Builds DRANGED's GX470 build/ownership thread (1 Viewer)

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half k cruiser said:
@DRANGED how did you like Imogene ? I am looking for some trails to take the wife on in her rig.
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@ half k cruiser
Its rad!
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It's pretty straight forward. line choices here and there (I opted for the "cheats" everywhere ... well, maybe a couple harder lines up in the alpine reach) There's some exposure on the Telluride side.
Views are spectacular and it'll challenge a little but its not uber cruxy on the pucker and cringe factors.

It's kind of one of the first real trails in the GX (save Tower Arch trail) with only Lockhart to compare to, but that was in my Legacy (Suby), so a this was different perspective regarding rig setup and capability. I was pretty puckered and maxed in the Subaru on lockhart (and pulled it off), but this was a comfortable walk in the GX. Turns out, there's a LOT to be said for platforms from which one is starting in a rig.
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half k cruiser said:
Nice pictures. A good friend of mine is up there and said they are trying to get Black Bear open this week if you want some more pucker factor.
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cool. It's on the list for another time. I'd already returned home when it was being cleared...

But yeah, i can imagine how less terrifying it must be now, when compared to 'back in the day' :hillbilly:

black bear as it was

black bear as it was

 
It is open as of yesterday :)
 
Just got back from a 2370 mile, 2-week road trip. *woopwoop*

Moab to S OR to pick up kids then to Newport, OR then redwoods in NorCal, then Lassen Volcanic NP, then Great Basin NP.
I did not keep written records but mental averaging I was north of 16.5 MPG all told for this trip; but with the oversized tires my calculated avg MPG for the trip was around or over 17 MPG.

I reset the MPG calculator when mounting the 31.5s (265x70 17 LT BFGs) and it now reads 16.7 MPG avg; that's 4370 total on the BFGs, and with 3.4% difference, my calculated 4370 mile average is 17.268 mpg. Over half those new tire miles are on this road trip, but that's pretty good!

We had a roof box too.

here was our configuration.
2017RoadTripConfiguration

2017RoadTripConfiguration

2017 Vaca configuration

2017 Vaca configuration

 
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Opinions and questions re: a trans fluid drain and fill vs flush and fill..

I've got about 167K on this 07 sport now and when scanning the service history (I'm 3rd owner, 2nd had it a year or so and a member here (thanks again Bruce! :)) I think there's record of the trans fluid bing dirt but never changed. I think there's record or the diff fluids changed around 30K.

It's a sealed unit (as we know), and "lifetime" fluid Read: 100K. So I'm looking up FSM procedures and it looks simple enough as a drain and fill 9some details in there like heating to temp and overflow drain, etc. etc.) which (aslo per svc info at a yota dealer) yields 3.2 qts.

So there's the drain and refill idea, yielding 1/3-1/2 new fluid mxing with the remaining dirty stuff, and do that drain and fill more frequently than the 100K interval (opinions saught here... drain and fill on 5K oil interval or more like on the 30K interval?)

Or the power flush idea: this (AFAIK) is a dealer service. This expresses ALL 6+ qts (the remaining not yielded in a drain and fill is harvested from torque converter), flushes the crud caught in the filter OUT (per yota svc tech) and then the whole magic box is refilled with luxuriant new red awesomeness...

I only bring this up because A: i've got close to 170K on this rig; B: I started noticing some downshifts and 3-4 shifts occasionally on our big road trip...previously shifts were (save looking at the odo) unnoticed...; AND c: i WANT THIS RIG AS SUPPLE AND SMOOTH AS EVER FOR EVER! :cool:


Yota quoted me about $345 for a flush and fill service.
I already bought 4 qts of yota WS @ about $10 a qt, so I'm kind of prepped for a drain and fill...
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Dranged, you can do the drain and fill method, but its a PITA and you have to put the exact amount back in each time, plus you contaminate the fluid each time you mix old and new together. I went a different route with mine. I ditched the Toyota WS fluid in favor of Valvoline ATF which is full synthetic and much less expensive than the Toyota stuff. I pulled the top line off of the trans cooler, used a clear vinyl tube to a bucket with graduated marks on it. I would start the truck and use the transmission pump to effectively pump all the old fluid out. Id fill the bucket about 2-3 qts, then shut it off and add the same amount, then repeat. I did this about 4 or 5 times until the fluid coming out of the tube was bright cherry red. The transmission now shifts buttery smooth, better than it did with the black Toyota fluid in it. If I remember, I used 2 gallons of Valvoline fluid...2 or 3 jugs...not sure now but it was still far less expensive and in my opinion, a higher quality fluid.
 
@Onefastrx7turbo
So your method is one-way pumping? " I would start the truck and use the transmission pump to effectively pump all the old fluid out. "
So that just pumps from the pan to the cooler and out your line into the bucket? so you'd know how much was coming out and add the same new?

I'm a little confused..

did you pump out some, add new, pump out some add new, or pump it all, then add new and pump until the ejected was all new and red?

Thanks for your experience.

I like the idea of all new, but also per the horror stories of many from decades ago (verified by click and clack ;) I'm a little hesitant.

BUT these new transmissions are a whole different breed than those of yore.
 
Sort of. I would introduce fresh fluid into the pan, which is then pulled into the transmission. The new fluid chases the old fluid out. I would pump 2-3 qts out, shut the truck off, fill the trans the same amount. Start the truck up, repeat until new fluid comes out. The whole process took about 2 hours.
 
Also, don't worry if you take it out on a test drive and it shifts and slips horribly at first. That just means you didn't take into account the fact that a 5 gallon bucket gets gradually wider towards the top. I did the same procedure with the a343 on my 80 series. Once I got the additional 1 1/2 qts of fluid in the truck ran just fine. All clean fresh fluid now.
 
Half K reminded me of something; there is a somewhat complicated method of filling the transmission. There are two drain plugs on the pan for the transmission. One of them is a normal drain plug and the other is a "stovepipe" overflow drain. In order to ensure the transmission is filled correctly, you have to jump two pins on the OBDII port and then warm the transmission fluid up to a specific temperature range. Once this temperature is reached, the A/T temp light will blink and then you can remove the overflow drain plug. If no fluid comes out, add fluid into the pan until you see fluid coming out of the overflow drain. Once it starts dripping, you're good. Like I said, the whole thing from start to finish took about 2 hours. I also replaced the transmission filter and cleaned the pan and the magnets. Using the method I described, you get most if not all of the old fluid out without flushing. The Valvoline Maxlife ATF is $20/ gallon at Autozone and is fully synthetic. If you'd like some light reading on the Toyota WS fluid, check this thread out. WS transmission fluid is garbage . Get it out of your transmission now

I have also flushed the Toyota WS fluid out of my power steering system and replaced it with the Maxlife as well. I feel a little better knowing my pump is getting 100% synthetic fluid.
 
Onefastrx7turbo said:
Sort of. I would introduce fresh fluid into the pan, which is then pulled into the transmission. The new fluid chases the old fluid out. I would pump 2-3 qts out, shut the truck off, fill the trans the same amount. Start the truck up, repeat until new fluid comes out. The whole process took about 2 hours.
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Oh, I see. that makes sense. use the new to flush the old. There's some contamination but not nearly as much as just a pan drain and refill...

I like this idea.

I'll probably do the simple 6.5 qt pan drain and refill (spec per yota svc sheet), but measure what drains out and refill with same ammount, for now then consider the real flush in a few K more miles.

I've also heard draining on ramps/incline gets more out, but the key for refill aount is the overflow valve and checking at proper fluid operating temp
 
Onefastrx7turbo said:
Half K reminded me of something; there is a somewhat complicated method of filling the transmission. There are two drain plugs on the pan for the transmission. One of them is a normal drain plug and the other is a "stovepipe" overflow drain. In order to ensure the transmission is filled correctly, you have to jump two pins on the OBDII port and then warm the transmission fluid up to a specific temperature range. Once this temperature is reached, the A/T temp light will blink and then you can remove the overflow drain plug. If no fluid comes out, add fluid into the pan until you see fluid coming out of the overflow drain. Once it starts dripping, you're good. Like I said, the whole thing from start to finish took about 2 hours. I also replaced the transmission filter and cleaned the pan and the magnets. Using the method I described, you get most if not all of the old fluid out without flushing. The Valvoline Maxlife ATF is $20/ gallon at Autozone and is fully synthetic. If you'd like some light reading on the Toyota WS fluid, check this thread out. WS transmission fluid is garbage . Get it out of your transmission now

I have also flushed the Toyota WS fluid out of my power steering system and replaced it with the Maxlife as well. I feel a little better knowing my pump is getting 100% synthetic fluid.
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That's good beta. Yeah I have the FSM on the procedure and it describes exactly as you outlined, so that refresher kind of clarifies the tech speak of the pdf I have for the procedure.

local buddy got the maxlife full synth for his drain and fill and shunned me for my $pendy yota WS purchase ;)

live and learn.
 
First DIY (GX) and filter :clap:change. I'm just so proud . :cool::bounce::rofl: lol

Valvoline, high mileage full synth, 5w-30 x 6.5 i suppose if i put the remaining .6 qt the level on the dipstick will climb to the top

I learned there's a higher capacity filter (NAPA Gold 1516...I'll get premium next time) that you ask for rather than the small one that napa specs out.
What came off was a toyota 90915-yzzd3 and no crush washer, or similar. Thanks again Stevinson of Lakewood. :bang:


<EDIT>
More on that...
So, per NAPA... interestingly, the NAPA Gold 1516 oil filter is spec'd for a bunch of stuff: Ford/Lincoln/Mercury (81-09), Chrysler/Jeep/Mitsubishi (02-09), Mazda Trucks (94-10), Various Industrial Equipment and such. The NAPA dude cross-compared thread pitch, depth, gasket sizes, etc. and looked at the 1516 next to the Napa 1348 (which their system specs for the GX470) and noted the over 1" greater height in the 1516. He cross referenced the Toyota PN: 90915-yzzd3 (that's what came off my GX from a Lexus dealer service) and came up with the short 1348 filter which I'd purchased but later returned for the higher capacity 1516. There is also a NAPA Platinum 1516 with finer micron filtration and higher flow rate (8-12 GPM vs the 7-9 GPM of the gold 1516) and specs for full synthetic but will work with conventional oils as well. The platinum 1516 also increases the oil change interval from 5K, I think up to 10K miles....

So oddly I guess its the insider beta that the 1516 is a higher capacity and valid thread pitch, gasket size, etc. and therefore a higher capacity filter for the 2UZ-FE.
Also, per previous post, the WIX PN is 51516 (Wix 51516 & Napa 1516 Oil Filter). I assume there's a WIX premium as well...
 
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