Africa Build 2.0 (6 Viewers)

[Diplodocus]

Anticlimax

What a frustrating day. Went to install my $$$ Dobinsons front upper control arms and it turns out they sent me two right hand arms. One has a sticker "Left hand Side" but is clearly mislabelled.

Dobinsons says they'll send me an actual left hand side under warranty, but that means 3-4 more weeks of waiting. Removing and then reinstalling a factory upper control arm is not what I had planned for today, but oh well!

 

[Biga27110]

Anticlimax

What a frustrating day. Went to install my $$$ Dobinsons front upper control arms and it turns out they sent me two right hand arms. One has a sticker "Left hand Side" but is clearly mislabelled.

View attachment 2988898
View attachment 2988899
View attachment 2988900

Dobinsons says they'll send me an actual left hand side under warranty, but that means 3-4 more weeks of waiting. Removing and then reinstalling a factory upper control arm is not what I had planned for today, but oh well!

Thats a huge bummer. I hate waiting for parts. My truck is on jack stands right now waiting for parking brake parts that fell apart when i was taking off the rotors.

 

[e9999]

bummer! feel your pain. Hope the manufacturer stepped up with expedited shipping since it's clearly their fault.

 

[Diplodocus]

Going Global

Back in February, before I knew the stumbling problem was due to a failing coil and before anyone knew Russia was actually going to invade Ukraine, I bought a second-hand ECU on eBay from a seller in Vladivostok, Russia. I thought the ECU could help me two-fold, by ensuring there was no problem internal to my existing ECU causing the problem and second, to see if the mystery "immobilizer fix" performed at the port was the cause of my inability to connect to the ECU using techstream.

Two days after the seller mailed the ECU through the Russian post office, Russia invaded Ukraine. The package sat in the main post office in Moscow for about 6 weeks before it somehow hitched a ride to the U.S. Now, with the ECU in hand, I finally had the opportunity to plug it in and see the results.

First of all, the truck started right up using my chip-less key and ran great - no difference from my original ECU. There is no security light activity on the dash (which is also normal behavior for my original ECU).

It appears these ECU's simply don't employ an immobilizer function, which is strange to me since A) This truck has a "high-security" internally cut key (so why not an immobilizer function as well if you're concerned about security?) and B) The ECUs actually DO have an immobilizer chip on the board.

So, If @Mauser wasn't scratching his head before at my weird immobilizer situation, he sure is now!

My conclusion is that ECUs with this part number (89666-60190) do not have the immobilizer function "activated"..for lack of a better term. Fine with me. Still have no idea what that "electrician" did to resolve the "immobilizer problem" at the port. Maybe we'll never know.

After this, I tried to communicate with the Russian ECU via Techstream, to no avail. Same issue as my factory ECU - "ECU not supported or not responding."

Some long overdue internet sleuthing revealed there is such as thing as "Global Techstream" and that owners of JDM cruisers of this vintage need to have this version of techstream in order to communicate with the engine ECU.

Sure enough, after downloading a version of Techstream with all regions unlocked, I was able to select Japan as the region.

Voila! Global Techstream!

With the ability to communicate with my pre-OBDII JDM engine ECU! (You're welcome @araco100 )

 

[araco100]

fantastic news thanks so much!

 

[pugwash]

Great write up Diplodocus- lovely truck too!

Is there any chance you could help me find the download of the "Global Techstream" version- i have a JDM truck and this might explain why i can't access most of its functions with the two versions of techstream that i am currently using !

 

[Diplodocus]

Great write up Diplodocus- lovely truck too!

Is there any chance you could help me find the download of the "Global Techstream" version- i have a JDM truck and this might explain why i can't access most of its functions with the two versions of techstream that i am currently using !

I used the downloads and instructions from this blog post: How to Ignore Software Registration Key on TECHSTREAM v15.00.026 - https://www.blog-teknisi.com/2020/06/how-to-ignore-software-registration-key.html

 

[bubbazanetti]

As a fellow from the US in what I assume to be the same profession as yours (3 year post in Namibia), I'm watching with interest. I bought a 2000 LC 105 last December which I'm planning on bringing back to the states and just did the cabin filter mod today. There were suggestions elsewhere that this only covers half the plenum but looking at the structure I think it's more than that.

 

[Diplodocus]

Lake Malawi

We loaded up the trailer, the kids, and a couple friends visiting from America and hit the road for Lake Malawi, in the neighboring country of Malawi. It took two days to drive there, with the cruiser loaded down with 7 people and towing a 3,500lb fully loaded camping trailer.

I wanted to test out the air lift airbags with the heavy load, but I ended up breaking the nipple off of one of them before lunch on the first day of driving (I didn't enlarge the hole in the spring perch enough during installation).

The truck complained, but soldiered on. The dash would indicate "low" intermittently throughout the rest of the trip, but the truck would still actually be at neutral height. The dash would also indicate neutral at each startup. I didn't bother checking the actual pressures...there was nothing I could do anyways.

On day 2, we had to cross the border. I left the truck idling with A/C on while my friend and I negotiated visa and customs formalities while our wives and kids stayed in the truck. Unfortunately, it was taking much longer than expected to get our visas issued (2+ hours) and when my friend went back to check how things were going at the cruiser, he noticed the temp gauge was high. He turned up the heat and it brought the temp down.

We checked it out really quickly at the border...but land borders are no place to be doing lots of diagnostic or other work, so after seeing plenty of coolant in the overflow tank and not seeing any obvious leaks, we drove on. The temp came down and stayed down as we drove, even with the A/C back on.

The border delay meant that we didn't roll into our campsite until well after dark. As my friend and I went to set up the tent, the owner came over and said "Don't worry about that, it's tomorrow's problem! I'll give you two chalets for the price of the camping spot - welcome!"

We then ate what was probably the best fish and chips I've ever had and got some well deserved sleep in a real bed to kick off our time at the lake.

The next morning we fully set up the trailer, complete with awning walls, which provided way more than enough "inside" living pace for four adults and three kids. It also provided a great barrier for the various animals coming through our camp (monkeys, goats, and monitor lizards, to name a few).

Our camp was right on the beach.

Made some amazing pizza at sunset

Another view of our campsite, from the boat

Fish eagles and snorkeling, a good way to spend a day (or several)!

Sunsets on Lake Malawi are on another level

After four nights camping, it was time to pack up the trailer and head home again. On our return trip we detoured through some steep mountain grades in order to visit a pottery shop and cafe that I had been to years ago. As we were climbing the steep grades, I noticed the temp gauge quickly climbed near the red.

Again, we blasted the heat and the temp came right down. Side note: all of my gauges are actually very responsive. Volts, oil pressure, and temp all respond very quickly and accurately to changes. There's something special about that JDM ECU.

With all the windows open and the heat blasting, with no end in sight of steep mountain grades, we needed to take a break. Just then, we saw a roadside handircraft hut, with wooden models of cars and planes. I liked (but didn't buy) a 79 series quad cab, but my friend bought a 90 series Land Rover with a boat (as close as he could get to his real-life FJ40 and boat). The details are amazing...the doors and hood open, even the radiator fan spins!

After two more solid days of driving (10 hours each day), we arrived home, just as the truck started heating up again. I popped the hood and I could finally see the problem clearly - the top tank had seperated from the core and there was a leak.

There was still plenty of fluid in the overflow reservoir because there was no vacuum to pull it into the radiator. The truck was a full gallon low on coolant. It was time...time to get off my butt and install that Mishimoto that had been sitting in my garage for months!

 

[Diplodocus]

Baselining...Nearly Complete

It took a broken radiator to finally push me into dedicating two and a half days to nothing but baselining. Those Partsouq timing belt job parts and Mishimoto radiator were quietly getting pushed further and further behind other things in the garage. No more excuses now, it was past-time to get this done, as the Lake Malawi trip clearly demonstrated.

I spent the first half day replacing the heater T's with metal versions and changing out all of the heater T - connected hoses. Wow, those are a pain! Even though my T's were still in great shape, I'm glad I never again need to worry about aging plastic in that area.

Old on left, new on right (I didn't install the new plastic T, they just came with the Wit's End hose kit).

The next two days were basically a pause-play marathon of OTRAM's YouTube video on the 2UZ-FE timing belt replacement. I did the TB, water pump, all idlers, radiator hoses, fan bracket, fan clutch, and drive belt. Not sure why I ordered / spent so much money on 1282B FIPG...it's not required for my year / red coolant. D'oh!

I also replaced the power steering lines, since the originals were leaking at the reservoir and causing a mess.

Oh and of course...the Mishimoto radiator! Again, no more worries about aging / brittle plastic. The radiator even came with new foam and (so far) no leaks. I'm happy!

 

[araco100]

Awesome post thanks for sharing!

It got you all back safe and sound even though there was some drama so that’s worth celebrating imo!

 

[Biga27110]

Let us know how the Mishimoto performs. I'm interested in purchasing this radiator.

 

[AlpineAccess]

Baselining...Nearly Complete

It took a broken radiator to finally push me into dedicating two and a half days to nothing but baselining. Those Partsouq timing belt job parts and Mishimoto radiator were quietly getting pushed further and further behind other things in the garage. No more excuses now, it was past-time to get this done, as the Lake Malawi trip clearly demonstrated.

I spent the first half day replacing the heater T's with metal versions and changing out all of the heater T - connected hoses. Wow, those are a pain! Even though my T's were still in great shape, I'm glad I never again need to worry about aging plastic in that area.

Old on left, new on right (I didn't install the new plastic T, they just came with the Wit's End hose kit).

View attachment 3015726

The next two days were basically a pause-play marathon of OTRAM's YouTube video on the 2UZ-FE timing belt replacement. I did the TB, water pump, all idlers, radiator hoses, fan bracket, fan clutch, and drive belt. Not sure why I ordered / spent so much money on 1282B FIPG...it's not required for my year / red coolant. D'oh!

View attachment 3015725

I also replaced the power steering lines, since the originals were leaking at the reservoir and causing a mess.

View attachment 3015728
Oh and of course...the Mishimoto radiator! Again, no more worries about aging / brittle plastic. The radiator even came with new foam and (so far) no leaks. I'm happy!

View attachment 3015730

Did you go with new coolant/rad hoses? They look new.

I like that radiator - looks a bit thicker than stock and like it has a bigger core. Any changes needed on the AC condenser or Trans cooler in terms of mounting?

Those are one of those things that surprised me when I replaced mine; the original hoses were pretty swollen. When I cut them open I was surprised how fatigued the reinforcing fibers were - probably wouldn't have failed until well into the 250k range, but if they go I feel like it would have been catastrophically.

 

[Diplodocus]

Did you go with new coolant/rad hoses? They look new.

I like that radiator - looks a bit thicker than stock and like it has a bigger core. Any changes needed on the AC condenser or Trans cooler in terms of mounting?

Those are one of those things that surprised me when I replaced mine; the original hoses were pretty swollen. When I cut them open I was surprised how fatigued the reinforcing fibers were - probably wouldn't have failed until well into the 250k range, but if they go I feel like it would have been catastrophically.

Yup, new coolant hoses all around. The radiator does have more capacity than stock, but bolts right into the factory brackets - no modifications of any kind needed. So far so good!

 

[pugwash]

Where did you get the radiator -i can't find a supplier with stock anywhere !

 

[Diplodocus]

Where did you get the radiator -i can't find a supplier with stock anywhere !

I ordered it directly from their website Performance Aluminum Radiator, fits Toyota Land Cruiser J100 (2UZ-FE) 1998–2007 - https://www.mishimoto.com/toyota-land-cruiser-j100-2uz-fe-performance-aluminum-radiator-1998-2007.html. It was backordered, so I placed my order in October and received the radiator in January.

 

[Diplodocus]

Things to Come

Do I win a prize for being the customer with the longest wait time for a Dissent product? Ordered March 3, 2021, received June 7, 2022. (To be clear, this extended delivery time had very little to do with Dissent).

Products made in Australia, Colorado, and California. Finally ready to join together in Zambia and realize my vision

 

[Diplodocus]

Divine Intervention

For those following this entire thread, you may recall in Post #3 I declared my undying love for the factory single-button key. So sleek, slim, strong...no YotaMD case required.

Then in Post # 28, I told the tragic story of that key's disappearance in late 2021, allegedly at the hands of our six year old.

So it should be no surprise that I have been on the hunt for a replacement key. Even Amayama, who famously leads people on with "probable" stock on otherwise NLA parts, was consistently adamant that a replacement single-button key (part 8974260060) was NLA.

But what was this? A 75% supply possibility on the ENTIRE lock cylinder set (8970860260), including a transmitter key? Did I just stumble on a backdoor solution?

Amayama seemed confident. And I ponied up the $650 charge on my credit card for the possibility that an entire lock cylinder set for a 22+ year old vehicle was still somehow sitting on a shelf somewhere in Japan just waiting to be pruchased.

Of course I didn't dare tell my wife, because I knew the emotional rollercoaster that was about to ensnare anyone foolish enough to take a bet on an Amayama "75% supply possibility" of their being stock of the best and most elusive key ever produced by Toyota.

A week goes by. They have my money, they're working on getting the item to their warehouse. I'm hesitantly optimistic. Then one day while I was at work, I got the dreaded email:

Hi! Your order is out of stock at the supplier. The refund has been just sent back to you. Apologies for any inconvenience.

I was crushed, but at least I spared my wife the experience, right? Still, I wished that somehow, some way, we could have keyless entry again using that very special key.

It just so happens - within 2 hours of me receiving that email and while I was still at work - my wife was in our yard helping the older kids with something when the three year old walks up to her and says "Mommy, these are your keys."

My wife looks at the keys. She's confused. She gets that brain-melting / wheels spinning feeling...She knows that she's seen these keys somewhere before, but what are they? Why do they look so familiar?

OH MY GOD, It's THE KEY! She texts me a picture of the key with the caption "HOLY F*CKING SH*IT"

If that's not divine intervention, I don't know what is.

 

[ceylonfj40nut]

Anticlimax

What a frustrating day. Went to install my $$$ Dobinsons front upper control arms and it turns out they sent me two right hand arms. One has a sticker "Left hand Side" but is clearly mislabelled.

View attachment 2988898
View attachment 2988899
View attachment 2988900

Dobinsons says they'll send me an actual left hand side under warranty, but that means 3-4 more weeks of waiting. Removing and then reinstalling a factory upper control arm is not what I had planned for today, but oh well!

When looking at Dobinsons side by side to OEM, they don’t look stronger. Only thing I see is gusseting of the bushing housing.

 

[Diplodocus]

When looking at Dobinsons side by side to OEM, they don’t look stronger. Only thing I see is gusseting of the bushing housing.

Maybe if I flipped them over you would think differently? The factory arms are stamped steel and the Dobinson arms are "Made from HSLA (High Strength Low Alloy) Steel, 5mm (0.2″) wall thickness" tubing. But strength isn't actually why I was interested in them. Heck, I didn't even need the built-in caster. I needed the upper control arm to stop beating up my AHC shock during down travel.

Thankfully, they fit the bill perfectly!