To start a pig...a "won't start" checklist..please chime in.

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Fargenamps

Fargenamps

10 Year
Joined
May 1, 2011
Threads
61
Messages
315
Location
Sacramento,CA
Website
www.landcruiseroftheday.com
Hi Guys,

First off I feel thankful to have this forum area as a resource and the assistance of the dedicated members here.....

The brave...the few...the FJ55 owner:D

In anticipation of picking up my first pig next weekend...
I'm getting prepared for getting her home and getting her running.

I am compiling a list of top simple things that would cause her to not start and or run poorly

Background...stock F motor...the PO has owned the car for 2 years and he says it's never ran solid since he bought it..although he bought it as a fixer upper and never really had the time to do much with it....the friend he bought it from ran it as a short distance daily driver without issue for 12 years.

IMG_3266.webp

The PO has installed a new fuel pump, filter and swapped out stock carbs last year...(I get both in the deal)..he started it 8 months ago.

Here is my checklist ( in no particular order) of simple reasons why it may not start or run well...please feel free to add, explain or debunk any and all things I have listed here:

Spark plugs
Plug wires
Cap and rotor
Points and condenser
Clogged fuel line or fuel filter
Gummed up or bad carb
Dizzy installed incorrectly or timing adjustment way off.
Battery and battery cables
Main fuse blown

Thanks for any and all suggestions.
Benjamin
IMG_3266.webp
 
Fargenamps, 1st thing you should determine is, do you have spark? Is fuel being delivered. Which is fairly simple. If it has not been run for 8 months pull plugs and pour in Mystery oil and let it sit for a couple of days. And use fresh gas not whats in the tank.

Thanks Bob.
 
Bob is right. Start with spark and fuel. Start with the spark plugs and work your way back to the battery. Same with fuel. You'll find it. Good luck.
 
You can fill the carb float bowl thru the vent tubes...a couple big jumper cables for the starter and a couple small jumpers for the coil, you can get a LandCruiser engine to run. The LandCruiser engine is so low-tech it has a huge tolerance for things not being perfect.
 
My blue piggy has a blown up motor and my wife sprayed some starting fluid in it and I turned the key and it fired up and ran off the stale nasty gas that was in the tank. This thing sat in the desert for 10 years before I got it and we had it running (although with a horrible knock) within minutes of getting it off the trailer. These are the toughest motors ever. I seems like it takes a ton to make them not run at all.

I see you're in Sac.. I'm up in Grass Valley. I haven't seen to many pigs around here but I know there is at least one more in the area, my parents saw one in Auburn a few weeks ago.
 
Nice! Good to know!!

Hey..would be cool to get together and shoot the breeze sometime about cruisers...my wife's parents live in Auburn and they have a little cabin up by Downieville...we just took the 40 up there last weekend during the T day holiday... let's stay in touch!

Thanks,
Benjamin

hairy_apple said:
My blue piggy has a blown up motor and my wife sprayed some starting fluid in it and I turned the key and it fired up and ran off the stale nasty gas that was in the tank. This thing sat in the desert for 10 years before I got it and we had it running (although with a horrible knock) within minutes of getting it off the trailer. These are the toughest motors ever. I seems like it takes a ton to make them not run at all.

I see you're in Sac.. I'm up in Grass Valley. I haven't seen to many pigs around here but I know there is at least one more in the area, my parents saw one in Auburn a few weeks ago.
Click to expand...
 
On a stock F I would start with points, myself. Put a new set of points and a condenser in there. Plugs don't go bad from sitting, although it wouldn't be a bad thing to take them out to put some marvel mystery oil or a little ATF and penetrating oil and spin the motor over with no plugs a bit. When they are out, look at them and see if they need replacing. They are pretty cheap so anything cruddy at all about them and I'd throw a set at it.

Fuel and fuel filter if they are old and nasty for sure.
 
maybe check dizzy orientation to make sure timing isn't too far out before cranking. air fuel compression and spark are all any engine need to run. spark timing can affect compression, so can valve clearance, bad rings, walls, pistons, or valve face to seat seal. As stated, maybe drop some lube in the spark plug holes, turn the crank by hand(key off, plugs out, clockwise as facing the motor) a few times around, maybe cold set valve lash(about a thousandths less clearance than spec) get a good baseline starting point...static time dizzy making sure the rotor tip is pointing the correct direction to fire #1 when #1 piston is at top dead center of its compression stroke, replace/set points gap, clean or replace cap, check cables, gap and clean plugs. adjust carb for baseline tuning
motor spins ok>
valves adjusted ok>
static timing set>
carb clean and set to baseline>
new fuel filter/fuel>
oil in case>
water in radiator>
check for spark from coil first. If no spark, check for 12 volts at the coil terminal + to frame ground. if no volts, chase wire feeding coil + back to key switch. if volts @ coil + and frame ground, check points/condenser/dizzy side...if spark @ coil wire, then check each of the 6 cylinder cables for spark during cranking. all cables firing means you have good spark. now as long as you have fuel flow and an ok carb, and compression, then it will start.
a quick check for compression is to check for pressurized air leaving the opoen spark plug holes as you turn the motor over by hand. a rag stuffed into the farther holes will help you to see pressure while turning the wrench. as long as the amount of air pressure seems to be close to the same(no week or dead cylinders) you prolly have the compression to start. an accurate compression test requires that all things be set, tuned, and at op temp.
don't look right down the barrel, but watch for fuel/air going into the intake thru the top of the carb to see if you have too much, or no flow. if the carb is junk, you'll never get the thing to stay lit. you could do a compression test before you get it to run, but, again, it's best to do on a fully warmed fully tuned motor(chicken or the egg problem-must have timing set to dial in carb/must have carb tuned to set timing:confused:) So back to carb. float level and clogged jets are common problems. they are not too difficult to disassemble clean and reassemble. if you have spark fuel air and compression, it will fire.....once it does fire(and it WILL) you will need to fine tune everything again. including valve adjustment. most all of these things require doing the adjustment at operating temp. if you have all of these things, the next thing to check for is vacuum leaks. if there is a massive intake leak, it may also not fire up. again, you kinda need the mill turning in order to spot things like that...HTH
 
Great!!! Love the video!!!


QUOTE="nuclearlemon"]see if the motor bars over easily (turn the crank nut). if not, marvel oil down the cylinders (via plug holes) and let sit for a few hours. be prepared to smoke out the neighborhood for a good half hour when it does fire.

here's the link to pighead firing up an f that sat for probably a decade or so (we trashed the rig after pirating parts, but he had to see if it would run)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QWYq2bC4STc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=btJOhff_qKs&feature=plcp[/QUOTE]
 
UPDATE!


Well..the new 55 is home and garaged. More rust than I had anticipated but better than most. Immediate needs are floor pans and then the passenger side top over the back door. Most everything else is surface rust.

I should be able to get her turned over this weekend...as suggested....I pulled all the plugs and got a nice dose of marvel mystery oil down each cylinder. Pulled and replaced all the ignition gear including an upgrade to an igniter electronic ignition kit + coil right off the bat....you should see this bs setup that was on here ..some old ass Peterson thing with wires going everywhere...no wonder it never ran right!!!!

Also drained the oil and was pleased to see regular black oil with no surprises inside.

Battery is fully charged and ready to drain during starting....will keep you all posted.

Thanks,
Benjamin
 
Benjamin, check out my floorpan thread below. If interested pm me.

Thanks Bob.:beer::beer::beer::beer::beer:


Fargenamps said:
UPDATE!


Well..the new 55 is home and garaged. More rust than I had anticipated but better than most. Immediate needs are floor pans and then the passenger side top over the back door. Most everything else is surface rust.

I should be able to get her turned over this weekend...as suggested....I pulled all the plugs and got a nice dose of marvel mystery oil down each cylinder. Pulled and replaced all the ignition gear including an upgrade to an igniter electronic ignition kit + coil right off the bat....you should see this bs setup that was on here ..some old ass Peterson thing with wires going everywhere...no wonder it never ran right!!!!

Also drained the oil and was pleased to see regular black oil with no surprises inside.

Battery is fully charged and ready to drain during starting....will keep you all posted.

Thanks,
Benjamin
Click to expand...
 
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