Preparing a 1991 FJ 80 for a road trip? (1 Viewer)

[gortosi]

Hey guys, newbie here. I am picking up my first TLC tomorrow and couldn't be more excited. 192K on the clock.

Anyways, I have scoured almost every page on this forum and didn't see what I was looking for. I will only be using this vehicle for camping and occasional trips to local state parks and such. One trip however will be almost 400 miles away. What kind of preventive maintenance should I look at doing before embarking on this adventure, besides the obvious like radiator flush and fill, and oil change? I will take a look at all of the gaskets as I have read they can leak slightly. According to the PO, it does not leak any oil and has been very reliable for him.

Or, am I unrealistic expecting this vehicle to make the trip reliably?

Any advice would be great!

Oh yeah...

 

[slow91fj90]

192k miles, that thing is just breaking in. 3FE trucks like yours are really reliable and dont have any major issues other than being a bit underpowered. I would check the basics(oil, transfluid, coolant) and you should be fine. I just recently drove my 91 from LA to DC no issues. Enjoy your new ride!

 

[Thermodyn]

Besides, PM'ing all the fluids, I would check all your hoses and inspect the brakes. Also, while you're checking the brakes, if you have the tools (snap-ring pliers, 54mm hub socket) you could check the condition of the front wheel bearings. After tearing my front axle apart with 118k on the clock, I'd recommend inspecting/repacking the wheel bearings unless the P.O. can confirm the last time they were serviced. Two of my wheel bearings were chewed up pretty bad.

Oh, and welcome to MUD!

 

[voorland80]

Basic tune-up, filters (clean out air filter dust cup - mine was packed with dirt) oem spark plugs and such if needed. oh, and remember to check that the EFI relay problem is not an issue on your rig. if not sure, pack some extra relays. mine had the larger gauge wire already done, but she died just outside mojave. problem was, I had yet to join this group and had no idea what was going on. I was stumped. I then remembered finding several relays in the glovebox when I bought her. So I popped the hood and looked for the relay. I found the matching relay, swapped it out, turned the key and she fired right up! back on the road!
that was an anxious moment on the virgin road trip, but dang, she sure rides and drives nice! oh, yeah, check the shocks AND BRAKES too.

oh, and as they say around here, welcome to the addiction!

 

[BooKilla]

3fe powa

 

[gortosi]

Thanks for all the great advice! This gives me a little more piece of mind.

I actually didn't know about the EFI relay problem. I will do a search for it and find some more info.

 

[sseaman]

Start with the basics, check the belts, and dont try to drive it like a sports car and you should be good to go

 

[Lka1988]

I actually didn't know about the EFI relay problem. I will do a search for it and find some more info.

In a nutshell:

The power wire leading to the relay is too small and can overheat the relay, which will stop sending power to the ECU, which won't let the truck start.