LINUS
Waiting for the Great Pumpkin
Hail to the chief. Sadly I even just sold mine last ~yr & you know them better.
My PO had ditched the OE fronts (only betting they were shot) - but had those brown mid & cargo mats
Looking @ 1997 Collecter Edition LC to Purchase (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter hamad974
- Start date
This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate
links, including eBay, Amazon, Skimlinks, and others.
Hail to the chief. Sadly I even just sold mine last ~yr & you know them better.
My PO had ditched the OE fronts (only betting they were shot) - but had those brown mid & cargo mats
- Thread starter
- #42
Looked up Toyota records on the vehicle and it stated that they had notified the old owner of a engine / transmission and differential leak in which he decline to fix via the dealer and also a damaged axel hub and bearing ? So would u that be a problem
Rear engine oil pan arch leaks are common and often remain at "nuisance" level for a long time. The "damaged axle hub and bearing" makes me wonder.
I would find their assessment suspect if they were the misspellers of axle as "axel"
I would find their assessment suspect if they were the misspellers of axle as "axel"
Is it possible that a damaged hub and bearing just means it needs a thorough front axle service?
- Thread starter
- #45
Maybe I’m waiting for the dealership to give me the cost of the repairs so I can get a rough estimate. What worries me mostly is the engine and transmission leak . I’m hoping that the dealer would say it’s a seal .
Those are common leaks and I don't know the actual stats, but I do know that a lot of people have them and the trucks run fine for years until it needs to really be addressed unless they start leaving a lot of drops.
Just as a friendly piece of unsolicited advice; if you are planning on having a dealership or mechanic deal with all the potential issues that this 20 year old vehicle will have, you might have a bad time if money is also tight which seems like it could be possible given your reluctance to pull the trigger.
All of the issues you've listed are common. The front axle job is a right of passage for an 80 owner and you can do it with basic hand tools and the FSM and a good kit that includes the wheel bearings. If you pay someone to do it it might be over $1500 in just labor. The parts and tools needed are less than $500 though and the tools will be used a lot once you get going.
Everything he said x1000
These trucks really only make sense if you can either do most of the work yourself or you have access to a lot of disposable money.
Using Toyota parts and learning how to install them is a much better investment than paying someone twice the value of the parts to install inferior parts.
Everyone should have some warning regarding how deep the water is before they jump in
Last edited:
Red Merle nailed it again.
Not to dissuade the op from moving forward at all. Just be aware that your best bet is to be willing to turn a wrench yourself or write big checks for labor. The expensive parts don't generally fail, but there are lots of seals and bushings and hoses that have aged and will eventually need to be addressed. The parts are affordable, but often the shop rates are not.
Not to dissuade the op from moving forward at all. Just be aware that your best bet is to be willing to turn a wrench yourself or write big checks for labor. The expensive parts don't generally fail, but there are lots of seals and bushings and hoses that have aged and will eventually need to be addressed. The parts are affordable, but often the shop rates are not.
To add to that, you can kinda also prioritize things because these trucks are so well made that they give you plenty of time to make and keep to a plan of action once you get into it. Top priority should be to baselining the cooling system and then moving on to other issues either as they crop up or you have a note in your file to keep checking back on things like the oil leaks or a power steering leak. Within a year you should plan on having all fluids exchanged using the best methods that your search fu will find and you should have the front axle rebuilt. Beyond that, the world is sort of your oyster since everything is rust free and easy to deal with. I hear myths about finger loosening bolts, but we don't have those here in the rust belt.
If you have space to work on it and a couple extra thousand bucks, I would just buy it and work as you go.
These trucks really only make sense if you can either do most of the work yourself or you have access to a lot of disposable money.
Using Toyota parts and learning how to install them is a much better investment than paying someone twice the value of the parts to install inferior parts.
Everyone should have some warning regarding how deep the water is before they jump in
The original warning is now almost 12 years old. My how time flies.
Should I buy an 80, costs of ownership?
And mine is a white one with tan leather, and no lockers 97 collectors edition even my floor mats say so
It's still true, even after all of these years. The 80 series is not a cheap vehicle and it's not super cheap to maintain and that does nothing to account for the fact that if you own one, you are just taking care of it for now and that someone else might need it in the future. I don't plan on selling mine, but if I keep up on the maintenance, it will last longer than I will and will always be valuable unless they outlaw gas motors in the future.
LINUS
Waiting for the Great Pumpkin
This portion of that post is why I bet we have a steady base of forum regulars, once you learn the 80 for yourself it's not rocket surgery, but every part, piece & PM we all know or will know.
It's a 'shared pain brotherhood' when you see a well fed 80 on the trails or pavement, part of why it's worth a nod since we're 2 decades out for the last in the USDM.
-
Last edited:
LINUS
Waiting for the Great Pumpkin
Wipe it all clean, spray simple green or similar on it - then see the source.
It could be as simple as the valve cover or distributor, or as involved as a front main seal.
80's mark their territory. It's normal. And damn expensive if you want to buck that & get it 100% sealed up.
Mine drops a quarter-size dot in a ~72 hr window, but even that never translates to dipstick loss. That's all I care about.
It could be as simple as the valve cover or distributor, or as involved as a front main seal.
80's mark their territory. It's normal. And damn expensive if you want to buck that & get it 100% sealed up.
Mine drops a quarter-size dot in a ~72 hr window, but even that never translates to dipstick loss. That's all I care about.
Oil pump gasket, distributor o ring, valve cover gasket, and front main can all leak in a way that would run there, more or less. There's also the oil pan gaskets and rear main, but they'll leak further back. Linus is correct. I've replaced the oil pan gaskets, front main seal, distributor o ring, and oil pump gaskets. I have the valve cover scheduled for next month. That'll be 99% better. The rear main seal still seeps ever so slightly, but not enough to tear into it.
If you can tolerate the maintenance and a few spots on the driveway then I'd say snag it. If not, look for something much newer. 20 y.o. vehicles typically leak a little bit, even the well maintained examples.
If you can tolerate the maintenance and a few spots on the driveway then I'd say snag it. If not, look for something much newer. 20 y.o. vehicles typically leak a little bit, even the well maintained examples.
