The sweet sound of Diesel when it idles,what no burnt out?! Keep up the good work man and would like to see that rig soon in one of the swap meet or get together.
Builds 1987 FJ60 Expedition Build (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter KeepCruzin
- Start date
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- Thread starter
- #262
IM ALIVE! MUAHAHA
Hey guys. Sorry no updates for a while. Im a senior in high-school and Iv had college applications and Exams recently. No time for the rig. Luckily Gary and the guys at Mudrak have made SOME progress on the diesel.
So far the truck starts, idles, throttles up and down, and drives!!!
The big things left to do-
- Gauges = The speedo is fine. But the tach and other gauges take some electrical work
- Alternator = Im not sure if Jeff has finished this yet, but as of 4 weeks ago the batteries werent hooked up to the alt yet
- Power steering= The last thing on the list to make this thing "drivable". I did the low pressure lines myself, but with the power steering designed for RHD, I had to have a custom HP line made. I got it made, and dropped off at the shop. One of the mechanics lost it....
So now I have to make another one..... with fewer good pieces.
In other news! I got my moment of fame when a massive storm struck California last week. Sonoma County had massive flooding, and I went down to Mudrak to check on my truck/the shop. The back lot filled with over 4 feet of water at more than a foot an hour. It was insane. But I made it into the newspaper!
Hey guys. Sorry no updates for a while. Im a senior in high-school and Iv had college applications and Exams recently. No time for the rig. Luckily Gary and the guys at Mudrak have made SOME progress on the diesel.
So far the truck starts, idles, throttles up and down, and drives!!!
The big things left to do-
- Gauges = The speedo is fine. But the tach and other gauges take some electrical work
- Alternator = Im not sure if Jeff has finished this yet, but as of 4 weeks ago the batteries werent hooked up to the alt yet
- Power steering= The last thing on the list to make this thing "drivable". I did the low pressure lines myself, but with the power steering designed for RHD, I had to have a custom HP line made. I got it made, and dropped off at the shop. One of the mechanics lost it....
So now I have to make another one..... with fewer good pieces.
In other news! I got my moment of fame when a massive storm struck California last week. Sonoma County had massive flooding, and I went down to Mudrak to check on my truck/the shop. The back lot filled with over 4 feet of water at more than a foot an hour. It was insane. But I made it into the newspaper!
- Thread starter
- #263
All the rigs were safely rescued. We got most of them out before the water level got too high. Needless to say I got good at snatch recovery in water.
- Thread starter
- #264
ITS FINALLY DONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!
After the longest 7 months ever, my truck is FINALLY DONE! Been driving it for 3 days now and she runs like a top.
I got a rigid bar for christmas, and I built a bracket to mount it in the grill. I think it looks really clean. Im really stoked how it turned out. It is SO bright for only a 10 inch bar. My sister also got me a brand new Turbo emblem from cruiser parts for christmas.
The switch panel looks like this.
The black button is for my fully operational glow screen. (I never use it. The truck fired right up even at 22 degrees on a cold morning)
On to another cool addition. LED DASH LIGHTS!
I completely replaced all the lights in the dash with LED's. I had some time on my hands so I added a dimmer. Its pretty slick I must say. The original dimmer knob works as it used to. I installed a dimmer for the LED's and it was totally worth it. They go from SUPER bright to full dark.
I also mounted two fire extinguishers for safety's sake. One on either front seat. I think they look pretty good and are out of the way yet easily accessible.
I also got the exhaust re-painted and it looks great in my opinion. 100% straight piped. Sounds AWESOME.
Video of running, driving, and engine bay tour to come!
After the longest 7 months ever, my truck is FINALLY DONE! Been driving it for 3 days now and she runs like a top.
I got a rigid bar for christmas, and I built a bracket to mount it in the grill. I think it looks really clean. Im really stoked how it turned out. It is SO bright for only a 10 inch bar. My sister also got me a brand new Turbo emblem from cruiser parts for christmas.
The switch panel looks like this.
The black button is for my fully operational glow screen. (I never use it. The truck fired right up even at 22 degrees on a cold morning)
On to another cool addition. LED DASH LIGHTS!
I completely replaced all the lights in the dash with LED's. I had some time on my hands so I added a dimmer. Its pretty slick I must say. The original dimmer knob works as it used to. I installed a dimmer for the LED's and it was totally worth it. They go from SUPER bright to full dark.
I also mounted two fire extinguishers for safety's sake. One on either front seat. I think they look pretty good and are out of the way yet easily accessible.
I also got the exhaust re-painted and it looks great in my opinion. 100% straight piped. Sounds AWESOME.
Video of running, driving, and engine bay tour to come!
Bama4door
Supporting Vendor
Post up a video of the exhaust, I bet it sounds great! Congrats on getting it all finished up.
gregnash
Anal Retentive Analyst
Also post up how you did the relay/resistor for the LEDs to be able to dim.
- Thread starter
- #267
Sounds and looks good mate, bout time. Bet ur happy
- Thread starter
- #269
Ok guys I have started to see a problem with the diesel. Not a big one, but id like to resolve this soon.
The engine doesnt shut off quickly. When its cold- I fire it up, run it for less than 5 minutes, and turn the key off- the engine dies as it should. But when its been run for a while- 20 minute drive to school etc- it sputters, coughs a couple times, then dies. Sometimes it takes about 4-5 seconds for the engine to stop turning over completely and die. Is this bad for the engine? Whats going on and how do I fix it? Any suggestions?
The engine doesnt shut off quickly. When its cold- I fire it up, run it for less than 5 minutes, and turn the key off- the engine dies as it should. But when its been run for a while- 20 minute drive to school etc- it sputters, coughs a couple times, then dies. Sometimes it takes about 4-5 seconds for the engine to stop turning over completely and die. Is this bad for the engine? Whats going on and how do I fix it? Any suggestions?
Maybe your shutoff butterfly isnt closing fully and shes starving then dying. Maybe a pinhole in a vac line that expands once warm. Change all vac lines to be sure. Make sure all vacuum connections are tight. See how u go. Hopefully someone else chimes in with an idea too
- Thread starter
- #271
Thats the feedback I'v been getting from other people as well. I think Ill go through the system and check for leaks/missing plugs etc.
- Thread starter
- #272
Checked the butterfly. It's closing properly and there are no vac leaks.
Turns out, this is the reason the truck was for sale in Japan. It ran great but had a hard time shutting off.
No problem, we found the source.
The engine is drawing air from the block itself. This may be because the previous owner babied the engine, and the truck never got hot enough to get good seals on the Pistons. (That's the advice I got from our diesel tech).
Game plan now : I adjusted the idol, set it a bit lower. Then I try to run the truck at higher RPM (2-3k)
Once it's hot, she runs better and shuts off easier.
Then, when I turn it off, I let it sputter for a second or two, then gently slip the clutch. The touch of added load normally kills the engine.
For s***s and giggles, I added a pull cable that runs through the dash to the fuel shutoff. If she really won't shut down, I just give it a quick pull, and she shuts down easy.
Problem solved.
Onto further news.
I did the easiest mod ever- stripping on tailgate to protect it from cargo, and make it less aggressive
Then my friend and I got to work on the rear belts, and storage compartment.
Got the shoulder belts installed.
(What a PIA to get the nuts up into the pillar. Got good with magnetic rod)
Brand new belts from toyota. Love em.
Then I got one storage panel nearly finished. All that's left is a closure system.
Turns out, this is the reason the truck was for sale in Japan. It ran great but had a hard time shutting off.
No problem, we found the source.
The engine is drawing air from the block itself. This may be because the previous owner babied the engine, and the truck never got hot enough to get good seals on the Pistons. (That's the advice I got from our diesel tech).
Game plan now : I adjusted the idol, set it a bit lower. Then I try to run the truck at higher RPM (2-3k)
Once it's hot, she runs better and shuts off easier.
Then, when I turn it off, I let it sputter for a second or two, then gently slip the clutch. The touch of added load normally kills the engine.
For s***s and giggles, I added a pull cable that runs through the dash to the fuel shutoff. If she really won't shut down, I just give it a quick pull, and she shuts down easy.
Problem solved.
Onto further news.
I did the easiest mod ever- stripping on tailgate to protect it from cargo, and make it less aggressive
Then my friend and I got to work on the rear belts, and storage compartment.
Got the shoulder belts installed.
(What a PIA to get the nuts up into the pillar. Got good with magnetic rod)
Brand new belts from toyota. Love em.
Then I got one storage panel nearly finished. All that's left is a closure system.
So how much oil is this bad boy burning if the rings arent seated?? do u know how many miles on engine before u bought it? I wouldnt think any amount of thrashing is going to seat them now
mongoose2231
Supporting Vendor
Great truck. Good job.
Sorry that one is not "cutting the mustard". I cant tell you where the problem is, but I can tell you where it is not. and it's not in the PO's driving style.
- Thread starter
- #276
You both make a good point. Quite frankly, Im fairly skeptical of the advice given to me by our diesel tech. But. He does have the experience to back it up. He's been building and working on diesels for almost 20 years now, and he's taken 2 WYOTech 6-month diesel courses. He's no pushover. That doesnt mean he doesnt make mistakes.
Frankly, I think theres probably some vac line somewheres that might be losing a tad bit of vacuum. The problem is, when I disconnect any other lines, they whistle so loud you cant miss it. I feel like I would hear the leak if there was one. The butterly is getting SO close to complete closure. its off my a milimeter on each side; barely enough to keep the engine running. It seems to be getting better every time I shut down, so Ill see where it is in a month or so.
The engine doesnt burn any oil from what I can see. She puffs a little smoke on the startup (just a cough), then she runs clean as a whistle. I cant roll coal no matter how hard I try, and the exhaust is crystal clear all the time when running.
History on the truck: Daily driver/grocery getter in Japan. Never went off-road once. Rarely saw a highway. Mostly around town driving. All I got regarding why it was sold was because it developed a small coolant leak, and had some rust in the rear quarters. The engine only has 75,000 miles on it. Its nearly new!
Honestly, I just plan to drive it however it seems to like it best, and chase down this shutoff problem over time. Out of all the problems I could have had, this was one I never thought about.
Other than the shutdown, the truck has worked absolutely flawlessly.
For you 12HT guys out there, how well do your engines do in warm weather? (85-100 degrees F) I live in California, and it gets HOT in the summer. I dont want to run into unforseen cooling issues. Right now the temp needle never climbs above half.
Thanks for the input. The search for the cause continues.
(Side note. I pulled the black hose that runs oil through the block [the one near the rear right of the head], and put my hand over the opening, then had someone shut the engine down. I felt a serious suction on my palm, indicating that somewhere there must be suction being drawn off the block. Thats how the diesel tech and I came to the idea that perhaps the seals arent perfectly tight. This wouldnt make sense though because the engine is running above factory spec compression numbers)
Mine now has 40,000km with new cooling system and i went thru a hot spell of 43 odd degrees for a couple days. Highway speeds up severe hills with air con on and didnt go over half. Just make sure everything is in top condition
- Thread starter
- #278
What did you do for the "new cooling system"?
New radiator, hoses, water pump, thermostat, fan clutch and genuine toyota red coolant
- Thread starter
- #280
So I have a question.
My oil pressure indicator is consistently low. The indicator needle lives in the bottom third of the gauge all the time. It fluctuates a bit based on RPM, maybe going up or down .5cm or so, but its not a serious change. It never hits the middle third no matter what.
Just for reference. The needle always lives in the mid section of the bottom third.
Is this a problem? I check my oil frequently and its right where it should be (if not a bit overfilled). What does this mean?
Thanks guys!
My oil pressure indicator is consistently low. The indicator needle lives in the bottom third of the gauge all the time. It fluctuates a bit based on RPM, maybe going up or down .5cm or so, but its not a serious change. It never hits the middle third no matter what.
Just for reference. The needle always lives in the mid section of the bottom third.
Is this a problem? I check my oil frequently and its right where it should be (if not a bit overfilled). What does this mean?
Thanks guys!
