Builds DRANGED's GX470 build/ownership thread

[DRANGED]

Dice thrown, trigger pulled.

*NOTES TO SELF*
DT short headers from Rogue Off-Road Dec 12, 2021
AB-7356
https://rogue-offroad.com
THY-563-SS-C Doug Thorley Toyota 4Runner / Lexus GX470 4.7L Short Tube Headers 2005-2009
$799.00

 

[DRANGED]

$799 is a good deal if they are in stock!



I found that having a variety of wobble socket adapters and extensions made the job much easier.



I regret not swapping my motor mounts while they were unbolted too.



I did install a 240 amp alternator while I was down there though. I recall having that out of the way making a few bolts on the front of the engine a bit easier to work with.



Just a suggestion, but I'd recommend ordering new exhaust manifold studs and nuts too. Several of mine were seized up pretty good and pulled the stud out with them. I did start a daily application of PB blaster about a week before the install but with all the heat that cycles through there, even that wasn't enough.

I pulled the trigger through Rogue Off-road. I guess I could call and get an idea for how backlogged they are.

*EDIT* I called a week later and assured them I understand there's no lead time but to take my order. They informed me DT produces in batches and they have no lead time for shipping, fulfilment, or when the next batch will be produced. I assured her I get all that, and will hobble through time until they arrive at my door. Some have waiting 5 months (in good times) for these shorties, others have scored long headers in shorter order. We'll let this ride and see how my patience and planning pay out.
*EDIT*

My studs and everything are all 14 months d so I'm probably fine there, plus dry dessiccated desert clime.

I like the fresh motor mounts idea, I could get those in wait too....

I hope I can actually get this repair done much sooner than what's become my typical 3-5 yr project turn around period.

 

[DRANGED]

wife comes in and says, "Uh, I think i just made a very expensive mistake."

All the REALLY $pendy bits were fine (RR platform, backbone, roof)...buuut turns out new roof boxes aren't cheap (now that I'm looking at them). This one's had a good 9.5+ year run, and I think some form of epoxy and rivetted steel strap as sutures will do fine...


*Edit repair progress*

I'll cover that with a bunch of goop, and maybe ABS cement inside...

89 bailing wire sutures and nearly a tube of through the roof, in 2 layers each side.

 

[DRANGED]

Impulse, self-gifted some boards (yes, I have been assimilated to owning boards now though my DIYs are rad...), so now to make easy mounts copying the rhino rack mounts but DIY, or even the easy max tracks way on a DIY bracket...

 

[MoaByte]

I pulled the trigger. I guess I could call and get an idea for how backlogged they are.

My studs and everything are all 14 months d so I'm probably fine there, plus dry dessicated desert.

I like the fresh motor mounts idea, I could get those in wait too....

I hope I can actually get this repair done much sooner than what's become my typical 3-5 yr project turn around period.

We're you thinking about if you'll need astroglide?

 

[DRANGED]

Temporary fix until the DT shorties.arrive (maybe by spring break )
Recall here for round two of Mani crack adventure...

2 layers of exhaust seal goop applied a day apart, second layer 'pretty' thick. Maybe used 1/3 of the tube..?
Challenging access, but I'm trying something

From engine bay.looking down on aft Mani bend towards 1st cat.

 

[MoaByte]

Temporary fix until the DT shorties.arrive (maybe by spring break )
Recall here for round two of Mani crack adventure...

2 layers of exhaust seal goop applied a day apart, second layer 'pretty' thick. Maybe used 1/3 of the tube..?
Challenging access, but I'm trying something
View attachment 2869063
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View attachment 2869060
From engine bay.looking down on aft Mani bend towards 1st cat.
View attachment 2869061

I have some Stainless steel zip ties if it will help. That exhaust putty lasts about as long as it takes to apply it. Also, my friend has a 110 gas welder. The fee is usually a 12 pack and having to drink it.

 

[GrizzlyClint]

I have some Stainless steel zip ties if it will help. That exhaust putty lasts about as long as it takes to apply it. Also, my friend has a 110 gas welder. The fee is usually a 12 pack and having to drink it.

Only 12?

 

[DRANGED]

That exhaust putty lasts about as long as it takes to apply it.

Effing eff!

Yeah. It lasted for a trip to the mts, I think I could hear a slight tick on the ride back into town.

It has gotten worse on short trips this week. NOW I'm fixing to go visit my folks in OR this weekend, and thinking of busting out tomorrow (err, today) ahead of the storms, but (as you can see by posting time), I'm worried...

What if this crack leads total failure?
This is a thousand mile (each way) trip.
I have the old manifold, should've welded it up this week, but didn't but then without annealing it's just moving the fuse as to where it fails again.

The putty didn't last (as @MoaByte predicted), in fact it flaked off readily tonight as I brushed it to inspect. I won't have time to get the JB extreme temp stuff and apply it, PLUS tomorrow.. er.. today's x-mas so everyone (ergo napa and CQ here) will be closed.

DAMN, this is a show-stopper??

Looking at my photos above, the current crack looks as bad as the original, nearly entirely around the whole tube...

And you can see the exhaust leak staining on the block behind the O2 sensor

Ugh. So I guess we're dusting off the impreza for this trip. This ride is going to suck, but the MPG! I don't have mt. snowflake tires on that car so I'll have to get chains somewhere, all the roads and passes up there are in winter conditions with chains/traction tires required.

 

[aztoytec]

I would go for it. It’s just a annoyance if anything. It’s far enough from the head it’s not going to burn a valve or anything.
Get some sleep buddy!!

 

[aztoytec]

3M makes a exhaust tape repair that might quiet it down some too.

 

[HomersCanyonero]

I was thinking in terms of what’s the worst it can happen if it continues to crack.

My 80-Series cats were once attempted to be stolen 10 years ago and they left them hanging due to a couple of pesky bolts. The 80 sounded like a motorcycle but they had completely disconnected one of the cats. Also loss of power from a disconnected cat.

I got under the 80 at the metro train parking lot where the attempted theft happened and pushed the cats back in place and drove home. The cats were aligned with the pipe but had missing bolts. The motorcycle sound and power loss mostly disappeared just by aligning The cat back in place.

The next day I went to Home Depot and bought the missing bolts to tighten them back to normal.

So, based on my experience on the 80 with loose cats, I think @aztoytec is right. Just annoying noises since I doubt your pipe will detach completely.

 

[DRANGED]

3M makes a exhaust tape repair that might quiet it down some too.

I was thinking in terms of what’s the worst it can happen if it continues to crack.

My 80-Series cats were once attempted to be stolen 10 years ago and they left them hanging due to a couple of pesky bolts. The 80 sounded like a motorcycle but they had completely disconnected one of the cats. Also loss of power from a disconnected cat.

I got under the 80 at the metro train parking lot where the attempted theft happened and pushed the cats back in place and drove home. The cats were aligned with the pipe but had missing bolts. The motorcycle sound and power loss mostly disappeared just by aligning The cat back in place.

The next day I went to Home Depot and bought the missing bolts to tighten them back to normal.

So, based on my experience on the 80 with loose cats, I think @aztoytec is right. Just annoying noises since I doubt your pipe will detach completely.

Thanks dudes. I got this 2 hours too late though.

I did the worst (like my patients coming in after googling their ailments) 'research' (aka internet investigating) and the it got me enough to be on alert.
Got worried about manifold failure, etc.

What happens if the exhaust manifold is cracked?

Exhaust Manifold If the manifold is cracked or has a leak, the back pressure in the exhaust system will be incorrect, which reduces engine power. These leaks permit hot toxic gases to escape, which can damage other components in the engine compartment. A leaking exhaust manifold can also affect...

askinglot.com

Was going to go for it, till I woke up @ 1.30 and looked at things.... Looked and my photos closer and noticed the crack is nearly full circumference. Worried about heat cycling and highway speed (2k rpm or whatever) for like 10 hours today. Heat, lost back pressure, venting CO into the cabin (wife's mentioned smelling exhaust in the cabin), what if tube fully severed, engine codes from cats, etc. Could that foster engine damage? Dunno.
I mean, it is a Lexus 2uz, schmancy ECU and has those fine touches

Might've been fine but I'm headed into the storm and being roadsided would really really suck after dark (between Winnemucca, NV and Klamath falls, OR.

Google Search

g.co

So I did a 4am walkthrough on the suby, tidied a couple things (like getting the parking lights to illuminate ) and feel fine about it's roadworthiness. We'll get there, albeit MUCH less quietly or comfortably, and well be sore I'm sure!!


I feel fine about the GX's infrequent and short DD use until the headers come in and I can install them, but a 2,000 mile road trip, into the PNW's current winter storm warning made me nervous.

 

[HomersCanyonero]

Thanks dudes. I got this 2 hours too late though.
View attachment 2874666

I did the worst (like my patients coming in after googling their ailments) 'research' (aka internet investigating) and the it got me enough to be on alert.
Got worried about manifold failure, etc.

What happens if the exhaust manifold is cracked?

Exhaust Manifold If the manifold is cracked or has a leak, the back pressure in the exhaust system will be incorrect, which reduces engine power. These leaks permit hot toxic gases to escape, which can damage other components in the engine compartment. A leaking exhaust manifold can also affect...

askinglot.com

Was going to go for it, till I woke up @ 1.30 and looked at things.... Looked and my photos closer and noticed the crack is nearly full circumference. Worried about heat cycling and highway speed (2k rpm or whatever) for like 10 hours today. Heat, lost back pressure, venting CO into the cabin (wife's mentioned smelling exhaust in the cabin), what if tube fully severed, engine codes from cats, etc. Could that foster engine damage? Dunno.
I mean, it is a Lexus 2uz, schmancy ECU and has those fine touches

Might've been fine but I'm headed into the storm and being roadsided would really really suck after dark (between Winnemucca, NV and Klamath falls, OR.

Google Search

g.co

So I did a 4am walkthrough on the suby, tidied a couple things (like getting the parking lights to illuminate ) and feel fine about it's roadworthiness. We'll get there, albeit MUCH less quietly or comfortably, and well be sore I'm sure!!


I feel fine about the GX's infrequent and short DD use until the headers come in and I can install them, but a 2,000 mile road trip, into the PNW's current winter storm warning made me nervous.

View attachment 2874652

View attachment 2874667

View attachment 2874668

Good call…didn’t think about the storm chasing you.

 

[Rednexus]

Good call as well. Carbon monoxide poisoning is no joke - especially because gasses could theoretically waft up into the cowl area and straight into the cabin thorough the air intake vent. If the manifold would have totally broke you'd have a ton of gas coming out of that area. Additionally, it could do things like melt plastic behind the firewall area, cook the paint, catch things on fire, etc.

 

[DRANGED]

Here's the crux...

Past Denio jnctn will be after 1800 this evening, or in the morning.
But I'm not running mt snowflakes on the suby, nor have I ever owned studs and I don't (yet) have chains....

Soo, should probably stay in Winnemucca tonight and source chains in the morning....

 

[DRANGED]

120 miles east of winnemucca I got this update from my bro. The sketchy part is closed NOW due to drifting and winter conditions. I guess we hunker in winnemucca tonight and get chains in the morning with hopes they plow overnight

 

[HomersCanyonero]

Stay safe and warm. I’m complaining that it’s too cold in LA and the high/low on xmas day are 58/51 with a chance of evening showers. Brrrrrrrr

 

[DRANGED]

I-80s.closed.@NV-CA border.
Suzanneville route is probably burried deeper than the 140 route through Denio into OR and into Lakeview.

Accumulation to continue overnight. Eek... We'll see if our break to visit my elderly parents ends up shut down in Winnemucca.

Yeah, lovely 50s.
Put sum logs in the fire and kick off yer slippers bro!

 

[ArBrnSnpr]

Just drove from Reno to Medford on the 23rd and hit HEAVY snow! I was astonished the road was open. A 5 hour drive ended up taking about 9.

I got to see a Camry on summer tires try to do a kick flip rail slide on a snow bank. Helped him get right and made it into Medford with no issues.

Medford got about 10" of snow a few hours after we left.

The drive home should be interesting.