"new"old truck

[clivehorridge]

Ah, ha, the invincible ARO

Thats in remarkable condition Alexy, is it new?

 

[alexy]

ha ha, afraid not...
poor thing is mechanically ok (ish) but its shot with rust.....beyound salvage.
of course Im mad and I might restore it, sourced another cabin, found another chassis and flatbed will be wooden.
but thats after I get landcruiser running and happy.
I have fun driving both, even if the 70 is a superior design vehicle.

 

[clivehorridge]

One good aspect, ARO parts are readily available and cheap. It would be a good truck restored.

 

[alexy]

played with webasto only to see the expansion bottle full.
couldnt figure out how that happened and checked the radiator lid.
rubber seals were stiff(30 years old maybe....) and the rise in temperature and the extra liquid in the bottle had some explanation.

got another cap and another thermostat , so Im ready to replace the other parts.

anyone would know how much earlier the engine would overheat should that radiator lid be buggered? ( would not maintaini pressure)?

 

[Rich Sims]

Lets see some more pics of your truck including the engine bay..

 

[alexy]

thats the adapter for the cb antenna,
made a cardboard template first.

forengine heating issues,a separate ventilator, with a switch in the cabin, cannt solve the issue?( say all the normal steps have been followed)

 

[alexy]

well, in this one. ( not easy to attach pics from here)

 

[Iwan]

Very nice and clean example you have there man.. enjoy!

 

[StarCruiser]

Nice one Alexy, very nice. [emoji4]

 

[Sag]

Very clean motor you have there Alex

 

[alexy]

Thanks guys, this is how I found it, just did bit of washing, repaired the knackered batt tray and there are few more bits...Yesterday we spent two hours in middle of Addis Ababa in a quest to find ac components and radio brackets....At some point we ended up in some very dodgy alleys and we decided theres no point getting in trouble....So... Any of you guys has some spare radio brackets? Or bits of ac unit?We found this really nice working toyota, hope you like it​

1986 LJ73
​

 

[alexy]

small update:
truck is aproaching 350.000km, still happily roaring .
The temperature issues got a bit clearer by now
1-radiator cap was shot and wasn't pressurizing
2-fan clutch was void of silicone oil. got refilled with 36ml 10000cst and opening temp turned down.
3-a Tridon high flow thermostat its on its way.
4-the voltage regulator in the fuel gauge was off. Basically oil pressure, fuel and temp were showing less after I cleaned the contacts with emery grit. Or, the fuel and the temp were spiking a lot, more obvious when tank was full. Whole fuel/temp gauge was replaced with an old , unused one and …bing….no more spikes! doh !

due to fan clutch tweak the fuel consumption increased, but will change the fan clutch engagement point once the high flow thermostat is in.

Did a waxy oil somewhere near Rugby in Midlands and I totally do not recommend it done there, very bad experience. Anyway…

last week visited Iwan in Wales and saw his last production, not a bad looking truck!

Iwan seems to be able to source even the most obscure Toyota part, no idea how he remembers on which shelf he keeps the things, Ill be so lost….

 

[clivehorridge]

You have a nice truck there Alexy, and it was good to meet you and your folks a while back, when you very kindly acted as postman courier for parts from Iwan.

Thanks again for the effort, it's much appreciated.

Assuming no head issues or blockages in the system, I'm convinced if everything is working properly (stat, pump, rad, fan etc.) it's impossible to have overheating issues.

The trouble is, if only one of them is off the mark, then the trouble begins.

Sorry to hear the wax oyl company let you down. I really can't see a way of being sure you get a good job other than doing it yourself. Even then, you're limited to the degree of access and patience.

 

[alexy]

welcome Clive, anytime!
I hope the head has no issues, however found with Iwan that injection pump levers have been adjusted so engine cannot be revved above 3200. maybe as a way to protect the engine, or after a nasty event…..who knows….

next project is to change the brake booster with one from a hilux surf that I sourced on ebay for 30£.
the brakes are very snappy when you start the car and after few brakes they start to fade, still maintaining a hard pedal.

suspicion is 1-booster (checked vaacum line and it holds the vaacum)
2-pistons or adjustment on read brake shoes/worn
3-lspv
Bit cold to tackle this, so Ill wait until april.
This is the surf booster, apparently the rod needs a 1 inch extension.
Anybody has done this?

 

[clivehorridge]

Where are you these days Alexy, Romania or "other"...?

 

[alexy]

Where are you these days Alexy, Romania or "other"...?

hey, Im in Midlands, been to Wales for a training, off to Norway soon, then Italy and Switzerland….

but, end of march we come home, hooray!

tried to look at the booster. Its 1 inch fatter, not sure the brake pipes will fit without any modification…
also, the pedal rod definitely needs extension….

and the connection with the vaacum hose is straight, not at 90 deg angle as with the original booster.
not an immediate swap Im afraid...

 

[clivehorridge]

hey, Im in Midlands, been to Wales for a training, off to Norway soon, then Italy and Switzerland….

but, end of march we come home, hooray!

tried to look at the booster. Its 1 inch fatter, not sure the brake pipes will fit without any modification…
also, the pedal rod definitely needs extension….

and the connection with the vaacum hose is straight, not at 90 deg angle as with the original booster.
not an immediate swap Im afraid...

Happy travels, and give my regards to Wales and the Midlands for me