New to DC area. Looking to learn about land cruisers

[1timecruiser]

My name is Steve I bought a 1986 FJ60 last year in Seattle and finally got it out here to Arlington. Overall its in pretty good condition, almost no rust and runs well, but needs some TLC. I would like to meet some locals who might be able to help walk me through a the process.

Right now I am having some coolant issues. I hope its just a hose but the engine has an unquenchable thirst for it.

Look forward to meeting people

 

[SEMPERFJ]

Hey! Welcome to the area... I live in Arlington as well!! Let me know when do you have free time and I can help you out with some of your issues

Jorge

Sent from my iPhone using IH8MUD

 

[76FJ40]

Does your exhaust smell like coolant? Is your oil milky?

 

[CondeCruiser]

I was thinking the same thing. Head gasket

 

[1timecruiser]

Thanks. I'll check it out tomorrow and repost.

 

[TRFCSUX]

Pull the oil fill cap, look under it (in it) and tell us what you see. Then call Bart.

 

[Von Hayek]

If you get a mix under the oil cap that looks like milkshake or or worse, you have a problem:

Are you seeing any coolant on the ground?

 

[Land Shark]

First things first. We need pics of the rig! Then we can will entertain questions. . Welcome

 

[1timecruiser]

I looked under the oil fill cap. no milkiness, checked the oil and that was good too. then i refilled the coolant and started up. I don't think there was any additional scent to the exhaust, and the cardboard I had underneath didn't have any fluid on it. Then again, its a nice day out and not hot, so the engine never really got super hot. Is it just that DC is that hot? Maybe Im making stuff. If you have nay suggestions as to what's next, please give me a call (207) 807 4828. yes Im originally originally from Maine

-Steve

 

[SAS]

that is a gorgeous truck! Put it in the garage until next Spring!

LOL, just kidding about putting it in the garage. Being from Maine, you know how things in the East tend to rust.

Please describe your observation regarding the coolant; i.e. after you top it off, how much do you drive it, how much coolant do you add, and what is the interval between top-off?

My FJ60 lost nearly 1 gallon of coolant one day earlier this summer...found that I have a crack in the radiator (top neck where the hose attaches) and it only dripped 10-12 ounces. I presume that the remainder vaporized and was expelled during driving.

 

[1timecruiser]

At the end of the day and letting it sit the coolant reservoir was near empty, but no pools of coolant.
Definitely curious
Thought I could try the gasket sealer out an see if it makes any difference.

 

[76FJ40]

Are your carpets wet under the heater cores?

 

[Stumpalama]

DON'T PUT ANYTHING EXCEPT COOLANT AND WATER in the radiator!!!!! Do some more investigating. It's going somewhere.

 

[Blue77FJ40]

Sounds like a pressure test might be in the future. Sweet truck.

 

[Stumpalama]

Did you top up the coolant when it was cold BEFORE you ran it? Or did you run it up to temp, check the level in the resevoir and top up to full then? If you did the latter, the engine likely sucked up the coolant when it cooled down, giving you the impression of loosing fluid, when if fact you need to take the rad cap off run the engine to temp to make the thermostat crack open make sure you don't have air bubbles in the system.
Try this: fill your resevior about 1/2 way below the FULL mark when the engine is cold, mark the line with a sharpie and monitor your level when engine is warm and cold. So, check it in the AM and then just after you shut it down after a drive. This will help you familiarize yourself with the habits of the cooling system and further diagnose the issue.

 

[TRFCSUX]

I agree with waiting on the stop leak kind of product, last resort in my opinion.

 

[John Smith]

Pull the spark plugs and see if one is nice and clean compared to the others. The coolant has to be going somewhere, either external or internal. Since your oil is clean and you don't notice any external leaks I'm guessing you have a slow HG leak and you are burning up the coolant during combustion.

 

[1timecruiser]

I tried filling the reservoir about half way let it sit, the went for a 20-30 min drive. Some down residential and some out on rt 50 for about half the time. The coolant was nearly empty right when I stopped but slowly refilled after 5 min. 20 min later I went out to check it and it was nearly all gone.

I will take a look at the park plugs next.

It seems like that the sealant is NOT the way to go?

 

[Devilmans Hand]

sealant just clogs up the system. you're better off fixing what it wrong instead of the $7fix that will lead to more problems down the line.

 

[Stumpalama]

Hmmm... odd. I'm leaning towards John Smith's assessment. Can you smell oil/exhaust odor in the coolant reservoir after driving? If your about 1/2 full with with the engine cold it should have more in the reservoir when warmed up. Have you taken the rad cap off and then run the car and checked the fluid level in the rad when the thermostat pops open and the heater on high? Once up to temp, you should top up the rad when the coolant is flowing. Then top off the reservoir and run it. I suspect, as John Smith said, you have a small leak into one of your cylinders.