I think it's the fuel filter. (1 Viewer)

[Combat Chuck]

This morning, The Mule fired right up for my usual trip to the gym. The whole run out and back, she was fine, started strong, ran well, idled well.
Tonight starting for work; I turn her over, a couple chugs, and nothing. TYurn her over again, figuring on there not being enough throttle.
A few chugs, and nothing.
Finally just starting with nothing to show, so I pop the hood, take the air cleaner lid off, and look at the carb, which looks dry.
I get somebody to watch the carb while I start, and no fuel is coming out the jet.

Okay, this narrows things down:
- The intial sputters tell me that ignition was working.
- Could be the fuel pump. I have no audible way of knowing whether it's working on the fly.
-I think it's likely the fuel filter, as it's been over 15,000 miles since the last one, and The Great Transfer Case Explosion of Aught-Ten definitely shook some things up back there.

I have a spare (non-Toyota) filter at home that I'll try and plug in diagnostically tomorrow after work, but are there other possibilities here I'm missing?

Unless the fuel pump just magically quit in the eight hours since last operation without a hint, or parts of the carb simply died, I think a packed-up filter's the likely culprit, but I'd like other opinions.

 

[Combat Chuck]

So I crawled up under there, and found no fuel filter at all.
Nothing.
So either the clog is in-carb, or it may have been vapor-lock.
I'm hoping/leaning toward vapor lock, since it would explain the sudden onset of these problems without a gradual loss of performance.
As-is, I'm gonna douse the carb with a bit of cleaner and see what that gets me.

 

[Bogo]

I was thinking stuck needle valve or float valve, but it has been 2 decades since I did carburetor work.

 

[80t0ylc]

I was thinking stuck needle valve or float valve, but it has been 2 decades since I did carburetor work.

X2 on both counts!
IIRC, pull the fuel line at the carb and crank it. If fuel squirts healthily out of the line, your carb is the culprit.

P.S. On a safety note, get a container for the fuel to squirt into. Just so it's not dousing your engine electricals and the inevitable fire or explosion. That would be bad

 

[Bogo]

P.S. On a safety note, get a container for the fuel to squirt into. Just so it's not dousing your engine electricals and the inevitable fire or explosion. That would be bad

When checking fuel pumps I'd put an end to end splice on the fuel line and run it around to a container I could see as I cranked. Usually used a gas can on the ground by the drivers door. I also used clear hose so I could see the gas in it, but you can pull up the end and watch it spurt into the gas can. Having a few lengths of hose, splices, tees, etc. of various sizes around helps allot with diagnostics of fuel and vacuum systems.

 

[Combat Chuck]

Thanks for the comments everybody.

Here's what it was:
We ran a vacuum pump on the fuel lines, they flowed fine, and the engine would run on vapors from the carb cleaner, so lines/ignition checked out.
There was no fuel filter. At all. This is being changed.
There was no flow between the pump and the carb, the fuel pump had died.
We swapped in a new one, but now it runs rough.
No loose vacuum leaks we could find.

 

[Bogo]

Sounds like carb cleaner time.

 

[Combat Chuck]

This time it really is the fuel filter

Found the filter, and it's all manner of plugged.
She's in the shop right now for an exhaust leak, and afterwards, it'll be time for a new fuel filter: temp was a bit warm, and I was heavy on the throttle, so I think constriction must be causing it to be lean. I had one stall on my drive home, and it passed, so I think it's the filter.

engine's running smoother with the high idle, I hope to adjust it back down, and see how the idle really is when I bring her home.

 

[85+92]

Ive had both these issues...

my fix:
-run a nice fuel pressure gauge between the pump and carb to watch what pump is doing/check it from time to time

-and carry and extra fuel filter in the glove box...for $7 its worth it!

Ive dealt with carb toyotas to long to ever really trust these pumps

 

[Combat Chuck]

Ive had both these issues...

my fix:
-run a nice fuel pressure gauge between the pump and carb to watch what pump is doing/check it from time to time

-and carry and extra fuel filter in the glove box...for $7 its worth it!

Ive dealt with carb toyotas to long to ever really trust these pumps

The guage idea is new to me, and I like it.
The extra filter idea is a solid one, and I think it's a great bit of preparedness to carry one or two spares.

I think Thursday I'll clean out the tank.

 

[85+92]

The guage idea is new to me, and I like it.
The extra filter idea is a solid one, and I think it's a great bit of preparedness to carry one or two spares.

I think Thursday I'll clean out the tank.

yah, just lookin' out!

when I got my 85 it had sat for about 3-4yrs and I went thu quite a few filters would fill with this red muck it hasnt plugged in about 2yrs but still carry one

and I got a autometer gauge for about $30 screw it to a T fitting with 2 1/4" hose barbed fittings

 

[Combat Chuck]

Considering the Napa Gold fuel filters are $6.50 each with an AAA discount, I'm pretty sure I could afford to stockpile three of them; anywho, here's my filter story.

I collect my truck from the good folks of Team Yodaman, with my exhaust leak squared away, they say she's running fine, no roughness at all, which is what I'd noticed by the time I'd driven her to the shop; and I asked about the fuel filter, and where to look. Being a Crusierhead-at-large, I'd expected it to be on the frame rail about midway through the rocker panel, and couldn't find it. Jason sends out a tech who shows me a bracket where it's supposed to be, and a length of hose going over the tank.
I notice the empty bracket, and point this out, and the tech mentions that the filter's likely been pushed over on top of the tank, some people get lazy when replacing the filter, and don't bother to install properly. Whatever the case, the hose is up there firm.

So I grab the new filter from Napa, and a can of Sea Foam in case there's anything in the system that needs to be loosened, then gas up on my way home. While fueling, I check out the lines, and find that, yes the line was pushed up over the tank, and no, there was no filter, just what looked like a length of plastic tubing coupling the two lines together.

I get home, and let the truck sit to let the pressure in the lines settle a bit, and then get to work.
This is what I found:

That is a 2" length of a Bic pen, it was held into the lines by a single hose clamp.
Naturally, I was pretty angry at the PO for being a total dipsh!t, and angry at myself for not looking sooner.

I swapped in the new filter, dumped the Sea Foam into the tank, disconnected the ignitions coil from the dizzy and turn the engine over for about a minute to make sure the pump is primed. Then blast the carb with cleaner, especially aiming at the float bowl, and turn her over: she fires right up!

I then brought the idle back down to normal, and took her out for a spin on my folk's property, she idled fine, felt like her old self, and didn't diesel out when I shut her down.

So lesson learned:
1. check you truck out thoroughly
2. MacGyver's repairs are cool on TV, but just plain dumb in real life.

 

[2ndGenToyotaFan]

That's where my old truck ended up!!!! Hehehehehehe

That's so sweet, I hope you hang that off the rear view mirror!

 

[Combat Chuck]

That's where my old truck ended up!!!! Hehehehehehe

That's so sweet, I hope you hang that off the rear view mirror!

I think I may. I'm definitely going to show it to Larry!