'73 FJ40 - no oil pressure (2 Viewers)

[icefield]

FJ40 new to me in very good condition. 2F engine VIN (414438) indicates manufactured in November 1972 (source). First time post for me.

Not registering any oil pressure. Have looked through a couple of threads on this topic here and here.

Oil level on stick is within range. Followed guide to ground oil gauge for a few seconds and that was functioning. Purchased a new OEM sender, and still no pressure registered.

Bought ⅛" BSP to ⅛" NPT thread adapter from Amazon (here), and monitored pressure with mechanical gauge. Got nothing. (Checked gauge with air compressor and gauge is registering properly.)

When I remove mechanical gauge from adapter and look in opening there is a bit of oil in adapter's inside channel. So, believe there is some oil moving around, just not enough to register any pressure.

Looking for suggestions on where to head next. I'm thinking remove oil, filter, oil pan, and clean intake screen and hose for oil pump. Before heading in that direction, thought I'd look for some ideas here first.

 

[John Smith]

Be certain your distributor is fully seated. It most probably is not, which is why you have no oil pressure.

 

[Solace in Solitude]

^x2^ what John said.

The end of the distributor shaft Has to properly mate to the (flat tip) screwdriver-like slot on the oil pump. That spins the pump and pumps oil.

You can pull the valve cover and see if the rockets are being oiled.

If you really have NO oil pressure, you risk major engine damage, depending on how long you’re letting your engine run without oil.

If you’ve had the dissy out and reinstalled it and you had oil pressure before you reseated the dissy, you probably don’t have it properly seated.

If you didn’t have the dissy out and had oil pressure and now you have none and the dissy appears to be fully seated, Mark the location that your rotor points at, then unbolt the distributor hold-down and slowly lift the distributor. When the shaft-tip clears the slot, the rotor will rotate a few degrees... mark that as well. Follow these marks, in reverse, to reseat the distributor, with the rotor exactly where it was before.

Once you have the dissy out, you can use a long flat-tip screwdriver bit and a drill to spin the oil pump clockwise and see if oil comes out the rockers.

if it doesn’t oil the rockers and you have oil in the crankcase, the oil pump has likely failed.

you can turn the oil pump, with a screwdriver, to properly align the shaft-tip with the slot, to properly reseat the dissy.

 

[icefield]

Had time today to look at this some more. Took dissy out, and used drill to turn oil pump clockwise.

Was not able to get oil pressure to move at all on mechanical gauge. With drill at high RPMs, small amount of oil came up dissy hole about ½".

It's my gut feeling that the oil pump is moving oil but the mystery is why is there no pressure recorded at the sender port location in the block? The engine sounds completely normal when I run in, but have not run it for any extended period of time. I haven't removed the valve cover, but looking in the oil filler hole there appears to be plenty of oil lubricating the parts I can see.

A friend mentioned that perhaps the head gasket was put on backwards and might be blocking one of the holes that oil rises from the bottom to top of engine. Not sure on this. Would that cause lack of oil pressure at gauge?

A few of questions:

1) Would the drill spinning (clockwise) on the oil pump create enough pressure to at least show the pressure gauge move a bit? I started slowly, but did spin the drill up to pretty high RMPs for a few minutes.

2) Trying to avoid removing the oil pan and all that entails. Any other areas I could look into to determine lack of pressure showing on gauge?

3) Any ideas at all are welcome. And, I appreciate the input already received in this thread.

 

[brian]

if a drill in the oil pump made no pressure on a mechanical gauge in the oil pressure sending unit location, i would seriously doubt that you are making oil pressure with the engine running.
the next "easiest" step would be removing the valve cover and spinning the oil pump with the drill again to see if oil is making it to the top end.
my gut feeling is dropping the pan and see what the oil pump looks like.

 

[icefield]

Got things ready to drop oil pan and look at oil pump. This FJ40 is new to me. Hadn't changed the oil before. Drained the oil from the pan (but have not removed larger oil filter yet). Only ended up with exactly one gallon of used oil. That seemed low to me given that Owner's Manual calls for 7.4 qts in crankcase, and 8.5 qts overall.

Got to thinking why would I only have that much oil, yet dip stick show oil was full? Wondering if stopper at top of dip stick might have shifted upward and not be in the correct location (making my "stick" too long [ha, ha, ha!!!])? This would make the stick go deeper into oil pan, and show oil level as full when it actually wasn't to specification level.

Picture below. Couple of questions:

1) How much used oil should I expect upon draining pan, but not removing oil filter yet?

2) What's the expected distance from end of dip stick to stopper at top? Mine is 13.75".

Hoping this might be the issue as really think the oil pump is okay and thus can avoid removing pan.


Edit: Just looked through this thread and at this CruiserCorps part. Seems 13.5" is the expected length, so mine not that far off. I'm still interested in responses to question #1 though -- should I get more that one gallon of used oil from draining pan thru oil plug hole? (Front end is up on 6" ramps forcing oil towards rear of pan.)

 

[pjohnson]

Change the oil & filter. Refill with correct amount of oil. Repeat drill spinning oil pump test for pressure.

 

[John Smith]

Got things ready to drop oil pan and look at oil pump. This FJ40 is new to me. Hadn't changed the oil before. Drained the oil from the pan (but have not removed larger oil filter yet). Only ended up with exactly one gallon of used oil. That seemed low to me given that Owner's Manual calls for 7.4 qts in crankcase, and 8.5 qts overall.

Got to thinking why would I only have that much oil, yet dip stick show oil was full? Wondering if stopper at top of dip stick might have shifted upward and not be in the correct location (making my "stick" too long [ha, ha, ha!!!])? This would make the stick go deeper into oil pan, and show oil level as full when it actually wasn't to specification level.

Picture below. Couple of questions:

1) How much used oil should I expect upon draining pan, but not removing oil filter yet?

2) What's the expected distance from end of dip stick to stopper at top? Mine is 13.75".

Hoping this might be the issue as really think the oil pump is okay and thus can avoid removing pan.


Edit: Just looked through this thread and at this CruiserCorps part. Seems 13.5" is the expected length, so mine not that far off. I'm still interested in responses to question #1 though -- should I get more that one gallon of used oil from draining pan thru oil plug hole? (Front end is up on 6" ramps forcing oil towards rear of pan.)

View attachment 2409562

You should have drained way more than 1 gallon of oil if that oil pan was full of oil. You don't have to spin the oil pump very fast with a drill to register pressure on a mechanical gauge hooked up at the sender location. To get oil to the rockers the engine must be running, or you need to spin the oil pump with the drill while turning the crank to get the hole to line up and allow oil to flow to the rockers. Put the proper amount of oil in the pan and try the drill trick again. Let us know if you now register oil pressure. If not, I think you are going to need to pull the pan.

 

[70fj40]

I think most of the above suggestions to spin with drill assumed a fresh oil change had been done. An oil and filter change should be the baseline. Do that then check oil pressure before you start any other diagnostics.

 

[icefield]

Worked on the yesterday again. Took me awhile to get old oil filter off. (Ended up drilling hole thru it and using long screw driver to loosen.)

Total of just under 5 quarts of old oil from oil pan and filter were recovered. Prior to change, the level showed full on the dipstick, so I'm not sure where the other 2.5 to 3.5 quarts is located.

Anyway, put new oil filter and 8 quarts of Valvoline 10W40 High Mileage back in. Removed dissy, and turned oil pump (clockwise) with drill but still nothing on oil pressure gauge. Started if up for 15 seconds or so too. Engine sounded normal, but again no pressure.

Next step. Drain oil I just put in, remove pan, and try to determine where extra oil is and what's going on with oil pump. May take a few days, but I'll post again when I make some progress.

 

[Warpig 5thMEB]

I have a 1976 fj 40 2f motor and hopefully I can give you some insight icefield. Few days ago I was going down the road and my oil pressure gauge went from normal to nothing ??? ouch engine sounded fine I towed it home cant find anything wrong bought a new sending unit still no oil pressure? so I stuck a 9 volt battery on the end of it and grounded the wire hooked it to the distributer wire oil gauge went all the way to the right proving the gauge and wiring works. Next I changed the oil looked in the oil filter housing for anything that looked plugged still nothing oil looked normal and oil looked normal. I took out the oil sending unit turned on the motor few seconds freeking oil everywhere I got it everywhere but in the dam drip pan so I changed the oil again ughhhhh but no way in hell I don't have oil pressure but still nothing on the gauge.???? Im going to ground the oil sending unit next but you have to put a few washers on it to make a good connection but at this point im seriously thinking autozone is saling bad sending units since I made a hell of a mess when I removed the sending unit still working on it.

 

[Warpig 5thMEB]

oh I don't have the original connector on the oil sending unit I put on some home made electrical connection but it was working so???? but figure I will go online and get the right connector since I cant find it in the autoparts stores been using alligator clips to double check if I have a good connection still nothing

 

[icefield]

Thanks Warpig for your update. Wish you the best. I tried two sending units. Then ended up buying the ⅛" BSP to ⅛" NPT thread adapter from Amazon (here) and adding mechanical gauge. I checked the mechanical gauge w/ air compressor so I'm sure that it was working. Here's a pict of that adapter in place with a new sending unit on the end and hose to mechanical gauge.

 

[Warpig 5thMEB]

is your working?

 

[icefield]

No - no pressure at all. Next step is to remove pan, then oil pump and possibly replace.

 

[Warpig 5thMEB]

I tried grounding the new sending unit hooking it up out side of the fj put the old one in the hole so I don't have any more leaks then putting the key in the accessary I blew compressed air into the new sending unit and nothing Im after a new sending unit better quality this time did you see if you have oil at the sending unit port with the sending unit removed ??? be prepared for a mess I was just wondering if you gauge isn't working?

 

[Warpig 5thMEB]

I was wondering if the sending unit will read air pressure ?

 

[pjohnson]

Before you drop the pan, there is an oil pressure regulator on the side of the engine to the right of the sender in your pic above.

I would check the FSM for adjustment there first.

Maybe Mark @65swb45 can provide some insight to it's operation.

A couple links for more info:

Search results for query: Oil pressure regulator

forum.ih8mud.com

1958-9/73 FJ40, FJ45, FJ55, Oil Lines, Sending Unit and Regulator - Specter Off-Road

Toyota Land Cruiser parts since 1983. From the oldest FJ25 and FJ40 to FJ45 BJ40 FJ55 FJ60 BJ60 FJ62 FJ70 BJ70 FJ80 and 100 Series, SOR has the largest selection of top quality new and used OEM and aftermarket Land Cruiser parts in stock in the world. Specializing in restoration parts for both...

www.sor.com

 

[bikersmurf]

FJ40 new to me in very good condition. 2F engine VIN (414438) indicates manufactured in November 1972 (source). First time post for me.

Not registering any oil pressure. Have looked through a couple of threads on this topic here and here.

Oil level on stick is within range. Followed guide to ground oil gauge for a few seconds and that was functioning. Purchased a new OEM sender, and still no pressure registered.

Bought ⅛" BSP to ⅛" NPT thread adapter from Amazon (here), and monitored pressure with mechanical gauge. Got nothing. (Checked gauge with air compressor and gauge is registering properly.)

When I remove mechanical gauge from adapter and look in opening there is a bit of oil in adapter's inside channel. So, believe there is some oil moving around, just not enough to register any pressure.

Looking for suggestions on where to head next. I'm thinking remove oil, filter, oil pan, and clean intake screen and hose for oil pump. Before heading in that direction, thought I'd look for some ideas here first.

2F Engines weren’t in cruisers until 1975.
Where is your oil filter? Mounted remotely to the intake (F) or mounted to the block beside the distributor (2F or 1974 F).
What is the serial number on the block on the flat ‘horizontal’ surface beside the distributor?

I’m hoping knowing more about what you have will help you solve this mystery

 

[icefield]

2F Engines weren’t in cruisers until 1975.
Where is your oil filter? Mounted remotely to the intake (F) or mounted to the block beside the distributor (2F or 1974 F).
What is the serial number on the block on the flat ‘horizontal’ surface beside the distributor?

I’m hoping knowing more about what you have will help you solve this mystery

Engine serial number indicates F-model engine manufactured in November, 1972. Oil filter is remote mounted on the drivers side (filter sits just above horizontal section of exhaust). This vehicle is a Columbia rebuild. They stuck F155 and 2F stickers on the head, but I think that was just to fool me. (Pict attached).