First Vehicle Inspection - Thoughts?

[Quattr09]

Hi everyone,

This week I found myself with my first Toyota product, first SUV, and first 4x4, all in one. I've had a hankering for an 80-Series since I was a kid, and since I've found myself wanting a vehicle that won't become utterly useless in inclement weather, took the opportunity to nab a local '96 LX450.

It has 275,000 miles on it, and runs like a champ (in my mind), however the previous owners certainly did not give it the nearly level of care that I strive for. I've been torn as to whether I should take care of the immediately pressing issues of a coolant flush and brake job, and sell it come Spring/Summer, or tend to her long-term, and build the beefed up overlanding rig of my dreams.

There's a dash light out, the antenna is inoperative, the passenger-rear door lock actuator is busted and was removed, the rear windows are slow to roll up (and the passenger-rear cannot be rolled up from the driver's controls), the radiator fan shroud is missing, and the steering wheel squeaks at low speed. Nothing particularly daunting, but after having it inspected today, a local shop noted the following:

-Torn boot on CV axle/U-joint
-Front steering knuckle rebuild recommended - grease wipers not holding grease
-Power steering fluid leak (possible steering rack replacement)

Both sound a pretty penny more expensive than the annoyances mentioned above. I've attached some images, and was hoping for some feedback as to whether or not the shop's recommendations are something I should follow up on. I bought the truck in the hopes of keeping it for a long while, but my interest is inversely proportional to how comprehensive (expensive) the maintenance will be to do so.

Sorry for the bad angle. Is the source of the power steering leak apparent to any of you magicians? Could it realistically be fixed at home?

Cruddy Knuckles.

A snapshot of the grease/grime buildup under the hood. Feasibly something that could be power-washed away, or addressed with a degreaser like Gunk?

Many thanks in advance from someone more accustomed to fiddling around with boost targets and exhaust components than T-cases and grease fittings.

 

[Tools R Us]

...
-Torn boot on CV axle/U-joint
...

Humph, bummer!

Overall clean it up and see exactly where it's leaking, would guess oil pump and or power steering seals, common.

The left knuckle maybe a bit weepy, but appear to be low/dry. I would clean them up, torque check the arm nuts (71 ft/lb) and bring the moly grease level up to ~3/4 full. Check the axle gear oil level/condition, change if needed. Then put some miles in it and see if it has any issues.

As seen from the quoted, most shops don't have a clue about these rigs, much better off doing it yourself or working with a Cruiser specialist shop.

 

[junior80]

that bottom pic looks like the distributor O ring has gone. I just replaced mine, wasn't too hard to do. an easy one job I think most would agree?

 

[chap79]

I’m with Tools on this, clean it up and see where the leaks are coming from. The shop diagnosis is crap. “Steering rack replacement” pffff. Total . They don’t know what they’re talking about.

Add some grease as recommended above, change fluids, drive it.

Yes, some of the other items will suck to fix, but it’s a 20+ year old truck. There are a lot of great vendors here on the forum you can order parts through and get a lot of free advice.

 

[gummycarbs]

Those are completely normal maintenance items. If you find those daunting, then you definitely don't want to deal with what's involved in building an overlanding rig.

80s require deep pockets or mechanical skills, time, and patience.

 

[Cass007]

Don't feel overwhelmed to do everything at once. All of your issues above are same to both of my 80 series, just start tackling things one at a time and crossing them off the list. One of the truly great things about the 80 series is that they just keep running, even in states of semi-disrepair.

My LX is puking so much oil from every seal atm I had to power wash the front of the engine just to see the block. It was just belts running through a caked mess of oil and dirt. It still ran just fine last week even while dragging that stuck caliper as well.

 

[chap79]

I think deep pockets is a bit of a misnomer. Any used vehicle will need a $1k-2k of work. Most folks on this forum get caught up in the mods and restoration ruts.

Learn to do your own work. I’m not knocking the professional automotive worker but if your moderately intelligent, possesses some reading comprehension, and have some basic metric tools you can wrench on this truck.

Yes, you will have to spend some money to buy parts, but depending on how you shop those parts can be found at good prices.

Yes, OEM Toyota parts cost more. But they lasted 275k miles on the truck before you replaced it.

Learn the OEM part distributors. Many times I can find the same original parts from the supplier at 50% of what Toyota wants for it.

There’s lots of threads on here about cost of ownership, baselining, past practices, should of/could of/would of... bottom line; do what fits your budget, on your timeline. Make a list and prioritize what’s important to you and start working your way through it. These trucks aren’t getting any cheaper and the ones that have already been gone through, have full receipts, and are turn key ready will carry a steep price tag.

 

[Quattr09]

You guys are awesome. This site's stellar reputation is down to the outstandingly helpful user base, so thank you all for the feedback.

I'll give it a good cleaning to more clearly identify trouble areas, list/prioritize potential fixes, and think about timing/budgeting. I think the diagnosis shook me, and made me feel as though the rig was going to fall apart at any moment without a significant cash injection.

Looks like it'll be a labor of love

 

[inkpot]

Buy something like a spray bottle of Simple Green, and a gallon refill. Pretty cheap at Walmart. Spray everything under the hood and then head to the carwash. wrap a rag around the base of the distributor as there are breather holes in it that can allow water into it. Pressure wash everything. Repeat as needed to get it all pretty clean. That way you can actually see the new wet spots that are leaking. Much easier to work on when it is clean.

 

[LS1FJ40]

"Torn boot on CV/Axle U Joint"

In case you didn't know this, there are no CV boots on an 80... Nobody specifically called it out but I can tell they were thinking it/implying it. I wouldn't trust this mechanic with anything.

Download the FSM (Factory Service Manual), buy a box of nitrile gloves, a couple of boxes of rags, simple green like @inkpot mentioned, start cleaning. Then start fixing the obvious things that were mentioned. Or find a local car detailer that does engine steam cleaning. This is what I did. It cost $50 and I didn't have to get dirty and could get right to fixing things.

These trucks are not difficult to work on, nor are they expensive to own/maintain. It is the deferred maintenance that starts to add up $$. The previous owner didn't spend any money on maintenance for years, now you get to do it. Don't believe everyone that says they are expensive. Unless of course you are paying someone to do the work, then, yes they are but so is any vehicle.

Seriously, if I can keep three 80s running and maintained then it can't be that difficult...

Oh, and listen to @Tools R Us and @inkpot they pretty much know everything about these rigs.

 

[gummycarbs]

I think deep pockets is a bit of a misnomer.

That was in reference to paying others to do the work. If you're willing to do your own work then I'd say that, by far, your biggest expense will be fuel. Well, unless you buy your parts at my local Toyota dealer where they literally charge double MSRP.

 

[inkpot]

"Torn boot on CV/Axle U Joint"

In case you didn't know this, there are no CV boots on an 80... Nobody specifically called it out but I can tell they were thinking it/implying it. I wouldn't trust this mechanic with anything.

Download the FSM (Factory Service Manual), buy a box of nitrile gloves, a couple of boxes of rags, simple green like @inkpot mentioned, start cleaning. Then start fixing the obvious things that were mentioned. Or find a local car detailer that does engine steam cleaning. This is what I did. It cost $50 and I didn't have to get dirty and could get right to fixing things.

These trucks are not difficult to work on, nor are they expensive to own/maintain. It is the deferred maintenance that starts to add up $$. The previous owner didn't spend any money on maintenance for years, now you get to do it. Don't believe everyone that says they are expensive. Unless of course you are paying someone to do the work, then, yes they are but so is any vehicle.

Seriously, if I can keep three 80s running and maintained then it can't be that difficult...

Oh, and listen to @Tools R Us and @inkpot they pretty much know everything about these rigs.

Thank you sir! You woul ALMOST think that TOOLS and I work together on Land Cruisers every day? Well, unless we're out wheeling again, and again. It's almost like a whole second career?

 

[LS1FJ40]

Thank you sir! You woul ALMOST think that TOOLS and I work together on Land Cruisers every day? Well, unless we're out wheeling again, and again. It's almost like a whole second career?

Almost...

Some people don’t know you’re backgrounds so they think you guys are normal joe schmoes...

There should be a tag for “resident expert” so people know who to listen to!