New FJ40, Distributor Ident Help

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate
links, including eBay, Amazon, Skimlinks, and others.

kbahus

kbahus

Joined
Jun 13, 2010
Threads
258
Messages
2,600
Location
SW Michigan
Got lucky and scored a 75 off craigslist. Very grateful everything worked out and the wife let me buy it, although I did have to agree to sell my bike but it was a compromise I was willing to make. Towed it home and looks the the distributor is toast to start with. The previous owner said it had an electronic distributor in it but was unsure of any details. Can anyone tell from the pic what I need to replace it with? Can't wait to get this thing running! So much to learn too :popcorn:

577983_738590806663_72203123_34169480_920171893_n.jpg


579736_738590871533_72203123_34169483_1755647393_n.jpg
 
That is a "big cap" fully electronic distributor from a FJ60 and I would replace it with another just like it. On second glance it might be the small cap fully electronic.
 
Thanks for that info! I was able to find a used one at a friends Toyota shop in Berthoud. Hopefully with some fresh gas I can get this thing cranked up and running. Spent the afternoon assessing what I had purchased and cleaning it up. I am pretty happy so far, it still feels unreal that I actually bought a 40. It has some small rust issues I need to take care of but nothing like many of the rigs I have seen on here. Also looks like the leaf springs are worn out and sagging pretty bad and I can't imagine that I can flex it with the 32's like it is.
 
I saw that 40, that was a good deal! If I would have seen it sooner it might have been mine. Enjoy!
 
Degnol said:
On second glance it might be the small cap fully electronic.
Click to expand...

Yup, it's a '78/'79 dizzy. No dent in the side cover. If you found another one like it you can get it started, if you can get the old one out, but long-term you want a vacuum advance dizzy.
 
I would clean and lube the one that's in it and see if it works. The vac advance is there.
 
DougAustinTx said:
I would clean and lube the one that's in it and see if it works. The vac advance is there.
Click to expand...

Any advice on cleaning? Looks like the components are pretty rusty but I am up to give it a go.
 
Sure, first pull it out of the engine. A few weeks ago I tried to pull the dizzy out of my '79 and it wouldn't move either side to side or in and out. I made a tool to use a dent puller to yank it out. I posted the distributor remover on this site.
You have to remove/loosen the lock bolt below the body of the dizzy to release the clamp pressure.
Once you get it out, remove the advance mechanism. It's held by one screw. Remove the pickup coil and the 3 screws that hold the points plate to the distrib. housing. Once you get the points plate out, spray carb or brake cleaner in the 200 or so roller bearings that the points plate rotates on. Once clean, oil the little bearings with 30 wt synthetic oil until it rotates easily. Clean the dizzy housing outside and inside. I only remove the rusty weights of the advance mechanism and the springs if the pivot bushings need replacing. Otherwise, leave them alone. There is an oil hole in the side of the shaft housing that you can dribble synthetic oil into. After putting oil in the hole, set the dizzy so the oil can run toward the large end. You'll know when it oils the bushing at the top because the shaft will start to turn easier. Add more oil through the hole in the shaft housing and tilt it so the oil runs toward the drive gear. Same process. Put it back together in reverse order. The air gap between the reluctor and pickup coil should be about 13 thousandths. If you can't pull a vacuum on the outside tube of the vacuum advance when you suck on it, it will need to be replaced. Don't use the inner vacuum port because that is the vacuum retard and using that won't help your mileage. You want the points plate to move counter-clockwise when you apply vacuum to the outer port.
 
Last edited:
/this\ is the expert you need to listen to
 
Visually I don't think you can tell the difference between the '79 dual advance vacuum unit, and the '77 and earlier retard/advance unit. I don't know how you are so sure that's a '79 unit. I have seen incorrect advance units on later model dizzys. If it is in fact a '79 advance unit, and one of the diaphragms is bad, you could still put an advance unit from an earlier year and only use the outer "advance" port. These used vacuum units are obtainable and I wouldn't scap a working dizzy without trying to find a good new or used vacuum unit. I am speaking from experience since I replaced my '79 advance unit with a good used one about 3 weeks ago.
 
Good news, the distributor came right out with zero fuss. I was able to get the pickup off and start cleaning it up a bit with some wd-40. Lots of crap came out but it's starting to look salvageable. I vacuum checked both ports and they held vacuum, however nothing moved within the distributor. I attempted to get the screws for the plate under the pickup off but they were pretty tight and I felt I was on the brink of stripping them so I backed off. Maybe letting it sit overnight with some lube will help. Hopefully I am on the right track.

582497_739680981943_72203123_34174824_43716992_n.jpg


576752_739682878143_72203123_34174830_772072519_n.jpg


560323_739683691513_72203123_34174834_1758720714_n.jpg


577144_739683257383_72203123_34174833_722764355_n.jpg
 
:popcorn: I'm not sure you should question Jim! :popcorn:
 
Visually I don't think you can tell the difference between the '79 dual advance vacuum unit, and the '77 and earlier retard/advance unit.
Click to expand...
I thought the advance/retard unit found only on '77 cali & 1978 USA cruisers was easily distinguishable by 2 obvious features:
1. Advance fitting is horizontal & retard fitting is vertical
2. There is a single seam around the canister (single daphragm).

My bad. It's not like I do this stuff every day...:rolleyes:
 
It looks like the vac canister screw came out of the side of the dissy?
If so, then twist & pull on the canister and slide it out of the body. It should turn the breaker plate a little as the can is pulled out.
If it is stuck in the body (steel can, AL body), then it may be necessary to start it moving with a small punch applied to the end of the canister inside the dissy.
If the can will wiggle some, but it won't come out because the breaker plate is seized, then the breaker plate will need to be lifted out or persuaded to turn.

Connect the carb ported vac fitting (low on VC side of carb) to the inner dissy fitting, which will give 20* of vac advance. That's a lot of advance, on top of the mechanical advance, but at your altitude and with an older low compression 2F, it should be about right.

Cost to clean & unstick, repair worn governor pin, test spin on Sunalyzer is $100.
 
Negative on the vacuum canister screw. It's stuck pretty good along with the breaker plate screws. I was able to free up the breaker plate though so it moves, albeit not smoothly but it does move. I think some pb blaster is in order. Not really sure how to tackle the screws though. I have an impact driver but feel it might be a little harsh for use distributor.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Sparkman86
Distributor ID Game
Replies
7
Views
326
Sparkman86
Sparkman86
Krondor
Lower knob on early FJ40 distributor
Replies
8
Views
774
Pighead
Pighead
myquestoyota
Trollhole distributor cap
Replies
4
Views
452
myquestoyota
myquestoyota
C
Cannot identify 78 FJ40 Distributor
2 3
Replies
42
Views
3K
Pighead
Pighead

Users who are viewing this thread

Total: 1 (members: 0, guests: 1)

Share this page

Back
Top Bottom