84-85 Trucks & 4Runners 2nd gen pickups and 1st gen 4Runners with solid front axles

Help, my truck died, electrical?

Old Nov 25, 2010 | 04:38 PM
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Help, my truck died, electrical?

I was on the way home after fillin' my gut at Momma's, Happy Thanksgiving everyone BTW, and I was on the road for about 10 minutes when my engine stopped running. Lights stayed on, battery seems fine. It happened very suddenly. I coasted to a stop and was able to get it safely off the road.

After it stopped I tried to restart, the engine will turn over but there's no firing at all. I don't think it's a gas line problem or fuel pump issue because it seems like I can hear that there's no activity with the plugs.

I didn't have a flashlight or any tools so it's on side of the road about 10 miles from the house, luckily the wife was a short distance ahead of me and she turned around to get me. I'll have it towed in the morning.

So where do I start? I used light from my iPhone screen to see that all the spark plug wires/dist cap were secure, that's all I could do at the time (had no flashlight or tools). I'm really a novice so any advice will help.

I gotta do a 12 hr day shift tomorrow so I'll get to it tomorrow night and Sat morning.

I saw a thread about electrical connections coming loose. Ideas about where to start looking?
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Old Nov 26, 2010 | 08:56 AM
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Pull dist cap off, see if rotor turns while cranking.
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Old Nov 26, 2010 | 10:43 AM
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From: high ridge
22r or re?
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Old Nov 26, 2010 | 11:50 AM
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Originally Posted by Staceman1
Pull dist cap off, see if rotor turns while cranking.
Ok, I'll start there.


Originally Posted by mightymouse
22r or re?
22R
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Old Nov 26, 2010 | 11:52 AM
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From: high ridge
check your fuel pump and make sure youre getting fuel. If that checks out look and make sure you're getting spark.
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Old Nov 26, 2010 | 11:53 AM
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From: high ridge
start reading this. http://www.bluebassdesign.com/boonin/carb_faq/
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Old Nov 27, 2010 | 07:29 AM
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Originally Posted by Staceman1
Pull dist cap off, see if rotor turns while cranking.
Not turning! Something broken?
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Old Nov 27, 2010 | 07:47 AM
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Could the gear on the end of the shaft break? What could cause this? I've got my manual with what looks like decent instructions on how to replace it. Both vacuum lines look good, everything under the dist cap looks like new. I installed a new dist cap and rotor last month, been running good since then, till Thur night.
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Old Nov 27, 2010 | 08:18 AM
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I would think a broken timing chain would cause the cam not to turn and then the dist. would also not turn. take the valve cover off and see whats going on, see if the chain is damaged and if the cam is turning. also with the cover off you can see the dist. gear.
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Old Nov 27, 2010 | 09:06 AM
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Originally Posted by c0ugar69
I would think a broken timing chain would cause the cam not to turn and then the dist. would also not turn. take the valve cover off and see whats going on, see if the chain is damaged and if the cam is turning. also with the cover off you can see the dist. gear.
Wouldn't the rotor turn freely then? Right now it's solid, won't turn by hand at all.

Removing valve cover...
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Old Nov 27, 2010 | 11:35 AM
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Originally Posted by c0ugar69
I would think a broken timing chain...
Yep, broken timing chain:

(I propped it up there for a nice pic)

Last edited by LSUfan71; Nov 27, 2010 at 11:37 AM.
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Old Nov 27, 2010 | 11:36 AM
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But more disturbing is what else I see, broken bearing cap :

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Old Nov 27, 2010 | 04:24 PM
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I suppose this indicates probable damage to some valves? recommendations?

I guess I'll look at a rebuild, it was burning oil (white smoke), might as well get r done.
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Old Nov 27, 2010 | 04:31 PM
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that sucks, what bearing is that?? mine had a damaged center bearing but i fixed it, you may have gotten luckey and not bent valves, the broken cap may have lodged in the chain and broke it. I am not sure how to tell if they are bent or not, someone else may know.
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Old Nov 27, 2010 | 04:37 PM
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Originally Posted by c0ugar69
that sucks, what bearing is that?? mine had a damaged center bearing but i fixed it, you may have gotten luckey and not bent valves, the broken cap may have lodged in the chain and broke it. I am not sure how to tell if they are bent or not, someone else may know.
yea, sucks bad. It's the middle bearing, almost didn't notice it. Just happened to look around after checking out the broken timing change. How would that happen?

I'm not sure how to tell about bent valves. I'm thinking about a rebuild, need more advice..
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Old Nov 28, 2010 | 03:46 AM
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Some guys at work say I'm overreacting. They say to lift the head and check the cylinders, if the the pistons/cylinder walls look OK then I should just drop in a reman head. Sounds good (and cheap) to me, what do you guys think?
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Old Nov 28, 2010 | 04:17 AM
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Yeah you could probably get away with it but depending on how many miles, you may want to pull the motor and check the bottom end (bearings etc...) as well. Make sure there is nothing in the oil pan. My opinion I wouldn't go with a remaned head give Ted a call @ Engine builders and get a new casting. (thats just me) When it comes to stuff like that I just don't trust remaned stuff. If I remember correctly its not that much of a price difference.
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Old Nov 28, 2010 | 04:50 AM
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I've look at Ted's site and a few others. A new head with all the goodies will be in the $450 range, looks like the reman stuff is in the $350-$400 range. I need to check local too though. The truck/engine has 126,*** miles on it.
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Old Nov 28, 2010 | 03:58 PM
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Originally Posted by razed
your def gonna need to redo the head. 22r's will bend valves if the cam stops turning. something caused the journal and cam to gall and sieze and the head doesn't use bearings on the cam so your option there would be to line bore the journals and install aftermarket bearings from lce or somewhere or replace the head. also going to need a new cam so this might be a good time to check on a better bumpstick.
Ok, everyone says I need a new head instead of a reman. so I guess I'll try to find the best deal tomorrow. I'll try to lift the old one tonight and check the pistons. I wonder what caused it.
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Old Nov 28, 2010 | 08:55 PM
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thats the same journal that was damaged on mine. I heard it may be from the head being warped but I never did figure it out because my head wasnt warped so i dont really know.
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