Distributor cover melted (1 Viewer)

[aktundra]

It was running fine, just doing basic maintenance since it had been awhile.

However the rig had been sitting for several years. (Maybe moved around the driveway once or twice a winter to shovel snow).

Just completed a quick 25 mike highway run to warm diff fluids so also could drain quick & complete while warm. In retrospect when I parked it, it smelled a little “hot”, but didn’t think much of it, figured it was just burning off a few years of possible assorted leaks.

When they have gone through thier old diagnostic checklists, there is a reference to a resistor in the system. They haven’t found it. Anybody know where it is located ?

 

[aktundra]

Well hunting season came & went, many other little chores to get the O’l homestead stocked with firewood, tools and projects cleaned up out of the driveway before snow fall.

And I never did get the 40 restarted.

Cold & dark mist the day, so relented and took the old girl into a local shop (they still have a few old timers that can work on carberated cap & rotor motors )

They have concluded that there is a weak spark, they fell the coil is fine, but not clear that the igniter is functioning properly, and the distributor is rusty so not a lot of confident with these two components

This is a bone stock, 1980 fully I’Med California spec 2F. If we have a weak spark, heat damage shown in pics at the beginning of this thread, and the coil seems to be ok. Any suggestions were to get an igniter and a distributor ? Which to try first. ?

 

[mrboatman]

Get ahold of @4Cruisers he might have what you need.

 

[4Cruisers]

Well hunting season came & went, many other little chores to get the O’l homestead stocked with firewood, tools and projects cleaned up out of the driveway before snow fall.

And I never did get the 40 restarted.

Cold & dark mist the day, so relented and took the old girl into a local shop (they still have a few old timers that can work on carberated cap & rotor motors )

They have concluded that there is a weak spark, they fell the coil is fine, but not clear that the igniter is functioning properly, and the distributor is rusty so not a lot of confident with these two components

This is a bone stock, 1980 fully I’Med California spec 2F. If we have a weak spark, heat damage shown in pics at the beginning of this thread, and the coil seems to be ok. Any suggestions were to get an igniter and a distributor ? Which to try first. ?

If your distributor is dirty/rusted inside there could be at least four different issues.

1) The vacuum advancer can't advance the timing because the breaker plate isn't able to rotate - it's frozen due to rust and/or hardened grease.

2) The mechanical advance isn't working because the cam isn't able to rotate on the distributor shaft - it's frozen due to rust and/or hardened grease.

3) The signal generator might be faulty. You can check the resistance at the connector - it should be between 100 and 200 ohms. Most of the dozens of signal generators I've tested read in the 160 to 170 ohm range.

4) The mechanical advance stop pin bushing is probably gone by now. As a result, the mechanical advance is too great.

I've seen all of the above, most can be fixed with a good refurbishment.

I have a '78 2F distributor ready to refurbish. The vacuum advancer works, but it is advance and retard. Yours has a dual diaphragm advancer, one is for high altitude compensation. Other than the advancer, the distributor is pretty much identical to the '80 2F distributor.

And I have a few used FJ60 igniters that will also work for '78 through '80 2F distributors.

 

[aktundra]

If your distributor is dirty/rusted inside there could be at least four different issues.

1) The vacuum advancer can't advance the timing because the breaker plate isn't able to rotate - it's frozen due to rust and/or hardened grease.

2) The mechanical advance isn't working because the cam isn't able to rotate on the distributor shaft - it's frozen due to rust and/or hardened grease.

3) The signal generator might be faulty. You can check the resistance at the connector - it should be between 100 and 200 ohms. Most of the dozens of signal generators I've tested read in the 160 to 170 ohm range.

4) The mechanical advance stop pin bushing is probably gone by now. As a result, the mechanical advance is too great.

I've seen all of the above, most can be fixed with a good refurbishment.

I have a '78 2F distributor ready to refurbish. The vacuum advancer works, but it is advance and retard. Yours has a dual diaphragm advancer, one is for high altitude compensation. Other than the advancer, the distributor is pretty much identical to the '80 2F distributor.

And I have a few used FJ60 igniters that will also work for '78 through '80 2F distributors.

Sincerely appreciate the things to check, but I have a “no start”, issue. Wouldn’t things relating to advance/retard be a runability issue ?

This whole thing started, when I replaced: wires, rotor, cap & plugs. Couldn’t restart after. No coughing, back firing, or sputtering, just cranking & cranking, with no effort from the motor.

 

[DougAustinTx]

Three things make our engines run, Fuel, Compression, and Spark (when timed correctly). Which one(s) are you missing? Pull the high tension lead from the center post of the distributor cap, put it near something that is grounded and have someone crank the engine over. If you have a strong spark (jumps at least 1/2 an inch and is a nice blue color) then the ignition system is good. Next, pop off the distributor cap, then pull the #1 spark plug and poke your thumb over the hole and bump the starter until you feel compression on that cylinder. Take a look at which spark plug wire the rotor would be aiming at if the cap were in place. It should be pointing near the #1 spark plug tower. If not, you might have the spark plug wires in the correct order, but you put them on in the wrong positions. Lastly, if eveything else checks out, squirt some gas in the top of the carburetor and crank it over.

 

[4Cruisers]

Sincerely appreciate the things to check, but I have a “no start”, issue. Wouldn’t things relating to advance/retard be a runability issue ?

This whole thing started, when I replaced: wires, rotor, cap & plugs. Couldn’t restart after. No coughing, back firing, or sputtering, just cranking & cranking, with no effort from the motor.

A faulty igniter could be the issue if you're not getting spark. I've also had that problem with a bad wiring connection at the distributor.

 

[aktundra]

Can somebody get me the part number for the igniter for a 1980 FJ40 2F (manufacture date 12/79) ?

 

[4Cruisers]

89620-60031

The igniter has been discontinued by Toyota for quite a few years now. You might be able to find a good used one here on MUD if you post in the classifieds. As I mentioned earlier, an igniter from an '81 and later 2F will also work, but those are unavailable new as well.

 

[OlYellr]

I bought the 89620-60031 igniter (used) last week as I wanted to be a purist to the vintage as much as possible - (PO had a Chevy DUI system that I am determined to remove now that the engine is rebuilt).

I paid 50 bucks - took some searching (impulse control as well) to get the one for 1980 FJ40 (I am a Jan 1980 rig).