1989 LJ73 - Getting it Back to Safe and Reliable Condition (3 Viewers)

[skykingisepic]

Purchased on eBay from dealer in Orlando who sources these in Spain and surrounding area. Took delivery on 31 Oct (last week).

Overall, this is in good condition with no rust. 118k miles.

Was purchased with hard top and dealer assumed top was secured properly but top blew off during transport to TN. Now he's looking for a replacement to send me since I can't drive in cold or wet conditions. A good soft top is crazy money - $4200 from Columbian outfit and $5000 from Pakistani outfit, both selling on eBay. A new hard top is $7000 from megazip (from Japan).

Took down to top off fuel yesterday and experienced the 'death wobble' at 55mph. Looks like most bushings up front are all dried and cracked and will need replacing. Will set front tire pressure to 29psi (stated in user manual) and maybe have rebalanced. Need to change oil (black as coal) and filter (going to use a Fram PH6357) then take to local garage to get all fluids changed (tranny, diffs, xfer case) since I have no maintenance history. I did grease the U-Joints on both shafts as I didn't see any evidence of being done recently. Came with 10.5 x 15 tires on chrome rims.

Removed rear door windows for now, frames bent a bit from hard top coming off but easily fixable.

4WD light on dash not coming on when button pushed to 'on', checked bulb and good so must be switch on xfer case. It does go into 4WD though, just an inop light.

Left rear of engine behind oil filter wet from possible oil leak (coming from top). Will spray degreaser and wipe clean so I can find exact source of leak. Rest of engine is super clean and no rust.

Preheat light comes on for only 2 seconds and initial start on cold (32F) morning with a bit of 'choke' starts off really smoky but goes away quickly.

Radio and Inclinometers inop but won't really use anyway.

No headrests or seat belts for rear seat but don't plan on having any passengers back there.

My main concerns are to get it mechanically safe and reliable for occasional drives on country back roads and into the mountains here in NE Tennessee. Will need front end work to eliminate death wobble.

If anyone has experience with this model (has 2L-T engine) I'm looking for any and all resources like manuals, maintenance parts, repair parts (like bushings), etc. so please chime in. Thanks.

 

[coldtaco]

No pictures, it didn’t happen kidding aside, we like pictures. They’re a sticky at the top of this group or the diesel section with manuals. Bummer about the top, just odd that it wasn’t bolted down. Wonder if anything else is “odd “.

 

[skykingisepic]

 

[skykingisepic]

How it was bought in Maldives. Owner put top back on for shipping to US (but obviously didn't bolt it on).

 

[skykingisepic]

Since I need to replace all of the front end bushings, has anyone found a source that sells the entire set of bushings as a kit?

 

[skykingisepic]

My 4WD light isn't coming on but the bulb looks good. I've checked parts diagrams and can't find a switch on the lever or transfer case. Anyone know what activates the dash light when the 4H switch is on?

 

[Tennessee Jed]

Welcome to a brave new world.

Call Cruiser Outfitters first for nearly all this stuff. They have a large on-line catalog ordering site, but they also have these amazing things that answer the phone called "real people" - apparently some kind of AI - that are extremely knowledgeable and can set you up with most of what you need. What they don't have, they can find or point you to.

Learn to use Megazip, Partsouq, and Amayama in addition to your local Toyota dealer. A surprising amount of this stuff is available from Toyota but you have to order by part number - they often can't find the part number for you. Learn your frame number by heart or keep it on your phone when searching for parts - month and year of manufacture matter.

Death wobble - check wheels and tires first. This probably has garbage tires on it that may not be balanced at all. Get new tires, have them balanced, see where you are. You have OEM wheels, so that's great - stop right there. Tie rod ends, steering stabilizer, bushings (probably not the cause) are all available at Cruiser Outfitters.

Search here for threads on problems. Use the search box to look for (for instance) 2L-T and read what other people have gone through.

If I could get a cloth top for half the price of a fiberglass top, I would go that route, personally, they're cool and rare.

I'm in SE Tn so maybe I'll see you around.

 

[skykingisepic]

Thanks - all good to know. I'm a pretty good wrench so will do all of my own work but taking it to local place to change out all fluids.

I greased the drive shafts and set front tires at 29psi and the wobble seems to have gone at 55ph. Tires on front are fairly new (see pic above).

Will check out Cruiser Outfitters, have been looking at diagrams on Partsouq to get familiar with all the bits.

All of the front bushies are dried out and cracked so will probably replace.

Going to check brakes this week, it stops well and doesn't pull in any direction. Will get tires balanced.

I'm up near Morristown - pretty country.

 

[Tennessee Jed]

Great - you never know what someone's comfortable with.
From the photo it looks like you have at least 3 brands of tires on the truck, that's what made me think that. Plus I just think any kind of vibration is 99 times out of 100 tires.

Have fun and good luck!

 

[skykingisepic]

Yup, spare is different than rears. Fronts and rears are matched sets, fronts look pretty new and rears still have decent tread left. Set fronts at 29 and rears at 35 but manual calls for 41. Will still get them balanced this week.

 

[skykingisepic]

My 4WD light isn't coming on but the bulb looks good. I've checked parts diagrams and can't find a switch on the lever or transfer case. Anyone know what activates the dash light when the 4H switch is on?

I found the switch on the electrical diagram - mounts on side of transfer case. Will check to see if it's mechanically working then the wiring.

 

[Felde]

Welcome to the madness. Looks nice (provided the vendor's pics still match reality).
Most important hints concerning parts where given by the fellows already.
I have a BJ73 from Spain. This is what I had to do over my first year of ownership to make it road safe and reliable (beside the basics you mentioned):

Check steering gear and tierod ends.
Get new, matching tires all round.
Check suspension bushings.
Check play in wheels / wheel bearings.
(Any of that might be a cause for the death wobble.)
What do the knuckle chrome balls look like? Greasy, oily or bone-dry? (Everybody is due for a knuckle-job sooner or later )
Check grease level in knuckles. (Square-headed plug on top of knuckles)
Check axle breathers. In particular on front axle. Clogged axle breathers (= pressure building up in axle) are one of the root causes for the axle seals to blow and knuckles to seap.
Check for leaks: Oi., servo steering, coolant, brake master, clutch master and slave.
Change all those liquids (engine oil, diff- & tranny oil, coolant, servo steering oil), Replace all filters, including fuel filter, and service the water sedimenter and air filter.
Service the injection pump governor (not sure what the 2-LT has there. My 3B has a vakuum governor. The diaphragm in it deserves a bit of neadfoot oil) (See manual).
Check all rubber hoses in engine bay and the rubber hoses in the fuel line. Might be brittle. In the right rear wheel housing, there is a removable cover that gives access to the fuel filling neck: Check for corrosion of the filling neck and condition of the rubber main filling hose. You might want to check for corrosion and gunk on and inside the tank: There is a service access to the fuel sender: A round cover in the floor near the back doors.
Check fuel and brake hardlines on the chassis for corrosion and t-fittings for leaks.
Closely monitor engine temp in the first phase.
Check electric wiring on battery. Remove radio or respective cover to get access to the dash. Check wires in there. Check wires behind rear lights.
Usually POs have left behind some funky installations... Clean that up, if so.
Have the battery tested or replaced.
Have headlights adjusted and bulbs changed.

Most important: Brakes.
Open all brakes and check for wear and tear, I.p. the rear brakes. Check the brake slave cylinders for leaks.
Check all flexible brake hoses (I recommend to change them all).
Replace brake- and clutch- hydraulic fluid end to end (including content of hard lines / hoses and slave cylinders).
Check LSPV (often seized) and adjust (it makes a lot of a difference) .
If you are unfamiliar with brakes: Have a pro do it.

Most important: Have fun with it!
Cheers Ralf

 

[jblueridge]

Does it have rear half doors on it now…doors without windows?
I had a soft top custom made for $2,500 a few years ago.

 

[skykingisepic]

Full doors and windows - I took the windows off for now until I get another hard top. Running it like a Safari wagon.

 

[jblueridge]

So I guess with factory removable windows, it started out as a soft top.

 

[FJ73Texas]

So I guess with factory removable windows, it started out as a soft top.

That is not true. A lot of 73/74 series cruisers came with the removable frame windows and FRP both. Seems mostly concentrated in Spanish regions though. Not sure why.

 

[skykingisepic]

Starting the 2L-T - In order to get the 2L-T started, I have to turn the 'choke' knob 1.5 turns clockwise, then turn IGN on - glow light out after 2 sec then I wait 4 more seconds then IGN off and repeat. Then I can turn over engine about 10 times and it fires off with lots of blue smoke that goes away after 10 seconds and idle comes up to 1400 and I can then slowly turn choke counter-clockwise back down to 1000 or even 500 depending on outside temp. Is this 'normal' for this engine or is my glow system inop?

 

[AirheadNut]

I would definitely look into the glow system, it should start on a single glow without using the manual throttle ("choke" knob) until the ambient temps are well below freezing. My last 2L-TE started almost instantly and with very little smoke on a single glow at about 15ºF, and a 3L I had a few years ago performed similarly at 9ºF.

Sounds like your idle speed may need adjusting also, and I would check for any air leaks into the fuel system.

 

[Felde]

No, that's not normal.
Glow cycle should be longer.
I think, your engine is due for new glowplugs and probably a revision of the injectors.
Blue smoke could also be caused by oil getting into the combustion. If it is going away after start, it may be accumulated oil, probably from the turbo?
I don't think it's air in the system. That would rather give white or gray smoke and a very uneven run or even no start, I think.
Ih8mud has a diesel section. You might want to post this issue there.
Good Luck Ralf

 

[coldtaco]

Start with glow plugs