Builds RevISK’s ‘80 FJ40 - A Girl Named Norman (4 Viewers)

[RevISK]

I drained the oil, refilled it and jumped the solenoid again and....

It turned over!
Now to track down why I’m not getting juice into the cab.

Ian

 

[Downey]

I'm totally in disagreement with "dogfishlake" in post #8 above, my guess is he never had a fully baffled Holley 350. Once they are baffled about the only thing that would make you happier is a fuel injection conversion. Look at ebay #254412375238, particularly the 3 drawings.
I have no problem with your steering gear box being pushed back into the front crossmember, but when a portion of the crossmember is removed, it must be replaced with more gusseting/mass/boxed-in to maintain it's strength. It looks like someone didn't know how to weld cast steel to formed steel (or didn't know how to get a weld to penetrate).

 

[RevISK]

I'm totally in disagreement with "dogfishlake" in post #8 above, my guess is he never had a fully baffled Holley 350. Once they are baffled about the only thing that would make you happier is a fuel injection conversion. Look at ebay #254412375238, particularly the 3 drawings.
I have no problem with your steering gear box being pushed back into the front crossmember, but when a portion of the crossmember is removed, it must be replaced with more gusseting/mass/boxed-in to maintain it's strength. It looks like someone didn't know how to weld cast steel to formed steel (or didn't know how to get a weld to penetrate).

Hey Downey,
Thanks for the reply and your take. I’ll look into the info you provided. Could you point me a link/thread that explains more about this particular setup? I’m far from being considered a mechanic yet I am not a total idiot and I’m an avid learner.

Yeah, that weld did not penetrate at all. I’m a decent at best welder, but I have a good friend who is a wizard of welding and I plan to take it to him today so I can at least steer this beast.

appreciate your time,
Ian

 

[dogfishlake]

I'm totally in disagreement with "dogfishlake" in post #8 above, my guess is he never had a fully baffled Holley 350. Once they are baffled about the only thing that would make you happier is a fuel injection conversion. Look at ebay #254412375238, particularly the 3 drawings.
I have no problem with your steering gear box being pushed back into the front crossmember, but when a portion of the crossmember is removed, it must be replaced with more gusseting/mass/boxed-in to maintain it's strength. It looks like someone didn't know how to weld cast steel to formed steel (or didn't know how to get a weld to penetrate).

I've had lots of Holleys. Some were fine, most weren't. I'm sure it can be up and running with that on there but my money is on it being the source of much future grief.

#edit
I will say that the troubles I have had were with trying to make an old carb work well again. You could put a new Holley on there and probably be just fine. If you were doing that though, it seems like a great time to go back to an Aisin carb again.

 

[RevISK]

Guess I’ll just keep posting here as my thread if that’s cool.

working on shoring up the Saginaw PS mount.
The weld was good, but just done at the top. It tore the metal out of the frame.
We’re using the same mount but welding the sides too.

Any comments as to doing it wrong?

 

[RevISK]

Bracket welded back on. Like for real this time.
Managed to get all the steering linkage to fit back together.
Need to find smaller nuts as the fit is tight. I turned 3 of the 4 bolts into posts.

painted the area before install.

 

[pb4ugo]

As Downey mentioned, Now you need to put your attention towards the holes cut in the crossmember. That area in the frame is a high stress and flex area. The crossmember will probably crack and fail. Take care of it now while you have it apart. Both sides need to be taken care of. You might look on Cruiser Outfitters website, to get some ideas on how to reinforce it. The PO installed p/s on my FJ40 similar to yours, and hacked the C/M and frame too. It was constantly an issue. It eventually wiped out the left frt frame rail and crossmeber. I had to rebuild/scab the frame rail and replace the crossmember with one from a doner frame. I then changed my steering to scout power steering, which is less evasive and cleaner install.

 

[RevISK]

As Downey mentioned, Now you need to put your attention towards the holes cut in the crossmember. That area in the frame is a high stress and flex area. The crossmember will probably crack and fail. Take care of it now while you have it apart. Both sides need to be taken care of. You might look on Cruiser Outfitters website, to get some ideas on how to reinforce it. The PO installed p/s on my FJ40 similar to yours, and hacked the C/M and frame too. It was constantly an issue. It eventually wiped out the left frt frame rail and crossmeber. I had to rebuild/scab the frame rail and replace the crossmember with one from a doner frame. I then changed my steering to scout power steering, which is less evasive and cleaner install.

Yeah, I was looking at that gaping maw in the cross member and thought it could use something.
I found the firewall plate on the Cruiser Outfitters site, I’m assuming that’s what you mean. The tube insert seems superfluous though.
I could see how gusseting both sides would help and also instead of just a plate with a hole, that area could benefit from a C channel type boxing in.
Thanks for the heads up, it’s going to be like this for awhile while I refinish the bumper.

If you have any pictures or threads that show a good example of this reinforcement I’d appreciate it.
I’ll keep looking regardless and maybe get my local sheet metal shop to bend me up some support.

Ian

 

[RevISK]

I found this thread: Saginaw mount
Which I believe looks like a good place to work from...
Unfortunately many of the links to parts have expired, but I have ideas that I’ll pass by y’all when I can formulate them into intelligible posts.

 

[Downey]

I sincerely hope you don't have a problem installing mounting bolts for the gear box, as I recall the bolts had to be installed into the gear box mounting plate "before" the plate was welded onto the frame ???

 

[RevISK]

I sincerely hope you don't have a problem installing mounting bolts for the gear box, as I recall the bolts had to be installed into the gear box mounting plate "before" the plate was welded onto the frame ???

Yeah, you’re right about that. I wanted to have more common style nuts and bolts instead of the large “star” drive type bolts that were in there.
I made the 3 most problematic bolts into studs that come off the gearbox. Was able to mount it that way though I need smaller nuts to really get it tightened down. Not a lot of room there...

 

[RevISK]

Hey gang,

Back to my original-ish issue...
I’ve located the electrical air gap that was omitting power to my ignition. It now turns over with the key.
Still not starting or even firing after flooding the carb with starter fluid and swapping out the plugs (gapped to .39).
I’m not getting fuel, replaced the filter, so I suspect the fuel pump.
I’m thinking I’m also not getting a spark. All my wires are going to the right plug and the distributor cap and wires look fairly new.
Any thoughts on what to bang on to make this thing magically start? Aside from my wallet?

thanks,
Ian

 

[RevISK]

Wondering why when I post here it doesn’t show up in “new posts”...

any thoughts?
I emailed the admin and while I did get a response it wasn’t terribly helpful...

just trying to learn my way around this forum.

thanks

 

[pigmony]

Probably because it's a new post in an existing thread. I think new "posts" probably means new threads. Also, once you post in a thread or select the "watch thread" option you get alerts.

 

[RevISK]

Probably because it's a new post in an existing thread. I think new "posts" probably means new threads. Also, once you post in a thread or select the "watch thread" option you get alerts.

Thanks. Woody actually ended up clueing me in.
Just a different format than I’m used to.

would love for someone to chime in about my above questions related to my FJ...

Ian

 

[pigmony]

I would buy ($5-$10) an inline spark tester. Or you might be able to borrow one from your local parts store. They install between the spark plug and the plug wire and have a light that flashes each time there is current to the wire. That would let you know if you have spark at each cylinder. I'd also borrow a leak down test kit from your local parts store. Verify that each cylinder is compressing and holding some pressure. It doesn't have to be perfect to get the engine to run, but this test provides a good indication of the health of the engine. Assuming both of these tests return positive results, you have air and spark taken care of and just have fuel left. I'd probably start by disconnecting the fuel line from the carb and having somebody crank the engine while I watched to make sure fuel was coming out of the line. Assuming it is, I know my pump is reasonably functional, my lines are reasonably clear, and my filter is reasonably not plugged. Depending on whether you find carbs to be voodoo or not, you might get a carb rebuild kit, send it out to be rebuilt, fog it with carb cleaner, replace it, or just hope for the best. After the first two tests, you know you have air and spark so you might be able to get it started with starter fluid. Once it's running, verify your oil pressure, timing, fuel pressure, carb settings, and cooling system.

 

[pigmony]

Also, there are Land Cruiser owners who will take offense to the term "FJ" when you're talking about an FJ-40. In the Toyota world the term "FJ" refers to the FJ Cruiser, which is decidedly not a Land Cruiser. Most Land Cruiser owners will refer to their vehicle by the model number: 40, 43, 60, 80, etc. Everyone has been polite in this thread, but it's only a matter of time before somebody gets cranky about it.

 

[RevISK]

I would buy ($5-$10) an inline spark tester. Or you might be able to borrow one from your local parts store. They install between the spark plug and the plug wire and have a light that flashes each time there is current to the wire. That would let you know if you have spark at each cylinder. I'd also borrow a leak down test kit from your local parts store. Verify that each cylinder is compressing and holding some pressure. It doesn't have to be perfect to get the engine to run, but this test provides a good indication of the health of the engine. Assuming both of these tests return positive results, you have air and spark taken care of and just have fuel left. I'd probably start by disconnecting the fuel line from the carb and having somebody crank the engine while I watched to make sure fuel was coming out of the line. Assuming it is, I know my pump is reasonably functional, my lines are reasonably clear, and my filter is reasonably not plugged. Depending on whether you find carbs to be voodoo or not, you might get a carb rebuild kit, send it out to be rebuilt, fog it with carb cleaner, replace it, or just hope for the best. After the first two tests, you know you have air and spark so you might be able to get it started with starter fluid. Once it's running, verify your oil pressure, timing, fuel pressure, carb settings, and cooling system.

I can certainly confirm it’s not getting fuel, I replaced the fuel filter and nothing is showing up in the new one. So I am thinking fuel pump is the culprit on that. I’ve been trying to start it with starter fluid and I would think I would get some sort of action if I’m getting a spark?
While fiddling around with the dizzy (I’ve been reading up) I did notice it was loose at its connection to the block, tightened that up. Dizzy looks good on initial inspection, the thing inside snaps back after I turn it a bit CW. The small vacuum pump line (?) that goes to the carburetor looks like there could be some funk in the nipple, should I take that off to blow it out/run some solvent through it?
I’ll grab the tools you mentioned above and start blowing out fuel lines and perhaps get a new fuel pump unless there is a way to test that.

Appreciate the heads up about referring to my 40 as my 40. In reading past threads I can see how things can get toxic pretty quick here.

Thanks again for taking the time to assist...
Ian

 

[RevISK]

Query:

what is this gold fined aluminum block thing?
It ohms out to the wire that comes off the pos terminal.

 

[RevISK]

Another question...
I’m cleaning up all the connections and grounds and when I pulled the resistor there is a lot of crumbling ceramic (?), guessing I should replace?

I’m still not getting spark at the plugs as confirmed by an inline spark tester. So I’m trying to track down any ground or faulty wire issues.
Any other grounds that I should be looking for?