87 FJ60 starter issues?

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S

smoregon

10 Year
Joined
Feb 4, 2014
Threads
2
Messages
21
So I was warming up the wagon this AM, with the choke about 3/4 and it up and died after about 4 minutes. I restarted the usual way (3 pumps on the gas and turn the key) and moved it about 8 feet to put the windshield in the sun to help with the frost. It died again. I restarted and it ran for 15 seconds and it died. Then it ran for 5 seconds and died. The next time I turned the key, I got one clunk and then nothing. Nothing but a clunk since. The multi-meter says the battery is at 12.37 and the rest of the electrical seems to work fine. The starter is not clicking, just one thunk and then nothing. Prior to this morning, there have been no real problems starting and it ran fine.

I have skimmed the threads here about starter issues, and before I get really involved with my starter, can someone please convince me that this is the problem? I am having trouble wrapping my head around the idea that the engine would run fine for 4 or 5 minutes, stall, and the starter be responsible. If it failed to disengage maybe, but wouldn't that be noisy?
 
Sounds like the starter pinion / solenoid jammed up... Have you tried jumping from another running vehicle?
Is it the original starter, how many miles?
Recommend getting the gear reduction starter.
 
why would a starter cause a vehicle to die once it's started? lift the hood, and check for something obvious. A lot of simple things can cause a car to not start. Maybe its not getting gas, and you experienced the last breathes of the fuel pump. check float level in the carb.
 
Alternator? Haven't bench tested mine yet but all other testing w/ my meter appears it went bad.
I have a cs130 ready that's been ready for awhile now so I've begun the swap. Brackets need to be modified which I'm in the process 'cept weather turned.
I got that thunk too. And I did pull my starter and brought it in and it checked out 100%.
 
And I'll add, w/ alt unclipped and truck running off battery I was getting 12.14 from the battery. W/o alt clipped and the wire detached, truck would only crank and if key was turned to ON, battery reading was 12.56.
So alt might be something to look at...
 
Sorry, I forgot to add that I tried jumping it from another vehicle. Clunk.
I can't see anything obvious under the hood. I suspect that I have a bad seal in the carb (requiring the additional pedal pumping) but that wouldn't make the clunk. Almost seems like the starter wants to do something but isn't engaging correctly or doesn't have enough strength to turn the engine, or something is stuck. Starter tries, hits resistance immediately, clunk. But why, if the starter is at fault, would it kill a running engine (unless starter failed to disengage, but 4 or 5 minutes seems like a long time under this theory)
 
Occams razor comes to mind. . .

Sometimes giving the starter a whack with a hammer will unstick it.
The mystery is in why the engine quit. Like masonbarnard said, could be fuel pump.
Can you roll start it by popping the clutch?
 
I had some time to play with it over the weekend, and after wacking the starter with a hammer and the battery at full charge (12.56v) I can get the starter to crank once. I have no way to roll start it unless I can get my wife to tow it with the tractor while I try it, but I am not sure that is a good idea either. The oil was pretty low and I am wondering if the engine has seized. Is there any way to turn the engine to check this? Is there any way to test the starter without pulling it off?
 
The engine hasn't seized.
If smackng the starter got it going for a sec, isn't that telling you something.

There's two things going on here. It's possible that they are not related.

Starter not cranking and engine not running.

Fix the not cranking issue first obviously.

If the battery is good and starter connections are good and starter is good and ignition key is good, the starter will crank.
Work on that first. If the starter is the original starter that came with the car, replace it now regardless. If it's not dead now, it will be soon.
 
I couldn't agree more Output Shaft.

I wasn't able to get it going. I wacked the starter (gently) and added 3 qts oil. Now with a full battery, I get one slow, strained protest crank attempt from the starter, then nothing. Like the starter is trying to turn the engine over but it is too hard for it. It also puts a good load on the battery, I only get one shot, then I need to wait for the battery to recover, even when it is on the starter. I wondered if it might be seized because that could explain the tortured crank attempt and it quitting in the first place after a normal start.

I just don't want to start throwing parts and effort in the wrong direction or at a lost cause.
 
Well.... If there was no oil in the crank case when it kept dying on you, then yeah, it could seize. But 4 quarts low still leaves over a gallon in the pan, and the oil pump should be able to suck from that level.

You can find out if it has seized by removing the spark plugs and turning over the engine by hand. Easiest way to do that is tighten the alternator belt a bit, then turn the power steering pulley nut with a socket wrench. You should be able to easily rotate the crank.

Remember to loosen the tension on the belt when you're done.
 
micruz60 said:
Occams razor comes to mind. . .

Sometimes giving the starter a whack with a hammer will unstick it.
The mystery is in why the engine quit. Like masonbarnard said, could be fuel pump.
Can you roll start it by popping the clutch?
Click to expand...
Yup. That was my issue awhile back. My aftermarket fuel pump blew its arm on my cam lobe.
 
My alt was fried. I thought it was the starter and pulled it and it bench tested fine. I put it back on and went through all the motions to check the alt and as I wrote much further upwards, battery was 12.56 w/o alt attached at all. W/ alt unclipped tho still wired and truck only running off battery my reading was 12.14.
Alt was sapping the battery.
I've since swapped the alt and truck runs.
Just saying it's worth checking.
 
Try unclipping the alt but keep it wired and start the truck. Just for the heck.
I had the same thunk you described and initially thought it was the starter too.
 
Thanks NeverGiveUpYota. I do not know what you mean by unclipped. If you will tell me, I'll give it a shot. I would rather spend time troubleshooting than replacing parts.

I also have a random question about an unattached hose leading from the sensor that is connected to the distributor and the air filter (those hoses are connected but the hose in question isn't connected to anything at the moment) but that might need another thread and a picture.
 
The green 12v plug. Unplug it from the rear of the alt but keep the white wire attached to the bolt which goes to the battery. Try starting the truck.
(Ignore the red and blue jumper wire you see going into it).

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