Project: Dirty Old Man (1 Viewer)

[MTNGoatMobility]

So my little '85 FJ60 came back to me near the beginning of 2018 after patiently waiting for my return to Montana for five years. I'm sure it's unnecessary to describe how it felt to get him back, even if he didn't run and had rusted more and had the Optima battery replaced with a Napa and had lost one of the end caps on his front bumper and had his antenna snapped off and the carpet in the cargo area was shredded and the cab smelled of transmission fluid. It just confirmed I still have the bug. Wish I could say that in the five years we've been apart I'd gained a mechanical prowess to match the love...but, well, we'll see how this goes.


Old fuel was the obvious issue when he didn't start, but the biggest hindrance to fixing it was actually just making sure the filter and pump were hooked up correctly since some do-gooders had tried to get him started before putting him on the truck east. Got everything plugged back in, gassed and sea foamed him up, verified fuel flow at the filter and then the carb, finally tapped on the housing where the fuel line plugs in to the carb, and voila! It was like he'd never been away. Started right up. Sounded like he'd never been parked. Drove him all over the farm and, despite more mechanically minded folks (read: father and uncle) cautioning to take it easy on him, took him on a little 150 mile stroll through the mountains of NC.

Noticed a few things different.

1. He would die at stop lights.
2. Rolling down the window immediately filled the cab with gas fumes.
3. The tape deck would not eject Don McLean.
4. His idle was rough sometimes.
5. Starting was difficult sometimes.
6. The shifter wouldn't go in and out as smoothly.
7. The key is hard to turn (um...it's actually bending).
8. The choke is stiff to pull out.

But! He would start and go and I drove him at least twice a week (anywhere from 45 miles to 150) for months. And I definitely kept him topped off.

Now he won't start. Five days ago he would run if I primed the carb first. Now...

He has fuel. Clean, treated fuel all the way to the carb. Blew out the lines back to the tank, replaced the filter. Something just isn't going right in the carb. The choke valve doesn't shut all the way (it's like 98% there) but I'm pretty sure it's always been a little open. And my dad did lose the gas cap when he pumped fuel five days ago. Bet he put it on the top of the truck and forgot about it when we drove off But that shouldn't affect anything, should it? Anyway, so that's item number one on the to-do list.

1. Diagnose Carb. FSM?
2. Install 2 hoses. Nice folks helped identify said hoses here
3. Replace vacuum lines. Vacuum Hose Thread in the FAQ
4. Replace head gasket. Feel like I got this one on my own
5. Figure out if he's desmogged. (I warned you, you read this far at your own risk, I'm *that* newbie)
6. Revisit item number 2 so I'll know how much line to order.
7. Start addressing rust issues (lived in Montana for years and never saw as much salt as they use down here)

So the goal with this project is to keep him mostly original if possible (availability of parts and $$, of course) and get him running like a top. Oh, and looking good. Pics to come!

 

[Prairie Swamp]

Glad you were able to be re-united with your rig. Motivation and a willingness to learn trumps lack of experience or tools IMHO.

Given the age, recent inactivity along with ethanol fuel (I assume) a carb rebuild is inevitable. I would just bite the bullet and do it and as long as it's done properly you work outward from there knowing the carb isn't part of the problem.

Good luck and keep us posted.

 

[g-man]

What's it doing when you turn the key? Do you hear a click from the starter solenoid? Is the motor turning with speed? Can you hear air moving/wheezing? A sign of compression.

 

[CuCruiser]

Thoughts:
The carb doesn't have to be far out of tune to have a rough idle by modern standards. Non working or leaking smog equipment also possible causes.

Shifting trouble might be as easy as fluid levels in tranny. Have you checked that? These trucks at this age are known to leak fluid from tranny into t-case or vice versa.


I would second the carb rebuild is the first step. Look for pinhead's videos in the FAQ thread if you want to do yourself.

Either intentionally or by age, I'd guess it's probably partly desmogged. Photos of engine bay and we can possibly tell you.

these things will make a big improvement in the driving experience. And at the end you'll know a lot about what makes that dirty old man tick!

Good luck!