Builds Mail Order Ride - My HDJ81 (1 Viewer)

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate
links, including eBay, Amazon, Skimlinks, and others.

This truck is all one big physics, chemistry, industrial arts and mechanics class to me.

My Diesel learning journey went like this.
  1. Forget everything you know about petrol motors
  2. Read for days
  3. SERIOUSLY STOP TRYING TO RELATE PETROL MOTORS TO DIESEL
  4. Ask stupid questions
  5. Read more.
It really has been a crazy crash course into a whole new world.
 
oil burners rock on the trail... not so much on the Interstate - unless you do the GTurbo and Intercooler thang.
 
Its been a mostly uneventful week, mainly filled with some crazy long hours at work. It was just as well, as the injectors were in the shop the whole time. They are back in my possession though, and look like this now along with the test report. Is 10bar going to feel like a new vehicle? I don't know, but I should almost never have to do this job again at the rate I put miles on a vehicle.

full


full


Valves have been adjusted. They appeared to be a little bit on the loose side, so have been tightened up according to FSM and recommendations in a different thread that I have neglected to look up and link here. Maybe later.

For the intake manifold and cross over pipe I filled them with engine degreaser and then pressure washed until no more bits would come out. It took over an hour, but looks ok. No more clumps that I can see, even if some of the black staining didn't want to come out entirely. The intake ports on the head I won't be touching seriously. I'm going to do a quick vacuum to make sure nothings loose and live with it. I read a few horror stories about people cleaning them on vehicle and then getting chunks stuck in the valves and ruining the seals.

I got the timing SST in the mail the other day, so I think a slow put together is in order as it looks like timing check will be infinitely easier with the injection pipes all removed. Still need to find a little dial indicator though. The tool is built for a 0-10mm dial, but the only common ones here are 1" stroke. Oh well.

Onward and upward.
 
Last edited:
Still need to find a little dial indicator though.

ITM in Calgary has the Mitutoyo dial gauge you speak of. Think I paid $65 for mine and had to wait a week. Will also need a new copper washer for the bolt where the SST threads in. That, I've been ordered in the past, not to re-use.

Awesome thread and GL
 
ITM in Calgary has the Mitutoyo dial gauge you speak of. Think I paid $65 for mine and had to wait a week. Will also need a new copper washer for the bolt where the SST threads in. That, I've been ordered in the past, not to re-use.

Awesome thread and GL

Ugh, another random washer that is supposed to be replaced. Looking in the FSM, yeah, they say new gasket and I missed that when reading it over quickly. More parts to order.

On another note, anyone in a cold climate remove their ACSD and regretted it? Any problems with start up at -30? If the truck is sitting idle for another week, removing that will also be much easier with everything out of the way.
 
Yes, ACSD does make a difference up here and you will need to advance your timing to the higher end of the spec - so 'tis a good time to blank it before adjusting timing. A Webasto or Zerostart electric coolant heater solves this and works great. You can also install a factory block heater which is made in Canada and available at any dealer. Just need to mic your freeze plug diameter turbo side. I believe it's 35mm, but don't quote me.
 
Last edited:
I removed mine and installed a webasto, no more cold starts = ACSD isn't missed, but it's a pricey upgrade. Also one of the mods I've done that made the biggest difference in making the truck a good daily driver for our climate. Engine warms up like a gasser now, and the glow plugs don't put such a drain on the electrical that your power windows don't work in the cold.
 
I already have a zero start installed in the coolant hose, but never actually used it. A Webasto or similar may be in the cards if winter camping becomes more of a thing. I have the luxury of parking in a heated garage 99.9% of the time, so the only real cold starts are when out and about, leaving it parked at the ski hill for the day or staying somewhere else over night. I think with most days out in the winter the truck barely gets a chance to even cool off.

The list keeps growing. Bye bye ACSD.
 
Ugh, another random washer that is supposed to be replaced. Looking in the FSM, yeah, they say new gasket and I missed that when reading it over quickly. More parts to order.

On another note, anyone in a cold climate remove their ACSD and regretted it? Any problems with start up at -30? If the truck is sitting idle for another week, removing that will also be much easier with everything out of the way.

If the washer is just a flat copper washer, you should be able to re-anneal it and re-use. I've previously re-used tthese, but cant remember if its a flat washer, or rolled o-ring type?
 
If the washer is just a flat copper washer, you should be able to re-anneal it and re-use. I've previously re-used tthese, but cant remember if its a flat washer, or rolled o-ring type?


Exactly, ATEB used to do that here, heat it up to cherry red and lightly sand flat I believe. Apparently even though there are only 2 part numbers they can differ in size from when the engine was initially put together at Toyota....
 
It looks to be a flat washer style, and the only part numbers I can find seem to be incredibly difficult to track down. The re-annealing sounds like a good plan, and some cursory reading of the subject online seems fairly straightforward: heat until it just starts to turn red, then let it cool. Apparently quenching or not makes no difference to copper.

I also have a line on a digital indicator that I may be able to make use of for the timing check. I'll see how that turns out.

Just have to pick up some 3/8 hose and a small piece of scrap aluminum for the acsd delete, and I should be moving forward again.

Thanks for the input guys, its been super valuable.
 
Yep. Annealing is dead easy. heat with MAP gas or propane torch until it's glowing a dull red. Then quench in waterthe, or let it cool.

I wouldn't worry about minor burrs, once annealed they'll likely be insignificant. if it has deep gouged replace it. A replacement flat washer should be easy enough to find
 
ACSD got gone today.

I did the coolant line first. 3/8" coolant hose as has been mentioned everywhere online. Fun fact: I had hose already sitting in the garage, so no effort required there. I made it long enough to go out around the fuel return line to keep it out of the way of the injection lines when they go back in and easier to move around if I have to do anything in there. As others have said, the bottom hose will just continue to leak coolant so get ready to hold it with a finger. Have your hose and tools readily available, I reused the old clamps. Moving clamps from one hose to the other and getting things ready while one hand is occupied is fun enough without having something out of reach. This picture may prove useful to others, since the intake manifold is currently removed. I can only imagine how crappy this job is without it being this free and clear.

full


Then pulled the rest of the ACSD unit off. Yes, some diesel spilled, but that was nothing compared to the coolant. The pin doesn't look worn whatsoever, even though it looks horrible in this picture for some reason, so I probably could have lived with this in place for a very long while, but it sure freed up a lot of clutter. Webasto gets to go on the Christmas wishlist for the next few years I guess.

full


I then made a s***ty template out of stiff paper from the unit and cut a new thing out of 3/16" aluminum, as I had read somewhere. This length allows you to re-use the old screws. I've read of people buying the delete kits or blanking plates, but needing longer screws when installing.

full


And here it is installed on the pump. I washed the old O-Ring that was installed with some diesel, and it looked to be in pristine condition, so I put it back in there. I will ensure to watch that space for any leaks that come up.

full


So that's some of tonight's progress. Dial indicator at work didn't work out as even though it's digital, the longer travel still means that there is too much pin sticking out for the clamp on this tool to hold. I have a 10mm unit on order and it's supposed to be here tomorrow or Thursday. Then I can do timing and finish putting it all back together. I don't have a photo of it, but there are marks on the pump that looks consistent with someone adjusting it, so it will be nice to ensure it's where it's supposed to be.

Any opinions on running a belly full of dino oil for a few hundred klicks after all this work as a flush before putting in the full fancy synthetic? Not worth the hassle/cost?
 
Ya, you're not getting a hose clamp on there easily with the IM in place, smart to do this while it's apart.

As for the oil, have you done any work that you expect would knock anything loose internally? Why would it need a flush is the question I guess.
 
Some small amount of research shows that a low opening pressure would lead to smoke at idle, excessive EGTs, and poor mileage. All of which seem to be things this truck is guilty of.

Hey Dork,

Out of curiosity, would you mind sharing what your mileage and EGTs were pre-injector rebuild? I get decent mileage but not what some people on here seem to get. (I posted a thread about smoke a while back and everyone gave me the feedback that it was pretty low) Being new to diesels, I'm just trying to get a feel for what is normal and what may need attention on my rig.

Thanks for this informative thread!
 
Ya, you're not getting a hose clamp on there easily with the IM in place, smart to do this while it's apart.

As for the oil, have you done any work that you expect would knock anything loose internally? Why would it need a flush is the question I guess.

Was just thinking if all this work may be loosening or dropping anything in. The chest cavity has been open two weeks now, even if I have been tossing the bag over it each time I leave it. Maybe ill just run it for a couple days after buttoning it all up, then doing the change.

Hey Dork,

Out of curiosity, would you mind sharing what your mileage and EGTs were pre-injector rebuild? I get decent mileage but not what some people on here seem to get. (I posted a thread about smoke a while back and everyone gave me the feedback that it was pretty low) Being new to diesels, I'm just trying to get a feel for what is normal and what may need attention on my rig.

Thanks for this informative thread!

I was getting about 15-16L/100km I think, I never really write much of this down. In town mileage is much worse generally, especially in the dead of winter. It may be referenced earlier in this thread somewhere (part of the reason for this ongoing thread: gives me a history). I know highway egts were around 750f at 110kph and max out around 1150 before, but after turning up the main fuel screw a bit, I've been living with it at 850-900 at the same speed and maxing at almost 1300 if I let it.

I'm hoping to see a difference, but who knows. After all this I would be happy if I knock a few seconds off the 0-60 time.
 
@Dork

Hmmm... my egts are similar to yours. 800f at 70-75 mph on flat ground. My egts can climb to over 1200 if I lay on the throttle uphill. But it seems like I get a little better mileage... 17 to just under 20mpg.

I do have my fuel pin turned half way between the least and most aggressive profiles too. Is that what you did when you turned your duel up?
 
@Dork

Hmmm... my egts are similar to yours. 800f at 70-75 mph on flat ground. My egts can climb to over 1200 if I lay on the throttle uphill. But it seems like I get a little better mileage... 17 to just under 20mpg.

I do have my fuel pin turned half way between the least and most aggressive profiles too. Is that what you did when you turned your fuel up?
 
@Dork

Hmmm... my egts are similar to yours. 800f at 70-75 mph on flat ground. My egts can climb to over 1200 if I lay on the throttle uphill. But it seems like I get a little better mileage... 17 to just under 20mpg.

I do have my fuel pin turned half way between the least and most aggressive profiles too. Is that what you did when you turned your fuel up?

I think we are talking about a different fuel pin. I'm talking about the main fuel screw. I took off the safety wire and then turned it up about 1/8 of a turn. 1/4 of a turn gave way too much heat. In hindsight, probably shouldn't have touched it until after doing all this, but it was an easy thing to try at the time.
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top Bottom