Builds Salt wagon My first fj40 (build) (1 Viewer)

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Were you tapping the starter's solenoid, or was it the main part of the starter motor?
I was tapping the bottom of the starter but very well could be a solenoid issue. I had the starter get stuck spinning without engaging a few times over the summer (no teeth issues solenoid and gear just didnt shoot out)
 
Not alot of updating with the land cruiser. One annoying quirk lately it seems there might be a dead spot in the starter as occasionally it just wont engage or anything. I had a friend pull start me yesterday. I thought at first it was a battery cable but after a few wacks with a hammer to starter it started right up. So I might be buying a new starter soon. I wish I could find a hand crank to crank start it when it did that! I bought a non Oem starter and I feel like I should have paid the extra dough for toyota... you see it all the tume BUY OEM... so the only two non toyota parts have failed me...... valve seals and starter... well actually I have a city racer alternator that seems to be doing well.

Below are some things of note

Saw a really nice fj60 below

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Brought whats left of my old fj80 to the new house View attachment 3712248

Sanded, mopped, and painted floors
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and vacuumed before paint. I had the shop vac witch sucked....haha
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Went with this green color almost like the fj40 emerald green
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Yesterday we did the kitchen cabinets and installed a dishwasher. I finally feel like a real adult at 34.... excited about counter tops and dishwashers haha.
anyways I apologize for lack of fj40 updates. once I get settled I will post more. Hope everyone is doing well!
Sounds like a scream for attention from the Landcruiser . The Salt Wagon seems to be struggling with you pay attention to the house.

Welcome to the joys of home ownership, you will have the house looking great in no time
 
I don't know what starter you are using? But, if it is a remanufactured by a different company version of the OEM, here is my guess:

It sounds like the solenoid might be maladjusted? If the hooked-end piece is loose from the nut, then it might not have enough reach to engage the pinon with the flywheel. If that is the case, then the pinon teeth might be rubbing on the flywheel, and you'd probably hear it when it doesn't fully engage. At other times, the looseness of the pinon drive lever, regarding the starter clutch, might allow the pinon to barely engage with the ring gear on the flywheel, especially if the teeth are already lined-up.

(when the solenoid is energized, the solenoid pulls, and the drive lever bolt causes the clutch (Bendix) to push the pinon to the ring gear.
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When the solenoid is mostly retracted (or energized) then it allows current to flow to the fat ignition lead wire, which spins the starter.

I'd look at the flywheel timing mark window on the bell-housing and if you are grinding away at the flywheel ring gear, pull that starter motor.

I've opened up a remanufactured gear-reduction unit bought from a Toyota retailer, and I thought it was a bit off how they milled away casting to make the solenoid unit replaceable-fit, but, I have one as a trail-spare (even though it is in the shed). Especially for your year, think it would be cool to get a green starter.. 1958-72 FJ40 starter pics - https://forum.ih8mud.com/threads/1958-72-fj40-starter-pics.903600/page-2 As you can see, there is the Delco-Remy alternative, lol. And, my photo is from an incomplete unit (needs nose cone / starter drive housing, see classifieds).
 
Sounds like a scream for attention from the Landcruiser . The Salt Wagon seems to be struggling with you pay attention to the house.

Welcome to the joys of home ownership, you will have the house looking great in no time
hahahah yeah... and I keep looking at buying old f100 trucks.... the salt wagon is getting annoyed for sure.
 
so some of the worst kind of bad news this morning. I took the fj40 to coffee sat and had some coffee then 30 minutes later I drove to the grocery store and back to the house(all probably under a mile in driving distance) when I parked at the house I noticed the overflow tank was completely full and pouring on the ground. (I did not look to see if it was over heated)

About an hour later I start to mess with it. radiator cap seems fine. I ran the engine for a few minutes to check for bubbles in the radiator. while it was running it did not have bubbles but after i turned the engine off it pushed a bunch of radiator fluid out and possibly bubbled then. I noticed now that the temp gage is reading hot. the radiator is cool to the touch including both upper and lower hoses. the head however is pretty hot to the touch. cook an egg on it hot. no coolant mix with just looking on the dipstick. I am going to drain the oil and check today when I have some time.

some other things I noticed: it seems to be an all of a sudden some sort of failure. I also was not romping on it or anything. I didn't have any sort of smoke other than a half second puff of smoke out the tail pipe after starting it witch I attributed to the crap valve seals I used.

Unfortunately I think this is a head gasket issue.... Really hope not a cracked head. If its a head gasket issue I feel Its my own fault for again not using an oem gasket.

At least if its the head gasket I can re do the valve seals at the same time.

Pretty bummed out this happened.

I think the salt wagon is jealous I am putting all my time into the house lately. The most ironic thing is I taught my first automotive class yesterday and used the fj40 as a learning tool. I also explained where the head gasket is and what it means to have a head gasket failure pointing to where the head gasket is on the fj40.

anybody else have any ideas? or thoughts?
 
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I’d pull the block drain plug to see if your block has coolant and isn’t plugged. I’d then drain the radiator. Then pull upper heater hose (off rear of head) if you have a heater or pull the temp sender unit from the same rear head location. Then put air pressure in block drain plug and see if your’re getting air from block to head. Your block-to-head passages may be plugged. You have run this already a fair bit right, so you know you didn’t block any passages with a mis-installed HG?
 
I’d pull the block drain plug to see if your block has coolant and isn’t plugged. I’d then drain the radiator. Then pull upper heater hose (off rear of head) if you have a heater or pull the temp sender unit from the same rear head location. Then put air pressure in block drain plug and see if your’re getting air from block to head. Your block-to-head passages may be plugged. You have run this already a fair bit right, so you know you didn’t block any passages with a mis-installed HG?
Ill try that. Yeah I have driven this around all summer with out cooling issues untill today. Like 95 degree heavy load driving on the beach in 4wd without issues. I did flush the block but who knows somthing could have come loose in there. This would make since with the huge difference in temperature from the head to the block and radiator. Worth a try before I pull the head at least.
 
I would agree with Gray, if the rad hoses and radiator are cool and the engine is hot, then I'd figure there would be an issue with the tstat.
 
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Update I pulled the upper part of the thermostat housing and got the thermostat out. Pulled the temp sender out the block is currently draining from the side. I am noticing that the cup of coolant in the thermostat housing is not going down. I cant remember if the block has a lip there that would hold the coolant in the lower thermostat housing bowl. but should that coolant go down as the block drains? Going to test the Tstat in some boiling water and report back in a few. Just realized this one does not have a jiggle valve? didn't notice that when I was installing which makes sense to why I could not remember how I orientated it. the whole thermostat housing and Tstat and bolts came in a kit from city racer I am pretty sure. no coolant in the upper hose too... strange.

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draining mostly into a bucket but alot is not making it in there. (I also did pull the temp sender out.)
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Another update: I can poor water in the hole where the temp sender goes and it drains down to the block drain. Does not seem to be clogged. But I could be wrong. I wonder if I can get some cleaner to really zap anything that could be clogging? anybody have any suggestions for that?

I am going to drain the oil later today make sure I dont have some milk shake going on. I just gotta find a clean bucket to save on that oil. I just changed it a week or two ago.

I want to be optimistic but things are not looking great. Its just so weird that the head gasket would up and fail this quickly on such a short drive where the car really might not have even fully warmed up.
But like I said not the end of the world. I have my saved tip money that I was going to use for shocks or a rebuild kit for the h42 I have but If It has to go to head gasket, intake gasket, and valve seals thats not bad.

Just hoping its just a headgasket and not worse.
 
Another update: I can poor water in the hole where the temp sender goes and it drains down to the block drain. Does not seem to be clogged. But I could be wrong. I wonder if I can get some cleaner to really zap anything that could be clogging? anybody have any suggestions for that?

I am going to drain the oil later today make sure I dont have some milk shake going on. I just gotta find a clean bucket to save on that oil. I just changed it a week or two ago.

I want to be optimistic but things are not looking great. Its just so weird that the head gasket would up and fail this quickly on such a short drive where the car really might not have even fully warmed up.
But like I said not the end of the world. I have my saved tip money that I was going to use for shocks or a rebuild kit for the h42 I have but If It has to go to head gasket, intake gasket, and valve seals thats not bad.

Just hoping its just a headgasket and not worse.
I used Thermocure and it was insane how much more crud came out after I was already getting clear water flushing through.

I made a fitting for my garden hose to kind of force/back flush the system as well. Came at the system from as many angles as I could.

Hopefully it’s just crud blocking a passage somewhere.
 
May be a silly question, but is your water pump belt still there? Can you spin your water pump. I agree with the thinking that coolant isn’t circulating if the radiator isn’t hot. Which is weird in itself because if it’s boiling out to the overflow it should be pretty hot?
 
May be a silly question, but is your water pump belt still there? Can you spin your water pump. I agree with the thinking that coolant isn’t circulating if the radiator isn’t hot. Which is weird in itself because if it’s boiling out to the overflow it should be pretty hot?
the whole thing is pretty weird. Belt is still there. but it gets worse!
 
I pulled the plugs hoping to see any signs of head gasket issues maybe on number 2 because it was cleaner but defiantly signs that it was chewing on oil..... UGH I cant get a break today. I hope this is just from the valve seals like I was thinking. Like I said in some earlier post that it was around 135 - 138 on all the cylinders. Maybe over the summer it got worse. I have a compression tester coming I borrowed the last one and the guy moved.

number one is the worst pictured below. I am surprised it was still running as smoothly as it was.


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Number two was the only one inconsistent with the rest. Looked a little hot maybe? and cleaner.
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I might be pulling the head or the whole motor... Depends on what these compression numbers are.

Upside Is I pulled the valve cover and did not see any coolant.

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