Should I panic buy this FJ45?

[tonytoyota]

Hi and welcome to the 40s you will have a lot of fun with it .. You have to love a 40s.

 

[LegoCruiser]

Congratulations LegoCruiser and welcome to the world of 40s.

IMO the basis is sound with just the body to sort out , so in the 40 world, no change there. It will take time and money but in the end you will have a great truck.

It may be worth trawling back through the 40 forum on here to see what people have been through. Try www.ih8mud.com - Thread: !OY Mark Coolermans build thread. Lots of great info on ih8mud but it can take a load searching but worth it.

Regards,

Rodger

Thanks Rodger!
I am sure I'll be digging into the archive regularly. I've already benefited of course from your views and feedback from others. What a great resource this is! Thanks for the other tips on where to look.
Best

 

[LegoCruiser]

So I finally have a 40 series! Now I feel like a proper club member!

New battery installed by the seller I set off for the 200km trip home feeling pretty elated. It seems to run very nicely with a pretty smooth sounding engine to my inexpert ears. Things were going well until around 170km into the trip. The vehicle started to halter a little, almost spluttering and engine pausing/not firing. There is a gauge for oil that began to drop. I stopped to investigate indicating to turn in but no indicator lights worked. I stopped with engine running and revved a little, seemed OK. Looked under the bonnet everything seemed fine - no oil or water leaks, sounded fine but headlights dim. When I set off again the oil gauge seemed to recover a bit. but after another 5km again it really started to struggle (on an bit of an incline) then died. No electrics at all. Completely dead when trying to turn the key. Check under the bonnet again and cables to batteries seemed secure.

So I called for recovery home (ouch!) and wondered about why with one brand new battery the LC was having no power at all now. Electrics are definitely my least favourite bit of car maintenance, partly as I have never grasped all the basics of it (time to learn!), but my guess is there is some issue with the alternator. I haven't been able to get it running again yet to check for a slipping belt. I am currently charging up the older battery disconnected from the new one, which shows 0V and won't accept a charge. Once the old one is charged I plan on linking it back to the new one and trying to get some voltage back into it, then I'll try charging it again. If that doesn't work then I'll need a new battery before I can test the alternator.

I wil post some more photos soon but for now at least my profile avatar is updated...

 

[Rodger]

That does sound like it is alternator problem but check the fuseable link which should be next to the battery terminal and also the 'engine' fuse although with the HLs fading they are probably okay. Check the tightness of the belt with the engine off - it should have around a cm play up & down in the middle.

If I am reading this right the new battery shows Ov and won't accept the charge. That may suggest that the previous owner pumped a boost charge into an old but new looking battery... Are any of the cells showing bubbles? If so, it probably not very well. I think in an earlier post you said that it hadn't been run since 2018 - that will not have done the belts (dry out and shrink) any good. There should be a date on the new battery.

Aside from the problems that you encountered, did you enjoy it?!

Regards,
Rodger

 

[LegoCruiser]

That does sound like it is alternator problem but check the fuseable link which should be next to the battery terminal and also the 'engine' fuse although with the HLs fading they are probably okay. Check the tightness of the belt with the engine off - it should have around a cm play up & down in the middle.

If I am reading this right the new battery shows Ov and won't accept the charge. That may suggest that the previous owner pumped a boost charge into an old but new looking battery... Are any of the cells showing bubbles? If so, it probably not very well. I think in an earlier post you said that it hadn't been run since 2018 - that will not have done the belts (dry out and shrink) any good. There should be a date on the new battery.

Aside from the problems that you encountered, did you enjoy it?!

Regards,
Rodger

So I tried to do a few checks today as you suggested plus with some you tube videos. The belt seems to have around a cm play up and down. Maybe a little more but it doesn’t slip when the angina is running as far as I can tell. I tested the voltage from the connector at the back of the alternator while running. It seems to be only 12.8V even at 2000rpm. I haven’t been able to find a date or open the battery to look for bubbles. I may try removing it to look all round but will try a drop test on the alternator next which a you tuber recommended.

meanwhile I’ve been searching for a place to order parts for it like the alternator but apart from Aussie eBay not found much.

It was a great trip while it lasted!

 

[Mick W]

Your problem sounds very similar to mine. I bought a 90 series after driving it a week previous. I had a 100 mile drive home and everything was going great however, after about 70 miles a number of warning lights started showing on the dash. Eventually the whole dash failed and the engine died. I got a new battery installed and drove the final 20 miles home. After checks the alternator had 0v output so I assume the previous owner had boost charged the battery and the alternator wasn’t working when I drove home. New alternator later and everything is running at 14.4v. I have kept the old battery and it’s been holding a charge so sits in the back as a spare, just in case. Good luck with yours.

 

[Mick W]

PS. I’ve kept the old alternator and after stripping down have ordered new brushes, rectifier and regulator, bearings are all good. Will then keep this as a back up as well, garage is full of bits I never throw away. Never know when you’ll need it!

 

[Rodger]

Well that sound like the alternator. 12.8v is not enough at those revs.
Try www. euro4x4parts.com or www.megastore4x4.pt Both give excellent service.

Regards,
Rodger

 

[jibberjabber]

OK panic over......I've decided to buy it, new battery has been installed by owner - hopefully collect in a couple of days! Very exciting!

Well done. Did you pay with loo rolls. There as good as Gold Dust at the mo.

 

[jibberjabber]

Even though I don't have a 40, I must say you 40 blokes do seem the friendliest of the bunch.

 

[LegoCruiser]

PS. I’ve kept the old alternator and after stripping down have ordered new brushes, rectifier and regulator, bearings are all good. Will then keep this as a back up as well, garage is full of bits I never throw away. Never know when you’ll need it!

So I am in good company then! Good idea keeping the old one - I see below Rodger recommends a couple of places for a new part - I guess they may also sell the refurbishment kit too.

 

[LegoCruiser]

Well done. Did you pay with loo rolls. There as good as Gold Dust at the mo.

Ha ha! No just cold hard Kronor!

 

[LegoCruiser]

I will try and post some photos of the vehicle itself soon but meanwhile me and the kids were checking it out today and as well as a bunch of tools I found the original handbook and warranty booklet! From my reading it was purchased by the Australian Post Office (GPO) 17th May 1983. There's a bunch of other stuff from another owner in Victoria, AUS and of course Sweden. The handbook is really cool to have but I think I will also need some kind of workshop manual. Does anyone know if Haynes cover the 40 series or what do you use?

 

[jibberjabber]

I will try and post some photos of the vehicle itself soon but meanwhile me and the kids were checking it out today and as well as a bunch of tools I found the original handbook and warranty booklet! From my reading it was purchased by the Australian Post Office (GPO) 17th May 1983. There's a bunch of other stuff from another owner in Victoria, AUS and of course Sweden. The handbook is really cool to have but I think I will also need some kind of workshop manual. Does anyone know if Haynes cover the 40 series or what do you use?

View attachment 164733 View attachment 164734

Now, they are as good as gold dust,

 

[Rodger]

Haynes manuals. 40 series.
The one I have covers 1968 thru 82, FJ40, 43, 45 & 55 FOR 3878CC and 4230CC.
ISBN 1 56392 023 9
Basically yours is the same but longer so 45 covers it and the updated one, post 82 will cover USA variants.

Megastore do s/h parts. But if it is going to be a little while before the truck is on the road why not just have your alternator reconditioned. I recently acquired a s/h alternator with an internal VR and before it arrived with me, it was shipped to Robson & Francis in the UK and they reconditioned it for me. Can supply their contact info although with current lock down I am not sure if they will be working.

Otherwise I think that there workshop manuals on here for the different models - yes check in 'downloads'

Hope that helps,

Regards,
Rodger

 

[LegoCruiser]

Haynes manuals. 40 series.
The one I have covers 1968 thru 82, FJ40, 43, 45 & 55 FOR 3878CC and 4230CC.
ISBN 1 56392 023 9
Basically yours is the same but longer so 45 covers it and the updated one, post 82 will cover USA variants.

Megastore do s/h parts. But if it is going to be a little while before the truck is on the road why not just have your alternator reconditioned. I recently acquired a s/h alternator with an internal VR and before it arrived with me, it was shipped to Robson & Francis in the UK and they reconditioned it for me. Can supply their contact info although with current lock down I am not sure if they will be working.

Otherwise I think that there workshop manuals on here for the different models - yes check in 'downloads'

Hope that helps,

Regards,
Rodger

Brilliant thanks - book ordered!

 

[Paddler Ed]

Looking at it, not sure the first owner was the Post Office- in 1982 they would have been AusPost.

I think that the first owner was a bit of the State Government - the address and stamp is:
Department of Administrative (Adminstration?) Services
(Transport and Storage Division)
BOX 4052 at the GPO (General Post Office)
Sydney
2001

Doing a quick search, Box 4052 is used by a fair few NSW State departments, so I suspect back in 1982 it was as well.

 

[LegoCruiser]

Ah yes it’s just the postal address for that dept. Thanks for looking into it.

 

[LegoCruiser]

Have been laid up with a virus (yep probably that one) last week or so but finally got a chance to poke around under the bonnet in preparation for the new alternator. Battery connections and wiring “loom” look interesting! I removed the air filter and found a rather bodged connection between the air filter and carburettor- maybe due to the LPG system that is also connected. The inlet on the carb was covered in a very oily spot - any tips on how to clean that out would be welcome. Just waiting for my Haynes to arrive then I can start in earnest.

 

[Rodger]

Use carb cleaner to get the soot out. It will also remove the petrol residue that forms when stood for a long time.
The Haynes has wiring diagrams for the various years, so that should help.

Glad to hear you are up and about again.

Regards

Rodger