Need help, not sure what direction to go.... (1 Viewer)

[Dan04TLC]

Guys,

I'm at a junction here, not sure what to do. I've met a few of you during my 1 year ownership of my '97 LX450, now I'm seeking you're advise. I've got some pretty decent oil leaks, check engine light, and a brake squeal I've been chasing. After weeks (well, months), of not finding time to diagnose myself, I took the 80 up to SK Mechanic to take a look at everything.

The list is pretty lengthy:

Front crank seal
Valve cover gaskets
lower oil pan gasket
Front pads and rotors - needs new hardware for calipers - bend slide pin. said my front wheel bearings were loose, but thought they'd be ok with a re-pack when doing brakes.

Also needed both O2 sensors (I have Denso parts, just need installed).

As most of you know, labor is the biggest culprit in all this. It will cost thousands at the shop to fix, money I'm not sure I want to spend.

Truck is a 1997 LX450, 3x locked, 266k miles. I do not have the tools to do all this at home, plus this is my daily driver. I put over 20k miles on it last year.

I'd really like to fix and keep. The trips I've made to KS Rocks last year with my wife and kids were a blast, and I'd like to keep it going.

What would you guys do?

Thanks,
Dan

 

[2fpower]

You have got to want to wrench on your rig, or go broke paying someone else to do it.

From your list, there is under $100 of parts. Attack one thing at a time. borrow tools from the part store if you have to.

Lower oil pan is the only one that would be more difficult, so I would pass on that unless it is streaming out.

 

[shoresoccer13]

Do the brakes and carry spare oil around with you to top it off as needed

 

[1994pd]

Put the 100in parts then go spend another 300 at harbor freight. That will get you the tools to fix these things and almost anything else that pops up. The only drop dead issue is the brakes. Get those done and fix the leaks one at a time on the weekends.

 

[SammyT96LX450]

Dan here is my personal story....4 years ago I did not know how to change my oil on my vehicle. Let’s just say things escalated quickly. I have the exact same vehicle as you and delt with pretty much all of those same issues. None of them require any special tools and you can tackle all of those issues in your driveway. I have learned a lot over the past 4 years but it was by doing. There is a ton of YouTube videos on how to do everything. Beware your 10mm and 12mm sockets will go missing often.....anyhow. As everyone else mentioned take one thing at a time if you get stuck or don’t know let me know these landcruisers are actually pretty easy to work on and the reward of making memories with your family are pricesless.

 

[half k cruiser]

I often times think if I lived a little closer to KC that I could offer a baseline service for land cruisers. Like you drop off the parts and $500 and I do the above mentioned jobs over the course of a day or two. @Dan04TLC your lower oil pan is probably not leaking, its very common for the oil to drip down from the front main or oil pump and blow back across that area leaving an oil slick.

 

[Dan04TLC]

Thanks for reply guys. After watching some videos and reading up more on the forums, I'll tackle the leaks this spring, when it warms up and I have more time. Getting brakes done now.