could it really be that easy??? (1 Viewer)

[bigDcruiser]

well, i've been driving my '84 fj60 for about 18 months and it's always idled high. usually about 1100. i fill her up with gas the other night and notice the next morning she smells like a fuel tanker when i take the squid to school. a little investigative work under the hood and i find a leak in the fuel line where two ends have been connected with what appears to be the broken piece of a fuel filter. dammit , how have i not noticed this before? apparently the PO just decided not to replace this $3.50 item. now she seems to idle smoother and lower, still about 900 unless i put my foot under the throttle and pull it up. then it drops to about 750. should i be concerned about any potential problems driving her like this for so long may cause?

 

[Jan-78FJ40]

well, i've been driving my '84 fj60 for about 18 months and it's always idled high. usually about 1100. i fill her up with gas the other night and notice the next morning she smells like a fuel tanker when i take the squid to school. a little investigative work under the hood and i find a leak in the fuel line where two ends have been connected with what appears to be the broken piece of a fuel filter. dammit , how have i not noticed this before? apparently the PO just decided not to replace this $3.50 item. now she seems to idle smoother and lower, still about 900 unless i put my foot under the throttle and pull it up. then it drops to about 750. should i be concerned about any potential problems driving her like this for so long may cause?

if you can drop the idle by pulling up the pedal, then you simply have too much air in thengine via the throttle cable. the butterfly valve/whatever valve on your carb does not close properly. it should be a super easy fix.
j

 

[GLTHFJ60]

I have the same problem with my rig idling too high. When I pull up on the gas pedal, the idle drops.

As far as I know, this is an issue with the throttle return spring wearing out due to old age. If it is replaced, the problem should be resolved. I've also heard about the addition of a second spring to help the original spring, but I'm not sure where that would be mounted.

 

[BlueCruiser84]

Mine idled too high and would diesel when I turned it off unless I pulled out on the pedal. I thought it was my return spring. Turns out I had massive intake manifold leaks and when I replaced that it fixed all my idle problems.

 

[BlueCruiser84]

Oh, and I drove mine for about 3 or 4 years pulling out on the gas pedal to lower the idle and I have seen no ill effects.

 

[bigDcruiser]

i replace the throttle spring a few weeks ago but it didn't seem to help much. i'm just hoping the lower idle and addition of the inline filter will get me a few more mpg. just filled her up today and got a whopping 9.75mpg out of my last tank. probly mostly due to having to keep the choke out for several days. didn't have time to get the appropriate filter and had one the size of a coffee can from my old bronco on her. seems to be running much smoother now. guess i'll just wear the top of my boots out on the skinny pedal for now.

 

[chitown40]

While the throttle return spring COULD be the culprit, you all most likely have the idle set too high. Intake manifold leaks would make it idle too low usually. You could also have the choke stuck partially closed. The choke cable can tend to bind up if not properly maintained. Also make sure all the linkages on the carb are assembled correctly and move freely.

 

[bigDcruiser]

glad to say this problem seems to be resolved. thanks to Jan-78FJ40's advice. i replaced the spring under the gas pedal several weeks ago thinking that this is what was refered to as the throttle spring but guess what? turns out it was the spring nearest the firewall on the throttle linkage under the hood. poor guy was just too tired to do his job anymore. i probly went overkill with the new spring but it's all i had in the garage. only problem i've noticed thus far is difficulty in pulling the choke out. if it becomes a problem i'll just replace it with a smaller spring. she now idles btwn 600-700, that should help me get over the 12mpg hump.