Symptoms are a bit odd, but definitely worth checking the TPS. They have a setting as Toyota do this weird thing where it switches between an 'idle' map and a 'running' map, which is set by the position of the throttle.I forget the procedure, but I found it easy enough with google the first time. Usually responsible for a stumble on acceleration, but perhaps if it think's at idle it should be using the 'running' mapping, might explain the over fuelling. Usually if you've got spark and fuel happening at more or less the right time it will run and you can sort it from there, but EFI with all these weird sensors does complicate things.

They are. It actually runs sweet first try for a few seconds then dies. If I hit any throttle it definitely dies. Second retry it will catch a little but not stay going, third is near impossible. I'm not giving it throttle normally, so I'm not flooding it, but it does seem like it's getting flooded.

 

I know what you're talking about boosted, I saw that part in one of the links above which shows testing the TPS in the diagnosis manual. The first small movement stays in range of a switch, then the rest of the range outputs proper throttle signal.

 

I ran out of energy to test it last night, I'll keep at it and work through the manual, I'm just hoping if I post here someone will have a bright idea and help me short cut the process a bit :)

Just to throw an option. My 4AGZE was messing around, wouldn't accept throttle and if it wasn't warm, wouldn't even start. Fortunately it did it while it was idling, sat there and idled happy as larry, but wouldn't take any sort of throttle. Turned out to be a toasted ECU. But I did have a CEL on and jumpering the diagnostics plugs I couldn't get the CEL to blink or anything.

So I've checked the TPS, all readings came out fine.

 

I'm wrestling with timing though. If I align the marks on the distributor and install it, it's impossible for me to time it properly. I can get it to 10 degrees manually timed, but this is pretty much near the limit of the travel of the distributor, so something just isn't right. The cams seem reasonably aligned, it certainly doesn't look like the exhaust cam is out by a tooth or anything like that.

 

I did notice that the belt really seems looser than it should be. I'm not sure if that has a bearing when everything seems to align easily enough. I'll take the covers off and have a look, but it all seems quite weird.

When you slipped the dizzy in it didn't rotate off a tooth?

I have no idea what I'm talking about for other engines but you can't align the dizzy (set to #1)and then drop it in on the 3K,. When you drop it in, it turns clockwise as it engages the gear, so you have to turn it back counterclockwise a few degrees so that as it drops in it ends up in the right place. You have to fiddle with the slot in the oil pump so it's in the right place too (long flathead screwdriver).

I've been slotting and reslotting the dizzy for far too long! I'm trying to align it so that one of the points of the star for the trigger is aligned with the pick up. No matter how much I adjust the initial alignment when I put it in, it rotates too far, so it either won't line up, or is right at the edge of adjustment. This is either aligning it at TDC or 10 degrees. The rotor is also aligning at what I would consider to be a weird spot, being too far through rotation.

 

It doesn't quite make sense at the moment! The dizzy shaft is all one piece isn't it on 4AGEs? It seems like something has rotated.

Possibly someone has rebuilt it and put the gear on the end on out by 180 degrees. Easy to do.

I've just had a thought, I think I'm doing it wrong. I should be checking the alignment at the rotor, not the pickup, because that would need to trigger the ignitor and coil well before the spark is needed! There's me over thinking things :)

 

I'll try and get out for another go a little later.....

Find where 1 is on the cap. That is where the centre of the rotor button needs to point. Put a mark with a scratch. Pen. Anything to know that no.1 on the cap is pointing to number 1 on the body of the dizzy that the rotor button lines up to. Install the dizzy and it will want to spin a bit. Hold the rotor button and it will sort of drop in and turn a few degrees. Keep trying until no.1 is tdc. Pulleys lined up. Balancer is tdc and dizzy at 1. can't get it wrong and will be a pain if not. Keep trying

Yeah, you said that before, I didn't listen!! I feel like a bit of a nonce for spending a couple of hours heading in the wrong direction on that one.

 

At least I know the TPS is OK! :)

 

Thanks all for the help, even when I'm being unintentionally uncooperative ;)

you may find this helpful.

 

4AGE.pdf

Cheers, I've got the 4AGE and diagnostic manual, so I'm working them through. Haven't quite got the cam covers off yet, but that's what I'm working towards. There's so much slack in the belt that it all moves about when I'm trying to align things, so I think I need to get rid of that or I'm just going to be chasing my tail continually. I can't wait to get this in RWD format, working on the front of FWD motors sucks!

When my crank pulley fell off I managed to strip the front of my engine down (covers/alternator etc), replace the timing pulley cog, keyway, put a new harmonic balancer on and put it all back together in 57 minutes, all on the side of the road. So much better in RWD.

There's so much slack in the belt that it all moves about when I'm trying to align things

 

Don't forget to only ever turn the motor forwards. If you go past a mark don't turn the crank backwards, you have to go right around again.

 

But chase that slack down also, it shouldn't be there.