My 1980 hilux 4x4 7mgte conversion Alot of pics

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Chello

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Jun 8, 2011
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Heya people, just reading through the forums thought I would post up my project.
As the title states it's a 1980 single cab 4x4 Hilux running a 7mgte engine with a r150f 4-runner / surf gearbox
Started a while ago, got it for a decent price, still had the old reliable 18r a 4 speed box, drove it around for a fair while
Some random pics of when I first got it






Before and after I put the lift kit in it




Then while down camping, the ute thought it was a boat or I thought it needed a wash inside and out, either way I should have check the depth properly and not strayed across the couple of meters I did






Managed to get it started and drive the 100 kms home before parking it
 
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Chello

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Jun 8, 2011
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Victoria, Australia
Got it home and started pulling it to pieces




Tracked down another ute off of ebay from down near Melbourne, bought it because the cab seemed good and my wiring aswell as some of the cab itself was shot, so changed the cab over.


A little rust around the windscreen and in the engine bay


So original plans were to run a 22r with the r series gearbox that I bought a fair while before just no idea what to use it behind.

My brother had a ma61 supra with a 7mgte conversion in it, he asked if I wanted it because he couldn't get it to run, so plans for the Hilux changed rapidly
 
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Chello

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Jun 8, 2011
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So started messing around with the cab getting it back to metal and pulling the 18r out



Decided with the long motor some cutting was required to fit it







Sitting it in there checking clearance and figuring out where I wanted it


Started remaking the trans tunnel, I know very basic welding, was my first job like this so I didn't want to make it to difficult














Ended up changing it over to power steering, though it might be a good idea with the extra weight over the front wheels

Gotta love the flapper disc and some bog, cleaned it all up pretty well






---------- Post added at 07:42 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:35 PM ----------

The inner guards and engine bay got a coat of black




Cut the front to fit the intercooler and got a couple of tabs tigged onto it, will get a bigger intercooler soon, something more free flowing, extremely pressed for space in this engine bay



 
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IJ.

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Mar 30, 2005
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I come from a land down under
Important next Mod :D

plastic_periscope_outdoor_playground_accessory.jpg
 
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Chello

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Jun 8, 2011
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Now it was time to figure out a bellhousing for it, being an early r150f is had a shorter input shaft than the r154 even though the patterns are the same, the r154 bellhousing was around 30 mm too long.

So to get around this I tracked down a bellhousing from the r150f and got a r154 bellhousing, took them to a local machining shop and basically told them to cut and shut it. I wanted to use the conventional type of clutch rather than what's used on the r154 so kept it off of the r150f bellhousing.

For the clutch setup I tried to track down a 7mge flywheel but couldn't find one without buying brand new, so I ordered a heavy duty clutch for a 7mge and got the 7mgte flywheel re-drilled to suit, works fine and can't fault it thus far

I know it doesn't look pretty, but does what I want it to



Motor mated up to the gearbox



Then was time to put the motor in, figured out that the mounts on the motor were 20mm narrower than the hilux chassis mounts, so 10mm plate on either side with welded counter sunk bolts did the trick nicely, they are a bit long in the picture, the motor was going to be another couple of inches back but decided against it



Motor finally into place







---------- Post added at 08:01 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:00 PM ----------
IJ.;1749300 said:
Important next Mod :D

plastic_periscope_outdoor_playground_accessory.jpg
Click to expand...

Haha that's for sure

---------- Post added at 08:14 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:01 PM ----------

As you can see from this picture there was no room for a radiator up front, and those blue hoses are on the bottom side now so you can't see them and fixed up the rest of the dodgy ass intercooler piping



So now, the radiator I chose came from a 90's model Ford Falcon, because of the location I was putting it, the Fords have a remote resivoir aswell as decent thermo fans.
Ended up laying it down in the old spare tyre location



Also made a battery tray down there aswell



Made a shroud for it to direct the air




Cut through the inner guard and put a bit of pinch weld around it to protect the hose



Bought this hose, really thick walled shit, was going to use it for the whole cooling system, but too expensive and could only get it in a inch





Ended up buying a few lengths of I think it was 38 mm steel tube and raiding the local wreckers for radiator hoses, got as many as I could possibly carry and took them cutting out the angles from the radiator hoses I wanted from each one to run the lines all the way down the back, was easier that cutting and welding the whole lot and will be easier to get out if need be

---------- Post added at 08:19 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:14 PM ----------

And that's all I can be bothered writing tonight, will put the rest up tomorrow or something, but as it stands atm it has a BHG so it's not going anywhere in a hurry
 
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Chello

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Jun 8, 2011
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Victoria, Australia
OK, have time to post up a few more pics.
The piece I cut out of the radiator support I got another piece from another cab, cutting it a couple of inches wider on each side, I did this so I could bolt it so if I had to remove the motor again (which I do now) it would make it easier



I also plan to move the oil cooler behind the winch bar

Gotta love Toyota, a power steering box from a 90's model hilux bolted into the same position as my 1980 one, just the shaft was a bit longer, luckily there was enough spline in my steering shaft to move it to accomodate it



I removed the power steering fluid resivoir from the side of the block and searched the wreckers, coming up with a resivoir from a Holden Commodore and a bracket from a Toyota Camry which was the right angle for my needs



As you can see the p/s resivoir behind the radiator resivoir
I had to get a fitting tig welded because of the p/s pump and steering box being so close, but apart form that it works really well, and you can tell when the belt has spit off, makes a huge difference.

On a side note, the early Hiluxs have a hump in the center behind the seats, wanted more room behind the seats for guns without bending the barrels on the hump, not overly noticible in the first picture but at the bottom it stuck out maybe 3 inches and tappered up flush



So out came the grinder





I didn't get as many shots of this but basically turned out well, looks alot better in paint and once cleaned up properly



A picture of the gearbox mount we made up



Another thing was that I wanted rear disc brakes, which weren't a factory option for hardly any Hiluxs, so I came across a guy who did a bracket for the conversion which utilizes GQ patrol rear discs and Subaru Brumby front calipers, the early Brumbies has a hand brake cable on the front. I also got a master cylinder and brake booster from a 1994 Hilux 2wd which fit in, just had to change the spacer, but it's a 1' bore which should be ample to power the brakes. I haven't gotten around to installing them yet though.

I ended up using Supra seats from the donor car and fitted them, the drivers seat is electric and I think I may pull them out and put in something a little more practical





Now for the fun part, with the tunnel pushed back around 70 mm things had to made to accomodate, I have a couple of pictures.
I found a hilux same year with factory aircon so I pulled everything from it. It was an absoloute nightmare trying to get shit to line up with the tunnel so far back over standard. A mate of mine, Mark, helped me heaps with this, making it all fit and alot of the wiring. A guy in Queensland did the wiring loom for the motor, Killa Kustom Kables, he was awsome. The loom was great, seperate fuses and realys added for the fuel pump etc.

I cut and modified the copper pipes brought them close to the unit themselves, wrapped them in heatwrap I that was on the donor car exhaust because it was butted right up against the firewall.





Also cut holes in the firewall to accomodate the aircon box



Now the fun stuff, the body was finally in primer and rubbed back ready to go



As I said, the back came up good after cleaned up and primed



And that's all I can be bothered posting for now, still a fair few more to come hopefully over the weekend.

Oh and here is the second or third start up after new plugs etc, I know the is no radiator hooked up, I was that anxious to get it started after so long of building it, and it was before I cleaned everything up a bit

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ntct_K7Zgcs
 
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Chello

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Jun 8, 2011
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Victoria, Australia
Then went on the paint :icon_razz the colour is from a Ford Mondeo, artic white from memory









As you can see in the last picture, was starting on the winch bar.
Also had to cut the guards to suit it because the 1st gen Hilux gurads go a fair way down.







Seems I didn't get as many pictures as I hoped while making it, but here is basicall the finished product



And in Paint



So this is how it basically is now, still have a fair bit to do, my daily driver didn't wanna go anymore so I rushed to get this on the road, now it has a BHG and in the process of pulling the motor out













Shit I think I forogt to put in is that aswell as the 2 inch suspension lift it has a 2 inch cab lift, I doubt it would have fit other wise. Also have a lokka in the rear, another for the front when I have the time to put it in.
I had to make a couple of bleeder points in the radiator system which I did bygetting the steel pipe, drilling a hole in it and welding a nut to it, screwing in the bolt with thread tape.

My head gasket blew because I overheated it twice, once was in the McDonalds drive thru, one of the thermo fans siezed up which caused the other to stop working because they are on the same fuse and it blew the fuse. That didn't kill it.

The other time when I screwed the hoseclamp down on the copper pipe going through the firewall because it was leaking slightly. I had crushed the tube, not realising it. So when the motor warmed up all of my water released under pressure and I didn't realise what had happened until I stopped and I saw the water pissing out.

The ute still ran after I filled it with water, all good. It took ages to diagnose a BHG because it's as if it started off as a slight weep that would only leak under heat and pressure and I couldn't see it. We did a presure test, it held 16 or 17 psi in the radiator sytem for well over half an hour with out dropping pressure. I got a chemical test done on the water which they said came up negative.

It kept running hot, I changed the water pump, changed the radiator cap, got the radiator cleaned out all to no avail.

Now I know it's a BHG because the last time I started it there was water pissing out near the exhaust manifold and blowing heaps of white smoke.

I need to make another tray for it because the one that is on there is absoloute rubbish, got it cheap as a band aid fix.
And for the short time it was on the road, it was the most fun i have had in a long time, especially the looks on people's faces when she get's up and moves.

So it will live again, had another block so got that bored out 20 thou, got another head off of a cressida getting it ported and polished. have to get another MHG and have to pull the ARP head studs from the motor that's still in the ute.

Hope you all enjoy the progess on the ute, it took a long time and I would do it again even though at some points it was a nightmare
 
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Chello

New Member
Jun 8, 2011
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Victoria, Australia
I remembered I had a RX-2 oil cooler laying around in the shed, few pics of the size differences, if I can find somewhere suitable to mount it and it pressure tests ok, I will clean it up and put it in

On a side note, stripped the motor down a little last night found out I had a bad injector o-ring and a vacum solenoid that wasn't hooked up so wondering if that was contributing to some of the rough driving I was having prior to the BHG



 
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Chello

New Member
Jun 8, 2011
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Victoria, Australia
A little update bought another turbo, bought a intercooler from a rx-7. Waiting on my headgasket from the states still. In the process of making up siderails/side steps

Bent up the bars when I did the winch bar



Notched them out with a 5 inch grinder with a flapper disc



Just have to make some mounting points on the chassis for them

 
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Chello

New Member
Jun 8, 2011
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Victoria, Australia
Ok bit of an update, got some goodies. CX racing rx7 intercooler, Vulture motorsport 44mm ebay wastgate. Bought an Apexi SAFC, and rx7 550cc injectors.
My SIP Racing headgasket arrived and picked up my block and head

Sorry about the shitty picture quality, I keep taking the pics with my phone, I can't be assed getting the camera out.













 
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Chello

New Member
Jun 8, 2011
104
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Victoria, Australia
Made up an adaptor for the ebay special turbo, will mount the wastgate tonight to it


The pick-up on the left is what was in there, god knows how it got any oil

 
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