mackdss

Hi, a friend just gave me a 79-80(not sure) 2wd Toyota Pickup. Not so bad condition but I think the clutch is gone. I am pretty good working on cars but have never replaced a clutch. Has anybody here replaced one?? Just wondering how hard it will be. By looking at the cost of parts it seems quite cheap. Are there any how-to's around the web? I am going to buy a manual tomorrow. Any help would be great. Thanks so much, Mack

kyle_22r

in the '79-80 2wd, there were 2 manual transmissions -- the L43(4 speed) and the W50(5 speed). i *think* the clutch sets and components are different between the two, but i could be wrong. however, if you get the right components, the procedure is about the same.

one of the things to remember is to get your flywheel resurfaced, and to put some blue loctite on the flywheel bolts when you re-install it. to make removing the old pilot bearing easier, pack the hole with grease and pound a wooden dowel into the hole. usually it'll pop it right out.

mackdss

Thanks alot for the info! I am kinda looking forward to doing this. Hopefully it goes smoothly,. Mack

wrinkled83

I would replace the slave cylinder before you go to crazy, unless if you know the clutch is hammered.

kyle_22r

usually a popped slave would mean too much grab, and you would know it right away!(e.g. clutch won't disengage unless you pump the pedal)

mackdss

well come to find out there was no fluid in the cylinder and the truck is a 1978. So i got a running truck for 2.99. HAAA! It looks like the valve cover gasket is leaking and the exaust manifold gasket is shot. There is alot of vibration and I think the motor mounts need to be replaced. I have looked everywhere for the mounts and can't seem to find any??? Though i found some tranny mounts. Can anybody recommend anything I should check to get this baby running good. Timing chain, how often should this be replaced?

wrinkled83

You bled it right? the slave? How many miles? how long has it been sitting?

wrinkled83

The pedal will go to the floor, But every yota I picked up with a bad clutch i replace the slave and it works, maybe I'm just lucky.

mackdss

I didn't bleed it yet. Just filled it and pumped the clutch pedal a bunch of times just so I could get it home. One question, is the master clutch cylinder different than the slave cylinder. If so I will replace both. I'm still learning. Oh, I dont think the truck has ever really just sat. The odometer shows 23560. It was towed around by an RV for sometime. I am thinking it is 123000 but probably more. It has a ton of crud around the emgine and looks as if something is leaking. But no oil is on my driveway. I thought maybe the valve cover was leaking but its not. weird. Runs really good. The brakes are shot. Any suggestions on brake repair? thanks Mack

kyle_22r

mostly just road grime if there's no oil leaks, or some light seepage(the half circle plugs under the valve cover in the front and rear are notorious for leaking).

exhaust manifold gaskets are a common leaker, one brand of gasket i've found that works really well are the ones made by remflex. they seal a lot better than the factory ones.

starting off, i'd give it a complete tune-up. new cap, rotor, and some NGK wires and plugs are a good start. pretty sure '78 had electronic ignition so i don't think there are any points. replace the air filter, and do an oil change, and you'll be fine! '78 has a 20R with a dual row timing chain and steel guides, generally good for the life of the engine.

as far as brakes go, i'm pretty fond of the stuff that napa/carquest carry. schucks or most other parts stores can get you engine mounts, think they're around $30 each.

mackdss

Thanks Kyle. The info is great. Going to dig in this weekend. I have a lsit of things that I will need to do

Tuneup
mounts
brakes(
shocks
tires
flush radiator
thermostat
Clutch slave and master cylinder
change tran fluid
And probably more

with as much as I work this will take a couple of months. But I will keep this thread updated and some pics so maybe it will help others.

wrinkled83

The master cylinder is connected directly to the pedal and fire wall, The slave is on the Trans, that should have a bleeder on it just like doing Brakes.
Good Luck!!!

mackdss

thanks wrinkle. I did a full tune up today and the engine is a little shakey. What could cause this. I am thinking something with carb or engine mounts. It idles at a good rpm and the choke seems to be working. It runs really smooth on the road but at idle I can feel a little vibration like the engine is just not running right and with the hood up you can see the engine rocking side to side a little.. Would anybody have any suggestions on what to check? One thing i wasn;t sure I needed to do was the timing. My friend has a timing gun but we werent sure it needed to be done.If i can get the engine running smooth by next weekend will be starting the clutch master and slave cylinder and maybe the brakes. Thanks again for everybodys help. Mack

kyle_22r

if the engine is a little lopey at idle, you might try adjusting your idle mixture/speed. can't remember where the screws are on a 20R but shoudln't be too far to figure out.

mackdss

I located where that(idle mixture) is at in the manual. I will give it a try tomorrow. Would bad timing have an this effect at idle too? If so I will have my friend bring over the gun and check that too.

kyle_22r

it definitely could! never hurts to make sure your timing is on.

mackdss

well the timing was off and was put back to 8 degrees advanced. Fooled around with the idle mixture and there is still the rough idle. This weekend when changing the the pcv valve the gromet was so old a piece fell into the valves and I was able to grab it with needle nose plyers. So tonight we pulled the valve cover to make sure there was nothing else and to check the valves for adjustment. Well luckly there was no p[lastic pieces but alot of gunk was in there. Kind of like carbon buildup everywhere. Didn't look good. Is this a normal sight or something that is wrong. I plan on cleaning it out and adjusting the valves. Is there anyting that can be used to clean the top of the valves besides a rag?

Oh ya , we hooked up a tach to check the rpms at idle and they were fine. I checked to see what rpm the engine smoothed out at and it was around 1100-1200 rpms. I just don't want to continue to other projects till I get the engine up and running to my standards. Maybe it is a gummed up carb? who knows. Any ideas??

kyle_22r

well, being that it's 28 years old, the carb could probably use a rebuild, and there's most likely a fair amount of sludge in the top end of the engine, especially if it sat for a long time.

you could try pouring some kerosene into the top end, and letting it soak in, then draining everything out. the kero will help break up some of the crud...just make sure to get it all out so it won't clog the oil pump screen and starve the engine for oil!

mackdss

Sorry for all the questions but I have a couple more. I cleaned the top end out as good as i could and a new seal and put the cover back on. As for the rough idle its still there and still driving me crazy. By the way, the valves did not need to be adjusted. I went down and got some carb cleaner(the cheap way first). I cleaned the outside of the carb and got most of the dirt off of it. I sprayed some in the carb while the engine was running and the idle increased to somewhat smooth. I also sprayed a couple of bursts on the intake where it meets the engine and the emgine smoothed out. Could a bad intake gasket be the culprit for the bad idle??? Just thought it was weird it would smooth out while spraying there. Any Ideas. And thanks again to all that have answered especially Kyle. Mack

kyle_22r

sounds like you've got a vacuum leak. what you did is the old fashioned way of finding one, the carb cleaner richens up the mix and the idle goes up.

i'd replace the intake gasket, they're only about $3 at the parts store.