Luigi

[majdomo]

Good tech coming, promise. Rig is back sporting a new exhaust and running like a champ. Chasing small leaks now.

In other news, the 4Runner is up on CL.

losangeles.craigslist.org/sgv/cto/d/la-crescenta-runner-cyl-speed-4wd/7548471880.html

 

[majdomo]

Been traveling a bunch the last week, was supposed to be camping this weekend but rain in LA preempted the trip. We’ll go in the spring.

Some shots of the new exhaust. This was done by Morse Muffler in Burbank. Had a couple referrals, I don’t know much about exhaust systems but this looks and works pretty fine to me.

First up is the down pipe. I recycled the flange and most of the down pipe from the CA exhaust. Taking it the 15 miles or so to the shop was loud, but uneventful. Note that they cleaned up the original flange and pipe, then welded the new directly to the old.

OEM-style silencer.

Final tailpipe.

I’m pretty happy with it, ran about $750 total all-in and took them a day to get it done.

Driving it to work earlier this week, had a wicked whistle coming from the front end. I thought at first it was an exhaust leak, but turned out I was missing a wing nut from the air cleaner. M6 x 1.00 for a buck at the hardware store, whistle silenced. Love it when fixes are easy and cheap.

Last is the redo of the clamp that caused all this heartburn to begin with. I’d installed the OEM-style clamp with the cinching mechanism pointing straight up. When installing the bracket for the alternator, it got in the way, but I didn’t notice until well after I’d finished burping the cooling system. Took the alternator off again, and double clamped it with the stainless band clamps. The water pump flange has plenty of meat on it to clamp against, these are well tightened and the alternator is back in business.

That’s it for now. The 4Runner is (likely) off to a new home today, so it’ll be the LC and 2002 until I figure out a new daily.

EDIT - 4Runner is off to a new home.

 

[majdomo]

First day where Luigi has been pressed into DD service. Waiting for a steering part for the 2002 before driving that as well. Am trying to figure out what to do next:
- New(er) BMW 328i. Basically a fancy Corolla. Better on gas, but disposable.
- FJ60/62. Hard on gas, last forever.
- Live with the FJ40 / 2002 combo until something else strikes my interest.

Life could be a lot worse...

 

[ToyotaMatt]

do u know the metallurgy content of the pipe they used on your new system by chance >?


what brand muffler did you go with and why ?

thanks

 

[majdomo]

do u know the metallurgy content of the pipe they used on your new system by chance >?


what brand muffler did you go with and why ?

thanks

Unsure - the invoice was hand-written and sort of illegible. Cost was mostly labor, though. Calling to find out for posterity.

 

[ToyotaMatt]

i would confirm any type of warranty and get it written copy of terms for sure here .....

just to be safe ....

 

[majdomo]

Muffler system - 14ga coated steel 2.5" piping. Muffler is an OE-style aftermarket unit by EcoPlus, made here in CA. The warranty is back on the invoice, have to look at that.

So, not as fancy as a MagnaFlow or the like, but it works fine. I just wanted to finish it up.

 

[majdomo]

The good news is your mpg is going to go up without the extra weight of that sludge!
The bad news is that the sludge had a collateral bebefit of being a sound deadener. Without it, you will almost certainly hear at least one new noise you never heard before, which will leave you wondering if you reinstalled something incorrectly!

Don’t ask me how I know this.

As I drove in to work this am, heard a sound coming from the bell housing that was like a playing card stuck in the spokes of your bike. However, it only happened when my foot was off the clutch. This led me straight to the throwout bearing and release fork, which I had adjusted way too tight. FSM notes 4-5mm of end play between the release fork end and the clutch slave pushrod (without return spring attached). I had 0. This has since been remedied and all is quiet (ha) again.

However, on the hill from the 5 to the 110, sounding like a Schwinn racing down the street from a friend's house, all I could think of was this quote from Mark.

On the MPG front - I'm running about 10-11, mixed traffic and highway speeds.

 

[sggoat]

- are you chasing your FEMALE block ( HEAD BOLTS PORTS ) with a DIE before final assy

- this CALIFORNIA Spec. HEAD looks sharp , good job !


- this may help you out a bit , i will ask @65swb45 / Mark to input here too on the SERSOR UNIONS TOPIC , because you have the secondary special THERMO one with the RED TIP ...... ?

- Remove ALL the Engine Enamel black paint in the RED highlighted areas , this if left in place WILL cause a valve cover rubber gasket leak real fast , if not you frst 100K test miles


- REPLACE these 2 studs for sure .........

- mark knows more on the sensor unions topics and the Thermo Sensors , BUT i do know that the SHORT varity shown with green pre-koted factory sealer installs
in the rear most union location , but in front of the water OUTLET

- Lastly , im looking for a TEST- Pilot of sorts for the LAST IMAGE , its a NON-USA NOS part oem toyota , and ill donate you one in exchange for photos ....

- it will TOWER right over a 2F valve cover / 5/8 hose bib and pipe JIS threads same exact as you have now / NO mods

let me know via PM

thanks matt



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not sure I would run a tap into head bolt holes--that will chew out the old threads and cause potential failure later--would think it better to use a good head bolt for this operation with some Kroil or such, followed by clean with an air blast and then a vacuum clean--couple of turns at a time

 

[sggoat]

As I drove in to work this am, heard a sound coming from the bell housing that was like a playing card stuck in the spokes of your bike. However, it only happened when my foot was off the clutch. This led me straight to the throwout bearing and release fork, which I had adjusted way too tight. FSM notes 4-5mm of end play between the release fork end and the clutch slave pushrod (without return spring attached). I had 0. This has since been remedied and all is quiet (ha) again.

However, on the hill from the 5 to the 110, sounding like a Schwinn racing down the street from a friend's house, all I could think of was this quote from Mark.

On the MPG front - I'm running about 10-11, mixed traffic and highway speeds.

The pedal adj can also impact what you are seeing(up underneath the dash)--a couple of turns on the clutch link can make a lot of difference--

 

[majdomo]

The pedal adj can also impact what you are seeing(up underneath the dash)--a couple of turns on the clutch link can make a lot of difference--

Yup - was dark outside and it felt good going around the block, will check it again on the drive in tomorrow. Feels like there’s still a fair amount of travel before it firms up against the slave cylinder, would be good to adjust that out.

EDIT - was all good on the drive in, will check the pedal adjust later tonight.

 

[majdomo]

not sure I would run a tap into head bolt holes--that will chew out the old threads and cause potential failure later--would think it better to use a good head bolt for this operation with some Kroil or such, followed by clean with an air blast and then a vacuum clean--couple of turns at a time

Ran a clean old bolt, with channels cut up the sides, in the bolt holes with brake cleaner a few times, fully drying with paper towels. I used a chase on the M10 in the 2002, which yielded a bunch of carbon and junk. That's been all good since January.

 

[ToyotaMatt]

not sure I would run a tap into head bolt holes--that will chew out the old threads and cause potential failure later--would think it better to use a good head bolt for this operation with some Kroil or such, followed by clean with an air blast and then a vacuum clean--couple of turns at a time

there are 3 main kind of TAPS i own personally :

- Common tap ( for making new fresh threads into a new smooth bore hole )

- BOTTOMING TAP ( has a flat bottom to go straight to the bottom of a fully TAPPED hole using the common tap above first )

- CHASER-TAP ( used for and ONLY to chase female threads )




matt

 

[65swb45]

…and then there’s the worn out common tap, that got used enough and worn out enough to be relegated to a chaser tap, except for fact that it’s still as brittle as a Grade 8 bolt, so if it actually hits anything hard while you’re chasing a hole, a chunk of tap breaks off.

 

[peesalot]

See what you get for workin on old junk.. Good morning sunshine.

 

[majdomo]

…and then there’s the worn out common tap, that got used enough and worn out enough to be relegated to a chaser tap, except for fact that it’s still as brittle as a Grade 8 bolt, so if it actually hits anything hard while you’re chasing a hole, a chunk of tap breaks off.

I hate when that happens!

 

[majdomo]

Knuckle service incoming...

 

[65swb45]

 

[majdomo]

Parts ordered and on the way, including new wheel bearings for good measure. May not get to it this weekend, however. Figuring that since the knuckles are caked in greasy grossness and there's a very small drip of what looks like could be gear oil on the captain's side, best to baseline and be sure. Did this job on the 80, it was extremely messy, lots of paper towels and brake cleaner. Will also give me a chance to replace those questionable rubber brake lines.

Researching how to do the rear axle seals, as well. Bearings seem fine for what it's worth.

 

[65swb45]

To clarify, I wish I could have been your resource. Sales are tight right now, and one of the reasons I decided to bow out of tech was/is a painful lack of reciprocity. Vendors that offer little or no tech on here still end up getting the sales.
Rant off