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The Scorpion

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uphill
25
WELCOME TO THE SCORPION BUILD-UP THREAD​

The sword is more important than the shield and skill is more important than either.



photo courtesy of VOLHOO (thanks Vince)​


All men dream, but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds, wake in the day to find that it was vanity: but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act on their dreams with open eyes, to make them possible.
--Lieutenant-Colonel Thomas Edward Lawrence, CB, DSO
The Scorpion FJ, though unworthy of the man, has been created in honor of T. E. Lawrence (1888-1935), may he rest in peace.



When I bought the FJ, I mapped out a philosophy on which direction a build-up should take. My philosophy was built around a vehicle that could operate, removed from populated areas, and support my interest in exploration and examination of unsettled regions (increasingly difficult to find). Sometimes the questions are complicated and the answers are simple.

My philosophy in modifications is simple. I wanted to create a strong, capable, sustainable rig that would BRING ME HOME at the end of the day. Everything I've done to my FJ has that particular end in mind.

My favorite FJ Cruiser Moment: I'm driving my FJ on an expedition and I can't fall asleep at night under the stars because reality is finally better than my dreams.

This is the stock FJ.

I bought my FJ Cruiser on December 23, 2006 as a Christmas present to myself since it was highly unlikely that anyone else would buy an FJ for me no matter how hard I tried to get off the naughty list.

My daughter Emilie agreed to ride shotgun with me on trail runs.

concentrated mist,

a clear jewel on a leafpoint,

drip,

the river begins!​

(Photo Courtesy of THUBUB, Holcomb Creek ford - 07)​

And I began the process of modifying the FJ


SCORPION

Edited and Updated Mod List
I'm going to use this partcular posting to post added mods so it will change over time to reflect those additions. Some mods will replace others so occasionally there will be deletions as well.

(photo courtesy of CRAZYHERMIT and NETTI - Kokopelli Trail - Nov. 2007)

(photo courtesy of DOMINICG - Mojave Road - Feb. 2008)

(photo courtesy of DRAGON - Kokopelli Trail - July 2008)
​
FROM THE DEALER
2007 Toyota FJ Cruiser Model 4704C
Titanium
Upgrade Package 1 <ATRAC/Rear Locker>
CQ and C7 Convenience Packages
Curtain Shield Airbags
Roof Rack

Build Date: November 2006

Engine bay bulges/rips: First noticed 1/21/08 - bulged on both fenders @22K miles

Significant Mechanical Problems: None so far

  • ARMOR
  • ARB Bull Bar - Front Bumper
  • DeMello Offroad rear bumper w/swing arm[/COLOR])
  • Bud Built Front Skidplate
  • Bud Built Middle Skidplate
  • Bud Built Transmission & Transfer Case Skidplate
  • Bud Built Rear Crossmember
  • Bud Built Fuel Tank (Beefy) Skidplate
  • Bud Built ARB Spacer Armor Plate
  • Inchworm E-Locker Motor Skid (sustained trail damage, cut down in size to repair)
  • Rear Lower Shock Skid
  • Rear Trailing Link Skid
  • Rear Differential Plate (welded)
  • DeMello Hybrid Sliders
  • Manic Tail Light Guards (Real Wheels guards took 5 trail hits -saves- then gave up the ghost)

    SUSPENSION AND TIRES
  • Walker Evans Beadlock Rims
  • Nitto Terra Grapplers - 305/70R17
  • Demello Frame Chop
  • Donahoe Racing Shocks and Front Coil-Overs
  • Old Man Emu Heavy Duty Rear Coil-Overs (OME-886)
  • Donahoe Racing Upper Control Arms
  • Light Racing Jounce Shocks (Chubbies) replacing bump-stops
  • Icon Signature Lower Control Arms
  • Gorilla Lugs

    EQUIPMENT ADDITIONS
  • Lowrance Baja 540C GPS & Freedom Maps Chip F103EX-S and F104EX-W & Shadow GPS R/V Mirror Adaptor Mount
  • Man-A-Fre Auxillery (22 gal.) fuel tank
    --Providing a total capacity of 40 gallons
  • Wet Okole Seat Covers
  • Scanguage 2
  • K & N Air Filter - Replaced by OEM Air Filter
  • Aux. Optima Yellow-Top Battery
  • Dirty Parts Auxiliary Battery Kit
  • Circuit Boss 7 Circuit Fuse Block
  • 6 x REL40 40 Amp custom amber switches
  • Stebel Nautilus Compact Air Horn
  • Passenger-side arm rest
  • Fuel Can Options: 2 x Wedco Jerry Cans (gas/water)
  • Relocated Rear Differential & E-Locker Breather - Scuba Driver Mod.
  • Fire Extinguisher
  • ARB Safari Snorkel
  • I-Pod
  • Death-Stalker Scorpion transfer case shift knob

    COMMUNICATIONS
  • SPOT Satellite Personal Tracker
  • Midland 75-822 Handheld CB Radio with Vehicle Adapter
  • Antenna – 5' and 3’ Firestick/CB
  • Yaesu FT-1802 M/E 2 meter transceiver (50 watts output)/HAM
  • Comet 3D5M mobile mounting hardware/HAM
  • Antenna - Diamond NR-770HA 2M/70CM 3/5.5dB Mobile Antenna/HAM

    LIGHTING
  • Airflow Headlight Covers
  • Hella Black Magic 6” Driving Lights (mounted to ARB Bumper)
  • N-Fab Front Light Bar/Bracket w/3 x Acro X1870M Driving Lights & 2 x 40 B/U PIAA Flood Lights
  • N-Fab Rear Light Bar/Bracket w/2 x 40 B/U PIAA Flood Lights & 1 x LEDQUAD LED Strobe Light Bar
  • 2 x Oznium Flexible Super Thin (red) LED Dome Lights
  • 2 x Puck (white) LED Dome Lights
  • LED Red dash lights replacing white instrument gauge lights

    TOOLS & TRAIL EQPT.
  • Fiskars Axe
  • Short Handle Shovel
  • Crowbar/Pry Bar
  • Eagle Talon (RJM Forge)
  • Husqvarna 350 18" Chain Saw
  • Jumper Cables
  • Tool Kit
  • JB Weld
  • Spool (1000 ft) OD Green Parachute (550) Cord
  • Roll(s) of 100 MPH Tape (milspec rigger's tape)
  • FJC Spare Parts Kit (on extended load-out): including 2xCV Boots, 2xCV Sway Bar Links, Serpentine Belt, rear lower control arm, front axel, spare fuses, tire valves, etc.

    GEAR STORAGE
  • SCORPION MOUNT - An endoskeleton in the back to provide hard points and additional M-PAC storage.
  • Pelican Cases - Allow modular load out depending on the nature of the trip.
  • Fourtreks Shovel/Axe mount
  • Fourtreks HiLift Jack Mount
  • Fourtreks Dual Mount
  • Fourtreks Fuel Can Rack Mount
  • Fourtreks Modular Roll Bar Handle
  • Springtail M-PAC rack and MOLLE gear
  • Springtail M-PAC Side Rack
  • 2 x Expeditionware Jerry Can Holders (currently one mounted)
  • Power Tank Roof Rack Mount - (Custom Fab using Four Treks parts)

    PNEUMATICS
  • 20 lbs. CO2 Auxillery Tank (Internal Mount)
  • 10 lbs. CO2 Power Tank
  • Ingersol Rand #2135 Ti (composite titanium) pneumatic impact gun
  • Power Tank Super Coupler
  • Power Tank HD Tire Inflator Handle
  • Oasis Trailhead Deflator / Stebel Trailhead Deflator (both onboard)
  • ARB Tire Repair Kit
  • Spare valves and valve cores

    RECOVERY
  • Warn XD9000 Winch
  • Viking Kevlar Winch Line (100')
  • Winch Safety Thimble
  • Viking Delrin Fairlead Rollers
  • Warn Hitch Shackle
  • 30’ Rescue Strap
  • 100’ of braided steel cable
  • ARB Snatchblock
  • Pull Pal
  • 4 x 3/4 ton D-Rings
  • ARB Bushranger X-Jack
  • Hi-Lift Jack
  • WabFab Slider Attachment
  • Hi-Lift Jack Base
  • Hi-Lift Jack handle keeper

    EMERGENCY EQPT.
  • Basic Survival Kit (on standard load-out)
  • Large First Responder First-Aid Kit including an adult bag/valve mask
  • Smoke Grenades (pyro- red and green)
  • Chemlights (red and green)
  • Polish Model 78 Flare Gun (26.5 MM) with star flares
  • Lensatic Compass
  • Knive(s)
  • Firearm(s)

RECOMMENDED VENDORS:
I have had consistently good service from these
vendors and encourage you to consider them in
your build-ups. I have not received a discount
from any of them and have no financial stake in
the outcome of your purchase.

DeMello Offroad
BudBuilt
Man-A-Fre
Springtail (MPAC)
Dirty Parts






SCORPION IN VIDEOS

FJ CRUISERS IN DEEP CREEK
(Courtesy of FJROD)

(Courtesy of POKER DAWG)

THE LATEST ADDITION(s)

DeMello swing-out bumper.

Scorpion Mount



ICON lower rear control arms
​


​



BUILD-OUT HIGHLIGHTED TOPICS
(hyper-links to this thread)

SPRINGTAIL MPAC

BEADLOCK WHEELS

LIGHT RACING JOUNCE SHOCKS

CB ANTENNA CHOICE

UPPER CONTROL ARMS & TIRE ALIGNMENT

STEBEL NATILUS AIR HORN

DYNAMIC BALANCING

E-LOCKER SKID

ARMOR AS ART

LOAD-OUT LISTS

USING A SNATCHBLOCK

SEAT COVERS & TRAIL TOOL

N-FAB FRONT AND REAR LIGHT BARS

ULTIMATE SWAY BAR LINKS

LOCKING SHOVEL/AXE HOLDER

FIRST AID/FIRST RESPONDER KIT

Note that NO products produced by All Pro Offroad are used on THE SCORPION.




Meet the Scorpion - Current phase of build up/build out for my FJ.


EXPEDITIONS​

When selecting team members everyone looks for a combination of factors in their team mates. The most important is an absolute passion for the project, an ability to communicate, a diversity of proven expedition-specific skills in remote and hostile environments, physical stamina and mental toughness. FJ Cruiser expeditions are designed first and foremost to be fun. Secondly, they hone your skill sets by forcing you into new and unfamiliar situations that requires you to adapt and overcome. Thirdly, you get to make the run in a Toyota FJ Cruiser.



EXPEDITION PHOTOS

"Well George, we finally knocked the [email protected] off."
– Edmund Hillary's first words, to lifelong friend George Lowe, on returning from Everest's summit


MOJAVE TRAIL EXPEDITION
(Ft. Mojave to Afton Canyon - California) October 07

MOJAVE TRAIL EXPEDITION (Afton Canyon to Ft. Mojave - California) February 08

MOJAVE TRAIL EXPEDITION (Ft. Mojave to Afton Canyon - California) April 08

Don't cry because it's over. Smile because it happened.
KOKOPELLI TRAIL EXPEDITION
(Grand Junction, CO to Moab, UT) November 07


DEATH VALLEY (Death Valley - California) March 08

Kokopelli Trail Expedition (Grand Junction to Moab) July 08


You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself in any direction you choose.
You're on your own. And you know what you know. You are the guy who'll decide where to go.
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Teotwaki
Uphill,

Here is the sign near Jim Wessel's place :lol:


and be sure to check out the Native American "graffiti" at the old lava flow
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uphill
JASON DeMELLO SAVED MY A$$ (again)

On the eve of my North Rim - Grand Canyon/Aztec Caves run with VOLHOO, I started the engine of the FJ.

<CHECK ENGINE> light on

When the check engine light goes on, all of the traction control lights come on and it's quite spectacular.

No problem. I have a ScanGauge2. Yes there are error codes, but none correspond to Toyota error codes.

The rig is driving fine. I run down to Auto Zone and plug in their scanner and it shows the following error codes: P043E, P2401, P2402, P2419. They looked them up for me. They only correspond to Mazda and Volkswagens.

The clerk at Auto Zone picked his nose, rubbed his hand through his hair (I'm not kidding - literally) and told me he had "no idea".

So I drove to ToyotaMasters and spoke with my friend, Eric, who broke out his scanner. All it showed was "error".

W-T-F over?

I hate to bother Jason DeMello, but he's THE genius so I drove to his shop. The diagnosis took all of about three seconds.

MAF Sensor


For those of you who are knowingly saying "of course that's what it is", keep in mind that I am a functional idiot - relying on gauges and diagnostics to cover my ignorance.

The MAF Sensor plugs in behind the OEM Secondary air filter. Oil from the K & N air filter I was running slowly accreted on the sensor over time. Dust attached itself to the sensor (with a minute quantity of oil on it).

So I dumped the K & N filter in the trash (if anyone wants it, it's in Jason's trash - they have a lifetime guarantee - rush over before they empty the trash tonight) and bought an OEM filter - and will be going with paper filters now. Jason took his air hose and blew out the secondary air filter and was COMPLETELY helpful.

Apparently this has been a problem with Tacomas that ran K & N Filters. Jason said that if the MAF Sensor gets too clogged with dirt, it will shut down the engine and the engine won't restart.

Electronic parts cleaner sprayed liberally on the sensor cleaned it up.

For those of you who run in dust a lot as I do and particularly those who are running a K & N Filter - this is a learning point: Clean your MAF Sensor. Because if it shuts down and you're in the back of beyond you may not know why the engine died and won't restart - and the error codes on your ScanGauge will not reflect the nature of the problem.
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DominicG
Thats good to know Toyota doesn't recognize their own error codes:rofl:

Glad to hear Jason saved the day, I think a beer is in order.




What does MAP stand for?? I know there is a MAF sensor behind the filter, but a MAP??
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StHarris
uphill said:
For those of you who run in dust a lot as I do and particularly those who are running a K & N Filter - this is a learning point: Clean your MAP Sensor. Because if it shuts down and you're in the back of beyond you may not know why the engine died and won't restart - and the error codes on your ScanGauge will not reflect the nature of the problem.
Click to expand...
Good info Uphill!
I run a K&N (which is identical to the TRD) and would like to avoid this in the future. I'm going to check this tonight. Where is the MAF sensor located, so I can make sure it's cleaned off?
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volhoo
Glad to hear everything is still on for the run tomorrow.

See you in the morning - :bigthumb:
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jeshua
Glad Jason got you all fixed up, hes a good man for sure.

K&N's are great for older cars and trucks but I wont run them on new stuff with sensitive electronics.

Larry check out the AEM Dryflow filter. There a reusable filter that doesn't use oil.
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Teotwaki
If there was enough oil to clog the MAP sensor it might be possible that cleaning out the rest of the throttle body would be good to do when you have time.

The secondary filter has activated charcoal in it and might have absorbed oil too, slowing down airflow (?).. I don't know if it is cheaper to buy a new one or to try soaking it in gasoline (it is made to absorb gas vapors) and then shaking/drying it out thoroughly.
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frogeye
Great info. I'm running a TRD drop in that requires pre oiling. I've always been very careful not to over oil for this reason. If you haven't already posted a pic of that sensor could you please! I'm at work and can't get pictures here so thanks if you did.:bigthumb:
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Teotwaki
2
frogeye said:
Great info. I'm running a TRD drop in that requires pre oiling. I've always been very careful not to over oil for this reason. If you haven't already posted a pic of that sensor could you please! I'm at work and can't get pictures here so thanks if you did.:bigthumb:
Click to expand...
Really easy to find. When looking at the engine the inlet is to your left and on the top of the inlet tube you'll see the harness plugged into the sensor which is held down with two screws.

Bottom view


I think that this is the correct side view
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frogeye
Thank you Jim. So, you just unbolt it and lift it out to clean then? Awesome. I'll do it this weekend.:bigthumb:

Teotwaki said:
Really easy to find. When looking at the engine the inlet is to your left and on the top of the inlet tube you'll see the harness plugged into the sensor which is held down with two screws.

Bottom view


I think that this is the correct side view
Click to expand...
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Teotwaki
frogeye said:
Thank you Jim. So, you just unbolt it and lift it out to clean then? Awesome. I'll do it this weekend.:bigthumb:
Click to expand...
It is easier to remove the wire harness plug before taking out the screws.

I use compressed air to help blow excess solvent out of the inner tube of the sensor.

I also take the O-ring off of the body to avoid getting dried out when cleaning the sensor with solvent. I clean the O-ring off and re-lube it with some silicone grease then reinstall to have a good airtight fit.
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uphill
10
3 Days in Utah and Arizona:



VOLHOO, MRS VOLHOO and I took a short run to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon and camped at Toroweap. The place is one of the nicest camping spots I have ever encountered. You are right on the rim of the Grand Canyon and it's definitely the road-less-traveled.


We spent two nights at Toroweap and then headed north to the Kanab area. We had hoped to see the Aztec Tunnels, but the area was posted no-trespassing and we didn't violate anybody's trust.

The guy who works behind the BLM counter suggested that we try the Mail Route Road through Elephant Pass, north of the Pink Coral Sand State Park. He looked at our rigs and said, "You might make it. It has a lot of deep sand.


Not really knowing what to expect, we took the trail that led up into the Parunuweap Wilderness Area/Parunuweap Canyon.



The canyon was forged by the East Fork of the Virgin River and it was a spectacular ride with some very serious approach and departure angles that put the location of the MAF auxiliary fuel tank to the test.





It wasn't all technical driving and trail building. The ride was spectacular.




The Scorpion mods all worked the way they were supposed to!
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stringmachine
uphill said:
JASON DeMELLO SAVED MY A$$ (again)

On the eve of my North Rim - Grand Canyon/Aztec Caves run with VOLHOO, I started the engine of the FJ.

<CHECK ENGINE> light on

When the check engine light goes on, all of the traction control lights come on and it's quite spectacular.

No problem. I have a ScanGauge2. Yes there are error codes, but none correspond to Toyota error codes.

The rig is driving fine. I run down to Auto Zone and plug in their scanner and it shows the following error codes: P043E, P2401, P2402, P2419. They looked them up for me. They only correspond to Mazda and Volkswagens.

The clerk at Auto Zone picked his nose, rubbed his hand through his hair (I'm not kidding - literally) and told me he had "no idea".

So I drove to ToyotaMasters and spoke with my friend, Eric, who broke out his scanner. All it showed was "error".

W-T-F over?

I hate to bother Jason DeMello, but he's THE genius so I drove to his shop. The diagnosis took all of about three seconds.

MAF Sensor


For those of you who are knowingly saying "of course that's what it is", keep in mind that I am a functional idiot - relying on gauges and diagnostics to cover my ignorance.

The MAF Sensor plugs in behind the OEM Secondary air filter. Oil from the K & N air filter I was running slowly accreted on the sensor over time. Dust attached itself to the sensor (with a minute quantity of oil on it).

So I dumped the K & N filter in the trash (if anyone wants it, it's in Jason's trash - they have a lifetime guarantee - rush over before they empty the trash tonight) and bought an OEM filter - and will be going with paper filters now. Jason took his air hose and blew out the secondary air filter and was COMPLETELY helpful.

Apparently this has been a problem with Tacomas that ran K & N Filters. Jason said that if the MAF Sensor gets too clogged with dirt, it will shut down the engine and the engine won't restart.

Electronic parts cleaner sprayed liberally on the sensor cleaned it up.

For those of you who run in dust a lot as I do and particularly those who are running a K & N Filter - this is a learning point: Clean your MAF Sensor. Because if it shuts down and you're in the back of beyond you may not know why the engine died and won't restart - and the error codes on your ScanGauge will not reflect the nature of the problem.
Click to expand...
thanks for the post:bigthumb: error huh? lol.. pretty scarey.
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1911
uphill said:
3 Days in Utah and Arizona:

...then headed north to the Kanab area. We had hoped to see the Aztec Tunnels, but the area was posted no-trespassing and we didn't violate anybody's trust.
Click to expand...
I feel better about not taking the time to stay and find them. We pushed on to the Navajo and Hopi Nations; starkly beautiful but the people don't like anyone else on their land (off-road) so we respected that and contented ourselves with eating fry bread, Navajo tacos, and turquoise shopping.

Sorry we missed you and the Volhoos; catch you another time for sure.
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uphill
2
1911, you might not have made it to the caves with us, but we had some great wheeling.

I may post a poll in the tire thread. I'm torn as to which type of tire to put on the Scorpion next.

Any ideas? I have 305 Nitto Terra Grappler A/T's I'm thinking about Nitto Mud Tires. Any experience with them? Too noisy on the road?
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volhoo
7
Here are some great shots of the Scorpion crossing the stream in the Elephant Pass.

We had a great time, thanks for asking us along Larry...

We must have crossed this steam 20 times


The first crossing was pretty wild – very steep and narrow – we decided to do a little road work first


The Scorpion went first


Very Steep and very narrow


No room for error here


Mister Cool drives right through it


Up the other side


:wave:
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Teotwaki
This one scares the beJeezus out of me..... :lol:


Nice action shot!!!
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targa88
uphill said:
I'm torn as to which type of tire to put on the Scorpion next.

Any ideas? I have 305 Nitto Terra Grappler A/T's I'm thinking about Nitto Mud Tires. Any experience with them? Too noisy on the road?
Click to expand...
Been using Hankook Dynapro MT RT03 - very satisfied.
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S
Looks like a great time Larry, wish I was there with you guys, great pics too. :)
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uphill
Teotwaki said:
This one scares the beJeezus out of me..... :lol:


Nice action shot!!!
Click to expand...
It was a bit disconcerting to drag my front ARB across the muddy bottom of the drop off to be able to cross the stream at what could only be euphamistically called a "ford". The tilt-o-meter was off the scale.

VOLHOO insisted that I go first. As a gentleman, how could I have refused?
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