My New Stinky 80

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mattafact

mattafact

10 Year 15 Year
Joined
Jan 2, 2007
Threads
103
Messages
1,537
Location
So Cal
So I picked up this fairly clean 94 from a couple kids who had no clue what a land cruiser is. Every inch was covered in some kind of Armor All type product. It made me greasy every time I touched it. And the smell. I still can't get rid of the smell. May have to pull the carpet soon. You can smell it from a foot away.

http://i680.photobucket.com/albums/...-9F06-38942D1D0CC7-45185-00001AC12F2D4839.jpg

http://i680.photobucket.com/albums/...-97A4-475EB76973C0-45185-00001AC13F626B93.jpg

This is when I brought it home. The gas door wouldn't open, the handle on the tailgate was broken, the driver's side wiper didn't work, etc. When I was test driving it I wanted to see if all 3 lockers worked. I put it in low range and the center diff lock worked but the front and rear lockers didn't. No big deal, probably just dirty. Tried to shift it back into high range and nothing.

Ruh Roh. :whoops:

So I did what any upstanding citizen does when he breaks a car during a test drive. I low balled them. Got their $4500 cruiser for $2900. It was given to them and they seemed like they just wanted cash to get more meth.

So first things first, get rid of the "armor":

http://i680.photobucket.com/albums/...-BC8F-362883E4A114-45185-00001AC15683F405.jpg

There, that's better. I took it to a dirt field and drove around like a fool for half an hour trying to get the center diff to unlock. No luck. The rear diff lock fixed itself when I was doing figure 8s. :clap:

I searched through the hallowed mud archives until I found Tools-R-Us' thread on CDL Actuator Fun. I got as far as I could and got the 4 bolts off the actuator but I couldn't get the actuator off, no matter how hard I tried. I was literally out of talent. :doh:

With my head hanging low I dropped it off with Eric at Yotamasters in Corona (best Toyota mechanics in SoCal in my humble opinion) and they had it working like Mr T intended in no time. I'm still pissed I couldn't get that actuator off. Anyway,

Took it out in the dirt later that day with the center and rear lockers working and broke it in proper. 2 outta 3 ain't half bad. Probably the first time it has ever seen dirt.

A couple calls to Sam from Lowe Toyota and I had a couple huge boxes of parts and it was time to dig in and start baselining. Sam is a super nice guy for those who don't know him. I give him part numbers and he figures out what I really mean. It's a luxury to have a resource like him. Anyway, I digress. All new hoses, thermostat, PCV valve and grommet, vent hoses, vacuum lines, belts, alternator idler pulley, rotor, cap, plugs, (had just bought brand new wires on my 93 so those got replaced with the nice Japanese NGK wires that came on it), Die Hard Platinum Group 31, valve cover gasket, distributor oring, speedo gear oring, wipers, etc.

New Koyo bearing for the AC idler pulley from eBay.

http://i680.photobucket.com/albums/...-9350-6C3BEFFD087A-45185-00001AC0F996826D.jpg

New eBay Aisin water pump The price went up almost $20 since I bought it. :bounce: I ordered it last Wednesday afternoon and had it by Thursday. Amazing.

Dug in and found this gem:

http://i680.photobucket.com/albums/...-91E0-059A5272F1FF-45185-00001AC112DD7DCD.jpg

Neat, huh? :bang:

Fine Korean belts:

http://i680.photobucket.com/albums/...-9392-C5890EF561C0-45185-00001AC1C4BC6ED8.jpg

1st five spark plugs were unremarkable Densos:

http://i680.photobucket.com/albums/...-B219-157EDA25F649-45185-00001AC1A15FEB5B.jpg

#6 was an NGK and probably original:

http://i680.photobucket.com/albums/...-AD6F-60B9EFD160A4-45185-00001AC1B1FAE810.jpg

:censor: :bang: I guess that explains the slight miss at idle.

Gotta love the amazing fit of aftermarket hoses:

http://i680.photobucket.com/albums/...-935A-B8D4FC961856-45185-00001AC1A899B1C0.jpg

Took the front diff lock actuator out and cleaned it up with some instructions I found on mud and it now works perfectly. :cheers: Drained and filled the diffs (the front diff came out nice and sludgy), T-case, transmission with Mobil 1 fluids except the front diff since it obviously needs the knuckles rebuilt.

As some of you may know Toyota doesn't sell the rubber hoses for the rear heater. They want you to buy the whole hard line setup. Forget that.

For the 90 degree bend coming off the T to the rear heater a Gates 28460 fits perfect with some trimming. For the lines under the passenger side going to the rear heater a Napa 10424 (made by Gates) works, again with some trimming. My OCD wishes all my hoses were OEM but desperate times call for desperate measures. Sometimes you have to burn a village in order to save it.

While I had the heater hoses off I changed the PHH with the silicone kit in less than half an hour. :flipoff2:

Tomorrow I'll put new brushes in the alternator, flush the entire cooling and heating systems again (this time with distilled water to flush out the tap water) and button it back up. The :princess: is buying me a knuckle service kit for my bday and that will be my next project.

Oh, and I sold the tail light guards today for $100. :flipoff2: Anyone want a brush guard and some running boards?
 
Just curious, what have you put back into it with the baselining / tune up, not including the knuckle rebuild kit?

Looks like a sweet deal, congrats!
 
Sweet deal.
I bought my original HDJ81 the same way. Kid had no clue what his big brother had given him, and just needed some quick cash.
Did a little Mud research before I even drove it and low balled him.... :meh:
The smell was bad as well! Pulling the carpets and giving it a proper bath was the only way, took about 1/2 day.

Looks like a great rig over all once you have it baselined.

Is it your first 80? Edit, never mind. You have far more experience than me!

Doug
 
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Offroads4x4 said:
Sweet find.
I like your buying skills. LOL

X2 on Sam a supper nice guy.
Click to expand...

I can't help that they were ignorant over the 80s awesomeness.

merryweather said:
Just curious, what have you put back into it with the baselining / tune up, not including the knuckle rebuild kit?

Looks like a sweet deal, congrats!
Click to expand...

Including the trip to Yotamasters and all the parts I probably have close to $1000 in it. Thats not including the Die Hard Platinum and OEM plug wires that I "borrowed" from the :princess: 93. That would be another $400.

DBWood said:
Sweet deal.
I bought my original HDJ81 the same way. Kid had no clue what his big brother had given him, and just needed some quick cash.
Did a little Mud research before I even drove it and low balled him.... :meh:
The smell was bad as well! Pulling the carpets and giving it a proper bath was the only way, took about 1/2 day.

Looks like a great rig over all once you have it baselined.

Is it your first 80? Edit, never mind. You have far more experience than me!

Doug
Click to expand...

I was hoping I wouldn't have to remove the carpets but I figured I would. Unfortunately this is my 3rd 80. It's an addiction and I should seek treatment immediately.
 
merryweather said:
Just curious, what have you put back into it with the baselining / tune up, not including the knuckle rebuild kit?

Looks like a sweet deal, congrats!
Click to expand...

Ok, I added everything up and including fluids and I have $1179 in parts and labor into the base lining. That includes the 10000 CST fluid for my black fan clutch.
 
Sweet deal.. Little tlc and she's good as new..

Sent from my tablet using IH8MUD
 
That's a lot of work to hammer out, not your 1st rodeo I see, lol. Good buy, nice truck!
 
Got all the hoses back on last night, got the throttle body cleaned tonight. Hopefully Friday morning I'll get it all buttoned up and it will purr like a kitten, just in time for a 300 mile trip to my dad's house for the holidays. Nothing like replacing dozens of parts and testing it out on a road trip.
 
Wow! $2900 for a '94 with lockers. Nice. Mileage? Regarding the smell. Just head out to Anza with a buddy and drive behind him for awhile with your vents wide open. You'll loose the armorall smell in no time to the beauty of Anza dust!
 
Brentbba said:
Wow! $2900 for a '94 with lockers. Nice. Mileage? Regarding the smell. Just head out to Anza with a buddy and drive behind him for awhile with your vents wide open. You'll loose the armorall smell in no time to the beauty of Anza dust!
Click to expand...

130k miles.

I better get me some anza dust ASAP.
 
So I went to get it smogged today and it failed the HC test at idle. The smog ref also said there was no vacuum at the EGR. Any idea what could be causing that?

The best part is that the PO have apparently removed the CEL. I'm a little pissed at myself for not noticing that.
 
mattafact said:
So I went to get it smogged today and it failed the HC test at idle. The smog ref also said there was no vacuum at the EGR. Any idea what could be causing that?

The best part is that the PO have apparently removed the CEL. I'm a little pissed at myself for not noticing that.
Click to expand...

You mean the PO removed the CEL bulb? I believe it lights up upon startup.

The EGR is probably clogged up. Remove and clean up with some carb cleaner. You might also want to clean the hoses. You can spray some carb cleaner through it. Or if it's plugged, I take a long flexible wire and tie a small booger sized rag on the end. Then I pull it through.
 
mkfour said:
You mean the PO removed the CEL bulb? I believe it lights up upon startup.

The EGR is probably clogged up. Remove and clean up with some carb cleaner. You might also want to clean the hoses. You can spray some carb cleaner through it. Or if it's plugged, I take a long flexible wire and tie a small booger sized rag on the end. Then I pull it through.
Click to expand...

That's going to be my first step. Good call on the small rag, I was wondering how I was going to get that passage cleaned out. :beer:

Pin_Head said:
In CA, the seller is responsible for it passing smog, so you can always get your money back. :eek:
Click to expand...

I looked that up last night and I'd have to take them to court to recoup any costs. We'll see how much it ends up costing me. Unfortunately the little bastards I bought it from never put it in there name so I'd be going after their parents. Though I guess it's partly their fault for raising such lousy kids. :lol:
 
mattafact said:
So I went to get it smogged today and it failed the HC test at idle. The smog ref also said there was no vacuum at the EGR. Any idea what could be causing that?

The best part is that the PO have apparently removed the CEL. I'm a little pissed at myself for not noticing that.
Click to expand...

Pin_Head said:
In CA, the seller is responsible for it passing smog, so you can always get your money back. :eek:
Click to expand...

WHOOPS!

It didn't have a cert when you bought it?
 
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