New to the TLC world

[dans67]

I'm new to the TLC world, one was just introduced to the family last week. It's a nice looking 94, 120 on the odometer and the truck looks brand new. It's actually my girlfriends truck, she has learned the value of a good cruiser in Kenya, she is an archaelogist/ anthropoligist and a quality truck is a must have. They have a 40 and a 60 over there, so now we have an 80 stateside. I must say that I love this truck. There seem to be only a few little problems I don't see anything big. The rear hatch lift shocks are useless, the truck came with a set of vise grips as a work around, but this isn't really pracitcal as she really cant reach the hatch when it's opened. If the removes the grips, the hatch will fall. I picked up a set from Advance auto, but they aren't right. They don't have the brackets, and the old ones seem integral to the lifts, unless they are supposed to be drilled out. Maybe a trip to the yota dealer. I smelled oil (the leaking type burning off of something) for a few days. This wasn't there when I looked at the truck several times before, the I noticed the Jiffy Lube sticker on the windshield. The dude had the oil changed on the delivery day and the dummy at jiffy lube must have just let the oil from the filter go everywhere. Is there a decent filter relocater kit availabe? Other than that, the truck kicks ass, I may have to get me one too, although I'm more of a classic muscle car type, so maybe a 40/45 with a wicked sbc conversion.
I've read hundreds of posts here, and would like to say thanks, this forum seems to kick ass, thanks
Dan

 

[RavenTai]

contact Cruiser Dan for your arms he works at a Toyota dealer but gets us good pricing, always well below what my local dealer wants, pays off well for more expensive parts or groups of small parts

get the factory service manual wile you are at it wiring and new car features manuals are handy aswell


and welcome

 

[dans67]

I lucked out, it came with the factory service manual and the wiring book. I'll try Dan for the lifts, I have to return the other ones tomorrow. Thanks for the welcome
Dan

 

[Junk]

Dans.

Welcome to the forum. Got my intro to LC's in Kenya and Tanzania, so I understand.

Pass on the filter relo kit. After the first time you change it you'll get used to it.

Check out our local TLCA club Gotham City Land Cruisers, great guys and knowledgeable in cruisers as well. Have a few members up your way and most would definitely go out of their way to help if you need it + is just a good guy (don't tell him I said that).

Cdan is the parts geek for sure.

 

[dans67]

Is there a way to take the filter off without making a huge mess? I don't like this setup at all, it looks like oil will go everywhere once the filter is removed unless I puncture the filter first and drain it.

 

[cruiserdan]

NOPE.





That being said, you can fashion a pan of sorts to fit under the filter in order to catch the dribbles.



All-in-all a teensy price to pay for the best damn 4WD on the planet.....

 

[Junk]

Agree with Cbizkit (shees, now I have to wash my hands with soap).

Drain the oil, then use a piece of cardboard and slide it up on the axle. Works well.

 

[dans67]

Cool, sounds much cheaper than a relocation kit. I'm really hoping that this was the reason for the oil smell. I cleaned the hell out of the engine tonight, I'll see in the morning when I take it for a ride.

 

[Rich]

Stuff a bunch of paper towels down below the filter. After slightly loosening the filter, slip a suitably large freezer (heavy duty) zip lock bag over the filter. Remove filter carefully. Most of the oil will be caught in the bag if you take care. The rest gets caught by the paper towels.

 

[Beowulf]

Dan,

Your GF's truck is the first one I've heard about that had the rear hatch struts go bad. Your best solution is to get new replacements from C-Dan. They might be expensive. On something like the struts, I wouldn't be too concerned about getting used ones from Christo (if he has them) or cruiserparts.net

>> 67 Chevy II 350/350t combo <<

Grumpy Jenkins won Super Stock Eliminator driving one of those with a little 327ci engine, beating out some extremely fast cars with 426 hemis and the other big blocks. I lusted after a brand new '67 327 4spd SS that languished in the back lot of a very small town dealer on into '69. It was gone when I got out of the service in '72 :-(

-B-

 

[dans67]

You could have whetted you appetite with a brand new SS big block in 72. The 327 is a high RPM screamer, but not much will plant you like one of these light cars with big block power.

 

[dans67]

Well, we have owned the truck for less than two weeks, and today was my first opportunity to go a wrenching. We were going out for some taco bell (gourmet) and the brakes were a grinding. She chirps in "oh yeah, it started doing that on the way home yesterday." Time for rear pads, dammit. It had to happen after 6, so Advance was closed, but the Zone was still cranking and they had the pads in stock. The cheap pads will have to do, the rotor was slightly jacked up from the grinding, but she needs the truck tomorrow. I have to say, it was a simple swap, easier than many other cars that I've done. I even made her do a side. I did have some problems though. The drivers side had a destroyed slide pin boot, the pin came out dry as hell, and half of the boot followed the caliper off. The seal around the piston is also jacked, so these will have to be fixed soon. It sounds like I"m going have a shopping list for you CDan, what's the best way to get a hold of you? I would appreciate any help,
Dan

 

[semlin]

Hey dan, welcome

to contact c-Dan send a personal message to "cruiserdan". You can find his posts all over the place or check the member's directory.

what do you mean by a "slide pin boot"? The slide pins are held in with a wire through a hole at one end and the corresponding slot holes in the caliper are metal to metal and have no boot that I recall. You don't seem to mean the piston boot which you mention later? Do you mean the anti squeal shims behind the pads?

It is possible to get a Toyota rebuild kit for the front calipers for $25 if all that is wrong is a broken piston boot. otherwise if I were you I'd start fresh with a rebuild because if you have a seized piston chances are it's not worth your time to rebuild. Was there uneven wear on the old pads indicating a stuck piston?

Sorry to hear you had a scored rotor. even assuming it's possible, the conventional wisdom I've heard here is not to turn them unless you want warp problems soon after. Factory rotors are reasonably cheap and Dan ships free on larger orders like that. There is no aftermarket option I've heard raved about although some used slotted.

If you go with new rotors you can also do one of the favoured modifications for an 80 and order Toyota pads from the newer 100 series landcruisers. They will fit (you may not get the squeal shims in) and give way superior braking. They have a larger surface area so they don't seat on rotors that are already seated for 80 pads.

Of course if you are doing the rotors you will have the wheel bearings out so you will be halfway into a birfield (cv joint) repack so you may want to read up on what that is using the search function and reading the FAQ and technical section here. This is the first basic introductory maintenance for most cruiser buyers at your mileage. At 120k your GF's cruiser is probably about due for that preventative work. One of my birfields grenaded at 122k right after I bought it.

 

[dans67]

The pads were pretty much evenly worn. The rear passenger side was to the metal, the ds was maybe a week or so from hitting the metal. I was looking at the Bendix rotors, usually good quality, but they are 125. Too bad I quit working at the parts store, the 20 percent discount was nice. The dust covers on the slide pin, are what is messed up. These are the rears btw, I see that there isn't anything on the front. Many autos use a solid boot, from the exploded drawing, it looks like these are two pieces, a dust boot and an end cap, so I'm not too worried.

I have been looking at the birf jobs, but I don't think I'm in the mood right now. Maybe in a few weeks, but right now I really have to spend every spare second getting my Chevy II painted before it's too cold to do it, I don't want a half primered car setting in my driveway all winter. I think the birfs were recently done, but I will have to ask the dude that I got it from.
Dan

 

[semlin]

ok I missed the word "rear". Oh well. prolly should delete the whole post. crap.

 

[Junk]

It was gone when I got out of the service in '72 :-(

-B-

Didn't know they were around back in 1872

 

[Beowulf]

Yes Junk, we had a US military in 1872. Didn't you study American history before you dropped out of high school?

-B-

 

[Junk]

Yes Junk, we had a US military in 1872. Didn't you study American history before you dropped out of high school?

-B-

I never made it to HS

I was talking about this

I lusted after a brand new '67 327 4spd SS

 

[Beowulf]

I never made anyone in HS :

Sorry to hear that but seriously, this is a LOT more information than I care to know about you.

-B-