So a month into owning my newly converted 1HZ 80 series with rebuilt A442 (hydro) with extreme vb we've decided to go on a long trip. We've made it as far as Kamloops and have unfortunately had to stop to check things out with the car. The conversion was done very well, but the engine is still a bit of an unknown and we've seen pretty poor fuel economy and going up some steep hills (the pass from Squamish to Cache Creek for example) we're slowed down to 20 mph or less on a few steep sections.
First off, yes I know these are not real speed machines, and this one is still new to me, but the current power and mileage still seems way under from what it should be. We're loaded down a bit with camping gear, but don't have a ton of heavy stuff and aren't towing. We're currently getting around 16.5 mpg (US), which I think is around 14.2l/100km. I don't drive fast at all, in fact I baby it to try for best mileage possible and rarely go faster than 55-60 mph.
We decided since we were driving through Kamloops this morning to stop by Toyoda 4WD and talk to Tony since he comes so highly recommended. My first thought to him was injectors because of the unknown mileage of the engine, but that's impossible to do on the road. I should mention I also suggested because on the hill climbing yesterday we started to see a lot more black smoke, enough to color the back bumper a bit. My other thought was something to do with the Airdog fuel filter/pump letting air in because it's almost as loud as the idling engine. What Tony discovered that we're now waiting to be swapped is the engine fan clutch (or viscous coupler I think) was seized and wouldn't release so it was always running at rpm. We're hopeful that this will resolve some of our issues, but what else should we check or watch for? More detail is on the rig in the post "Bought a new FZJ80 with 1HZ...some questions" or something to that wording. Typing and posting from my phone, sorry I can't link it. Any help or suggestions would be appreciated!
First off, yes I know these are not real speed machines, and this one is still new to me, but the current power and mileage still seems way under from what it should be. We're loaded down a bit with camping gear, but don't have a ton of heavy stuff and aren't towing. We're currently getting around 16.5 mpg (US), which I think is around 14.2l/100km. I don't drive fast at all, in fact I baby it to try for best mileage possible and rarely go faster than 55-60 mph.
We decided since we were driving through Kamloops this morning to stop by Toyoda 4WD and talk to Tony since he comes so highly recommended. My first thought to him was injectors because of the unknown mileage of the engine, but that's impossible to do on the road. I should mention I also suggested because on the hill climbing yesterday we started to see a lot more black smoke, enough to color the back bumper a bit. My other thought was something to do with the Airdog fuel filter/pump letting air in because it's almost as loud as the idling engine. What Tony discovered that we're now waiting to be swapped is the engine fan clutch (or viscous coupler I think) was seized and wouldn't release so it was always running at rpm. We're hopeful that this will resolve some of our issues, but what else should we check or watch for? More detail is on the rig in the post "Bought a new FZJ80 with 1HZ...some questions" or something to that wording. Typing and posting from my phone, sorry I can't link it. Any help or suggestions would be appreciated!
As I said, I had Tony in Kamloops swap out the fan and clutch since it was seized and then we turned up the fuel 1/4 turn. He drive it around the block and agreed that even considering what it is, it felt a little sluggish. He finished up and we've now driven up the road 80 miles and I can confirm a significant power gain! Not tremendous of course, but enough to not gear down for every little hill or needing to floor it. And from what I can tell watching the miles and gauge, the fuel consumption will be a bit better. 
And then to top it all off, we're in Jasper so we're hitting cold weather for the first time and it appears that my glow system isn't working because at 34F this morning, it was a bitch to start! Took a minute or two of cranking (not continuous) to get it to start, and then a big cloud of smoke. I've really gotta catch a break here!
Thank you AT&T!) and we talked it over and he helped me with the wiring he had done with the timer. It was as simple as bypassing the ground he had to the temp sender (I think) and putting in a permanent ground. It's a pretty slick setup he made that duplicates the factory setup, but with complete control over glow duration and still only turns on when needed. Pretty good considering the only part of the glow system present when I bought the rig were the relays. I figure the piece that's not working at the moment is the temp sender and it was too warm when he built it to test. Either way, we'll sort it out when I get back to civilization in a month.
Bet you get a shock when you install one
won't be the first either
