[mikeob1]

Yep...I'm gonna hafta wait on the headers. They look nice though. My gaskets are on order...all Toyota parts.


I'm pulling the manifold off tonight. While I have it off and I'm waiting for my gaskets from CCOT, I was wondering about putting a fresh coat of high-temp paint on the manifold after cleaning it up really good.

While looking for the vacuum leak, I sprayed a ton of carb cleaner on the intake manifold and it revealed a shiny cast iron finish below. I like to clean things up when I have them apart.

Any suggestions on cleaning or protecting / painting my intake manifold?

[grant5127]

Originally Posted by mikeob1

Any suggestions on cleaning or protecting / painting my intake manifold?

a good wire brushing and paint.......

[mikeob1]

I took it off tonight. Waiting for the gasket to arrive.


Thanks for the photos, Grant. That looks really nice. I want to clean it and paint it while it's off. What type of paint did you use? Did you paint the exhaust manifold, too?

Do I need to take it to an engine shop to check if it is warped?

How would I check the head? I have a scraper, but the gasket is really loose. I'm thinking I'll scrape it nice and clean and put my level on it. I could probably find a relatively nice straight edge around.

Any other suggestions appreciated.

[FLFJ40]

Look at these two dizzys at the Advance Auto parts website they list one as for CA emmisions vehicles and one for non-emissions vehicles. It looks like one is an advance and one is a retard. They are both listed as import. Would this be a cheap way to get a non-USA dizzy?

[FLFJ40]

Now that I look at them sisde by side I can see that the one isn't an advance. I was fooled by the port being on the "right" side of the diaphram but they both move the advance plate the same direction.

[mikeob1]

So the manifold gasket came from cool cruisers. I ordered the Toyota OEM part number and was expecting a nice copper looking gasket and got the same fiber/metal looking thing I just pulled off of there.

The kind folks on the thread told me to go with copper. Should I even waste my time putting this thing on?

Does anyone know where else I can get a copper one?

CCOT tech told me it took so long because the part came from japan.

I'm bummed.

[Pin_Head]

Originally Posted by FLFJ40

Look at these two dizzys at the Advance Auto parts website they list one as for CA emmisions vehicles and one for non-emissions vehicles. It looks like one is an advance and one is a retard. They are both listed as import. Would this be a cheap way to get a non-USA dizzy?

They are both vacuum retard. The key is to look at the way the breaker plate rotates when vacuum is applied. You can tell which way it will rotate by looking at which side of the diaphragm the vacuum port is on.

[Pin_Head]

Originally Posted by mikeob1

So the manifold gasket came from cool cruisers. I ordered the Toyota OEM part number and was expecting a nice copper looking gasket and got the same fiber/metal looking thing I just pulled off of there.

The kind folks on the thread told me to go with copper. Should I even waste my time putting this thing on?

Does anyone know where else I can get a copper one?

CCOT tech told me it took so long because the part came from japan.

I'm bummed.

I have never seen a copper gasket. All the F/2F gaskets look like the one in the picture. People may have been talking about Permatex copper casket cement, but I don't think that it matters as long as the sealing surfaces aren't warped. Gasket cement doesn't stand up to exhaust manifold temperatures.

[Ziffdaddy]

This has been a great read. I, too, have a 74 that I just put a vac adv. on and can't get it to idle below 800+ rpms. My vac gauge shows too much vacuum at idle....saying it's advanced too much. Problem may be that I'm setting timing with the idle too high. Looks like I'll have to set aside an afternoon of research on vac leaks and what not. Goodtimes.

sorry for the highjack....nice to know I'm not alone.

[mikeob1]

I put it back together tonight and it runs fine idling low choked, but dies after choke is released. It was pulling 15 inches of manifold pressure. I guess I could still have a vacuum leak, but on first test with the little carb cleaner I had left, I didn't detect one.

So tomorrow I'm going to buy another can of carb cleaner and determine if I am still leaking air. I'll go from there I guess. If I don't detect a vacuum leak, i'm guessing it's time to look at the carb again. It is possible I have / had multiple issues occuring simultaneously.

[Rocky_LC]

It is refreshing to read a theread where:

1. The poster already has a plan
2. The problem and symptoms are clearly documented
3. The poster has a FSM and has read it.
4. The poster listens to suggestions and lets everyone know the response.

Very informative thread. THanks to everyone. I wish my troubleshoots went as well.

Rocky

[mikeob1]

I sprayed two bottles of carb cleaner all around the manifold tonight. I got no response from the engine.

I did detect a vacuum leak around the carburetor. In the attached picture, I got a boost when spraying around the area in the red box. The leak seemed to be in the seam between the cast iron base and the middle portion of the carb.

Unfortunately, I ran out of carb cleaner before being able to pin point.

I'll test again tomorrow and see if I can isolate. At least, presently, it seems the manifold gasket repair job was successful.

[mikeob1]

Thanks to all who have helped me solve this issue.

I tightened carb bolts and have no vacuum leak.

So: There were two issues occurring.

1. I had a leaking manifold gasket close to the firewall.

2. The carb throttle plate is adjusted three different ways.

1. Fast Idle setting
2. Slow Idle setting
3. A screw that can only be adjusted with carb off. It limits how far closed the primary throttle plate can go.


I pulled carb this morning and noticed the throttle plate couldn't actually cover the "higher" idle fuel port because this screw was cranked in too far. I adjust screw #3 out so the throttle plate, in fully closed position without fast or slow idle screw setting weren't touching.

I backed screw #3 out. Since I had carb off, I pulled accelerator pump arm off and removed idle-cut solenoid. I sprayed carb cleaner in solenoid hole and watched it weep out both idle fuel ports located at the bottom of the flange. And I also saw it come out the air bleed in the top of the horn. This was the most convincing test to prove the idle fuel circuit in the carb was capable of supplying fuel to the intake.

Just for fun...i touched my idle solenoid to the batter and watched it retract.

I also pulled the idle mixture screw all the way out. With the carb off, you can see light all the way through the hole. I kept the spring off the idle mixture screw and sprayed it with some silicon lube so I could adjust it easily just to avoid chewing up the pretty brass head while adjusting.

I put carb back on...hooked up. I new now that the throttle plate was closed and the only place fuel could come from was the fuel hole in the bottom of the primary. I backed out the idle mixture a buch...like 3 turns.


I started it up and let it run for awhile choked...engine not warm, ya know.

I pushed choke off and verified the slow idle screw was contacting the plate.

Low and behold...the truck idles low. Problem solved. I drove it around a bunch and it was sooooo nice to be able to roll up to a stop sign, or step on the brakes and not have the engine die!

Now...for anyone who followed this thread...you're not going to believe this.

Most of my intitial test cruising was under 30 mph.

I took it to a faster road and ran her at like 45-50 for awhile.

All's good...cruising along...and i hear this sound that seems like a tire rupture, or the sound your air compressor makes when you let the air out. Pshhhhhhhhh!!!!

The thing is still running fine. I go to Sonic and get some fries. I start it and drive 1 mile back home. I pop the hood and find coolant on head. I had the valve vent plugged for testing and the plug is off.

I think I have a blown head gasket. I did compression test and found #3 and #4 to be 124 and 125 psi.

At least I know how to make the rig idle right. Now I guess I get to pull the head off.

[Pin_Head]

I wouldn't presume it is a blown head gasket w/o further testing.

[mikeob1]

Yes I agree, can't jump to conclusions.

Here is what I do have:

1. The sound that occurred during the test drive.

2. Coolent on the driver's side of the head.

3. Lower Compression numbers than a test a few weeks back.

4. Idle Intake vacuum dropped from 17 - 13 at idle from before test drive to after test drive.

I thought the sound could have been the charcoal canister.

Then when I saw the coolant I thought it was the radiator cap. There was no indication of a radiator leak on first inspection. If the cap blew I would have seen steam coming from the engine. And I would have expected to find coolant around the engine and a shiney clean spot on the inside of the hood above the cap.

More information: I was test driving with the air cleaner off. As such I had a soft rubber cap over the valve cover vent which is now gone. Another possibility is some sort of pressure build up in the valve cover. I could understand oil, but I wouldn't think water should find its way to under the valve cover cap.

I was going to stop by the store and buy a leak-down tester and run a leak down test.

I'll post what I find.

[rsbcruiser]

Originally Posted by mikeob1

So today I got up before the sun and started in the garage while it was a balmy 90. I pulled my distrib off my 74. Gave it a good looking at and ready my trusty FSM. The points looked good, except they were gapped at .009 inch. I changed that to .016 inch based on FSM. I also checked the condensor and it was in spec at .022 micro-farads. Cap and rotor were fine and I added some new ignition wires from Napa. Nice wires, except the coil line was too short, so I used my old one.

I put in six new plugs (NGK-BPR5ES-11) gapped to .028 inch.

I put the dizzy back in and fired up the F engine and set the timing so the BB is dead on the pointer at 7* with the vacuum line DISCONNECTED FROM THE DIZZY. My tach was reading about 900-1000 RPM. I tightened down the clamp and double checked the timing. Same deal...7* pefect.

Now...I connect the vacuum line and check the advance. Low and behold, we are at TDC. 0*. The other end of the vacuum line is connected to the port on the intake manifold.

Which brings me to my question... What purpose does this vacuum retard serve?

[attach]168673[/attach]

Dude, unless you are trying to restore to original, first chance you get ditch that barking dog. It is probbly worn out anyways. Hit spector for one of there toyota dizzies and a petronox poinless sys. Never look back! Downey probably has the best dizzy with 40deg of advance. Gotta drill a new wire hole and punch out the pins to install the petro correctly, not a plug and play but worth it. Did you know that you have a special F engine? It has 9 to 1 comp and all other features of th 2f besides larger bore. Truly unique, the only year they did this.

[mikeob1]

I read the instructions and am going to do the leak down test on Saturday morning. Does anyone have tips for getting each cylinder to TDC?

[mikeob1]

Here are two video clips of my vacuum test. Truck idling no choke.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k6eLebirqsw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NQEj2AmNyhs

I can spray the top of the intake behind the carb and after a second the guage will rise to 16. I'm not sure if this is really a vacuum leak, or if the carb is sucking in some of the fumes of the carb cleaner.

[mikeob1]

I didn't get to do the leak down test this weekend. I did drive my cruiser around and it seemed to work fine.


Still idles down low, which is great...but it is a little rough (as you can see from my vacuum guage).


I'll post when I get a crank to rotate the crank shaft. I want to be able to place each piston at TDC, so the "rock against 4 th gear" trick wont work.

Talk to you soon.

[Pin_Head]

You can easily turn the engine with a ratchet on the alternator shaft bolt. If the belt slips, just press down on the belt to increase tension.

[Coolerman]

Originally Posted by Pin_Head

You can easily turn the engine with a ratchet on the alternator shaft bolt. If the belt slips, just press down on the belt to increase tension.

Especially if you remove all the spark plugs...