Daniel/Novaphotog's Build, Maintenance and Journey Thread for "Pearl" the 1996 locked FZJ80 (1 Viewer)

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Joined
Feb 2, 2020
Threads
5
Messages
174
Location
Denver, CO
I like old Toyota SUV's and I cannot lie...

This 1996 Landcruiser is a "small" birthday present to myself as I have always loved 80's and have wanted one for awhile. I actually went and checked out this one for a buddy of mine a couple years ago. He ended up buying it and having a go at the initial round of "catch up maintenance" with @OTRAMM (is this the truck you used for your head gasket video on youtube?) @ Invoice 10936 - 9/5/2018 - 245,408 miles.

Since then, not much else as my friend just was not sure what he wanted to do with it. Ended up parking it.

I hadn't stopped thinking about the truck, especially after looking around online for one. I had dreams of cleaning her up and giving her the love she deserves. So here we are. I (and my wallet) am the clam and this is Pearl...

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Not too much else to be said. She was a single owner truck bought new down the street from me at Springfield Toyota. That family drove it and got it inspected every year like clockwork from 1996 to 2017. Otherwise, not much else to go on other than Ryan's head rebuild, front crank seal/oil pump and brake booster work. Gotta get her to the baseline and onward from there!
 
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Date/Mileage/Vendor/Repair/Mod Performed

1996-2018 - Virginia Safety/Emissions Inspections

04.01.2018 - 244,900 - DIY - Front and rear rotors/pads/brake fluid flush

09.05.2018 - 245,408 - @OTRAMM

  • Remove cylinder head. Send head to machine shop for pressure testing, valve testing, and milling. Replace head gasket, valve stem seals and all additional related gaskets.
  • Replace PHH hose with silicone and breeze clamps. Wrap injector harness near EGR with heat reflecting wrap. Clean fuel injectors in ultrasonic tank. Check valve adjustment.
  • Replaced oil pump o-ring and crank shaft front seal.
  • Replaced Brake Booster while the head was removed.
  • Oil / coolant change.
  • Plugs and wires replaced.
  • Drive and Accessory belts replaced.
02.06.2020 - 246,670 - DIY - Battery replaced with Autocraft Gold 24F 750CCA (Advanced Auto) along with negative terminal
 
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Baseline and/or pass Virginia Safety/Emissions (those marked with "**") issues:

  • Exhaust leak/hole where upstream o2 sensor would be**
  • Tail light wire harness ground fault causes driver brake light filament not to light** (Thanks @Stumpalama)
  • Rear heater hoses leaking. Bypass hose kit on order from @LandCruiserPhil
  • Power steering hoses leaking.
  • Battery is f**ked, hoping it's not alternator.
  • EGR Valve issue??** (not sure until exhaust leak is fixed and can narrow down codes)
  • 4Lo engaged - CDL engaged, ABS light on. Rear locker switch engaged...nothing. Front locker switch engaged...light flashes on dash. They worked when my friend first bought the truck in 2018. And when we went to Flagpole that same year. Haven’t been used since. Putting miles on and will try again.
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Ha! “Customer care package:” full tank of gas and owners portfolio. I don’t know why that is so funny to me.
Paint looks pretty nice. What exhaust leak?
 
Ha! “Customer care package:” full tank of gas and owners portfolio. I don’t know why that is so funny to me.
Paint looks pretty nice. What exhaust leak?

That's all you get! Here you go!

And exhaust leak is that first pic in the laundry list post. o2 sensor bung hole (heh).
 
Battery replaced with Autocraft 24F 750CCA. Tested alternator. Definitely toast. Data point...most likely original...lasted to 246,000 miles. ha! Looking at Denso reman.

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Sorry, the exhaust leak comment was my attempt at typed sarcasm.
 
New section of pipe in along with new Denso o2 sensors. CEL gone. Passed emissions and safety. Had the shop do the other items on the baseline checklist as well. New alternator in. Rear heater bypassed. New power steering cooler.

Wanted her baselined sooner rather than later. Will aim for DIY fluid flushes. Got magnetic drain plug kits on the way from Wit's End.

Fun to drive now without sounding like a freight train.


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Ol’ Bae was getting jealous...

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Oil/filter change (M1 5W-30 switched to from PO dino, Toyota filter - Blackstone test sample collected), front/rear diff, transfer case fluid change. Front diff looked like original fluid...came out looking like straight dookie (246k). Worth it to change again after 1k or so or just stick to 30k from there on out? Replaced bolt's and washers with the wit's end kits (hex key sockets).

Keep your LANDCRUISER cruising with MOBIL 1!

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Good on you for continuing to give the truck TLC to keep it going. It blows my mind that $50K in 1996 is almost $84K in 2020.
 
Good on you for continuing to give the truck TLC to keep it going. It blows my mind that $50K in 1996 is almost $84K in 2020.

Thanks man! It's fun to see the TLC paying off. Took her out camping/wheeling this past weekend with the Capital Area Landcruiser Club. Good times. Despite this forum's name...

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Nice, looks like fun. If you haven't already, you might want to consider extending the diff breathers otherwise water and muck may make its way into the diffs, destroy the gear oil and kill bearings.
 
No other codes. What’s the first step in this onion of an issue? Clean it?
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Nice work!!

I gotta say I was most impressed with your 80 last week with ( as far as I can tell) a basically stock suspension your rig did everything all the other guys did without any real trouble.
👍
 
247,200 - Driveline greased, CDL switch installed. Plan to do pin7 as well.

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Nice work!!

I gotta say I was most impressed with your 80 last week with ( as far as I can tell) a basically stock suspension your rig did everything all the other guys did without any real trouble.
👍

Thanks, man! Yeah, I think it also helps that while that was my first time wheelin' with Pearl, I've done Flagpole countless times with Ol Bae going back like 4 years haha. So I knew if a stock 3rd gen 4runner could do all of it back in the day a stock triple locked 80 would have no problem.
 
Lots of progress on Pearl these last few days. Big thanks to @Berkut10r for the awesome detail work! She looks like a brand new truck! And to @FloridaFJ80 and his staff at Land Cruiser Heaven for the parts!

Picked up a new to me front bumper, couple wheel caps to replace the missing ones, a Factory radio, tow hitch and a "Toyota" grill I need to figure out how to mount.

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