First start checklist?

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nickswan

nickswan

10 Year
Joined
Aug 1, 2011
Threads
33
Messages
292
Location
Elkton, FL
so i just got my new to me 72' and someone put a lot of time and money into it. But, something must have come up and it was never finished. as far as i can tell all of the hard/expensive stuff is done, PO says it just needs to be buttoned up and ran.

its got tags from 2007 so its safe to say it hasnt seen the road in at most five years.

i've got a few questions before i turn it over;

PO said the fuel tank was clean and that he put gas+stabil in the tank. i assume i should drain all that out and put fresh gas in, will these 40s run on this new ethenol crap or do i need to to look for pure 100% gas?

i drained all of the black tar sludge oil out and filled it back up with new oil and filter. i also spilled about three quarts on the garage floor (that oil plug is huge!)

i see the firing order is 153624 on the distributor, he has the plug wires running 1 to cyl 1, 2 to cyl 2, 3 to cyl 3 etc. is this correct?

there is an MSD fireball ignition on the firewall, anything i need to do with that?

the stock carb is no where to be found, PO said it had a hornets nest in it so he replaced it with a weber with an electric choke. he said i need to run a powered switch to the choke. he also said the carb was base lined from weber. anything i should check on that?

it didnt come with a battery so i picked one up but am a bit confused on the negative grounding wire. do i go to the frame or engine block, or both? and where on the frame and block do i ground? i've searched for pictures but havent come up with anything.

im still waiting on a banjo fitting for this remote oil filter set up before i can crank this thing.

any comments or pictures are definitely welcomed, thanks in advance.

f0d3e9be.jpg


filter and battery are in now as well as the rad and heater hoses. brakes are next in line after it runs.

99fe20aa.jpg
 
I would pull the valve cover and dump a quart of oil over the entire valvetrain. I would drain any gas and replace it (gasohol is about all you can buy, and it'll be ok). The ground wire from the batt. should go to the frame. Ideally, you would install a mechanical oil pressure gauge and watch for good pressure upon starting. I would also pull the plugs, put 1 tsp of oil in each cylinder, and crank over the engine a bit before you consider running it. All these things will ensure a full and primed oil system before your engine sees fuel and compression. It might be overkill, but if there's a real problem, you need to know about it sooner rather than later. After you run it some and get it hot, the change the oil and filter - but let it run enough to flush out the old goop.
 
I've been trying to do as much homework on this as possible and it sounds like marvel mystery oil in the cylinders is highly recommended by everyone that has been in this position.

as for the gas, i plan to disconnect the line right at the fuel filter and run a hose into a 5 gallon gas jug that i know is clean. do i need to pour gas into the fuel lines at the fuel pump and carb or will it pump the air out and suck the fuel in?

the negative terminal on the battery just grounds to the frame and not the engine then? the neg cable in the box has another lead coming off of it but in a smaller gauge wire, i guess it could of been for some other accessory.

i know zero about this aftermarket carb and the weber link in the FAQ is broken so no info there. do i need to wire this choke switch up first or will it run without it?

im also not finding much info on how to properly set the timing, it did come with the FSM and an old haynes manual, i probably should start there.

keep the comments coming guys, i need all the help i can get.
 
Check & make sure the engine turns over by hand b4 hitting the starter. B4 starting, I like to pull the
coil wire & crank it over a bit, to get oil primed thru the engine w/out it firing. Check all other driveline fluids. Have a fire extinguisher handy.
 
oh the joys of buying sight unseen...

PO - "oh yeah, you know i turn it over by hand once a week just to make sure its not siezed."

ME - "well you seem like a nice guy, no sense in trying to turn it by hand, lets get it off the trailer and into my garage."

PO "sucker..." (under his breath im sure.)


so i pulled the plugs to find cyl 1 plug with a nice thread of rust all the way around ... other 5 all look clean, but im on my back under the FJ with a 3 foot breaker bar on the crank and giving it all ive got and its not budging.

heading to the store to get Marvel Mystery Oil and praying to the FJ gods that it breaks free in a day or two.

anything im missing here?

yes, its in neutral
 
Put a good bit of Marvel in each cylinder and let is sit for a few days and then add some more and let is sit for a few more days. Better to wait a few days and do it twice rather then break a ring and have to rebuild it. It could still damage a ring, but I have hears of quite a few freeing up after soaking for a week or so.
 
I put the marvel in each cylinder and now its just a waiting game, i'll refill in two days.

I got the battery grounded and it looks like the interior lights and PO's stereo system work including his "men with hats" CD he left for me. unfortunately the headlights do not work, the switch turns the dash lights on but im not getting 12v at the headlights. i can tell where the leads for turn signals and side indicators go but there are quite a few wires that i have no idea where they should go hanging off the harness.
 
Welcome rookie. If you look around, you'll see a lot of posts about electrical issues related to ground problems. This is a single wire system with almost everything getting its ground from a frame connection (through a rusty, painted screw). Most things can be fixed by cleaning up the ground.
 
I used my helicopter mechanics bore scope and cylinders 2-6 look good, in fact 6 looks super clean, but 1 looks terrible, I can't tell if it's rust or carbon, it's all black with bubbles. Shining a light into 1 I can see the marvel is still sitting there, it doesn't appear to have made it's way through the rings yet. I'm hopeful but also realistic, I've been looking for a running donor to drop in, as well as SOR's serviced engines. $2200 seems steep but I guess not bad for a warrantied long block considering a rebuild kit is $800 plus all my time and a great chance of me screwing it up. Any thoughts? And how difficult is a 2f swap? Will it bolt up to my 3 speed or do I need a 2f/4sp to bolt in? There is a guy 3 hours away selling two 2fs one f and two 4sp trannys with transfer cases for a grand, but who knows what shape they are in or if he will sell the best possible runner on it's own.
 
well, a quick call to SOR to check on the price of their serviced F long block and I can see why they are referred to as $OR. She said to figure at least $3500 shipped.
PO said he turned it over with a 3' screwdriver on the crank pulley back in June without issue and replaced the plugs. Does it seem realistic that a plugged engine sitting in a garage would lock up in just two months? Or am I doing something very wrong here? I've got the plugs out, its not in gear, and im literally turning the crank nut inside the lock washer without it budging. Ive also tried bumping the whole vehicle back and forth with it in gear. He mentioned trying to get the Marvel Mystery Oil out of the cylinder and replacing it with PB Blaster to soak the rings. Any issues with that? Will it do any damage? Is it any more effective than the MMO?
 
If it were me, I'd disconnect the coil wire and try "bumping" the starter. Don't go nuts, just try to get it to turn a little bit. And "No", an engine is going to lock up with rust in 2 months in a garage with the plugs in. I don't like the PB Blaster idea. That eats through rusts really well but it is not much of a lubricant.
 
If the MMO hasn't soaked through in a week, it most likely won't. I went through the same thing. I found a good running 2f replacement for it and it was only a 10 hour drive.
 
nickswan said:
I used my helicopter mechanics bore scope and cylinders 2-6 look good, in fact 6 looks super clean, but 1 looks terrible, I can't tell if it's rust or carbon, it's all black with bubbles. Shining a light into 1 I can see the marvel is still sitting there, it doesn't appear to have made it's way through the rings yet. I'm hopeful but also realistic, I've been looking for a running donor to drop in, as well as SOR's serviced engines. $2200 seems steep but I guess not bad for a warrantied long block considering a rebuild kit is $800 plus all my time and a great chance of me screwing it up. Any thoughts? And how difficult is a 2f swap? Will it bolt up to my 3 speed or do I need a 2f/4sp to bolt in? There is a guy 3 hours away selling two 2fs one f and two 4sp trannys with transfer cases for a grand, but who knows what shape they are in or if he will sell the best possible runner on it's own.
Click to expand...
Yes. Your 3 speed bellhousing will bolt onto the 2F.
 
Well, I'll let the mmo soak for a few more days then pull the motor. Sounds like the hunt is on for a running f or 2f. There is a guy 3 hours away selling both An f/3sp and a 2f/4sp motors with xfer cases but doesn't know anything about them. Should I stick with the f and transfer my accessories over if it looks good or is the 2f worth the effort, and what accessories won't be compatible?
 
Dude, you're giving up on your engine and you haven't even turned the key yet?
Sure, there may ultimately be a frozen ring or two on that cylinder but if the MMO hasn't gotten through after a week, I don't see what harm is going to come from trying to free it up with the starter. Then give the MMO a few days to do its magic when it actually can get in and work.
 
Patience grasshopper, try making a cocktail of every solvent you own in each cylinder. Some people like diesel fuel, Kroil, PB blaster, kerosene, easy-off and draino. Maybe not the draino. Try putting it in 4th gear and rocking the rig back and forth. Get your friends to help you rock it back and forth. I'd pull the head and take a look before I pulled the engine...
 
I believe I read somewhere that a 50/50 mix of acetone and transmission fluid is twice as good as Kroil (which is twice as good as PB Blaster and LiquidWrench). You could try that in the cylinders, or make up some Ed's Red (google for the formula) if you're looking for a concoction. x2 on putting it into 4th (3rd?) and rocking.
 
i have tried turning the key, its got a new starter and i see the fan click forward about a 1/4" and stop so i don't want to mess up the new starter if its not going to budge. I called the PO and this was his reply:

Hey man, i wasnt able to get ahold of the PO, but i did find some info that the PO bought it in 98 and it was his DD until the end of 2009 when he decided to start restoring it, when he got to the engine, the head got Port and polished by a machine shop up in NC and the block was good just cleaned and new rings and new gaskets and seals. I called a ASE mechanic friend of mine and he told me that get some diesel and pour some in the spark plug wholes and let it sit. bout 5-10oz per piston.he said if its just surface rust its fine since its bare cast iron its somewhat normal for that kind of metal. when u said u tested the started does it scream or does it turn over?? thats as much info i can give you.

looking into these cylinders with the bore scope i can guarantee the head wasnt done, the valves that are showing are completely covered in carbon and gunk, in fact looking at the rig closer this was definitely driven after its "frame off resto" - there is oil and grease all over the bottom of the undercarriage like you would see if it was driven for a while with a bad leak. if this engine was rebuilt it was many years ago and was driven a lot after the rebuild.

i posted an ad in the wanted section and found a guy about 10 hours away that just pulled a 73 F with tranny and xfer for a really good price. hes going to verify the compression and try to start it before i drive all that way though. worst case if this motor breaks free ill have spares.
 
just got a call from the guy with the F motor. he said he ran a compression test on it, he didn't mention if it was dry or wet and im assuming the engine was cold without checking the valves since its on a stand. he got:

1-6

140
120
150
140
120
150

he works as an auto tech and said he would try to get it started, does this sound like acceptable numbers? its definitely over a 14psi spread.
 
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