Perplexed ... Could Use Some Advice

[Carrera_Charlie]

Hello All!

After sitting 2 years in the driveway, I've just completed the engine replacement in my FJ60 with a 2F engine from a dearly departed FJ55. The new engine came with an early carburetor (F?) and a DUI distributor. I installed those and desmoged the FJ60 in the switchover.

My issue is that I cannot get the timing quite right and the engine will not rev over 2000 RPM. When I get close to the timing marks on the flywheel the engine wants to die. I have to rotate the distributor approx. 20 degrees counter clockwise away from the timing marks to keep the engine running. When I hit the gas, the engine accelerates but won't go past 2000 RPM and begins to stumble and sputter, holding steady at 2000 RPM.

There is a sound like a manifold leak at high RPM - could this be the culprit? I have torqued the bolts in the proper sequence, but the previous owner said he had a manifold leak so I'm wondering about a warped head.

Also, because the carb has only two vacuum ports on it (next to the mixture screw) I'm guessing it's an early model. I have searched the forum for the same type, but so far no success.

Any and all advice would be welcomed! If anyone in Seattle would care to swing by and look it over, I would appreciate the help.

Charlie

 

[alaska60]

Are you timing with the vacuums plugged up? Sounds like a vacuum issue maybe? I still wouldnt rule out the head though

 

[inkpot]

Howdy! Sounds like the dizzy is off by one. Make sure you are on TDC on #1 when the timing mark is up. John

 

[Carrera_Charlie]

John, Thanks for your input! My question back to you is that if I am off one tooth on the distributor, can't I compensate for that error by spinning the distributor body to line it up? I have nearly 180 degrees of rotation with the distributor body and have swung it every 30 degrees to check its effect on the engine. I've indexed the rotor one tooth both ways (advance and retard) with the same results. I even turned the rotor 180 around in case I messed up with the timing and was trying to spark at the top of the exhaust stroke - thankfully, I was in the right place to begin with.

I've worked on a few engines over my lifetime and somewhere in my past I remember an engine acting like this as well, but for the life of me I can't recall the fix!! What's most frustrating is that this engine ran extremely well for the previous owner with this exact setup.

My fallback position is to install the dizzy from the previous 2F engine I had in the vehicle and see if I can get that to time right and run well. If you have any other ideas, let me know - I'm open to all thoughts right now.

Thanks again for taking the time to help!

Charlie

 

[ntsqd]

Is the dizzy's mechanical advance loose and working?
What about fuel delivery volume?
Time for the old spray carb cleaner on all of the gaskets while running trick?

 

[inkpot]

Howdy! Sound like you've already hit the things I thought of. Could it be fuel supply? Could be the vacuum leak your hearing. Go back over all the smog/desmog stuff to make sure you didn't leave anything open. Is the throttle opening all the way? Are you running a two stage carb and the secondary is not opening? If you have a carb that is designed to supply a signal for vacuum advance, but the dizzy is looking for a vacuum retard, or vice versa, it will really affect the performance. Post up some pix so I can stare at it until it runs better!! John

 

[Carrera_Charlie]

John,

I'll post some photos in a couple of hours (battery died on my cellphone and it's the only digital camera in the house right now).

For an update, I switched the distributor last night with the original Toyota distributor and had the same results - limited upper revs. It was also tougher to keep running. Switched back to the DUI distributor afterwards and I could at least rotate the body of the distributor to a point where the engine would idle and run "better" - it still maxes out at 2000 RPM.

Your comment about the carburetor comes back to something I observed during the buildup of this engine - I could not see how the secondary opens during operation. There was no direct linkage to effect the opening - it looked like the primary linkage moved out of the way so the secondary could swing open (due to airflow??). It had me puzzled then and it might be the issue now. I'll get the best photos I can of the carb so you can see what I'm working with here.

Thanks for taking the time to nurse me through this - you're one of the great people that make this forum such a tremendous resource! And believe me, I'm looking forward to when I can announce another vintage Cruiser lives again!!

Charlie

 

[inkpot]

Howdy! The secondaries should be vacuum operated. When the primary bore is closed, or just partially open, then the linkage will prevent the secondary from opening. Usually, after you are about 1/2 way open on the primary, the linkage will allow the vacuum to pull open the secondary. Lots of American 4 barrels work the same way. You can test this by pushing on the secondary plate while opening the primary via the throttle linkage. Around 1/2 way open, the secondary should be free to go open. John

 

[Carrera_Charlie]

Okay, got some pictures:

The DUI distributor - vacuum advance coming from one of two ports on the carburetor base:

The carburetor - it only has one diaphragm requiring outside vacuum:

Base of the carburetor - one port going to the diaphragm on the carb, the other heading to the advance on the distributor:

The fuel connection on the carb - I blocked the inboard port since I only had one fuel line from the previous engine which did not use the banjo bolt that was on the inboard port:

The linkage on the aft side of the carburetor:

A large port which I capped that comes off the carb insulator plate - I don't know what this connection goes to, so I capped it:

A shot of the carb showing the large port that I capped at the base:

A shot of the bracket I made out of diamond plate to mount the power steering pump - this engine block had no holes for the PS pump, making me think it's an early block (it's stamped "2F" but did come from an FJ-55):

I hope these photos help show what I have to work with - I'll check how free the secondary is to operate with the throttle open and see if it does open at all when the engine is running.

Keep your fingers crossed for me - and let me know if you see any problems I missed.

Charlie

 

[FJ40Jim]

The only vac hose that needs changed is the Choke Breaker (vac pot on carb). It should be connected to manifold vacuum, the vac fitting on the intake manifold right in front of the carb.

The "green wire mod" needs done, to keep the idle solenoid on at all RPM's. But an idle solenoid going into cutoff mode will not stop the engine from revving up.

Pic shows fuel level is good on sight glass, so there is adequate fuel at idle.
There could be a fuel starvation problem under load. to test for fuel delivery, run the engine and work the throttle many times, free-revving the engine. If fuel level in sight glass stays up, then pump, lines & filter are adequate.

Check compression. If all cylinders are uniformly low, and engine is gutless, then 2-piece cam gear has spun.

 

[Carrera_Charlie]

Finally found the problem!!!

It took a lot of head-scratching, numerous distributor and carb swaps but I finally figured out why my new engine would not rev above 1,800 RPM.

After being totally frustrated after the last distributor swap, I decided to check out the hissing sound coming from underneath the FJ-60 on the odd chance it had something to do with my problems. I managed to get the engine to run at 1,200 RPM without me nursing it and slid underneath to track down the source of the sound. I found out it was exhaust gas coming out of the FRONT of the catalytic converter, through a narrow seam in the weld joint. You're right ... it had to be plugged!

I cut the downstream pipe and could see the platinum honeycomb, which normally looks like this:

I then took a 1" auger bit and drilled holes through the honeycomb. It crumbled apart and I could pull chunks out ... look what came out:

Once I got all the chunks out, I started the engine and it reved right up to redline with no hesitation - problem solved!!

It all makes sense now - the truck was purchased and run in Seattle with no problems (cool environment). When I drove the truck down to my son in Southern California (he was stationed at Camp Pendleton) the truck began to overheat, especially over high, warm mountain passes. My son flushed the system, but did not do anything else. He eventually had it die on him out at the Salton Sea (+100 deg F weather) and I went down and towed it back here.

We found out the radiator was 60% plugged during the post mortem. With limited cooling the engine overheated and in turn melted the catalytic converter.

I can now adjust the timing and idle speed and have only minor things to address.

Cheer for another Landcruiser resurrected!!

Charlie

 

[FJ40Jim]

It melted the cat because the fuel mixture into the cat was wrong, usually too much HC. The stock cat is a gianormous pellet converter, instead of a tiny honeycomb. It isn't difficult for our big dinosaur engines to melt a delicate, modern cat.