The Adventures of Chungus (1 Viewer)

[Roketdriver]

Thanks for the tips! I'll dig through the FSM to see if I can find the O-ring sizes.

I didn't get the bottom of the barrel cheapo replacement, hopefully it's not garbage. If it gives me problems down the road, I'll track down a true OEM part. I saw that there was a silicone tube as an option but that seemed like overkill.

 

[Wyatt Pine]

Here is the coolant bypass o ring part # : 90301-29006

 

[Roketdriver]

Thank you for the part number! I'll have to pay the Toyota dealer a visit.

 

[bubfuji]

You will need 3 of the o-rings to do the job.

Yes, the upper section to the block has an O-ring as well 3 total.

 

[joe jenni]

Very nice rig!! If you have not changed the spark plug cables to Toyota OEM that would be next on my list. The resistance in most after market wires is different than what Toyota's wires are and can cause issues down the road over time. Learned this the hard way!

 

[Roketdriver]

Thank you for the input everybody! I have been keeping an eye on the coolant leak, it's definitely time to replace the O-Rings (and PHH while the system is drained)

Been too busy to get into the cooling system, but I did do an oil change and added grease to the knuckles. I should be able to soon, though. Working from home while it's Miata weather means I can take my time.

 

[Roketdriver]

Got some film developed and wanted to share a few photos. These were taken while heading up Argentine Pass back in October:

 

[Roketdriver]

Got started on the PHH today.

Looked a tiny bit wet on the block side?

Spent a lot of time fighting, took about an hour to get it out. The block side clamp was oriented in such a way that it was impossible to get anything grabby on it. Wound up attacking with a box cutter and dremel then was able to get it twisted enough to put pliers on it and get the old hose out

Aaaand now I'm stuck on reinstalling the new one.

Should I have put it on the metal tube first?

I ran out of daylight, I'll pick up where I left off this weekend. With nowhere to be and good weather for the Miata, I'm not too worried about having the rig out of commission for a few days.

 

[subzali]

Nice rig!

Check out Rising Sun!

I think you need to attach one end of the hose before putting it back there.

That’s all I got, you’ve pretty well got it covered

 

[Roketdriver]

PHH got finished that same weekend, same for the O-Rings. I've put 200 miles on since doing the repairs and no signs of coolant leakage!

Got new tires mounted up today. I chose the Cooper ST Maxx in 265/75/16. These run large and come in at 32". The logic being that I wanted a good, durable all purpose tire that will still fit my chains. Since I'm not planning on a lift anytime soon I think these will serve me well. I got 5 to allow for a matching spare.

 

[Roketdriver]

Went up to Hohnholz Lakes to wheel a little bit and see animals. The Coopers did great in the patches of snow and mud I hit. Had to engage 4Lo a few times but I never felt like I was going to get stuck.

 

[Roketdriver]

Ordered some 555 Tie Rod ends from Marlin and a spare tire lift and modified blue fan clutch from Wits End. I've got a torn tie rod boot so I figured I'd replace them all. The fan clutch is preemptive, I haven't had any overheating issues and I'd like to keep it that

Washed the rig and crawled underneath to inspect a few things. Is this a normal amount of grease to be weeping out of the knuckles or am I due for a rebuild?

 

[subzali]

That first pic looks a little soupy. If you’ve never done it and don’t have records of it being done on your rig it’s like a rite of passage to do it so start planning it as a fun project. After that maybe every 60,000 miles or when it starts dripping on the tire, whichever comes first

 

[clay763]

Lot of good photo's in here, nice work so far. The good news on the BIRF's is that there is grease in them, the bad is that its leaking a bit more than I would be comfortable with. Mine is due for the same, the first picture looks a lot like the diff soup that is coming out of mine, I'm going to replace the inner seals as well to keep the diff fluid from leaking into the BIRF. Have you done your diff's yet?

 

[Roketdriver]

I have been adding ~30-40 pumps of grease when I do my oil changes, so at least I haven't been running them dry. I got Chungus without any service records, so the axle is probably due for a rebuild. I haven't done the diff yet. The parts don't look too expensive, I'll have to put another order in and start my research on the process. Is the Marlin kit ok or should I be looking elsewhere? Looks like I might need a 54mm socket, too.

Lesson learned! Low miles =/= low maintenance. Can't wait for my next rite of passage.

 

[subzali]

Price compare with the @cruiseroutfit Cruiser Outfitters kit. And yes a 54mm socket is a must. I would also recommend a tie rod separator (not a pickle fork). And a steel pipe if you’re going to swap birfields side to side. If low mileage you may not need to do that. And I don’t think the kits typically come with that little snap ring so be aware of that.

 

[Roketdriver]

Addressed a minor issue over the weekend. My rear passenger window wasn't rolling from the front, which I traced to a bad master window switch. Turns out it could only roll down, so instead of fixing the switches the PO cut the wires. Awesome.

I tried a Switch Doctor replacement which was dead on arrival, after plugging it in, my driver window stopped working. So I went to the junkyard, pulled one from a Camry, and swapped some of the guts over then fixed the wiring by soldering the connections. All 4 windows now work correctly! The Camry switch would have been plug and play, but it was also partially inoperative.

The culprit was the little nubbin in the switch itself. To remedy this, I pulled the switches apart, pulled the pin that held the rockers in place, popped out and swapped the white piece. I also cleaned all the contacts with rubbing alcohol. My apologies for not taking more pictures - I was too focused on not losing the tiny internal parts.

 

[Roketdriver]

Wits End modified blue fan clutch went in without hassle. It looks like the previous one was not an Toyota/Aisin part, I couldn't find any markings indicating that it was.

 

[Technician1985]

As a former NA Miata owner, I applaud you for using the Miata for camping or anything besides driving around at all. Miss that car.

 

[mdawg]

Your old fan clutch looks like an Eaton clutch. I believe they were an OEM supplier for the Land Cruiser. They are good clutches, and some may argue better than an un-modified Aisin clutch - defintely hold on to it as a spare.