A decade in the making. (3 Viewers)

[D21FJ60]

Not a whole lot to report, still chugging, still need to do bearings and a slew of other things, but even in its current condition I love driving this thing. Really need to get the radio hooked up tho.

Last two fill ups:

First was half tank spirited two lane road driving, the rest highway speeds 60-75mph:

 

[D21FJ60]

Second was 95% highway speeds of 60-75mph with ECT turned on, remaining 5% was o/d turned off, 30-40mph:

 

[RND1]

Jeez, we consider Virginia the south up where I live - didn't think you had rusty rigs like us? Nice work, it's coming along nicely and you're enjoying using it as you slowly tackle the maintenance/repairs. How do you have any spare time with 4 kiddos?

 

[D21FJ60]

Jeez, we consider Virginia the south up where I live - didn't think you had rusty rigs like us? Nice work, it's coming along nicely and you're enjoying using it as you slowly tackle the maintenance/repairs. How do you have any spare time with 4 kiddos?

I'm at what i consider part of the jumping off and transition area from "northern" virginia into southern virginia. 30 min north of me culturally is a different world than say, 2 hours south of me.
Finding time is hard to be honest. I may end up just paying @IPOR to do the heavy lifting because im out of time- i have to square away my tundra so i can get it inspected and start driving it.
It is nice having vehicles new enough to be relatively safe, yet old enough they're still analog.

On a side note, I was born in Beverly, MA and have family in connecticut that i try and see at least once a year. Part of me pines for New England, as odd as it sounds, but Virginia is one of the most beautiful places on earth.

 

[RND1]

I'm at what i consider part of the jumping off and transition area from "northern" virginia into southern virginia. 30 min north of me culturally is a different world than say, 2 hours south of me.
Finding time is hard to be honest. I may end up just paying @IPOR to do the heavy lifting because im out of time- i have to square away my tundra so i can get it inspected and start driving it.
It is nice having vehicles new enough to be relatively safe, yet old enough they're still analog.

On a side note, I was born in Beverly, MA and have family in connecticut that i try and see at least once a year. Part of me pines for New England, as odd as it sounds, but Virginia is one of the most beautiful places on earth.

I hear ya - I have 3 kids myself. Older than yours, but each phase puts different strains on your time. I do the easy stuff on my rig and have either my local dealer or indie I trust for the heavy lifting. I buy all OEM Toyota parts from my local dealer that has an online store that offers ~30% off list. My dealer and indie will let me supply the parts.

Can't say I know Virginia well, but I lived in Maryland for 5 years some time ago. We had friends in Old town Alexandria so we would take regular trips down. We prefer New England as we love the ocean and the mountains and the city. Only thing I hate is the damn salt killing our rigs. I sea kayak often on the north shore - Beverly, Gloucester, Salem, etc.

 

[D21FJ60]

I hear ya - I have 3 kids myself. Older than yours, but each phase puts different strains on your time. I do the easy stuff on my rig and have either my local dealer or indie I trust for the heavy lifting. I buy all OEM Toyota parts from my local dealer that has an online store that offers ~30% off list. My dealer and indie will let me supply the parts.

Can't say I know Virginia well, but I lived in Maryland for 5 years some time ago. We had friends in Old town Alexandria so we would take regular trips down. We prefer New England as we love the ocean and the mountains and the city. Only thing I hate is the damn salt killing our rigs. I sea kayak often on the north shore - Beverly, Gloucester, Salem, etc.

Old Town Alexandria is probably close to a lot of the older untouched parts of NE in regards to age and remaining old buldings. My uncle who is retired posts a lot of photos of him Kayaking the james and connecticut rivers or long island sound, and it makes me instantly jealous.
My father worked at Plum Island when we lived in MA, but at the time had a few old nissan 720s, the cruiser didn't show up until theyd moved to Virginia.
At one point my mother was given the bird by the head witch of Salem due to my mothers honking at her for running a stop sign, we jokingly say that's what started all our bad luck...
I am a big fan of HP Lovecraft, so every time I listen to or read his works it provides such vivid images of Massachusetts in the fall, and makes me want to visit lol

So this stays tech, i would say the road salt is worse there than here, but being in the norther part of VA they treat our roads heavily. Now if you go down near VA beach on the VA/NC border, they dont treat as much so those virginia trucks are cleaner from what I understand.

 

[RND1]

So, what are you working on next?

 

[D21FJ60]

Low hanging fruit would be something like an oil change, i've only driven it about 10k miles since i bought it almost exactly 2 years ago, but oil has been in there a long time so it needs a change.

Really wanting to get my tundra going so i can start to shift the cruiser away from utility and towards people moving- add the 3rd row seats again, get the head unit hooked up, give it a solid cleaning out, it needs vacuumed and wiped badly inside.

It really needs the wheel bearings done, steering rack addressed, AC needs fixed before summer. All rubber hoses and radiator replaced and suspension overhaul.

"The usual" as they say

 

[RND1]

Steering rack and OE Toyota radiator are pricey, but worth it. OEM shocks are super cheap so I'd tackle that and wheel bearings first. Have you done the heater T's?

 

[D21FJ60]

Steering rack and OE Toyota radiator are pricey, but worth it. OEM shocks are super cheap so I'd tackle that and wheel bearings first. Have you done the heater T's?

Looks like they were done at one point, keep meaning to order new ones

 

[D21FJ60]

Dreaded battery light came on, accompanied with dim headlights.
Used Autozone checker and it states battery has 0% charge.

Bought a new alternator and battery to get me home, made it home.

How likely is it alternator is toast ?

Worst time too- we literally had just dropped off the loaner that we had for my wife’s car, which I can’t pick up (had loaner longer than supposed to) for a few more days.

Wife is not happy. Help

 

[D21FJ60]

My tensioner has been squeaking for a few weeks intermittently. Is it possible that there’s maybe some slack in the serp belt that’s causing the light? I’ve driven 40 miles since I put battery in and it hasn’t come back

 

[D21FJ60]

Stupidly didn’t take a pic then, but
Current voltage when idling:

 

[D21FJ60]

Well. Put the new auto store junk unit in. Boy my steering rack and hoses are in bad shape.
Discovered that it wasn’t an OE unit in there. Discovered that it is my tensioner pulley squeaking. Discovered my radiator pressure crack.
And a myriad of other things.
Need to get some OEM stuff in to make all this right. For now I just need to get to the end of the week.

 

[D21FJ60]

50 miles and the new duralast alternator already died. With my whole family in the car.

Thankfully we were able to get a friend to come pick us up 15 min after we pulled over. Aaa has a tow truck out to get it now.
Swung by my fathers and snagged his 60 to drive since my wife’s car is still at the Honda dealer.

It’s always something. Shame on me for not going OEM

 

[flintknapper]

Well. Put the new auto store junk unit in. Boy my steering rack and hoses are in bad shape.
Discovered that it wasn’t an OE unit in there. Discovered that it is my tensioner pulley squeaking. Discovered my radiator pressure crack.
And a myriad of other things.
Need to get some OEM stuff in to make all this right. For now I just need to get to the end of the week.

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Windings appear to be burnt and Oil and Coolant soaked. New alternator will do the same thing if those issues are not addressed.

 

[D21FJ60]

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[D21FJ60]

Windings appear to be burnt and Oil and Coolant soaked. New alternator will do the same thing if those issues are not addressed.

I did wonder if the power steering leak had something to do with it, however the coolant is from when I took it off. A lot of that oil is from pulling it out, the valve covers are seeping but not that heavily...

On that note, can these trucks be driven with no power steering? I know its going to be a major pain to do tight slow turns, but i mean physically and mechanically can they?

 

[flintknapper]

I did wonder if the power steering leak had something to do with it, however the coolant is from when I took it off. A lot of that oil is from pulling it out, the valve covers are seeping but not that heavily...

On that note, can these trucks be driven with no power steering? I know its going to be a major pain to do tight slow turns, but i mean physically and mechanically can they?

^^^^

Possible yes, but in the words of Roy D. Mercer "How big a boy are ya"?

 

[D21FJ60]

^^^^

Possible yes, but in the words of Roy D. Mercer "How big a boy are ya"?

Big and desperate enough to try