1991 3FE sluggish in hot weather (1 Viewer)

[JakeVII]

My cruiser gets sluggish in the heat, especially towards 30 C (90 F). It seems to have a harder time accelerating, even though it runs at the same RPM to maintain speed. Temperature gauge holds steady, too, and all fluid levels appear to be good. I've also noticed it has a harder time starting after sitting in the sun all day.


Is this something I can mitigate, or is it normal? I don't care about going fast, but this seems like something I should be able to fix.

 

[Alleycats]

Isn't hard starting associated with FPR? Do you have detonation? If so that would somewhat explain sluggish power.

 

[jonheld]

Excessive fuel tank pressure?

 

[SUMMIT CRUISERS]

X2 as Jon mentioned, excessive fuel tank pressure. Look into testing and changing the charcoal canister. Charcoal Canister - Great Option!

As far as sluggish in hot weather, the performance of the 3FE does suffer quite a bit in hot weather. During the summer, we call the AC off button the supercharger. One more…the fan clutch can engage which can also greatly reduce the performance.

 

[JakeVII]

Cool. It probably would have taken me a long time to consider that one. I doubt the charcoal canister has ever been changed, so it's a great place to start. Cheers!

 

[JakeVII]

Excessive fuel tank pressure?

Here's a thought- I noticed while poking around that the VSV is disconnected. What kind of impact would this have on a higher fuel tank pressure/ charcoal canister problem?

 

[rblain82]

What would I do if my 92 has been de-smogged... I experience this in the hot weather also... do I have an option?? I don't think I have a charcoal canister...

 

[JakeVII]

What would I do if my 92 has been de-smogged... I experience this in the hot weather also... do I have an option?? I don't think I have a charcoal canister...

I'm currently trying to figure out the charcoal canister thing. When I figure out where it is and what is looks like I'll post it here.

 

[JakeVII]

This picture is from a 1990 FJ62, so it should be pretty close to the 91/92 3FE setup. Looks like it's in the bottom rear part of the engine bay on the passenger side.

 

[JakeVII]

And regarding the charcoal canister I found this thread:

"Cleaning" the Charcoal canister?

It looks like you can clean or bypass the canister, but I'm not 100% sure how.

 

[JakeVII]

I guess a step before that would just be to test it:
Charcoal Canister test procedure

This thread also details how to remove the canister, as well as some possible easy fixes that might be applicable.

I'll have a good look and see what I find.

 

[SUMMIT CRUISERS]

The replacement of the charcoal canister will only solve the excessive tank pressure and should help on the hard starts when hot. The Sluggish part is just life. Here's a thread my son started to compare performance in our 80's:
0 to 60 times. How slow/fast is your 80? w/ videos
How does yours compare?

 

[jonheld]

Couple of things here.
A desmogged vehicle should still have a charcoal canister. The EVAP system helps to regulate fuel tank pressure and feeds fuel vapor back into the intake. The canister bracket is bolted to the top of the right chassis rail. Pick up the plastic flap behind the front right tire.
There are fuel vapor return lines that run from the canister back to the tank on the inside of the right chassis rail, along side the fuel filter. They can become damaged and/or clogged over the years and this will have a dramatic effect on performance as the pressure in the tank fluctuates.
An old fuel filler cap with a faulty breather valve is a strong suspect. I replace mine every few years as the gasket wears out over time anyway. Don't use an aftermarket STANT cap. They last for about 3 months.

BTW, I LOL when @SUMMIT CRUISERS mentioned the "AC off" switch. I called that the "turbo" for 25 years
It has a minimal effect on the 1FZ-FE, but you can still feel the difference.

 

[jonheld]

Here's a thought- I noticed while poking around that the VSV is disconnected. What kind of impact would this have on a higher fuel tank pressure/ charcoal canister problem?

View attachment 1283864

Those 3 are for air injection (smog pump), EGR, and fuel pressure and definitely should be connected. The EVAP system control is the BVSV on the thermostat housing. Mechanical vacuum path based on coolant temp.
It's also important that all vacuum ports are clear and all hoses are in good shape.

 

[JakeVII]

Those 3 are for air injection (smog pump), EGR, and fuel pressure and definitely should be connected. The EVAP system control is the BVSV on the thermostat housing. Mechanical vacuum path based on coolant temp.
It's also important that all vacuum ports are clear and all hoses are in good shape.

Wow. Jon, you are the man. I think I should just start reading all the posts you've ever written about the 3FE.

 

[JakeVII]

Here's a thought- I noticed while poking around that the VSV is disconnected. What kind of impact would this have on a higher fuel tank pressure/ charcoal canister problem?

View attachment 1283864

There wouldn't happen to be someone out there who can sell me the blue plug in the picture, would there? The female plug is fine, but if you look at the photo you'll see the male part of the plug is actually broken off, so I can't really reattach it.

 

[jonheld]

There wouldn't happen to be someone out there who can sell me the blue plug in the picture, would there? The female plug is fine, but if you look at the photo you'll see the male part of the plug is actually broken off, so I can't really reattach it.

Talk to @arcteryx Jason at Cruiseryard.com. He usually has some tasty 3FE tidbits laying around. Check out the classified section as well.

 

[rblain82]

Couple of things here.
A desmogged vehicle should still have a charcoal canister. The EVAP system helps to regulate fuel tank pressure and feeds fuel vapor back into the intake. The canister bracket is bolted to the top of the right chassis rail. Pick up the plastic flap behind the front right tire.
There are fuel vapor return lines that run from the canister back to the tank on the inside of the right chassis rail, along side the fuel filter. They can become damaged and/or clogged over the years and this will have a dramatic effect on performance as the pressure in the tank fluctuates.
An old fuel filler cap with a faulty breather valve is a strong suspect. I replace mine every few years as the gasket wears out over time anyway. Don't use an aftermarket STANT cap. They last for about 3 months.

BTW, I LOL when @SUMMIT CRUISERS mentioned the "AC off" switch. I called that the "turbo" for 25 years
It has a minimal effect on the 1FZ-FE, but you can still feel the difference.

@jonheld do you have a preferred fuel cap? Dealer? Thanks for the info! I'm going to look at little closer at my stuff and see what I find!

 

[jonheld]

@jonheld do you have a preferred fuel cap? Dealer? Thanks for the info! I'm going to look at little closer at my stuff and see what I find!

I'm an OEM enthusiast, or as some would say, elitist. Talk to @beno. He's my parts man.