2H first start in 3 years (1 Viewer)

[georgebj60]

I'm about to start up my 2H after swapping it into an FJ60. It's been 3 years since it was last run. The block was never drained of its fresh oil or coolant, the IP never removed or touched.
I've primed the fuel, installed a new air filter, 2 new batteries, and a brand new OEM rad with fresh coolant.

Anything else I should address before starting? Would anyone remove the valve cover and spray some oil around? Or just start it up?

Thanks. Pictures for fun.

 

[pistonpete]

 

[duncanrm]

I would hold the EDIC in the OFF position and crank it briefly just to make sure there's no terrible noises. I'd then go ahead and let it start. Familiarise yourself with the shutdown procedure in case the EDIC doesnt work and you need to shut it down in a hurry (push the fuel control lever towards the radiator).

If you're confident the oil gauge is hooked up correctly monitor that very closely when you start it, if you're not confident, install a test gauge to assess oil pressure.

3 years is nothing for a 2H to be sitting around for.. I've started them after 10 years + of sitting.. you're unlikely to have any problems if it was running fine when it was last started.

 

[georgebj60]

Thanks for the reply. Yes it was running great before I pulled it. Good idea on the edic, I'd like it to crank for a while before actually starting. I might try to take a video too.

 

[Freewheel]

Nice work George! Congrats on getting to the momentous startup point!

 

[georgebj60]

Thanks for all the replies. I decided to throw caution to the wind and just start it up. I put a screwdriver in a handy location so that I could pop off the EDIC arm in a hurry if I needed to. I checked all the fluids again. Transfer and tranny in neutral. E-brake on. Wheels chocked. Connect last battery connection - ground wire to body. Hop in, key on. Glow plugs light, then off. Turn key, hope for the best....

And it fired up as if it was running an hour ago. Not even a puff of smoke or stumble. I was shocked. I expected some smoke and rough running until things warmed up. So, I let it idle for a few minutes while I checked under the hood for anything out-of-sorts. I shut it down to have another look around, and fired it back up. Toyota diesels are amazing!

Then figured it was time to see if it could move under its own power in 3 years. With transfer in Hi, and in gear, I started to back it out of the garage. Brakes were good, clutch was good, clutch booster was working well (which was a bit of a question mark - it didn't seem to be doing that well when I ran the truck in 2017). I ran it up and down the alley a few times, in and out of 4WD, and 4Lo. Vacuum transfer worked great. All wipers, lights, etc were working.

This is a successful day. It's been a long project as I don't get a lot of time to work on it. I've torn the truck down to a bare shell and back together again with the diesel drivetrain. Other than the actual engine or transmission, pretty much everything is new or re-conditioned. It was satisfying to see it all working again. The only things I'm a bit worried about now are the front and rear heaters. The truck didn't get hot enough to start running coolant around, so I won't know if there are any leaks from the 2 cores until I can drive it around a bit, maybe next weekend. Also, I do have a small leak from somewhere around the IP. This started before I stopped running the engine in 2017, and it didn't miraculously disappear in the meantime. I'll post up for help on that one once I get a video of where it's dripping.

I took a video of the first start. If I can get it posted up to youtube I'll add a link. In the meantime, thanks again for the replies here, and to the community as a whole for answering questions along the way.

 

[duncanrm]

And it fired up as if it was running an hour ago. Not even a puff of smoke or stumble. I was shocked. I expected some smoke and rough running until things warmed up. So, I let it idle for a few minutes while I checked under the hood for anything out-of-sorts. I shut it down to have another look around, and fired it back up. Toyota diesels are amazing!

Superb! I love these engines! Well done.

 

[roscoFJ73]

And it fired up as if it was running an hour ago

Looks real nice. How many miles has this 2H done?

 

[georgebj60]

The engine has 337,000kms (209,400 miles). Though I have to say there were no signs of any deferred maintenance on the engine. It seems to be in great shape.

 

[KamarulF]

2H engines are super super durable. Only big enemy is high EGTs..Take care of the heat and it'll last a very, very long time.