1980 FJ40 2F… Dying Under Braking ** FIXED** Now An Updating and Gremlin Chasing Thread

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Road report …. Kinda of !!!!!

So got everything wired up and commenced to getting her timed. I think I possibly got her off a few teeth off as I couldn’t even get her down in the teens on timing as the vacuum port on the dizzy hit the oil cooler line and wouldn’t retard any further plus I was running out of adjustment anyway.
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Now I stabbed her at 7 BTDC on the compression stroke. The button and the #1 on the dizzy ( as I marked it on the rim ) were pointing (when seated ) pretty much at the #4 spark plug. I’m thinking the dizzy is off a hair though.

I followed this procedure …..

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I also got to tweak my throttle linkage assembly some as it’s not returning 100% back to 0 throttle. Think I got the levers adjustments/lengths a hair off as I was concentrating more on making sure it tripped the secondary at WOT.

The good news is my carb fan does work !!!! When I got back from a quick test drive…. The fan came on and shut off !!!

At least I did something right !!!!! 😁

So I think I’m gonna re-stab the dizzy and see if that gives me some more adjustment and make sure I got it correct and not off a few teeth.

Should I consider stabbing it at TDC instead ?

Also which port is for the Vacuum Advance hook up or are they to the same single diaphragm and you just plug the unused one ?

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Finally… what the heck should I do with these vacuum nipples on top of the distributor???

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ASO544 said:
Also which port is for the Vacuum Advance hook up or are they to the same single diaphragm and you just plug the unused one
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There are two diaphragms, one for everyday use, one for High Altitude Compensation. Both of mine leaked and I have only one vac line to the dizzy so I got a replacement single diaphragm vacuum actuator for it from @4Cruisers.
The two ports on the dizzy cap were to ventilate ozone out and prevent explosions, one line to somewhere on the air intake after the filter, other line to a filter in the cab.
It is sometimes necessary to "clock" the dizzy body to get it to fit. As long as the rotor is under the #1 plugwire at TDC #1 it will work.

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Day 2 of Dizzy Install!!!!!

So I forgot to grab a pic when I removed the cap from my earlier setting but at 7* BTDC the button was pointing directly at the #4 plug. I pulled it and reset it and now it’s a hair to the rear of the #4 plug. The black mark to the left of the bolt hole is the mark for the #1 plug on the cap) Not real sure if that’s gonna be better or worse for timing goes as I needed more adjustment to retarded it more.

Currently at 7* BTDC

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Full Clockwise Rotation

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It actually runs out of range on the bolt groove. See video

Dizzy Rotation stopped by engine block and bolt groove.

Dizzy Rotation

Doesn’t seem like a lot of movement but I’m sure it is as it works on thousands of other LCs !!!!!
 
I may have discovered one of my issue… my throttle linkage was not returning to zero and when timing it was adding rpms as the throttle wasn’t returning completely. That and possible a tooth or so off. I got the linkage set with no carb linkage movement so that should fix that part. I hope to fire her up tomorrow and see what the timing does now!!

On a side note… both of my vacuum ports on the dizzy operate correctly !!! I’m gonna use the main port, closest to the dizzy body, for my vacuum advance.
 
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Man what a journey and still not there yet …….close but not there.

I got everything installed again and the throttle linkage set perfect but dang sure can’t get the timing right it seems.

I’ve stabbed it a few times adjusting the button / #1 on the dizzy a hair left of #4 plug, dead on # 4 plug, and a hair right of #4 plug.

Stabbed from TDC and 7* BTDC

Regardless of where I stab it and try and set the timing I get a super hard to start ( have to choke it and pump the gas a lot ) with loud backfiring from the exhaust during attempted starts as well. Once started it runs fine and drives fine but but once I stop and try to start it it’s almost impossible to start.

I’ve moved the timing from 7* all the way to 25*( stopping every 3*s) but regardless where I set it the starting is brutal. It always started fine prior just ran bad with older distributor setup. I’m getting 17-18 on my vacuum gauge as well .

I did cut and extended my 2 wire connector from the coil/Igniter so it could reach the distributor but the distributor adds and removes timing when turned so I feel the wire/ connector is good

I did insulate the coil body with a rubber insert between it and the fender mount so it could hold it tight. Pretty sure the coil is not grounded by the mount so the rubber shouldn’t be an issue. I may add a ground wire from one of the screws on the mount to the
-bat to ensure the igniter is grounded.

The distributor has new button and cap and is in great shape. The coil and igniter also look really good for its age …..What’s the best way to test the coil and igniter just to be sure ?

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Any other thoughts or suggestions ? Getting close but just not there just yet !!!

Thanks !!!!
 
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I’ll check the vacuum under load on my next drive.

I also checked the igniter /bracket and it was properly grounded but just to be safe I ran a wire from the where the igniter bolts to the bracket and ran it to the negative post in the battery.

Ok… my mechanic buddy came by and we reset everything timing wise and again zero start. He checked the fire from the plugs and felt this was no where near enough spark and this was probably my starting issue.

What’s the Toyota minds thoughts ?

Spark Test With Lights

Spark Test No Lights

Weak ??? I will say the video is brighter than what the naked eye sees.
 
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Early in my aviation days I spent weeks with a spark plug breakdown tester reconditioning old plugs. Even brand new plugs not often could have the spark blown out at 90 psi or less for used plugs. On the other hand a plug with the proper squared gap would still be spewing fire at 175 psi - the limit of shop air. I always check the gap and squareness of new plugs before installing.

I like brass contacts inside my distributor cap, they corrode less - aluminium ones oxide quickly and that oxide is an insulator; less spark

Way back in the mid 80's I bought a really expensive set of heavy duty plug wires, they are blue 7 or 8mm. Anyway they are still good and worth the money IMHO
 
Free manual downloads Land Cruiser Factory Service Manuals (FSMs) - https://www.cruisercult.com/factory-service-manuals

Rick '79 FJ40

Thread 'What is the correct spark plug gap ofr a 2F?'

I was checking the plugs for my '79 the other day to see how things were looking and noticed that they were gapped for .035. Both the Haynes and Factory Engine manuals said that factory setting for these was .039. I noticed that the NGK site says to gap their plugs at .032.

I searched this site and found all kinds of diffferent recommendations depending on type of plug, type of coil, all kinds of different settings.

What I want to know is if there is a consensus on what the best setting is for a stock 2F with headers, Weber .38, and factory electronig ignition and coil.

Any help...
 
ASO544 said:
Good question… as this is an FJ60 “ Large Cap” Dizzy/Ignition setup …. What’s the proper gap these like to run ?
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There's an "Air Gap" listed in the FSM, it's pretty generous.
As for the weak spark, I dimly recall reading about some circuit in the ignition that bypassed the starter motor to deliver 12v. to the dizzy while cranking. Maybe something to do with that extra spade on the starter solenoid. I didn't pay much attention as I didn't have that problem and don't much understand electrons. I might try (don't do what I do) jumping 12v straight from the battery to the coil and try cranking it
 
Guess I’ll keep digging deeper

While I don’t think this is the issue , I’m going to unhook the fuel line into a jar and and turn it over to make sure I’m get good fuel flow from the fuel pump. I have a new filter installed already.

I will also try and film the spray in the carb to make sure fuel is getting through the carb correctly as well.

I do hear the idle circuit click when the ignition key is turned and it receives 12v.

I’m also going to test each plug/wire to make sure it’s firing
 
The connector wire / plug from the coil/igniter to the distributor, is it a power /ground or does it send signals from the igniter to the distributor.

Just noticed one was red and the other was white.

As I had to splice it…. And way to test it to make sure the connector is working properly ?
 
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Did you try grounding the can of the coil? My understanding is that the can is supposed to be ground, so if you've added a rubber packer then your spark will need to jump past that too.

Does it start easily if you bump start it? The start and ign positions on the key switch each have their own feed to the ignition circuit (one via a ballast iirc). Maybe your ignition switch connector could use a clean up??
 
Ok !!!! So I pulled the coil/igniter and removed the rubber insulation and added a metal insert so the mount would hold the coil in place. This fixed the coil body not being grounded to the mount. I also re-gapped the plugs to .35.

At 18* of timing she starts almost perfect and runs great. I really think she wants a little more.

At 7* she wouldn’t start and if I got her started it drive awful!!! This engine seems to love more advance timing !!!

Now I gotta figure out my vacuum secondaries. My linkage trips the lever for the secondaries ( right at WOT) just enough to barely crack it but they don’t open up. I tried the paper clip and it doesn’t move after a drive and trying a few WOT

Also… If I stab the dizzy with the BB in the point then I’m already at 7* of advance timing when running and the light flashes when the BB is in the pointer … correct?

So if I add 11* advance to my timing gun and then advance the dizzy until the BB is in the pointer again that would be 18 total degrees of advance time … correct ?
 
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