Engine woes

[ClemsonCruiser]

Okay I believe I have the touch of death when it comes to cruisers. I have had two in the last year and both have died on me. My latest one is my newly acquirred 88 FJ62. Today on my trip home from college to vist the folks my cruiser decided to crap out one me. I have only had the cruiser about 2weeks when I bought it the thing ran perfect I have put about 1500 trouble free miles on it up to this point. My problem is that while cruising along at about 55 my cruiser suddenly lost all power and began to stumble, I pulled over and tried to start the cruiser, and it cranked up and stumbled briefly and then cut- off. The engine turns over fine, no knocks of any thing it is like I ran out of gas, but I have 3/4 of a tank left. This leads me to believe the engine is not getting fuel, I am guessing a bad fuel filter pump so on....... I haven't delt with the 3FE's before so I am hoping you guys can give me some likely problems areas to start with. Thanks so much for any input you guys have. My parents who towed me home are about to SH%T a brick because I promised them when I bought this cruiser it was a solid runner and there would be no problems................haha, well that didn't last. So please help me out here guys.

Thanks JP

 

[swank60]

Do a search on this on the site, but I'd start looking at other parts of the fuel system.

There's this thread: https://forum.ih8mud.com/showthread.php?t=19400

and do a search, as suggested in the above thread, on the fuel pressure regulator.

 

[ClemsonCruiser]

Swank60 thatnks for quick response and Info.................

So the cruiser goods have decided to smile upon me today. Went to dinner with my family came back the car cranked right up and idled perfect no problem. My father says the reason my car wouldn't run earlier was do to a vapor lock. Does this sound right to you guys and if it was a vapor lock how do I avoid it in the future. I just praise the cruiser gods that my cruiser is back to normal, I am gonna drive it around in the morning to make sure everything is okay. With any luck the cruiser will be fine and my parents won't disown me.

 

[dd113]

Pul the outlet side of the filter off 17MM flare with a backing wrench on the PS fender in back. Crank it. If ya got gas from there then all is well. No real way to tell about the injectors. You can pull the cold start injector off the manifold and see if ya got gas to there. Crank it and it should spurt out. You can remove the pressure regulator, on the ft of the fuel rail just in back of the smog pump and see if it jets out there. I have never seen gas getting to the filter but not getting to the rail. Test the pump with a jumper wire. Very common to fail. Around $200 OEM but they suck to put in as ya gotta drop the tank.

 

[dd113]

Replace the fuel pressure regulator and the filter. Check out the vent lines. Never seen it just die from vapor lock at speed. Also, check the charcoal cannister

 

[billybob_98]

My fj62 1990 died on me once while traveling down the interstate. it was due to a bad alternator. but it never crancked back up. some time before that, it was dragging a little some days and running fine the next time i drove it, but the time it went out for good, there was definately no coming back. rewound and rebuilt, back to new for the next two years. then replaced. but i blame it on water and winching warn 12000 with no movement in truck. i was very pissed off that drunken night.

 

[ClemsonCruiser]

Thanks for the info David and billybob98, tomorrow I will check out the vent lines and look at replacing the fuel pressure regulator and the filter

 

[ClemsonCruiser]

Well found out what my problem was......... After replacing the fuel filter and checking out the pressure regulator; I drove the car around a little sunday no problems. Got up this moring started driving to work and I'll be danged if it didn't shut off again. I had to call a tow truck this time and tow it to a local mechanic I know, at my parents request. Turns out the real problem was the Jacobs iginition(a modification from the cruisers previous life) shorted out and fried some wires up for me. So my mechanic says the best thing to do is remove it, and so I agree and 565 dollars later I have a back to normal running cruiser with a few new wires and no more non-stock ignition. Just another day in the world of owning a cruiser, both mine seem to love taking every penny I have.

 

[Mike S]

Well found out what my problem was......... mine seems to love taking every penny I have.

Fixed it for ya'.

 

[ClemsonCruiser]

HAHAHA...........That brightened up my day, I guess laughing about throwing money away is better than crying about it.

 

[Landpimp]

maybe I really forgot something........but on a 62(or 80 for SURE) you don't have to drop the tank to replace the fuel pump, its under the access cover under the carpet(iunder rear seat or cargo area)

Test the pump with a jumper wire. Very common to fail. Around $200 OEM but they suck to put in as ya gotta drop the tank.

 

[Kaderabek]

I'm sorry I missed this whole thread. I would have said that the FPR and the alternator are recent, so don't look there. That Jacobs ingnition worried me b/c I didn't know enough about it and at some point on the 3FE list it was mentioned that they have wiring problems. Sorry it gave you fits, glad it's fixed.

TJK

 

[ClemsonCruiser]

No worries Todd, not a big deal at all, although my mother did have a cow because she thought I had ruined another vehicle. The cruiser runs fine now. I am loving every minute I get to spend driving around in it. I even got to go wheeling with it and it did awesome. Oh yeah happy belated birthday too.

JP

 

[Kaderabek]

Thanks.

I don't mean to sound like a sap (bigger sap), but it was your mom in this deal that bummed me out. You know I talked to her and told her all I knew about the vehicle, but she had concerns. I didn't really know what to say, you know, it's an old truck, but has lots of new parts.... I hate that this upset her.

Well, glad to hear all is well (and fun).

TJK

 

[ClemsonCruiser]

Yeah my mom was I guess you would say a necessary evil in the deal she had to cosign the loan with me since I am in college and don't have a full time job. Like you said it is an old truck and you never know no matter how good of care has been taken with it, heck even new cars have unexpected problems. Oh one quick question what what oil brand were you putting in the cruiser, it is about time to change it and I want to stay with what ever is in there.

 

[Kaderabek]

Mobile 1. The last change was Valvoline synthetic though.

TJK