Reviving a 2f from the woods (1 Viewer)

[island45]

About 15 years ago I bought a 2F with tranny and transfer from a rolled '82 FJ 60. Was told "it ran". I was going to put all this into a '66 FJ45 but ended up using '77 gear with serious low miles. The '82 2F ended up in the deep woods in an open utility trailer with 3 tarps neatly tied around it and lots of oil squirted into the cylinders. Over the years I robbed a lot of parts off it for other projects. Well last weekend I got bored and went up to my other 5 acres with my skidsteer and hoisted it out. Before too long I found a starter on a shelf in an open shed, 2 sets of manifolds in the attic above my cabinet shop, three aisan carbs, and a non-usa looking points dizzy in a box of stuff. I was missing a lot of nuts, bolts and studs to fit everything together but a couple trips back to the attic, and a spare parts engine for the 11 hp honda on my bandsaw mill yielded most of what I needed. I even found four used manifold gaskets hanging on a nail in a corner. (just might need one)I set about to assembling what I found onto the block. With all the junk around, I was surprised that the hardest thing to find was plug wires. I ended up with a miserable bunch of cracked and frayed stuff from my large collection of flathead ford engines. I had a recent echlin coil from napa that even still had a bracket. I borrowed the battery from my son's boat. He's gone for a week, won't miss it. The 2F was still bolted to the remnants of a stand I made after the purchase. I ratchet strapped it to a steel dolly on caster wheels. Piece of 3/8 air hose stuffed over the inlet threads on the asain, zip tied upwards for a tank. Small plastic funnel and introduced some 50:1 premium chainsaw mix. Sight glass showed a 50/50 split. The oil had looked very clean and was at the full mark. Because I like being safe I set my fire extinguisher next to me on the floor and wired the idle screw and the choke both open about 5%. I kid you not, after about 3 revolutions it roared to life and kept roaring like 2000 rpms and gaining... WTF? I quickly tore the wire off the coil. I decided the vacuum was pulling the secondary open which wasn't wired shut. Now try again.... ROAR! But really healthy (and really loud), once again she wanted to race away, so I jerked the wire again. The wire from battery to coil primary. Why was this thing racing when I had it all set for a tame 30 second high idle run????? Oh yeah, early on I hadn't found the manifold gaskets yet and was just finding studs and bolts to hang the manifolds on with, finger tight and no gasket. So upon firing it was getting it's fuel from the carb and tons of air through the gap between the manifolds and the head. I recipe for a runaway engine! I was greatly encouraged that it started so easily (and that I was right alongside the ignition wire) and will now get a gasket in there and tighten things up a bit. I have a chinese aluminum radiator from a flathead six project and I found 3 thermostats, 2 housings and 2 water pumps for the 2f. I also have a manual oil pressure gauge from a tractor to thread into the oil cooler port for my next startup. What could possibly go wrong?

 

[Grayscale]

Maybe the float is getting you too much fuel, the choke is set to get too much air? An engine is an air pump, you can always cut air, and rpm, by closing the throttle.

I need to build something to run my 2F without the block falling to the floor.

 

[island45]

In this instance both butterflies were wired almost shut. The engine was sucking in mixture through the huge space because there was no gasket and the loose manifold was just hanging off the studs. This was down stream of the throttle so it couldn't be regulated. I imagine pressing my hand over the carb's air horn would result in a richer mixture and perhaps even more rpms. Pulling the wire was faster than waiting for it to run outa fuel.

 

[fjwagon]

Good read, thanks posting and documenting the journey you are on. I bought an 82 60 2f about twenty years. It's been sitting at my parents back yard all this time with tarps. I bought it thinking I would use it as donor for parts. Every once in a while I have been curious to see what kind of compressions has...but that is about as far I have gotten...thinking about it. And still after all these years I just cannot convince myself to get rid of it. I pretty sure there others out there with solid engines that are waiting for second life. Anyhow, thanks for posting. About the only thing i can add is ohm out the spark plug wires if feel they are not up to par. Or maybe add some silicon if they have cracks on the wires or boots.

 

[island45]

Every so often I find a better plug wire in the boxes I go through. I keep making progress. Choke cable, throttle cable, manifold gasket with 'great stuff' gasket sealer on the intakes. Carb was on with 2 studs so I welded up some old M8 bolts together to make two more studs. (our napa is only auto parts store on the island and it closes at noon on Saturday and is closed on Sunday). Today at lunch I found a three bolt exhaust downpipe with inner and outer tubes that's like new. Made a gasket from remflex bulk sheet I had and scrounged up some nuts. Sounds way better. Lastly I hauled the water pump and thermo housing down the ladder and installed them on the front in anticipation of introducing some water to the system. For now I will bypass the oil cooler. Starting to run really nice, idles smooth and steady. Mechanical oil pressure gauge shows 65 lbs at fast idle. Of course I can only run it about one minute at a time right now. Last week after some marvel mystery oil, but before it ran, it had 80 lbs compression in the lowest cylinder and 125 in the highest. My guess is it will or has improved greatly.

 

[middlecalf]

Dick VanDyke stuff here (Chitty Chitty Bang Bang). Love it!

 

[island45]

When I DO make the 24 mile round trip to the napa store I am often greeted with "What is Gary McGuyver working on today?" The blue vehicle is the jalopy I built on the chassis of my beloved '79 FJ 55. I have a lot of '46 and '47 ford truck sheet metal and the poor piggy was heavily rusted but the frame was good and the 2f is like new. Rear fenders are from a 3/4 ton 'cornbinder' and the seat is the 3rd row seat from my old suburban. When projects get done, I get itchy for the next one. They just never seem to end.
OK, tech question for tomorrow:
As you can see I'm running a gravity fuel system for now. The fuel pump hole is making a mess and I found two fuel pumps. Both have the return line hose attachment, but one has a much bigger arm lever. Looks like the short arm one fits. My '77 ? carb has the return port capped off and works fine as is. Should I just cap off the return fitting on the fuel pump and run it like that?

 

[Skreddy]

How did so many 46/47 Ford trucks make it onto that island and live that long?!

 

[island45]

3 of the 4 shown came from Twisp, which is on the 'dry side', Eastern Washington. Skreddy will know that area... They were part of a trade. The red one ton pickup came from Northern California in pieces. They were all incomplete and non running. The woodie wagon was a 400.00 half ton pickup 5 years ago before this woodworker got ahold of it and the red tonner got a cummins 6at 210 cu in turbo diesel (onan genset derivative) with an SM465 behind it. I have a lot of energy. I work full time in my cabinet shop and I will be 70 in May. I forgot to put away money for retirement as I raised 4 kids on a rock and have been self employed for almost 40 years. Wouldn't change a thing. Well maybe another pig or an LPB.

 

[fjwagon]

You have a really nice collection of old Ford, sweet. Not sure it really matters much if the retun line plugged if you are testing it at idle. On the fuel pump arms, I have noticed that too. Sometimes i think they are from a chevy engine since they share the same bolt pattern. It may still work. Varify the wear marks on the original one. If the fuel pump is leaking through a weep hole, it may have just fails and needs to be replaced. The engine you have should also have a spacer between the the block and pump. I also want to say the older models do not have the spacer at the fuel pump. It sounds like you have a good running engine.

 

[island45]

Thanks FJwagon, I don't find a spacer anywhere. The long arm one would definately need a spacer, the short one I can feel the arm compressing as I tighten screws. Seems I remember that feeling from past fuel pumps. Yes, happy to say it runs better with each startup and each improvement I make. Starts instantly with full choke, warms quickly, and idles well with no choke. Then I get nervous and shut it down. Tomorrow after work I hope to hook up the radiator. I have the alternator so If I can find a belt that works we should be pumping water. With the alternator as my idler will it be harmed if no wires are hooked up to anything? Been digging around for some kind of muffler but no success so far. If not I should have a 10' length of downspout for a straight pipe leading out the door. Good thing my closest neighbors are a half mile away.

 

[cruisermatt]

no harm capping the return port on the pump. My spare parts-built daily driver 71 has a +80 3-port pump with the return capped.

 

[island45]

Thanks Matt I will clamp a scrap of 5/16" fuel hose on it with a 5/16 bolt in the end. I don't want to church this thing up too much and make my other hillbilly $#!+ look bad. How about running my nice '82 alternator with no wires hooked up? All that electricity being made and no where for it to go seems like something could get hot.....??

 

[middlecalf]

Google says the alternator‘s diodes won’t like being run in an open circuit, until they die and no longer care .

 

[Grayscale]

Whatever you do, don't install off-the-shelf from the auto store flex fuel line in any kind of permanent manner. Still, every corner shop has this stuff that can't handle normal 50-states fuel. The original factory lines showed nothing major that needed replacement, but, a new line can only be depended upon for a year, or less, to five, depending on operating temp - fuel leaks are embarrassing if nothing else. Quadrajet-brand ethanol compatible line is a bookmark on my browser. I have a non-pressure EFI USA mnf. and blend fuels compatible, used, hose that I need to put in place of a corner-store-band-aid.

 

[cruisermatt]

Thanks Matt I will clamp a scrap of 5/16" fuel hose on it with a 5/16 bolt in the end. I don't want to church this thing up too much and make my other hillbilly $#!+ look bad. How about running my nice '82 alternator with no wires hooked up? All that electricity being made and no where for it to go seems like something could get hot.....??

Mine has a piece of fuel hose folded over itself and hose-clamped

 

[Grayscale]

Run a line from the Jerry can along the body and thru the hood vents. Grapes of Wrath in traffic.

 

[Grayscale]

I recall not buttoning-up some hard lines going to the carb's air horn. Insert ASMR emoji. I don't remember if it was the vapor off of the headers, or if I just simply remembered, but, I was at the stop sign, and glad that I didn't have to make that hillbilly stride to my shop a half-a-block-away for the combination 17mm wrench which I normally keep in my on-board tool bag.

Even with leaking fuel, still this thing makes me feel safer than riding on an EV battery.

 

[island45]

I always buy the expensive fuel hose for fuel injection at napa. Being more expensive automatically means it's better, Right? And I might make an idler to save my alternator as I have a ball bearing V pulley here. Having a heck of a time finding something for a top radiator hose. I usually save sink P traps to make the bends, that way I can use up the short bits of hose I have laying around.

 

[Grayscale]

I'm not running an idler, earlier 2F. No way is the alternator belt slipping. Can you use an older (shorter) alternator belt and loop it around the water pump?

1958-1984 FJ40, FJ45 and FJ55 Fan Belt and Hose Kits - Specter Off-Road

Toyota Land Cruiser parts since 1983. From the oldest FJ25 and FJ40 to FJ45 BJ40 FJ55 FJ60 BJ60 FJ62 FJ70 BJ70 FJ80 and 100 Series, SOR has the largest selection of top quality new and used OEM and aftermarket Land Cruiser parts in stock in the world. Specializing in restoration parts for both...

www.sor.com