- Thread starter
- #21
Went for a quick drive around the block with the kids. I have a ton left to figure out and need to start prioritizing a list and making a plan. I am pretty excited as the bones of this truck seem really good.
A few notes:
The NP205 is a pain, seemed to not be all the way in 2H and was making a rattling noise, but if I shut the rig off I can shift it and find the sweet spot. 700R4 seems to shift fine, engine bay smells like coolant and the 350 needs some attention for sure. The electric fan is wired to be constant on. Brakes are trash. Power steering isn't effortless like I would expect, might be why the ram was added. In 4-low it didn't seem geared very low for a purpose built crawler, I am also doubting the 5.29 gear ratio. ARB compressor works and I think the lockers are functioning, need to try a dig in the dirt.
Some other things that I will need to start working on:
The driver's door lower hinge is in really bad shape, the passenger side has been repaired in the past, but still cracked a little. All doors need rebuilt, one bad window regulator, missing cranks, broken door release, door cards, they all sag, etc etc. The good news, almost no rust which is unbelievable. Side view mirror is from a hot rod or something and is non-functional in that spot. Rear window doesn't work, the supplied Toyota key does not turn the lock cylinder on the tailgate (how do you find a replacement key?) The windshield is probably top of the list to replace, I need a new gasket and have to make a plan for the rust around the edges, anyone tackle a similar issue?
The wiring is worse than I thought, looks like a GM harness was installed, not a thing works aside from the headlights, radio, and aftermarket heater. I will have to weight my options here and see if there is any stock wiring left. Plenty of switches on the dash that I don't know what they do (they don't seem to do anything). The gauges mostly don't work, but mileage is a nice low! I sure would like to go back to a factory dash setup, but will work with this for now.
A few notes:
The NP205 is a pain, seemed to not be all the way in 2H and was making a rattling noise, but if I shut the rig off I can shift it and find the sweet spot. 700R4 seems to shift fine, engine bay smells like coolant and the 350 needs some attention for sure. The electric fan is wired to be constant on. Brakes are trash. Power steering isn't effortless like I would expect, might be why the ram was added. In 4-low it didn't seem geared very low for a purpose built crawler, I am also doubting the 5.29 gear ratio. ARB compressor works and I think the lockers are functioning, need to try a dig in the dirt.
Some other things that I will need to start working on:
The driver's door lower hinge is in really bad shape, the passenger side has been repaired in the past, but still cracked a little. All doors need rebuilt, one bad window regulator, missing cranks, broken door release, door cards, they all sag, etc etc. The good news, almost no rust which is unbelievable. Side view mirror is from a hot rod or something and is non-functional in that spot. Rear window doesn't work, the supplied Toyota key does not turn the lock cylinder on the tailgate (how do you find a replacement key?) The windshield is probably top of the list to replace, I need a new gasket and have to make a plan for the rust around the edges, anyone tackle a similar issue?
The wiring is worse than I thought, looks like a GM harness was installed, not a thing works aside from the headlights, radio, and aftermarket heater. I will have to weight my options here and see if there is any stock wiring left. Plenty of switches on the dash that I don't know what they do (they don't seem to do anything). The gauges mostly don't work, but mileage is a nice low! I sure would like to go back to a factory dash setup, but will work with this for now.
. I know Fluxcore has most likely advanced since I first used it but, Tig is the way. You learn more about materi and control by learning Tig 1st. 
again 
