Outer Limits 4x4 Board

I'm looking at a FJ73 that's going for $6750. It's done 360000k's. I've done a few search's but couldn't come up with a few answers:

1. How much am i looking at for a new windscreen surround? Is the rust in the frame (which has been bogged but seems to have been quite extensive) likely to have spread in a big way to the bulkhead? From my observations it hasn't. Theres also a litle rust in the sills (nothing major). Any other known problem area's for rust?

2. The steering felt like it had a little play in it (when compared to my vurrent 250000k 75). There was also a bit of binding noise when steering - my suspicions are that a tie rod end is screwed; would this cause the vague steering? What else could cause these problems? Approximately how much would i be looking at for a decent ps box?

3. How much should the oil pressure guage be moving? It pretty well stayed in the middle of it's scale, and only moved (fairly lethargically) over about a quarter of the scale when revved? (again compared to the healthy HJ75). Would you expect that i'll be looking at a new motor soon? How much would it cost to rebuild the 3F?

4. The clutch feels very tight and springy with no feel whatsoever - is this normal for a petrol or am i up for new cylinders soon? again - cost's involved?

When considering all of the above factor in me doing most work myself.


Ummm i think that's about all i need to know! Like i said before, i could have trawled through the rubbish search results and called around wreckers for hours - but this car's only been on the market for a week or so and has already had a few interested parties (well, apparently) - so depending on the answers to the above, i'd like to snap it up quickly. Thanks in advance for any help!

-Stu

Ok now i've had a look at another. It's a 13b (not turbo - didn't know they existed. The original motor was a 3b as per the plates). It drove pretty well - the only tihng i'm concerned about is some blow-by from the rocker cover oil cap. It's not enough to spray any oil out but is still pretty obvious. Is this where i should be checking the blow-by, or should i be checking out the crankcase breather pipe? Is there any way someone could describe an aceptable level of blow-by?

I don't want to pay for a vehicle inspection/compression test if i can tell the motor is shagged from my own inspection.

Anything else i should be looking out for on a 13b?

Other than motor, the only thing i could pick is the steering. It became quite stiff and 'wooden' at speed (50k's +) but felt alright at carpark speeds. The owner inists he rebuilt the power steering box (he was a trade-school mechanic) and that the alignment could be causing the stiffness, which makes sense to me.

Anyway thanks again for any help!

-Stu

ALSO did the 13B every actually exist in a naturally aspirated version? If not, would running without a turbo for a decade stuff it? I'd expect the compression ratio would be all wrong for one...

Are you sure its a 13B?


AFAIK + reading 13B never came out n/a, only as the turbo 13B-T.

my middy is a 13b/t and i wouldn't get anything else i get great fuel economy and it has tons of low down toque also i only pay for a 4 in rego the only place for rust in mine is between the doors and the rear wheelarch.

+dj_hansen+ wrote:Are you sure its a 13B?


AFAIK + reading 13B never came out n/a, only as the turbo 13B-T.

that's what i thought, but this bloke insisted it was a 13b, direct injected. how do i identify a 13b from a 3b? It had 3B on the thermostat, but the rocker cover was finned (cast alloy i think), unlike the 3b's pressed steel item?

looks like someone else might snap it up before i get a comp test done anyway. he can have it

The 13B was installed in Dyna cab chassis between 1985 and 1988. It is a direct injection n.a. diesel. You should be able to tell it is a 13B as the injectors are held in place by 2 studs on each side of the injector as opposed to screw in injectors on the 3B. The steel stamped valve cover is identical to a 13BT.

Blow by may likely mean the piston rings are cactus. Yeah, check the compression first.

I've heard of middies with rust in the rocker cover under the doors.

Dave

Dogbreath..that was me who had a look at it yesterday.... I thought it to be a fairly honest rig. The guy who was selling it said he would need to go to the garage to get a shifter to open the oil filler cap so I reckon you probably picked something up there and he didnt want me to know..!! I took it for a spin, the thing drove quite well except for the steering...weird I reckon....had to concentrate all the time at speeds above 40 ish.. !! Brakes fairly ordinary as well I thought. Other than that seems like a good machine. Was looking at the mids or the Bundys and left last night thinking this was the one (comp test pending) but having slept on it with the girly she has decided the Bundy is much more suitable for her needs (shes buying it not me, Im happy with my 80..!!) so called the guy this morning and let him know we werent keen. Seemed to blow a little white smoke under load as well and for some reason there is a spanner wedged onto one of the rocker cover bolts (I think) buried in the front RHS of the engine bay. Looked firmly emplanted in there so I didnt touch it, nor ask why it was there...!!

Will be interested to know how it came out of the mech check if you had it done....Good Luck...!!!

We take delivery of a 89 Bundy next week...(mech test pending of course)

RustyNail wrote:Dogbreath..that was me who had a look at it yesterday.... I thought it to be a fairly honest rig. The guy who was selling it said he would need to go to the garage to get a shifter to open the oil filler cap so I reckon you probably picked something up there and he didnt want me to know..!! I took it for a spin, the thing drove quite well except for the steering...weird I reckon....had to concentrate all the time at speeds above 40 ish.. !! Brakes fairly ordinary as well I thought. Other than that seems like a good machine. Was looking at the mids or the Bundys and left last night thinking this was the one (comp test pending) but having slept on it with the girly she has decided the Bundy is much more suitable for her needs (shes buying it not me, Im happy with my 80..!!) so called the guy this morning and let him know we werent keen. Seemed to blow a little white smoke under load as well and for some reason there is a spanner wedged onto one of the rocker cover bolts (I think) buried in the front RHS of the engine bay. Looked firmly emplanted in there so I didnt touch it, nor ask why it was there...!!

Will be interested to know how it came out of the mech check if you had it done....Good Luck...!!!

We take delivery of a 89 Bundy next week...(mech test pending of course)

Good thinking there. The white smoke points to rings too. I'm thinking he's blown some rings and is trying to flog it off rather than do a 6 grand rebuild. So he didn't get the oil cap off for you?
When i suggested it had some pretty serious blowby he denied that it had any! And that spanner's a bit dodgy (given the owner's a mechanic, allegedly), i didn't notice it!

If the engine had been good i woulda bought it. i don't think i'll even bother with a comp test now...

So be warned people! If your buying a silver Middy from lilydale, get a comp test!

-Stu

I think we can safely say ^this^ bloke knew his engine was shagged, thus he didn't call me back after RustyNail turned it down (like he said he would).

However, whilst checking out a very neat BJ70 down at car city, i thought i might just compare blowby. It had as much if not more than the dodgy 73! What's going on? I thought maybe it was an acceptable level, until i checked out the trusty 2H and short of putting my ear to the filler hole, couldn't feel a thing!

Must be a coincidence? (finding two stuffed motors in 70 cruisers in a row)

-Stu

Going back to your original post your windscreen surround (if you get keen on another middy with a stuffed one) would cost about $460 for an FRP fibreglass one

Any more updates on this rig...???

The new Bundy is going well, the girl loves it (keeps her happy ) and think she would really like some aftermarket accessories for Xmas..

Just wondering if anyone else here has had a look at the Middy..??

RustyNail wrote:Any more updates on this rig...???

The new Bundy is going well, the girl loves it (keeps her happy ) and think she would really like some aftermarket accessories for Xmas..

Just wondering if anyone else here has had a look at the Middy..??

Well he never called me back after you didn't buy it (which he said he would) so obviously he knew i was onto him. Steered well clear of the both of them...infact i'm doing the unthinkable and looking for a GQ Unless of course a really good 73 turns up at the right price.

-Stu