‘79 FJ40 won’t idle Central Austin (1 Viewer)

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Feb 18, 2015
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Location
Austin, TX
I don’t post a lot, but I’m kinda stumped by what’s going on and could use some help. I’m in Central Austin/Rosedale.

I have 1979 FJ40 that’s been desmogged. I’ve been driving it pretty regularly over the last 3 or 4 years without any issues. Regular oil changes. Last year I replaced battery, battery cables and added a gear reduction starter. I also made sure the system had a good ground. It’s been cranking and running like a top.

I drove it last Friday and it was fine. On Sunday, I hopped in, cranked right up, and the engine died halfway down the block and smelled like gas. It will crank run for 3 or 4 seconds and dies. Won’t idle. Smells rich.

I hear the idle solenoid firing and the engine fuse looks fine.

Am I missing something easy? Anyone in the area want to help me look at it?

I’ll trade TP or beer for the help and promise to stand 6 feet way.
 
When it dies ,before doing anything else open the hood and see if there is gas in the sight glass on the carb. Maybe clogged filter, fuel pump ⛽️ crapping out....
 
I see gas in the sight glass. Looks way too full actually.

I’ll get a picture.
 
This looks full. Or is it empty and just dirty?

DA8DC4ED-B761-4B92-BEF9-75F1CE5F19C7.jpeg
 
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So I drained the gas out of the carb using the drain plug bellow the sight glass.

1. cranked the engine and watched the sight glass
2. Sight glass fills while engine is running
3. Seems to completely fill and engine runs for a bit longer
4. Eventually engine “chokes” like it’s got too much fuel
5. Sight glass never seems to show fuel at the right levels

Could I have a stuck float or something?
 
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Maybe it’s a stupid question. How do I get to it? Do I need to disassemble per the fsm? Should I pull the carb to do that?
 
How likely is it to separate without ruining the gaskets etc...? Will I have a functional carb if I put it back together without using a gasket kit?
 
Looking at the stamp. I think this is 1983. Sound right? The truck is a 1979 but it doesn’t look like a 9 to me. Looks like a 3.

D345E283-2043-411F-9ACC-4B9DA2E784CD.jpeg
 
I don’t remember how to decipher the date code, but you’re right. That’s definitely not a carb for a 79. Call one of those parts suppliers with that code. They will help you crack the code.
 
First number is the year, the letters correspond to the month of production (A=Jan, B=Feb) and the last numbers are the day of the month.

I dug through my pics to see what I could come up with and my closest resemblance is my spare 0J2 which came off of Gonzales's old Machete. This is an October 2nd 1980 international carb and it looks pretty close to yours just from the pic. Yours might be international as well, i.e. no smog fittings.

IF yours is an 83 the carb kit is $27.50 from Cruiser Outfitters - Part# CARB61171 (Fits 8/80'-8/87' FJ40/60) . My guess is that the needle seat is stuck or the float has a leak and is not floating. At minimum you will need to pull the top of the carb off to get to it. I'd do a complete rebuild if you don't know when it was last done.

The second pic is of the '76 carb that I run on my 40, its different, namely the vacuum fitting at the very top of the carb. My 76 has to have manifold vacuum to that fitting for the power value. Yours and and my spare has that fitting blocked off meaning it is internally vacuumed for the power valve, IIRC this happened some time in 1977, so your carb has to be later than that.

0J2.jpg


76 Carb.jpg
 
Yeah, that tracks with my diagnosis. I’m not sure it’s an international carb, but looks more like it’s had plugs/welds to remove the smog fittings.

I have no idea when this was rebuilt, and it probably needs it. I was more worried that it was some sort of Frankenstein’s monster of an 83 air horn with a 79 bottom or something. Most the pictures I’ve found of similar carbs look like it’s a 1983 that’s had smog and other stuff removed.

It is very similar to the 1980 you posted.


5CC44EB3-C0A3-4970-90B6-F33B21985348.jpeg


Guess I’ll be rebuilding a carb.
 
I had no idea what I was doing when I jumped in, watch Pinhead's YouTube rebuild series if its your 1st time opening one of these. You'll be fine.
 
Damn Kelly, I’m calling you when Barney won’t idle. Good luck @wooten, I hate carbs and am trying to replace every carburetor I own with a diesel.
 
Thanks, we’ll see how it goes. I’ve got the carb kit ordered.

In the process of trying to identify carb and parts, it’s become obvious that my air cleaner assembly is not even remotely complete. None of the hose ports that aren’t plugged in are capped, the intake tube looks like it was cut where the diaphragm/splitter would be, and it obviously doesn’t have the hose or intake horn. Is this a problem? It ran before but this air cleaner is totally incomplete and rusted.

Some of these hose connections should be capped right? I’ll grab a picture tomorrow.
 
Since you are desmogged, I would advocate sealing all open ports on the air filter assembly that would allow unfiltered air to the top of the carb. This would be anything that is downstream from the air filter heading to the carb. Open it up and look from the inside of the assembly to see where these ports open into the assembly (top and base) and plug them. My only exception to this rule on my 40 is that I vent the charcoal canister vent line that runs across my firewall to the DS to the top of the carb. You don't want dust to have filtered access to the motor.
 
Damn Kelly, I’m calling you when Barney won’t idle. Good luck @wooten, I hate carbs and am trying to replace every carburetor I own with a diesel.

I've only rebuilt 2 carbs in my life and everyone thinks I'm a carb expert. I'm not, but I'm persistent once I'm committed to the project, fortunately its worked out both times.
 

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