1983 BJ40 3B (3.4 litre) diesel not running, please help (1 Viewer)

[1983landcruiser]

Hello,

We recently bought a 1983 BJ40 Land Cruiser 3b (3.4 litre) diesel motor with fuel injection. 4 speed original transmission.

The previous owner said it was running really well last summer (we have a video) but they had an oil leak. Their mechanic decided to change the head gasket this spring and since then it doesn't seem to have sufficient compression to start. It turns over great, but it won't start.

We noticed right away it wasn't getting fuel so we put in an electric fuel pump (was this a bad idea?) and fixed the fuel return (brazed it) that was cracked. Now it seems like we can get it to go on two cylinders but it smokes like crazy and just won't run.

My question is could there be something we are overlooking or something we should troubleshoot before we rip the head off and take a look? Is there any chance this could be a timing issue? Or would this be more serious and the pistons / sleeves could be really pitted and washed out?

Sorry, I am not very knowledgable -- any help you can provide is greatly appreciated. Our kids are anxiously waiting for dad to get this unit running!

Thank you.

 

[duncanrm]

Did the mechanic remove the injection pump at any point? Is the glow system working?

 

[AussieHJCruza]

Have you done a compression test? Why did the mechanic decide to replace the head gasket?

 

[bj70bc]

sounds like a fuel issue,
you dont need an electric pump

 

[1983landcruiser]

Thanks guys. I was able to get some more information from the mechanic:

- Last summer, it was running poorly and then it died. Before he could do a compression test on it, the starter went. So he pulled the starter and had it rebuilt.
- Once the starter came back, he did a compression test on it from front to back and it tested 340, 100, 100, 270 psi.
- He knew that 2 of the head bolts had the threads pulled out, (the 2 bolts were right between cyl 2 and 3.) He figured the 2 bolts allowed the head gasket to fail somewhere in the area.
- He installed new head bolts all around, new head gasket, new exhaust and intake gaskets. Then he did another compression test and got 340, 100, 300, 240. But as you're aware, 2 cylinders is just not enough to get it to run.
- The injection pump was never removed from the motor. It is definitely primed properly, as he was working on it he would crack a line and see the diesel spurting out as it cranked over.
- He did a bunch of testing on the glow plugs last summer. Initially 3 out of the 4 were burnt out from the previous owner forgetting the glow plug switch on. He is pretty sure the voltage seemed fine.
- He is pretty sure the fuel filters were changed so they should be fairly new. He doesn't recall even seeing a water separator on the system. Maybe it's there and he didn't notice? The o-ring on the bleeder screw was not changed.
- The entire fuel system was bled after the head gasket. He went from connection to connection making sure it was just good fuel flowing, used a vacuum pump, etc. He was quite confident in the bleed process he did.
- Could be an air leak, although he replaced the hand primer with a brand new one last summer.
- He thinks maybe the previous owner got scammed on the engine rebuild and that is the issue with Cyl 2. Cyl 4 being low, he would expect it to improve compression after a few heat cycles / re-torque of the head bolts. Cyl 4 does have some fairly serious pitting on the cyl walls.

With all that being said, what could we be missing or is there anything else we should test before we pull the motor?

The mechanic figured we should get new rings & sleeves at a minimum and new pistons would be best. Deck the head/block for proper fit and then check the valves a second time to make sure they haven't developed any cracks or issues before re-assembly. Thoughts?

 

[1983landcruiser]

More pics

 

[1983landcruiser]

A few more pics

 

[whitey45]

420 psi is spec, not even your highest number is in spec, its time for a rebuild, valves look ok, has to be rings? Did you put gas in it by accident? Could have washed the cylinders?

 

[bj70bc]

looks pretty scrubbed
that one bad cylinder looks as if there may have been moisture in there and sat for a while corroding the liner

 

[45Dougal]

Have you checked the valve clearances, and were the valves lapped?
Pitted or open valves could be your problem.

Otherwise try adding a squirt of oil to each pot and repeating the compression test. Should see an improvement if its the rings.

Looking again at the valve photo - is that some loose metal below intake 2??

 

[bj70bc]

Have you checked the valve clearances, and were the valves lapped?
Pitted or open valves could be your problem.

Otherwise try adding a squirt of oil to each pot and repeating the compression test. Should see an improvement if its the rings.

Looking again at the valve photo - is that some loose metal below intake 2??

did you see the corroded liner? ouch! no valve stuff is gonna fix that whopper
that block deck didnt look very clean either before the head gasket, not that that matters now, but could have been contributing

 

[45Dougal]

Seen worse things running. Hard to say just how bad the bore is without a finger in there but definitely shouldn't be left like that!

Head looks to have lost some metal to me in between the middle pots, so will need a skim at some point too.

The broken head stud could be from someone attempting to seal the last new gasket.

You could try and release all the studs and retorque in a different order starting at the middle for a quick fix, but yea it needs a rebuild.

A better option maybe to find a another engine (2H, 1HZ...?)

 

[PEOPLES]

Seen worse things running. Hard to say just how bad the bore is without a finger in there but definitely shouldn't be left like that!

Me too. Unfortunately my engine. But it runs like that pretty fine. So only the scratches are not the reason the engine is not willing to run (but they don't help either)

 

[45Dougal]

Just read back through this and I now realise that the corroded cylinder is #4 which has low but viable compression.
The biggest problem is cylinder #2 so I stand by my suggestion of checking the valve clearances, and repeating the compression test after a splash of oil on each pot.

I also noted that "Initially 3 out of the 4 (glow plugs) were burnt out from the previous owner forgetting the glow plug switch on".

What glow plug switch does it have and are you running the correct glow plugs for whatever arrangement you have?
The factory controller is not a switch which can be left on. While a Wilson switch is a common mod, it's hard to leave it on by mistake.

Reason I ask this is that the controller failing is a common problem which happily eats new glow plugs (so check your new plugs are not burnt out).

On the other hand, the glow time is often increased manually to help start an engine with bad compression, so maybe this is just a function of the developing problem.

 

[-MaTTi-]

Healthy 3B starts fine without glowing at 0°C.

 

[1983landcruiser]

Thanks guys and sorry for the slow response. Below is a picture of the glow plug switch from the interior. Do you know what the correct glow plugs are?

We will check the valve clearances, and repeat the compression test after a splash of oil on each pot -- but what will this tell us? Sorry I'm learning.

So basically:
1. Check the valve clearances, and repeat the compression test after a splash of oil on each pot.
2. Determine what glow plugs we need and ensure they are working and the controller is not failing
3. Change fuel filter and change the O-ring on the bleeder screw

Then next step would be to try new rings and sleeves before having no choice but to rebuild?

 

[hj 60]

Can you try a pull start if you have the road there, sometimes old worn engine's are better with that than a lot of ether spray, if all settings are correct.
Maybe look for other engine, if this works it is still worn out.

 

[Miloslavich]

New to the Toyota Diesel scene as I just became a Hilux owner about a year ago, but based on "Engine 101" type thinking, gas or diesel, that cylinder scoring looks no bueno.

would it result in a no start on a 3B? doubt it. perhaps something else is going on there..

also as others have said, no need to fit an aftermarket fuel pump to a 3B (with a mechanical pump)

 

[45Dougal]

Thanks guys and sorry for the slow response. Below is a picture of the glow plug switch from the interior. Do you know what the correct glow plugs are?

We will check the valve clearances, and repeat the compression test after a splash of oil on each pot -- but what will this tell us? Sorry I'm learning.

So basically:
1. Check the valve clearances, and repeat the compression test after a splash of oil on each pot.
2. Determine what glow plugs we need and ensure they are working and the controller is not failing
3. Change fuel filter and change the O-ring on the bleeder screw

Then next step would be to try new rings and sleeves before having no choice but to rebuild?

View attachment 3406220

If your valves are set too tight then you'll never have enough compression because they're always open.

A splash of oil tends to fill the gap around worn rings so if the rings are the problem then you'd expect your compression to improve. If it doesn't improve then it's more likely a warped head or leaky head gasket.

I'm not sure which switch you refer to in the image but it's an aftermarket Wilson switch I assume, connected through a relay maybe on the bulkhead??
Try tracing the thick wire from the glow plugs - maybe share a photo of that setup?

You're running 2 batteries so 24v? The controller normally provides a reduced voltage to the plugs so if you have a Wilson switch then you probably don't need the correct factory plugs because they'd have a lower voltage.
Do you also get glow when you turn the key backwards?

 

[dmaddox]

With so many unknowns and variables on the table, the only real peace of mind would be to have the long block rebuilt by a very reputable diesel engine mechanic skilled with Toyota.

While the long block is out, test the auxiliaries per the FSM. Otherwise you'll be chasing "i wonder if's" for years.