A 4Runner - not a build (1 Viewer)

[little_joe]

I am beyond pleased with the Eibach suspension - it is not perfect, but it rides very, very well. I'd say it rides much better than the Radflo 2.5 I had on my GX - let me rephrase, it does ride a helluva lot better. The only nit with the Eibach is the rear seems to be off just a bit: when I had 200-300 lbs in the back, it was smooth as could be. Unladen, it's a little bit bouncy and/or harsh, but not unpleasantly so (and still better than the Radflo). I believe a progressive spring in the rear would be perfect. I'm giving up my hardcore card and putting the front swaybar back on; during a recent round trip to NE Ohio I discovered there is a bit more movement than I care for (esp at high speeds).

Driving the 4R was annoying because I had this hard drive sort of sound from the dash from air control servos fritzing out, and the blower motor was ticking and flapping. This morning, I replaced the 2 air control servos on the passenger side, which eliminated the near-constant hard drive noise; and threw in a new blower since I was unable to get the original to quiet down. Went for a ride afterwards and the HVAC was as quiet as could be, and I had proper air temp coming out of all vents. Little things matter! No pictures, and this is not a job I ever want to do again - there's no line of sight to 2 screws holding the servos, even when I had my head in the footwell with my legs up the seat.

 

[onemanarmy]

I just wish they would use the cheap, tried, tested, and robust mechanical levers for HVAC.
Boggles my mind that they install servos and screens for such a simple thing as controlling air vents.

 

[roadstr6]

I just wish they would use the cheap, tried, tested, and robust mechanical levers for HVAC.
Boggles my mind that they install servos and screens for such a simple thing as controlling air vents.

Amen to that!

 

[little_joe]

Think I already know the answer to this, but I'll put it out there anyway. I think I've finally located the 2 shaft seals I need to replace inside the transfer case; and I have the o-ring for the actuator. That said, since I need to drop the transfer case to do this repair, I was thinking about "While I'm in there....."

Thoughts on replacing all seals, including the transmission output shaft? I'll likely also do all of the u-joints, extend the t-case breather, replace some c-clips on the shift rods. Anything else anyone would suggest/recommend?

This 4R now has 243k mi and is approaching it's 17th birthday. Was thinking might as well knock out related things....

 

[afgman786]

reduction gears...?

 

[little_joe]

I kindasorta wrapped up a wiring project, although I have 1 thing left to do and 1 change to make. Goal was to extend direct battery power to the rear cargo compartment. I used:

• Blue Sea 60 amp circuit breaker in the engine compartment. In retrospect, I probably should have gone with no more than 40 amp as I never intend to run 60 amps through this.
• 8 ga from battery to circuit breaker, and to rear cargo area. I opted to run the negative all the way back as well. Wiring is run along door sills on driver's side, and up to a small storage box on the driver side rear wheelwell (picture will show this).
• A no-name 6-gang fuse block with illuminated fuse indicator. When powered, if the fuse is good, the red light for that circuit is on. No fuse or blown fuse, no indicator. I do not like this fuse block simply because of the shape and the mess it makes of wiring, so I'm looking for a rectangular one now.
• 2 ultrafine make many people happy of the world! Chinese aluminum IP68 USB outlets.
• 10 ga from fuse block over to passenger side for my Engel fridge. This is the 1 thing I need to do yet, is decide on where I want to put the Engel outlet.
• And while not related to this, I installed a dual USB QC outlet in a center console blank, reusing the cigarette lighter wiring (so ignition-on only). It has a battery level readout, which has proven to be rather accurate.

I wish to hell I could get the latte stain from the PO off the trim, but here's the center console outlet:

I found a little bracket in my pile o' s***, which fit some existing holes in the engine bay perfectly. Just had to drill 2 holes in the bracket to mount the breaker:

Cut a 1.25" hole in the driver's side rear cargo panel for a dual-USB outlet:

On the passenger side of the cargo area, Toyota installed a 12v cigarette lighter outlet controlled from a switch on the dash. As this is completely useless, I just removed the outlet, and put another dual USB in its place using my wiring:

Being a s***ty picture-takerer, this is the little storage area above the driver rear wheel well where I put the fuse block. Not pretty, getting changed:

 

[mtweller]

Nice work Joe. Run a 1/4 spacer between the interior trim and the fuse panel and route your wires underneath. That could easily help clean things up a bit if you can't find a replacement you like.

 

[little_joe]

Nice work Joe. Run a 1/4 spacer between the interior trim and the fuse panel and route your wires underneath. That could easily help clean things up a bit if you can't find a replacement you like.

That's a great idea! and of course I'd not thought of it. Gonna try it before I buy another fuse box, thanks Ramon!

 

[lumbee1]

I've had bad luck with that fabric tape. I used it under the hood to wrap some wiring and it turned gooey and sticky after 30 miles of engine heat.

 

[GLTHFJ60]

I've had bad luck with that fabric tape. I used it under the hood to wrap some wiring and it turned gooey and sticky after 30 miles of engine heat.

Wrong application. Fabric tape is the bees knees for low heat wire looming, I use it everywhere.

For high heat stuff, such as around the egr on a 1fz, you need something designed for it.

Point is, if your fabric tape is melting, so would electrical tape. Gotta use something rated for heat in that instance.

 

[lumbee1]

Wrong application. Fabric tape is the bees knees for low heat wire looming, I use it everywhere.

For high heat stuff, such as around the egr on a 1fz, you need something designed for it.

Point is, if your fabric tape is melting, so would electrical tape. Gotta use something rated for heat in that instance.

I don't have an EGR anymore but had to pull the factory harness wrap off to check the wiring. The wiring was fine so I recovered it in fabric tape initially. I then drove to the store to pick up high temp foil tape. When I got home, the fabric tape surface appeared to be fine until I touched it. The fabric was slimy and sticky so I proceeded to remove all the fabric tape and wrap the bundle with high temp foil tape.

 

[little_joe]

The cables in the engine bay are nowhere near a heat source like EGR or exhaust, and already in the driving I've done there's been no issue with the fabric tape. Think I did go a little overboard, as the insulated wire + crimped-on connector have heat shrink, then a good wrap of standard electrical tape, then the fabric tape over that. @lumbee1 your point is well-taken, as my neighbor also used it on the engine he swapped into his Chevy truck after he saw me using it - I'll give him a heads-up, in case he ever gets the thing finished/running.

 

[little_joe]

So yet another funny story: I had this pretty gnarly whooshing/grinding sound. I was convinced it was a rear wheel bearing or the rear r&p - I even asked Johnny if my replacing 2 rear wheel studs by pounding them out while the axle shaft was still in might have knocked something askew.

Well, today I fixed the issue. I replaced my front wheel bearings/hubs. No more noise, no more quivering steering wheel. The right front bearing was toast.

2 lessons: Got a strange noise you think is from the rear end? Replace your front wheel bearings. #2: Do not ever ask me to diagnose something.

 

[little_joe]

Aaaand another weird one: I've been chasing some CEL codes related to the EVAP system, replaced a few hoses a few weeks ago and been searching for a VSV purge valve on the charcoal canister. I checked my CEL codes again this weekend and had a Bank 2 Sensor 2 fault in addition to the EVAP fault - the downstream O2 sensor on driver's side. Ran over to parts store and got a Denso to swap in (old one was Denso also), did the needful, cleared the codes. Drove several times, probably ~100 miles, over a couple of days, and no more codes. (The EVAP system is self-checked 5 hours after a second drive cycle, so it's been through at least 2 checks now.)

Please esplain me this: how the f**k does an O2 sensor solve a fuel vapor recirculation system?

 

[Pick]

did the needful

I can't explain but work with a lot of offshore and found the 'needful' comment hilarious

 

[mtweller]

I can't explain but work with a lot of offshore and found the 'needful' comment hilarious

Ditto.

I'll say this Joe, that evap code could easily come back days, weeks, months from now.... or never come back again. Could have been an anomalous pressure change, fuel cap leak, who knows. Don't sweat it until (if and) when it comes back.

 

[little_joe]

The EVAP code has been pretty persistent for 6+ months, so it hasn't bothered me much. The only downsides with it are 1) state inspection (this summer) and 2) it disables vehicle stability control and traction control, which I prefer to have fully operable. If it stays off, great; if not, I'll finally fix it and revert.

 

[onemanarmy]

Why would an EVAP code, or really any other negligible CEL issue for that matter, disable VSC and TC? All I ever hear these days is that cars HAVE to be ridiculously complicated, unreliable, and expensive due to safety. I can't have a truck without a $2000 screen in it, that can brick a $50k vehicle these days, because of 'safety'.

Now I hear that an arbitrary evap issue can turn off these "we must have them at all cost to everything else" safety programs? This is true?

So what is it.....safety above dependability and reliability and simpleness......or safety doesn't really matter THAT much, it's just that designers and engineers have lost too much grip on the real world so they just complicate stuff (servos and screens for HVAC for instance) for the hell of it?

 

[little_joe]

Why would an EVAP code, or really any other negligible CEL issue for that matter, disable VSC and TC? All I ever hear these days is that cars HAVE to be ridiculously complicated, unreliable, and expensive due to safety. I can't have a truck without a $2000 screen in it, that can brick a $50k vehicle these days, because of 'safety'.

Now I hear that an arbitrary evap issue can turn off these "we must have them at all cost to everything else" safety programs? This is true?

So what is it.....safety above dependability and reliability and simpleness......or safety doesn't really matter THAT much, it's just that designers and engineers have lost too much grip on the real world so they just complicate stuff (servos and screens for HVAC for instance) for the hell of it?

I really have no idea why a "small leak in EVAP" (the actual description of the code) disables some safety features - I suspect only someone at Toyota involved in the design of the vehicle could tell us the real reason. But it is total BS, my theory is it is intended to get the driver to address the issue ASAP?

I agree though, if the safety things are required, disabling them should either be a user option, or occur only when some component of said safety system fails. Otherwise, WTF?

Funny thing is we also have a '19 Subaru Outback with the Eyesight safety suite. Guess what turns off when it's raining really hard, the windshield is filthy, or there's snow/ice on it? Yep that awesome safety suite is disabled when it is most needed. Guess we've truly entered Upside-Down World.