22REvolution. An 85 Pickup West Texas Build. (5 Viewers)

[BioTex]

Sundays update. Woke up early eager to troubleshoot the ECU. I went through all the checks per the FSM and to my surprise everything checked out. This is good news because it leaves me with the only logical conclusion that it is the injectors themselves. During all this testing and cranking, i'm getting the feeling that the engine is running for a very tiny bit longer and longer as the days go on. This also reinforces the notion that the injectors are frozen from years of sitting.

I decide to bite the bullet and I remove the upper manifold so I can take a peek at the injectors. I took one out that looked the driest and sprayed some cleaner in it an let it sit for ten minutes. Blew it out with the air hose and then cycled it with battery voltage one just to hear it click. I reassembled the injector rail and upper manifold hoping to hear it run even longer, but to my surprise it caught on perhaps two cylinders which was enough to stay running and then a third caught and finally the fourth. After a minute or two the engine was purring with no smoke or vibrations. I'm not positive but think the problem was gummed injectors. I have no CEL and so I added water to the radiator which showed me a leak at the lower hose. I will fix that at a later time as I'm done in for the day.

 

[BioTex]

Sundays update. Woke up early eager to troubleshoot the ECU. I went through all the checks per the FSM and to my surprise everything checked out. This is good news because it leaves me with the only logical conclusion that it is the injectors themselves. During all this testing and cranking, i'm getting the feeling that the engine is running for a very tiny bit longer and longer as the days go on. This also reinforces the notion that the injectors are frozen from years of sitting.

I decide to bite the bullet and I remove the upper manifold so I can take a peek at the injectors. I took one out that looked the driest and sprayed some cleaner in it an let it sit for ten minutes. Blew it out with the air hose and then cycled it with battery voltage one just to hear it click. I reassembled the injector rail and upper manifold hoping to hear it run even longer, but to my surprise it caught on perhaps two cylinders which was enough to stay running and then a third caught and finally the fourth. After a minute or two the engine was purring with no smoke or vibrations. I'm not positive but think the problem was gummed injectors. I have no CEL and so I added water to the radiator which showed me a leak at the lower hose. I will fix that at a later time as I'm done in for the day.

 

[BioTex]

Be aware that other years will work. I have a 35020 if you really want.

Thank you Pappy for the kind offer. Turns out I don't need it after all. Yeah!

 

[pappy]

Glad you don't need it. Also glad you have it running. Now for something in the tank to clean those injectors. In the nearly 400K miles I've put on mine I've only had to replace the ECU once. It's not a common problem with Toyota electronics ... though I do carry a spare.

 

[BioTex]

I see some fresh oil around the front seal. Truck shows 100,050 miles on the clock but the rubber is dried out so leaks are expected. I'll be replacing the water pump, front cover and timing chain soon. Agreed on some cleaner in the tank. This engine is in good shape and worth saving.

News flash! Found a local parts stash that has some interesting Toyota items for sale. If the price is right it will be at my house in the next day or two. Should fast track my build somewhat.

 

[pappy]

One comment on the front main seal. I've tried Fel-Pro and OEM. I no longer waste my time with the Fel-Pro. OEM baby, OEM.

 

[muddpigg]

Good to hear you got it running. I'd consider having injectors cleaned or use a set of flame throwers. Both are about the same cost.

 

[BioTex]

Figure it's time for an update. Not much happening because I'm trying to come up with a plan for the build. I'm back and forth on a clear direction and I have made the mistake of not properly planning before. Huge waste of money and time.

No I'll think out loud here if you all don't mind.

I don't want a dedicated rock crawler that has to be trailered to trails unless they are a few hundred miles away. Then it is a good idea to have a trailer in case something breaks.

It must be street legal.
I will be running 12.5 x 33's because I already have them.
I will definately have a tube bed. I would like to retain as much of the original looks as possible so if i could incorporate the bed sheet metal side into the design that would be fine with me.
I want removable doors.
I want to keep the dash original. Rest of the interior doesn't matter.
Exo-cage: Undecided at the moment but leaning away from one.
Lockers? Yes
Gears? Have to research more.
Cool gadgets and toys? A must. But I don't want to upgrade some things until they break.
Lift? No clue yet but leaning towards the All-Pro high lift
Money???? Not a problem for me, but I like to do things on the cheap because I get more personal satisfaction knowing I didn't throw money at the project.

Ok, so a lot of unknows still. This is just a fun hobby for me so nothing is really set in stone. I still may do all this to the 86 carbureted truck and keep the EFI one stock. If I do that then it will not be street legal since I have no title but I won't be destroying an otherwise restorable truck. I'm not a purist but do like to keep the running ones running.
All feedback is welcome.

 

[Mudder]

Can't you file for a lost title? And I'd keep away from the exo cage. A good roll bar is what you need. Plus it may not be legal where you live. Also if you want to go efi on the 86 for off roading let me know. I have a whole swap right now and have done it my self

 

[muddpigg]

Watch out with purchasing the SAS kits, when I did mine most kits added 5.5 to 6.5" of lift. I wanted to stay lower and keep 33"s. I built in stages while DDing rig. I pieced my SAS kit together which took loads of research including comparison of frame deminsions. I targeted caster more than stock for better driving with bigger tires. I have no steering issues and don't run a stabilizer. Cost more but better outcome in my opinion. I do need to go to longer shocks and in hind site would prolly go with ford front shock towers. I preferred allpro springs over trailgear. I really limited my selection of parts from trailgear to some brackets and sliders.

Gears are 4:88, but paid shipping to have then set up by reputable guy (Zuk). Toyota gears are as strong as set up and a poor set up means weak axles and money.

 

[BioTex]

Picked up some parts from a friend today. Gearbox is set up with the Marlin crawler gears.
The rims are factory Toyota chrome rims. The rims measure 7" and I was wondering if 12.5's would seat? As for the gearbox, it won't bolt up to the auto tranny will it? This might change things if it won't.

 

[BioTex]

Can't you file for a lost title? And I'd keep away from the exo cage. A good roll bar is what you need. Plus it may not be legal where you live. Also if you want to go efi on the 86 for off roading let me know. I have a whole swap right now and have done it my self

To file for a lost title, I would have to send in a copy of the owners D.L. Not sure I can get a hold of him anymore but worth a try.
If I did the 86 truck, I would think about propane, but the EFI does have it's pluses.

 

[BioTex]

Oh, BTW, same friend is dropping off two complete sets of axles front and rears this weekend in case i want to SAS the 86 truck.
It has a manual tranny so the Marlin gearbox will fit for sure. Hmmm lots of options ahead.

 

[BioTex]

Watch out with purchasing the SAS kits, when I did mine most kits added 5.5 to 6.5" of lift. I wanted to stay lower and keep 33"s. I built in stages while DDing rig. I pieced my SAS kit together which took loads of research including comparison of frame deminsions. I targeted caster more than stock for better driving with bigger tires. I have no steering issues and don't run a stabilizer. Cost more but better outcome in my opinion. I do need to go to longer shocks and in hind site would prolly go with ford front shock towers. I preferred allpro springs over trailgear. I really limited my selection of parts from trailgear to some brackets and sliders.

Gears are 4:88, but paid shipping to have then set up by reputable guy (Zuk). Toyota gears are as strong as set up and a poor set up means weak axles and money.

 

[BioTex]

So you are saying you went with Allpro springs but don't recommend the rest of their product line for the swap? This makes me ask exactly what in the kit you think is inferior than another vendors? I thought the Allpro kit was the best choice out there.

 

[BioTex]

I am feeling like I'm all over the place with this project so I'm going to recap where I stand right now. This will help me to organize my thoughts hopefully and also to get some feedback from the experts on here.

I have two trucks:
85 EFI Extra cab 4x4 with A/C and a title. It runs. Auto tranny.
86 IFS std cab 4x4 no title. Carb'd and engine is unknown. Manual tranny.

Here are the parts I've collected so far:
2 complete axle sets with 4:10 gears. I think one set is factory trussed but not 100% on that yet.
Set of five factory chrome wheels. 7" rims is great shape. All the other rims I have are mismatched.
Marlin crawler transfer case. Unknown ratio since I just got it.
Extra drive shafts. Don't know if one is a front shaft yet. Will get them in two days.
2 leather, electric bucket seats with arms. In really nice shape.
Set of four 12.5 x 33" BFGs.

My thoughts right now are to get the 86 truck running and see if it is a candidate for an EFI swap and a SAS. If so, then I may build it up for a crawler and keep the 85 for the tow truck. My other option is to get the 86 running and sell it and use the money towards the 85 build. I like the idea of having both trucks. One for serious off-roading and the other for in town driving. This is the way I'm leaning. Just don't like the idea of putting a bunch of money into an untitled vehicle.

 

[muddpigg]

So you are saying you went with Allpro springs but don't recommend the rest of their product line for the swap? This makes me ask exactly what in the kit you think is inferior than another vendors? I thought the Allpro kit was the best choice out there.

Nope not saying their kit is inferior nor substandard. Are they the best on the market: IDK.
What I am saying is that the off the shelf kits did not provide the desired end stage I wanted. So I researched, measured, compared, and repeated the process until I had the closest to what my desired effect was within the limitations of the IFS frame.
I was simply pointing out a different route that sounded like what you were wanting as a final result. Just my $0.02

 

[BioTex]

Nope not saying their kit is inferior nor substandard. Are they the best on the market: IDK.
What I am saying is that the off the shelf kits did not provide the desired end stage I wanted. So I researched, measured, compared, and repeated the process until I had the closest to what my desired effect was within the limitations of the IFS frame.
I was simply pointing out a different route that sounded like what you were wanting as a final result. Just my $0.02

Ok, gotcha! I probably don't have enough experience yet to be able to do this piece meal. I do understand that you lose caster when you lift a truck and so it needs to be put back in whether it be a cut and turn or shims. Not sure how allpro handles this but will check into it. Thank you for the input.

 

[Toast]

Keep and build the 85. Junk the auto. They suck. Either find a w56 or swap trannys with your other rig. Tranny swap sounds like a ton of work so it might just be easier to find an entire setup and drop the cash. Either way your main priority should be to get the 85 running and driving perfect before you do any modding and building. Manual tranny, EFI, solid axle is a must. Don't try and make a tow rig out of an yota, you will be highly disappointed. Build the 85. Sell the 86 as is. Don't drop any money in it. You won't get it back out of the sale.

 

[Toast]

Also, have you considered going chevy rears and rears up front? Add high steer and a locker and your set. Saves a ton of cash. I think the best kits are the ones you piece together yourself