley Sniper. (Gasp.) Then I'd probably switch to an in-tank fuel pump.

I may need some help/guidance once I have it installed for the vacuum lines and such!
The easy method: side-by-side reference of another 1984 FJ60. Mine's about to go under the knife, otherwise I'd offer the reference.

The harder, but more long term method: Learn/read through the 2F Emissions control Manual.

If you break it down system by system, it's a little easier to digest.
Bonus: You learn what all the Vac-spaghetti does, and you can talk to other nerds about things like: HAI, HAC, HIC, etc.

Hope that helps.

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Thank you very much for the input! Sounds like I’ll go the easier route and pull the transmission and stab the it all in as one unit. I borrowed a load leveler which gave me a great deal of confidence in getting the engine to the right angle and such but I think I’ll be better off dropping the whole unit in. Should make for a fun afternoon!
For the spaghetti, I’m also going to replace the lines to ensure there’s no leaks. Any recommendations on a good replacement line? Now that you mention looking at one as a reference I definitely can do that thanks to Tim having a good running 60 at his shop.

LoafNvi733 said:

Thank you very much for the input! Sounds like I’ll go the easier route and pull the transmission and stab the it all in as one unit. I borrowed a load leveler which gave me a great deal of confidence in getting the engine to the right angle and such but I think I’ll be better off dropping the whole unit in. Should make for a fun afternoon!
For the spaghetti, I’m also going to replace the lines to ensure there’s no leaks. Any recommendations on a good replacement line? Now that you mention looking at one as a reference I definitely can do that thanks to Tim having a good running 60 at his shop.

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If you want them "gucci," 3mm and 5.5mm vacuum lines you can go with SOR.
They offer silicon and an OEM type. They work pretty well.

Otherwise, you can find some 3mm/5.5mm silicon lines that'll do just as well but might not look as sexy.

Here's 16ft of it for the same price as 1ft of OEM/SOR line! Thanks Jeffery Bezos!

It takes 30’ or so of the small diameter hose, so be sure to buy plenty. I bought both sizes in Silicone from McMaster-Carr.