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All stories have to start somewhere

Posted: Thu Dec 22, 2011 12:15 pm
by ASI H8
A touch about me. I'm Rob. Married with two rug rats. I live about 40 miles east of KC. I started wheeling in Samurais. Enough about me.

On 19 DEC 2011 I purchased three Suzuki Vehicles. One was a 1982 LJ 80V. Temp name for the rig is Calico – Color is a calico mesh between light yellow, putty grey and gloss forest green. It appears to be about 80-95% original. I don’t know that much about LJs, this is my first. That is why I’m going with a 15% spread. I’m in the process of consolidating factory tags in order to see how “original” it is. Chrome wheels, 15x7 or 8 with Bridgestone ATs. I don’t recall tire size off hand. Original interior is gone for the most part. The head liner is still there. There are seats and seat belts (haven’t checked for function). I can tell the instrument cluster has been messed with. Dont know if the gauges are original. Has a set of aftermarket gauges left of sterring wheel. The carb looks questionable as original. There is a hole in the hood right above the carb. There is damage DVR Fr quarter around the marker/turn light. It does have rust, mainly forward on the front wheel wells. A hole has been cut in the dash for God knows why. The bumpers are not original. I haven’t been able to turn the motor because I need a clutch cable and battery. Well I could swap a battery in order to see how much more work it will take to get it running. Again I don’t know much about LJs so my assessment is probably way off.

Anyways, I'm sure to asking a ton of questions. I did walk around taking pictures of Calico. I'll get them posted or provide a link to them when I can. Please bear with me as time is my biggest constraint.

Re: All stories have to start somewhere

Posted: Thu Dec 22, 2011 2:28 pm
by Frankenstein
First of al, welcome to the wonderfull world of lj's! Get some pics online and we'll see what's what!

Re: All stories have to start somewhere

Posted: Fri Dec 23, 2011 8:14 am
by Smuz
Glad you could make it over here, bud.
Any question you have on your LJ we can answer. If we don't know the right answer, we'll make up sumpin. :twisted:
I got lotsa parts.

Re: All stories have to start somewhere

Posted: Fri Dec 23, 2011 10:08 am
by stevec
Welcome to the forums! I'm intrigued - can't wait to see the pictures!

Re: All stories have to start somewhere

Posted: Fri Dec 23, 2011 2:28 pm
by ASI H8
Putt'n a fuel pump in my 02 Chevy right now. When I get back to the house I'll get what I got posted.

Smuz,
If ya ain't to busy, your more than welcome to stop by, if your passing through.

Re: All stories have to start somewhere

Posted: Sat Dec 24, 2011 8:48 am
by Smuz
ASI H8 wrote:Smuz,
If ya ain't to busy, your more than welcome to stop by, if your passing through.
I'll do that, but it'll be spring before I get a chance.
You got an invite to my place, too.

Re: All stories have to start somewhere

Posted: Sat Dec 24, 2011 11:20 am
by ASI H8
Smuz wrote:
ASI H8 wrote:Smuz,
If ya ain't to busy, your more than welcome to stop by, if your passing through.
I'll do that, but it'll be spring before I get a chance.
You got an invite to my place, too.
Thanks Smuz.

Here is a link to the picts so far. I'll get some of the bottom side when I get my floor jack back from dad

http://s1100.photobucket.com/albums/g40 ... 0LJ80%20V/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

If it doesn't work, let me know. I'm sure ya'll will.

Re: All stories have to start somewhere

Posted: Sat Dec 24, 2011 2:12 pm
by UBZ
welcome to the world of LJs, rust , sanding and painting . but so well worth it.

I love the Full tin top vans , we didn't get any over here in NZ

Engine is stock , carb is not . I can't see how the carb is attached to the intake manifold , so I would assume that is a later model manifold and down draft carb off a F10a engine from a SJ410.

I've also never seen a fuel vapor canister In an LJ before.

Re: All stories have to start somewhere

Posted: Sat Dec 24, 2011 3:47 pm
by Frankenstein
Carb is a replacement from who knows what, but not sj410. Coolant expantiontank and the heatshield on the exhaustmanifold are missing but the rest looks pretty original!

Re: All stories have to start somewhere

Posted: Sat Dec 24, 2011 4:15 pm
by Smuz
BTW: here's a link to when we did my boy's LJ80, so you can see that I really do know a bit about them things.

viewtopic.php?f=18&t=248" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

BTW: does yours run?

Re: All stories have to start somewhere

Posted: Sun Dec 25, 2011 4:39 pm
by ASI H8
Smuz, I'll get to the link in a bit. Still have a house full.
When I bought it (and the two Samurais) I got one battery between them all. Grossly oversized. So a new battery is in store. I would assume the same suggested battery for a Samurai would also work for the LJ80? If so I’ll pull the battery out of my blue Samurai (Chookie) and give it a spin.
BTW. My wife has named it Pee Wee. She has my daughter calling it Pee Wee. Oh well, ya can’t win them all.

Re: All stories have to start somewhere

Posted: Tue Dec 27, 2011 6:59 pm
by SuzukiTom
That's a carb off an Brazilian made VW bug. My LJ10/20 (LJ20 engine) had a similar Solex carb on it when I bought it. Almost a bolt on. I swapped it out for an original Hitachi carb.

Re: All stories have to start somewhere

Posted: Tue Dec 27, 2011 7:17 pm
by SuzukiTom
UBZ wrote:I've also never seen a fuel vapor canister In an LJ before.
The emissions sticker is for "U.S. EPA" regulations, that would explain the vapor canister. I didn't know '81 Lj80s were US emissions legal?

Re: All stories have to start somewhere

Posted: Tue Dec 27, 2011 7:47 pm
by ASI H8
SuzukiTom wrote:That's a carb off an Brazilian made VW bug. My LJ10/20 (LJ20 engine) had a similar Solex carb on it when I bought it. Almost a bolt on. I swapped it out for an original Hitachi carb.
Pros or cons on ethier??
SuzukiTom wrote:
UBZ wrote:I've also never seen a fuel vapor canister In an LJ before.
The emissions sticker is for "U.S. EPA" regulations, that would explain the vapor canister. I didn't know '81 Lj80s were US emissions legal?
I don't know if it is or isn't. I'll have to differ to you all.

Re: All stories have to start somewhere

Posted: Wed Dec 28, 2011 10:04 am
by stevec
SuzukiTom wrote:
UBZ wrote:I've also never seen a fuel vapor canister In an LJ before.
The emissions sticker is for "U.S. EPA" regulations, that would explain the vapor canister. I didn't know '81 Lj80s were US emissions legal?
That isn't the first I've seen, but they are rare. I know Suzuki (or some company) sold LJ80's in Hawaii; when I was there in '83 they were everywhere; I think some companies were even offering them as rentals. I've also seen a very nice LJ80 in the SF Bay area with CA plates, so it HAD to be emissions legal!

Come to think of it, I remember Sluggo, or his son, bought an LJ80 from Washington a few years ago. The speedo was in MPH, not Km/h, so it was a US spec model. I would expect it to also have the emissions stuff.

Re: All stories have to start somewhere

Posted: Wed Dec 28, 2011 10:27 am
by ASI H8
ASI H8 wrote:When I bought it (and the two Samurais) I got one battery between them all. Grossly oversized. So a new battery is in store. I would assume the same suggested battery for a Samurai would also work for the LJ80? If so I’ll pull the battery out of my blue Samurai (Chookie) and give it a spin.
Is this a fair assumption?

Re: All stories have to start somewhere

Posted: Wed Dec 28, 2011 10:47 am
by Ruby
ASI H8 wrote:
ASI H8 wrote:When I bought it (and the two Samurais) I got one battery between them all. Grossly oversized. So a new battery is in store. I would assume the same suggested battery for a Samurai would also work for the LJ80? If so I’ll pull the battery out of my blue Samurai (Chookie) and give it a spin.
Is this a fair assumption?
LJ80 battery is smaller than the samurai battery, narrower.

Re: All stories have to start somewhere

Posted: Wed Dec 28, 2011 11:48 am
by Frankenstein
You can get a bigger battery in there but it requires some work. You have to fill out the bottom of the battery tray, make a new strap to hold the battery in place and maybe some new connectors for it. The original lj battery has very tiny terminals, samurai has bigger ones.

Re: All stories have to start somewhere

Posted: Wed Dec 28, 2011 11:54 am
by ASI H8
I bet this seem like an ignorant question, primarily because it is. I lack information or knowledge of LJ80s. For the purpose of identifying if my LJ80v, Pee-Wee will run, can I use a Samurai battery?

Re: All stories have to start somewhere

Posted: Wed Dec 28, 2011 11:58 am
by Frankenstein
It will run on it, no problem. How much ah is the samurai battery? Lj's have a 35ah battery and a 30ah alternator. Starter will turn harder and it will take longer to load it full capacity but it will work.

Re: All stories have to start somewhere

Posted: Wed Dec 28, 2011 12:13 pm
by stevec
The short answer is that if you can get it to fit, the battery will work.

I recently replaced the battery in my LJ81. I've had my LJ81 six years, and the battery wasn't new when I bought it. The one I pulled was only rated at around 300 CCA, and tested as "bad", though it would still start just fine. The problems came when leaving the lights on - it only took a minute or two before the LJ needed a jumpstart, or at least a rest with the lights off before trying to start. The new one is the same size, but over 600 CCA - overkill, but it was the only battery they had that would fit. I couldn't find any info on the reserve capacity of the old one, so I don't know how they compare.

Re: All stories have to start somewhere

Posted: Thu Dec 29, 2011 7:41 am
by Smuz
stevec wrote:
SuzukiTom wrote:
UBZ wrote:I've also never seen a fuel vapor canister In an LJ before.
The emissions sticker is for "U.S. EPA" regulations, that would explain the vapor canister. I didn't know '81 Lj80s were US emissions legal?
That isn't the first I've seen, but they are rare. I know Suzuki (or some company) sold LJ80's in Hawaii; when I was there in '83 they were everywhere; I think some companies were even offering them as rentals. I've also seen a very nice LJ80 in the SF Bay area with CA plates, so it HAD to be emissions legal!

Come to think of it, I remember Sluggo, or his son, bought an LJ80 from Washington a few years ago. The speedo was in MPH, not Km/h, so it was a US spec model. I would expect it to also have the emissions stuff.
They also had 'em in Puerto Rico. That's where Sancho came from. His speedo is in mph.

Re: All stories have to start somewhere

Posted: Thu Dec 29, 2011 7:45 am
by Smuz
ASI H8 wrote:I bet this seem like an ignorant question, primarily because it is. I lack information or knowledge of LJ80s. For the purpose of identifying if my LJ80v, Pee-Wee will run, can I use a Samurai battery?
Just be carefull about the clearance between the top bat terminals and the hood. If the + terminal hits when you close the hood, things get exciting quickly.

Re: All stories have to start somewhere

Posted: Thu Dec 29, 2011 1:51 pm
by ASI H8
Smuz wrote:
ASI H8 wrote:I bet this seem like an ignorant question, primarily because it is. I lack information or knowledge of LJ80s. For the purpose of identifying if my LJ80v, Pee-Wee will run, can I use a Samurai battery?
Just be carefull about the clearance between the top bat terminals and the hood. If the + terminal hits when you close the hood, things get exciting quickly.
Ya think?
:))):

Re: All stories have to start somewhere

Posted: Fri Dec 30, 2011 8:31 am
by Smuz
ASI H8 wrote:Ya think?
:))):
I know it for a fact. I hadda throw away sum underware 'cause of that.