losing trust in my engine

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RIDDLER

RIDDLER

20 Year 15 Year 10 Year
Joined
Apr 10, 2004
Threads
214
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847
After 3 years of fighting with my current setup and some discussion about bad vacuum pressure, bad carb's, and freaking persistent oil leaks I am considering saying bye bye to this freaking F and swapping in a new motor that would run well and be reliable. It is now sort of a POS as it is always breaking, leaking, or dying. I just want a reliable truck that gets to the woods and back. So far this combo has been anything but that. Maybe it is because it sits for so long between me completing stages of fixup like sliders and bumpers??

I had a couple ideas and was trying to ballpark funds for the swap.

1) mild 350 or 305 with fuel injection using stock toyota tranny. Adaptors from used parts source. Maybe $3000 is my guess.

2) 4bt cummins with stock chevy 5 speed tranny. $5000 is my guess.

Aaron
 
Why not just pay to have the f and the carb rebuilt i.e. around 2k. Or better yet, why not just find a good working F and get the carb rebuilt?
 
Aaron, have you learned to really use your vacuum gauge and interpret what it is telling you? Your descriptions of what is happening are kinda vague. It would be a bit of a shame to sheit-can an engine just because of an improperly torqued manifold, or something simple.
 
Find a wrecked/totaled 1998-2002 model Toyota Tacoma and pull the engine. Toyota engine, fuel injection, in-line 6....alas, my next project.
 
problems

No I am still working blind here. I feel like the poor bugger who is patching leaks in a boat only to find two more popped up. I am at a loss for words at this point. Thanks for the help but I can't even figure out where to start to diagnose this POS. If it isn't the carb then a manfold leak or? this circles back to the original pos ROCHESTER post. hmm
 
Kinda like the 3 blind men and the elephant story, huh?

I think you should do your own vacuum and compression testing, Aaron. Then you'll know better what is going on.
 
I have a 2f that I can sell you that is bolted to a 3spd right now. It was a DD. I bought it fro ma guy in my local club that was doing a v8 swap.

If you are stuck on pulling that motor out I would recomend going diesel. I am looking into a 13bt with attached h55f from canada or a 4bt from a frito lay truck myself.

E
 
Aaron, I'll get the pics to you tomorrow. there is a guy in Billings with a 2F, 4 speed and trans for $1,000. says runs good, aprox 85,000miles or so. let me know I can get you his # its will be out of a 77,
 
Aaron said (in one of his other threads that are going, I think) that his engine had good compression. He also hasn't checked or adjusted his valve clearances. I just really think that before you guys sell him an engine, he should do these little things, and get his own vacuum gauge as well, and tell us what it tells him.
 
thanks

Yes this F has good compression numbers 140 to 150 across the board.

Thanks all. ( especially Dave)

I think I may be onto to something with all the help. I will eventually replace this engine but for now I want to buy a vacuum gauge and compression tester on monday. My buddy that usually helps me has suggested the same thing that Dave suggested. I have been very slow to mess with anything engine related out of fear of breaking expensive stuff and costing myself money. Actually the not jumping in has cost me more money than if I had just gone for it.

So for next week I plan to

1) adjust carb again
2) check vacuum myself
3) check valves (although they are very quiet and not noisy?)

Then I will decide on engine issues and price options.

again thanks everyone

Aaron
 
RIDDLER said:
3) check valves (although they are very quiet and not noisy?)

Aaron
Click to expand...

Yer welcome, Aaron.

Very quiet valves suggest that your valve clearances may be too tight. The sound should be like a Singer Sewing Machine: somewhere between a rattle on the loose side and "very quiet" on the tight side. Clearances too tight could definitely cause poor running and affect your vacuum, since the valves don't fully close if they are too tight. Also, the clearance changes between a cold and a warm engine, so your issues may reflect that. Tight clearances will ultimately burn your valves as well, because of improper heat transfer.

A place to start with vacuum readings:

http://www.ih8mud.com/tech/vacuum.php
 
I agree o the valve thing. I spent months chaseing down a time/carb/igintion problem that turned out to be valves that were adjusted to NO clearance. Had them adjusted, runs sweet now.

Dave
 
TexomaFJ40 said:
Find a wrecked/totaled 1998-2002 model Toyota Tacoma and pull the engine. Toyota engine, fuel injection, in-line 6....alas, my next project.
Click to expand...


inline what? at best it would be a medium sized V6, with enough computer controled crap to make even a 40 complicated.
 
brian said:
inline what? at best it would be a medium sized V6, with enough computer controled crap to make even a 40 complicated.
Click to expand...

Yup, the 3.4L V6 is a great motor, but I wouldn't see it as a Cruiser candidate anytime soon... 2F, 3FE, 1FZ would rank higher on my list.
 
IDave said:
Yer welcome, Aaron.

Very quiet valves suggest that your valve clearances may be too tight. The sound should be like a Singer Sewing Machine: somewhere between a rattle on the loose side and "very quiet" on the tight side. Clearances too tight could definitely cause poor running and affect your vacuum, since the valves don't fully close if they are too tight. Also, the clearance changes between a cold and a warm engine, so your issues may reflect that. Tight clearances will ultimately burn your valves as well, because of improper heat transfer.

A place to start with vacuum readings:

http://www.ih8mud.com/tech/vacuum.php
Click to expand...

I think Dave's on to something. Fluctuations in vacuum and very quite valves when hot could very well mean the valves are too tight. I think this is gonna be the place to start Aaron.

:)
 
follow up

Time for me to eat some crow.

I'll cross post this as many folks were following both issues.

The oil leak was a clogged PCV valve with debris and crap from fiberglass work and remnants from the hard top restoration.

The carb trouble was a monster vacuum leak. Hmmm I remember saying that I knew it was the carb. It seems that the folks I paid to redo the exhaust and put the header on failed to use lock washers on the intake bolts. We found a large leak at the bottom bolt at the firewall. Ordered the new OEM gasket today and we will see but this time I think this is it. No wonder the carb wouldn't run right.

Again thanks to all.

Aaron
 
Woo-Hoo!!!!
 
after pulling out your hair, it's nice to find the problem. have a cold one
 
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