Build Thread: Tan, Blue, and Financial Irresponsibility. (1 Viewer)

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate
links, including eBay, Amazon, Skimlinks, and others.

Small fruitless update, wasnt getting spark on cyl 1 so I decided to swap out the plugs and wires, dist cap and rotor, and the igniter. I'm getting spark now but no still a no start, I think the timing is off, getting a timing light and waiting for a day where there isn't 8 inches of snow on the ground to get out there
 
Small fruitless update, wasnt getting spark on cyl 1 so I decided to swap out the plugs and wires, dist cap and rotor, and the igniter. I'm getting spark now but no still a no start, I think the timing is off, getting a timing light and waiting for a day where there isn't 8 inches of snow on the ground to get out there
Ignition stuff is nearly always simple after you find the problem. It is usually a lesson in humility, but solving it is golden.
 
i've set to tdc/ the 7 degree mark and tried adjusted the dizzy a few times now with no change. I had a old dude with a fj40 that came through my job suggest swapping the plugs 180, which I did and actually got a back fire and white smoke coming out've the carb, So I have spark and fuel at least but I don't think that was the solution. Think my next step is gonna be pulling the dizzy and doing the whole timing process over to make sure the last guy didn't put it in a tooth off, its always ran kinda s***ty. May also see if someone from the local Tlca can help me out, I'm getting more and more stumped by the minute.

But lemme tell ya, one of these days this thing is gonna run perfectly! probably
 
i've set to tdc/ the 7 degree mark and tried adjusted the dizzy a few times now with no change. I had a old dude with a fj40 that came through my job suggest swapping the plugs 180, which I did and actually got a back fire and white smoke coming out've the carb, So I have spark and fuel at least but I don't think that was the solution. Think my next step is gonna be pulling the dizzy and doing the whole timing process over to make sure the last guy didn't put it in a tooth off, its always ran kinda s***ty. May also see if someone from the local Tlca can help me out, I'm getting more and more stumped by the minute.

But lemme tell ya, one of these days this thing is gonna run perfectly! probably
Have you adjusted the fuel mix ratio on the carb? If the mix ratio screw is too tight you won’t get ignition.
 
I backed both a few turns out to be safe, cause new carb and all. Didn't help and it still wont start with starting fluid or putting a bit of gas down the carb either
 
How many turns? I had to back mine out almost 4.5 turns when I rebuilt it a few years ago. I thought I had screwed something up with the rebuild but I just wasn’t getting enough flow. Are you getting fuel to the carb?
 
2.5, along with the other two screws. After reading that I went out and did it until it came out, then put it back in about three turns deep just to check, no luck.

I did realize I didn't remember seeing any of the metal gaskets on the new or old jets when I swapped them out, I pulled the carb and am gonna make sure I didn't mess that up. trying really hard not to get to rule 3 in your sig line, hah.
 
2.5, along with the other two screws. After reading that I went out and did it until it came out, then put it back in about three turns deep just to check, no luck.

I did realize I didn't remember seeing any of the metal gaskets on the new or old jets when I swapped them out, I pulled the carb and am gonna make sure I didn't mess that up. trying really hard not to get to rule 3 in your sig line, hah.
Do you have the factory service manual? There’s a whole procedure in there for setting the idle speed and mix etc and adjusting the timing and valve gaps. Helps prevent rule #3...
 
Do you have the factory service manual? There’s a whole procedure in there for setting the idle speed and mix etc and adjusting the timing and valve gaps. Helps prevent rule #3...
I do, I was planning on doing the lean drop method.. but it has to run for that, haha. I have a friend and his dad coming over tomorrow, both have been building cars for years and will probably immediately point out what I’ve messed up
 
I do, I was planning on doing the lean drop method.. but it has to run for that, haha. I have a friend and his dad coming over tomorrow, both have been building cars for years and will probably immediately point out what I’ve messed up
Sometimes it helps to have fresh eyes. Something silly like you forgot to hook up a solenoid switch or something.
 
*Damn*

went through the whole shebang, @cps432 you were right about my idle screw, I somehow never touched it, could've sword I did.

didn't make much of a difference though, engine has no compression, so I've ****ed something up. putting a finger over the spark plug hole will make it pop off if we bump the starter/spin it by hand, but two compression testers would only have the needle bounce a bit on cyl 1-2. was gonna do the rest to be thorough but its snowing again and I stayed up all night in the cold the day before going through everything else that I could think of before I made my friend come look.

None of the pistons had any noticeable side to side play in the cylinders, I think its something valve related. Gonna set the valve lash to the loose/break in settings, but after that I really am outta ideas. The 350 sitting in my garage is starting to look more and more rebuildable. frustrated, especially since this isn't he first time I've done this- Did the exact same job on my Blue cruiser and that thing started up immediately. Beer and reading time. Thanks for the help so far guys
 
120k this motor is barely broke in. I'd check valve lash. If they are tight, that would explain it. Otherwise, head gasket.
 
120k this motor is barely broke in. I'd check valve lash. If they are tight, that would explain it. Otherwise, head gasket.

Welp. I’ve been in and outta town since late February waiting for snow to melt and its just bern sitting. I got to it today, just loosened all the valves a turn to make sure they werent bound up and cranked it and it started immediately, didnt prime the carb or anything. Im gonna wrench on it all day tomorrow, thanks @MoaByte!
 
Welp. I’ve been in and outta town since late February waiting for snow to melt and its just bern sitting. I got to it today, just loosened all the valves a turn to make sure they werent bound up and cranked it and it started immediately, didnt prime the carb or anything. Im gonna wrench on it all day tomorrow, thanks @MoaByte!
Do a proper valve lash adjustment. Do it cold, do it again warm. Double, triple check again. Expect you will need a new valve cover gasket. Good luck!
 
Yep. Have that completely done, chasing down a water leak from around the thermostat next and a few hundred other little projects, I smell a rockauto order soon but very excited to get it ready. luckily all the stuff I'm doing is mostly "while I'm in there", like new water pump, hoses, etc.. ignition system has been completely gone through. I'm getting brave enough to consider the leaky transmission/transfer case on my next list of projects but at the moment I'm a day of work or so away from driving it around again.
 
Yep. Have that completely done, chasing down a water leak from around the thermostat next and a few hundred other little projects, I smell a rockauto order soon but very excited to get it ready. luckily all the stuff I'm doing is mostly "while I'm in there", like new water pump, hoses, etc.. ignition system has been completely gone through. I'm getting brave enough to consider the leaky transmission/transfer case on my next list of projects but at the moment I'm a day of work or so away from driving it around again.
Lmk about that transmission job!
 
gonna try my hand at resealing my steering box first, after that I'm tackling the tranny. the fill port on the transfer case is stripped out and its dirty as heck, I'm certain it has the issue where it leaks from the trans into the transfer case and the PO just kept dumping fluid until he stripped the bolt.

In other good news, My carb cooling fan works perfectly- noticed it was unplugged and one of the wires melted back during trouble shooting for the no start, reattached it then and to my surprise as soon as I finished making sure I fixed a water leak it came on and turned off after about 10 min. probably doesn't matter much but its a pleasant surprise.
 
gonna try my hand at resealing my steering box first, after that I'm tackling the tranny. the fill port on the transfer case is stripped out and its dirty as heck, I'm certain it has the issue where it leaks from the trans into the transfer case and the PO just kept dumping fluid until he stripped the bolt.

In other good news, My carb cooling fan works perfectly- noticed it was unplugged and one of the wires melted back during trouble shooting for the no start, reattached it then and to my surprise as soon as I finished making sure I fixed a water leak it came on and turned off after about 10 min. probably doesn't matter much but its a pleasant surprise.
It helps keep the carb bowl from drying out on hot days while you run into oreilly’s to buy more parts for the truck.
 
Right! many more small updates- been pulling off parts to do rust prevention and general cleaning, I found a trouble spot on the frame where the PO welded a hanger or something for the exhaust that let rust sneak in unfortunately, but I think it'll be addressable before its a problem. My new exhaust went in pretty easy and its so nice to be able to hear myself in and around the cruiser. The engine definitely sounds like a sewing machine now that i can hear more than a dull roar, so much so that I went and found other videos of 2f's running to make sure the tick noise I can hear isn't a problem- I don't think it is, but ima keep a ear out while doing the new head gasket break in and adjust the valves each time I do that too.

We took our first drive and for the most part it went great, between better compression and the new carb it feels like it has a good amount more power than before, but coming back onto my street the steering bound up hard while turning left and it didn't let go until I pulled the ebrake hard to stop us before hitting my neighbors house(YIKE) gonna look into that next before the other million projects. She still doesn't have power steering because honestly I didn't really care about it- there was some novelty to driving a big 80' suv without it, and Im mildly strong enough to steer without issue. but that probably wasn't smart. Gonna rebuild the steering box, replace the seized PS pump (I have a used OEM one from a junkyard, but I'm heavily looking at the Saginaw conversion- may do that and send the steering box to west texas to be rebuilt and hydrotapped. I have a spare steering box im gonna attempt to rebuild myself, one of the many treasures that the PO left in the blue cruiser. been soaking the tie rods, steering box and any other linkages in penetrating oil to tackle it soon as I can.

I've been in Texas working and got back yesterday, started it to move to a different spot in the yard to keep the grass fresh and even sitting for 40ish days it kicked on immediately. its still a brick in the yard for now, but its still my favorite brick.
 
Last edited:

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top Bottom