I have found that aftermarket rear brake shoe kits don't work very well because of the auto adjusters. They tend to tighten up and drag unless the shoe machining and hardware holding them on is precise.
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Builds Mak92-4Rnr's 1988 4Runner Build
- Thread starter MaK92 4RnR
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- Thread starter
- #102
1-28-20 - Fuel Filter.
No real update other than the fact that I swapped out the original fuel filter for another OEM unit. Getting the hard lines off was a bit of a task but they eventually budged. This is all in preparation of getting this ol' girl to pass smog. Since i've owned the truck, it seems to fail every year due to high NOX. it's got a relatively new OEM o2 sensor, new silicone vacuum hoses and the EGR has been cleaned/gone through. I believe it's failing due to high cylinder temperatures from carbon built up. The original 3vze is at about 250k miles and she's burning about 1/2 a quart of oil every 3k miles. I'm gonna put a little bit of seafoam in, burn a tank of gas and then swap the plugs/wires/cap/rotor then take her in to see if she passes. If not, I can at least resort to replacing the catalytic converter.
No real update other than the fact that I swapped out the original fuel filter for another OEM unit. Getting the hard lines off was a bit of a task but they eventually budged. This is all in preparation of getting this ol' girl to pass smog. Since i've owned the truck, it seems to fail every year due to high NOX. it's got a relatively new OEM o2 sensor, new silicone vacuum hoses and the EGR has been cleaned/gone through. I believe it's failing due to high cylinder temperatures from carbon built up. The original 3vze is at about 250k miles and she's burning about 1/2 a quart of oil every 3k miles. I'm gonna put a little bit of seafoam in, burn a tank of gas and then swap the plugs/wires/cap/rotor then take her in to see if she passes. If not, I can at least resort to replacing the catalytic converter.
- Thread starter
- #103
8-13-20 - Update
Took a step back from fixing the little things on the 4Runner to reevaluate the larger problems with the rig. Due to the fact that the truck is failing smog and preventing current registration in California, I decided to park it in my driveway, let it hang out for a bit and drive the Cressida.
I did add yet another Toyota to my fleet. I originally bought this car for $150.00 off of a co-worker of mine. It was failing smog because the CEL tossing a code for shifter solenoids. I got it home, fixed the solenoids, passed smog and drove the hell out of it. Shortly after that, a buddy of mine wife's car took a ˟˟˟˟ (it was a Kia) so I sold it to him for $2200.00 bucks. Well, a year later he bought his wife a new car and didn't need this one anymore so he sold it back to me for $300.00. it's got 100,000 more miles than it had when I sold it and it now has a little oil leak on the oil pan but it still drives and the AC works, which is a huge plus because the Cressida's AC didn't work and nor does the 4Runner's.
Anyway, long story short. I posted the Cressida for sale and it sold overnight. I also have the Xrunner posted for sale in hopes to free up the monthly payments associated with it and half of my garage so I can get the 4Runner in there for some serious maintenance. It still hasn't passed smog but I have everything to make that happen minus a catalytic converter. It does have the original catalytic converter and it's at 250k miles but I think i should be able to get it to pass with new plugs, wires, cap and rotor after i do a solid Seatfoam / denatured alcohol treatment..Besides getting the truck to pass smog, I need to address the steering issues. I have a brand new steering box, flat pitman arm and steering box mount waiting to be installed. I also need to rebuild the front axle and test the front locker functionality. No parts collected for this yet but I plan on running the Marlin Crawler gasket. Besides that, i'd like to get the AC fixed and relocate the rear shocks to a more ride-worthy location.
For now, i'm just waiting for the Xrunner to sell before I start all of this work. For good measure, here's a picture of the steering box & pitman arm:
Took a step back from fixing the little things on the 4Runner to reevaluate the larger problems with the rig. Due to the fact that the truck is failing smog and preventing current registration in California, I decided to park it in my driveway, let it hang out for a bit and drive the Cressida.
I did add yet another Toyota to my fleet. I originally bought this car for $150.00 off of a co-worker of mine. It was failing smog because the CEL tossing a code for shifter solenoids. I got it home, fixed the solenoids, passed smog and drove the hell out of it. Shortly after that, a buddy of mine wife's car took a ˟˟˟˟ (it was a Kia) so I sold it to him for $2200.00 bucks. Well, a year later he bought his wife a new car and didn't need this one anymore so he sold it back to me for $300.00. it's got 100,000 more miles than it had when I sold it and it now has a little oil leak on the oil pan but it still drives and the AC works, which is a huge plus because the Cressida's AC didn't work and nor does the 4Runner's.
Anyway, long story short. I posted the Cressida for sale and it sold overnight. I also have the Xrunner posted for sale in hopes to free up the monthly payments associated with it and half of my garage so I can get the 4Runner in there for some serious maintenance. It still hasn't passed smog but I have everything to make that happen minus a catalytic converter. It does have the original catalytic converter and it's at 250k miles but I think i should be able to get it to pass with new plugs, wires, cap and rotor after i do a solid Seatfoam / denatured alcohol treatment..Besides getting the truck to pass smog, I need to address the steering issues. I have a brand new steering box, flat pitman arm and steering box mount waiting to be installed. I also need to rebuild the front axle and test the front locker functionality. No parts collected for this yet but I plan on running the Marlin Crawler gasket. Besides that, i'd like to get the AC fixed and relocate the rear shocks to a more ride-worthy location.
For now, i'm just waiting for the Xrunner to sell before I start all of this work. For good measure, here's a picture of the steering box & pitman arm:
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- Thread starter
- #104
8-21-20 - Update
The earliest that i can get my steering box relocated in the first week of October so I figured this would be a good time to get everything else squared away. I ordered a whole new vacuum hose kit and an OEM cap and rotor to go along with the new spark plugs and wire set. I'm gonna stop off at either O'Reilly or Autozone on the way home and grab some Seafoam to clean the whole system out.
I'll be working on the daily driver this weekend because the brake pads started hitting the guides on my way to work this morning. I ordered Calipers, rotors, pads and all the necessary hardware just to have everything in case it all needs to be replaced. I should probably start a little build thread for the ol faithful Camry just to keep track of everything. lol
The earliest that i can get my steering box relocated in the first week of October so I figured this would be a good time to get everything else squared away. I ordered a whole new vacuum hose kit and an OEM cap and rotor to go along with the new spark plugs and wire set. I'm gonna stop off at either O'Reilly or Autozone on the way home and grab some Seafoam to clean the whole system out.
I'll be working on the daily driver this weekend because the brake pads started hitting the guides on my way to work this morning. I ordered Calipers, rotors, pads and all the necessary hardware just to have everything in case it all needs to be replaced. I should probably start a little build thread for the ol faithful Camry just to keep track of everything. lol
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- Thread starter
- #105
8-31-20 - Vacuum Lines Replaced
I took the time to replace all of the vacuum lines on the 4Runner. Previously I ordered a cheap set off of Ebay and they worked when I first installed them but over a few years, they started to wear down due to the thin material.
I ordered another set from LC Engineering and the kit is much better quality. I deliberately made the lines a little bit longer so that I can access the spark plugs and wires without the whole spaghetti nonsense getting in the way.
I took the time to replace all of the vacuum lines on the 4Runner. Previously I ordered a cheap set off of Ebay and they worked when I first installed them but over a few years, they started to wear down due to the thin material.
I ordered another set from LC Engineering and the kit is much better quality. I deliberately made the lines a little bit longer so that I can access the spark plugs and wires without the whole spaghetti nonsense getting in the way.
- Thread starter
- #106
9-3-20 - Spark Plugs, Wires, Cap & Rotor
I had some free time when I got home from work last night so I cracked open a brewski and dove right in. I started with the hardest spark plug to get to, which is #5 and everything went pretty smooth. I extended my vacuum lines and formed a nice little pocket to be able to access the passenger side manifold area. The plugs I pulled only have about 13,000 miles on them. You be the judge on how they look, they seem fine to me.
After I swapped the spark plugs, I moved onto the wires. I pulled the #3 & #5 spark plug wires and found they were both damaged. From the looks of it, they were burning on the EGR tube. This could definitely explain why the 4Runner isn't passing smog.
All that's left is to confirm timing at 10 degrees and she'll be ready for another smog attempt.
I had some free time when I got home from work last night so I cracked open a brewski and dove right in. I started with the hardest spark plug to get to, which is #5 and everything went pretty smooth. I extended my vacuum lines and formed a nice little pocket to be able to access the passenger side manifold area. The plugs I pulled only have about 13,000 miles on them. You be the judge on how they look, they seem fine to me.
After I swapped the spark plugs, I moved onto the wires. I pulled the #3 & #5 spark plug wires and found they were both damaged. From the looks of it, they were burning on the EGR tube. This could definitely explain why the 4Runner isn't passing smog.
All that's left is to confirm timing at 10 degrees and she'll be ready for another smog attempt.
- Thread starter
- #108
I'm having some issues finding the notch on the crank pulley that indicates where the timing is. I think i just gotta wipe it down and hand crank it until it's uncovered then hit it with a paint pen.
- Thread starter
- #109
10-13-20 - Few updates.
4Runner still isn't smogged. I replaced the TPS and have it adjusted properly. I used this as a guide: TPS - Throttle Position Sensor Adjustment - LC Engineering. What a pain in the ass the TPS was because both the screws stripped out so I had to pull the throttle body.
The truck is running but I still can't get it timed to 10 degrees, which is the only reason it's failing smog, at this point. Each time I insert the pins into the diagnostic port, shine the light, loosen the distributor and try to get it anywhere remotely close to 10 degrees the truck dies and I have to set it back at 12-15 degrees to even get it running again.
The ONLY thing I haven't replaced or touched yet is the timing belt, which i'm starting to think has jumped a tooth (or two). The 4Runner has always felt a bit sluggish but I figured 1-2 teeth on the belt would be very noticeable. Guess it's hard to tell with only ~90 horsepower (mileage considered).
For now, i'm putting the timing belt on hold because I have to wait for the parts to come in.
On Friday (10-16-20), i'm taking the truck to WFO concepts to get the new steering box relocated/mounted and the flat pitman arm installed. Pretty stoked to have that done finally since it's been an issue in the past.
Also picked up another Toyota. Coworker came up to me asking if I could help her sell a car because she's handling an elderly woman's estate. I asked her what kind of car it was and she dropped an owner's manual on my desk and it said 2000 SC300/400. Long story short, it ended up being an SC300 and now it's in my garage. It's pretty tired, paint is cooked but I got it for cheap enough that I might be able to save it or flip it. I haven't decided just yet. All i know is the 2JZ in it runs great.
4Runner still isn't smogged. I replaced the TPS and have it adjusted properly. I used this as a guide: TPS - Throttle Position Sensor Adjustment - LC Engineering. What a pain in the ass the TPS was because both the screws stripped out so I had to pull the throttle body.
The truck is running but I still can't get it timed to 10 degrees, which is the only reason it's failing smog, at this point. Each time I insert the pins into the diagnostic port, shine the light, loosen the distributor and try to get it anywhere remotely close to 10 degrees the truck dies and I have to set it back at 12-15 degrees to even get it running again.
The ONLY thing I haven't replaced or touched yet is the timing belt, which i'm starting to think has jumped a tooth (or two). The 4Runner has always felt a bit sluggish but I figured 1-2 teeth on the belt would be very noticeable. Guess it's hard to tell with only ~90 horsepower (mileage considered).
For now, i'm putting the timing belt on hold because I have to wait for the parts to come in.
On Friday (10-16-20), i'm taking the truck to WFO concepts to get the new steering box relocated/mounted and the flat pitman arm installed. Pretty stoked to have that done finally since it's been an issue in the past.
Also picked up another Toyota. Coworker came up to me asking if I could help her sell a car because she's handling an elderly woman's estate. I asked her what kind of car it was and she dropped an owner's manual on my desk and it said 2000 SC300/400. Long story short, it ended up being an SC300 and now it's in my garage. It's pretty tired, paint is cooked but I got it for cheap enough that I might be able to save it or flip it. I haven't decided just yet. All i know is the 2JZ in it runs great.
- Thread starter
- #110
10-13-20 - Another Update.
Confirmed, the timing belt on the 4Runner is 1-2 teeth off. /facepalm.
No idea how it happened. It passed smog about 2-3 years ago and in those 2-3 years it's moved about 1200 miles. Must've happened within that time frame and I never noticed it? I did the top end at 197k so the timing belt only has 53k on it.
Confirmed, the timing belt on the 4Runner is 1-2 teeth off. /facepalm.
No idea how it happened. It passed smog about 2-3 years ago and in those 2-3 years it's moved about 1200 miles. Must've happened within that time frame and I never noticed it? I did the top end at 197k so the timing belt only has 53k on it.
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- Thread starter
- #111
2-22-21 - 4 Month Update.
All kinds of **** has been going down at Casa De Miguel. The last post I mentioned that the timing belt is the culprit on the 4Runner not passing smog and I haven't touched it since then. I did manage to get the Trailgear Steering Box installed and what a huge difference that's made on the 4Runner. WFO Concepts up in Auburn did a killer job and while they were super busy, they still gave me the time of day and squeezed the install in and had it back to me within 24 hours. Here's pictures of the finished product:
On this post: Builds - Mak92-4Rnr's 1988 4Runner Build - https://forum.ih8mud.com/threads/mak92-4rnrs-1988-4runner-build.791136/post-13425347 I mentioned that I bought a 2000 Lexus SC300. I did some odds and ends to it that made the car more whole again but I eventually came to the conclusion that it's better off in someone else's garage. Posted it for sale and it was gone in about ~2-3 weeks. Since then, i've added ~3? or 4? Vehicles to the stable. I think I already mentioned that I bought the Camry back from a friend that no longer needed it so I wont count that one but here's a list of what's in my possession now:
2003.5 Mazdaspeed Protege - Pretty unique little car. I dig the quirkiness of this car. It's bright yellow, turbocharged and has a manual. Miles are a little high but I bought it on a whim from a good friend of mine and a fellow forum member (@SpaceJunk). Not sure what the plans are but for now it's just hanging out in the garage.
2003 Chevrolet Tahoe - Nothing special, it's 2wd and has a plethora of issues. I'm currently working on the transmission because the pan was leaking. Unfortunately, this truck has been maintained by JIffy Lube it's entire life and both the oil drain and transmission drain plugs were abused by an air impact. I was fortunate enough to get the oil drain plug off but the transmission drain plug was stripped before I even touched it. I had to drop the pan the dirtnasty way, which worked well, surprisingly. For now, this thing is living on the ramps until I get everything dialed in. This one is gonna be sold.
1987 Toyota Pickup SR5 - This one came to me unexpectedly. A family friend has owned this truck for a little over a decade and I've always wanted it but I could never justify the price he was asking for it. Well, finally he cracked and basically gave it to me. Pretty stoked to have yet another 30+ year old Toyota to work on. I'm probably gonna be keeping this one for a long time since it's nice to have a pickup to load stuff up in the bed. Definitely going to start a build thread and do a stock+ build on it.
For now, I'm wrenching on the Tahoe to get it out of my hair as soon as possible. The Camry and Pickup both run like tops so I've been alternating those two as daily drivers to work. The 4Runner is hanging out patiently waiting for the timing belt to get done. Between all the bike rides, remodeling the house and hanging with the lady my time is spread pretty thin. I should have the Tahoe wrapped up here pretty soon since I'm picking up the transmission pan gasket and filter today after work. The trick is gonna be getting the damn drain plug off that thing or just buying a whole new transmission pan.
All kinds of **** has been going down at Casa De Miguel. The last post I mentioned that the timing belt is the culprit on the 4Runner not passing smog and I haven't touched it since then. I did manage to get the Trailgear Steering Box installed and what a huge difference that's made on the 4Runner. WFO Concepts up in Auburn did a killer job and while they were super busy, they still gave me the time of day and squeezed the install in and had it back to me within 24 hours. Here's pictures of the finished product:
On this post: Builds - Mak92-4Rnr's 1988 4Runner Build - https://forum.ih8mud.com/threads/mak92-4rnrs-1988-4runner-build.791136/post-13425347 I mentioned that I bought a 2000 Lexus SC300. I did some odds and ends to it that made the car more whole again but I eventually came to the conclusion that it's better off in someone else's garage. Posted it for sale and it was gone in about ~2-3 weeks. Since then, i've added ~3? or 4? Vehicles to the stable. I think I already mentioned that I bought the Camry back from a friend that no longer needed it so I wont count that one but here's a list of what's in my possession now:
2003.5 Mazdaspeed Protege - Pretty unique little car. I dig the quirkiness of this car. It's bright yellow, turbocharged and has a manual. Miles are a little high but I bought it on a whim from a good friend of mine and a fellow forum member (@SpaceJunk). Not sure what the plans are but for now it's just hanging out in the garage.
2003 Chevrolet Tahoe - Nothing special, it's 2wd and has a plethora of issues. I'm currently working on the transmission because the pan was leaking. Unfortunately, this truck has been maintained by JIffy Lube it's entire life and both the oil drain and transmission drain plugs were abused by an air impact. I was fortunate enough to get the oil drain plug off but the transmission drain plug was stripped before I even touched it. I had to drop the pan the dirtnasty way, which worked well, surprisingly. For now, this thing is living on the ramps until I get everything dialed in. This one is gonna be sold.
1987 Toyota Pickup SR5 - This one came to me unexpectedly. A family friend has owned this truck for a little over a decade and I've always wanted it but I could never justify the price he was asking for it. Well, finally he cracked and basically gave it to me. Pretty stoked to have yet another 30+ year old Toyota to work on. I'm probably gonna be keeping this one for a long time since it's nice to have a pickup to load stuff up in the bed. Definitely going to start a build thread and do a stock+ build on it.
For now, I'm wrenching on the Tahoe to get it out of my hair as soon as possible. The Camry and Pickup both run like tops so I've been alternating those two as daily drivers to work. The 4Runner is hanging out patiently waiting for the timing belt to get done. Between all the bike rides, remodeling the house and hanging with the lady my time is spread pretty thin. I should have the Tahoe wrapped up here pretty soon since I'm picking up the transmission pan gasket and filter today after work. The trick is gonna be getting the damn drain plug off that thing or just buying a whole new transmission pan.
- Thread starter
- #112
4-1-21 - Update
Quite a bit has happened since my last post so I'll try and cover everything that's happened in the last 1-2 months.
I ended up getting the Tahoe operational and fixed. No more slipping transmission and no more leaks from the pan. All that's left to do is clean that thing up, post it for sale and get it out of the court.
The Pickup needed a new battery so the first evening with it, I drove up to Costco and grabbed an Interstate battery for ~$70 dollars and installed that. The truck was missing it's OEM battery tiedown and for some reason I had one in my garage.
When I bought the 1987 Toyota Pickup, I got it for cheap because it was failing smog and the family friend was tired of messing with it. The smog shop I take it to doesn't really care much for the catalytic converter part #. He mostly cares about timing and if it's set within the parameters, he'll run it. Anyway, first attempt was when I first bought the truck and it still had a 49 state catalytic converter on it. It barely failed so then I had the brilliant idea to swap the catalytic converter off the 4Runner onto the Pickup, put a catback exhaust on it and put a new Denso o2 sensor, cap, rotor, coil, LC Engineering Magnecor wires and an LC Engineering Spark Plug wiring loom.
When I ordered the LC Engineering Magnecor wires, they had a bunch of wire sets deliver without the coil wire and since I was one of those customers, the coil wire eventually showed up:
I got all of the above work done and it still failed smog for the 2nd time. At this point, it needed a new catalytic converter so I ended up pulling the trigger on a new Magnaflow catalytic converter from LC Engineering and putting that in. It passed.
Once I got it home and cooled off, I installed a test pipe in place of the new catalytic converter because I didn't want it to get stolen or go bad.
At this point, I was completely convinced that I would just hang onto the truck and part with my 1994 Toyota Camry XLE/V6 and use this truck as my daily so I ended up ordering a tailgate bike pad/carrier. The tailgate pad is just some cheapo solution and it works well. It's actually thick enough that you don't need to strap the bike(s) in.
I also bought the lady her first mountain bike. 2021 Marin Wildcat Trail 3. 650b, hydro brakes, 2x8 drivetrain w/ a 120 front coil strut. It's nothing crazy but it's plenty for her to build confidence on and get off the pavement and onto the dirt. She's been riding for years on pavement but she loses all confidence when she gets on the dirt. Hopefully this bike changes that for her.
Fast forward a couple days, I got the truck registered and in my name. I decided that it wouldn't be a bad idea to clean the truck up and post it for sale for a price I couldn't say no to. Since I had 90 days on the smog cert, I figured why not? I gave it a bath, yanked the cheapo seat covers off it, vacuumed it out, took some pictures and posted it.
The Pickup sold last night.
I loved that truck but like i said, posted it for a price I couldn't say no to and it sold to the first guy that came and looked at it. Win win. Plus now I have a spare test pipe and a brand new catalytic converter for the 4Runner to use when the time comes.
Quite a bit has happened since my last post so I'll try and cover everything that's happened in the last 1-2 months.
I ended up getting the Tahoe operational and fixed. No more slipping transmission and no more leaks from the pan. All that's left to do is clean that thing up, post it for sale and get it out of the court.
The Pickup needed a new battery so the first evening with it, I drove up to Costco and grabbed an Interstate battery for ~$70 dollars and installed that. The truck was missing it's OEM battery tiedown and for some reason I had one in my garage.
When I bought the 1987 Toyota Pickup, I got it for cheap because it was failing smog and the family friend was tired of messing with it. The smog shop I take it to doesn't really care much for the catalytic converter part #. He mostly cares about timing and if it's set within the parameters, he'll run it. Anyway, first attempt was when I first bought the truck and it still had a 49 state catalytic converter on it. It barely failed so then I had the brilliant idea to swap the catalytic converter off the 4Runner onto the Pickup, put a catback exhaust on it and put a new Denso o2 sensor, cap, rotor, coil, LC Engineering Magnecor wires and an LC Engineering Spark Plug wiring loom.
When I ordered the LC Engineering Magnecor wires, they had a bunch of wire sets deliver without the coil wire and since I was one of those customers, the coil wire eventually showed up:
I got all of the above work done and it still failed smog for the 2nd time. At this point, it needed a new catalytic converter so I ended up pulling the trigger on a new Magnaflow catalytic converter from LC Engineering and putting that in. It passed.
Once I got it home and cooled off, I installed a test pipe in place of the new catalytic converter because I didn't want it to get stolen or go bad.
At this point, I was completely convinced that I would just hang onto the truck and part with my 1994 Toyota Camry XLE/V6 and use this truck as my daily so I ended up ordering a tailgate bike pad/carrier. The tailgate pad is just some cheapo solution and it works well. It's actually thick enough that you don't need to strap the bike(s) in.
I also bought the lady her first mountain bike. 2021 Marin Wildcat Trail 3. 650b, hydro brakes, 2x8 drivetrain w/ a 120 front coil strut. It's nothing crazy but it's plenty for her to build confidence on and get off the pavement and onto the dirt. She's been riding for years on pavement but she loses all confidence when she gets on the dirt. Hopefully this bike changes that for her.
Fast forward a couple days, I got the truck registered and in my name. I decided that it wouldn't be a bad idea to clean the truck up and post it for sale for a price I couldn't say no to. Since I had 90 days on the smog cert, I figured why not? I gave it a bath, yanked the cheapo seat covers off it, vacuumed it out, took some pictures and posted it.
The Pickup sold last night.
I loved that truck but like i said, posted it for a price I couldn't say no to and it sold to the first guy that came and looked at it. Win win. Plus now I have a spare test pipe and a brand new catalytic converter for the 4Runner to use when the time comes.
- Thread starter
- #113
4-22-21 - Update
2003 Chevy Tahoe - Sold
2003 Mazdaspeed Protege - Sold
I'm back down to 2 vehicles and it's actually kind of nice having all of the extra space again. Half my garage is still consumed by lawn/yard tools but I should be solving that here pretty soon with a 12x10 shed in my backyard. For now, I put the 4Runner back in the garage so I can start brainstorming on what she needs to be road worthy again. Plus, my house is getting painted today/tomorrow and I think the safest place for it to hang out is in the garage.
Anyway, I decided to start with a new windshield. Still need to schedule the replacement but I did order a 1 piece rubber molding that replaces the chrome trim. This molding/gasket is highly sought after on a thread over on Yotatech so I figured i'd give it a whirl:
That's all for now.
2003 Chevy Tahoe - Sold
2003 Mazdaspeed Protege - Sold
I'm back down to 2 vehicles and it's actually kind of nice having all of the extra space again. Half my garage is still consumed by lawn/yard tools but I should be solving that here pretty soon with a 12x10 shed in my backyard. For now, I put the 4Runner back in the garage so I can start brainstorming on what she needs to be road worthy again. Plus, my house is getting painted today/tomorrow and I think the safest place for it to hang out is in the garage.
Anyway, I decided to start with a new windshield. Still need to schedule the replacement but I did order a 1 piece rubber molding that replaces the chrome trim. This molding/gasket is highly sought after on a thread over on Yotatech so I figured i'd give it a whirl:
That's all for now.
So, where do you get the gasket?
- Thread starter
- #115
I ordered it off eBay but the Safelite repair technician didn't want to deal with it. It's much harder to install than what comes from the factory so I ended up just being happy with the original layout and returning this gasket. The gasket does work but you really gotta find a technician that knows how to install a gasket like this.
- Thread starter
- #116
6-9-21 - Update
A lot has happened in the past few months:
1) My birthday came and went. I spent the entire week eating out and drinking beer with everyone who was willing to celebrate. Well, that Friday I got ridiculously sick with food poisoning/salmonella from one of the restaurants that I ate out at the week of my birthday. It took me about 7-10 days to actually fight off the bacteria infection but something to this day still isn't 100% with my body. Food to this day still doesn't sound appetizing and I also dropped about 31-32 lbs. I look and feel great but I've basically sworn off smoking cigars, drinking beer and eating food that isn't prepared by myself. Kind of an interesting lifestyle change but I think it's a move in the right direction, health wise.
2) I had a new windshield installed in the 4Runner. I didn't use the 1 piece rubber gasket because the technician wasn't very experienced with the whole "rope through" installation method so I just told him to go ahead and install a traditional gasket. It came out great and I'm happy with it. The previous windshield was removed and I inspected the surround for any rust and it actually looked brand new under there, which was a relief. Here's pictures of the new windshield:
3) I know back in April I mentioned that I was back down to 2 vehicles and the 4Runner was back in the garage. Well, that changed. I had a friend of mine mention that he was selling his 2010 Mazdaspeed 3 and after a few weeks of negotiating, we finally came to an agreement on price that we were both happy with and I brought the car home:
For being a FWD hot hatch, what a fun little car. It already had K-sport coilovers, Corksport exhaust, Corksport intake, Kenwood amp + 12" subwoofer, Turbosmart 50/50 BOV & an Accessport. The car was a blast but as with all my vehicles, if it passes California smog, I typically post it for sale for 90 days for a price that I cannot refuse. I had it up for about 2-3 days and then a family from Granite Bay came down with cash in hand to purchase it for his 18 year old son who just graduated high school. Needless to say, it left. Now I'm back down to 2 vehicles again (4Runner & Camry).
4) I decided to order all the parts I need to get the 4runner's timing fixed. Here's a list of everything I ordered:
Timing Belt
Water Pump
Oil Cooler
Idler Pullies
Knock Sensor
PCV Valve
PCV Grommet
Air Conditioning Belt
Power Steering Belt
Alternator Belt
Fan Clutch
False Water Pump / Fan Bracket
Thermostat
All parts ordered were AISIN/NGK/NTK brand for a whopping $415.00. I feel like I got a solid amount of parts for the amount of money spent. Parts are expected to be delivered on Monday the 14th.
5) Amidst all the chaos, one of my good friends called me up saying that his 2007 Tacoma was making some odd noises. He drove the truck over to my house and immediately I realized he needed new brakes. Here's some pictures of that job:
In the meantime, I'm just selling off parts that I've accrued over the last year or so from vehicles that I've bought and sold. I'm literally sitting on tons of parts from The Mazdaspeed(s) that I had and I'm hoping that I can make some money from selling those and drop it directly into the 4Runner.
I'm having a shed built in my backyard on the 29th of June. I actually planned on building the shed myself but with the prices of lumber right now, I'd literally only be saving myself 700-800 bucks. Seemed like a no-brainer to just have a professional put it in. He only needs a day to install it (where it would take me a week or so) and it'll come with a 10 year warranty. The mindset behind the shed is to get everything that's yard/lawn related in my garage moved out to the shed so that I can move 2 vehicles into the garage again. Right now, there's just so much stuff in there that I only have one side. Once the shed is built, I'll have less clutter and more room to actually wrench on the 4Runner.
I'm also waiting on my mountain bike to be delivered (2021 Giant Trance X 29 2) but the date keeps getting pushed out! It was originally expected to be here on the 24th week of 2021 but now we're at the 28th week of 2021. Nothing like sitting on a $3700 purchase for months and no guarantee on when it'll be here. With that being said, it's kind of ridiculous how everything "bike related" is backordered. I'm patiently waiting for 1UP to restock themselves with their bike racks but still no word. I have no problem picking up a used unit but everyone is asking $200+ over retail for their bike racks and there's no way I'm letting someone hustle me like that. Anyways, here's a picture of the bike for good measure:
That's all the updates I have for now. I have a few more things coming down the pipeline but I'll mention those when they come to fruition.
A lot has happened in the past few months:
1) My birthday came and went. I spent the entire week eating out and drinking beer with everyone who was willing to celebrate. Well, that Friday I got ridiculously sick with food poisoning/salmonella from one of the restaurants that I ate out at the week of my birthday. It took me about 7-10 days to actually fight off the bacteria infection but something to this day still isn't 100% with my body. Food to this day still doesn't sound appetizing and I also dropped about 31-32 lbs. I look and feel great but I've basically sworn off smoking cigars, drinking beer and eating food that isn't prepared by myself. Kind of an interesting lifestyle change but I think it's a move in the right direction, health wise.
2) I had a new windshield installed in the 4Runner. I didn't use the 1 piece rubber gasket because the technician wasn't very experienced with the whole "rope through" installation method so I just told him to go ahead and install a traditional gasket. It came out great and I'm happy with it. The previous windshield was removed and I inspected the surround for any rust and it actually looked brand new under there, which was a relief. Here's pictures of the new windshield:
3) I know back in April I mentioned that I was back down to 2 vehicles and the 4Runner was back in the garage. Well, that changed. I had a friend of mine mention that he was selling his 2010 Mazdaspeed 3 and after a few weeks of negotiating, we finally came to an agreement on price that we were both happy with and I brought the car home:
For being a FWD hot hatch, what a fun little car. It already had K-sport coilovers, Corksport exhaust, Corksport intake, Kenwood amp + 12" subwoofer, Turbosmart 50/50 BOV & an Accessport. The car was a blast but as with all my vehicles, if it passes California smog, I typically post it for sale for 90 days for a price that I cannot refuse. I had it up for about 2-3 days and then a family from Granite Bay came down with cash in hand to purchase it for his 18 year old son who just graduated high school. Needless to say, it left. Now I'm back down to 2 vehicles again (4Runner & Camry).
4) I decided to order all the parts I need to get the 4runner's timing fixed. Here's a list of everything I ordered:
Timing Belt
Water Pump
Oil Cooler
Idler Pullies
Knock Sensor
PCV Valve
PCV Grommet
Air Conditioning Belt
Power Steering Belt
Alternator Belt
Fan Clutch
False Water Pump / Fan Bracket
Thermostat
All parts ordered were AISIN/NGK/NTK brand for a whopping $415.00. I feel like I got a solid amount of parts for the amount of money spent. Parts are expected to be delivered on Monday the 14th.
5) Amidst all the chaos, one of my good friends called me up saying that his 2007 Tacoma was making some odd noises. He drove the truck over to my house and immediately I realized he needed new brakes. Here's some pictures of that job:
In the meantime, I'm just selling off parts that I've accrued over the last year or so from vehicles that I've bought and sold. I'm literally sitting on tons of parts from The Mazdaspeed(s) that I had and I'm hoping that I can make some money from selling those and drop it directly into the 4Runner.
I'm having a shed built in my backyard on the 29th of June. I actually planned on building the shed myself but with the prices of lumber right now, I'd literally only be saving myself 700-800 bucks. Seemed like a no-brainer to just have a professional put it in. He only needs a day to install it (where it would take me a week or so) and it'll come with a 10 year warranty. The mindset behind the shed is to get everything that's yard/lawn related in my garage moved out to the shed so that I can move 2 vehicles into the garage again. Right now, there's just so much stuff in there that I only have one side. Once the shed is built, I'll have less clutter and more room to actually wrench on the 4Runner.
I'm also waiting on my mountain bike to be delivered (2021 Giant Trance X 29 2) but the date keeps getting pushed out! It was originally expected to be here on the 24th week of 2021 but now we're at the 28th week of 2021. Nothing like sitting on a $3700 purchase for months and no guarantee on when it'll be here. With that being said, it's kind of ridiculous how everything "bike related" is backordered. I'm patiently waiting for 1UP to restock themselves with their bike racks but still no word. I have no problem picking up a used unit but everyone is asking $200+ over retail for their bike racks and there's no way I'm letting someone hustle me like that. Anyways, here's a picture of the bike for good measure:
That's all the updates I have for now. I have a few more things coming down the pipeline but I'll mention those when they come to fruition.
- Thread starter
- #117
6-21-22 - Update
1) I sold the Mazdaspeed 3 for a price I couldn't refuse. I also sold the easily removable parts and made a pretty good chunk of change from that sale
2) Finally got around to tearing into the 4Runner. Long story short, the timing jumped 2 teeth. Not really sure how this happened but the only thing I can think of is maybe a tensioner gave out? Everything that was pulled off to get to the timing belt looked pretty good but I ordered all new replacements so the 4Runner should be ready to rock and roll after this is all said and done.
3) Shed is being built on the 30th of June (confirmed). Pretty stoked to have my wrenching space back.
4) Still no real update on the Bike. I called and they're telling me week 28 of this year is the delivery date but it might show up early, might show up late. I took the liberty of waiting into account and have Crankbrothers Pedals, AMS Crank Arm Guards, AMS Chain Bash Guard and a full Ride Wrap kit waiting to install once it gets here. I also tried ordering a platform bike rack from 1UP but unfortunately everything is wait listed for 4-8 weeks. I signed up for the wait list about a month ago and they called me the other day stating that my name is coming up sometime next week but then I have to wait another 4 weeks after purchasing it for it to be built/delivered to my address. There's a bunch of 1UP racks on craigslist/facebook marketplace but everyone knows they're backordered and selling them for 200.00-300.00 above retail. I'll probably end up going with a KUAT but I really want(ed) the 1UP based on the recommendations on Ih8mud.com
1) I sold the Mazdaspeed 3 for a price I couldn't refuse. I also sold the easily removable parts and made a pretty good chunk of change from that sale
2) Finally got around to tearing into the 4Runner. Long story short, the timing jumped 2 teeth. Not really sure how this happened but the only thing I can think of is maybe a tensioner gave out? Everything that was pulled off to get to the timing belt looked pretty good but I ordered all new replacements so the 4Runner should be ready to rock and roll after this is all said and done.
3) Shed is being built on the 30th of June (confirmed). Pretty stoked to have my wrenching space back.
4) Still no real update on the Bike. I called and they're telling me week 28 of this year is the delivery date but it might show up early, might show up late. I took the liberty of waiting into account and have Crankbrothers Pedals, AMS Crank Arm Guards, AMS Chain Bash Guard and a full Ride Wrap kit waiting to install once it gets here. I also tried ordering a platform bike rack from 1UP but unfortunately everything is wait listed for 4-8 weeks. I signed up for the wait list about a month ago and they called me the other day stating that my name is coming up sometime next week but then I have to wait another 4 weeks after purchasing it for it to be built/delivered to my address. There's a bunch of 1UP racks on craigslist/facebook marketplace but everyone knows they're backordered and selling them for 200.00-300.00 above retail. I'll probably end up going with a KUAT but I really want(ed) the 1UP based on the recommendations on Ih8mud.com
- Thread starter
- #118
6-25-21 - Update
1) Minor set back, the 4Runner's harmonic balancer is spun so I ordered a new one and i'm just waiting for that to come in. The "new" one is used w/ 160k confirmed miles. I'll just clean it up, install it and hopefully I can get the truck back together / running by next weekend.
1) Minor set back, the 4Runner's harmonic balancer is spun so I ordered a new one and i'm just waiting for that to come in. The "new" one is used w/ 160k confirmed miles. I'll just clean it up, install it and hopefully I can get the truck back together / running by next weekend.
- Thread starter
- #119
7-23-21 - Moar Updates - Completely out of order, timeline wise.
1) So the 4Runner now has a new timing belt, water pump, PCV, drive belts, fan clutch, radiator... yada yada and she passed smog! Surreal moment for me since this truck is always a huge pain in the ass when it comes to getting it to comply with California Standards.
2) Shed is in! I'm starting to get the garage all organized again and I still need to build shelves in the shed but at least I can now put all my yard equipment outside and use the garage strictly for wrenching.
3) I finally took delivery of my 2021 Giant Trance X 29 2 last night. I'm beyond stoked to actually ride again after a 3-4 month hiatus. This bike meets and exceeds my expectations thus far but i have yet to take her on a trail. Bob Cycle Center was nice enough to install my pedals, crank arm / chain guards & a clear Ride Wrap kit.
4) It the middle of everything happening above, a friend of mine called me up saying he's got a coworker who needs to sell an 07 Grand Cherokee. After talking to the owner I drove down to Davis and picked the Jeep up. He had a spare oil filter in the cargo area and I had some spare 5w30 floating around so I did an oil change and also plopped in a new air filter in. Truck runs and drives perfectly fine, i just need to get it registered in the state of California and she'll be ready to rock. The only complaint I have about the Jeep is that it's not a V8.
1) So the 4Runner now has a new timing belt, water pump, PCV, drive belts, fan clutch, radiator... yada yada and she passed smog! Surreal moment for me since this truck is always a huge pain in the ass when it comes to getting it to comply with California Standards.
2) Shed is in! I'm starting to get the garage all organized again and I still need to build shelves in the shed but at least I can now put all my yard equipment outside and use the garage strictly for wrenching.
3) I finally took delivery of my 2021 Giant Trance X 29 2 last night. I'm beyond stoked to actually ride again after a 3-4 month hiatus. This bike meets and exceeds my expectations thus far but i have yet to take her on a trail. Bob Cycle Center was nice enough to install my pedals, crank arm / chain guards & a clear Ride Wrap kit.
4) It the middle of everything happening above, a friend of mine called me up saying he's got a coworker who needs to sell an 07 Grand Cherokee. After talking to the owner I drove down to Davis and picked the Jeep up. He had a spare oil filter in the cargo area and I had some spare 5w30 floating around so I did an oil change and also plopped in a new air filter in. Truck runs and drives perfectly fine, i just need to get it registered in the state of California and she'll be ready to rock. The only complaint I have about the Jeep is that it's not a V8.
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- Thread starter
- #120
8-2-21 - 1UPUSA Bike Rack, New Alternator, New Wheel Bearings & New Bike Shakedown:
What a weekend...
Starting on Friday, I was headed to work in the Jeep and I made it about 4-5 miles from the house before the entire dash lit up like a Christmas tree. I looked down at the Scangauge II and noticed 11.7 volts. Instantly made a U-turn, pulled it into the driveway and drove the Camry to work. I had already made plans to swap wheel bearings on my buddy's Tacoma on Saturday so when I made it home after work, I pulled the bad alternator off the Jeep and since the Tacoma was there already, I tore that down and cleaned up the spindles.
Alternator on the Jeep removed:
Here's the existing spindles removed. The driver side is cooked:
I just sprayed the spindle down a little bit and wiped the dust out:
No damage to the spindle from the cooked bearing:
The next morning @MKtaco98, our cousin and another friend went to Folsom Lake and hit the bike trails out there. I didn't grab any pictures from the ride itself but it was the first ride on the new bike and what a difference being on a full suspension bike versus the hardtail. I did get a lot of pictures of my new 1UP bike rack and all I have to say is this is hands down the best bike rack on the market.
I thought I had to actually assemble this thing but it came ready to rock and roll:
Here it is in it's lowest locked position:
Wings open:
Here's my bike and a friend of mine's Norco on the bike rack:
After the bike ride, I did the required parts run to AutoZone, went home and installed everything on both vehicles and both were operational again.
Alternator installed and ready to rock:
Wheel bearings on, no more issues. (Dust cap was installed right after this picture):
Once all the vehicles were dialed in, I ended up bringing yet another vehicle home on Sunday:
It's a 1989 Mercedes-Benz 560SL. Original owner, garage kept since new and it has the convertible hardtop along with a soft top in perfect condition.
I might be in over my head a little bit with this Benz. It doesn't have any issues, doesn't leak oil at all but I'm just not sure how desirable it is. It's in great condition, low miles but it's just kind of an odd cookie. It seems like the market is hit or miss with these right now. Some are going for 25k+ but other are going for 10-12k? I'll have to clean this one up, see how she does on the market and go from there.
What a weekend...
Starting on Friday, I was headed to work in the Jeep and I made it about 4-5 miles from the house before the entire dash lit up like a Christmas tree. I looked down at the Scangauge II and noticed 11.7 volts. Instantly made a U-turn, pulled it into the driveway and drove the Camry to work. I had already made plans to swap wheel bearings on my buddy's Tacoma on Saturday so when I made it home after work, I pulled the bad alternator off the Jeep and since the Tacoma was there already, I tore that down and cleaned up the spindles.
Alternator on the Jeep removed:
Here's the existing spindles removed. The driver side is cooked:
I just sprayed the spindle down a little bit and wiped the dust out:
No damage to the spindle from the cooked bearing:
The next morning @MKtaco98, our cousin and another friend went to Folsom Lake and hit the bike trails out there. I didn't grab any pictures from the ride itself but it was the first ride on the new bike and what a difference being on a full suspension bike versus the hardtail. I did get a lot of pictures of my new 1UP bike rack and all I have to say is this is hands down the best bike rack on the market.
I thought I had to actually assemble this thing but it came ready to rock and roll:
Here it is in it's lowest locked position:
Wings open:
Here's my bike and a friend of mine's Norco on the bike rack:
After the bike ride, I did the required parts run to AutoZone, went home and installed everything on both vehicles and both were operational again.
Alternator installed and ready to rock:
Wheel bearings on, no more issues. (Dust cap was installed right after this picture):
Once all the vehicles were dialed in, I ended up bringing yet another vehicle home on Sunday:
It's a 1989 Mercedes-Benz 560SL. Original owner, garage kept since new and it has the convertible hardtop along with a soft top in perfect condition.
I might be in over my head a little bit with this Benz. It doesn't have any issues, doesn't leak oil at all but I'm just not sure how desirable it is. It's in great condition, low miles but it's just kind of an odd cookie. It seems like the market is hit or miss with these right now. Some are going for 25k+ but other are going for 10-12k? I'll have to clean this one up, see how she does on the market and go from there.
