80 series Dead Spot

[ChristiaanDenil]

Good day


I hope some of you can help me, I'm looking at a 1996 80 series Cruiser, 4.5 24 valve to buy. I have test driven it and when it was cold it felt like there was n dead spot, like it almost overfueld ?
I don't know if some of you habe had this problem?
Is it just the carburetor that needs to be tuned or something more major?

The problem became less when the engine warmed.


And if you have any other points to look at before I buy it?
The car has 370 000km on.


Thanks

 

[Dave2000]

There is no carb, the engine is fuel injected. Can you elaborate? How does it idle, even when cold they are pretty smooth? The single most common fault I have seen is the air trunking from the air filter/air mass/manifold splits. This throws the fueling out.

If the engine runs better when it warms up this would make sense if there is a split.

regards

Dave

 

[Steamer]

I have a 1994 GX Carb model with exactly the same problem. Also well over 300k km.
I've actually learned to live with it as it is mainly used for long distance holiday/caravanning.
Maybe take it to an old-timer carb specialist.
What town are you in? (I'm in Benoni.)

 

[Paddler Ed]

We had an issue with our FZJ80 (with the 1FZ-FE, so fuel injected) where it was running at a very high idle on cold start (about 1500rpm).

I've just put a can of upper engine cylinder cleaner through it, and that seems to have cheered it up a bit (dropped about 400rpm), where I suspect it's cleaned a bit of the throttle sensor (which probably still needs more cleaning based on this) and therefore it's picking up when the throttle is open properly.

Mid 1990s Toyota engines have done this to me before, so I'm pretty happy I know the solution is in there somewhere.

We didn't have the flat spot as well, so can't help with that, but hoping that our experience with the injected version helps.

 

[Steamer]

Hah!! I think I've found the answer to the 'Dead Spot' when the engine is cold.

Cutting a long story short, I had my steering box and pump overhauled yesterday and whilst driving home the old girl shuddered & jumped as if she was running on about 3 cylinders. So I left her running for a while thinking that water had got in where it shouldn't have after the high pressure wash and that it would evaporate.
No such luck, so I got hold of the guy's who did the job and they came round to my place.
Took off the distributor cap (I job I didn't really feel like doing, seeing as I was not responsible for the fault) and voila, it was full of water from the engine washing.
Went for a little test drive with the engine cold and no more dead spot on take off.
There was a lot of corrosion / build up on the rotor and dist. cap pick-up points, which they scraped off & rubbed with fine emery paper.

Maybe just maybe this is the answer. She' going a lot better as well.

 

[frank rabbets]

Maybe you had water in there before? I had that problem so badly the engine would not run. Turned out to be a blocked engine breather pipe. Pressure built up in the engine forcing vapour up in to the dizzy cap where it would condense, especially bad when cold. Not a LC btw but worth considering.

 

[Steamer]

Thanks for that, going to check the breather now as we've done plenty trailing, dusty roads etc.

 

[frank rabbets]

Just take it off after a run on a cold day to make sure it's dry? Mine would stall and then start perfectly after parked for a few hours during which the engine temperature had dried it out.