My 1970 FJ55

[daniel.watters]

Any thoughts on how abruptly the motor just stops? It seems like the motor is tight if that makes sense. There’s oil in her. She looks clean up top on the head. Nothing crazy looking down the spark plug holes....

 

[whitey45]

Daniel, have you confirmed good oil pressure? Make sure the distributor is fully seated.

 

[J Mack]

Any thoughts on how abruptly the motor just stops? It seems like the motor is tight if that makes sense. There’s oil in her. She looks clean up top on the head. Nothing crazy looking down the spark plug holes....

So, I finally got the damn spark plugs out. Pain in the ass. They were pretty black at the ends. I poured MMO down the cylinder holes and a little across the head. And I was able to break it free. Too much stuff is in the was for to go more than the one revolution that I achieved. But, the starter is still not spinning the motor. Even hot wired. I'll either try another starter or a starter solenoid.

Just some random thoughts here reading about what it took to get it running.

When you said you needed to dump some magic oil in sparkplug holes and work at it for a while just to get it to spin over you know that you most likely had some rust forming in the cylinder walls right? Piston rings will eventually breakdown the remainder of the surface imperfections on the cylinder walls and it should loosen up a bit and continue run up to the time it doesn’t.

My assumption was you knew that this engine is a ticking time bomb with a short fuse and your plan was to get it running long enough to have some fun and drive it until it dies or you get tired of replacing the copious amounts of oil it’s surely going to consume. No two engines that sit this long are the same but I wouldn’t bet that there isn’t long term damage that will need to be addressed at a machine shop at some point.

I’m super excited reading about your progress and hope that didn’t come out too Dicky. I would just keep running it and play it by ear.

 

[daniel.watters]

Thanks Jmack. Yeah, I’m under no illusions that the motor is now good to go. I’m certain that it might have been parked for a reason. But, that’s what I’m looking for... suggestions... like that there’s rust in the cylinder walls and that maybe it’ll get better... Or, maybe it’ll blow up.

You are right in the regard of me just wanting to get her running and driving on this original F. Just fishing for suggestions on what to do now that she’s freed up.

Do I change the oil? Or just see how she survives a few minutes of running and getting up to operating temperature? And just hope she spins better and better.

 

[WarDamnEagle]

I would have already changed the oil. I would also drop and clean the pan. Those are kind of a minimum in my mind.

 

[RUSH55]

Put a socket over the crank pulley nut and try to turn it by hand. If you can’t get it to turn, I’d say your next step would be to pull the head.

 

[wngrog]

It was not making a lot of noise when it ran. Sounds to me like it ran out of spark or fuel.

 

[J Mack]

I would run it for a couple heat cycles maybe work on getting it driving before I dumped the oil.

The damage is done so have some fun and see if you can get it to some version of acceptable without breaking the bank.

 

[daniel.watters]

Thanks for the feedback fellas.

I will go ahead and change the oil and be prepared to do it again if she survives coming up to temperature a few times. She only cut off because I’ll pulled the hotwire to the coil. Otherwise I think she’d kept going. I had only dumped a little fuel down the carb with the fuel line disconnected. It is hard to see but old fuel was coming out of the disconnected hardline near the carb. I’ll reattach it and attach a simple bottle of clean fuel just outside the fuel pump.

If she doesn’t loosen up some, yes, removing the head would be next. Maybe she’ll get the tiger striped 55’s 2F and four speed. Although it is untested. We shall see.

 

[RUSH55]

Oh, I thought your concern over the sudden stop at the end was from something mechanical, not you pulling the plug. If it still starts and runs I’d say run that baby! Hook up an oil pressure gauge to what kind of pressure it’s holding at.

 

[daniel.watters]

Well, did a second start after I rigged up a clean external fuel bottle and reattached the hardline to the carb. This time I didn’t pull the coil hotwire. She just quit on her own. I tried to start again but wasn’t able to get her to fire.... I’ll try again tomorrow. Maybe I can source an external oil pressure gauge.

 

[RUSH55]

Seems like a voltage or ground loss? Maybe a fuse or bad connection somewhere.

 

[wngrog]

That motor sounds fine to me.

 

[daniel.watters]

Hope you’re right Nolen. Seems solid but tight. Again, I’m having to hotwire the starter and coil.

 

[daniel.watters]

I’ve been on a cruiser kick lately. This guy reached out to me and sold me this unfinished project. Pick it up tomorrow am. I’ve got a freaking used car lot. Crazy.

 

[wngrog]

Hope you’re right Nolen. Seems solid but tight. Again, I’m having to hotwire the starter and coil.

To what end? I think you have established that the motor is smooth and runs.

Stop the Hotwire and get it some fresh clean fuel. Some new Spark.

I’ve got starters and stuff I can send you.

 

[wngrog]

I’ve been on a cruiser kick lately. This guy reached out to me and sold me this unfinished project. Pick it up tomorrow am. I’ve got a freaking used car lot. Crazy.

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Holy wow.

 

[daniel.watters]

To what end? I think you have established that the motor is smooth and runs.

Stop the Hotwire and get it some fresh clean fuel. Some new Spark.

I’ve got starters and stuff I can send you.

I installed new spark plugs, spark plug wires, rotor, points, cap..... I have clean fuel. Again, I’ll continue to chip away at her.

 

[daniel.watters]

I have a question.... What does this wire do. And what’d be the impact of, let’s say, some dumbass didn’t screw it back into place?

 

[RUSH55]

Is that the only wire coming into the diz?
If so, must be for the points.(?)

At some point, not too far from now, it’d probably be a good idea to pull that diz and go through it, or have someone go through it. The vacuum advance bearings are probably toast. The bushings for the shaft could probably use to be looked at and at least cleaned up.
There’s always the option to get a new diz as well.