Hey Roger,
I’m going to the boneyard soon. Do you know the lengths of the inner axles
for a mini-truck straight axle? I don’t
want to get FJ-40 axles!! Thanks. WWG65
Hi WWG65:
The mini-truck front inner axle shaft lengths are 15-1/4”
and 31-1/2”.
·
Roger
Hi Roger;
I have a 94 4wd p/u w/ 22re. My engine runs great, except for when it is
idling and I depress the brake pedal.
The engine then idles really weird, kind of a strong then weak then
strong then weak, so on and so forth. It
never cuts out, though, and continues to idle normally when I take my foot off
of the brake. I’ve only noticed this
after driving, like at a stoplight.
Thanks; Jason McDannold
Hi Jason;
Assuming there are no vacuum leaks, such as in the brake
booster, it’s likely because your idle speed is set too high. I can exactly duplicate this “problem” in my ‘85
by bumping up the idle speed to a bit over 1000 RPM and it’ll act as
described. Turn the idle speed back to
normal, and it works fine. It’s really
not a problem, its supposed to work this way and if everything is set properly,
and you won’t have the “problem”.
Why is this the case?
Because the ECU has logic built in that says if you hit the brakes and
the engine is turning over 1000-1100 RPM, it’ll cut the fuel to the injectors
in an attempt to help you stop faster.
After all, no sense pumping gas into the engine when you are braking to
a stop. So idle rises, fuel is cut, idle
falls, fuel restored, idle rises, etc.
Turn the idle back to 850-900 RPM where it’s supposed to be and it’ll
get back to normal. Idle speed is
adjusted with the large slotted screw atop the throttle body. Turn it in to lower the amount of air passing
through the throttle body at idle (and thus lower the idle speed).
If you don’t want to do that or it doesn’t fix the
problem, here’s a more drastic fix:
http://www.geocities.com/toyotashawn/bizzareidle.html
Which basically involves cutting the wire that feeds the
brake light signal to the ECU. Without
that input, the ECU will never know you are braking, so it’ll not be able to
cut off the fuel injectors.
·
Roger
Hi Roger;
Hey, I would like to know what is the best CB antenna for
a 40-channel CB radio and the best way to put it on my car. And I have another 40 channel CB radio that I
will be keeping inside and I need to know what is the best antenna for it and
how do I talk to people from Tulsa OK or some where else and I’m for Allen TX.
Thank you if you can help, Marcus Brewer
Hi Marcus;
I run a FireStik-II on my 4Runner, it works well, easy to
adjust/tune, very rugged and can handle extra power if needed. I describe how I installed it and the radio
on my web page, below:
http://www.4crawler.com/4x4/CheapTricks/CBantenna.shtml
Most important is that the antenna has a good RF ground
connection and that it is not blocked by too much body sheet metal. Also, invest in an SWR meter (Radio Shack has
one for under $20) and tune it up well.
For the vehicle antenna, if you intend to go on any organized 4WD runs,
be sure to check with the 4-wheeling organization to see if they have any
antenna length restrictions. For
example, in California, the California 4-Wheel Drive Assoc. (CA4WDC) limits
antenna lengths to 52” (that is why I installed a 48” antenna instead of
something longer). For the base station,
a good ¼-wave antenna (108”) is a good option.
You can search the web for lots of information on buying or building a
base station antenna. Again, be sure to
tune it up with the SWR meter before you try transmitting with the radio. Too high an SWR can damage the radio’s output
section.
·
Roger
Hi Roger;
The book shows doing this with a spring tensionometer. I
went to 2 auto parts stores and nobody every heard of such a tool and couldn’t
find it in the catalog. Is there another way to do this like the old way of
tightening then loosening ¼ turn?
Thanks, Chuck
Hi Chuck,
I offer a few other techniques on my axle rebuild page:
http://www.4crawler.com/4x4/CheapTricks/AxleRebuild.shtml#Rebuild
One is to use a plain old spring-type fisherman’s scale,
or the other is to use a torque wrench and a tightening/loosening
sequence. I’ve used both techniques and
find they work great.
·
Roger
Hi there,
I am in the process of rebuilding my 22r, and am looking
for any references containing info on the oil gallery plugs. I believe the machine shop that did my block
has left one out, as I have no oil pressure.
I found the one on the right side, and the one in the back of the
block. Do you know if there should be
one somewhere under the timing cover?
The engine was reassembled right, so it has to be something the machine
shop did. Can you help me out? Thanks,
CW2 Darren P. Reese
Hi Darren;
For the detailed information you are looking for, I would
recommend getting a copy of the Factory Service Manual (FSM) for your year and
model vehicle. I list some sources for
the FSM on my web page:
http://www.4crawler.com/4x4/FSM.shtml
·
Roger
Roger,
I just had my 85 xcab/efi smogged. It almost didn’t pass.
The CO is fine at both idle and rpm. HC’s are way high at idle (220) but fine
at rpm. Truck was tuned prior to test and I did an oil change. I also retarded
the timing to 2* static. My air/fuel meter suggests the Ox sensor is
functioning properly and it’s an OEM sensor. I’m suspicious it’s the CAT.
Over the last six years the HC’s have been climbing
suggesting a slow, progressive failure. Other numbers have also risen, but not
as rapidly. Do you have any ideas? The
only two devices I’m aware of that control HC’s are the CAT and the PCV. I didn’t
change the PCV, and don’t suspect it as a problem. As far as NOx, New Mexico doesn’t test for
NOx so I have no idea what the number is.
Since the EGR is new I suspect it’s fine. Thanks, Pappy
Hi Pappy;
I’m certainly no smog expert, but I think your suspicions
regarding the catalytic converter are well founded. I think they tend to slowly lose efficiency
at removing pollutants. Also, you might
consider setting the static timing back to the recommended 5* BTDC. Here in California, where I live, some folks
try to retard timing a little to reduce NOx emissions, by delaying the
ignition, the maximum cylinder pressure and temperature is reduced, thus
reducing NOx production. On the other
hand, you have less time available to burn the gasoline, so it could lead to a
slight increase in HC production.
·
Roger
Note:
If you are searching for, building, modifying, or maintaining a Toyota 4WD mini-truck (Pickup, Hilux, 4Runner, Surf, or Tacoma), send your Truck Tech questions to Roger Brown at <TruckEditor@tlca.org>. I’ll try to answer your questions with authority!