Jump to content

87 Pathy


maddoc
 Share

Recommended Posts

Thanks :) That may help, I'll have to compare it to what's still on the truck an see what's missing & what I have to try to re-route/bypass.

 

Here's what I'm having some issues with:

Enginecompartment.jpg

 

This one REALLY has me stumped:

 

unknownvac.jpg

 

As you can see in the first pic, the smog device that would normally sit behind the drivers headlight is MIA. Also, there are two small, metal vac nipples below and at the rear of the TB that I can not determine where they should connect to....Believe it or not, the motor will start up and run, though at a VERY high idle, like 1500-2000 rpm. I still have to connect the exhaust pipes to the manifolds, so I've not let it run for long. Also, the ecc is showing coolant temp sensor, so I will be replacing that as well...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The one behind the drivers headlight (AIV) that looks like a round canister and actually if I recall correctly has a filter in it should not cause the engine to idle high. I removed all that stuff in the 87 hardbody I had and it ran fine, I believe it was connected to a metal tube that ran up the frame rail from the cat converter and also tied into the port on the drivers side exhaust manifold also.

 

The one coming off the TB I will have to look in the manual again, I'm sure someone will tell you what it is for before I have a chance to do that, So when you start the engine does it have a high idle and it never comes down? It could be the thermo element is bad, The thermo element contains a wax element inside and is tied into coolant lines, it is designed to push a plunger up against the TB linkage, when cold the wax is solid pushing the TB linkage cam so the idle will be high, as the engine warms up the wax melts causing the plunger to withdraw and letting the idle drop. There is a procedure in the FSM to measure the amount of stroke in the plunger rod to see if it is good or not, but you can usually look at it and tell if it is moving.

 

Was just thinking, where do you live? have any junkyards around you? you could check out some trucks at the junkyard to see if you can tell where those lines connect to, sometimes it's easier than trying to read the service manual.

Edited by ahardb0dy
Link to comment
Share on other sites

The one behind the drivers headlight (AIV) that looks like a round canister and actually if I recall correctly has a filter in it should not cause the engine to idle high. I removed all that stuff in the 87 hardbody I had and it ran fine, I believe it was connected to a metal tube that ran up the frame rail from the cat converter and also tied into the port on the drivers side exhaust manifold also.

 

The one coming off the TB I will have to look in the manual again, I'm sure someone will tell you what it is for before I have a chance to do that, So when you start the engine does it have a high idle and it never comes down? It could be the thermo element is bad, The thermo element contains a wax element inside and is tied into coolant lines, it is designed to push a plunger up against the TB linkage, when cold the wax is solid pushing the TB linkage cam so the idle will be high, as the engine warms up the wax melts causing the plunger to withdraw and letting the idle drop. There is a procedure in the FSM to measure the amount of stroke in the plunger rod to see if it is good or not, but you can usually look at it and tell if it is moving.

 

Was just thinking, where do you live? have any junkyards around you? you could check out some trucks at the junkyard to see if you can tell where those lines connect to, sometimes it's easier than trying to read the service manual.

 

Yes, when started, it instantly idles up to 1500-2000 and stays there. I'll look into the thermo element...

 

Unfortunately, the only 87-90 pathys or HB's I've been able to find in junkyards around here, near Mobile, AL, look to be long-since stripped under the hood :(

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Here's where we are....

 

I swapped out the coolant/block temp sensor, now the eec shows '44', no problems :)

 

If I block off that large nipple (red circle in above pics) It'll start and run, now idles a little closer to 'normal' (800-1000) after warming up some. At the moment, as you can see in the video link, I just rigged a plug for it. I'll find a more permanent solution to block it if I can't find out where it is supposed to connect to.

 

I have to finish re-assembling the exhaust, but I'm missing a couple of bolts :scratchhead: and apparently have the wrong flange gasket.

 

I have all new front end parts (ball joints and tie rods) and just waiting on axle shaft bearings to come tomorrow. Once these are in, I can put the front end back together. Then it's just a matter of changing out the fluids in the trans, front & rear diffs, and transfer case....then down the road we go!!

 

If there's anyone with a VG30E that could take a peak (pics help too ;) ) and let me know where that large vacuum nipple should go, or if it's OK to just leave it plugged, please let me know...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 8 months later...

Wow its been a minute since ive done anything to the pathy. Mostly just my DD while my jeep was with out axles.

 

Currently deployed so not much work is getting done to the car, just picked up a instrument cluster on ebay from a 87, gauges config matches mine and the needles look good. Guy said it worked fine when pulled so we shall see.

 

she is sitting in my backyard right now, battery pulled and put on a trickle charger, covered with tarps to help keep some of the snow off. I should be back in the states around Feb and I want to go through the front end suspension/steering and get it tightened up

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 5 months later...

you could always do something dorky as a temp needle till you find one like glue one of those little plastic sammich swords as a needle or I've seen zip ties made into needles already. not the cleanest looking but gets by and is defiantly a more 'unique' approach as a get-by (i personally think someone had their hands in those gauges to start with, having white needles on an orange numbered gauge)

 

for your vin question I probably overlooked being answered at the top of this page too, "JN8" = multi purpose passenger vehicle . The 11th digit of the vin is what plant it was from, "C" for Tennessee "W" for it took a trip from the good ol' island of Kyushu

Do factory wd21 square dash gauges come with orange needles? because every terrano that I have seen have white gauge needles , although that could be one of those things that they change when a vehicle gets imported.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 weeks later...

Ok, just been reading through this long thread..

 

White needles are absolutely fine on an orange background, that appears to be pretty standard on some Pathy's..

 

The tip I was given for correcting my speedo needle (and tacho needle) which has warped onto the face was to take off the plastic and very carefully run a line of superglue along the back of the needle, then sit the instrument fascia upright so that it's all sitting with the needles sitting horizontal with the glue on the very top of it.

The theory is that the superglue as it dries shrinks slightly, which will correct the needle if it's sitting perfectly flat lifting it off the face of the dash.

Also, if that doesn't work a pair of small side cutters can trim it back 2 or 3 mm without causing any probs, though you might want to try the superglue first!

 

*** CAUTION *** don't put the clear cover back over the dials until say at least 12 hours has past (I'm not sure of the 100% curing time for superglue, usually it's dry in minutes but full curing is something like 10 hours or so - anyway, don't put the clear cover back over them until completely cured otherwise the fumes off the superglue will stain the inside of the clear cover of the instrument panel.

 

 

I'm yet to try this superglue trick, I've replaced my instrument cluster once already so will be doing this soon as both speedo and tacho gauges are sticking occasionally. (Oddly they don't stick on very hot days!)

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 years later...

Hello, been reading this forum and have a question. Now knowing that the speedometer is controlled by a cable, few questions to go with that. We (my husband and I) have a 1987 Pathy, and as we were driving down the road yesterday when he looked at the speed, it was all the way down and the mileage odometer is not spinning. We checked fuses, battery connections, and he did a few other things that I can not properly explain without saying that spinny thing, etc.

 

Still no luck, so I guess my question is where/how would we check the cable to the speedometer to find out if that is indeed the issue? Thanks in advanced to all, and post whatever technical terms and such because my husband will be the one reading and responding LOL!! :))))

Edited by TrtlPwr7885
Link to comment
Share on other sites

If you remove the cluster surround, and the cluster, you should see the speedo cable sticking in behind where the speedo should be with a square end on it. That end should spin as you drive. If it doesn't, either the cable is bad or the little gear on the end has failed.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

If you remove the cluster surround, and the cluster, you should see the speedo cable sticking in behind where the speedo should be with a square end on it. That end should spin as you drive. If it doesn't, either the cable is bad or the little gear on the end has failed.

Is it possible to buy the little white bit on the end of the cable that goes into the speedo? I bought a new cable, but it didn't come with it, and now at around 60km/h the needle bounces back in forth like crazy...once I get up to about 80 it stops and seems fine.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share

×
×
  • Create New...