Back-story:
Hi all, I've been a Mud member for about two years now. Thanks to this site I bought my 80 from another member in 2018 and have been enjoying it ever since. It's a 1997 so it's got that 1FZ-FE inline goodness under the hood. Currently sitting around 248K on the odometer. I bought it at 239K and my only real regret is not having had the money to drive it more often .
Now, when I purchased it I was aware that there was an intermittent P0401 code. I also received a fairly detailed collection of maintenance records. The vehicle appeared to have been taken care of and showed no signs of major issues. Fast forward to present and it is still happily chugging along. I've made a few minor repairs (cut out clogged cats, repaired snorkel bracket, patched radiator, etc.) but it has never left me stranded. But...the longer I have owned it the more it has become apparent that some serious PM is in order - and that brings us to this thread.
Repairs that are relevant:
- Patched upper radiator tank w/ JB weld (over a year ago and still holding )
- cut out clogged catalytic converters and straight piped it for now
Planned Repairs/Maintenance:
- Head gasket replacement kit from Wit's End (planning on having head machined)
- new OEM radiator
- new radiator hoses
- new coolant (obviously)
- valve cover gasket kit from Wit's End (includes TB gasket)
- tune up kit from Wit's End (plugs, wires, etc)
- entirely new exhaust (parts TBD but leaning Magnaflow y-pipe with either custom or DIY cat-back)
- whatever is needed to clear the P0401 as long as I don't have to sell any body parts to get it
While-I'm-in-there's:
- new fuel filter
- new throttle cable
- new/rebuilt injectors?
- new vacuum lines
- new hoses/lines for anything that looks worn/in need of replacement
Game Plan:
- have oil tested by Blackstone just to verify the health of the engine before I pull the trigger on these repairs
- get price quotes for having the work done
- decide how much my time is worth and if I want to tackle this myself (I'm pretty handy and I have basic tools and a welder but I would he doing this in my driveway because I can't fit the cruiser in my garage)
Any helpful advice and information is welcomed. Those of you who have done any of this before, please chime in. Yes, I used search. Yes, I've read threads on most of this stuff. What I'm really trying to get out of this thread is: for an 80 that has old/leaking exhaust, a high probability of having the original head gasket, a previously cracked radiator, and some decent but normal wear on the engine accessories - is this the right route to take to get her back to health or am I overlooking something? Long term I'm considering a turbo upgrade and REALLY long term (we're talking when the 1FZ gives up the ghost) I'd like to do an engine swap. But for now I want the vehicle to be in good, serviceable condition for another 100k. So let me know what y'all think.
Hi all, I've been a Mud member for about two years now. Thanks to this site I bought my 80 from another member in 2018 and have been enjoying it ever since. It's a 1997 so it's got that 1FZ-FE inline goodness under the hood. Currently sitting around 248K on the odometer. I bought it at 239K and my only real regret is not having had the money to drive it more often .
Now, when I purchased it I was aware that there was an intermittent P0401 code. I also received a fairly detailed collection of maintenance records. The vehicle appeared to have been taken care of and showed no signs of major issues. Fast forward to present and it is still happily chugging along. I've made a few minor repairs (cut out clogged cats, repaired snorkel bracket, patched radiator, etc.) but it has never left me stranded. But...the longer I have owned it the more it has become apparent that some serious PM is in order - and that brings us to this thread.
Repairs that are relevant:
- Patched upper radiator tank w/ JB weld (over a year ago and still holding )
- cut out clogged catalytic converters and straight piped it for now
Planned Repairs/Maintenance:
- Head gasket replacement kit from Wit's End (planning on having head machined)
- new OEM radiator
- new radiator hoses
- new coolant (obviously)
- valve cover gasket kit from Wit's End (includes TB gasket)
- tune up kit from Wit's End (plugs, wires, etc)
- entirely new exhaust (parts TBD but leaning Magnaflow y-pipe with either custom or DIY cat-back)
- whatever is needed to clear the P0401 as long as I don't have to sell any body parts to get it
While-I'm-in-there's:
- new fuel filter
- new throttle cable
- new/rebuilt injectors?
- new vacuum lines
- new hoses/lines for anything that looks worn/in need of replacement
Game Plan:
- have oil tested by Blackstone just to verify the health of the engine before I pull the trigger on these repairs
- get price quotes for having the work done
- decide how much my time is worth and if I want to tackle this myself (I'm pretty handy and I have basic tools and a welder but I would he doing this in my driveway because I can't fit the cruiser in my garage)
Any helpful advice and information is welcomed. Those of you who have done any of this before, please chime in. Yes, I used search. Yes, I've read threads on most of this stuff. What I'm really trying to get out of this thread is: for an 80 that has old/leaking exhaust, a high probability of having the original head gasket, a previously cracked radiator, and some decent but normal wear on the engine accessories - is this the right route to take to get her back to health or am I overlooking something? Long term I'm considering a turbo upgrade and REALLY long term (we're talking when the 1FZ gives up the ghost) I'd like to do an engine swap. But for now I want the vehicle to be in good, serviceable condition for another 100k. So let me know what y'all think.