Build Let's Baseline my new to me 1993 Land Cruiser

[FMC80]

Why? I’m gonna run it. It’s good data for this 93-94 crew. Plus then I can have a spare when I want to get the original one rebuilt someday.

You do you, boo. I wouldn’t run it but you never know. Hope it works out for you. What’s the return timeline?

 

[PNWTreeOctopus]

Probably a couple of months. Enough for some discrete testing.

 

[FMC80]

Probably a couple of months. Enough for some discrete testing.

I just don’t want to see you get hurt.

 

[Dusten]

Advanced timing will build more power and increase throttle. It ignities the flame front sooner.

There is a balance between octane compression and timing that must be met to ensure power vs safety.

This is a typical answer though and not specific to the land cruiser. I don't know where the 1fe makes power in regards to base timing and and total advance.

To much timing will cause pre-ignition and is catastrophic.

 

[baldilocks]

You do you, boo. I wouldn’t run it but you never know. Hope it works out for you. What’s the return timeline?

How about we start a betting pool on how long the hecho en chino afm lasts?

 

[PNWTreeOctopus]

Arrived:

Advanced timing will build more power and increase throttle. It ignities the flame front sooner.

There is a balance between octane compression and timing that must be met to ensure power vs safety.

This is a typical answer though and not specific to the land cruiser. I don't know where the 1fe makes power in regards to base timing and and total advance.

To much timing will cause pre-ignition and is catastrophic.

This is helpful. Catastrophic is what I’m trying to avoid. I know it’s been discussed, I haven’t fallen into that black hole of research yet. Thanks!

 

[PNWTreeOctopus]

How about we start a betting pool on how long the hecho en chino afm lasts?

Longer than Pell’s remanded unit!

 

[FMC80]

Longer than Pell’s remanded unit!

Hey bite me. I know you’re giving me s*** but that’s the last time I share anything personal with you!

My refurbed unit is doing absolutely fine. I had a hesitation at idle and it only happened three-four times over 3 months or so. Very difficult to pinpoint. After talking through it with BavRest, I don’t think it’s the VAF. The spring tension may need adjusting but I don’t think that’s the culprit. More time will tell. I have the refurbed unit in the truck now and they suggested I have to reset the ECM every time I change out the VAF otherwise the ECM will store the faults and it may repeat. I definitely didn’t do that when I got the unit in the mail so who knows.

My wife has been driving the cruiser religiously and for long distances in varying terrain and elevation. It has yet to repeat the fault.

 

[Dusten]

With timing, on a rig that you intend to run 87 octane in and will see gains that are minimal, I'd leave it alone.

As an example of gains though,

My lightning on e85 runs 5* more timing and 2lbs more boost on e85(105 octane) vs 92 octane
(12* max advance at wot vs 17* max)
This nets me a shade over 100hp at the tires.

 

[PNWTreeOctopus]

Well after reading around on Mud about VAFMs, I’m convinced about a couple of things:

1. @FMC80 has posted on most of the threads about VAFMs
2. VAFMs are hard to get.
3. Nobody likes Chinese VAFMs, except the guys who run them…like every other non Toyota part in debate on Mud
4. I don’t want to make my truck blow up, catch on fire, heat gasket, etc, etc.
5. I can no longer tell what is a joke and what is good advice.
6. Probably sending this VAFM back to china tomorrow.
7. $250 gets me a used VAFM on eBay…condition unknown.
8. I probably don’t need a new VAFM.
9. Unobtanium parts make me think like a horder.
10. I need a parts truck

 

[FMC80]

Legit question: how many people are actually running the Chinese VAFMs successfully. Admittedly, I read 2 reviews here and they weren’t favorable. Maybe there are others who can chime in but I doubt we’ll find anyone.

I’d wait for a used VAF and get it refurbed. You don’t need one anyway. Yet

 

[PNWTreeOctopus]

Legit question: how many people are actually running the Chinese VAFMs successfully. Admittedly, I read 2 reviews here and they weren’t favorable. Maybe there are others who can chime in but I doubt we’ll find anyone.

I’d wait for a used VAF and get it refurbed. You don’t need one anyway. Yet

This is the new plan. Lots of Chinese VAFMs available, no shortage there so no hurry.

 

[PNWTreeOctopus]

Small update:

No terrible idle and misfire at light load when warmed up. I’m feeling confident those missing EGR vacuum caps were causing my issue.

Taking the Glacier to SE Oregon on Sunday to enjoy the northern margin of the Great Basin region. Not a huge 4wd or overland agenda…no Starbucks or malls there…we’re gonna look at rocks, and birds and antelope and lizards, haunted ranches, hot springs, petroglyphs and whatever else we can find there.

 

[FMC80]

Small update:

No terrible idle and misfire at light load when warmed up. I’m feeling confident those missing EGR vacuum caps were causing my issue.

Taking the Glacier to SE Oregon on Sunday to enjoy the northern margin of the Great Basin region. Not a huge 4wd or overland agenda…no Starbucks or malls there…we’re gonna look at rocks, and birds and antelope and lizards, haunted ranches, hot springs, petroglyphs and whatever else we can find there.

Did you name your cruiser glacier?!??

 

[PNWTreeOctopus]

Did you name your cruiser glacier?!??

Yep. Because it reflects the pace of my baseline thread

 

[FMC80]

Yep. Because it reflects the pace of my baseline thread

Oh, I was already tracking that. It’s already white, you move slow af (but deliberately). 100% great name.

 

[PNWTreeOctopus]

Glacier SE Oregon Trip 2022

I just returned from a short spring break trip down to SE Oregon. Mrs. PNWTreeOctopus and I had dreamed of a longer trip down to UT involving more time off, but a number of reasons put such a trip on hold. In fact all trips were off the table until about 4 days before departure. My father is on hospice and while he is doing well considering, he is finishing up his life, so I wanted to make sure my trip to the middle of nowhere would be within a day's drive (possible an insane drive in my lumbering 80). So after lots of talking with hospice, my sister, my wife and his memory care team we decided it was still prudent to go. The second reason our amended spring trip was in the wind was due to my best friend, my little black lab Aoife. She got sick and needed to get hospitalized to check for obstructions, get her vomiting under control. Long story short she avoided surgery and was given a clean bill of health after some IV fluids, meds for her vomiting a 12 hour stay at the pet hospital and 4 days of rest at home. This dog is my best friend and companion and I would be a shell of a person if I suddenly lost her, so once she got the green light from our vets, we packed the car.

Thoughts related to the Land Cruiser

• Upon backing up out of my first campsite in the Crooked River Canyon, I noticed a clicking at full lock.
• I used 1/2 quart of oil. There is still a small leak-looks like the rear main--I can live with that.
• MPG was around 11 fighting a massive headwind on the way down.
• I got 278 miles from Goldendale WA before my gas light went on...so 13.8 MPG. I can live with that, but its not a particularly encouraging range.
• My ARB Delux Screen room worked well. Its far from perfect, but it makes a great quick shelter for road camping with room for 4 people and a 47 pound Labrador retriever. It also make a great place to set up a portable toilet when you need some privacy.
• My DIY cargo shelf and drawers are key to making room for the amount of stuff I bring camping for temps that range from 19-78F.
• MY Hella 700FF's and new wiring harness with 140watt bulbs were worthless...I think my wiring harness and the SLEE headlight jumper were not playing well together.
• My fully loaded rig with 4 people and a dog plus a weeks worth of food and gear climbed some deep loose sand easily with the tires at 16 psi.
• My VIAIR 400p airs up a 315 general grabber AT2 form 16 psi to 40 psi in about 5 minutes. It also will also fill all four tires without stopping and not blow up even though its pushing the duty cycle numbers.
• Everybody gives me compliments on my nice 4Runner.
• I think for trips like we just took with gravel roads, a new Tacoma would be a better tool, but don't worry I'm still keeping my 80. I just wouldn't mind a 6' bed and 20mpg sometimes. There's a reason the Great Basin is filled with full-size trucks with aux tanks in the bed. Fuel and range limitations with our rigs are for real, so its time to plan for that LRA aux tank.

Thoughts about camping

• Hot tents are pretty excellent, but hot tents in the Great Basin are limited with the wood you can bring or scrounge up.
• A seek outside 8 man tipi with an XL stove is an oasis at 6000' when the winds are gusting to 55mps and its snowing...on spring break with your kids, but you will be glad you still brought your warm sleeping pad and double bags for your kids.
• Camping at even an obscure OHV sand dune camping area will suck if you're NOT the dudes getting wasted 2am and driving your SxS around playing with your AR platforms at speed. Despite being camped 1/2 mile away the bass and rifle reports were unnerving while camping with my family.
• Scepter 20 L water cans are still the greatest. The overpriced spout is worth it.
• My cheap led light strip was superior to a lantern.
• I'm glad I retired my 3 burner Coleman white gas stove and switched to propane.
• Hot springs attract a fascinating cross section of America. It's probably worth it to camp at one every once in a while, but they are busy even mid week in spring when its snowing out.
• We're lucky to have public lands.

Photos:

Poser shot atop a big old dune in Christmas Valley, OR. SxS dudes behind me liked my "4Runner". Smile and say thanks (for not accidentally shooting us last night)

Lost Forest, OR. Me and the future.

Near Poverty Basin...after visibility improved

Hot Springs Camp, Hart Mountain Antelope Refuge. This was before it started snowing. Happy Spring Break kids!

Flook Lake Road, OR. Open route crosses ancient lakebed, to access excellent rockhounding, and a hike to some beautiful ancient petroglyphs where you can sit and look at your feet to see piles of obsidian flakes that predate nearly everything.

It was a good trip.

 

[FMC80]

Looks like a great time, G. How long does it take to set up your tent? I have to buy all new camping gear when I return to a normal state. I am somewhat interested in hot tents but am concerned with the portability/compactness.

 

[PNWTreeOctopus]

Well I’d say this: my hot tent is smaller by a lot than any comparable sized shelter.

This is how I pack it all up.

These are the contents:

L to R: white stuff sack with fire starter, matches, lighter, knife, Gloves, Blcknbag with red zipper contains the stove, large brown stuff sack contains the 8 man tipi with attached half liner to combat condensation, small gray stuff sack contains 8 man tipi half nest, lower row is brown stake bag, central pole and in the clear tube is my stove pipe.

Weight is less than many smelters, given it has no floor. I could easily dispense with inner nest, but it helps contain my kids and their gear, plus keeps everything off the dirt for one side.

The whole system is really efficient if you aren’t moving every day. It can’t compete with a quality backpacking tent for ease of setup, but if you shop for a 6-8 person shelter they tend to be heavy and terrible in heavy weather.

It can’t be your only shelter, but it will be your warmest base camp if you have access to wood to burn. No joke, it cost a huge amount of cash, but it was sewn in CO, and the names of it’s makers are on the tag. I expect it to last a very long time. I can only hope to wear it out.

 

[PNWTreeOctopus]

Looks like a great time, G. How long does it take to set up your tent? I have to buy all new camping gear when I return to a normal state. I am somewhat interested in hot tents but am concerned with the portability/compactness.

It took me a long time to get the first pitch right. I’m hoping that I can become adept enough to get the shelter up in 20 minutes. Plus 15 to build the stove. If I could get it all up and running in 30 minutes I’d be a hero.

RTTs are way faster, but I need to pee at night, I camp in bad weather (frequently) like my yakima roof top box, and sometimes I want to take my canoe with me. So not an option here.

Plus sitting in my chair next to a wood stove in my tent with my wife sharing a whiskey when it was snowing and blowing outside was surreal. We laughed about how soft we’ve become. Hell yes.