Sorry for the long post, but I figured I would get it all out there in one shot.
I’ve been sorting the kinks out of my first Land Cruiser this past week (100% stock 87 FJ60). I’ve put about 600 miles on her in the past few days trying to get a feel for what she can do and all the idiosyncrasies that come along with an aging truck.
So far…..
The Good:
1. One owner vehicle with extensive service records including mileage and dates of service
2. Immaculate shape inside and out(except for two small rust areas on the fenders)
3. Decent gas mileage…..14 city, and 17 hwy.
5. A/C that blows icicles!!!....but makes then engine get a little hot sometimes.
The Bad:
1. Rough idle……idles really low and pulsates between approx 300 – 700 rpm. This really isn’t a problem until the truck heats up and when the A/C is on.
2. Over heating: Temp gage marches toward the red zone when I drive continuously above 65mph, or load the engine heavily (floored going up hill) On the road today the gage ranged from below half way point to just below red zone while driving between 60-65mph without the a/c on. Also tends to get into the red while parked with the a/c on. Any ideas what could be causing this? Should I be concerned as long as the needle is in the white zone?
3. A touch of body rust (a fact of life with cruisers I understand) on the fenders under the paint . The truck has the original paint that is in excellent condition so I hate to mar it up with primer, but I don’t want to lose the body in a few years to rust either. Any suggestions here would be greatly appreciated
4. No cruise control!!! I plan to do a lot of traveling in this truck and a cruise would sure come in handy. Was cruise and option in 87? Are there aftermarket solutions?
5. Engine Stumble. While driving at steady speed the truck wants to sometimes take off like it had a turbo then suddenly slow back down, or stumble severely and then regain composure.. It was pretty bad the first 200 miles and almost completely died getting on the freeway. It is almost like it is running out of fuel at times while others it feels like its being shot out of a canon. I want to think she’s got some hidden power in there that is wanting to get out…..any ideas(I’m planning a tune up asap)
6. Redline too low. When she hits her stride the truck can easily do 80 but I’m scared to push the revs……not to mention the heating problem already mentioned. What is a safe operating range on these trucks? I’ve already suffered a blown head gasket on my Toyota pickup so I’m a little paranoid to push it.
7. The front end is in need of an overhaul…inner axel seals…etc……yikes!!! (how long can i wait to dive into that nightmare without doing damage to my rig?)
The Weird:
1. The cabin fan door makes a flapping sound when you close the truck door and the windows rolled up. I’m guessing that the air pressure increase caused by closing the vehicle door is causing the fan door?? to flop. Anyone ever had this happen? If the fan is on when the doors are being shut the noise does not occur. Nor does it occur if I crack the window prior to closing the door. From sticking my head under the dash on the passenger side the best I could tell it was coming from the fan housing.
Thanks in advance for your responses. This is a great forum and I’m excited to be member. Being a newbie I’m sure I’ll have tons more questions in the near future.
I’ve been sorting the kinks out of my first Land Cruiser this past week (100% stock 87 FJ60). I’ve put about 600 miles on her in the past few days trying to get a feel for what she can do and all the idiosyncrasies that come along with an aging truck.
So far…..
The Good:
1. One owner vehicle with extensive service records including mileage and dates of service
2. Immaculate shape inside and out(except for two small rust areas on the fenders)
3. Decent gas mileage…..14 city, and 17 hwy.
5. A/C that blows icicles!!!....but makes then engine get a little hot sometimes.
The Bad:
1. Rough idle……idles really low and pulsates between approx 300 – 700 rpm. This really isn’t a problem until the truck heats up and when the A/C is on.
2. Over heating: Temp gage marches toward the red zone when I drive continuously above 65mph, or load the engine heavily (floored going up hill) On the road today the gage ranged from below half way point to just below red zone while driving between 60-65mph without the a/c on. Also tends to get into the red while parked with the a/c on. Any ideas what could be causing this? Should I be concerned as long as the needle is in the white zone?
3. A touch of body rust (a fact of life with cruisers I understand) on the fenders under the paint . The truck has the original paint that is in excellent condition so I hate to mar it up with primer, but I don’t want to lose the body in a few years to rust either. Any suggestions here would be greatly appreciated
4. No cruise control!!! I plan to do a lot of traveling in this truck and a cruise would sure come in handy. Was cruise and option in 87? Are there aftermarket solutions?
5. Engine Stumble. While driving at steady speed the truck wants to sometimes take off like it had a turbo then suddenly slow back down, or stumble severely and then regain composure.. It was pretty bad the first 200 miles and almost completely died getting on the freeway. It is almost like it is running out of fuel at times while others it feels like its being shot out of a canon. I want to think she’s got some hidden power in there that is wanting to get out…..any ideas(I’m planning a tune up asap)
6. Redline too low. When she hits her stride the truck can easily do 80 but I’m scared to push the revs……not to mention the heating problem already mentioned. What is a safe operating range on these trucks? I’ve already suffered a blown head gasket on my Toyota pickup so I’m a little paranoid to push it.
7. The front end is in need of an overhaul…inner axel seals…etc……yikes!!! (how long can i wait to dive into that nightmare without doing damage to my rig?)
The Weird:
1. The cabin fan door makes a flapping sound when you close the truck door and the windows rolled up. I’m guessing that the air pressure increase caused by closing the vehicle door is causing the fan door?? to flop. Anyone ever had this happen? If the fan is on when the doors are being shut the noise does not occur. Nor does it occur if I crack the window prior to closing the door. From sticking my head under the dash on the passenger side the best I could tell it was coming from the fan housing.
Thanks in advance for your responses. This is a great forum and I’m excited to be member. Being a newbie I’m sure I’ll have tons more questions in the near future.