Builds A New 55 Owner Intro (cgn1976 thread) (1 Viewer)

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I read some on the 40 section and saw maybe I was too advanced, which made sense because I advanced it a little over the winter when I was having carb issues. Backed it off a tad and readjusted the ide and mix. Ran better for sure with way less knock. Think I'm gonna run 89 or 91 oct next tank and see.



Thanks guys
 
Cgn1976 said:
While I'm here, I have a question. I'm noticing what I can only describe like the sound of deisel engine clacking when I'm at low RPM and when under load. It goes away at higher RPM and mostly happens when I shift into 3rd on an uphill, but sometimes while in 1st. Kind of reminds me of the pinging I used to get in my old supercharged Tacoma sometimes. I'm sure this is a simple, everyone who knows anything about engines learned this forever ago type issue, but is this something I should be concerend about or is this normal? The memory of the Tacoma ping issue has me thinking it's a fuel/air mixture issue? too lean? I'm probaly way off. lol
Click to expand...

Have you checked/set your ignition timing?

If you don't have a timing light, you can get back to the basics and set timing to ~7 degrees BTDC using the BB on the flywheel.

Know what I am talking about? BB on the flywheel visible at the pointer and the distributor rotor at the #1 terminal on the cap (this corresponds to point near the #4 cylinder on the block).

7 degrees BTDC is pretty good for sea level. I have heard that you can add a degree of advance for ~every 1000 feet you go up in elevation.

You can also set timing for max vacuum - plug your vacuum gauge in at manifold vacuum, advance timing until max vacuum, and then back off a touch. Go an ddrive it, make sure she is not pinging.

You should have your idle set to do this, ~750 RPM.
Then set timing for max vacuum, then re-check idle.
Then set idle mixture for max vacuum, and re-check idle.

Unless your carb is in dire need of service, or you are jetted for the wrong altitude, this should get you in pretty good shape.
 
Cgn1976 said:
I read some on the 40 section and saw maybe I was too advanced, which made sense because I advanced it a little over the winter when I was having carb issues. Backed it off a tad and readjusted the ide and mix. Ran better for sure with way less knock. Think I'm gonna run 89 or 91 oct next tank and see.



Thanks guys
Click to expand...

It helps if you have a timing light that you can set the advance on, that way you know exactly how much advance you are running.

I think you want to be between 7 - 14 degrees...
 
PabloCruise said:
It helps if you have a timing light that you can set the advance on, that way you know exactly how much advance you are running.

I think you want to be between 7 - 14 degrees...
Click to expand...
Thanks PC. I do have a light. Set it to 7 with the light initialy. Also had the carb rebuilt by Mark out in Burbank right when I got the truck. We talked jets for my mile high lifestyle in ABQ, and he said what I had was ideal. I set it to +7, but noticed I got it ro run a tad better just by going by feel and ear. I'll pull the light out this weekend and see where it's at right now and try 7 again. Engine is running great now though!

And that means the brakes are giving me fits now. Just ran down to Santa Fe Brewery to grab some to go goodies and she ran as good as ever. Came back out and the brake pedal was hard as a rock and they were locked up! Climbed under and backed the cylanders off and got her moving again. Made it home....gotta get under there and dial it in this weekend. I also wonder if the new booster pin is set too long. Read about that and using clay to get it to .015"? 😂

Anyway, very close over here to more happy times!
 
scrapdaddy said:
I've had a rubber line collapse on the inside allowing the fluid to be pushed into the cylinder, but not allowing it's return. Each time you hit the pedal the brakes would get tighter and not release.
Click to expand...
When I put the new booster on I tried to match the length of the old pin, but think it was too long for the new master. I actully already backed it off some last week and it helped a little. Gonna do more today.

I also read about the rubber line issue described. Pretty sure my lines are in good shape...maybe 10 yrs old. I also wonder if me driving it while it was rubbing a little got it hot and expanded thing so the locked up when it sat for a few minutes. Not sure. Pretty sure one of my brake cylanders in backwrds (fromt the wrong side), aren;t the directional?) so not sure if I'm turning one to tighten and the other to loosen on the saem drum. Gonna take all the drums off, back each way off, adjust shoes to touch, then back off 5 clicks..then see how it goes from there.

The pedal has been high and strong sicne I put the new stuff in last week. Figuered it all needed adjusting, just hadn't gottne to it yet. Hoepfully today
 
So I got down and dirty today with the brakes. Got it riding pretty solid after a hell of a lot of fussing with every cylinder and the pin at the booster. I discovered I have a hodge podge of cylinders, every wheel has a different combo of directional rotation on the cylinders. Clearly the wrong one in multiple spots. Pretty tempted to buy 8 new ones. I won a NCAA survivor pool (thx u UCLA) and am sitting on a cool $540 free money! Can think of worse ways to blow some of that coinage.

Not that excited about the prospect of doing the work of installing and adjusting 8 new cylinders. 🤢🤮 Might farm it out if I can find someone who actually know what the 💩they are doing on these. Did they make this unecessarily complicated on purpose? Thanks Yoda Son!
 
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Cgn1976 said:
So I got down and dirty today with the brakes. Got it riding pretty solid after a hell of a lot of fussing with every cylinder and the pin at the booster. I discovered I have a hodge podge of cylinders, every wheel has a different combo of directional rotation on the cylinders. Clearly the wrong one in multiple spots. Pretty tempted to buy 8 new ones. I won a NCAA survivor pool (thx u UCLA) and am sitting on a cool $540 free money! Can think of worse ways to blow some of that coinage.

Not that excited about the prospect of doing the work of installing and adjusting 8 new cylinders. 🤢🤮 Might farm it out if I can find someone who actually know what the 💩they are doing on these. Did they make this unecessarily complicated on purpose? Thanks Yoda Son!
Click to expand...

Starting over from new might be the way to go!

After the first wheel you will just get faster. You can do it!!!
 
Yeah, a top and bottom to each side on the 55’s. They whittled it down to one for each wheel on the FJ60 rears, which must have felt like rocket science way back in 1980.
I was going to take pics of the Haynes manual’s brake adjustment procedure and post it for you, since they can explain it better than me.
 
In addition to what this says, I’m constantly spinning the wheel while making the adjustments. 5 clicks is kind of a baseline. I’ve added or subtracted depending on how much drag there is.

5932EF4F-89FE-4A8F-9568-5D901D5172D3.jpeg


5D649E4C-A01B-4A6D-AA60-8F0C4F6E7C39.jpeg
 
Thanks for info guys. I actually have the Haynes and the FSM's so I think I knew what to do. Problem was more than a few of the cylinders are not the right location, so I had to figure out which way they spun to expand/contract and literaly every wheel had a different directional combination. Buying 8 new ones today.

A question I do have is when you install the new ones, is there anything special about the bleed since there are 2 cylinders per wheel? Do you do one before the other or does it matter? I know the order of wheel to tackle (rear dirver, rear pass, pass front, driver front), but not the cylinders per wheel. I presume the new cylinders are dry out of the box, so is there anything other than just installing them, plumbing them then bleeding?

Thanks again and thanks for keeping it wierd! Lol
 
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OK, 8 new cylinders in, bled and functional! Still in the drive it, adjust it, drive it mode, but one or two more iterations and I'm there! Not my favorite job but not that tough either. Luckily all the bolts, nuts, and hard lines were in pretty damn good shape so nothing really gave me too much trouble. Got the new drums on up front too. Feeling pretty good about the old brake system now, which is nice!

Question for you guys though, I bought a reverse bleeder, thinking that would make easy work of the job by myself. What I realized is it wouldn't push fluid back through the lines to the master tanks. It would pressurize the line then blow the fitting right off the nipple. I tried with the pedal pushed in a little, all the down and not at all, with no luck from any corner. Couldn't figure that out. I also tried the Harbour Freight air pressure suction tool and realized you need a major compressor to blow enough air to make that work, so that was a bust, although it came with a canister that autofills the fluid reseviour which was super helpful. I also cut the hose with the fitting off and did the gatoraid bottle filled part way up trick. I was able to do most of the beelding by myself, with the help of some mirros to see the bottle, so the Harbour Freight kit actually ended up being pretty useful. My 11 year old daughter did make $5.00 to help me pedal push on one corner. lol.

Anyway, another adventnure down and another skill learned!
 
Cgn1976 said:
Question for you guys though, I bought a reverse bleeder, thinking that would make easy work of the job by myself.
Click to expand...
Drum brakes need a check valve to prevent the springs holding the shoes from collapsing the slave cylinder and pushing all the fluid back to the master.
 
J Mack said:
Drum brakes need a check valve to prevent the springs holding the shoes from collapsing the slave cylinder and pushing all the fluid back to the master.
Click to expand...
well that exaplins it. lol. thought it had to be something like that
 
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