I don't know about any stories like that but my friend was pulling his 68 chevy I6 at the same time I was pulling my F motor and the blocks are very similiar. My Fj is a 71 so the may have made minor changes. Other than the inspection plates (location and quantaty) they were the same. The heads are different though.

 

I read a story in my TLC 50th Anniversary book about that. I'll check it out tonight when I get home.

From what I remember it was a knock off of the 235.

as far as the forklift reference, I saw a rebuild kit posted here for the 2F that was dirt cheap compared to other retailers and yes, it was for a forklift motor

 

rancho site had something about that, and said it was a copy of the "blue flame" motor (by chev)

and i saw somewhere else, that forklift rebuild kits were the way to go

 

Anybody got a good place to get "forklift" engine rebuild kits?

 

Yes, the F is a close cousin of the GM 235 (from 1954-1963) and its earlier relative the GM 216 (1937? - 1954). (The 216 has the poured-in babbit bearings on the rods and mains.) Rumor is that the 235 crank will fit the F block, but I haven't tried it, although I have rebuilt 1 235 I6 in my youth.

The 2F is still used in fork lifts and the fork lift dealers seem to be able to sell OEM Toyota kiretsu-mfg parts without the Toyota name on the box for less money than the Toyota car dealers.

Try:
PacLift
Phone 1.800.421.5438 (ask for Al)
Fax 1.619.448.0233
Santee, CA

 

Ah, come awn guys, everyone knows that the Japanese ripped off Chevy and other Western technology. The similarities between the Cruiser and other Western designed 4wheel drives is uncanny - too much to believe they came up with it on their own. Now, I am not saying that is a bad thing, as they tended to improve on things. Mostly so in the eighties when they really started to improve, with their so called "Japanese Management" technique of quality controll instigated at the design stage instead of at the shipping dock (a philosophy learned from Edwards Demming - an American - too bad we were so late in grasping his philosophies). BTW, I am not bagging on the Japanese, just lets give credit where credit is due. And yes, I have been told many times that there is incredible interchangeability between Chevy motor and F motor parts, and drivetrain components (Hmmm... gonna put an SM420 behind your F motor - wow - what a coincidence - it fits like a glove!)

 

this was all explained in that Tom Sellick movie when he goes to japan to coach baseball,,,"japan takes the best from all over the world and makes it her own" so i guess that means the cruiser motors came from the USA and then japan made them better:flipoff2:
oh and for you propane guys, the propane "kits" are readily available for 2F forklift motors. just buy it and put it on your cruiser, all bolt on no guesswork.

 

Anybody got a good place to get "forklift" engine rebuild kits?

PacLift, they are near SanDiego. I'll try to dig out their number!

 

Ok here's the deal,
From what I have heard good o'l USA is the one who started Toyota in the auto industry in the first place....kinda hard to swallow eh? I guess after the war Japan was in serious depression, and us being the bleeding hearts that we are, gave toyota ( a sewing machine factory or somthing at the time) the contract to build the ultimate military vehicle, to lift them from the depression. Now when I say "we" I mean the USMC and yes it was a military contract! So we gave them the blueprints for everything and they converted it to metric and started production!
This is why Land Cruiser and early Chevy parts are so much alike.

Now keep in mind this is all second hand info, but it has the ring of truth if ya know what I mean!

-Scott

 

Interesting stuff.

Toyota vehicles were in production long before WWII, during the 1930’s it was producing lots of large trucks for the Military. Also lots of the factories were converted to aircraft production.

Post War, Occupation forces wanted to make sure the factories had something other than Military Trucks and Aircraft to produce! MacArther, smart man, let them build up their economy. Automobile production was ideal, but most of the original automobile production tooling were destroyed during WWII.

Toyota started producing “Chevy” vehicles with an agreement from Chevrolet. Datsun (aka Nissan Motor Company) went with Austin (British) Motor Company as a partner. Originally the vehicles were shipped over in crates, and just “bolted together”. Slowly other companies became involved with the production of the subcomponents, until almost 100% was Japanese content.

Also during this time was the decision to have a locally produced "Jeep". So it was a Jeep Body, with Chevy running gear! So yes the “chevy six” was the basis for the original motor, hence why a SM420 would bolt up to it.

Starting around 1960, MITI (Ministry of Industry an Trade) told Toyota and Datsun NOT to compete against each other in the USA market. Toyota got the Land Cruiser; Datsun went with the Spots Car. Remember the Nissan Patrol suddenly disappeared from the USA market (still available in Canada) and the neat Toyota Sports Car was no longer. So we got the Land Cruiser and the 240Z a few years later. Both did pretty good!

As to the Metric bolts: Post WWII Japan was all AMERICAN THREAD! MITI forced the conversion to Metric hardware starting in 1967. Items DESIGNED after that date had to use metric fasteners, but if something was in production it could continue with the SAE Hardware sizes. Lots of companies used different metric standards, so ISO standards were adopted starting with the 1968 designs. For the Old Datsun’s I’ve used my lathe to custom make some odd threaded fasteners at times.

For other Trivia: Russian Built Fords! Read an intersting book years back about the number of American families who got trapped in Russia after the red's came to power. Anyone remember the title of that book?

Tom :usa:

 

Excellent stuff Tom et. al. ! I guess we forget about the Marshall Plan at times.

 

I was told that it was originally Toyoda but they went to Toyota because it was considered good luck to use (I can't remember if it is 8 or 11) strokes to write one's name in Japanese. I have also heard that in a pinch gpo to a Toyota forklift dealer for parts.

 

I guess thats why "some" of the stamped parts on my FJ60 still have TOYODA on them

kewel thread for the history buffs:vader2:

 

My 1960 FJ25

My FJ25 has a very early "F" motor with a GM intake manifold bolted up to it, to top it off it's got a single barrel Rochestor carb on it as well. Everything bolts right up, imagine that

Fortunately I just bought another FJ25 from a buddy in Nevada and it's got all the original Toyota intake and carb........it looks almost the same.....hmmmm

FYI the FJ25 was only produced for about three or four years or so and the last ones were built around 1960. I've also heard that very few were even imported into this country.

Another interesting thing about the FJ25 is the tub looks like a copy of a Willys Jeep. with the rounded doors and the round wheel wells.

 

You all have it wrong! I was informed last week by a backwoods ******* that the landcruiser was a chevy drivetrain under a ford designed body. And furthermore, it was available with the chevy 350 as a factory option. Now you have the truth.
I felt much dumber after having this conversation and did not even bother to argue with him. By the way, what year did chevy introduce the 350?

 

There was a dealer somewhere that was installing 350s into Cruisers. Not a factory option, but it was a brand new Cruiser with a brand new 350 in it. There was an advertisement from the dealer I've seen somewhere.

 

The company was Conn Ferr that did new v8 conversions in new Cruisers. I believe it was offered with a 327. It may have been a 350. I can't remember. If you look in early 1970s Hunting Magazines you might see the ads in the back.