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May 10, 1998 |
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Q: Eric Dodd wrote:I've been a long time subscriber to the LCML, and a member of the TLCA. After reading your answers to many questions online, and now the tech editor, I've been very impressed with your knowledgeability (is that a word? Editor's note: Yes, I think it is!), and dedication. A: Just an obsession... :) Q: Eric Dodd wrote:I currently have a '77 FJ40 w/ a '72 F engine. Bought it this way two years ago. Couple bearings were seized (oil pan plug fell out) when I got it, and did the minimum to get it going: cut crank, new main and rod bearings, new rings, honed pistons, flushed and cleaned everything thoroughly. Now 30,000 miles later the engine still runs fine, and started smoking a bit over the past year or so, but nothing major at all. Burns no more than one quart of oil between changes. Power is not bad, but not great. I have a stock drivetrain, and the engine is stock, except for a man-a-fre 6 to 1 header. I just recently bought a '78 2F engine. PO claims it ran well when removed, and has 103,000 miles. I haven't really done anything to it except check the compression. It was even (80-90) in all six cylinders. I know this is a little low, but this was just tested by turning the starter with a set of jumper cables and a battery. Also, then engine hadn't been run is about a year. I plan to take of the valve cover and see what the valves, and etc. look like. and then drop the oil pan and pull a main and rod bearing or two, and see how they look. If all looks OK, I hope to swap the 2F in for the F. How much more power should I expect out of the 2F engine? I am a poor college student, and assume I can do quite a bit fixing of the 2F while the engine is in the Cruiser if anything does go wrong. ie: valve job, new bearings, etc. What could I expect to get for the F engine? It has about 30,000 miles on the rebuild like I said. A: I would not expect to see a tremendous difference in power. Maybe a little more than the perceived difference when you added the header. You will feel more pull at lower rpm. As to the value of the F engine... It really varies by region, and with the swing of the market. I have seen them go for as cheap as $300 for a good one, to as much as about $800. I've seen them sell in a day, and sit for months. I would not take the approach that you are planning. If you have a good running F engine in the rig, and a 100,000 mile 2F with questionable compresion, Why put the 2F in in this condition. The first thing I would do is a cold compression check at a higher cranking speed if needed to get an accuratae feel for the compression of the engine. I am willing to accept as low as about 120 for a used engine with mileage on it. I would not pull a good running powerplant in favor if this though. I would not even consider installing the 2F if you can not see at least about 100-120 even cold. In my opinion, I would lean toward continuing with the current F engine. Pull the 2F apart and do a complete rebuild a little a time as you can afford it. it will be cheaper than doing it peicemeal while driving it, and a lot more conveienient. While bearings and valve job are not too really a problem with the engine in the rig, rings and pistons are. Take your time and build the 2F now. Once you put it in the rig you will have a lifetime of routine maintenance, rather than one repair after another. The value of your F engine is not going to cahnge from using it a bit longer. Q: Eric Dodd wrote:I am currently running 31" tires... I've been hoping to switch to 33's. Probably 33x9.5's. I do about 90% of my driving on the road, 10% off. WIth the 2F, will I be happy running 33's w/ the stock engine and drivetrain? Off and on road. A: With a 4 speed, yes for off road. Without the extra multiplication of low range, first gear in the 3 speed is a bit high, so for street use you will have to slide the clutch a bit. You'll probably get used to it quickly. If you get into the really technical rock crawling you will probably want more gear for of road use.. Q: Eric Dodd wrote:I've heard a lot about gaining a little power out of a F/2F. No one thing seems to make a heck of a diferencef. Would I be happy (power wise) if I spent the extra money and put a nice new cam and/or bigger pistons? A: With any basic engine (and these are BASIC engine), the three power makers are Compression, Intake, and Exhaust. The F and 2F have mediocre intake, low compression, and restrictive exhaust. You are right, improving anyone of these by itself makes little difference. With a carefully set up later model carb (or a weber 38/38), boosted compression (8.5-9.0:1) and better flowing exhaust (Just about ANY commercially available header), these engine wake up nicely. In fact after driving a couple of my '55s with these sorts of mods, I feel no need to ever swap a V8 into a '40 for off road (and most on road) use. A 2F can make all the power I really need foir a rig like a '40. If you are willing to move the powerband up a little in the RPM range, a cam can help some (sometimes the higher rpm is a detriment though). If you do want to move the powerband upwards with a camshaft, then an Offenhauser Dualport intake and a Carter AFB are a ral nice intake combo. The Offenhauser is no longer in production, so you have to find it on the used market. For most 2Fs this will be too much carb however, and not the route unless you want to build a fairly hot higher RPM motor. The primary purpose of oversize pistons is just to allow for refinishing of worn or damaged cylinder walls. if you mean higher compression pistons, it is easier to get the compression you want by milling the head, or swapping an F head onto a 2F block. Q: Eric Dodd wrote:If I was to do something different with my gearing what is my "best" option. I'm am very happy with the stock engine, and do not plan to change to a V8. I've heard a bit about the NV4500, and the Ranger 2 speed overdrive. They are quite a bit different approaches, and wonder what would be my best solution. Does the Ranger have an over and an underdrive, or just one or the other? What is the market on both items new/used? A: I would install an SM420, or a NP465 with an adapter to the Toyota T/C, or simply install a Toyota 4 speed. Put a set of Marlin Crawler gears in the T/C, and a set of 3.70:1 gear sets in the front and rear diffs. For that matter with the 420, or 465, you could forget about the Marlins for all but the real tough rock crawling, and never notice the loss. Since the transmissions and gearsets can be found used, you would not have to invest the amount that you would for either the 5 sped or the overdrive units. Unless of course money is no object. Then I would go with the NV4500, and a set of crawlers. The ranger is offered with either a 27% over drive, or a 17% underdrive, but not both. The market for these items again varies widely due to regional differences, the ebb and flow of demand, and just what kind of "networking" you can acomplish. Send your questions to Mark at cruiser@rockcrawler.com |
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