Sage Customs

Sage Customs 4JJ1 Parts Specialist for all your Secondhand Parts needs as well as Vehicle Sales, RMVT.

Tig Welding, Engine Conversions, light fabrication, Exhausts or anything you may need.

Seeing as its raining i better install the canopy on the 4wd Rc Colorado so it can carry out daily driver duties a bit b...
18/06/2026

Seeing as its raining i better install the canopy on the 4wd Rc Colorado so it can carry out daily driver duties a bit better!

A few hours wrenching on this 4jj1 engine and the parts i need so far are stripped off it.Head off for a customer, all l...
18/06/2026

A few hours wrenching on this 4jj1 engine and the parts i need so far are stripped off it.

Head off for a customer, all looks in good condition.
Crank spins over freely so not sure what damage this one incurred.
Pistons are good.

Oil pan and upper sump removed to swap onto the 2wd engine to be able to install that in the 4wd Ra7 Rodeo and get it running.

A bit of an involved job.
Remove flywheel,
Rear main seal,
Power steering and vacuum pumps,
Crank pulley,
Pull front cover.
Undo all the bolts holding the upper sump on to the block and front cover.
2x in behind the flywheel.
One idler gear inside the front cover and 4x bolts.

Carefully pop it loose and then repeat with the other engine!
Oil pan could have stayed bolted onto the upper sump as well, no bolts to get at in there.

The 4wd Auto 4jj1 is out and on the engine stand ready to strip down.Took a while with dowels sticking in the block and ...
16/06/2026

The 4wd Auto 4jj1 is out and on the engine stand ready to strip down.

Took a while with dowels sticking in the block and working out which bits to remove to get enough clearance but got there in the end.

Special tool fab time for the 4wd auto 4jj1 Rodeo.Torque converter bolts have limited access and my 12 point 12mm spanne...
16/06/2026

Special tool fab time for the 4wd auto 4jj1 Rodeo.
Torque converter bolts have limited access and my 12 point 12mm spanner started rounding one off instead of cracking it loose.

6 sided 12mm socket to keep it locked on the nut better and a bit of flat bar for a handle got it undone.

4JJ1 2.5" decat midpipe test fit went pretty well.Slips in from behind the gearbox crossmember just fine to get it in pl...
15/06/2026

4JJ1 2.5" decat midpipe test fit went pretty well.

Slips in from behind the gearbox crossmember just fine to get it in place.

Ive made my bend hang a bit low so its not got much clearance to the torsion bar, this also made it a tad tricky to fit onto the downpipe fl**ge.

Otherwise looking good!
Back onto the jig and shorten up the height of the horizontal section and it will be bang on.
Still room to get the extension and 14mm socket up both sides for the downpipe nuts.

In place in the shed ready to tear this motor out of it.A fair bit pulled apart on it by the previous owner and cams and...
15/06/2026

In place in the shed ready to tear this motor out of it.

A fair bit pulled apart on it by the previous owner and cams and cam gears are sold out of it already.

Stash all the loose bits in the tray and get it powered up to check kms and wind the windows down, get some ventilation going on through it.

First pull the fuel pump fuse so i dont end up with a floor covered in diesel!

Next job will be test my tacked up 2.5" decat mid pipe exhaust to see how easy it is to fit into place and if it has good clearance to the chassis and torsion bar before final welding.

Utilised the new tool in the shop to get rid of as much mud and grease from underneath this old girl as possible before ...
15/06/2026

Utilised the new tool in the shop to get rid of as much mud and grease from underneath this old girl as possible before the good old ratchet strap winch setup to haul it inside the shed.
Thats the problem with these non running ones, not nearly as easy to move!

A solid saturday afternoons work on the Tig and Grinder.Sage Customs 2.5" freeflow 4JJ1 Exhaust system coming together....
13/06/2026

A solid saturday afternoons work on the Tig and Grinder.
Sage Customs 2.5" freeflow 4JJ1 Exhaust system coming together.

Complete bolt in no modifications needed.
Utilises the factory S bend under the cab to join the two sections together.

First decat midpipe made up on the jig and tacked together.
I will give this a test fit on one of my utes in stock that still have the factory exhaust to make sure theres no clearance issues anywhere before fully welding that up.

Paired with one of my decat downpipes this system will give a great low restriction 2.5" exhaust off the downpipe fl**ge.

You can easily keep the factory muffler in place as well to keep the noise level down for long roadtrips.

This is likely the way i will go on the next daily driver build, the 4wd Auto Ra7 Rodeo waiting in the yard.

Rounding off the week with the Daily driver Ra7 Rodeo sold and off to a new home with a repeat local customer!
12/06/2026

Rounding off the week with the Daily driver Ra7 Rodeo sold and off to a new home with a repeat local customer!

My environmentally friendly business practices mean i have to relocate these kind of visitors out of the shed into the g...
11/06/2026

My environmentally friendly business practices mean i have to relocate these kind of visitors out of the shed into the garden on occasion!

Address

Ashhurst
Palmerston North
4470

Telephone

+278299766

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