Truck ADD strikes again... '93 X-Cab SAS

[mtnbiker4evr13]

Like the modifications you have made to the truck... liked the 40 too... and the 85. I have a 2nd gen 4runner and have it built just like this, actually just stepped to 37s from 35s so doing the exact clearance mods as well. The bed is very dual duty work/play on yours vs being enclosed.

Looking forward to more trail pictures!

 

[CreeperSleeper]

I had a very productive Saturday! With the help of my buddies Mike (@Notontheforum) and Jeremy (@Darksideyota), I was able to get my rear bumper built! Now I just need to add the reverse lights and weld it on the truck. I didn't get many pics of the build since we were going as fast as possible, but this is what I got:

 

[CreeperSleeper]

I was able to get the bumper on last weekend. I think it should hold. LOL!

I'm sure I will get to try it out next weekend, then the truck will be down for a while again...

 

[jakey poo]

Looks good! When can I pick one up for my 1st gen?

 

[CreeperSleeper]

Looks good! When can I pick one up for my 1st gen?

Get that 1st Gen going and we can build one!

 

[CreeperSleeper]

Wow, it has been a while since I have updated this thread! Sorry about that guys... I guess it is time for a catch up post!

As I mentioned earlier, my clutch was in bad shape. It disengaged right off the floor and the throw out bearing was making all sorts of not happy noises. Knowing that I was going to replace that, I figured it would be a good time to put 4.7 low range gears in the rear case. After pricing out the cost of the parts and my time to get them in, I had the bright idea to just order new cases and sell the cases out of my truck. I found a great deal on some "in stock" TG cases and pulled the trigger on them. Unfortunately, "in stock" ended up being a bit of an exaggeration...

Two months (!) into waiting for my "in stock" cases, I scored a deal on some used Walker Evan beadlocks. I have wanted a set ever since I first saw them years ago, but they were always out of my budget. I was able to snag a set of five with good tires that I plan on selling.

I think they are going to look amazing!

Now remember, I decided to buy cases instead of replace the gears in my current cases because of time... Let this be a public service announcement to anyone with beadlocks: USE ANTI-SEEZE ON THE BEADLOCK BOLTS!!!!!! This is now what I am dealing with:

So I get two out of the five rings off and decide that I still don't have time for this... I'm going to drop them off at a local 4x4 shop (Bones Custom Creations in Oregon City) and let them deal with it. Now my super good deal isn't such a great deal, but I get the beadlocks I have always wanted. *shrug*

Fast forward another few weeks and I get a call that my cases are in. Just in case you haven't done the math, I waited almost THREE FLIPPIN MONTHS to get my "in stock" cases from TG. But, I got them!

And last weekend the real work began. I couldn't find anyone to help me, so I was flying solo. The first hurdle came when I went to remove the shifters off of the cases.

How in the heck did they get that on! I'm planning on building a new trans tunnel cover and center console, so I started hacking away.

I have never seen a triple stick setup like this. The closest I can figure is maybe this is an old Dr Smash set-up. If anyone knows, please tell me!

And with some swearing, balancing, and redneck ingenuity I got the cases out. These will get cleaned up and put up for sale (shameless plug).

And now onto the trans, which is where the second hang-up showed it's ugly head. After a lot more swearing and an hour of fighting, I finally pulled the backwoods, cobbled mess of an exhaust out with a Sawz-All. I honestly have no idea what the person was thinking when they "built" this pile of poo. Add yet another thing for me to fix...

And then comes hang-up number three. The trans jack that I borrowed was 2" short of reaching the trans. Remember, I am by myself here! I use two 4x4 blocks to make up the difference and ratchet strap the trans to the jack. Lowered it down enough to get the upper bell housing bolts using every socket extension that I own and started praying... By God's grace I ended up not hurting myself or the trans!

And that puts me back to... You guessed it, waiting for parts. Hopefully I will have a new clutch, flywheel, and hardware tomorrow so I can do all of this fun stuff again in reverse. Maybe this time I can convince someone to help! LOL!

So all that needs to be done before the first weekend of June is replace clutch, install trans, install new cases, build an exhaust, build a trans tunnel / center console, weld in front bump stops, wire in my accessories fuse block / switches, mount and wire all the lights, flex out the rear to measure for rear shocks and bump stops, order said shocks and hope they come in.... This should be fun...

 

[CreeperSleeper]

My flywheel bolts didn't come in before the weekend (which is seeming to be par for the course), so I started working on the trans tunnel. I'm pretty happy with how it turned out, except for the welds. I forgot how much is sucks to weld sheet metal with .030 wire!

Started out with CAD (cardboard assisted design):

Then I used super thin angle and cut it to match the profile:

Took my time and mirrored it for the other side:

Got her square and welded it up:

With some cutting and hammering, I got it to fit pretty well:

Then I booger welded it in... Only one pic of this because I was blowing holes through it like crazy. LOL!

I then coated the underside with rubberized undercoating. I think that should keep the noise down a bit. I still need to make the cover with the shift boots, but that will get finished once the drivetrain is back in. Luckily my ugly welds should be covered with the carpet... I also need to add the center console box and cup holders, but that is not a priority to get her back on the road.

Oh! I also had time to add my fair warning magnet. LOL!

 

[CreeperSleeper]

Got the clutch and transmission back in place. That pilot bearing was DONE!

Now I need to modify the crossmember a bit and get the new cases up in there... Getting closer!

 

[CreeperSleeper]

I was able to get a little bit more done on the truck this weekend. Progress is still going slower than I had hoped, but at least I'm making progress. Bonus, my 12yo daughter even came out and helped!

Cleaned up the trans to t-case adaptor and got it installed on the cases.

Then I set myself to modifying the cross member. Originally there wasn't a spot to access the crawl box's drain plug. Mainly because it was right above the 1" square tubing that was the backbone. With some careful measuring, I figured I could save one side of the tubing and out came the hole saw.

Then I cut a piece of tubing that would fit and give all of the structure back.

I welded it all up...

And gave the whole thing a fresh coat of industrial gray paint.

It's been pretty warm, so everything should be dry now. I will bolt up the cases to the crossmember and get it all back in the truck this week.

 

[CreeperSleeper]

Wow, I've been so busy! Looks like I should update this thread...

I got the cases in and everything buttoned up with those. I even got the tunnel finished.

However, there was a huge issue getting my wheels done. I was hoping to use the truck at an event I was volunteering for the first week of June, but she was on jack stands... So I moved on to other projects to knock off my list. I installed my ham radio:

And finished up my aux switches and wiring the lights. My air compressor is on backorder, so that didn't get installed. Air lockers will be happening in the future, but I got the switches all set up for them. But my bumper lights, rock lights, and back-up lights are functional.

And I finally got my wheels and tires back last Thursday. I must say, these ended up being a poop show... That being said, the shop that was doing them (Bones Custom Creations in Oregon City) really bent over backwards to get them to me as quickly as they could. They are stand up guys and I really appreciate all of the hard work they put in... And they look amazing!

 

[CreeperSleeper]

And yesterday I got to drive the truck for the first time since February! And now I am stuck with a dilemma... Last year I planned a bucket list trip to take my Dad to Rubicon Trail. The idea would be no trailers, Ultimate Adventure style. We would drive our wheelers from Portland, OR to Loon Lake, spend a few days going through the Rubicon, and drive home. And we are supposed to leave in four days.

After the epic thrash fest to get my truck back on the road, here is where I'm at:

1) When I went to weld up the exhaust I cut off, I found coolant running out of the passenger side. Not much, but it is obvious I have a leaking head gasket or a cracked head. There is no coolant in the oil and I'm not blowing bubbles into my coolant overflow. Also, the truck runs amazing. My solution to this is buy some head gasket in a can to throw in the toolbox just in case and run it for now.

2) The nasty noise that I thought was a throw-out bearing is still there. However, it is also load dependent (like a u-joint). I replaced the u-joints already, so I'm at a loss to what the noise is. Maybe a pinion bearing? It sounds like it is coming from the trans area, but it could be. I can't think of anything in the trans that would be making noises like this. The t-cases are new, so that wasn't the issue. My thought for now is pull the rear driveshaft and drive it around in front wheel drive and see if the noise is still there. I'm really not sure what the implications are of this if I just ignore it.

3) My fancy ham radio won't turn on. I'm really hoping it's the cheap Chinees cable I used for the remote face.

4) My speedo stopped working. No idea why. Didn't bounce or anything, just quit.

5) Three of my rock lights aren't working. I originally thought it was a bad ground, but it may be a connector. Not a huge deal.

6) The exhaust leaks where I tried to weld it back together. It's a POS, so I will probably just wrap exhaust fix tape around it for now since it will be replaced eventually.


With that knowledge, I need some advise. I'm pretty stressed out on what to do and completely out of time. Here are my choices:

1) Pack for the trip and send it. It's a Toyota and should be fine, right? And I have towing coverage on my insurance policy.

2) Bag the trip. It's just too much of a risk with the issues the truck is having. I just flat ran out of time and hopefully we can reschedule without getting a divorce. LOL

3) Modify the trip. Borrow a trailer and tow the rig to Rubicon. It will totally kill the spirit of what I was trying to do, but at least I will get to show my Dad the trail he has always dreamed of.

 

[gnob]

Heh. Kind of glad you're on the flame out fence too.
Sorry about the dilemma.

 

[ThreeEyedBandit]

Bummer on burned out, I think we all have been thrashing lately. I say run it, if your worried tow it and have a good time. You know the harassment you will get is deserved, but who else would you rather be hanging out with once every three years?!

 

[yotadude520]

I say full send it man - as long as you've got a recovery rig nearby.

If not then maybe delay or change the trip to give you time to address the issues. The only issue that I think is really pressing would be the potential cracked head. I would put everything else on hold and diagnose what is going on there and let that determine the trip.

 

[aztoyman]

I had a horrible noise in the trans area when I went to dual cases. It was also load dependent..........kind of a coast vs drive difference in load. Everything was new. Pinion angle was good. I SWORE it had to be in the trans. No metal in the oil shifted great. I pulled it apart and found nothing. Ended up being the drive shaft. I switched to a double Carden rear shaft. Pointed my pinion at the T-case and no problem or noise since. Just something to look at if you don't find something else.

You MIGHT get lucky using a good sealer in your cooling system. My son out of desperation poured some in to get by until he had money to rebuild his engine. Ran it two years. I don't remember what brand he used.

Good luck, I hope you make your trip.

 

[CreeperSleeper]

@aztoyman I keep going back to the driveshaft as well. I think I'm going to pull the shaft tonight and drive it around a bit in front wheel drive. If the noise goes away, then I know what it is!

@yotadude520 The more I think about the coolant coming out the exhaust, the less worried I am about it. If I wouldn't have cut the exhaust to pull the trans, I would have never noticed the coolant. Everything else seems fine. It makes me wonder how many 5VZs are running around with cracked heads that nobody knows about.

 

[toyotaboy80]

Put the T case(s) in neutral and shift through the gears in the transmission. That'll tell you whether or not your trans is making noise.

If the noise goes away in 4th or is significantly quieter in 4th, points to a trans issue.

Check to make sure the U joints are smooth.

Bad diff bearings usually means you can play tune with the throttle on/off load.

Cracked cylinder head, especially in the port, could travel to the guide, have catastrophic guide failure, take out the valve, and when the valve drops into the hole, take out the piston and bore. Could run to the seat, and drop the seat. Which will lead to the same conclusion. Could also run for a million more miles. But a cracked cylinder head is on borrowed time.

Mechanical speedo? Cable might have snapped. Happened to me once.

 

[CreeperSleeper]

Put the T case(s) in neutral and shift through the gears in the transmission. That'll tell you whether or not your trans is making noise.

If the noise goes away in 4th or is significantly quieter in 4th, points to a trans issue.

Check to make sure the U joints are smooth.

Bad diff bearings usually means you can play tune with the throttle on/off load.

Cracked cylinder head, especially in the port, could travel to the guide, have catastrophic guide failure, take out the valve, and when the valve drops into the hole, take out the piston and bore. Could run to the seat, and drop the seat. Which will lead to the same conclusion. Could also run for a million more miles. But a cracked cylinder head is on borrowed time.

Mechanical speedo? Cable might have snapped. Happened to me once.

That's a good idea about putting the t-case in neutral. That sounds easier than pulling the driveshaft. LOL!

The noise does not go away in 4th. It is speed dependent with faster = louder.

U-joints are new, but yes I need to double check them.

I hear ya on the head. It will get fixed, but I'm not going to worry too much about it now. Once I get some stuff sold, I will dig into it.

Figured out the speedo... The cable extension for the dual cases broke.

 

[pappy]

U-joints are new, but yes I need to double check them.

Check the bolts.

 

[CreeperSleeper]

I found some stuff out last night:

1) In regards to the head or head gasket issue, I have come to the conclusion that there is nothing I can do about it right now. If I wouldn't have cut the exhaust, I never would have known there is an issue. I will be nice to the engine and save up money to fix it right.

2) The drivetrain noise is still a mystery, but I did find that the t-case was hitting the body. I made a bit more room with a hammer and prybar. That made the noise a lot easier to pinpoint. I believe it is in the driveshaft. I will try to confirm that tonight, but that is a lot less worrisome.

3) The cable I used to remove mount my Ham radio face is faulty... Radio works fine attached to the base. Easy peasy.

4) The speedo extension between the factory cable and the t-case broke. I doubt if I can get one tomorrow, so GPS speedo it is.

As of right now, I'm gonna send it. Rubicon or bust!