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The "Warthog" A build up thread

 
 
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land mawe
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Joined: 01 Sep 2009
Odometer: 40
Location: KENYA



PostPosted: Tue Feb 16, 2010 9:44 am    Post subject: The "Warthog" A build up thread Reply with quote

Greetings.

There has been varied interest in a posting of the Mog chassis that was crossed with a Land Cruiser FJ55 with interesting results....and so I have decided to share images and the story on difflock. Unfortunately some weeks ago my laptop got stolen and almost ALL the images of a carefully recorded build were lost too. I salvaged a few...so here goes:


My interest in off roading goes back 8 years and am a regular 'runner' on a team in the Rhino Charge (www.rhinocharge.co.ke) - a sort of Whacky Racers for 4x4s in the Kenyan bush...but have never had my own rig.

So i was in the market for a truck...i thought start small a Zook or a FJ45... instead this UNIMOG 404 114 Chassis came my way...

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in pursuit of ferpection!
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minimog
Off-Road Guru


Joined: 25 Nov 2004
Odometer: 1700




PostPosted: Tue Feb 16, 2010 12:10 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

what a tease
is that it we want more

__________________________________
WHAT YOUR ASKED WHEN YOU OWN A MOG
"why have you put a merc star on that"
UNIMOG MOTTO
"IF IT CARNT BE FIXED WITH A BIG HAMMER"
IT MUST BE AN ELECTRICAL FAULT"
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land mawe
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Joined: 01 Sep 2009
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Location: KENYA



PostPosted: Tue Feb 16, 2010 12:45 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

hehe...now that I have your attention!!!
no sorry got interrupted!

Anyhow many ideas were floating thru my head as to what to do with it...no engine, steering etc...only the diffs the gear box the chassis the suspension and 4 rims!!!

looked at some interesting ideas and was inclined towards building a tube frame - but it wouldnt have solved the problem of all the other bits!!

enter the 1976 FJ55 Toyota Land Cruiser. This American missionary had owned this "Iron Pig" new from showroom!! and had lovingly kept the old gal in great nick. i thought that the engine and innards would do well for the buggy I had in mind.... and I bought it without seeing it.

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land mawe
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Joined: 01 Sep 2009
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Location: KENYA



PostPosted: Thu Feb 18, 2010 11:46 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

off course the chassis had been lying out exposed to the elements and so was pretty badly rusted. Handy bit of kit is the battery charger, that some scrap plates and a solution made from drain cleaning salts made for a basic electrolysis bath

next the " pig" was skinned.....


and gutted....


The engine with clutch plate and pressure plate and bell house was lifted onto the chassis and lined up the UNIMOG input shaft...the mog bellhouse was removed, and we fabbed up a new one...

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land mawe
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Joined: 01 Sep 2009
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Location: KENYA



PostPosted: Thu Feb 18, 2010 11:57 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

so far so good!!!! Laughing

a new bellhouse was fabbed up of 8mm plate, starting with a flange that was shaped from the outline of the removed Mog bellhouse.

THANK YOU MINIMOG for advising me not to bother welding the MOG one... yup thats some strange unbeknown to mere mortals...welding i t would have resulted in many holes heartache and nothing more!

truth be told there was a fair bit of messing about and the alignment was out by 4mm which snapped the first modification of a clutch plate we installed. It has also been subsequently reinforced thoroughly.

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land mawe
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Joined: 01 Sep 2009
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Location: KENYA



PostPosted: Thu Feb 18, 2010 12:32 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

The bell house adaptor bolted onto the FJ55 bellhouse. the idea was to use the Cruiser clutch and pressure plate however for it to work the clutch plate needed modification. for it to fit on the mog input shaft splines and fit against the Toyota flywheel.

the Massive 44" wheels (pirelli 365/80 PS22 - as used by TATRA in the Dakar) arrived. we took the nose off the cruiser body and fitted it according to the firewall and had to chop out chunks of body to allow for the wheels.

The shocks are the same used by Mercedes ACTROS trucks and extend to 803mm from 406mm. the springs are stock.

The truck was obviously a Left hand drive and the FJ55 RHD, which is what we drive on Kenyan roads (and OFF Wink )

so a bit of modification was required again and also a power steering unit installed from a Land Cruiser HZJ80, a pump from a Mazda and a modification to the alternator pulley to drive the pump.

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land mawe
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Joined: 01 Sep 2009
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Location: KENYA



PostPosted: Thu Feb 18, 2010 12:49 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

the Mog wheel base of 114 as compared to the cruiser of 108" meant a few chops at the back and the wheel well is a bit big now. the fenders were fabbed and welded on. a bit of the chassis was lopped off (around 6 inches).


the gear levers fit in without too much hassle, off course a big hole was lopped out the floor and remade into a cover.

engine and body mountings that had been tacked in place were then fully welded up. The engine sits at quite an angle, and this i think is posing me a few issues while ascending steep slopes - will have to think of a way to level out the Holley carb...maybe a shim plate or something

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land mawe
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Joined: 01 Sep 2009
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Location: KENYA



PostPosted: Thu Feb 18, 2010 1:24 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Fitting the rest of the body panels was not a significant challenge, fortunately it all fit quite well. initially feared that the 'nose' would need extending...but it all fit quite nicely. The high tech cardboard bits formed the basis of the steering guard skid plate....10mm steel...with a MOG weights not a problem!

too impatient to trim and fit doors we built up some pipe ones and tried her out....

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mike97
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PostPosted: Thu Feb 18, 2010 6:03 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Wow, thats one very cool looking mog your building there landmawe, keep up the good work and thanks for keeping us posted on progress!

mike
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Steveb
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Joined: 12 Jun 2007
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Location: Suffolk



PostPosted: Thu Feb 18, 2010 6:33 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Nice build up Landmawe,
That FJ was a nice truck in itself, are they very common in Kenya? and what about the swb FJ40 i think.
Will the brake master cylinder on the FJ cope with the mog brakes?
What was the bodywork like that you took off the Mog?

Looking forward to seeing more

cheers


Steveb
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Winnet
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Joined: 03 Dec 2003
Odometer: 14725
Location: Aberdeen


1985 Land Rover

PostPosted: Sun Feb 21, 2010 1:23 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Interesting build that.

G.

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Bored......

All these questions and more after the tea break.
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land mawe
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Joined: 01 Sep 2009
Odometer: 40
Location: KENYA



PostPosted: Mon Feb 22, 2010 9:39 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Very Happy thanks guys for the interest!

the FJ55 is a lovely truck in itself I totally agree! It has its own cult following I later found out....The Iron Pig Preservation Society etc...there are a few left here on the road, and a few more rusting away off the road.

This one came my way in pretty good nick....the body as with all Pigs was rusted quite badly. But one careful owner from new!!! what a find! But then he left for his native USA and nobody wanted an old toyota with a gas guzzling 4 litre engine!

Initially i was only interested in the engine as a donor car...but when i read about the FJ55, and then saw the old gal...I thought it would be a good idea to put the MOG chassis and the FJ55 together. It worked.
and i am glad that a rusting chassis and an unwanted rare car have a new lease on life!

As for the brakes...I bought an original UNIMOG Master Cylinder and fitted that. It was not effective alone, and so fit that to the original booster.

The brakes are still not at their best...as the new linings have not 'burnt' themselves in...but getting better and better. Rolling Eyes i think...

Any tips or improvements? it would be good to stop exactly as needed!!!

FJ40s? yup they are around, in various conditions....tough old beasts. Interestingly the same guy had a FJ40...that got snapped up straight away. This one a harder sell.

there are also many old land rovers on the road...in some of the most hostile places in the country, you will find an old soldier battling on asked to do the impossible!

Some of the game lodges even have the 101s still rolling...beautiful.

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