'85 FJ60 Stalling endlessly (1 Viewer)

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Joined
Jun 14, 2005
Threads
4
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59
Location
Whitefish, Montana
'85 FJ60 Stalling endlessly, please help.

Hi there, I have an 85 FJ60 and a big problem. Every time I slow down (like getting off the freeway, coming to a stop sign, etc) my engine stalls and is near impossible to restart for about a minute, almost as if it's getting vapor locked. I really don't know much about engine mechanics and I'm dead broke so I can't pay a mechanic to deal with it for me. I'm stuck. I had the impression that the problem was related to a possible hole in one of the vaccum lines so I tested as best I could using starter fluid with my son idling the engine around 1200 rpm and found nothing. I've replaced the air and fuel filters and it has more or less recently had an oil change (but this has been happening for several months now). The engine still stalls with the carb/air cleaner lid removed.

I'm sure it's related but this aspect has only recently come up. I've also been losing power and end up climbing most hills (on the freeway) at somewhere between 25 and 40 depending on what I have in the back, slower on roads where I can't get a running start. I live at almost 6000 feet but I work at sea level and commute back and forth. It was never a speed demon, but I was able to climb the hill up to my house in 2nd or 3rd gear (2h) with no problems. Now it will run out of power in 1st and stall requiring me to go up the hill in first or second gear using 4low. I would really appreciate any suggestions you could make because I can't afford to get rid of it or have someone else fix it. I am a very mechanical person though I know practically nothing about engines so I am capable of fixing it with a little guidance if only I could figure out what the problem is being caused by.

Thank you ahead of time,
Ian Macfarlane
 
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No mechanic myself, but I did just buy the factory service manual and with it you an do dang near anything yourself. I had an intermittent stalling problem and I had the carb rebuilt by a local shop. That didn't fix it so I bought the manual. Before I dove into it, I found a used carb for $50 and it works great, so I didn't learn much.

Here's what I would do. Change the plugs and wires, change all the vacuum lines (you may find a copy of the factory emissions and 2F manual online in PDF format if you search a bit, it may be on birfield.com) making sure they go to the right locations. If that doesn't help, I would find/buy a copy of the 2F manual and go through the carb and ignition system.

The 3 simple things are fuel, spark and air. If your fuel is being delivered correctly, your airflow isn't blocked, and you have good spark at all 6 cylinders, it's a matter of hunting down an adjustment or leak(carb, timing, vacuum) unless theres something mechanically wrong inside the engine.

Like I said, I'm not much of a wrench, so if someone replies and says I'm all wrong...they are probably right :D
 
Have you checked your valve adjustment? Compression? If you are confident that your tune is ok then I'd start checking a little deeper, if your valves are too tight they will burn, eliminating the combustion seal and reducing power. Too loose, and you dont get the full charge into the cylinder and you lose power. A compression check is another good indicator of an engines condition. Another thing that I just remembered was the time my fuel pump failed slowly, reducing power as it got worse. So check for fuel delivery at the carb. Grab a manual, dig in and good luck
 
If you have it running good at ~ 1200 rpm and you come off the gas pedal does it stall out immediately - check power and ground on fuel cut solenoid or does it stall out in a little bit of time 10 - 15 seconds - check mechanical fuel pump ?

This would be a good place to start. Sounds like other things too.

Bunch of info on this board. Do a search on 'fuel cut sloenoid' and/or fuel pump and you will have a wealth of knowledge.

Cheers,
Cahil

P.S. Welcome to the board !!!
 
cahilc said:
If you have it running good at ~ 1200 rpm and you come off the gas pedal does it stall out immediately

It stalls immediately. I haven't really checked anything beyond what I said originally. Honestly, I have no idea where to begin. I did buy a shop manual for it but I haven't gotten it back from my mechanic yet. He was reading up trying to think of things for me to check out, but so far hasn't thought of anything.

Ian
 
Mungoon,

I'd run a bypass power and ground to your fuel cut solenoid. Weird but these trucks get a funky ground for the fuel cut solenoid. Need to figure which wire is pos/neg. From memory the solid green is ground but double check on this with a 12v probe light.

Cahil

P.S. On my truck computer to solenoid ... black/yellow to black - pos. green to white - neg.

P.S.S. Next fuel pump and be sure the spacer is correctly installed.
 
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I agree with Cahil, if it dies immediately it's probably the fuel cut solenoid. Other possibility is the EGR valve is stuck open. That would also explain the loss of power you are having. You can spray some carb cleaner into the EGR and try to work it open and closed with a vacuum pump, hoping to hear the ball inside move.

You can do a real simple check of the fuel cut solenoid by turning the key to ON, and then unplugging and plugging in the solenoid on the carb. You should hear an audible 'click'. If you don't, start there. If you hear the click, it wouldn't hurt to run a second ground wire to it just to be sure.

My hunch though says EGR stuck open.

Good luck.

Rob
 
You might also try a vacuum gauge on the intake manifold. A significant vac leak could account for the loss of power and stall at low rpm.
 
when you mentioned stopping from highway speed as a time when it stalls that sounds very familiar to me. That is the only time mine stalls (used to stall everytime I stopped from highway speed and now it just does it 60-70 percent of the time). I still don't know what is causing it.

I am thinking something with the intake on mine. But I don't have the power loss you describe, but I also live at sea level (like almost everyone else in FL).

Looking forward to you resolving the problem and posting the solution.
 
I had similiar problems. It sounds like 2 problems to me. First, I agree with a stuck EGR valve. It (the diaphragm in the valve) will stick in the open position and when you get below a certain RPM it is supposed to close, but will not. This will make for a very rough running (if running at all) truck at low RPM's. If the diaphragm is not too far gone, you can do a poor man's check on it by getting your truck up to a high rpm and then stop. If it is idleing rough, take a scredriver handle and tap frimly the top of the valve. If the truck all of a sudden starts idleing good, then you know the valve is going bad. Remember though, it may be too far gone to check it this way.

Second, once you fix your EGR... check the vacuum advance on the timing. I would be it is out of whack.

I do much of the work on my truck myself, but when it gets into vacuum advance, timing issues, valve adjustments... I send my truck to someone that knows more than me. FWIW, I hope this helps.
 
Agree that it may be (probably is...) the fuel cut-off solenoid. Also sounds like the fuel pump could be suspect.

M
 
I had the same problem when I first got my cruiser several years ago, and the guy I bought it from was a toyoata mechanic, so I called him up and told him what was happening and he told me it was vapor lock. So I went and bought some 2 dollar insulation with a sticky side to it, and wrapped the metal gas line from the carb to the fuel pump, covering as much as I could. And BINGO that fixed it, never stalled again. So go try that and see if that doesn't solve it, then it's prob your fuel pump.
 
CruisinTiger said:
I had the same problem when I first got my cruiser several years ago, and the guy I bought it from was a toyoata mechanic, so I called him up and told him what was happening and he told me it was vapor lock. So I went and bought some 2 dollar insulation with a sticky side to it, and wrapped the metal gas line from the carb to the fuel pump, covering as much as I could. And BINGO that fixed it, never stalled again. So go try that and see if that doesn't solve it, then it's prob your fuel pump.

Ok, I hope that's it and I will try this today if I can, but can I ask you a question? Understanding that I know nothing about engines, how would that stop the vapor locking?

Ian
 
The gas line runs close to the engine, and if it gets hot enough like mine did and sounds like yours is, it will turn into a vapor which means it's no longer a liquid, which will cause the carb to starve and then you stall. And the reason it'll start backk up affter a few minutes is the gas has cooled down enough to turn back into a liquid and flows back to the carb. Over on the drivers side towards the back of the driver wheel well on the wall, there is this black thing with a whole comin out of the side. It is a fan that blows on the fuel line to keep it from vapor locking. Mine works but I still got vapor lock till I used the insulation. Yours probably works also but you might wanna check. It is controlled by temperature so it isn't on all the time. Hope that helps

Chuck
 
CruisinTiger said:
The gas line runs close to the engine, and if it gets hot enough like mine did and sounds like yours is, it will turn into a vapor which means it's no longer a liquid, which will cause the carb to starve and then you stall. And the reason it'll start backk up affter a few minutes is the gas has cooled down enough to turn back into a liquid and flows back to the carb. Over on the drivers side towards the back of the driver wheel well on the wall, there is this black thing with a whole comin out of the side. It is a fan that blows on the fuel line to keep it from vapor locking. Mine works but I still got vapor lock till I used the insulation. Yours probably works also but you might wanna check. It is controlled by temperature so it isn't on all the time. Hope that helps

Chuck
Thanks Chuck, I appreciate the time you've spent helping to destupidize me. I will try it today and let you know if that solves my problem.

Ian
 
Anytime man, hope it works.

Chuck
 
Generally engines don't "vapor lock" when they're running. If your fuel line is properly mounted in the stock location and your fuel pump isn't shot, it ought to work fine even when its really hot. Mine does anyhow. I still think you have a vac leak. If insulating the fuel line reduces stalling then I'd definitely replace the fuel pump.
 
60wag said:
Generally engines don't "vapor lock" when they're running. If your fuel line is properly mounted in the stock location and your fuel pump isn't shot, it ought to work fine even when its really hot. Mine does anyhow. I still think you have a vac leak. If insulating the fuel line reduces stalling then I'd definitely replace the fuel pump.
My thought is along the lines of the fuel pump as well, but it would be a great relief to have it be something simple like insulating the fuel line. Anyway, I haven't yet tried the insulation thing and I won't have time to do the other stuff for at least a week but I will get back with everybody and let you know what it turns out to be (assuming I am able to fix it).

Ian
 
Well I'm talking from personal experience about mine vapor locking. And once I put the insulation on the pipe it fixed the problem. Also if his carb fan isn't working then the fuel going into the carb has a greater chance of being a vapor, therefore will not go thru as a liquid in the carb into the engine. Causing him to stall and vapor lock. Once the fuel has cooled down enough to turn back to liquid then the fuel pump will push it thru the carb and bingo your engine runs again. I don't know why it vapor locks but it's like anything with a cruiser...anything is possible. Ian if you get a chance check the carb fan and see if it is working properly.
 
CruisinTiger said:
Ian if you get a chance check the carb fan and see if it is working properly.
Thank you, I definately will do it this weekend. What type of insulation did you end up buying for it and where did you get it?

Ian
 

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