samatulich
SILVER Star
- Thread starter
- #41
Just south of Tok is where we made camp. In the morning we got up, put the sleeping bags away, took down the awning and loaded the roof rack up for the final time. We pulled out of camp and headed for Glenallen. I took the wheel and got back on the highway. That mornings drive picked up where the night before left off. We were just a few miles from Glenallen when the 2F hiccuped the first time. As I got us closer to town, the worse the driving became. Pulling into the gas station, the two of us hoped that some cold, fresh gas would be the ticket.
@GEMatulich was going to get us the rest of the way to Eagle River. He fired the 2F up and pulled away from the pump. Went to get back on the highway and that’s when it happened again, loosing power he pulled off into the gravel parking lot.
WTF! What happened. The night before it was running lights out. This morning it started off good, but gradually got worse and now we can’t even limp along. Frustrated, pissed off and irritated with ourselves and the vehicle we started to argue. What could it be, it got us so close to home, and now this. So we went over what we could do.
My brother called his friend and asked if he would rally out our way to pick us up if needed. His buddy agreed to help and was on stand by. We had a few more parts to swap out and try, neither one of us really wanted to be towed into town, not after all the driving that we had done.
One thing we had discussed was the fuel pump. My brother was insistent that we swap out the old with the new one. I was reluctant, thinking that up until this point in the drive, anytime we checked the sight glass on the carb, there was fuel in it. What we couldn’t figure out was why it ran so good from D Bay to Tok.
We got out and popped the hood. I climbed in the driver seat and got the engine started, meanwhile my brother looked at the sight glass. At an idle there was enough fuel, 2/3 of the window was full. With the gear box in neutral, I pressed down on the accelerator. My brother watched as the fuel was drawn into the carb, but never refilled. The engine stumbled and died.
The first thing we tried was a new fuel filter. Why not, should have tried this earlier, maybe. So we remove and replace fuel filters. Then my brother primes the carb, and again, it starts but does not draw any fuel into the bowl.
So we are down to the final, simple fix that we had, the fuel pump. Personally, I had never replaced a fuel pump. I knew where it was located and had read that they were pretty straight forward to replace. I unbox the new one and take a look at it. It require just two bolts to mount, looks real simple. I disconnect the battery and remove it, then I unthread and disconnect the hard line and loosen the hose clamp on the soft line. Then I felt around for the two bolts and got the socket in place, out comes the first, then the second bolt. I compared the two fuel pumps side by side, the new one was quite a bit bigger in diameter then the old one. Perhaps the old one was a replacement at some point in time, I don’t know. I get the new pump bolted on, fuel line hooked back up and the battery reinstalled. I jump back in the driver seat and @GEMatulich primes the carb. It fires up and the sight glass window quickly fills with gas. No S***!
For some of the guys here on mud, this would have been an earlier fix, maybe a no brainer.
For my brother and I it had been discussed, argued for and against, but one thing we both agreed with was that fuel pumps either work or they don’t. Perhaps that’s true with electric pumps, maybe even with some mechanical pumps, but with this particular mechanical pump it was on its way out.
We never smelled gas when checking the oil, fuel never leaked from a weep hole, no this pump just started to go out along the drive, and we were lucky to have a spare.
I must give my brother credit, he was the one who insisted that we swap out fuel pumps the evening before when we were stuck on the side of the road near Destruction Bay. He also was the one who was adamant about having the fuel pump before we left on the road trip.
With the new fuel pump installed, @GEMatulich gets back behind the wheel. He pulls out onto the Glenn Highway, and heads for home. Again, we keep our mouths closed and just listen and watch as the cruiser begins to get up to speed. Nothing happens, no hiccups, no sputtering, just a smooth, steady increase in speed. He grabs the hand throttle, pulls on it until it takes the weight of the accelerator pedal off his foot and he sits back. Again, we don’t say Sh**.
We’re passing by Slide Mountain, then Little Nelchina River. A bit further along and we pass Sheep Mountain. Climbing up the grade from Caribou Creek, we both take note that the might 2F is accelerating(well at least its not slowing down). Not in any hurry, my brother starts to push the motor a little more. Pretty soon were pushing 60mph then 65. By now, we both start to relax. Tired and gross we have just another push or two to go before we’re home.
Approaching Sutton, I ask if we can stop by and take a look at a couple of 40’s sitting in a yard that I’ve passed every fall that last several years.
My brother pulls in the drive way and I get out. There are a couple of old cruisers, looks like they’ve seen better days, sitting up on the hill in this guys yard. He isn’t home so we take off. I’ll stop by next time I’m up there. Wish I had snapped a photo to share.
Pretty soon we hit Palmer. One last fill up and we’re home.
The cruiser pulled into my brothers driveway at 4pm Alaska time. We made it. (1600hrs, 2470mi)
A shot with his ‘97 80-series
The road trip started with us leaving my house on June 27th at 1pm(PST), we arrived at my brothers house on July 1st at 4pm(AKDT). We covered over 2,400 miles in a 1976 Toyota Land Cruiser FJ40, with the original 2F motor, 4-speed trans and 4.11 gears.
I stayed for another week. Helped my brother around his new house, we built a work bench and organized his garage. Now he can pull a cruiser in there to get some work done.
While in town, we stoped by Green Tree Fabrication, I ordered an air locker that we will install this August when I return. (I plan on getting up to Prudhoe Bay this September)
I also spent time visiting with our other brother and giving him some stick time. He really liked what I had done to the 40, thought it drove nice and was in good shape. He too has stories and memories of growing up with it in the family.
We drove the cruiser down to the Kenai Peninsula after the 4th, the rig ran great, never once giving us any problems.
Here it is in Cooper Landing, AK.
By the time we got back to Eagle River and I got dropped off at the airport, the cruiser had just over 2900 miles since leaving Olympia. All I can really say at this point is, “Respect the 40.”
@GEMatulich was going to get us the rest of the way to Eagle River. He fired the 2F up and pulled away from the pump. Went to get back on the highway and that’s when it happened again, loosing power he pulled off into the gravel parking lot.
WTF! What happened. The night before it was running lights out. This morning it started off good, but gradually got worse and now we can’t even limp along. Frustrated, pissed off and irritated with ourselves and the vehicle we started to argue. What could it be, it got us so close to home, and now this. So we went over what we could do.
My brother called his friend and asked if he would rally out our way to pick us up if needed. His buddy agreed to help and was on stand by. We had a few more parts to swap out and try, neither one of us really wanted to be towed into town, not after all the driving that we had done.
One thing we had discussed was the fuel pump. My brother was insistent that we swap out the old with the new one. I was reluctant, thinking that up until this point in the drive, anytime we checked the sight glass on the carb, there was fuel in it. What we couldn’t figure out was why it ran so good from D Bay to Tok.
We got out and popped the hood. I climbed in the driver seat and got the engine started, meanwhile my brother looked at the sight glass. At an idle there was enough fuel, 2/3 of the window was full. With the gear box in neutral, I pressed down on the accelerator. My brother watched as the fuel was drawn into the carb, but never refilled. The engine stumbled and died.
The first thing we tried was a new fuel filter. Why not, should have tried this earlier, maybe. So we remove and replace fuel filters. Then my brother primes the carb, and again, it starts but does not draw any fuel into the bowl.
So we are down to the final, simple fix that we had, the fuel pump. Personally, I had never replaced a fuel pump. I knew where it was located and had read that they were pretty straight forward to replace. I unbox the new one and take a look at it. It require just two bolts to mount, looks real simple. I disconnect the battery and remove it, then I unthread and disconnect the hard line and loosen the hose clamp on the soft line. Then I felt around for the two bolts and got the socket in place, out comes the first, then the second bolt. I compared the two fuel pumps side by side, the new one was quite a bit bigger in diameter then the old one. Perhaps the old one was a replacement at some point in time, I don’t know. I get the new pump bolted on, fuel line hooked back up and the battery reinstalled. I jump back in the driver seat and @GEMatulich primes the carb. It fires up and the sight glass window quickly fills with gas. No S***!
For some of the guys here on mud, this would have been an earlier fix, maybe a no brainer.
For my brother and I it had been discussed, argued for and against, but one thing we both agreed with was that fuel pumps either work or they don’t. Perhaps that’s true with electric pumps, maybe even with some mechanical pumps, but with this particular mechanical pump it was on its way out.
We never smelled gas when checking the oil, fuel never leaked from a weep hole, no this pump just started to go out along the drive, and we were lucky to have a spare.
I must give my brother credit, he was the one who insisted that we swap out fuel pumps the evening before when we were stuck on the side of the road near Destruction Bay. He also was the one who was adamant about having the fuel pump before we left on the road trip.
With the new fuel pump installed, @GEMatulich gets back behind the wheel. He pulls out onto the Glenn Highway, and heads for home. Again, we keep our mouths closed and just listen and watch as the cruiser begins to get up to speed. Nothing happens, no hiccups, no sputtering, just a smooth, steady increase in speed. He grabs the hand throttle, pulls on it until it takes the weight of the accelerator pedal off his foot and he sits back. Again, we don’t say Sh**.
We’re passing by Slide Mountain, then Little Nelchina River. A bit further along and we pass Sheep Mountain. Climbing up the grade from Caribou Creek, we both take note that the might 2F is accelerating(well at least its not slowing down). Not in any hurry, my brother starts to push the motor a little more. Pretty soon were pushing 60mph then 65. By now, we both start to relax. Tired and gross we have just another push or two to go before we’re home.
Approaching Sutton, I ask if we can stop by and take a look at a couple of 40’s sitting in a yard that I’ve passed every fall that last several years.
My brother pulls in the drive way and I get out. There are a couple of old cruisers, looks like they’ve seen better days, sitting up on the hill in this guys yard. He isn’t home so we take off. I’ll stop by next time I’m up there. Wish I had snapped a photo to share.
Pretty soon we hit Palmer. One last fill up and we’re home.
The cruiser pulled into my brothers driveway at 4pm Alaska time. We made it. (1600hrs, 2470mi)
A shot with his ‘97 80-series
The road trip started with us leaving my house on June 27th at 1pm(PST), we arrived at my brothers house on July 1st at 4pm(AKDT). We covered over 2,400 miles in a 1976 Toyota Land Cruiser FJ40, with the original 2F motor, 4-speed trans and 4.11 gears.
I stayed for another week. Helped my brother around his new house, we built a work bench and organized his garage. Now he can pull a cruiser in there to get some work done.
While in town, we stoped by Green Tree Fabrication, I ordered an air locker that we will install this August when I return. (I plan on getting up to Prudhoe Bay this September)
I also spent time visiting with our other brother and giving him some stick time. He really liked what I had done to the 40, thought it drove nice and was in good shape. He too has stories and memories of growing up with it in the family.
We drove the cruiser down to the Kenai Peninsula after the 4th, the rig ran great, never once giving us any problems.
Here it is in Cooper Landing, AK.
By the time we got back to Eagle River and I got dropped off at the airport, the cruiser had just over 2900 miles since leaving Olympia. All I can really say at this point is, “Respect the 40.”
