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The Kubvan website
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The diving website Update table of contents
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January 3rd 2011
December 17th 2010
November 30 2010
November 18 2010
November 9 2010
November 3 2010
October 2010
Toyota Engine Removal
Old thoughts

Check back to stay up to date on this project, 2 years in the planning and finally started February 2010. We want to go exploring summer 2011


The Toyota diesel engine	The Postal CamperVan Project	The body stretch
The 1982 2.2 litre L series Toyota normally aspirated diesel with a 4 speed 2WD transmission, a good clean running engine, will need to be completely checked over and reconditioned as needed.	Normally aspirated water cooled 1.6 litre VW diesel powered Grumman Kubvan, all aluminum body and frame, front wheel drive, VW running gear. A cool ride.	Need 18 inches of additional interior space to make it comfortable to sleep in, we also needed some frame rails to tie the rear suspension in.

The idea :

Build a campervan, for all terrain exploring, diesel powered, based on the Kubvan.

Lots of folks have put VW Diesels into Toyota 4X4's for obvious reasons, however

putting a Toyota diesel and 4X4 running gear into Grumman Kubvan is another story.

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Where we are at : most recent updates first, use the index above to read through the project from the bottom.

What happened to 2011

October 2011

Finally sorting out the solid front axle install, and finally have the rivet tools for putting the back of the box on.

Hopefully if I make some progress in the next few weeks I will post some more pictures

Jan 2011

Built a davit to lift stuff into the work shop and moved the 2L engine block into the shop to start the rebuild.

Found this link on Island 4X4 complements of Moterra

Toyota service manual downloads...

manuals for most of the cruiser and hilux models plus some others aswell.. diesel engines...trans ...and one for body and chassis just find the one you need and download the torrent. http://daemon4x4.org/portal/downloads.php?dcid=17&p=1

Update December 17 2010 goto top of project

Only a few days till Christmas, not much for progress in the last few weeks. I did mange to pickup more aluminium for the body extension and found a source for solid rivets on Ebay. While researching how to actually do the riveting I found this cool site that explains the process quite clearly.

Rivet Gun Notes and Riveting Tips

Update November 30 2010 goto top of project

It's been a bit slow the last couple of weeks on this project but I finally got the front rails cut and test fitted, Kubvan front frame rail next step is to fit the front springs and shocks. I cut out the front spring hangers off the old toyo frame to reuse here. You can just see the front of the leaf spring on the left bottom, and the shock in the foreground. Lots of bolting and welding to come but the pieces are coming together.

While replacing the Mazda rear axle with the Toyota rear axle, a minor problem arose with this in that the Toyota axle spring mounts are spaced about an inch further apart. I all fits together but I will have to adjust the mounts later.

The gasket kit and the rings finally arrived if the weather warms up I will be ready to put the engine back together, carports not heated.

Update November 18 2010 goto top of project

Two panels cut and fitted for box extensions and front frame construction begins.


Left body panel fitted, and frame extension	Interior U channel for bracing	Front frame spring hanger and engine support

Update November 10 2010 goto top of project

Another cool link, All ya wanted to know about diffs : http://home.4x4wire.com/erik/diffs/#top

And more than you thought you would ever want to know about Shackles : http://www.4crawler.com/4x4/ForSale/Shackles.shtml

Removed the old tranny, replacing oil pump housing, sourced a tranny. power steering pump, oil pan and pickup, ordered gasket kit and rings. Sizing up front frame rails.


Got tranny, thanks Derek	Need to replace oil pump housing due to damaged water return line.

Gotcha #1, you have to change the oil pan and pickup due to front axle configuration on a 4X4	Original on the left, the new one on the right,

While we have the engine out need to check cylinders and head	All looks good cylinders within spec, so are bearings, ordering standard rings.

Sizing up front frame rails, to hang springs and mount engine. Note: Toyota front frame placed underneath for ease of size up.	Inside frame rail dimension 24 inches, sufficient for engine mounts Outside frame rail dimension 29 inches, just enough to pickup spring hangers. A beam across the front should tie it all together similar to the original config.

Update November 3 2010 goto top of project

1- Started to test fit the engine into the the compartment to see what I need to do to glue it all together. I am using the old toyo truck frame as working platform to allow me to roll it in out from under the van while I get the frame rails and bell housing clearances sorted out. Looks like I will be building a front end frame rail that connects to the existing body frame rails. The new frame rails will provide the engine mounts, pick up the front of the leaf springs and tie in the shock towers to the body. The fire wall will need to be cut away to provide space for the bell housing. See pictures below:


Toyoto Engine and tranny sitting temporarily on Toyo front frame for ease of moving around during size up.	Kubvan engine compartment showing end of frame rails, old rack and pinnion steering still needs removing

Engine below Kubvan engine compartment, body frame rail in foreground.	Tranny looking aft to differential and rear leaf springs

Engine raised as far as it will go with tranny attached, need to remove a section of firewall to allow it come up about 8 inches	Looking from the top, toyo frame rails line up with where kubvan body rails come through, looks like it might work

2- Picked up enough aluminium extrusions to start putting the back of the van back together, located a transmission and some needed engine parts

Found some interesting links below regarding diesel conversions:

3 - A really great Link about diesel conversions : http://vpiza.org/~jmeehan/toyotadiesel/

4 - Another informative link about engine versions and conversions http://www.toyotadiesel.com/forums/showthread.php?t=204

Update October 2010: goto top of project

Well summer would be done and it's been a busy time, were moving right along with this project, I have been learning about 4X4 construction, by dismantling several vehicles.

suzuki LJ80 I started with a rusted out Suzuki LJ "the price was right", although the design is simple I decided it was not a good choice mostly due to wheel base width, I have since sold some parts and still have some around if anyone is interested.

The second vehicle was a Mazda 2600 4X4 another case of serious rust but again the price was right, I did use the rear end to design and fab up the rear end spring bracket mounts. Investigating how to match up a VW Turbo diesel to the transmission did result in some machining and fiddling around but in the end came to the conclusion that I was going in the wrong direction as far as engines go. I realized it was going to be way easier just to find a Mazda diesel that already bolted straight up to the tranny.

Mazda 2600 rear axle After a lot of research looking at vehicles and even coming close to buying one I concluded that the Mazda diesel was not a good choice due to parts availability or the lack of to be more accurate. The picture to the left is the only part we ended up keeping from this demo and in the end probably only keeping the springs and tires.

Well at this point your asking yourself how many vehicles is this Mazda b2600 wreck drill guy gonna wreck to get where he needs to be, well bottom line is the first two vehicle's did not cost me anything I managed to sell a few pieces to finance the overall project, I learned a lot about import trucks and ended up with lots of nuts, bolts, bit's and pieces that will no doubt come into use somewhere along the way. We did have a bit of fun as well with the Volunteer Fire Department by staging a drill night with the Mazda after we finished with it. On it`s last day it ended up at a 2nd training exercise in how to open a vehicle up with saws and chisels.

Toyota engine removal: goto top of project

In the meantime I got a line on a 85 Toyota 4X4 gasser which I was planning to only use the front solid axle. The overall Mazda experince led me to realize I should just use entirely toyota running gear which started me looking around for a toyota diesel which I found in an 82 toyota 2wd. So that was the third vehicle I stripped to the ground. See the dismantle video below:

A lot more wrenching now leaves me with a 85 Toyota front and rear end, a set of mazda rear springs and a 2 litre Toyota diesel with a 5 speed 2WD transmission.

All I need to complete the puzzle is a compatible transfer case or an entire transmission/transfer case that will bolt to the 2.2 diesel.

The Tranny I have is 2WD possibly an L52 variation, the best advice so far seems to be find a L52 type transmission with transfer case and then mix and match what L52 I have.

If you have any questions, advice, parts or want parts that I have

contact me at this forum on www.island4X4.com

or the address below

LINKS: I have found these sites and forums to be helpful along the way:

http://island4x4.com/ A great local site with very helpful people.

http://www.toyotadiesel.com Site is short of a sys op but also lots of good folks on here.

http://www.4x4wire.com/toyota/faq/parts/ Toyota drivetrain specs

http://www.off-road.com/trucks-4x4/tech/toyota-differential-identification-18588.html Toyota Differential ID

http://www.toyodiy.com/ Toyota VIN number lookup and parts lists

http://landcruiser.grundahl.ca/Toyota%20Manual/ Toyota Manuals

http://www.drivetrain.com/parts_catalog/manual_transmission_overhaul_kits/toyota_manual_transmission_illustration.html Drawings

http://www.4x4wire.com/toyota/faq/ Toyota Timeline, changes to design over the years.

http://www.toyotaoffroad.com/Articles/Projects/TopShift/TopShift.htm RF1A, Top shift mod

Some old thoughts : goto top of project

	This is a Suzuki if I am not mistaken frame work showing the running gear mounting configuration.

So for thought here is some idea's on places to start, A VW product, might be easy that would give you all wheel drive but it would cost, and would not be rugged enough for 4X4 without other modifications.


An VW engine and Transmission	This is an all wheel drive install in caddy using the All wheel drive engine and transaxle	A modified Golf all wheel drive rear end from an Audi.