Bootyfab

Long, long, long weekend. Swapped a motor in a Fj Cruiser with 270k miles on it. Took about twice the time I gussed, due to bolts being corroded, stripping bolts, breaking bolts, and bolts being siezed. Head gasket started to leak, so picked up a motor with half the miles of the original and shes a good runner! Spent probably 20 hours wrenching on it.



Also treated myself the other day to some beadlocks (finally), ordered a front Eaton E-locker, and ordered up some 16" shocks for the rear of my truck, so will be making a full bedcage which I can't wait to do! Not sure when I will get the shocks or when I will have the time, but stoked for that. Other than that, just need to box my rear frame in, and save some sheckles for either Long Travel in the front, or brainstorm a straight axle swap



Will have 2 sets of Sway-Bar TC gusseted spindles welded up by early next weekish, for those who are waiting!

 

SAS FTW!

 

When can you schedule my LS swap‽

And those wheels are purdy. Nice choice!

 

Let me guess…a couple of those bolts were in the end of exhaust manifolds.

 

Yup! Broke 3 off on the manifold to downpipe connection and stripped a starter bolt, fun times getting that out post-cuss fest

 

One of the big starter bolts is not like the other bell housing and is a short bolt. I only know this because I ran mine in and it bottomed out before I realized I grabbed the wrong bolt and I gave it a little extra beans with the impact trying to suck it up. Then snapped it off in reverse.

 

I wonder if using this induction heater would have helped? Probably not, but anyone is welcome to try in the future.

 

After I had my headers installed I kept my manifolds. For shits and giggles I tried to remove the only stud not drilled out after heating it with my acetylene torch with it in a vice. It still broke. They guy that installed my headers said he soaked them for two days before removing them. He also told me 4.0 Tacoma headers are the second hardest headers he’s ever installed in 20 years of being an exhaust guy.

 

Why I got aftermarket dump tubes for mine, bent the stock flanges and broke off a couple studs and no possible way to get them out without completely drilling through, which I'm lazy in that case

Also did a thing late tonight! Hand dis-mounted my tires off of my old wheels and had these all mounted up in around 5 hours. Balance is suprisingly good for how worn/beat up my tires are, just a little shimmy in the front end from a worn tie rod end.

 

Just for future endeavors, do you have a spring compressor? I have the knowledge to install my own suspension, it's just way easier when the coils assembled.

 

I do not, besides renting a gimpy one from Oreillys. I've been meaning to get a nice one that can mount in a hitch reciever or vise, and big enough/safe enough to handle 700lb coils

 

Looks awesome!

 

Hellll ya

 

Looks like you did eventually trim the rear fenders. You have any issues with the fenders flapping around?

 

Yeah trimmed them when I went to 2" wheel spacers with my +18mm offset wheels and adjusted bumps for a little more uptravel. I just have holes drilled under the flare with zipties running to a bolt hole in the wheel well haha. Not too concerned about solid mounting the bedside again, if anything it might help the bedside flex in when I hit it again

 

Another satisfied customer of Bootyfab



Edit: DRT spindle gussets!