Stuck on broke mountain (1 Viewer)

[SlimTim]

I was driving up a pretty aggressive mountain and my 89 land cruiser fj62 quit running. I could not get it re-Started, it acted like it was out of gas. So I hiked out got gas and back up mountain but still won't start. Got spark. Got air. Got NO gas getting to the engine. It seems like the steep angle has s*** it down, I saw maybe an oil sensor thought there was no oil or maybe tranny fluid (1989 fj62 with fuel injection and automatic tranny).

It is too steep to back it down without power and too steep to risk rolling back sideways to get it pointed downhill.

1. What can be the cause for the shut down and no restart?
2. If I can't get it started, what are best ideas to get it down?

 

[RockDoc]

I would be doubtful that the angle has cut your fuel supply. Any debris tumbling or being thrown under the truck? (branches, loose rocks)

My first thought is wiring to the fuel pump. It is somewhat exposed behind the rear driver's side tire, and is a failure point that has been know to hit a few people (I lost mine once due more to corrosion than anything else). You could inspect the wiring that passes from the quarter panel across to the top of the fuel tank and repair any damage you find.

Perhaps the steep incline and having the drivetrain really torqued up has torn one of the intake hoses between the air flow meter and the throttle body. This would allow massive amounts of unmetered air into the engine. Doubtful this would keep the engine from firing (unless it's completely torn), but would keep it from running right / stall out immediately. If this is it, it could be temporarily fixed by wrapping the hose with duct tape.

Another thing you could do is check for codes to see if there is any sort of fault the computer has picked up on. You can do this with a short piece of jumper wire or a paperclip. There should be an instructive thread in the 60 series FAQ section.

I'm sure some others will have other suggestions, there are the ones that pop into my mind.

 

[woytovich]

Get another truck out there to lower you down with a winch.

 

[OSS]

I don't have a 62, I have a 60 with 2F & a mechanical fuel pump & carburetor.

Although these two engines are very different, driving at very steep angles with low fuel CAN cause the fuel pickup to suck air (on a 2F). I've had my engine die when driving way off camber with low fuel. Had to dig the car out (with my boots- didn't have a shovel) to get it level before it would run again.

The 62 fuel pump is in the gas tank. It could have sucked air on the steep angle when you were low on fuel, then can't prime again at that angle even though you've added more fuel (guessing here). It's also possible that you didn't add ENOUGH fuel and the pump was still sucking air and can't prime.

 

[too tall]

I would take the intake tube off and push the flap open to make sure the pump is operating. If you have a friend you could try to start it with the flap held open. Sometimes my 3fe will stall and not re-start until I use this method. Doesn't happen that often so I haven't traced the issue to its source yet.

 

[slacker24-7]

Agree on getting it fairly level, I've had that happen

 

[woytovich]

And.... don't wheel alone.

 

[45Kevin]

Try pouring a small amount of gas into the carb as you turn it over. Having it fire up for a second will eliminate a host of possibilities.

Or is your engine a 3fe? In that case I got nothing.

 

[woytovich]

Keep it simple. Get some help to get it on flat ground then access the issue, if there still IS an issue.

 

[Comet]

Outcome?

 

[Frogprince]

I had this happen in a 89 Ford Ranger. It was also fuel injected.

I was running up Red Arrow mine down outside of Cortez and was almost to the top of the trail in the scree field when the truck started sputtering. Kept trying to get it to the top since it was single track and I was 15 yards from the meadow at the top. It cut out and since it was up hill that was it.

I had to have help to tow it back down so we could turn it around. The culprit was a failed Fuel Pump. Gather it was weak and at normal elevation it was fine but taking it up close to 9,000 feet it was done in. I won't lie it is a worry of mine with it failing and they are not the easiest to change when you are on the side of a mountain.

 

[rustybucket]

okay....this is a good topic of discussion. A bad pump will fail under full load. Bearings, brushes you name it. It happens often because the owner would let the tank run where the pump was exposed. fuel acts as a coolant and lubricant and if you let it get to low the pump will over heat. So...would being at this angle expose the pump one more time and causing it to over heat and fail? Also, ignition model can fail when under a load and ore the plugs have a very excessive gap. That can caused a coil to fail on old cars and one or more COP to fail on newer cars.

 

[gt7058a]

OP?

 

[NMfjCruiser]

OP?

Still hiking?

 

[GLTHFJ60]

Probably just low on gas and got the truck at enough angle that the pickup is sucking air.

Put 5-10gal of gas in it, start it up, keep going.

 

[Skniper]

@SlimTim Well?

 

[stevebradford]

Guess he didn't make it... poor guy, free cruiser still up there!

 

[Jaric00n]

oh well

we should go save the truck though.

 

[NeverGiveUpYota]

@SlimTim Well?

Prob blew every speck of cash he had towing the truck out and couldn't pay his internet bill... and phone bill.

 

[87CRUSR]

Curious....very curious.