majic79
Member
- Joined
- Nov 9, 2012
- Messages
- 183
Ok, this is a quick writeup for anyone else that may have experienced the same problems as I, but need somewhere to look for guidance (sorry for the lack of pics, I was cracking on, had little light and greasy hands and didn't want to ruin my phone!)
The Problem: You put the key in the ignition, crank it over and over and over and it takes a while to strike up
The Cause: Air in the line - you see this with many old diesels, once air gets in the line, the pump has to draw fuel through before it will behave itself. This generally isn't good for the pumps (they require the fuel to lubricate the pump!) but can be remedied by plugging the air leaks. With the Landcruiser Colorado/Prado 90 series, well these are getting on a bit, the fuel tanks aren't as pristine as they once were, and it seems there's a bit of a weak point in the supply cubes where they corrode and pit, allowing air into the system (most importantly, they allow the system to back-drain)
The Cure: You have two options - one costs a bit more than the other, but amounts to the same thing - get the pipes connected to good metal on the fuel tank pickup tubes. 1) Buy new pickup tubes - if yours are really badly corroded, then you may only have this option (part number from Toyota is 77017-60350). 2) Cut back the old tubes, clean up the surface/paint etc, refit supply pipes.
Repair process:
This can all be done without jacking up the back end, however you may find it a little easier to work on the car with it jacked up.
To begin with, you'll need to remove the bash plate (in my case I had to remove the tow bar before I could get to the bash plate) While supporting the bash plate on a jack, undo the 2x 12mm bolts at the rear, and the 2x 19mm bolts either side. Use the jack to lower down the plate and put it to one side.
Loosen off the jubilee clips and free the hose from the filler and breather neck - move the jubilee clips to one side on the pipework (the hoses will pop off as the tank drops if you cannot remove them now)
Remove the main fuel supply, return and vent hoses from the front of the tank
Unclip the body side wiring harness from the tank harness (near side rear white block connecting the sender unit and earth to the tank) and carefully extract the plug block from the bodywork.
Drain the tank using the exposed drain plug into a suitable container
Support the tank using a plank of wood and a jack (the wood spreads the weight and protects the tank) and remove the 14mm bolts holding the straps in place.
Carefully lower the tank (drop the offside first to make it easier to remove the filler neck pipes) then remove the jack from underneath - you should find that the whole tank assembly can be dragged out from under the car.
The feed tubes can be cleaned up here, alternatively, use an 8mm socket to remove the 7 hex-head bolts holding the fuel feed tubes in place. A new part number can be ordered from Toyota (part number 77017-60350) and refitted in its place using the same bolts.
Reassembly is the reverse of the above - take care when lifting and lining up the tank, try to lift the near (filler cap) side of the tank first as this will aid in refitting the filler neck to the tank. Careful fore/aft positioning is required to ensure that the straps fit correctly.
The Problem: You put the key in the ignition, crank it over and over and over and it takes a while to strike up
The Cause: Air in the line - you see this with many old diesels, once air gets in the line, the pump has to draw fuel through before it will behave itself. This generally isn't good for the pumps (they require the fuel to lubricate the pump!) but can be remedied by plugging the air leaks. With the Landcruiser Colorado/Prado 90 series, well these are getting on a bit, the fuel tanks aren't as pristine as they once were, and it seems there's a bit of a weak point in the supply cubes where they corrode and pit, allowing air into the system (most importantly, they allow the system to back-drain)
The Cure: You have two options - one costs a bit more than the other, but amounts to the same thing - get the pipes connected to good metal on the fuel tank pickup tubes. 1) Buy new pickup tubes - if yours are really badly corroded, then you may only have this option (part number from Toyota is 77017-60350). 2) Cut back the old tubes, clean up the surface/paint etc, refit supply pipes.
Repair process:
This can all be done without jacking up the back end, however you may find it a little easier to work on the car with it jacked up.
To begin with, you'll need to remove the bash plate (in my case I had to remove the tow bar before I could get to the bash plate) While supporting the bash plate on a jack, undo the 2x 12mm bolts at the rear, and the 2x 19mm bolts either side. Use the jack to lower down the plate and put it to one side.
Loosen off the jubilee clips and free the hose from the filler and breather neck - move the jubilee clips to one side on the pipework (the hoses will pop off as the tank drops if you cannot remove them now)
Remove the main fuel supply, return and vent hoses from the front of the tank
Unclip the body side wiring harness from the tank harness (near side rear white block connecting the sender unit and earth to the tank) and carefully extract the plug block from the bodywork.
Drain the tank using the exposed drain plug into a suitable container
Support the tank using a plank of wood and a jack (the wood spreads the weight and protects the tank) and remove the 14mm bolts holding the straps in place.
Carefully lower the tank (drop the offside first to make it easier to remove the filler neck pipes) then remove the jack from underneath - you should find that the whole tank assembly can be dragged out from under the car.
The feed tubes can be cleaned up here, alternatively, use an 8mm socket to remove the 7 hex-head bolts holding the fuel feed tubes in place. A new part number can be ordered from Toyota (part number 77017-60350) and refitted in its place using the same bolts.
Reassembly is the reverse of the above - take care when lifting and lining up the tank, try to lift the near (filler cap) side of the tank first as this will aid in refitting the filler neck to the tank. Careful fore/aft positioning is required to ensure that the straps fit correctly.
