J1000
Rising Sun Member
I just noticed it's been exactly 2 years since you got this 80! Good job on staying focused and getting over all the hurdles! I bet it was worth the wait.
Knitty Gritty - Yarn Cruisers 1990 FJ80
- Thread starter Yarn Cruiser
- Start date
Yarn Cruiser
Rising Sun Member
- Joined
- Jun 15, 2020
- Messages
- 891
Thank you for all the help to. Goes to show how special today is now 
. We joked that Knitty’s easy retirement was coming to end. 
. We joked that Knitty’s easy retirement was coming to end. 
DomOfTheDead
Event Coordinator
The water pump had given us 2 instances where it started leaking and given that we hadn't touched the cooling system since we got the truck, it was time for some love. New water pump, tstat and 8 different coolant hoses were replaced and flushed the system a few times.
it took a while to clean up all of the built up gunk from the leaking power steering pump I had previously addressed.
new belts and leak check from the 16 connections I touched. Next, the inner axle seal failed due to an install issue and started leaking so a new wiper and seal kit went in, with ARP steering studs in the knuckles. And finally installed a Slee drag link thanks to @Eyepain
next up is tcase gears!
it took a while to clean up all of the built up gunk from the leaking power steering pump I had previously addressed.
new belts and leak check from the 16 connections I touched. Next, the inner axle seal failed due to an install issue and started leaking so a new wiper and seal kit went in, with ARP steering studs in the knuckles. And finally installed a Slee drag link thanks to @Eyepain
next up is tcase gears!
DomOfTheDead
Event Coordinator
10% underdrive high range, 3.1 low range tcase gears.
pulling the tcase was the hardest part of this project
we have the tcase reassembled and reinstalled, working on getting some break in miles on it now
Also replaced u joint on both driveshafts
pulling the tcase was the hardest part of this project
we have the tcase reassembled and reinstalled, working on getting some break in miles on it now
Also replaced u joint on both driveshafts
Yarn Cruiser
Rising Sun Member
- Joined
- Jun 15, 2020
- Messages
- 891
allen.wrench
Rising Sun Member
Ah yeah, the crossed legs of concentration and questioning life choices.
I've done that many times!
Allen
DomOfTheDead
Event Coordinator
Notes about this install:
-the underdrive high range adds an additional 10% of reduction to the low range, this puts the overall crawl ratio of the truck at 39.91:1, not too bad for a fairly stock truck
-all work performed with a harbor freight press, a large gear splitter and a Milwaukee 3in grinder for oil slinger and case clearance, as this was my 2nd time doing this gear install, it went quickly
-this tcase did not want to cooperate with my transmission jack, I could not get the splines to line up, I ended up resting the case on my chest and bench pressing it to align the input splines, that was fun
-part of the exhaust had to be removed on this early 80 due how the crossover pipe is routed
-comfort is where you find it, crossed legs of concentration as Allen said
-the underdrive high range adds an additional 10% of reduction to the low range, this puts the overall crawl ratio of the truck at 39.91:1, not too bad for a fairly stock truck
-all work performed with a harbor freight press, a large gear splitter and a Milwaukee 3in grinder for oil slinger and case clearance, as this was my 2nd time doing this gear install, it went quickly
-this tcase did not want to cooperate with my transmission jack, I could not get the splines to line up, I ended up resting the case on my chest and bench pressing it to align the input splines, that was fun
-part of the exhaust had to be removed on this early 80 due how the crossover pipe is routed
-comfort is where you find it, crossed legs of concentration as Allen said
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allen.wrench
Rising Sun Member
AWESOME!! Just awesome work Dom. Keep at it brotha.
Allen
Allen
BritKLR
Vice Commander
Did you video this technique?this tcase did not want to cooperate with my transmission jack, I could not get the splines to line up, I ended up resting the case on my chest and bench pressing it to align the input splines, that was fun
There's a huge demand on youtube for these types of upper body workouts.....could go viral!
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Awesome work. I never pulled the trigger on this mod in Bart - always wished i had. I remember pulling the t-case on him to install the Wholesale Automatics A440F. Pulled the back half of the case and gears and shafts fell out. Thought I was doomed but with the FSM it all went back together just fine. Look forward to your impressions of the mod!
allen.wrench
Rising Sun Member
DomOfTheDead
Event Coordinator
Haha, I realize in retrospect that my statement may read as bragging about strength, please understand that this was a single attempt struggle-fest and not a full repetition lift set.
In my past GM days, I went through a few NP241C transfer cases (chain drive, all aluminum) that are relatively light weight and easy to remove by hand, so this was a fallback method for the LC tcase install and not something I would recommend, and something I would never have attempted with the NP205 I swapped in my old Blazer
DomOfTheDead
Event Coordinator
Thanks! Brandi is used to driving my 80 that has this gear set up so that was part of the decision to do it to her truck. And with the early 80 trans having a lower first gear, the 3fe doing its best impression of being a NA diesel and the truck sitting on 33s (because she's a better driver than me and doesn't need bigger tires
), it pavement crawls really nice and can't wait to get it on trail
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allen.wrench
Rising Sun Member
Hell yeah, making 33s great again! 
Allen
Allen