DUI timing problems HELP!

[F-junker]

I ran a search and may have found a partial solution. I didn't know that the BB on the flywheel was 7 degrees TDC. I had been trying to get 12 with the timing light by movong the distributor up a tooth, I'm guessing that was too much. Damn thing would barely run.

The problem I seemed to have is that the Vac advance is almost always right up against the oil filter (79' 2f motor), not matter what i did moving wires or moving the tooth on the gear, I could never seem the get the disty in the right place for more than 4 degrees advance (which I realise now was 11 degrees).

Where is your vac advance at on your dui's??? I wanted to be somewhere in the middle between the oil filter and that damn oil cooler hose.

It seems as though I'm always butting my head up against a wall on the project. I've lost my topless weather and I've not got my rear doors ready yet!

 

[lavarunner]

maybe start over and reinstall on the rght tooth.. guesing that is you problem. and mine s right up against the oil filler. runs fine

 

[F-junker]

I'm going over tomorrow and work on settin back up from scratch. What about your wires? I bought a set for a chevy inline six as it's simliar but the damn things just don't fit nicely without crossover. did you use the DUI wires? do they fit nicely? I'm thinking about using a set of custom cut wires when I get this thing working well. What about your idle speed did you have any trouble gettin 600 rpm? the DUI instructions recommend 600, but I thought I saw 690 rpm was the toyota spec on idle. thanks for your help man I'm really going crazy over this one. I've never had this much trouble timing a vehicle.

 

[lavarunner]

I am useing the live wires. setmine at 650?? i am pretty sure. (mine is down right now.. ) deffinately think esetting will make it work.. if not at least you know where you are suposed to be then you can figure it out.

 

[coiled40gary]

I'm running the DUI, but I recurved mine to be mechanical only, so I do not have to deal with the advance hanging out. But I did want the connectors on the side to be in the location I wanted.

Now, if I remember right, I turned the engine until number one cylinder was at TDC compression (top of travel with both valves closed). Then I oriented the distributor and rotor so the distributor housing was where I wanted it, and when fully in, the rotor was pointing to a plug wire post, any post. Then I made that post number one, and went around in the firing order. This does not give you infinite choices around the circle, but it does allow you a few. But as I recall, the battery is an issue, and the head, as well as the oil filter, not leaving very many choices, which is why (one of the reasons) I just removed the vacuum advance all together.

The vacuum advance certainly has a purpose, but I contend that if you get the curve right, it can work the same (though maybe not with all the emmissions stuff). I have been running my daily driver for about 18 years without a vacuum advance, it runs smooth and strong, it idles, it accellerates, it tows, it even passes emmissions.

I'm also running the Live Wires, and DUI will make them custom for you, I'm on my second set, maybe my third set I'll get right. They will mix up the straight and 90 degree connectors at the cap as well, which helps a lot.

The bb is 7 degrees advanced, the line is tdc. If you have a dial-back timing light, life is easier. I set mine for 15 degrees advanced, but I have other changes to my 2F as well. And I set my idle for 700. If you are running a GM single wire alternator with the stock LC pulley so you can run the stock LC belt, your alternator will not stay in regulation at 600.

Hope that helps,
gary

 

[F-junker]

Thanks Gary, that is some much needed insight on my problem. I don't recall coming a across a line on the flywheel, I spent a good bit of time under it today turning that sucker with the cover off. Do they all have a line cut on them ? thanks again. Kenny

BTW Yes the variable timing light is a Godsend for this thing!!!

 

[bsevans]

Here is a photo of the DUI HEI vacuum advance on my 40.

 

[coiled40gary]

There are several other marks on the fly wheel, I presume are used for setting up the valves, but not completely sure. I presume they all have them, but I could be wrong, though I've been an LC owner of more than 25 years, it has always been the same one.

To see the line, once you have lined up the bb, turn the dial on your timing light ahead 7 degrees and move it around a degree or two, and you should see the line moving around the needle. For example, if you lined up the bb with your dial on 7, turn the dial to 14, and you should be lined up on the line. It is hard to see it, but once you have, it is easy to pick out. This assumes the fly wheel is clean. And if you put a little white fingernail polish in the line, it will be real easy to pick out later.

gary

 

[coiled40gary]

Judging from the connectors in the picture, my vacuum advance, had I still had it, would be pointing in the direction of lower left in that picture. It looks like mine is rotated about 90 degrees clockwise from the one in that picture.

gary

 

[honk]

The vacuum advance can be pointing in any outward direction between the filter and the dipstick. Just chose your preference, turn the oil pump drive, and shove it home.

It's the shaft that is turned, of course, by the cut of the gears making a little difficulty in getting the rotor to point at #1. Start with the rotor about 30 degrees counterclockwise from where you want it to be and experiment. I'm not sure what you meant by " moving the distributor up a tooth" - were you trying to do this by pulling the dist out and putting it back a little bit one way or the other? If so just remember that it is the housing that determines the timing, not the shaft or drive gear. Get it fully seated with oilpump engaged and room to move the housing either way and then set timing by rotating the housing.

Some people put the wires in last using wherever the rotor points after dist is installed and eng. is at TDC #1 firing stroke as the location of the #1 plug wire. This engine gives the freedom to do it that way if it's easier for you, and it won't hurt a thing so long as you have the firng order correct. You just seat the dist,, turn the housing if necessary until the rotor points at any cap tower and use that tower as #1. Might make your eventual buyer curse his PO, but he's going to do that no matter what you do.

 

[Horsehead]

Although this probably won't be terribly helpful, I thought I'd throw in my two cents on plug wires. I used Morosso super blue max wires for HEI dizzys and saved a bunch of $. I got the ones the you cut to length and make yourself so that I could get the lengths perfect. There's one that's probably not 6 inches long...

 

[F-junker]

Gentlemen, Thank you all so very much for your help here, I would have given up on this project over a year ago had I not had such a great place for meeting great people with extensive knowledge of information on LandCruisers. Once again I can move on with this project. I've been at a great loss for a while not having my laptop and being oofline for almost a month now. Thank God I borrowed a machine and can get my daily dose of FJ Juice!

 

[bsevans]

Although this probably won't be terribly helpful, I thought I'd throw in my two cents on plug wires. I used Morosso super blue max wires for HEI dizzys and saved a bunch of $. I got the ones the you cut to length and make yourself so that I could get the lengths perfect. There's one that's probably not 6 inches long...

DUI makes a Live Wire set for the FJ40.
Live Wire

 

[F-junker]

Your #1 terminal is very close to the postion I started in. thanks for the pics

 

[killer1954]

Livewires

I, too, moved my shaft over a tooth or two and just moved the housing to give me room to maneuver the timing. I purchased a set of Livewires at the time I purchased my DUI and recently upon pulling my wires to do a compression test, 3 of the 6 wires came out of their ends. Not bashing them, but that was my experience. I ended up making my own cut-to-length wires. I can't remember what the brand was, tho.

 

[morlino]

livewires

I purchased a set of Livewires at the time I purchased my DUI and recently upon pulling my wires to do a compression test, 3 of the 6 wires came out of their ends. Not bashing them, but that was my experience.

I just had a similar experience with my livewires yesterday. I had read this thread before so I was pretty gentle pulling #1 from as close to the engine as I could grab and the metal connector stayed on the plug. I was even more careful with #2 and the same thing happened. I was also very careful with the next 4 wires and they stayed in-tact. I managed to cobble the broken ends back on so I could get to work today but I'll be replacing them as soon as possible.