Builds 1988 BJ74 “Number 1” (5 Viewers)

[FJBen]

I gotta tell you, Or you already know, driving the gx470 for the last couple days has been eye opening. I knew they were supposed to ride nice and be quiet but holy crap I was not prepared for how nice it is.
I’ve got a 2014 sienna limited, my tundra and my MIL 2020 limited highlander and the LX blows them away

Maybe we got a nice example but I’m highly impressed.

However, I feel like I’ve joined a cult.

Lexus wiper blades

Lexus battery

I’m expecting Lexus oil when I change it this weekend…


Cruiser news, not much. Just been driving it.

Huge moon, looks bad on iPhone at night.

I’m hoping for a mini road trip soon!

 

[Rigster]

I gotta tell you, Or you already know, driving the gx470 for the last couple days has been eye opening. I knew they were supposed to ride nice and be quiet but holy crap I was not prepared for how nice it is.
I’ve got a 2014 sienna limited, my tundra and my MIL 2020 limited highlander and the LX blows them away

Maybe we got a nice example but I’m highly impressed.

However, I feel like I’ve joined a cult.

Lexus wiper blades

View attachment 3739884

Lexus battery
View attachment 3739885


I’m expecting Lexus oil when I change it this weekend…


Cruiser news, not much. Just been driving it.

View attachment 3739890

Huge moon, looks bad on iPhone at night.

View attachment 3739891


I’m hoping for a mini road trip soon!

LOL - Lexus battery and wiper blades? Gotta love the previous owner... having LEXUS on those items just marks up the price. But if they spent the extra on those items, then they probably had the dealer do all the maintenance too.

I have to admit, it is nice having the luxury from time to time! But... does it have a soul like your 70 series?

 

[FJBen]

LOL - Lexus battery and wiper blades? Gotta love the previous owner... having LEXUS on those items just marks up the price. But if they spent the extra on those items, then they probably had the dealer do all the maintenance too.

I have to admit, it is nice having the luxury from time to time! But... does it have a soul like your 70 series?

Yeah it doesn’t have the soul of a 70 series at all, but it does definitely feel like a Land Cruiser compared to the 4Runner.

As for maintenance…

So I was just looking through the maintenance records on the GX we just bought and lucky us, both control arms were just replaced 12,000 miles in ago at Lexus in 2022.
$977 per side. Parts $635.25 per side.

Peep that secondary air injection repair above it the whole bill was $6900 for other work.

Not to brag, but we didn’t pay hardly much more for the vehicle last week…With other upgrades and maintenance. I think I’m stealing it from my daughter

 

[FJBen]

Finally. Tired of battery shopping…for 2 years! 3.5 years ago I bought a Walmart everstart maxx group 27. It lasted 1.5ish years. Replaced under warranty and that one lasted 1ish years.
Junk for me…maybe it’s the diesel vibrations, who knows.

With our weather getting down to 40s and 50s , the everstart was already acting sluggish…it was time.

I had it narrowed down to a Northstar X2 or Odyssey of some sort. Went to batteries plus and they were talking me out of X2 in favor or Duracell. That turned me off a little, not to mention they didn’t have the X2 in stock.

Odyssey performance AGM27
975 cranking amps
850 cold cranking amps
85ah
3 year replacement (for the price, it better last!)
$370.00.

I need to clean up the terminal wiring, it’s a mess.

People say optima batteries aren’t any good, but that red top in back is from 2015 and still chugging along.

 

[svsisu]

Finally. Tired of battery shopping…for 2 years! 3.5 years ago I bought a Walmart everstart maxx group 27. It lasted 1.5ish years. Replaced under warranty and that one lasted 1ish years.
Junk for me…maybe it’s the diesel vibrations, who knows.

With our weather getting down to 40s and 50s , the everstart was already acting sluggish…it was time.

I had it narrowed down to a Northstar X2 or Odyssey of some sort. Went to batteries plus and they were talking me out of X2 in favor or Duracell. That turned me off a little, not to mention they didn’t have the X2 in stock.

View attachment 3746487

Odyssey performance AGM27
975 cranking amps
850 cold cranking amps
85ah
3 year replacement (for the price, it better last!)
$370.00.

I need to clean up the terminal wiring, it’s a mess.

People say optima batteries aren’t any good, but that red top in back is from 2015 and still chugging along.


View attachment 3746517

View attachment 3746486

That wiring may be part of your batteries failing problem. I can't imagine you are getting good contact through those cheap, poorly terminated, ring connectors. Even that main (starter?) terminal and wire looks pretty sad.

Nice battery though!

 

[FJBen]

That wiring may be part of your batteries failing problem. I can't imagine you are getting good contact through those cheap, poorly terminated, ring connectors. Even that main (starter?) terminal and wire looks pretty sad.

Nice battery though!

Yeah that’s the ground in focus but those have been like that since I’ve owned the cruiser

It’s on the list to redo all that and make it nicer.

 

[FJBen]

Oh and as if my life isn’t going swimmingly enough (laid off at the moment…apparently my job was grant funded…which I wasn’t told and that grant didn’t renew…joy. I’m in application hell. Better fix my wiring before @SNLC sees it and doesn’t hire me )

So it’s not gear oil, that is for sure. Doesn’t smell like it, and I used penngrade which is green.

I’m pretty positive it’s coolant…from somewhere

Now I’ve had some slow coolant disappearing…very slow from overflow. And some signs up front of splatters…CSI time

It looks like it’s eaten the paint off the alt wheel. It’s also splattered on to the fan hub and pulley and upper radiator hose. Not a lot.

I’ve tightened all clamps, tried to track this down.

Not sure if it’s coming from the heater hose above, a pinhole somewhere. It’s dirty back there but not greasy or wet.

I’m super hoping that’s not a rear external head gasket leak…

Cleaned off, not much oil grease on rag. Not wet just reflection. Only on the back right side…behind that pushrod cover. There should be no coolant in pushrod areas. There is the heater hose/core outlet above it.

 

[Combat Wombat]

Ah no dude, I feel for you in regards to the work situation. Been there etc...
Its a good reminder that you are YOU and not your job. (I'm still learning that lesson)

If your going full retard with the CSI

have a look at a UV dye pack.
JB Leak Testing Dye

Absolute game changer.
Only really works if you have this

YouTube UV Dye leak testing (takes a bit to get into it... the guy is on the side of awkward but still entertaining)

 

[Rigster]

Finally. Tired of battery shopping…for 2 years! 3.5 years ago I bought a Walmart everstart maxx group 27. It lasted 1.5ish years. Replaced under warranty and that one lasted 1ish years.
Junk for me…maybe it’s the diesel vibrations, who knows.

With our weather getting down to 40s and 50s , the everstart was already acting sluggish…it was time.

I had it narrowed down to a Northstar X2 or Odyssey of some sort. Went to batteries plus and they were talking me out of X2 in favor or Duracell. That turned me off a little, not to mention they didn’t have the X2 in stock.

View attachment 3746487

Odyssey performance AGM27
975 cranking amps
850 cold cranking amps
85ah
3 year replacement (for the price, it better last!)
$370.00.

I need to clean up the terminal wiring, it’s a mess.

People say optima batteries aren’t any good, but that red top in back is from 2015 and still chugging along.


View attachment 3746517

View attachment 3746486

Wow... the prices now!! The electric vehicle push must be driving the prices up due to lower supply?

x2 on the red top optima batteries... I have one that ended up in my jetta TDI about 6 years ago that my son now drives, and it has to be 11 years old and still going strong. Hopefully you are good for many years.

 

[FJBen]

Been chasing this slight leak that started recently. Went full CSI (cruiser scene investigation) with dye and black light.

So it’s coming from the back down into the bellhousing…not a lot, but it’s there.

Cleaned it up.

Now it’s always something happening right now with my luck…but it appears to be coming out the back of the headgasket

I cleaned it and going to test again. Tightened all heater hoses above it.

Out of morbid curiosity I grabbed my torque wrench and set it 10lbs below head bolt torque. Grabbed one in the center and I was able to slightly move before it clicked…

I barely tried as I didn’t want to mess with anything. It’s never overheated, never bubbled or boiled and never puts anything on the ground. The dye test showed only a few drops in these areas and one by the oil cooler.

Maybe @Behemoth60 would know since he’s a 13bt guy, but can you factory torque sequence again to check and bring to torque?

I’m testing again to make sure I don’t have drips other places that are flowing , but this seems to coincide with turning my heater on roughly about 2-3 weeks ago.

In other news at 36 degrees this morning the new battery spun it like it was 70.


EDIT: talked with my machine shop guy that originally did all the work, he said torque may help but if that’s where it’s leaking from itnwill just come back.

He’s digging through his files ( literally a file cabinet) to find the work he did in 2019 for me) to see what all we did. He did remember me and the cruiser.

Such joy.

 

[FJBen]

Boo.

 

[OGBeno]

Boo.

View attachment 3753227

Chop chop. Time to get to work!

 

[FJBen]

Chop chop. Time to get to work!

Tell me about it…

Elbow deep in a water pump change on a sienna. What a complete cluster that is on those 3.5L 2gr in a transverse setting…

 

[OGBeno]

Tell me about it…

Elbow deep in a water pump change on a sienna. What a complete cluster that is on those 3.5L 2gr in a transverse setting…


View attachment 3753246

Toyota techs drop the entire subframe with engine to do the WP.

 

[AirheadNut]

Toyota techs drop the entire subframe with engine to do the WP.

Sounds downright German of them!

 

[FJBen]

Toyota techs drop the entire subframe with engine to do the WP.

I read Toyota charged a crap ton to do this job so decided to tackle it myself.

I’m about 4.5 hours in. Replaced the thermostat as well and I’m waiting for idle bearings to show up tomorrow.

I’ve got maybe 45mins left of work. Basically had to unhook lower engine mount and jack up engine on that side. Hands are all cut up trying to squeeze in there but it’s almost done.

What a b1tch that is.

 

[cruiserdan]

Sounds downright German of them!

Why use a brass single bushing when you can do the job with 5 tapered roller bearings instead?

 

[FJBen]

So the plan is to pull the head and take back to my machine shop. He said bring it in and we will make sure it’s all square and good. Unfortunately he’s 2.5 hours away…fortunately that’s where both my daughters and granddaughter is so win!

I’m assuming this 11115-58110 is still the correct MLS gasket for the 13bt?

I bought new head bolts when I rebuilt it 5 years ago. I’m just wondering if the head bolts loosened a little or something. I haven’t overheated or even been close to it.

 

[cruiserdan]

I’m assuming this 11115-58110 is still the correct MLS gasket for the 13bt?

That's the part number in my notes. I don't know if it's MLS. Beno probably does.

 

[cruiserdan]

Looks like it is. I found this interesting note:

Note 1: 3B and 13BT engines did not originally come with MLS gaskets.


Note 2: Cylinder head and block surfaces need to be perfectly flat as per the service specifications in the Factory Service Manual. ** MLS Head Gaskets are only capable of sealing imperfections of up to about 0.002" across all 4 cylinders **

From this page:

MLS Head Gasket 3B & 13BT 11115-58110 OEM

Cylinder Head Gasket - Toyota 3B, 13B, 13BT Multi-Layer Steel type (MLS) Liner / Sleeved Engines only<br /> Toyota pn:<br /> 11115-58110<br /> Toyota - Japan

www.shopraddcruisers.ca