Thread: Toyota Diesel into 2A Shorty

Hello All,

The brake adjuster "snails" arrived in the post today. The glow plug controller arrived earlier in the week. It looks like I have this weekend planned out!

I will be off to the scrap metal place to buy some steel plate to make a fascia panel for the Land Rover Series 1 push starter button and for the glow plug controller. Then off to another place to get some brake pipe fittings. Fingers crossed that by the end of the weekend I will be able to start Teddy with ease and stop properly.

Kind regards
Lionel

Hello All,

I was able to hook up the new glow plug circuit for the Toyota 1B diesel powered Series 2A on Saturday. The circuit includes a genuine Toyota glow plug controller - a ballast resistor that was made specifically for the motor. I incorporated the recommended Series 1 push button starter.

I held the button down for the recommended time. I could see the glow plug controller coil glowing bright red. I then turned the ignition key to start. The engine started smoothly and sweetly.

I let the motor run for a while and then shut it down. After going to the butcher, a visit to some automotive places and a hardware store ... some hours had elapsed from the first start up of the day.

I went through the previously successful start up procedure. The glow plug controller glowed nicely after holding the button down for the recommended time. However, when I turned the ignition key to "Start" not so much as a fart came out of the motor. SNOT!

I do realise that my replication of the previous owner's circuit of a Ford four post starter solenoid that I attempted a month or so ago would have fed 12 volts instead of 8.5 volts to the new set of replacement glow plugs. This may have cooked the glow plugs and ruined them. The initial start up for the day could have just been a fluke.

Of course when I returned from the shops and attempted what proved to be an unsuccessful second start of the day it had just turned Noon and the Toyota dealer had just closed. SNOT by 2!!

I figured that instead of having an enjoyable - successful day I was having a frustrating Saturday. By then I was getting to be a pretty good match of Rick in the Young Ones; so I brought the day's activities to a close. Because the predicted rain came on Sunday and all my vehicles are currently stored out in the elements, I had the day off .... SNOT by 3

My hope is that all will be well with the circuit after I lash out for yet another set of new glow plugs. Coupled with the genuine Toyota glow plug controller the first start of the day and a restart some subsequent hours later on the same day will result in a more than a satisfactory outcome. You know my having a reliable way to start the motor whenever I want it to start.

I am starting to wonder if there are any differences between the glow plugs for a BJ40 Land Cruiser made in late 1979 with a 1B four cylinder diesel with 3.0 litres of capacity; and a similarly powered Dyna also made in late 1979. From what I can work out different glow plug vendors sell different glow plugs between a Dyna and a BJ40 Land Cruiser - then again some vendors list the same glow plugs for both models Dyna/BJ40. Or whether the 8.5 volt glow plugs for a 12 volt system the previous owner put in are even right for the engine. Could it be a 1B motor that was originally wired for a 24 volt system?

There you go I thought it would be so easy. The vehicle had been running for years. It was parked up for years - the person who fitted the Toyota motor is beyond earthly contact, so I cannot confer with them about what model the engine was sourced from; a Dyna or a BJ40 Land Cruiser.

Gee I will be glad when I get this starting issue sorted out - until then SNOT - SNOT - Snotty - SNOT. Apologies to Rick Mayall - as in Rick with a silent "P" in the Young Ones... accessed 27th August 2018 from, YouTube

Maybe buying a green Series 2A was not the best of colours - if the engine keeps going the way it is then a name change could occur from Teddy to Snotty!
Kind regards
Lionel

Lionel,

I was surprised when you said the Land Rover resistor didn't work but if the glowplugs were burnt out that would explain it......
At the end of the day the resistance value may change but the LR & Toyota parts would be doing approximately the same thing....dropping the voltage.

Were the glowplugs 'aftermarket' or a known brand ? The reason I ask is that I had a bad experience with cheap glowplugs some years back on a Mitsubishi Delica. You could use them maybe 2 or 3 times then they burnt out, after a replacement set doing the same the vendor stumped up a set of 'name brand' glowplugs and the problem was solved.
With no working glowplugs on an indirect injection diesel white smoke thick enough to cut with a knife came from the exhaust. The diesel was almost at the point of ignition but not quite. A warm day it started after turning over several times and pushing out a lot of white smoke, a cold day and no chance of it starting.

Best of luck getting it sorted out.


Colin

Originally Posted by gromit

Lionel,

I was surprised when you said the Land Rover resistor didn't work but if the glowplugs were burnt out that would explain it......
At the end of the day the resistance value may change but the LR & Toyota parts would be doing approximately the same thing....dropping the voltage.

Were the glowplugs 'aftermarket' or a known brand ? The reason I ask is that I had a bad experience with cheap glowplugs some years back on a Mitsubishi Delica. You could use them maybe 2 or 3 times then they burnt out, after a replacement set doing the same the vendor stumped up a set of 'name brand' glowplugs and the problem was solved.
With no working glowplugs on an indirect injection diesel white smoke thick enough to cut with a knife came from the exhaust. The diesel was almost at the point of ignition but not quite. A warm day it started after turning over several times and pushing out a lot of white smoke, a cold day and no chance of it starting.

Best of luck getting it sorted out.


Colin

Hello Colin,

I have left the Land Rover circuit in place. I only re-routed the wires to the new Land Rover starter button and Toyota glow plug controller.

In the Technical Chatter Thread I asked about the starter solenoid as glow plug controller. I described the new glow plugs bought from the town's after market Toyota parts supplier were: a set of Terrain Tamer glow plugs. Written on the front of the packaging is DGP20014 8.5 V. Then on the back in larger writing is 19850-68030 where the last number is the Toyota part number. At $90+ for a set of four they were not cheapies. They are an Aussie company. Accessed 28th August 2018 from, Glow Plug Change.

I suspect that the glow plugs did not like the 12 volts they received from the old circuit instead of 8.5 volts the specifications suggest.

Kind regards
Lionel

Originally Posted by Lionelgee

Hello Colin,

I have left the Land Rover circuit in place. I only re-routed the wires to the new Land Rover starter button and Toyota glow plug controller.

In the Technical Chatter Thread I asked about the starter solenoid as glow plug controller. I described the new glow plugs bought from the town's after market Toyota parts supplier were: a set of Terrain Tamer glow plugs. Written on the front of the packaging is DGP20014 8.5 V. Then on the back in larger writing is 19850-68030 where the last number is the Toyota part number. At $90+ for a set of four they were not cheapies. They are an Aussie company. Accessed 28th August 2018 from, Glow Plug Change.

I suspect that the glow plugs did not like the 12 volts they received from the old circuit instead of 8.5 volts the specifications suggest.

Kind regards
Lionel

Hi Lionel,
Whilst I agree about the over-voltage be aware that cost & quality are not directly related.
Terrain Tamer would outsource the parts, an Aussie company maybe but they probably don't actually manufacture anything ........the 'Britpart' for Toyota. They've put the Toyota part number on the packaging for reference.

I'm not convinced that $90 for 4 glowplugs is 'expensive' but probably about right for a big name brand (eg. Bosch) but who do Terrain Tamer get to make them ??

On Wallit the resistor had burnt out and the PO had soldered a piece of insulated (!) wire across the terminals. I gave it a burst of 12 Volts (without realising) and apart from the smell of burning insulation the glowplugs worked & the engine started.

Best of luck sorting replacement glowplugs.


Colin

Originally Posted by gromit

Hi Lionel,
Whilst I agree about the over-voltage be aware that cost & quality are not directly related.
Terrain Tamer would outsource the parts, an Aussie company maybe but they probably don't actually manufacture anything ........the 'Britpart' for Toyota. They've put the Toyota part number on the packaging for reference.

I'm not convinced that $90 for 4 glowplugs is 'expensive' but probably about right for a big name brand (eg. Bosch) but who do Terrain Tamer get to make them ??

On Wallit the resistor had burnt out and the PO had soldered a piece of insulated (!) wire across the terminals. I gave it a burst of 12 Volts (without realising) and apart from the smell of burning insulation the glowplugs worked & the engine started.

Best of luck sorting replacement glowplugs.


Colin

Hello Colin,

I have a set of Bosch glow plugs for a BJ40 Land Cruiser winging their way towards me. They are on special for less than I paid for the parts from the after market shop.

The previous owner had a set of HKT - PT100 fitted to the engine.

The advantage at the time was the bloke from the after market shop had the glow plugs on the shelf on a Saturday morning. I could put money down on the counter and walk out the store with the parts in hand.

Kind regards
Lionel

Hello Colin and other readers,

I had a set of Bosch glow plugs arrive for the shortie. They were on sale on eBay for a lot less than the after-market ones I previously bought over the counter.

I installed the new glow plugs and pressed the starter motor button for the Toyota glow plug controller. I did the count down. One I let the glow plug button go and turned the ignition key to the "Start" position the engine started first go.

However, the former set of glow plugs did this too. The test is to shut the engine down and try to re-start it on the same day as the first attempt to start. Previously, these re-starts were a failure.

Yesterday, I waited two hours - held the glow plug starter button down. I performed the count - saw the glow plug controller coil glowing.... let the glow plug button go .... I turned the key and ....


The engine sprang to life! I have replicated this cycle numerous times over the past three days. The engine starting issue has been sorted.


Kind regards
Lionel

Hello All,

With the taste of success gained after sorting out the starting issue I went forth to solve the brake issue of having to pump the pedal three times to engage the brakes properly.

I have an automotive pressure bleeder and I have bled the brakes properly. However, the brake pedal has to be pumped three times before the brakes do their job. I have installed all new brake wheel cylinders and a new brake master cylinder.

Turns out the brake fluid leak I noticed on the rear driver's side rim a couple of weeks ago was the brake pipe. The old pipe's flare must have been deformed before I bought the shortie. The compromised flare caused a leak at the back of the wheel cylinder and it trickled down the backing plate and onto the tyre rim.

I made a new length of brake pipe and used my brake flaring tools to form a double flair.

I installed a new brake adjuster snail to replace the old one that would not adjust the brake shoe. I installed the new brake shoes.

I bench bled the new master cylinder then I installed it. I then pressure bled the system from the furthest point to the one closest to the master cylinder. The end result... the same damn spongy pedal that needs three pumps to get the brakes to work. Each time the brakes have to be pumped to get them to work properly.

Before trying the pedal I had pressured the system after bleeding the brakes and left it to sit for half an hour. There are no fluid leaks. Any ideas on how to get this brake problem sorted out?

My previous experience with the brake pressure bleeder was with a number of Long Wheel Base Series 3s and each time I achieved a rock solid pedal. This shortie seems to like throwing up curve balls!

Kind regards
Lionel