Build 1984 Pickup Rebuild

[Mudder]

@aztoyman and @gnob thank you for the insight! I’ll go with the 4x mount. I think it’s interesting that Marlin is offering a 4 cylinder mount as the description makes it seem like it’s a V6 mount that also works with 4 cylinder t-cases.

 

[Mudder]

The input seal on the W56 has finally gone out. If I drive the truck more than an hour it pukes fluid out of the bell housing, I've also had bearing whine when using 5th gear for quite some time now that I knew would need attention at some point. The plan was to install a rebuilt unit when installing the duals but that isn't going to happen with the weather changing. With this being my daily driver and not having access to another vehicle I'm planning on dropping the transmission, resealing the current t-case (It's been leaking from somewhere as well and I have an extra gasket kit) and installing a rebuilt transmission from Yota1.

With all that being said, is it worth it drilling and taping the stock transfer case shifter plate and the transmission shifter plate to install hose barbs for extended breathers? I've noticed gear oil smell inside the cab when driving for 4 or more hours and I'm wondering if extended breathers would eliminate the smell from the cab. I know the stock W56A/B vent through the shifter handle.

What my plan was is to use a 90° 3/8th hose barb in the T-case plate, going to a 3/8 Tee fitting in the transmission shifter plate then to the engine bay with an inline fuel filter on the end of it. Similar to how the diff breathers get extended. Or is all of the work it would take negligible and not going to solve the problem? The transmission shifter I use is the 2nd gen MC short throw that replaced the engine shift plate and rubber gasket with one assembly.

This is the Tee fitting I was planning on using

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[aztoyman]

I ran vent hoses to the engine compartment and it does get rid of the gear oil smell in the cab. The small vents on the shifter bases always seeped gear oil and I got tired of smelling it.

 

[Toast]

When re-sealing your t-case, use some FIPG on the bottom half of the gaskets. Don't do the entire unit with it or you will have a nightmare trying to split again down the road. FIPG is good stuff

 

[Mudder]

I ran vent hoses to the engine compartment and it does get rid of the gear oil smell in the cab. The small vents on the shifter bases always seeped gear oil and I got tired of smelling it.

Hearing that alone makes me plan on doing it. The smell of gear oil in the cab during a 4 hour trip or longer gets old to me. I don’t notice when until I get out and back in and then I worry about smelling like it.

 

[Mudder]

Had some fun tracking down a new wiper switch with intermittent wipers. The original two speed wasn’t going to cut it now that I deal with rain a lot more. Since my truck has wiring from a 1989 there is no provision for the delay relay that the earlier trucks use but after some reading and a random post on Pirate4x4 I found out that some time in 87 they switched to using an integrated relay in the wiper switch.

After some digging on Toyodiy to figure what wiper switches were offered and which models used the old green relay box I found one that seemed like it would be a direct fit. Found one on eBay for $200 and took the gamble on seeing if it was plug and play. I based it off of the part number on the blue plug and I can confirm it’s a direct plug and play.

 

[Mudder]

Rebuilt W56 from Yota1 showed up this week so I drove back to the shop to install it. I didn’t get too many photos as I was dropping the trans, resealing the t case and needing to drive back to work in under 3 days.

It shifts a lot smoother now, no bearing whine in 5th gear but reverse is definitely louder than the old one. I didn’t know that the reverse gear on a W56 was a straight cut gear.

All the fluid at the bottom of the bell housing was gear oil I’m grateful it didn’t ruin the clutch

After taking this photo I realized the shift tower was on backwards. I did add a 1/4 hose barb for a vent line which I ran into the engine bay. Eventually it’ll get a 90 degree fitting. No one has one in stock around me. It’ll also get a fuel filter on the end of it. I didn’t install one on the T case as the RAD designs shift plate has a spot for a breather already so when I install duals it’ll take care of that problem.

With the old trans in I installed my dual cases to grab driveline measurements. I want to be able to order them ahead of time from Tom Woods for the install as the shop I have access to is 4+ hours away. With that in mind I made sure to get as many measurements as I could. I had fun stuffing the drivers tire into the wheel well until the passengers was off the ground so I could measure the length of the pinion to T-case. I got it a little over 1’ off the ground before the passenger side came off the ground.

 

[Mudder]

More puzzle pieces showed today. I’m tired of having mirrors that don’t adjust and have no heat to remove any condensation. Retrofitting old factory style power mirrors seems dumb with the cost of them. So I started looking at 62 series, then 70 series cruiser mirrors and ended up settling on FJ Cruiser mirrors. From the factory they don’t have heat, but a set of lenses from Suma will take care of that. Toyota had a 25% off deal so I ordered a set for $309 from Valdosta Toyota. Aftermarket was pushing close to $200 for any decent ones so I figured I may as well go factory for the best performance.

The plan is to control the functions of the mirrors with a Carling Switch. They make a mirror adjustment one and I’ll use a second switch for the mirror defrost. It’ll be a simple on off style wired to an ignition switched 12 volt circuit so they can’t be left on when the trucks off. I’m going to wire the lights as indicators so my front turn signals are more visible.

050-5S Yazaki connectors is what I ordered for the harness side as they match the mirror plug in

This is the switch I’ll be using

One of the photos I saw that made me really like them. It may not be everyone’s cup of tea but that’s fine.

Beans quickly claimed the box as hers and enjoyed all the packing Valdosta Toyota used.

 

[Mudder]

the mirrors are finally installed. The wiring isn’t done but that should be done thanksgiving weekend. This visibility is a huge upgrade. I have new convex glass that is also heated coming from Suma Performance for even better visibility.

I need to grind the bottom bolt hole to make them fully sit flush which I’ll do when I install the heated mirrors. I did remove the metal mounting bracket to reduce the overall footprint when cutting the hole in the door. The only issue I’ve had so far is when using the switch I ordered, left is right and right is left, I’d either need a relay or to swap the wires on the motor side to fix the issue. Once I get them fully wired up I’ll post a wiring diagram

The Carling LMR-01-02 switch works nice and the defrost switch is from an 84-89 4Runner. I tested the max amps that the mirror drew when maxed out. 20mA was the highest when going up/down and 16 mA was the highest when going left/right. Both of those numbers came once the gears started skipping in the motor.

 

[littlevulture]

the mirrors are finally installed. The wiring isn’t done but that should be done thanksgiving weekend. This visibility is a huge upgrade. I have new convex glass that is also heated coming from Suma Performance for even better visibility.
View attachment 4036189
View attachment 4036188

I need to grind the bottom bolt hole to make them fully sit flush which I’ll do when I install the heated mirrors. I did remove the metal mounting bracket to reduce the overall footprint when cutting the hole in the door. The only issue I’ve had so far is when using the switch I ordered, left is right and right is left, I’d either need a relay or to swap the wires on the motor side to fix the issue. Once I get them fully wired up I’ll post a wiring diagram
View attachment 4036186
The Carling LMR-01-02 switch works nice and the defrost switch is from an 84-89 4Runner. I tested the max amps that the mirror drew when maxed out. 20mA was the highest when going up/down and 16 mA was the highest when going left/right. Both of those numbers came once the gears started skipping in the motor.
View attachment 4036187

Looks great! I never took the time to hook up the power and heat on mine but I did swap the bulbs to amber and hacked the light into my marker lights and turn signals circuits.

Agreed the visibility is excellent, I stuck some cheap adjustable blind spot mirrors into the corners of mine so I could see even more. I'd be interested to see how the convex mirrors compare to my setup when you get them installed.

 

[aztoyman]

Nice job.

 

[Mudder]

Looks great! I never took the time to hook up the power and heat on mine but I did swap the bulbs to amber and hacked the light into my marker lights and turn signals circuits.

Agreed the visibility is excellent, I stuck some cheap adjustable blind spot mirrors into the corners of mine so I could see even more. I'd be interested to see how the convex mirrors compare to my setup when you get them installed.

The mirror upgrade really came from fogging problems with the old mirrors. When getting off of work the old mirrors were all fogged up and I had no visibility. The power functions will be a nice upgrade. I'm also planning on changing the lights to be turn signals as well, currently my turn signals are in my front marker lights and I've noticed that people struggle to see them during the day sometimes.

I'll try and get some good photos of the convex mirrors once I get them installed. They seem to be highly regarded on the Fj Cruiser forums.

 

[Mudder]

Looking at picking up a dual case crossmember this weekend, Sky’s is having a sale and BudBuilt isn’t. With the sale it out the cross members at roughly the same price after shipping. Has anyone ran either or both and have any input as to which one is better? I know they’re both solid companies with long histories.

I like that the BudBuilt has a built in drain hole for the dual case adapter, but you still have to remove 6 screws to to get to it while I can easily just drill a hole with a hole saw into sky’s to accomplish the same thing and don’t have to worry about 6 bolts breaking or getting rust. However, sky’s also has 6 more bolts for mounting that could vibrate loose (doubtful with some thread locker or quality fasteners) but that also means there’s more adjustability down the line if I ever want to flat belly the truck and get more serious with it.

 

[gnob]

i have/had both. if i were to do it again it would be sky. crossmember is adjustable and doesn't use the stupid așș countersunk allen hardware.

on a little side note my og bb was built for a w56 in my 79 and the holes to the truck didn't really hit in the correct spots. somehow it ended up hitting some and the some extra holes i already had. so you can take that with a grain of salt too. it was modded to fit the 89 and still lives there. but that countersunk hardware really sucks

 

[Mudder]

@gnob thank you for confirming what I had suspected. Skys crossmember has been ordered.

Mirror wiring has been finished and installed, I took a few photos and plan on starting the wiring diagrams on my days off. I also had to order a new light bulb for the defrost switch and once I confirm it fits I’ll post the link to it.

Both wiring harness for each door. The orange is the positive wire for the heated mirrors. I used wiring from LSwiring.com. They offer all different gauges of wire and color combinations. They’re a bit pricey but it worked well for this project.

I used generic rubber boots to run the wires though. I’m not happy with the placement as I think it’ll cause pinching issues later on but the holes were already there from before I owned the truck for door speaker wiring.

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The switches are fully mounted and power comes from the Tacoma fuse block I have under the hood. Currently running a 2 Amp fuse for the mirror wiring, I want to try a 1 amp fuse as that’s what the switch is rated for. I’m hoping the heated mirrors will have the amp draw in the instructions.

The switch plate came from:

1984-1988 Toyota Pickup/4Runner Clock Switch Plate

Now Includes a free Toyota-Style switch blank with purchase! available in 3 colors – Switch blank sent will match color of product (Black, Brown,...

caribouyota.bigcartel.com

 

[Mudder]

Sky’s crossmember came in. This thing is beefy and came packaged ridiculously well. I had to dig to make sure I got everything and still ended up dumping the packing peanuts out.

I really like the lips on the front and back to help the crossmember not get caught up on objects. My plan is still to cut a hole out in the center of the two mounts for drain plug access on the dual case adapter.

 

[gnob]

ftr there really zero reason for the additional hole. unless you have some kind of kind of catastrophic failures in the crawl box, all but like tgree tablespoons of oil will drain from the rear case

 

[Mudder]

Did some more random things to improve the quality of the truck. I’m starting to get to the point where I do truly enjoy driving the truck every day and don’t find much wrong with it. The biggest problem I’m having is a water leak from the cowl area that’s soaking my carpet and dynamat. My plans to pull the upper dash to try and find it, worst case it’ll be a project I do when I take time off to install the dual cases.

Got some door trim parts and painted them with SEM paint. They turned out well and matched the interior. I used bluebird brown for my interior and it was spot on as well. Huge thanks to @Manhattan for making a thread about it back in 2020.

Reading it made me suspect the brown that TheRustFarmers uses is the Land Cruiser brown and that’s why it is darker than the rest of the dash. As the bluebird brown definitely matches the rest of it. Once it’s summer time I plan on painting more of the interior trim panels so it’s all fresh.

Thread 'Restoring Interior Panels'

Jan 26, 2020

Other than the dash, the panels that are in the truck are in decent shape - in that they're not cracked or missing pegs, etc. Well, the trim pieces around the door handles are rough. Those look and feel like stale rolls - and had to be replaced. The others are just scratched, dried out and faded. I want to attempt to restore them... before dropping a ton of $$$ on new replacements.

I could:
1. Clean, sand (very lightly with fine sand paper), and treat with some type of plastic/vinyl "dressing."
Or...
2. Clean, sand and paint.
3. ???

#2 seems like it'll net a better outcome.

Who's got...

• Manhattan
• Replies: 30
• Forum: 95-older Minitruck / 4Runner

• 

Also got my triple drilled flanges for the T-case. Ordered them from Marlin, they’re labeled as differential flanges but from what I read all it takes is swapping the dust shield and they work. Both dust shields are the same ID. Since I don’t have access to measure the flanges on the dials I built this will allow me to order a 60x60mm pattern drivelines from Tom Woods for the dual cases when I’m ready.

The T-case dust shield is in the flange and the differential dust shield is next to it.

I also ordered some shot glasses from them because I thought they were cool.

I didn’t take any photos but I replaced the door latch’s and inside clips on passenger and drivers door. They were worn out on the drivers door making it where I had to pull the handle more than I liked. Here’s the part numbers for all the rod clips on the door latch. These don’t cover the exterior door handles, interior or lock rod clips as all of mine are fresh.

 

[Mudder]

Had some time at work so I ripped the blower motor out to get to where the leak was coming from. It’s the very corner of the cab where I welded a patch panel and is under the cowl area so there’s only access on the inside. I saw a post about this area being a problem a while back on another forum so I suspected it was my issue. Since I can’t really be ripping the entire dash out and HVAC system to wire wheel it, I’ll be hand wiring brushing it and then I’ll reseal it. My plan is to use some POR15 seam sealer. Normally I’d like to use a higher end seam sealer but I’m worried it won’t work well with any rust present.

Patch

POR-15 Patch seals holes, seams, and cracks with a durable, waterproof metal repair paste that bonds tightly and dries rock hard for long-lasting protection.

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Also messed around with some AI photos trying different rims. I’d like to go to 17” rims from method with the bead grip technology. I’m thinking of sticking with a chrome color rim and bumping up to a 37” tire for s*** and grins

 

[Mudder]

Used a rotary tool and wire wheel to clean the area up where water was leaking from and put the POR 15 Patch and Seam Sealer on it. Gave it 84 hours before rapping it to any water as POR-15 wouldn’t give me an answer for how long until it was water ready. No issues and the carpet seems to be staying dry. Now I just need to get the nasty smell out of it at some point.

I’ve been looking at Flat pitman arms to get rid of the Trail Gear one and I see that Sky’s is 3/8ths shorter. Is there any benefit to running it? I thought I remembered seeing some threads about it on other sites but I can’t find them now.