FJ40 F/2F SNIPER 101 – WHERE TO START FOR YOUR 40-SERIES TOYOTA LAND CRUISER EFI CONVERSION?

Are you looking to add the convenience of the Holley Sniper Electronic Fuel Injection 2300-Series Double-Barrel System to your carbureted Toyota /F2F-powered FJ40 Land Cruiser?

WHERE TO START

BEFORE you start HITTING THE BUY IT NOW buttons on all of the Red Line Land Cruisers Sniper Conversion Parts and the Holley Sniper EFI system, Holley Performance themselves highly recommend the following items to be checked and or corrected before installing the Sniper EFI system. We both want to ensure optimum performance from your 2F Toyota engine in your FJ40 Land Cruiser. Your money and effort need positive results!

Often, the carburetor is viewed as the primary culprit or the leading cause of various other engine-related issues that may persist. It is best to check and verify the condition of the COMPLETE ENGINE SYSTEM before proceeding with an EFI conversion. There should be no vacuum leaks, the ignition timing should be set appropriately, and the engine should be in sound mechanical condition.

CONVERTING TO EFI WILL NOT CURE BAD VALVES, DAMAGED HEAD GASKETS, WORN PISTON RINGS, or CRACKED & LEAKING VACUUM LINES!!! 

This is the Red Line Land Cruisers SNIPER 101 TEST FLIGHT Inspection list (initial) before strapping on the fun stuff! Technically, this is all FUN STUFF TOO! But most importantly, you want to give your EFI conversion the best possible start! You seriously want to complete all of the following tasks (listed below) before installing the Holley Sniper EFI system on your 2F-powered 40-Series Toyota Land Cruiser.

You do not want any issues that could potentially have you unbolting everything, kicking the beer cooler past the mailbox, and blaming everything you just purchased. EVEN if you are not doing a SNIPER conversion, this list of items is simply great 2F tune-up items. Believe us when we tell ya,’ we do LOVE carbureted FJ40’s too and we can “argue” all day – both sides of the fuel delivery equation! (But that is another story altogether!)  

Let’s start with the 2F engine itself, as this is the heart of your whole Toyota 4X4 propulsion system! We will address the areas of fuel, spark, and air as these are the three elements of combustion. 

ENGINE: Compression Test / Leak Down Test / Valve Lash / Vacuum Leaks
Why spend $2,500+ on bolt-on parts when the motor is tired and not up for the fun you are expecting to have? Why whip up a batch of frosting covered in sprinkles before baking the cake? (Must be holiday season around here…)

1] Compression Test – Do this first & easiest, as this will lead you to the “T” in the road of OK Avenue & Leak Down Lane. Get to this intersection as quickly as you can! Do not procrastinate! Do not skip this step and start doing all the “stuff” in this list just because you like to shop for parts! You really need to come to terms with the reality of what your engine is already whispering to you. A compression test utilizes the rotation of the engine to generate compression in the cylinder during the compression stroke, when both the intake and exhaust valves are closed. Regardless of whether the engine is carbureted or EFI, low compression is low compression, and ultimately, you will be very unhappy if you do all that work only to find out that this critical data falls below standards. A good rule of thumb is to be above 120 at altitudes above 5,000 feet. 

2] Leak Down Test – So your Compression Test sent you to Leak Down Lane… We’re sorry, but the news needs to be addressed. A leak-down test uses a set of gauges to pressurize the cylinder with air and measures the amount of air escaping.

3] Valve Lash – Valve lash is the available clearance (or gap) between the rocker arm and the tip of the valve stem when the lifter for that valve is sitting on the base circle of the cam lobe.

4] Vacuum Leaks – Check for vacuum leaks where the intake manifold mates to the cylinder head. You are about to move into the computer era, and vacuum leaks will send the Holley Sniper EFI into “freak-out” mode. Any and all EFI systems will go into “freak-out” mode with vacuum leaks. Give your engine the best possible scenario to perform as expected and yourself less hassle of blaming the EFI system, only to find out that it is not the “shiny new parts” but a neglected 45-year-old part, ie, the *intake manifold with air leaks on the underside. Remember, vacuum leaks do not bleed, smell, or visually present themselves; thus, you have to take measures to hunt down these culprits that will ruin your garage-zin vibe! 

FUEL TANK: Check for rust, prepare for the next 30 years or until they take our dead dinosaurs.
First and foremost, we wholly support and advise the use of in-tank fuel pumps! Yes, it is more work up-front, but you are doing the work in your garage, in your “controlled” environment vs on the side of the road or in a mud-hole on the side of the mountain at 2 am, changing the external fuel pump, because we told you to buy two, and you have your spare in the glove box or in your on-board trail-tool storage container. With all this, you first need to check the fuel tank to see if you have a worthy tank to start with! 
1] Inspect for rust/damage
2] Upon modification to the in-tank fuel pump, check for and clean out all debris from your work.

LET THERE BE SPARK!

Tired of your basic points that are likely overdue or need to replace the whole ignition system? OK, here is something we’ve been doing for years on all of our in-house customers’ Land Cruisers. Our Red Line Land Cruisers 1 & 2F Hot Performance Distributor starts with an Toyota OEM reliable NON-US Distributor that features the NON-US Smog curve. Then we upgrade the electronics to a proven performance Pertronix system. After the conversion is done, we test each unit’s vacuum advance system and electronics to make sure each unit ships ready to install. Not only will this give you the performance you are looking for with OEM reliability, but it will not require rerouting heater houses like some of the aftermarket distributors. AND will give you the “SPARK READY” for the Sniper conversion.

COOLING SYSTEM

Here at Red Line Land Cruisers, we get to see a lot of cooling issues along with all the neglected engine maintenance issues. While we are in the “coolest” of states – Colorado, our air actually lacks oxygen. Yes, elevation plays a critical role that we take for granted. Just for some elevation-comparatives, Big Bear Lake, California, sits at 6,752’, and if you get up and drive the dirt roads up behind the ski lifts, you can catch 8,805’. Folks traveling across Donner Pass sneak across the 80FWY at 7,057’, and Lake Tahoe sits at a cool 6,225’. If you are tip-toeing across the Rubicon Trail, you’re only tipping the elevation meter at 6,600 feet. Our shop here in Colorado Springs sits at 6,035 feet and spreads out over 6,000 – 7,000 ft of elevation – IN TOWN!

Just for mental comparatives, for all you adventurist driving up and down California’s HWY395, you know Mt. Whitney is sitting at 14k. You can hike it, but you can’t drive up to the top… But you can check off a 9,945-foot crossing over the Tioga Pass. Here in Colorado, Pikes Peak’s entrance road is only 18 miles away from our shop! Yes, we said road! The road to Pikes Peak will carry you to the peak’s park, sitting at 14,115 feet (think Mt. Whitney!) And if that is not enough, Colorado holds the honor of the highest drivable road in North America, with Mount Evans Road rising to a height of 14,130 feet above sea level!

The POINT OF ALL THIS is that we all love driving our Land Cruisers in the mountains! Mountains have “thin air,” and air is what mixes with our fuel to create the combustion in the chamber. Air is also what passes through the radiator to cool the metal surrounding the combustion. We love driving in the mountains, even though driving in the mountains is actually working against us! Your cooling system needs to be in tip-top condition! 

Here is a good analogy for us all to think about as both our bodies and our vehicles require air, water, and fuel, with an emphasis on “air.” At elevation, the percentage of oxygen is the same as at sea level, which is roughly 21 percent. However, because air molecules at high altitudes are more dispersed, each human breath delivers less oxygen to the body. A breath at 12,000 feet delivers 40 percent less oxygen to the body than it does at sea level. So, we are not stating that oxygen is the key to cooling or that O₂, O₃ is “THE” missing element at elevation, but we all know that air is “thinner” at elevation and air is what passes through our radiators!  Thus, less air, less cooling, and we are sticking to it. That is, unless you prove to us otherwise…  

 If we didn’t lose you with all the “high elevation,” then carry on with these procedures:

1] Check Fan Clutch Spin – Resistance is good and free-spin is bad! 

 
2] Check Fan Clutch Bearing / Water Pump Bearing by holding the fan blade and applying pressure front to back and feeling for play in either the fan clutch itself or the water pump.
If you need a fan clutch, we have two options for you – both are AISIN brand as they are the OE for Toyota:
• 77-87 FJ40 & FJ60 2F Fan Clutch – Red Standard – Toyota Land Cruiser
• 77-87 FJ40 & FJ60 2F Fan Clutch – Black Hot & Heavy – Toyota Land Cruiser

3] Does the water pump need replacing?

4] Have you replaced the radiator cap within the last 5 years?
5] Radiator Hoses – do these need replacing?
6] Belts – Older than 2 years? REPLACE THEM! Remove the old ones, put them in your on-board tool kit (only if they are “ok” or new ones), just in case your buddy needs one on-trail!

 *INTAKE MANIFOLD
Last but not least, this is where all the pre-magic happens, so it’s essential to keep all the “secret sauce” concealed! The biggest issue regarding the intake manifold is “air leaks” due to heavily pitted or corroded gasket between the cylinder head and intake manifold, and/or the mating surface warped due to heat exchange from the cast iron cylinder head over the past 35+ years!

If the mating surface of the manifold is warped, you can fix it by using a sealant such as Permatex® High Tack™ Gasket Sealant or Permatex® Copper Spray-A-Gasket® Hi-Temp Sealant. We prefer High Tack, but better yet, we much rather do it “the right way” by machining the surfaces.

Lets just start with reality. Is your manifold cracked?

AIR LEAK = LIGHT LEAK

Note how we have a light underneath the intake manifold, allowing us to see if light is coming up between the mounting surface of the intake manifold and our Precision Straight Edge. In this example, you can see light passing through. In our shop, this calls for having the surfaces re-decked.

If you are going to have a machine shop re-deck the surfaces of the 2F Toyota air intake manifold, pay special attention and better yet, make sure your machine shop understands that the angle in which the carburetor / Sniper manifold adapter sits is intentional. DO NOT FLATTEN HORIZONTALLY! Change this angle, and you will not be using your factory Toyota 2F air cleaner as intended, as it will not line up properly, as you will “tilt” the Holley Sniper headunit away from the intended location. The machine shop’s operator needs to set the machine to the surface of the manifold, not to the manifold horizontally as a whole. Yes, we’ve heard of this happening to a few folks, hence the heavy emphasis!  

NOW HIT THE START BUTTON!
Upon turning the ignition on, does the engine take a while to start rolling over? Maybe you didn’t install a Back To The Future push-button start-button, but you might want to think about adding a High Torque Starter, fresh ground and power cables, and maybe a new battery. Contrary to popular belief, our 2F Toyota engine possesses a lot of mass to turn over. You want to give your engine the best FIGHTING CHANCE to come to life! 

EXTENDED READING: 1F / 2F Manifold Prep for Carb or Sniper – Save An F-Series Toyota

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Add EFI To Your FJ40 Toyota 2F Toyota Engine
with the Holley Sniper Red Line Kit

 

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MORE 2F / SNIPER EFI RELATED READING:
• Red Line Land Cruiser – SNIPER CONVERSION PARTS
• HOW TO: REVIVE AN F-SERIES ENGINE THAT HAS BEENG SITTING DORMANT? F-Series Revival Series – 1974 FJ40 Toyota Land Cruiser
• ALL IN EFFORT TO SAVE AN F!
• 2F SNIPER 101 – WHERE TO START FOR YOUR FJ40 TOYOTA LAND CRUISER?
• Add EFI To Your FJ40 Toyota 2F Toyota Engine with the Holley Sniper Kit / Redline Land Cruisers CNC Billet Manifold & Air Filter Adapter Kits
• Toyota 2F Engine – The Now Sought After 6 Cylinder Paperweight
• TOYOTA F / 1F ENGINE 1949 – 1975
• Ignition Package for 1 / 2F Engines for your Toyota Land Cruiser
• What Type Of Engine Oil Do We Use At Red Line Land Cruisers
• FJ DIY (DO IT YOURSELF) How to Run a Compression Test on An Engine