I have angered the Cruiser Gods (1 Viewer)

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Dianna

SILVER Star
Joined
Oct 28, 2003
Threads
145
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731
Location
Ohio
Hey guys. I pulled my '77 FJ40 out of storage a few weeks ago and had an issue with my starter that I would sometimes just get a "click." My Tacoma has done this for the last 2 years and the dealer cannot diagnose it because it doesn't happen when it's at the dealer. Anyway, I'm used to just turning my key a few times until the starter finally engages so that's what I have been doing and after a few tries, it has started right up. Fast forward to last weekend and I was on my way to a car show and I noticed my brake pedal getting lower and lower. I turned around to limp home and by the time I got here, I had ZERO brakes. Reservoir full and no leaks, so I assumed the master cylinder. I had just replaced my old one with a cheapie from Rock Auto until I had time to rebuild the OEM. While waiting for the rebuild parts, the truck decided to puke about a cup of gear oil onto the driveway, I didn't take the protective cover off, but it appears to be coming from the back of the transaxle. I received my parts today to rebuild my master, I got that completed and dropped one of the nuts. I could hear that it didn't hit the driveway, but after searching for nearly an hour, I can't find that effing think anywhere. I have spare metric hardware so I found another one to finish installing the master. I went to start her up to see if I had brakes, and it didn't want to start. Usually once it turns over it hits right away. Then I got the "click, click click" which then turned into NO click! I waited a couple minutes and made sure I was compressing the clutch peal all the way and I was. After a few more tried, it finally turned over and started and then died. It has never done that. I started it with the chock and it stays running, but it will not idle after I turn the chock off, it completely dies. I wondered if that nut ended up somewhere that it is affecting the carburetor linkage. And ugh! We don't have the best weather and I'm limited on days I can drive this thing and I'm spending way too many of those days with it sitting. Any help would be greatly appreciated!
 
check around the carb as you may have hit something when doing the brake master switcharoo
check all the battery connections, clean and tight, both ends
 
Ignition switch. ?
Do the brake booster check with engine off, as outlined in the FSM
 
Ignition switch. ?
Do the brake booster check with engine off, as outlined in the FSM
Would either of these cause my issue of stalling out? I have brakes now that I installed my rebuild master.
 
Would either of these cause my issue of stalling out? I have brakes now that I installed my rebuild master.
Only if a vacuum line got jarred loose, the Ign. switch might be why you get the click, clicking- along with the wire connex being loose as 3puppies mentioned.
The brake booster could be failing and causing a vacuum leak. . .?
 
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Try a known good battery and check/clean the battery ground and especially the starter ground. The starter ground gets overlooked a lot.
 
If it ran good b4 the master rebuild and it doesn't now, look around the area you were looking. From what you describe it could be a vacuum leak. Will it idle with the choke pulled? If it does, that would be an indication of a vacuum leak too.
 
Thanks guys, I'm headed out in a bit and will update. If my booster is bad, would that cause the stalling issue? It will idle with the choke on, a very high idle.

I'll add a few other things: This is the same carb that has been on it the past 20 years and it was running great, with the exception of a bad exhaust manifold gasket, before I replaced the master cylinder. I have brakes now, so I'm hoping that was my only brake issue. The first thing I need to do is find the nut from the MC I dropped!

I appreciate all the help :)
 
I just stopped to take a peek at the idle solenoid wiring and see that it is zip tied to the brake lines. This connection looks pretty sketchy, so I'm hoping that's my issue. I will update! (Desmog was done by a PO, so don't throw the shade my way, lol)

Screen Shot 2022-06-25 at 10.30.36 AM.png
 
I also failed to mention that the Cruiser Gods have given me a random coolant leak as well! LOL!!! Good thing my cruiser love is deep ;)
 
This connection looks pretty sketchy
When you turn the ignition key to "Run" (not start) you should hear the cutoff solenoid click.
 
It would seem you'll need to make a sacrifice of a young virgin to appease them... it may be much harder to do now since the last 40 series in North America was built in '84.
 
Update #1:
Cleaned up that connection and put it back together with a waterproof connector and purrrrrrrr!!!!

My master cylinder rebuild was a success, my brakes, even without bleeding them yet, are better than they were with an aftermarket MC.

After digging around for another hour, the nut is still hiding somewhere :( I have a ton of extra hardware, but this drives me insane! I assume it must have made its way into the frame rail.

I have a battery cut-off and I just took it off and put it back on and my clickety click seems to be corrected. I still need to go over all the connections at the battery just to be sure.

I am going to fill up my gear oil and enjoy the day until I get the parts to fix that seal. Since the E-brake is so close, I wonder if using that when I had no brakes could have caused the seal to start leaking. Since we haven't discussed that, I'm going to post up a new thread for that instead of having it lost here.

I thought I had a recurring silver star subscription but apparently I did not, purchased that, am grateful for all of you, and thanking the cruiser gods, lol. I just hope they give me my nut back LOL!!!
 
Update on lost nut, took the pressure washer out and blasted the crap out of anywhere I thought it might have been able to land and nothing. I officially give up!
 
Update on lost nut, took the pressure washer out and blasted the crap out of anywhere I thought it might have been able to land and nothing. I officially give up!

It's in The Twilight Zone; not worth retrieving at this point. Why risk coming back with a pig face, or a monster living on top of your Land Cruiser that peeks in the windows during a rain storm?
 
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