BJ40 Starter problems (1 Viewer)

[beejay42]

I start mine the same way as Tom. No throttle.

P.S.
Here is where my Manual EDIC (or low tech anti-theft device) ends up.
Pull to stop, turn and push back in to start. Not sure where this dash control originally came from, but I have grown quite fond of it.
I don't have a choke/hand throttle.

When in the run position, my 'rack' is kept in position- like Tom says- by the internal spring. I am not sure of the details of how to adjust the fuel (is it that threaded thing that is wired in place?) but whatever it is, I think mine has been adjusted so that I cannot actually push my armature into the overinject position.
If you can push yours into overinject- maybe it would be worth having someone do it manually next time you try to start.

Sounds like what Tom is recommending would be a good next step. Crack those injector nuts- see what happens.

Good luck,
keep us posted.
Hans.

 

[KOOTENAY KRUZER]

I do not use throttle to start my BJ42. Half the time I don't disengage the clutch either, although I make sure the transmission is in neutral. Disengaging the clutch prevents the vehicle from moving if it is not in neutral and reduces the load on the starter. I don't worry about the extra starting load from cold gear oil in the transmission unless the temperature is below about 10*C.

The 3 positions of the EDIC system are STOP where the IP lever is pushed forward against the fuel shutoff stop, OVERINJECTION where the lever IP lever is pulled back against the overinjection stop, and RUN where the EDIC control actually does not contact the IP lever and lets it float around where-ever it wants. At least on my BJ42 and my BJ40 that's how it works.

I just checked my BJ42 owner's manual and it says the same for starting procedure as does yours, Albert. I will have to check my BJ40 manual next time I am at that rig. I have never started either of my trucks that way, although it might be effective with the stupid super glow system on my '42 when the weather is cold.

The few times I have started one of the trucks with the EDIC system physically disconnected from the IP there has been no problem with lack of overinjection, the only inconvenience is having to get under the hood to shut it off.

I have to agree with the others, the first 2 start attempts in your video it is cranking over really fast, I don't think mine ever crank that fast, there certainly doesn't seem to be a problem with your starter any more.

 

[albert rodrigues]

Well I tried to bleed the fuel system at the injectors and am not sure I did a good job. I have done it before when the vehicle was running well and I was sure it bled ok. Now, with the starting woes, I did get a little fuel at each injector but could not crank the engine long enough to really feel like I was doing it properly. I had to crank a few short times as everything got real hot very quickly. My second ground wire that connects the battery to the top of the engine got extremely hot, more so than any others in just a few start attempts. Yet, when I disconnect it from the battery terminal the starter will only engage the flywheel and there is not enough battery power to turn the engine over (this is with a jumper cable also attached as a ground from the battery to the frame)

The good news is that yesterday I finally meet with the mysterious Jose Rivera. I had heard of him through a few guys on mud here in NJ but no one could provide a number. Yesterday I received a phone number from JUNK. Turns out Jose has a shop and is restoring 3 cruisers, he is also located about 20 mins. from where I work. I think I will give Jose a try and hopefully he can trouble shoot my problems. I will ask Jose to provide the proper feedback so I can post his findings on mud and hopefully I (we) can learn something from this saga! Thanks again for all the input, it has been very helpful.

 

[lostmarbles]

There certainly have been strange things happening and I'd love to learn what the underlying problems are Albert.

Fingers crossed for you.

..........Tom

 

[albert rodrigues]

Great News

Just spent $175.00 to get the vehicle towed from my garage to the mechanic's shop. Got the vehicle off the flatbed. After a long discussion with Jose (the mechanic) about the things I did to get to where I was today, Jose turned the key after a 10 second glow and she fired right up. She shut down a few minutes later, we talked some more, he started her up again and she ran for about 20 mins until manually shut down. Crazy stuff. I had not touched the vehicle since the last post and only charged the battery up before the tow. She ran like a champ!
Out in full sun we walked through a few things. His primary concern was that the grounds were not large enough for the vehicle and my method for attaching them to the battery was not the best way to make such an important connection. He recommended fixing the ground wiring. Nothing else really stood out, a head gasket leak needs to be addressed, hoses, an oil leak where the transmission meets the block and a few minor things. The great news is that she runs, the alternator seems to be charging fine and the starter seems fine so my money was well spent on those items.

I'm a bit dumbfounded as we did not do anything different. The vehicle was in the hot sun all day and maybe helped a bit? Maybe using the jumper cables was causing more problems than helping the issue? Maybe I was glowing more than I should? No idea at this point, just glad she fired right up! I did notice he did not depress the gas pedal to start her us as a few of you have recommended in recent posts. The starter did go through one of those slow and then fast cylces as in the video and Jose thinks larger ground wires will resolve that problem and make her reliable on startup.

I'm super excited to know I should have a running bj40 shortly! I'll post any new findings should Jose need to dig deeper as he works through the problems in the next few weeks.

Any recommendation on a source for a 79 B engine exhaust gasket?

 

[lostmarbles]

... Jose turned the key after a 10 second glow and she fired right up. She shut down a few minutes later, we talked some more, he started her up again and she ran for about 20 mins until manually shut down. Crazy stuff. ...I had not touched the vehicle since the last post and only charged the battery up before the tow. She ran like a champ!

Hmm. Crazy - That's for sure.

... His primary concern was that the grounds were not large enough for the vehicle and my method for attaching them to the battery was not the best way to make such an important connection. He recommended fixing the ground wiring. Nothing else really stood out....

I'm never happy with "miracle cures" so I'm glad Jose has spotted something he's not happy with.

And earthing deficiencies could certainly account for the occasional "slow turnovers".

But I wonder why she shut herself down after that first start up. An earthing fault shouldn't be able to account for that because your engine doesn't have any EDIC fitted and therefore I'd have thought NOTHING electrical could be capable of stopping it once it has started. (I imagine you don't even have low-oil-pressure-protection.)

... a head gasket leak needs to be addressed................Any recommendation on a source for a 79 B engine exhaust gasket? .......

I've combined a quote from the middle with a quote from the end here Albert.

Do you have both a head gasket leak AND an exhaust gasket leak?

For the exhaust gasket leak - If you mean "exhaust manifold gasket" then the toyota part number is 17173-56022 (which fits B and 3B engines fitted to BJ4#). Or you can go aftermarket with stuff like this:





(Above photos supplied by eleblanc/eric)

But if you mean the "exhaust-manifold to exhaust-pipe gasket" (commonly referred to as the "doughnut gasket") then the toyota part number is 90917-06047:



But this "doughnut gasket" is a common generic part and should be readily available at any good autoparts retailer at a fraction of the Toyota cost.

.. The great news is that she runs, the alternator seems to be charging fine and the starter seems fine so my money was well spent on those items. ...

...Maybe using the jumper cables was causing more problems than helping the issue? ..

Most battery chargers should never be left connected while you're trying to crank a vehicle but I see you have been using a large/sophisticated unit that I'm not familiar with - So I've just assumed it is OK for that one to be left connected.

Incidentally - There is printed information that says batteries should only ever be "trickle-charged" while in place in a vehicle. Any sort of "fast charging" is apparently likely to damage the diodes in your alternator. (So the alternator should be disconnected or the battery removed - for fast charging.)

.. Maybe I was glowing more than I should? ....

Excessively-long glow cycles shouldn't adversely affect your engine's ability to start. (Quite the contrary.) And with the standard 1979 B-engine glow system - my experience is that the components are virtually indestructible (as far as excessive glowing is concerned).

I did notice he did not depress the gas pedal to start her us as a few of you have recommended in recent posts. ..

I don't put my foot on the accelerator because I've found it unecessary for my engine (until the engine actually fires). However I wouldn't expect doing so would actually harm starting!

I'll never forget removing the vacuum hose from my "injectorpump diaphragm housing" while my engine was idling. The result was that the engine revvs instantly shot up to the revv limit as though my engine would explode. And that was without any foot on the accelerator at all. --So that tells me that a diesel doesn't need much air to develop lots of power.

But having said this, my EDIC system moves my fuel lever to "overinject" (and holds it there) for starting which gives my engine excess fuel. So without a functioning EDIC system - perhaps "foot on accelerator" may be preferrable for your engine to help it get the fuel required.

So I think, in your case, foot on the accelerator could well be the better method.

..I'm super excited to know I should have a running bj40 shortly! I'll post any new findings should Jose need to dig deeper as he works through the problems in the next few weeks...

Yeah. Great news alright.

It is really good that you've found someone close (Jose) with good/relevant experience who can help you.

Being there on the spot can make all the difference for making correct diagnosii of problems.



PS. Does Jose find your engine turns over freely enough (ratchet on the crank nut)? And is the oil pressure showing a good reading?

 

[albert rodrigues]

Hmm. Crazy - That's for sure.



I'm never happy with "miracle cures" so I'm glad Jose has spotted something he's not happy with.

And earthing deficiencies could certainly account for the occasional "slow turnovers".

But I wonder why she shut herself down after that first start up. An earthing fault shouldn't be able to account for that because your engine doesn't have any EDIC fitted and therefore I'd have thought NOTHING electrical could be capable of stopping it once it has started. (I imagine you don't even have low-oil-pressure-protection.)



I've combined a quote from the middle with a quote from the end here Albert.

Do you have both a head gasket leak AND an exhaust gasket leak?

For the exhaust gasket leak - If you mean "exhaust manifold gasket" then the toyota part number is 17173-56022 (which fits B and 3B engines fitted to BJ4#). Or you can go aftermarket with stuff like this:

View attachment 344816

View attachment 344817

(Above photos supplied by eleblanc/eric)

But if you mean the "exhaust-manifold to exhaust-pipe gasket" (commonly referred to as the "doughnut gasket") then the toyota part number is 90917-06047:

View attachment 344818

But this "doughnut gasket" is a common generic part and should be readily available at any good autoparts retailer at a fraction of the Toyota cost.







Most battery chargers should never be left connected while you're trying to crank a vehicle but I see you have been using a large/sophisticated unit that I'm not familiar with - So I've just assumed it is OK for that one to be left connected.

Incidentally - There is printed information that says batteries should only ever be "trickle-charged" while in place in a vehicle. Any sort of "fast charging" is apparently likely to damage the diodes in your alternator. (So the alternator should be disconnected or the battery removed - for fast charging.)

Excessively-long glow cycles shouldn't adversely affect your engine's ability to start. (Quite the contrary.) And with the standard 1979 B-engine glow system - my experience is that the components are virtually indestructible (as far as excessive glowing is concerned).



I don't put my foot on the accelerator because I've found it unecessary for my engine (until the engine actually fires). However I wouldn't expect doing so would actually harm starting!

I'll never forget removing the vacuum hose from my "injectorpump diaphragm housing" while my engine was idling. The result was that the engine revvs instantly shot up to the revv limit as though my engine would explode. And that was without any foot on the accelerator at all. --So that tells me that a diesel doesn't need much air to develop lots of power.

But having said this, my EDIC system moves my fuel lever to "overinject" (and holds it there) for starting which gives my engine excess fuel. So without a functioning EDIC system - perhaps "foot on accelerator" may be preferrable for your engine to help it get the fuel required.

So I think, in your case, foot on the accelerator could well be the better method.



Yeah. Great news alright.

It is really good that you've found someone close (Jose) with good/relevant experience who can help you.

Being there on the spot can make all the difference for making correct diagnosii of problems.



PS. Does Jose find your engine turns over freely enough (ratchet on the crank nut)? And is the oil pressure showing a good reading?

Keep in mind my answers are based on Jose's 1st experience with my BJ...

Jose thought it shut itself down because a 'cold' engine will do that. He asked if I had a choke, trottle cable, and I showed him that mine was broken. He said that from his experience once diesels warm up well, they won't shut off as mine did the first time. I think I can confirm his finding because every time it shut off on me, I felt like I needed to give it some gas but was out of the vehicle (during the last starting attempts I was alone in the garage). Once he started it for the 2nd time, he made an adjustment at the carburetor (not sure if this is really what it is called) and brought the idle speed down. I had thought it idled a tad fast and with his quick adjustment she sounded much better. While it ran, it only blew black smoke and not much of it. My exhaust system is completely gone and needs replacement so exhaust smoke was everywhere but not as black as I would expect given that she had not run for more than 3mins in 1 year.

I have problems with some gauges. My fuel and temp gauge work but the oil pressure and amp meter were not working today and I cannot recall if they were working before. I dont think the oil pressure ever did because under the hood I have always had a few loose connections near the oil filter. I had added a T stat (vehicle came without one) and new sensor during all this mess and they appeared to be working today.

Yes, exhaust manifold gasket. I was reading the post you referenced today and got side-tracked so I did not get the part number. Thanks for the reference, I will try to find an exact fit piece once Jose confirms nothing serious is going on.

Regarding the charger, mine has a charge position that I switched on only when attempting to start as in the video. When I left it to charge over night for example it has a trickle setting that runs until it is through. A green light comes on when it is finished and I believe it cannot overcharge the battery. When everything is sorted I will purchase a battery tender brand charger, it does not overcharge and can be left connected 24/7. It has become very popular and is highly recommended as far as I have read.

As far as starting goes, I'm going to fix the trottle cable via Jose. I'm thinking that in the summer I may not need to have my foot down and will need a little trottle to warm her up. In winter, I'm not sure just yet.

Thanks for reminding me about hand turning the engine. I will make a short list for Jose to check-out. My guess on this one is he won't be able to but as discovered today, anything can happen with my BJ.

Thanks for reading the post today. Your input along with others has been dead on!

 

[albert rodrigues]

SUCCESS!!!!

Posted two videos to youtube showing off my running BJ.
YouTube - 080409 BJ40 AR2

YouTube - 080409 BJ40 AR


After viewing the video through youtube I noticed the audio was not working properly. Sounded fine on my end before the upload. I can email the small videos taken from my phone if anyone wants a listen.

Jose remove the two ground cables installed on the battery (one went to the top of the engine, the other to the water separator bracket attached to the body). His one ground is larger and goes direct from the terminal to the frame, as direct as possible. His quick fix allows the BJ to start in half a crank (no gas needed). He is going to replace the engine ground cable behind the oil filter with something similar.

Thinking about all the problems with batteries, starter, alt. The bad ground connections helped make a clear diagnosis difficult for me. I also think that by installing a new Optima battery with high (750 CCA) made the problem even worse. The original battery was bad when I got the vehicle but started her up fine for a while, probably because the weaker ground connections were sufficient for that battery.

Enjoy the video, I'm still smiling. Seems like I can have Jose address the lack of fuseable links, hoses, leaky radiator, leaky oil pan gasket and the list goes on a bit. I'm going to take care of the items that can cause more serious damage and will affect reliability first. Then the many cosmetic items.

BTW the vent from the cumbustion chamber (on the oil filter side of the block) seemed to put out a lot of exhaust gases, almost like it was a mini-exhaust pipe. Is this normal or could the fact that my entire exhaust system leaks and is not drawing the gas out to the rear of the vehicle? Are leaky exhaust valves common? Any adjustment I should ask of Jose to test a probable cause?

An interesting note is that Jose is pretty confident my BJ had factory AC installed. The firewall shows signs of the piping and the wire harness has the proper connectors. I will not be installing the AC for a long time but had thought it would be a great thing to have.

I also discussed adding a heater and turns out he has a used unit he can install. I will try to get that done before the winter.

 

[lostmarbles]

Great to hear she's running and starting so well and that Jose is able to sort things out to make it even better Albert.

Love the photos too.



PS. Yes the video sound quality is so bad that it sounds nothing like any cruiser I've ever heard before (petrol or diesel). ...... Horrible!

And your second U-tube link doesn't appear to work either (but I was still able to watch both videos from within U-tube).

PS. Thanks for Emailing me the clips with the better sound quality - Sounds good there!

 

[beejay42]

Great news you have it running. Hope it goes smoothly (if that is the right word for a B series engine) from here.

BTW the vent from the cumbustion chamber (on the oil filter side of the block) seemed to put out a lot of exhaust gases, almost like it was a mini-exhaust pipe. Is this normal or could the fact that my entire exhaust system leaks and is not drawing the gas out to the rear of the vehicle? Are leaky exhaust valves common? Any adjustment I should ask of Jose to test a probable cause?

Sounds like blow-by. I don't know too much about that. I get a little bit every once in a blue moon, so haven't had to be concerned yet. I wouldn't expect that a leaky exhaust system would have anything to do with that, but- over to the experts on that one.

An interesting note is that Jose is pretty confident my BJ had factory AC installed. The firewall shows signs of the piping and the wire harness has the proper connectors. I will not be installing the AC for a long time but had thought it would be a great thing to have.

I also discussed adding a heater and turns out he has a used unit he can install. I will try to get that done before the winter.

Definately nice to get that heater in- mine came with the heater removed by a PO so I had to source one and put it in. Love it.
Are you sure that the holes in the firewall are for the AC? You should have two holes for the heater as well if that is the case (I believe).
Here is where my coolant line runs through the firewall for the heater- right side, drivers side, on our rigs (not sure on yours).

 

[albert rodrigues]

Jose thinks that the position of the holes in the firewall is consistent with A/C, not heat. There are two holes, one above the other and in a different position than yours. I think that because it came from El Salvador may support the A/C and no heat theory. The BJ does not have a hole in the firewall where the unit (blower?) is mounted inside the engine bay, although I do not know if that unit servers both heat and A/C.

Thanks for informing about Blow-by. I will do some searching and talk to Jose about it.

Thanks for the feedback as well!

 

[KOOTENAY KRUZER]

The B series of engines always seems to have some blow-by but as to whether or not yours is normal I can't tell without seeing it. However, your front driveshaft should never rust out on you.

 

[albert rodrigues]

Deja voodoo

Went to pickup the BJ from Jose. As I was pulling up he was driving into his drive with my BJ. He was completing a short test ride after the cooling system was repaired and hoses replaced. I walked through a few things and will need to start searching for a new radiator as it has been abused quite a bit. He also recommended I replace some of the steering components becuase there is too much play with the skinny tires. The exhaust is shot as well and will be first on my list...well read on. The starting problems seemed like history, did not need to glow at all and she started up easily. I needed diesel and only had to drive about 1/4mile to get filled up. As I drove off something did not feel right with the power and acceleration through 1st and 2nd gears. I filled up the tank and spoke to a few of the mechanics at the station as one of them was from El Salvador, same place the BJ came from.

Driving off and on my way with my daughter the road I was on was a little hilly and the bj did not have enough to really get up the small hills in second gear. She stalled on one hill in second and I was able to re-start. Jose was conincidentally on the same road and saw she was not quite right. After a few miles she finnaly gave out and I could not re-start her and the battery would not turn over the flywheel. This happened, in my opinion, too quickly, with too few attempts to re-start.

The last time I filled up the tank was when I received the vehicle from CA and immediately filled her up and drove about 40miles. She was parked and I had the beginnings of my first thread. One of the starting problems was dirt inside the water separator, about 5cm's worth, and unfortunately I did not take a picture. I cleaned out the sedimentor and have bypassed it becuase I have not sourced new orings for it and it lets air into the system.

I am really leaning towards debris in my fuel tank. If it has never been serviced like my sedimantor was not, it should have a nice layer of El Salvadorian soil inside. What do you guys think? I would like to do this myself but since I had the bj towed back to Jose's shop, I think he will do it on his down time as I just spent a lot of money to have my 3mile smile drive with my daughter. I was thinking the tank should be completely dropped and washed several times using ball bearings or similar to agitate what is inside and get it out. Anyone recommend a better method for cleaning a tank? Any special nuts, bolts, gaskets or straps Jose should have on hand becuase they will most likely break, etc. during the removal process?
thanks in advance.

 

[beejay42]

Sheesh!
Glad you got to drive it- sorry for the ongoing saga
Struggling up a hill in second just aint right.
I can't help with any of your queries, sorry, but here's a bump
Hope you get his figured out.

 

[albert rodrigues]

Thanks for the bump beejay42. Jose and I met again and walked through potential problems. The BJ has a problem with injector #3. It was wet when removed this morning. I took a few picts and noticed lots of carbon in each cylinder and on the end of the injector. The injector problem could be the cause of the excessive smoke from my short trip yesterday and even from 1year ago when I drove the bj a few times.

The battery was tested today and it had plenty of power to crank over another Landcruiser, yet Jose got the same clicking sound I was getting in my garage when I failed to start her. The sound is definitely the noise made by the starter engaging the flywheel and then a second sound made when the starter gear returns to the neutral position, a very quick 'double clank' type sound.

We tried to turn the engine over by hand with a breaker bar and the aid of an additional long length of pipe...no go. Seems lostmarbles your suggestion implies something inside is frozen or broken. In looking at the oil, it has a slight shimmer which implies metal. Bottom line is Jose will drop the oil pan on Monday to confirm what he thinks is a broken push rod. Hopefully I can document the problems with some pictures. I at least want to learn something from what is becoming an expensive education in importing an unknown BJ40 from Latin America.

Please keep the comments and suggestions comming. This will be my first experience with trying to have the internals of an engine repaired. From reading other posts many of you guys seem to do these repairs with ease. Your input would be greatly appreciated!

 

[lostmarbles]

....The battery was tested today and it had plenty of power to crank over another Landcruiser, yet Jose got the same clicking sound I was getting in my garage when I failed to start her.....We tried to turn the engine over by hand with a breaker bar and the aid of an additional long length of pipe...no go. ..

The way your engine "locks up randomly" has got me beat Albert.

In fact I had thought that somehow you were doing something wrong when you couldn't turn it over yourself (like "leaving it in gear" - however silly that may sound). But if Jose is having the same trouble then obviously there is indeed a real problem there.

Then again - it doesn't sound like the usual trouble of "lack-of-oil-pressure/seizing-bearings" because I'd have thought that would have become more evident on the occasions when it has started and run.

Even so - I think it would have been wise for someone to check the oil pressure with a pressure gauge when it was running (since their were already suspicions of "engine tightness").

...Bottom line is Jose will drop the oil pan on Monday to confirm what he thinks is a broken push rod. Hopefully I can document the problems with some pictures. ...

A pushrod problem should be evident from removing the valve cover (much easier than removing the sump)?

Or do you mean "conrod problem" Albert?

I'm dying to find out what the underlying problem is with your cruiser too.

It looks to me like a lot of the trouble we earlier associated with the starter was actually to do with the engine itself refusing to turn over.

Good luck and watch those rising costs don't get out-of-hand. (On my sort of budget, I'd probably need to hold-off from fixing everything straight away.)

 

[albert rodrigues]

Hi Tom, yes he is thinking connection rod. It probably would be more obvious if was a push rod.

My budget is a huge concern right now. Jose is a nice guy and I hope he and I can work something out. I think that because he hasn't slept thinking about the problem, he is eager to at least see what the problem is and do a little diagnosis work to help him with future projects. Once we know the severity of the problem, I asked for a fixed fee plus or minus, so I can decide if I can afford to fix the bj. I really don't want to stick it in the family barn and watch the mice take residence. We already have 3 great cars wasting away. Hopefully Jose will help document the problems with pictures and make the thread a bit more interesting. He is going to bring a friend in who is a certified diesel mechanic and is already providing him with advise to get at the problem sooner. Thanks again!

 

[beejay42]

Damn damn damn

I too would have to be very careful about rising and unknown costs as well. I don't mean to get all pessimistic on you, but sounds like this engine has had a very hard life, and while there is obviously some actual cause as to your current start/non-start problems- who knows what other gremlins are lurking below the surface if/when that gets solved?
So, with the pessimistic worrys in mind-
Have you looked into the costs of a full engine swap compared to the current possible projection of diagnosis(s) and repair(s)?
Is anyone selling a decent 3B (or some other 'easily' swappable engine) near you?
If the costs are somewhat comparible, even if just on the more expensive projection costs- then I personally would probably start looking for a decent engine swap

Once you had the old engine out and on the shop floor you might be able to more easily diagnose the problems, and eventually regain some of the engine-swap costs by selling or parting it out.

Optimistically, though, hopefully there is a simple and affordable fix around the corner, and no great unknown problems lurking below the surface.

Bugger of a position. My way forward would be a bit of field triage, to try to figure out right now the overall condition and prospects of your engine, before you pour any more money into it.

 

[albert rodrigues]

Bearing difference from front to back

Well for those who missed a few posts, the front beb has been spinning causing the starting problems. A few guys are recommending a tear down and examination of all the parts to try and find the problem, probably an oil issue.

I’m not sure what I am going to decide as of yet. The bearings have been ordered, the mechanic can do whatever I need but my budget is an issue. I am not sure if I should get it running and hope other gremlins don't appear or if they do deal with them as they arise. I know if I go for a complete rebuild it will go from engine to transmission to T chase...Not sure if I am ready for that.

Below is a picture of the bearing at the opposite end of the crank. They are much different. It shows some signs of wear but I would never know it came from the same engine when compared to the front side bearings.

I posted more picts to my album should anyone be interested.

 

[lostmarbles]

Well if Jose has new BEB shells coming I would say he intends to fit them and fire it up. -If he does, I'd say he MUST fit an oil pressure gauge this time (and check for knocking noises elsewhere too).

I'm worried what caused the loss of power when you were driving it. If all that "work done" by your engine - that wasn't pushing your vehicle forward - was instead being absorbed in "chewing up bearing material" .....then the damage should be suignificant and replacing the BEBs will just be a "temporary fix" at best.

One of the first things I do when I buy a new vehicle is change absolutely all the fluids. And if the vehicle came from South America - then "all the more reason to do this".

Did you change all the fluids when you bought this BJ40, and if so, did you find anything in the old engine oil?

And does it look like the engine has been taken apart before? (People who do rough work generally leave butchered bolt heads where spanners have slipped off, leave chisel damage where they have pried off the sump etc.)