Project Fordzuki

[Loanranger]

Well, it's looking like it's time for the overhaul. In the next month or so, I'll be pulling the engine out for rebuild. IF I don't find a suitable donor in the meantime, the 2.3 will get a rebuild, nothing fancy, just a basic rebuild.

I'll also be redoing the exhaust (again), ujoints throughout, tranny seals, brake master cyl, front springs, rear springs, and I'm thinking about TG 26 spline birfields, just as insurance.

Tonight, I started fiddling with something I've been wanting to try for awhile now, and after alot of winching this weekend, I finally decided to add a hand throttle on the dash. I bought a cheap choke cable from the HELP section of the local parts store. It was $6.99. It is just the cable w/ sleeve, and handle, with a nut to fasten the handle to the dash.

I started by finding a bolt in the drawer to thread into the existing hole in the throttle cable bracket. I had to ream the hole out a bit, and tap it. Then I took the allen head bolt, and drilled the center out just big enough for the cable but not the sleeve. The sleeve fits down into the allen key recess. I have not decided how to retain the sleeve in the bolt yet, but one thought is a setscrew drilled into the side of the head of the bolt. Another thought was to just tackweld the sleeve to the bolt, but this would make engine removal more tedious. As for the attachment to the throttle linkage, I am experimenting around with a small rotating linkage assembly I made out of 1/8th inch plate, and a piece of 3/16ths inch rod. The linkage assembly basically has a pivot bolt up top, which bolts to another existing hole in the throttle cable bracket. In a triangle from this, there is a hole to the engine side of the linkage, with the dowel protruding out 1/2". On the outer side, is the hand throttle cable. Basically, when you pull the cable, it pivots on the upper bolt, and the dowel pushes on a set screw on the original throttle cable. This allows the throttle to be applied with the foot pedal, without the hand throttle pushing out of the dash.
I need to finish up a couple things on it tomorrow night, and I'll get the finished pics up.

 

[Loanranger]

Here's some pics of the linkage, I used a nylock nut on the bolt, so it would stay tight, but allow movement to pivot.

I got it all working tonight, I was hoping to be able to pull it out and have it set at a higher idle, but it self returns when you let go. I was going to get a few pics of it, maybe a vid in action, but the battery died in the camera. I'll get a few up tomorrow.

 

[Loanranger]

Here's some pics of the assembly, and a short video of it working. It still needs refinement, but it works.

Shitty vid, but you get the picture. I've found that it's easiest to set the idle with the pedal, then hold it there by hand while winching.


And of course, me "hard at work" in the garage.

I was out in the garage cleaning up a bit tonight, and looking over the LJ, and I think it's gonna be in for some major changes. Being the small rig that it is, I've been cramped for space since I built it. With the radiator in the back, and the fuelcell/pump back there, there isn't much room for anything else. So, to rectify the situation, I'm going to completely redo the floor from the seats back. Seatmounts will be moved back for more legroom, the rear of the floor will be raised slightly, for an underbed fuel cell. The radiator will get moved back slightly, to accomadate for the seats, as well as a possible half-cab top in the future. I basically want to maximize my space, and the floor is getting in the way of doing that.

This new toy should help out in the building of the new floor.
I need to get the third roller for the rolls to work, but it's got a brake and shear too..

 

[Loanranger]

I've been meaning to do this for awhile now, just never got around to it. I know there are better things I could have been doing, but I didn't feel like it...

The idea was something like a 4 wheel drive cherry picker..... Not neccesarily able to pull engines, but more for moving heavy objects around the gravel lot out back. I've gotten quite a collection of axles, transfercases, etc.. out there, and every now and again, I need to move one.

So I dreamed this up, and started cutting and welding.

It attaches to the old front shackle hangers, from the original front springs. It just pivots on those, and the up/down is handled by the winch. It worked out great, lifts D44s and a NP203 with ease. I may make an extension sometime, to allow it to lift higher.

A video of it in action.

 

[dogboy]

haha, that lift is awsome!!!


Does the mount unbolt or anything? It seems like it would get in the way on the trail. Even once you take the bar off, that foot or so of box sticking out would REALLY take away from your approach angle, I would think.


EDIT: Wait, I see how it works... The bar does not pivot where the ben in the box metal is, it pivots back by the frame.

My original post is pointless...

 

[Loanranger]

Yeah, it attaches to the old shackle hangers. So when I pull two bolts and the winch hook, there is nothing on the rig that wasn't before. I don't plan on running with it on the trails, maybe for cleanups and stuff, but it would bolt up for the work, and be taken off for trail riding. I was joking with my dad, we should mount it on his truck to carry around for when I need to use it.


I used it again tonight, to support the datsun frame out here, to pull the rearend with springs. I then grabbed the rearend (ford 9"), and brought it into the shop to grab the springs off it (with air). Then used it to take the 9" back out to the pile of diffs. I love this thing. It makes what used to be a hassle, so much easier and fun.

I started pulling the springpacks apart, they will be going in the front of the LJ, to replace the very worn old ones. I'm taking the overloads out like last time, but adding some bottom leafs from IIRC, the dodge springs, but I could be wrong. Anyhow, they are a nice 1/4 inch in the middle, and taper out from there. They have clamps on both ends, which happen to be right where the tires were hitting in reverse and slapping the bottom leaf of the datsun packs. I'll get some pics up when I get in from the garage, this computer isn't fast enough to upload pictures.

 

[Loanranger]

Well, I thought I had a good thing lined up, but someone else got to it before me. I found an 87 t-bird turbo coupe on craigslist, had a bad torque converter seal, for $400 obo. It would have made for a badass swap in the LJ, but I still got time to look.

So today I spent the day making the new springpacks, and changing them out on the front. I took two more datsun packs I had, and added a leaf from a ramcharger pack, and ended up with this.

Here is an old vs. new pic.

Messing around with a ranger leafpack, this is bolted in in the rear.

New on the passenger side, old on the driver. It netted about 3" of lift.

Sits a little low in the rear now....

I'll probably fix that with all three leafs out of a ranger pack, cut into half leafs.

Poser shot on the 35 on the burb

Of course I had to try the springs out with the new hoist.
It wouldn't pick it all the way up, but with 3 psi in the front tires, they were squatting pretty good. didn't reverse arch the springs at all.

Time for some tractor weights on the back....

 

[dogboy]

Is it just me, or does it seem like those got rid of most all of your flex??

It looks liek the front doesn't flex at all...

It may be a good thing you didn't get the turbo motor, you might have needed to add a wheelie bar as well!

 

[Loanranger]

It definately cut down on the flex. I knew it would, but with as much as it had, it was starting to cause problems. The tires don't even come close to the springs anymore, the pitman arm doesn't come close to the spring anymore, and the front driveline won't come in contact with the starter and bellhousing anymore. I've yet to try backing up anything with it yet, that gives a better Idea of how it can flex, because you have more of the weight on the front suspension. Another thing I need to address now, is my shocks are limiting my droop. So I'll have to get new shocks, which I need anyway, and I'll probably redo my lower mounts when I do. I can and will wheel it untill then though, it's nothing that's gonna break.

I'm also realizing that being locked front and rear, I really don't need that much flex, and the added sidehill stability of going with a little stiffer springpack is a decent tradeoff.

I'm still going to search for a turbo motor, my heart is set on it now. I was going to borrow the money till tax time anyways, so I'll just keep searching till I get my return, and hopefully find a better deal.

 

[dogboy]

I don't think you're gonna find much of a better deal that the $400 for the whole car...


I guess your right about the locker and flex thing. On my dad's old Sami, we had close to no flex, and locked front and rear, yet it went almost anywhere.

 

[Loanranger]

Ok, deal #2, a pinto with 4 cyl and manual trans for $350 obo. I'm going to look at it saturday morning, and even if it's a 2 liter, I'll pick it up and run it while I rebuild the 2.3. The girl says it runs and drives good, it just needs an interior.
I've decided to save the turbo 2.3 for another project, which will be another fordzuki. But a little more badass.

I spent a little time in the garage tonight, I cut my dads old ranger leafs down to length, and got the holes popped in the 3 leafs for the passenger side. I installed that side, just to see how it looks, and it leveled it out pretty well. I've got to grab some longer bolts tomorrow, and I'll finish it up and get some pics.

 

[Loanranger]

The pinto didn't work out either, I was ready to drag it home, had the cash in my pocket, and come to find out the guy had sold the wheels and tires off of it, didn't have anything to make it a roller, still wanted $300, and the motor was a horrible leaker.
I've looked at a couple others, mostly injected 2.3s, but we'll see.

I just got off the phone with trailtough, ordered up my chromo front axles, and a lockrite to get rid of the welded, since I have to change the side gears out anyways, I figured I'd just throw a lockrite in while I'm in there.


I also bought another new project, an 83? SJ410, it's basically body and frame, on roller axles. I also got with the deal, a sami transfercase, and a rear D44 that has already been cut down and offset for a sami, and stuffed with 5.38 gears. Not sure if this is gonna be another fordzuki or maybe a dodgezuki...

 

[dogboy]

How would it be a Dodgezuki? Would that be by puttign a Dodge mototr in it, or fullsize Dodge axles, or what?

Does an SJ have a bigger motor than the LJ's did? I don't follow that line up too much other than than Samurais.


EDIT: What are the 36" swampers for? I was looking through the for sale stuff on NW-Wheelers, and I saw that you responded to the 36" swampers. I haven't checked back on the ad yet, but if you didn't buy them, I'm going to mention them to my cousin for his Scout.

 

[Loanranger]

If it became Dodgezuki, it would be a 318 np435 203/205 d60 rear and an 8 lug 44 till I can scrounge up enough cash for a front 60.

I finally got the pics of the rear springs, and I picked up a little something tonight.....

36x13.50x15 Iroks on 15x10 black soft 8s.

I picked them up cheap for the SJ410, If I end up with the 60s under it, I'll probably end up selling these to fund the bigger meats. Because of the backspacing on the rims, I'm gonna have to get spacers to run them on the LJ, they hit the springs at full lock. I'm gonna see if I can find some spacers for them just to run for a couple runs, then they'll be coming off, and the 34s will go back on.

 

[dogboy]

Ah, damn, you did buy the 36's! lol

I guess you responded before I got my last poste edited.

If you go to sell those Iroks, let me know and I'll talk to my cousin.