TWT -- The Wrenching Thread (3 Viewers)
- Thread starter jfz80
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Fleet maintenance day. Oil change and fluid checks on the ONSC ES330 hand me down. Wetsanded and attacked the headlights with a 3m kit. Headlights looked to have been cleared at some point. They look a whole lot better. Inside was vacuumed, cleaned, and Lexol'ed. Car is slated for a turn n burn to DC this week. Already at 201700 on the odometer. @jtmosca any idea what the mileage was when we bought it from you? Lol
Next up, fluid checks on the ole 450. Its losing a little coolant from somewhere, but still chugs along.
Used the last of the 3m compound on the headlights on the gx470. Not perfect, but had been on the todo list for a while.
Bathtime for the entire fleet. Es330, 450, the 470, the white 80 and the teardrop. I'm sure the neighbors loved hearing a cordless drill and pressure washer running all day. Lol
Everything needs a clay bar and polish, but that's not gonna be today.
Next up, fluid checks on the ole 450. Its losing a little coolant from somewhere, but still chugs along.
Used the last of the 3m compound on the headlights on the gx470. Not perfect, but had been on the todo list for a while.
Bathtime for the entire fleet. Es330, 450, the 470, the white 80 and the teardrop. I'm sure the neighbors loved hearing a cordless drill and pressure washer running all day. Lol
Everything needs a clay bar and polish, but that's not gonna be today.
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Wrenching Sunday’s...why not!
When does an oil change become a nap?
When you forget to warm the engine first???When does an oil change become a nap?
You've gotta toughen that kid up! Take that pad away! 
3FE desmogging. Went to Lowe’s to pick up the recommended items Trollholle mentioned in his desmogging write up. When I got there I realized they were old part number that Lowe’s doesn’t carry anymore. Not being very patient I went home and just welded up what was already there.
I read through several threads but didn’t see any one else take this approach. Did I think outside of the box or is there Any reason this wouldn’t work?
I read through several threads but didn’t see any one else take this approach. Did I think outside of the box or is there Any reason this wouldn’t work?
That’ll work just fine.
x2
So you're selling the 80 and keeping this 62?
So you're selling the 80 and keeping this 62?
Maybe not this one but a 62 is in my future. After I finish going through it I’m gonna put some miles on it. I’ll get to enjoy it part of the summer.
Checking things off the list to make it to Relic run. Finished up the rear brakes this evening.
What started out as a simple R&R of a bad pinion bearing in the Turdle has morphed into a full re-gear from 3.70 to 4.10. The cross pin in the 3.70 diff was broken and I worked for hours trying to extract it in order to pull the C clips and shafts so that the diff could come out. I had to resort to cutting into the carrier with the angle grinder to extract the pin. Anybody need a 3.70:1 paperweight? Anyway, I replaced the rear diff with a 4.10 diff I had on hand. What a difference in drivability with 4.10's and 33's! Truck feels like it is supposed to now. Next will be finding a 4.10 diff for the front and installing that. Ugh... All this for Relic Run 2019. It will be worth it though. No pics of my work, but here is a recent Turd pic.
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S4Cruiser
SILVER Star
Finished heater refresh.
A friend of mine just bought a low mileage ‘02 LX470 and brought it by last night to show it to me. When he got ready to leave and turned the key to start up the truck, the ignition switch broke. He had to leave the truck in my driveway overnight and bought a new switch today. He and I spent two hours tonight disassembling the lower dash, fishing the broken part out of the column and replacing it with a new upgraded part.
Shame on you Mr T for crippling what is arguably the most reliable vehicle in the world with a crappy prone-to-fail pot metal ignition switch and for requiring the owner to purchase an entire $220 switch assembly for which only one small piece is actually needed to make the proper repair. Toyota knew of the problem too because the new switch looks much stronger and beefier than the original. 100 series /LX470 drivers beware! This is a PITA part to replace and it could strand you in the worst of places. If your truck has over 150k on it and the switch hasn’t broken yet, it is on borrowed time. Replace your switch. It’s waaaaaayy easier to replace it before it breaks than after. Trust me on that. Digging out the broken section of the switch is like building a ship in a bottle.
Shame on you Mr T for crippling what is arguably the most reliable vehicle in the world with a crappy prone-to-fail pot metal ignition switch and for requiring the owner to purchase an entire $220 switch assembly for which only one small piece is actually needed to make the proper repair. Toyota knew of the problem too because the new switch looks much stronger and beefier than the original. 100 series /LX470 drivers beware! This is a PITA part to replace and it could strand you in the worst of places. If your truck has over 150k on it and the switch hasn’t broken yet, it is on borrowed time. Replace your switch. It’s waaaaaayy easier to replace it before it breaks than after. Trust me on that. Digging out the broken section of the switch is like building a ship in a bottle.
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JToobe
SILVER Star
That brings back memories: My dad's first job after getting his Masters at GA State was with a RC Cola Bottler in Miami, FL in 1972. My mom was not happy that we were moving there as that is where she grew up. It was awesome for my brother and I as we got 1) unlimited RC's, Strawberry/Grape/Orange/Rootbeer Nehi's, etc. and 2) spoiled by my mom's parents! Miami was a cool place to grow up in the 70's and early 80's....Now I can't stand more than a few days if we go visit my parents and their spouses when they are down there in the winter months! Thanks for the flashback!
JToobe
SILVER Star
Is this issue for all years of LX470/100 series? Have an '07 with 235k......A friend of mine just bought a low mileage ‘02 LX470 and brought it by last night to show it to me. When he got ready to leave and turned the key to start up the truck, the ignition switch broke. He had to leave the truck in my driveway overnight and bought a new switch today. He and I spent two hours tonight disassembling the lower dash, fishing the broken part out of the column and replacing it with a new upgraded part.
Shame on you Mr T for crippling what is arguably the most reliable vehicle in the world with a crappy prone-to-fail pot metal ignition switch and for requiring the owner to purchase an entire $220 switch assembly for which only one small piece is actually needed to make the proper repair. Toyota knew of the problem too because the new switch looks much stronger and beefier than the original. 100 series /LX470 drivers beware! This is a PITA part to replace and it could strand you in the worst of places. If your truck has over 150k on it and the switch hasn’t broken yet, it is on borrowed time. Replace your switch. It’s waaaaaayy easier to replace it before it breaks than after. Trust me on that. Digging out the broken section of the switch is like building a ship in a bottle.
This is well documented in the 100 series forum and you can buy the metal part off of Amazon for $35 bucks. Not sure on the years. Happened to my daughters 99 with 270k miles.
The metal part on Amazon is not a real Toyota part. It also doesn’t come ready to use. Be aware that the part you will need is different based on whether you have the auto-telescoping steeing wheel or not. If you take a chance on the cheaper Amazon or Ebay part, you will have to take some fiddly pieces off your old part (springs, pins and such) and attempt to transfer them to the Amazon part. A fellow forum member tried it and after hours of attempting to fit it by dremel, filing and sanding, couldn’t get it to work. He gave up and bought the $200 part from Toyota. Also be advised that the cheap Amazon or EBay parts are not equal in strength to the new Toyota part. Depending on the material and the casting, they may be even weaker than the original. The new superseding Toyota part has been re-cast with a strengthening boss around the area that is prone to breakage. I can’t say when the update was made or if any vehicles were delivered with the upgraded part. I just don’t know. If you own a 100 or an LX470, do your own research and come up with your own conclusions. I don’t have a dog in this fight anymore as our LX was sold last year. My only reason for posting this is to make y’all aware. It’s a flaw. There’s not a good temporary workaround for the problem. If it happens to you, you will be stranded.
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