• Jack-it Night: April 2024 RS Meeting Hey Guest: Wed. April 3rd is the next Rising Sun meeting, and you won't want to miss it. We're doing our annual offroad recovery equipment demonstration and trail skills training aka "Jack It Night." Meeting starts at 6:30 p.m. (early) Click here for all the details.

Minnesota 40

MDH33

Hard Core 4+
Joined
Mar 8, 2006
Messages
7,681
Location
Trapped in a corn field
Getting ready to tear into the cooling system. The PO replaced the factory waterpump with an auto parts store part that is not sealed correctly and leaking. the radiator looks original but is in sad shape, so I picked up a Toyota waterpump and radiator. For hoses and clamps, I'm trying to decide if I should stick with stock and find the double wire clamps, or if I should go with tighter fitting band style hose clamps (I have some of the original clamps in a parts box, but need several others). SOR has a decent deal on an aftermarket hose set with stainless band clamps, but I can probably still get oem hoses and oem double wire, but is it worth the extra $?. Any thoughts from those who have done cooling system recently?
 

simps80

Rising Sun Member
Joined
Jan 22, 2009
Messages
2,703
Location
Arvada, CO
The hoses and clamps are reasonable from Toyota
I have pictures somewhere of all the hose pns and the clamps too which are all in mm based pns
I will look for them
I did this all same stuff early winter
New oem radiator still available was cool
 

MDH33

Hard Core 4+
Joined
Mar 8, 2006
Messages
7,681
Location
Trapped in a corn field
Nothing done on my 40 this weekend other than driving it a bunch.😉 I've been taking it on longer drives and testing it out. Its doing better and better. No more smoke, overheating or stalling. Only issue is still the leaking coolant, but have the new radiator, waterpump, gaskets here and waiting to order hoses and clamps.

Really loving the three on the tree. Early cruisers are too cool. ( if I was in the mountains still, I would be missing my locker and floor shift).

i-4mjJ2BC-L.jpg


Drove it out to a farm in the next county to help out a guy I know with a couple of old crusty FJ60's. One has some potential with only 107k on the clock! He brought it from California back in the day and rode it hard on the iowa gravel roads. Bummer. Its been sitting awhile but got it running and that low miles 2F sounds like music. Tank is rusty and rear brakes seized up. Glad I got to it before it sunk into the ground any further. 😉

i-ZXwcZGr-L.jpg


i-R46pxh3-L.jpg


Fun weekend wrenching and talking cruisers!
 
Last edited:

MDH33

Hard Core 4+
Joined
Mar 8, 2006
Messages
7,681
Location
Trapped in a corn field
It's summer in Iowa already. Skipped spring as it was snowing a few days ago. Almost 90 degrees today and all the cool flowering trees are busting out. :p:
i-4x7pxd9-XL.jpg


I had a little time to play with the 40 after doing yard work most of the day.

The PO decided to add some rear ventilation at some point which consisted of drilling 11 holes per side into the hard top and covering them with fiberglass trailer clamshell vents. The vent covers were disintegrated, but the holes remain. If I ever decide to do a full repaint, I`ll weld them closed, but in the meantime I came up with a cover that, I think, looks ok. Purists will cringe, so look away.

Here`s the "vent" after I removed the fiberglass clamshell and glue.

i-VzFw5L4-M.jpg


I found some round stainless marine louvered vent covers and painted them fj40 pewter. Had to drill a few more holes but what the hell, right? I think it looks decent since 40`s have lots of louvers and it will keep the wasps out. :hill:

i-PNJMNdG-XL.jpg


I got my other jumpseat upholstered too. ( don't laugh at my tiny, messy, spider infested garage. ) someday i`ll have a proper workshop. ;)

i-Z9wrqfx-M.jpg
 

LARGEONE

Rising Sun Member
Joined
Jun 12, 2007
Messages
2,852
Location
Broomfield, CO
Such a beauty!

vent looks way better than holes
 

MDH33

Hard Core 4+
Joined
Mar 8, 2006
Messages
7,681
Location
Trapped in a corn field
Getting ready to tear into the cooling system. The hoses i ordered that were lost in the mail finally arrived.

Question: for the waterpump, should I hunt down the Toyota FIPG, or will permatex ultra black be good enough?
 

LARGEONE

Rising Sun Member
Joined
Jun 12, 2007
Messages
2,852
Location
Broomfield, CO
I used Permatex. Toyota is great but Really? ;)
 

MDH33

Hard Core 4+
Joined
Mar 8, 2006
Messages
7,681
Location
Trapped in a corn field
Waiting a bit on the cooling system, it will be down awhile when I start that and still having fun driving it.

Pulled the passenger seat today and tore into it.

i-DNmrwhP-L.jpg


i-MhjTqGR-L.jpg


Fewer hog rings than I expected. My first go- round with 40 bench seats. Only a handful holding the foam and burlap to the frame.

I was sad to cut away the original Japanese knots and twine holding the seats fabric on, but the fabric was toast and I had a feeling the rodents had been residing in them.

i-tCpV7sD-L.jpg

i-FN8RsNM-L.jpg
 

MDH33

Hard Core 4+
Joined
Mar 8, 2006
Messages
7,681
Location
Trapped in a corn field
Indeed they were, found scraps of old newspaper and luckily, lots of rodent poison. Glad the PO baited those suckers, otherwise the interior would have been destroyed. After a good cleaning, the seat frames look pretty decent.

Before


i-2kN2HBP-L.jpg



after


i-g4rWngn-L.jpg
 

MDH33

Hard Core 4+
Joined
Mar 8, 2006
Messages
7,681
Location
Trapped in a corn field
Decided to tear into the the rear tail lights. Oh boy, were they rotten...

i-QhZBb5X-L.jpg


Now I know why the 64-68 tail light brackets are unobtainium...
 
Last edited:

MDH33

Hard Core 4+
Joined
Mar 8, 2006
Messages
7,681
Location
Trapped in a corn field
I have the right lamps now, but need to figure out what to do about the brackets/frames. Sor sells some aftermarket, but they are flat. They don't have the rounded edge like oem.

Terry had a good suggestion for fabricating some. I bet if he made a batch, he would sell every one. 😉
 
Last edited:

LARGEONE

Rising Sun Member
Joined
Jun 12, 2007
Messages
2,852
Location
Broomfield, CO
I have the right lamps now, but need to figure out what to do about the brackets/frames. Sor sells some aftermarket, but they are flat. They don't have the rounded edge like oem.

Terry had a good suggestion for fabricating some. I bet if he made a batch, he would sell every one. 😉
I had to make my own. They are flat but beefy and they still look the same.

Do you have the proper grey paint color for the seat frames?

Edit: I also ran a separate ground to the rear of the truck and used it rather than relying on all of the frame mounts for the lights. Any corrosion back there and your taillights go out.
 
Last edited:

MDH33

Hard Core 4+
Joined
Mar 8, 2006
Messages
7,681
Location
Trapped in a corn field
I had to make my own. They are flat but beefy and they still look the same.

Do you have the proper grey paint color for the seat frames?

Edit: I also ran a separate ground to the rear of the truck and used it rather than relying on all of the frame mounts for the lights. Any corrosion back there and your taillights go out.
Yeah the grounds back there were a problem on mine too. I got everything working, but a new ground will help for sure.

I got a rattle can of fj40 "pewter" from cruiser corps thats a decent match to the seat frames, mirror arms, glove box door, etc.
 

MDH33

Hard Core 4+
Joined
Mar 8, 2006
Messages
7,681
Location
Trapped in a corn field
I got to work on the front seats today. It was a bit of blood and sweat getting the upholstery stretched over the frame. I probably looked pretty funny squatting on my seat frame trying to compress the springs enough to start those tiny philips head screws. :LOL:

I got wise and cobbled together a "press" to compress the springs for me enough to get the screws in.

You can see in this pic how far you need to stretch it.
i-p4bLKsN-L.jpg


This worked better. :hill:

i-zpJ9VCC-M.jpg


i-9Br5Fnv-M.jpg


Done with the passenger seat! Turned out ok.

i-gZ58Hgf-M.jpg


Started in on the drivers seat. No mouse nests in this one. This 40 is going to smell completely different when I'm done! 😉

i-rf84v3Z-M.jpg
 
Last edited:

MDH33

Hard Core 4+
Joined
Mar 8, 2006
Messages
7,681
Location
Trapped in a corn field
While I had all the seats out, I decided to start cleaning up the interior. 50 years of sand and grime in there, but it looks like the top has never been off, so its in pretty good shape except for the rear sill, which has rot and some old filler in it. Drivers floor paint is damaged from a MC leak, but solid. Rocker panels under both doors have a spot of rot. Overall, not too terrible for a Minnesota truck. :thumb:

i-B3P6GNL-M.jpg

i-F8s24wx-M.jpg

i-jqsFKHC-M.jpg

i-LPzL85D-L.jpg
 

LARGEONE

Rising Sun Member
Joined
Jun 12, 2007
Messages
2,852
Location
Broomfield, CO
Those seats look GREAT, Martin! That 40 is really clean. Any rust in the inner fenders where the metal bracing is sandwiched?
 

MDH33

Hard Core 4+
Joined
Mar 8, 2006
Messages
7,681
Location
Trapped in a corn field
Those seats look GREAT, Martin! That 40 is really clean. Any rust in the inner fenders where the metal bracing is sandwiched?
Thanks Paul. Front fenders look perfect other than paint chips and scratches. Rear fenders need the usual lower rear quarters. There's a bit of swelling in one spot where the inner wheel well joins the fender, but nothing worth cutting out, yet.
 

rover67

Rising Sun Member
Joined
Nov 1, 2007
Messages
9,291
Location
Boulder, Co
Holy shit that looks like an amazing truck.
 
Top