disclosure: I obsess about my fj40, ask my wife, and I am by no stretch of the imagination a mechanic. I can't help it, I want to know what sound is where, why; and how, if needed, i should fix it. What I know about my truck is from what I've read, what I've watched others do, and the occasional light weight tinkering in the garage. With that being said, thank you for any advice. The purpose of this thread is to document, however long it takes, the process in which i will locate and hopefully resolve my fj40s engine noise.
I've been reading everything here about knocks, ticks, oil pressure, maintenance, etc. ever since I started hearing a slight knocking sound from my 40. I've owned her for 5 months or so and can not remember a time when I did not hear what originally sounded like to me, well, what I thought most old engines probably sound like. I didn't think that it was an issue until a mechanic friend of mine mentioned it.
Background:
Thinking the first step would be to verify the oil pressure, I just installed an autometer oil gauge, t-d off to run both new and old sending units. Here is what I got after finishing an hour ago:
first pic is at cold start idle autometer:
http://imageshack.us/a/img854/9787/coldstartidle.jpg
Uploaded with ImageShack.us
second pic is cold start idle oem gauge:
http://imageshack.us/a/img825/5174/coldstartidleoemgauge.jpg
Uploaded with ImageShack.us
third pic is warm idle autometer
http://imageshack.us/a/img543/2029/warmidle.jpg
Uploaded with ImageShack.us
fourth pic warm idle oem gauge
http://imageshack.us/a/img13/7971/warmidleoemgauge.jpg
Uploaded with ImageShack.us
The warm pic oem is what scared me. The tack will drop a hair below the first hash mark when running at cruising speed - 55mps 2700 rpm. But I actually feel better about the pressure now after seeing the autometer's readings.
What you guys think? Is this pressure acceptable? Or is it low?
Lastly, the video was from warm idle as well.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=24GKK37kYnk&feature=share&list=UL24GKK37kYnk
I now have the e-brake kit, shoes, speedy sleeve, gaskets, etc., so the next steps will be to diagnose and fix all the oil leaks and see if that has any measurable impacts to pressure. I'll start this weekend.
Next will be....? Oil pump? Fuel pump? Remove pan and take a look? Not sure I know what I'm looking for.....hell, maybe I'm over thinking all of this and should stop spending money, drive and enjoy.
Thanks for reading.
I've been reading everything here about knocks, ticks, oil pressure, maintenance, etc. ever since I started hearing a slight knocking sound from my 40. I've owned her for 5 months or so and can not remember a time when I did not hear what originally sounded like to me, well, what I thought most old engines probably sound like. I didn't think that it was an issue until a mechanic friend of mine mentioned it.
Background:
- My 40 is my DD, currently drive her 20 miles a day on average. Few weekends a month I make a 100 mile round trip to a handful of parks where I moderately wheel with the family. I'm that guy that looks forward to going to work every morning because he gets to drive a fj40.
- '77 original 2f, 75k on the odometer but I'm guessing it's 175k
- Bought her in Calif and drove her back to GA (hell of a trip).
- Recently performed complete de-smog, new headers (had a good exhaust leak or two) and cleaned up the carb (not rebuilt). I also added the petronix ignition system. Did all this at once and I'm guessing a 25-30% increase in power: take-off, pull, etc. It still amazes me how many ponies I was missing; no more down shifting going up hills. In short, the truck runs great.
- She leaks more than I'm comfortable with. The obvious is from the e-brake drum, the not so obvious could be oil pan gasket or somewhere below the oil cooler thingy.
Thinking the first step would be to verify the oil pressure, I just installed an autometer oil gauge, t-d off to run both new and old sending units. Here is what I got after finishing an hour ago:
first pic is at cold start idle autometer:
http://imageshack.us/a/img854/9787/coldstartidle.jpg
Uploaded with ImageShack.us
second pic is cold start idle oem gauge:
http://imageshack.us/a/img825/5174/coldstartidleoemgauge.jpg
Uploaded with ImageShack.us
third pic is warm idle autometer
http://imageshack.us/a/img543/2029/warmidle.jpg
Uploaded with ImageShack.us
fourth pic warm idle oem gauge
http://imageshack.us/a/img13/7971/warmidleoemgauge.jpg
Uploaded with ImageShack.us
The warm pic oem is what scared me. The tack will drop a hair below the first hash mark when running at cruising speed - 55mps 2700 rpm. But I actually feel better about the pressure now after seeing the autometer's readings.
What you guys think? Is this pressure acceptable? Or is it low?
Lastly, the video was from warm idle as well.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=24GKK37kYnk&feature=share&list=UL24GKK37kYnk
I now have the e-brake kit, shoes, speedy sleeve, gaskets, etc., so the next steps will be to diagnose and fix all the oil leaks and see if that has any measurable impacts to pressure. I'll start this weekend.
Next will be....? Oil pump? Fuel pump? Remove pan and take a look? Not sure I know what I'm looking for.....hell, maybe I'm over thinking all of this and should stop spending money, drive and enjoy.
Thanks for reading.