FJ60 Hard starting when cold (1 Viewer)

[CMD82]

Ok guys, I need some help. Searching did not turn up much.
ONLY when the truck has been sitting overnight do I experience a very hard time starting. In the winter I usually do the usual choke fully out and 1 or 2 pumps of the gas and she starts right up as soon as I turn the key. Lately this has not been working. At first I thought that I was flooding it, since its getting warm out and ever season I kinda have to re-teach myself how to start it depending on the time of year. Anyways, the only way I have been able to get it started is to push the choke in (off) and hold the pedal down while cranking, like I would do for hot starts. I have to try for ~1 or 2 minutes, this way and it finally catches. Then runs great, and starts great the rest of the day. If I keep this method up much longer I an going to wear out my starter.
I am stumped???
A couple of weeks ago I ran an entire bottle of seafoam through my gas tank, and thought that I just fouled up my plugs and that is why I was having hard starting. But, I just replaced the plugs with new OEM ones, hoping that was my problem. Could my fuel filter be clogged? Fuel filter has ~3-5K on it. Full tune up done ~12K ago; wires, cap, rotor, etc...
I assume that I am getting gas and spark, since after it starts it runs great.
P.S. I am due for a valve adjustment also, but this happended so suddenly that I doubt that that is the cause.
Sorry for the long post. Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks

 

[MDH33]

So many techniques to start a 2F depending on the conditions. My technique for a cold start that isn't cold enough for the choke (< 20degF) is to pump the gas pedal 10 times instead of the normal 4, then after it starts pull the choke out one click until it warms up. Works every time.

 

[hodag]

10 pumps on mine anytime, regardless of the temperature, will cause my 60 to flood. Itll have to sit for a couple of hours before it will start again. Mine is a pretty consistent 2 pumps and the choke pulled out according to temp (colder it is, the farther out the choke goes).

As for your problem, a fuel filter is a good cheap place to start. Maybe a carb rebuild?

Hodag

 

[chicago]

EFI sure is nice!

Chicago

 

[CMD82]

Thanks for the replies. Yea, pumping the gas on mine 10 times will flood my truck everytime also. But that seems lately the only way for it to start. And when it does it barely catches. Once it does catch, it runs great. ???
Hodag - Mine usually is right in line with your method, 2 pumps full choke and it starts right up. Less pumps when the weather warms up. Maybe half choke and half a pump in the summer? I can't remember.
I'll try the fuel filter. Maybe I'll pick up a cheap one from napa until I can get a OEM one in.
I'm sure a carb rebuild would not hurt. But it just seems to have happened so suddenly.
Any other suggestions?

Chris

 

[zuluzeugma]

Could be cracked intake manifold or leaky intake gasket. Thats what was up with my FJ60. I never did fix it, but I knew that was the problem the whole time. I never cared enough...

 

[MDH33]

I've never flooded my 2F, and from what I read after searching cold start problems here on MUD is that it's difficult to do. Mine is running perfectly right now with a Jim C rebuilt carb, new air filter, fuel filter, plugs, cap, rotor, wires, valve adjust, and timing done. My choke cable had been binding up which cause some starting problems too.

 

[Benji]

I too, have never flooded my 60. Albeit, it would flood before I did a complete tun-up. Ever since I dialed in the carb to spec and tinkered with all the vac lines, plugs, filters etc. the 60 starts right up in the cold after a few (~5) pumps and choke all the way out. It starts immediately, no hesitation; almost too quick. It seems the starter barely engages.

After it cranks I push the choke in half way and wait a minute or so until the engine begins to idle up. I then push the choke all the way in and I'm ready to go.

Probably a good tune-up would do it justice. It took me almost 6 mos to get everything working properly after I bought it.

 

[CMD82]

Maybe I have never flooded it either and I just thought that I did.?? I don't know. I have never adjusted the carb since I purchased it back in July 04. I usually starts just as Benji decribed his. That is why I am so puzzled, and think that the issue could be related to the seafoam that I ran through the gas tank. I am picking up a fuel filter tomorrow, we'll see if that makes a difference. Keep the suggestions coming.

 

[djawahir]

Seafoam knocked a bunch of stuff loose in my FJ60. I needed to replace the fuel filter and blow out the charcoal canister. Now the old girl sounds purty!

 

[kansascruiser]

I had the exact same problem as you. Mine ran good and started fine, but just as you said when it would sit over night it just didn't want to start. Turned out it was my distributor. The insides of my dizzy were so corroded from moisture that it wasn't getting enough spark to start. Why it only did this when it would sit for an extended period of time; I do not know. But after putting a new distributor on it starts on the first crank even when it sits for days. You can replace individual parts within the dizzy, but I opted to just replace the whole thing mainly because I was tired of messing with it and just wanted a truck that would start consistently. Hope this helps.

 

[CMD82]

Thanks guys for the replies. I got it started this afternoon, after sitting overnight. I started the best it has for ~2weeks, but still no where near what it used to and should be. I didn't get to the dealer for that fuel filter today. Do you think a NAPA one would be ok for a while, until I can get to the dealer to get a OEM one?

 

[djawahir]

Napa filter should be fine. There's really not much to a fuel filter anyhow. It's sort of like a simple one way flow device...

 

[hodag]

Fuel filter - I put in one of the clear glass ones with the replaceable element, that way I can see when it gets cruddy.

Hodag

 

[CMD82]

Think I found the problem. While changing the fuel filter last night and checking all connections, I noticed a wet area on top of my front diff. A quick sniff test determined that it was fuel. After searching on here it seems that fuel pumps will start to leak out the weep hole. So I guess that was the problem all along. Off to call C-Dan.
The removal and install seems pretty striaght forward. Any tips from past experiences?

 

[MarkjFj62]

I'm currently having major issues with my cold start, replaced all cold start, temp switch,.. yada yada yada all four components in that general area about 4 times now. Figure the other end is my issue but extremely hard to get to. I use a heat blanket and 2 magnetic block heaters and still no luck. I seriously have to hit the petal close to 100 plus times to get her started. She use to start right up but after Toyota replaced a cracked head and returned her to me, major problems starting her since. Only thing I can think is they yanked on the wire harness disconnecting something somewhere. Now I have to start the truck throughout the night every 3 hours in Georgetown CO because I work at Loveland Ski Resort and refuse to commute. 3 on 4 off isn't too bad, only 2 nights of this but would be nice to get the full night sleep. Teaching snowboarding really needs it. Any feedback would help drastically and hate getting gouged in shops. Thanks

 

[Seth S]

I'm currently having major issues with my cold start, replaced all cold start, temp switch,.. yada yada yada all four components in that general area about 4 times now. Figure the other end is my issue but extremely hard to get to. I use a heat blanket and 2 magnetic block heaters and still no luck. I seriously have to hit the petal close to 100 plus times to get her started. She use to start right up but after Toyota replaced a cracked head and returned her to me, major problems starting her since. Only thing I can think is they yanked on the wire harness disconnecting something somewhere. Now I have to start the truck throughout the night every 3 hours in Georgetown CO because I work at Loveland Ski Resort and refuse to commute. 3 on 4 off isn't too bad, only 2 nights of this but would be nice to get the full night sleep. Teaching snowboarding really needs it. Any feedback would help drastically and hate getting gouged in shops. Thanks

This is a fuel inject 62? If yes hitting the gas pedal won’t do anything. If it’s a carb 60 then pedal pumping is different.

 

[MarkjFj62]

This is a fuel inject 62? If yes hitting the gas pedal won’t do anything. If it’s a carb 60 then pedal pumping is different.

It's a straight 6 fuel injected. Extremely hard to flood. Don't even know if it can flood.

 

[Seth S]

It's a straight 6 fuel injected. Extremely hard to flood. Don't even know if it can flood.

it can flood. Fuel injected cars still can flood.

next time you start it cold try flooring the gas pedal while you crank it. Don’t pump it just floor it and crank.

when was the last time you replaced the plugs, cap, rotor, wires, air filter, fuel filter, checked the timing, and adjusted the valves?

 

[MarkjFj62]

it can flood. Fuel injected cars still can flood.

next time you start it cold try flooring the gas pedal while you crank it. Don’t pump it just floor it and crank.

when was the last time you replaced the plugs, cap, rotor, wires, air filter, fuel filter, checked the timing, and adjusted the valves?

Will try that for sure in the morning. Changed pretty much all of that about a year and a half ago and then is was a secondary driver