New 1fz-fe owner (94) (1 Viewer)

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Jul 2, 2019
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Indianapolis
Hey all,

I made a thread before about whether or not I should buy an LC with a "blown engine" for $1000. I bought it, ran an oil pressure test (that was good) and drove it like 50 or 60 miles so far. Seems to be in excellent shape an the previous owner just heard a belt squeal that scared him. I'm interested in a top to bottom baseline list that you guys use if one exists... I've heard anywhere from $1100 to $11000 to baseline an 80 and I'm just curious what you all use as a priority. Right now the brakes are spongey af and the AC is cool at best. The rest seems to be in really good shape. ...cosmetically she's like a 6/10, but so am I.

PXL_20220618_144728787.jpg
 
I also have a '94, and have been through a lot of the common stuff. Did you read the 80 series faq section?
Is it exhibiting any weird symptoms of anything?
I don't think there's a cut/paste list people follow, as some will change oil/filter, fill up with fuel and see what happens. Others will start ordering parts and go nuts for the first 6 months and barely drive the truck (I may or may not have done the latter)
Check/inspect/top-off/replace fluids as needed. Take a peek at your air filter. Pull/inspect spark plugs, Do some slow full lock circles in a safe spot and listen for any weird noises, You mentioned the brakes feel soft/squishy. Depending upon your comfort level around the wrenches, you may want to have a trusted mechanic at least give you a full brake inspection. You could also talk them into testing your coolant as some folks don't own the tester for that.
Have fun! If it truly was just a squealing belt, you scored a pretty awesome deal.
 
Stop. Suck. Bang. Blow.

Brakes. Intake. Running engine. Exhaust.

I usually ignore the brakes until I get the b@st@rd moving.
 
More or less as above
If the brakes are ok, start with fresh fluids throughout.
Engine oil, coolant, power steering, trans, diffs.
Check plugs and leads. And battery and connections
Check condition of hoses and belts.
Check brakes, and wheel bearings
Check suspension bushes and bolts
pump some grease into uni joints, yolks, and knuckles

The condition of each of these things should guide you on what to prioritise next.

Then drive it, see what shakes loose.

Or, just throw that $11k at it :meh: :lol:
 
Thanks fellas. It's discs all around and needs new ones, so those are on order and I'm going to start there. Did the fluids (coolant and oil) today. I skipped the atf because it looks pretty good..you guys think I should do that too or just leave it? I did read the FAQs and found a fsm pdf, so I know enough to be dangerous right now. Theres a wrecked lx450 at the pick n pull near me... Anything I should make sure to grab ?
 
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You got this 80 for $1K? Such a steal!!! I'd address the brakes and get those tight, neat, and wrinkle-free then address the old ass rubber everywhere under the hood. PHH, the other PHH. Everything else the dudes said above is solid info. I think brakes are priority for obvious reasons.
 
You got this 80 for $1K? Such a steal!!! I'd address the brakes and get those tight, neat, and wrinkle-free then address the old ass rubber everywhere under the hood. PHH, the other PHH. Everything else the dudes said above is solid info. I think brakes are priority for obvious reasons.
Yeah, I did...it's locked too. Brakes are on order...i havent checked the bleeders but if I snap any of those I'll need to swap calipers as well. Getting it to stop well is my #1 with a bullet. A good point on all the old rubber. I'll check to see if it's been done or if it's all cracked and broken. Thanks for all the input fellas
 
Did you do a compression and leak down test yet?

When you change the oil be sure to send a sample to Blackstone for analysis.

All of that should give you a pretty good idea of engine health without having to do a tear down.

I’d focus on getting the cooling system in good shape first and foremost. The brakes might have dirty fluid, or the MC and/or booster might be going out.

These are getting to the age where whole systems need replacing (braking, cooling, etc.) so it can be frustrating playing whack-a-mole with various parts succumbing to age. But not everyone has the time/budget to replace a whole laundry list of parts at once.

Luckily these things were designed to limp themselves around the dusty backroads of the global south so you should get by alright without having to spend thousands right out the gate.

But certain things like a burst hose or leaking heater valve can leave you stranded if you’re not at least somewhat proactive about maintenance.

Needless to say I’m jealous of your purchase. A grand for a solid Cruiser like that is one in a million these days.
 
Did you do a compression and leak down test yet?

When you change the oil be sure to send a sample to Blackstone for analysis.

All of that should give you a pretty good idea of engine health without having to do a tear down.

I’d focus on getting the cooling system in good shape first and foremost. The brakes might have dirty fluid, or the MC and/or booster might be going out.

These are getting to the age where whole systems need replacing (braking, cooling, etc.) so it can be frustrating playing whack-a-mole with various parts succumbing to age. But not everyone has the time/budget to replace a whole laundry list of parts at once.

Luckily these things were designed to limp themselves around the dusty backroads of the global south so you should get by alright without having to spend thousands right out the gate.

But certain things like a burst hose or leaking heater valve can leave you stranded if you’re not at least somewhat proactive about maintenance.

Needless to say I’m jealous of your purchase. A grand for a solid Cruiser like that is one in a million these days.
I haven't and absolutely should. The oil pressure gauge reads 0 but a mechanical gauge showed that it has pressure and doesnt knock. I've never had oil analysis done before... What type of feedback do you get with it?
 
I haven't and absolutely should. The oil pressure gauge reads 0 but a mechanical gauge showed that it has pressure and doesnt knock. I've never had oil analysis done before... What type of feedback do you get with it?
See this 80-focused Blackstone thread

 
You may have mentioned this and I missed it, but was the truck sitting for a while before you purchased it? Sitting bad, driving good.
 
You may have mentioned this and I missed it, but was the truck sitting for a while before you purchased it? Sitting bad, driving good.
15ish days. So not really too long...but there's a very very slow leak in one of the rears so it needed 14psi added when I bought it. I pulled the seats and shampooed the carpet. I also found out that the seats both work, but it seems the worm gears on the front and back are fubar. I saw a video that shows how to use a ratchet to set them and I'll probably just do that until I can find some seats....they crushed the 450 that was sitting at my local pick n pull, so that sucks.
 
Congrats on the steal!
Here are some typical things to check:

Check caliper bolts as these tend to fall out.
Check heater valve, plastic should be black, not yellowing.
Don't touch the VAFM plug screws!
Don't touch the VAFM plug screws!
Check your Birfield's for grease, clicking on full turn is sign of wear.
Check wheels/axles for excessive play.
Change all fluids. engine oil, diff oil, transfer case.
Check and grease u-joints.
Check all cooling and heater hoses, replace if they are the originals especially the mentioned PHH's.
Change belts with new OEM Toyota.
Check for oil leaks. Distributor oil seals, etc.
Check drive shaft bolts.
Just a start on the baseline journey.
Check out Otramm's youtube videos for how to's.
 
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Congrats on the steal!
Here are some typical things to check:

Check caliper bolts as these tend to fall out.
Check heater valve, plastic should be black, not yellowing.
Don't touch the VAFM plug screws!
Don't touch the VAFM plug screws!
Check your Birfield's for grease, clicking on full turn is sign of wear.
Check wheels/axles for excessive play.
Change all fluids. engine oil, diff oil, transfer case.
Check and grease u-joints.
Check all cooling and heater hoses, replace if they are the originals especially the mentioned PHH's.
Change belts with new OEM Toyota.
Check for oil leaks. Distributor oil seals, etc.
Check drive shaft bolts.
Just a start on the baseline journey.
Check out Ottram's youtube videos for how go's.
Awesome list full of easy to do stuff. I had to Google the word birfield...I'm in West Virginia for work this week so I can't go look at them but that was a new term for me. Thanks for the YouTube too...I've been subbing any decent fj channel.
 
Awesome list full of easy to do stuff. I had to Google the word birfield...I'm in West Virginia for work this week so I can't go look at them but that was a new term for me. Thanks for the YouTube too...I've been subbing any decent fj channel.
Congrats on the purchase!

Yours is a 94 with a 1FZ-FE engine, so it is therefore a FZJ (not an FJ)
 
If your ATF fluid is the correct color and doesn't smell burnt, you can probably leave it for further down the road.
 
If your ATF fluid is the correct color and doesn't smell burnt, you can probably leave it for further down the road.

Thanks. Looks red, smells like atf, and shifts well too.

Correct color is a very vague assessment. When you compare old fluid versus new samples in a clear container held up to light, the new fluid is going to look much brighter.

The idea of changing the fluid as preventative maintenance on regular intervals is to keep the additive package protecting the internals. When it gets the the point of smelling burnt or is discolored a significant amount wear/damage has already occured.
 
Thanks fellas. It's discs all around and needs new ones, so those are on order and I'm going to start there. Did the fluids (coolant and oil) today. I skipped the atf because it looks pretty good..you guys think I should do that too or just leave it? I did read the FAQs and found a fsm pdf, so I know enough to be dangerous right now. Theres a wrecked lx450 at the pick n pull near me... Anything I should make sure to grab ?
I'd just do a drain and fill from the oil pan, not a flush as that can create issues at this mileage. I think about 6 quarts will come out of the 442.

Power steering fluid should ideally also be cherry red ATF fluid, it'll probably be leaking from various places.
 
Correct color is a very vague assessment. When you compare old fluid versus new samples in a clear container held up to light, the new fluid is going to look much brighter.

The idea of changing the fluid as preventative maintenance on regular intervals is to keep the additive package protecting the internals. When it gets the the point of smelling burnt or is discolored a significant amount wear/damage has already occurred.
Agreed. Naturally red is less worrisome than dark, but with any new-to-me vehicle, unless I know for a fact it isn’t old, I always do a couple simple drain/fills to freshen it up for peace of mind. Same with diffs, TC & others.
 
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