Beer, Blisters and Blood - Breathing Life Back Into 1991 (1 Viewer)

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vsatking

vsatking

Joined
Feb 3, 2015
Threads
8
Messages
475
Location
Madison, WI
Here goes my trip down the rabbit hole.

This thread is ment to help keep track of a fairly long list of issues with my new 1991 LC. I have owned 2 1994s and a 1998 totaling about 7 years of driving and wrenching. That plus the countless hours of reading on MUD gives me a lot of confidence to tackle a complete basket case of an LC.

The LC was employed as a plow vehicle to plow an 1/8 mile drive way when it snowed for the past 18 years. The PO only did what was needed to get him through the next snow season. I think the one exception was the fluids. They seemed to be changed somewhat regularly. I know this because of the 10' oil pool around the truck in the barn it was parked in. It leaks so much that it is hard to narrow it down. This LC even came with a green algi finish over 80% of the paint. PO said he only put about 1000 mi on it in the last 18 years. The good news and somewhat amazing was the almost complete lack of rust. The interior is also nearly perfect. That is why I bought it. I paid $1600 and the plow is worth $500.

I am going to list out all the problems I know of now and add to or cross of the list as I go. Ill add pictures and FAQ as needed.

Key tip broken in ignition - need to extract. Only starts with broken key. Done
Park/neutral safety switch is failed. Starts in neutral. Done
Dome lights are out. DONE
Blower motor does not run. DONE
Stereo display out but radio works.
Replace antenna.
3rd row windows are frozen. DONE
Sun roof is siliconed shut.
Passanger mirror flops forward and back.
Steering stabilizer is bad DONE
Steering stabilizer has broken bolt to front frame. DONE
Both berfield joints needs gasket kit. (not too bad - just monitor) DONE
Front wheel bearing preload adjust. DONE
Major oil leak. DONE
Minor transmission leak. DONE
Exhaust replacement from manifold back. Done
All hard and soft break lines need replacing. DONE
New rear calipers, drums, pads, parking break assembly, dust cover, etc.... DONE
New front brake pads, rotors, line, check calipers. DONE
Leaky front and rear diff
All shocks are failed DONE
New springs DONE
Trans temp radiator looks like a botch job.
Gas guage does not work. - Done
PO says leaks gas when filled up. -DONE
Vinyl tear in front seat needs stabilization.
Seized on spair tire assembly. DONE - Just cut off the chain
Dome light is intermittent.
Speedometer not working. Done
Pin hole in oil pan. DONE
Fuel Lines looks corroded.
Valve Adjustment. Did it 4 times - still not right
Intake cleaning DONE
EGR/vacuum removal
Driveline growl during de-acceleration Done
Driver footwell rusted through - All other body areas are good

Priorities:
1. Extract broken ignition key DONE
2. Exhaust DONE
3. Pin hole in oil pan DONE
4. Brakes DONE
5. Gas tank - DONE
6. Rust remove/convert - Paint - Ongoing


Pictures of when I first took it home.
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Started in on the P/N safety switch. Thanks MUD for preparing me for the likely event the aluminum barrel would be rust welded to the trans output shaft. I hoped to recondition the P/N switch but that is out of the question now. Ill go in there with a small cut wheel to get it off. I don't want to risk tranny damage. Here is the broken switch and seized barrel.

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Sounds like you have a pretty standard 91/92! Mine either had or currently has many of those same problems.
 
Tried getting the tip of the key out with home made tweezers. It didn't work. Ill need to do some more research and try again.

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My '91 has the broken key issue, too. A local locksmith quoted me $30 to fix it if I remove the ignition lock cylinder and bring it to them. Haven't bothered with it yet, but I definitely need to. Update if you find a good DIY way of getting it outta there! Have fun bringing her back to life.
 
Izeloz said:
My '91 has the broken key issue, too. A local locksmith quoted me $30 to fix it if I remove the ignition lock cylinder and bring it to them. Haven't bothered with it yet, but I definitely need to. Update if you find a good DIY way of getting it outta there! Have fun bringing her back to life.
Click to expand...
That could be a good option for a good price. I have an idea though it is fairly risky. There is a substance called mastic that I used to use to seal up data wire connection points years ago. This stuff is incredibly sticky and holds it shap well. I think it might work if I put a sliver of it on the broken section of my key and try to stick the two point together. The big risk is I lose it in the lock. At that point the lock is dead until its removed. I might do some tests to make sure it is sticky enough to overcome the resistance of the pins.

On a YouTube video someone recommend using super glue. That way it can be chemically dissolved if the the glue stays in the lock.

I'll keep playing with it here and there when I have time.

It is kind of interesting to see that these keys break off in the locks. Note to Mudders, go get new keys made that don't have 20+ years of stress on them.
 
The 91 3fe doesn't have a PHH.

Looks like you have a lot of work ahead of you - but like others have said, I've done almost all of those fixes to my truck too.

Your front seats look great! Do some stabilization to that hole on the drivers front, so it doesn't spread. Those cloth seats are impossible to find, and highly coveted.

The gas tank is a common failure point. Mine rotted near the filler neck to tank junction.

I replaced my brake lines twice. I eventually got copper/nickel brake line, and they've been fine since.

Shocks are still available from toyota, and cheap at around $40 each.

The oil leak is probably the pushrod cover gasket on the passengers side. The rear bolts are a bit of a pain to get to. While you're over there check and stake or JB Weld the oil galley plug on the cylinder head (above and to the front of the distributer) - that's a failure point for the 3fe.

The exhaust is hard to come by. I had a speed shop make a custom setup for me in stainless from the manifold back.

I had a line rot on the passengers side down near the oil pan which carried trans fluid to the radiator. Perhaps that's your transmission leak.

Good luck with the truck!
 
Mixelplix said:
The 91 3fe doesn't have a PHH.

Looks like you have a lot of work ahead of you - but like others have said, I've done almost all of those fixes to my truck too.

Your front seats look great! Do some stabilization to that hole on the drivers front, so it doesn't spread. Those cloth seats are impossible to find, and highly coveted.

The gas tank is a common failure point. Mine rotted near the filler neck to tank junction.

I replaced my brake lines twice. I eventually got copper/nickel brake line, and they've been fine since.

Shocks are still available from toyota, and cheap at around $40 each.

The oil leak is probably the pushrod cover gasket on the passengers side. The rear bolts are a bit of a pain to get to. While you're over there check and stake or JB Weld the oil galley plug on the cylinder head (above and to the front of the distributer) - that's a failure point for the 3fe.

The exhaust is hard to come by. I had a speed shop make a custom setup for me in stainless from the manifold back.

I had a line rot on the passengers side down near the oil pan which carried trans fluid to the radiator. Perhaps that's your transmission leak.

Good luck with the truck!
Click to expand...
Mixelplix,
This is why MUD is such a great forum! Thanks for sharing some wisdom. Definitely going to reference your points as I dig into each of these issues.

On the PHH - I looked at that like 3 times and then had to "carefully" scratch the T to make sure it was brass. I had one crumble on my 94 during replacement and pieces drop onto the hose causing a lot more work. I am so scared of that damn thing.

Thanks again!
 
For a Wisconsin truck, that is very clean. I'm sure not driving on salted roads helped greatly. Good luck with it!
 
I got the new P/N safety switch in and installed. Works perfectly. I was amazed to see that all it gear indicator lights in the dash still work. I am sure that won't last for long.

On a side note. I tried tapping the barrel that was stuck to the transmission output with a soft hammer to see if that would work before cutting it off. I did get it to break free. It would have been possible to save my old P/N safety switch if I would have taken a bit more time. The transmission shaft is a lot more robust then I thought as well.

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Michael Hanson said:
Hi, 91 is a great year. Ours has 400,000 original engine and transmission. Mike
Click to expand...
That is great to hear Michael. Sounds like you have taken great care of it. I hope this LC is not going to have major issues with the neglect over the years. The engine and transmission oil looked ok so I think the internal parts should be good. The rest is can replace. Over all I really like having a 80 back in the garage. The 100 I just sold was a very good truck but it did not have the character of the 94 and older 80s.
Now that this truck will start correctly I am going to get an exhaust put on as soon as I can find a good shop.

It makes it so much more enjoyable to work on this thing when it is a third vehicle. There is no pressure to get things done right away.

Do you have a pick of your 400k LC.
 
I finished completely stripping down the tank. Sealed up the outside with JB Weld gas tank epoxy. The rubberized the outside. Then did 3 coats of POR15 sealant inside. I'll let it dry for a few weeks while waiting for parts before installing. Should be in good shape.

My son pretending to drive like I remember doing on my dads 71 blazer.

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I was reading your list and expected to see a pile in the photos. But honestly, it looks really nice. Good find, I love it when left to rot Land Cruisers find their way to a loving home where they are brought back to life and saved from the scrap yard. Have you worked out a name / nickname for the ol girl?
 
SmokingRocks said:
I was reading your list and expected to see a pile in the photos. But honestly, it looks really nice. Good find, I love it when left to rot Land Cruisers find their way to a loving home where they are brought back to life and saved from the scrap yard. Have you worked out a name / nickname for the ol girl?
Click to expand...
Thanks. I feel the same way. Of course we feel completely bias! I think all these land cruises should keep driving up in price so they all become financially worth saving. Until then the more that get saved by people like us MUD members the better.

By the way. Your tag line is fantastic.
 
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