bucking and starter problem

[LongIsland60]

I recently puchased an 86 60 and am happy with it so far and snooping these forums has been fun. I have two issues that are challenging me and I think I know how to solve one of them, but I will let you guys and girls take a stab at it.

1. every now and then the truck loses power, lurches and behaves generally like a bucking bull (not that I have ridden one). I suspect a fuel flow problem - possible fuel pump or perhaps the fuel filter. Anyone have thoughts on this?

2. P.O. warned me about this and told me he had a new starter put in but hasn't fixed problem... perhaps one in 20 times I try to start it the key turns and all accessories, etc. power up, but no cranking occurs (like there is a break in line to starter.) the only remedy seems to be chilling out for a while, then trying again. Juggling key doesn't help, cold vs hot makes no difference. I have not looked at the wiring yet to the starter. P.O suspected work key/receiver as the problem. I almost agreed, then suspected that if that were the case then nothing would power up.

???

thanks,
tim

Pics soon - white 86 - basically stock with big mirrors - some rust and dings, I love it.

 

[jwest]

Welcome to the boards.

In both cases, the better course is to rule out the obvious and narrow the possibilites down.

For the first issue, do a full tuneup, change that fuel filter and clean the carb.

For the next, check and clean your battery contacts and the ground points at the engine block and body. Do the same at the starter.

.

 

[84Bruiser]

I've seen #2 before, in a friend's '85. Same happened for a while, and progressively got worse. It was a dead spot in the starter, and it just eventually quit.

 

[vtcruiser60]

Welcome to the board.

The recommendation to do a complete tune-up is sound. A fuel filter change is a good idea. Replacing the fuel pump is not. They either work or they don't, there is no in between. If you are losing total power, including electrical, then your terminal contacts may be loose or so corroded that contact is intermintent.

You should try searching under the following key words: bucking, idle, chugging, loping, lurching, vacuum leak, among others. This topic has been raised about once every two months and there are no straightforward answers.

There was a very good exchange on birfield.com within the last several years by someone that reported back on the incremental improvements to this issue. They finally narrowed their problem down to a faulty egr modulator....not the egr valve.

I fixed mine after discovering a vacuum leak at the connection between the egr pipe and the egr cooler. It was rusted through and required welding to seal again. I think I posted this fix as well.

Hope this helps.

 

[swank60]

As for #1 - do a good tune up. Check the timing, change the plugs, wires and filters (air and fuel). put a new pcv in it. check ALL of your vac lines and make sure nothing is unhooked or leaking. That's a good first step. EGR is always a culprit. Could have an issue with the fuel cut solenoid, but that's something to check after all the rest.

If you have a bad connection at the battery, or a bad ground somewhere, you'd get both of those issues. Trace your main batt cables and see what sort of condition you have. I've had everything look fine, jump in and try to start it, everything lights up with the first turn of the key, hit the started, and everything goes flat. As Jwest mentioned, I had a rotten connection at the battery. Corrosion had built up on the cable and the bat clamp. Loose clamp will do it too.

Welcome!

 

[LongIsland60]

Thanks for the responses so far - the power loss is only engine power (the bucking). All other electrical connections work. I forgot to mention that it happens rarely - once in a week of driving. It also seemed to be when the gas tank was lower than half full - since I had a similar experience with my '71 suburban and was rectified by fuel filter I figured it was fuel related. Carb is another good suggestion.

Again, thanks all - I will do some forum searching, but I think a tune up might be a good start.

tim

 

[MrZero]

Weird, I came on here just now to search for the exact same bucking problem you're having. It happened to me this morning on my way to work. Fisrt, I noticed a hesitation at a light, then about a mile later, the loss of power at about 55 mph and then this insane bucking. When I applied the brakes and downshifted for a turn, the problem seemed to go away. I too am at under a half tank. Very interesting. My fuel filter looks pretty clean and I don't think it's that old. I'd love to hear what you find out. I'll probably just start replacing things.........

ZERO

 

[swank60]

get your VINs and call your local Toyota dealer - there was a recall years ago on the fuel tank and something seat belt related. If it hasn't been done, you get a new, free tank! Might help with the bucking, too.

 

[LongIsland60]

hopefully fixed

Thanks for the advice about the dealer/recall. Changed wires/did tuneup, replaced starter and fuel filter. So far ok, but I am not ready to declare it fixed until I drive it more.

 

[Ned.B]

Me too! My '84 FJ60 bucks so bad! Changed fuel filter (found water in it), refilled with fresh gas, and bucking went away for a few hundred miles. Then back to bucking again. The most notable problem is that it won't go uphill. I can finesse the gas pedal when it starts to buck (under load, when the incline starts going up)--if I hold the pedal exactly where it is instead of gassing it to get up the hill, it doesn't buck (but eventually loses speed). If I get off the gas completely for a few seconds when it bucks, then I can sometimes add gas back, other times it dies. It feels like an electrical short the way it cuts in and out. I have non-USA distributor and Weber carb.

Thanks for any upodates on solving it.

My $.02: Maybe it is related to sunspot activity?

Ned Bedinger
1984 FJ60
Southworth,WA

 

[billybob_98]

mine did the bucking, and then one night off-roading, it died in the very last hole, a kiddy hole, on the way out of a supposedly undriveable trail. well i proved my friends wrong, but i spent my hours until 6:00 am getting it back to house. i stripped the entire inside searching for shorts in elec.'s. no shorts inside, but i found some wires that needed fixing. but these had nothing to do with the prob. i had hot wired fuel pump which was getting unstable powers. then i replaced pump and filter, ran new wires and fuses. tried searching every in dash. my truck was bare on the inside. that was a sad day, but yet not fixed. then i went through the engine. my main power wire delivering the juice to the last injector, which all the others jumped off of this wire, was partially fried through. i replaced that with a new one, but still, got half way to a trail, luckily not driving the trail yet, it died again and smoked up. turns out the last time i had the head and manifolds off, i didn't reinstall everything right and the wire loom that carried this wire, had touched part of the block and slowly heated through the loom and shorted out this wire. but the wire was still connected , just bare. i replaced whole loom, and reinstalled everything in its proper place. with no more hesitation, it hit the trails within 30 min of completion.

 

[Mike S]

The second problem could be the starter internally shorting through one of the brushes. IThe symptom is ZERO starter action - not even a click. If it does it again, give the starter a whack with a wrench, and re-try.

If this is the problem, you may eventually need a rebuild or a new OEM starter.

Just a thought.

Mike S

 

[gulp3000]

The ground wire from the starter to the frame is sorta in harms way and mine was worn badly. I had the same intermittent starting problem. Changing the ground wire on the starter the negative battery cable and fixing some insulation issue on the positive cable fixed the problem.

 

[MrZero]

Just a quick update on my particular version of the bucking problem. I replaced the fuel filter and changed the PCV valve and grommet. Almost lost chunks of the old petrified grommet down the pipe, but managed to get it out. The PCV valve that was in my truck wasn't even the right one for a 60. It looked cheap and seemed to be made out of two pieces of metal as opposed to the nice machined new one I got from Specter. Anyhow, no bucking\power loss problems of any sort since those two quickies...

--ZERO

 

[LongIsland60]

A new filter and tune up did not fix my problem, however a carb rebuild seems to have done the job. If the problem arises again I will be quite put out.

 

[Ned.B]

A new filter and tune up did not fix my problem, however a carb rebuild seems to have done the job. If the problem arises again I will be quite put out.

Did you find rubber bits in the carb, like from old/disintegrating rubber fuel line?

Just curious.

Ned Bedinger
1984 FJ60 Weber 38/38 Non-USA distributor 175,000 miles

 

[LongIsland60]

Doh! I didn't do the rebuild - I will have to ask the rebuilders.

 

[Brussell]

I've got the same starting issue on my 83 as well. I had the starter replaced 3yrs 12,000 miles ago. I don't know enough to know if it is a Toyota or GM starter (have v8 conversion). I'll have to check the ground wires close. I have recently replaced the battery with a redtop and cleaned/sealed those connections so I don't think they are the culprit.

Brad