Repair or replace? (1 Viewer)

[Toph]

Hi there. I have recently purchase an 80 series. She is a 96. I picked it up for three grand. I immediately changed the oil, checked the hoses topped off the fluids and away I went to my local OHV park. I did some lite wheeling, and then it happened. I fell in love. This three thousand dollar land cruiser was amazing. I happily walked it up hills past the $60k jeeps as my brothers head whipped back and fourth with an American flag helmet and like the flag itself it represented freedom to me.

Anyway so I’m in love now. I am mechanicaly inclined enough to install a new motor if I need to BUT, it should be noted

THE BAD

This IS an awesome truck. It DOES have potential however,

It does have significant body damage to the left rear quarter panel. Not a single piece of trim is in good shape. Weather stripping is shot. Needs brakes, tires and pretty much every other wear component you could think of.

The engine has a mystery knock somewhere next to the oil pump( fingers crossed that it’s just a broken guide.) I’m on the chase with that.
There is evidence of shottie RTV work all around as well.


THE GOOD
transfer case and Transmision are great. Axle assembly’s are holding up great. Frame is strieght and it has reupholstered front seats.(super nice) but only those seats.


I reckon these are my best options.

A-
take the same cost of buying a nice one and drop that on this one. New engine is somewhere around
$6k to build a short block to a long with an OEM Toyota shortblock. And then run it another 400k
Slowly spending additional money to fix misc parts add lockers ect.

B-
sell this one for what I can and go buy a nicer one . Of course it would be opening another can of worms to do that.

C-
Write this one off and wheel it tell it breaks.


The end goal is to have an eighty series that I can trust in the wilderness.

I can put about 1500 dollars in savings every month.

I have a few grand saved up as it sits.

I don’t have a garage.

I’m just hoping to get ideas suggestions and opinions.

Is the eighty worth fixing and using as a practical camping vehicle or am I off my rocker?

Well thanks for reading


Ps I did try to break it but it just took it.

 

[Toph]

Also forgot to mention, I am a parts guy at a dealer and have acces to commercial pricing on just about everything. And if I’m real sneaky I may be able to build the engine at my shop and the just drop it In at home.

 

[mrq]

If it were me — I'd go w/ option C... Wheel it 'till it breaks. If I were going to spend that much to drop a new engine in it, I would want the exterior to be in good condition. That's just me though — as I'm sort of anal retentive about my cars looking good. My rig is a pavement princess, though. If you're just planning on using your rig to off road and go camping, then perhaps looks aren't that important to you.

Anyways, that's just my opinion. I hope this helps you!

 

[Rifleman]

You call what you showed in that photo body damage, that's not body damage, that just adds character to your new truck. Plus, you can now use that body damage as a story to tell all your friends. You can tell them about the time you pulled a Jeep out of a mud pit and he ran into you.

 

[thabruiser]

I never saw a mileage report or anything alluding to why you would put a motor in it? Mine has 338k on it and it still runs great. If it were me in your shoes I would probably just wheel it and fix as you go. These 80s are very endearing. My first time wheeling mine was a very similar experience to yours.

 

[Toph]

To elaborate, it has exactly 200k on the odometer. And I should have also mentioned that the exterior is negligible so I’m not concerned about having it look shiny. But things like wheather stripping carpet and the steering wheel the busted dash the torn back seats roof liner, oh yea the moon roof assembly is shot and the previous owner RTV’d it shut, which I understand to a degree. But it’s gonna be a pain in the but to fix.

Honestly what I’m thinking mostly about is what It needs maintenance wise vs what I want to do to the suspension(lift and new bushing and bolt kit. About 2200.00) vs it’s engine needs. It definitely has a rattle when it’s cold. I don’t believe it’s piston slap and I know it’s not a rod knock. But I won’t know for sure till I pull it apart which is a tad daunting. I’m used to old Chevys and whatnot. This is a different animal for sure.

I’ve read tons of the forums on this awesome website and got myself a factory Toyota manual. Btw if you don’t have one of these factory Toyota manuals I would strongly suggest getting one.

Sooo it’s just a matter of time before I get to the engine. Gonna wait to smog it as I am in California. Then yank that sucker out and see what I find

Till then I got nothing but time to think about it which is why I cast a line on this one.

And for what it’s worth I appreciate the heck out of any and all input on this.


Either way I’ll for sure update you guys later.

 

[Tools R Us]

...
The engine has a mystery knock somewhere next to the oil pump...

If the power steering pump is changed, and the gear isn't held properly, it's easy to dork it up, causing a knocking sound.

 

[Toph]

You call what you showed in that photo body damage, that's not body damage, that just adds character to your new truck. Plus, you can now use that body damage as a story to tell all your friends. You can tell them about the time you pulled a Jeep out of a mud pit and he ran into you.

If the power steering pump is changed, and the gear isn't held properly, it's easy to dork it up, causing a knocking sound.

Yup it’s on the list. It’s bleeding everywhere lol.
I’ll check it out while I’m in there.

Admittedly it is fun to just even work on the thing.

 

[Heckraiser]

my vote goes to figure out the knocking noise first. If something easily fixable, then just run with it and fix the rubbers and everything else along the way. I've had mine for 4 years and still haven't finished with the door seals and suspension bushings and all the stuff that has been piling up in the garage. Hasn't stopped me from enjoying it all this time.

 

[Tanner H]

If the power steering pump is changed, and the gear isn't held properly, it's easy to dork it up, causing a knocking sound.

I was just thinking this since the noise coming from that area . If at some point someone pulled that PS pump to replace it, they most likely swapped the gear onto the new assembly and if its not at the correct height or installed correctly it'll make noise. So you might get lucky and just have to remove and re-seat that gear.

 

[Comet]

You have been bitten. Too late to turn back now. Run it as is, check oil very frequent, baseline, WAIT ON THE MODIFICATIONS until you know what you need vs what you want. I had aspirations of big tires, monster lift kits, fancy camping crap bolted on the top and side of the rig, on board water filtration, solar panels with charge controllers, and a duel battery. I planned on living out of the truck for months on end with my wife in tow. Reality is I wheel three weeks out of the year and none of my family goes with me. What I would have lost in MPG with those modifications I gained in reduced down time and less wrenching to chase the weak link I create with modifications.

 

[cvenom96]

Keep it and fix it along the way or, keep it and develop a long-term plan on what you want it to be. Then, start buying parts and stockpile them till you're ready to do a full-on build. Basically what I'm doing. I daily mine and she's just about to roll over 300k.

 

[Tools R Us]

I was just thinking this since the noise coming from that area . If at some point someone pulled that PS pump to replace it, they most likely swapped the gear onto the new assembly and if its not at the correct height or installed correctly it'll make noise. So you might get lucky and just have to remove and re-seat that gear.

Have done a bunch of them, never measured the gear height, doesn't matter, goes onto the shaft taper as far as it will go. Every noisy one we have seen, was from deformed gear teeth, abuse from the removal/install.

 

[Toph]

Alright that settles it then. it seems like pretty much the answer is "D" (all of the above).
so with that in mind its just a matter of time and effort thank. Again, you for time and input it was super helpful to have something as oppose to nothing to go from.
ill report back when i actually get stuff done. HOOOOWAAAAAAAAA!

 

[Toph]

I was just thinking this since the noise coming from that area . If at some point someone pulled that PS pump to replace it, they most likely swapped the gear onto the new assembly and if its not at the correct height or installed correctly it'll make noise. So you might get lucky and just have to remove and re-seat that gear.

Soo, it’s been a couple weeks however small I felt I should report back . I am certain that it is the power steering system. Either a pump with excessive play, deformed gear.

The noise is inaudible when hot.
The noise sounds like a slight rattle
About four to five LITTLE clacks per second.
So it goes tick tick tick tick in one second
And then goes away for one half second, and then repeats and so on.
This is only when cold the warmer it gets the quieter it gets until you can barely hear it with a stethoscope through the bolts on the crank sensor.

THE NOISE GOES AWAY WHEN THE STEERING IS EITHER BOUND OR PUT UNDER LOAD. This is great news I’m gonna buy the gear for the power steering, one for the oil pump, one for the crank and probably a new oil and power steering pump. You know just to cover it and maybe do a rebuild on the steering box.

Hooowaaaa! I’m stoked. Gonna save for a bit and then get her done. I will let you all know how it goes. Probably in a couple of months.

 

[Toph]

Just to re itterate. All I had to do to verify the source was stress the power steering while noise was occurring. Pass the word.

 

[Toph]

Oh and I did take those pesky wheel arch moldings off. Here are some pics