What have you done to your 200 Series this week? (40 Viewers)

[jeep2cruiser]

To beat the KDSS valve dead horse a little more. bolts I had welded on before broke off, so I had them weld on some 3/4in bolts on to get some more purchasing power on the head of the screws. Painted the valve, let it dry, sprayed the open threads with kroil, then covered in grease. I’d like to see them get stuck now…

 

[nwfl4runner]

Now onto the front!

 

[PDXLX]

Installed an ARB twin compressor with ARB’s Pressure control and Slee’s compressor mount and Aux tray for the controlled chuck (the chuck on the manifold is constant pressure).

Also threw in a Pedal Commander and Red Arc Towpro… but failed on the picture side of things there.

 

[BigMF]

Dang this is a really great solution

Just a quick update on the propane tank solution I came up with. I just got back from a 5000-mile road trip out to Colorado, Utah, and Northern Arizona. I hit a lot of dirt/gravel roads and found that the tank was bouncing when I'd hit a big bump. My first solution was the trusty bungee cord. However, an alternative that I like a little better was to slide a small piece of exercise mat (1/2" think foam) under the rim of the tank before tightening down the clamp. This provided enough padding to keep it from bouncing and clanging on the roof rack.

 

[tampacruiser95]

Happy to be of some assistance! BTW, I grew up just a bit north of you, on my grandfather's farm on the SE side of Bellefontaine. My wife grew up in West Liberty. Since Bellefontaine was stuck in the '60s, Springfield was the destination for dining and shopping. The last time I was down that way, the Upper Valley Mall was still fairly new.

Oh man that is crazy, small world! Yeah the Upper Valley Mall is completely closed now I think. It was on it's way and then covid sunk the last nail.

 

[runnerxa]

I got some free time this week so I worked on both my 200 series and the 120 series. I haven't seen much info on aftermarket transmission cooler install so here is my recent install/swap this week.

The reason I have oversized transmission cooler is because I tow in the mountains and my ATF temp reached 240 and 260 uphill even when I am not in overdrive. After I installed the bigger transmission cooler, my ATF temp dropped to a manageable 200 to 220 uphill. This is for both the GX and LX.

I installed a Tru-Cool Max LPD47391 transmission cooler in my GX470 about 4 years ago and that is way oversized for that vehicle. I had to mount it near the bottom which meant I was not able to install a winch. What better time to dust off some old project than during COVID. I eyeballed and then measured the LX570's stock transmission cooler and determined that it is about twice the size of the GX470's stock transmission cooler. Plus it would fit in the drive side of the GX470's grill where the original tranny cooler was. Time for a switch-a-roo. I decided to swap the Tru-Cool to the LX570 and install the stock LC200 transmission cooler to the GX470.

There is a lot of cutting and custom bracket/mounting fabrication. I used aluminum plates that I had left over from other projects because it is easy to bend and cut. Additionally, it is lightweight and rust proof.

I also had to purchase some transmission cooler lines to run the piping.

In hindsight, the Tru-Cool Max LPD47391 is too wide and I would be fine using a Tru-Cool LPD 4589 or 4590 which have smaller dimensions. It would have fit the passenger side of the LX570's grill without having to relocate the electric fan. But I made it work with what I have.
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Notes for the LX570:

There is plenty of space between the ac condenser and the front panel to fit the Tru-Cool. However, I have to remove all the stock transmission cooler ducts and relocate the electric fan. The custom aluminum brackets and mounts are created to mount the Tru-Cool tranny cooler, cooler lines (originally attached to the stock tranny cooler plastic duct), and the electric fan.

In order to mount the electric fan, I had to carefully bend the ac condenser lines a bit forward and to the driver side to create some clearance for the electric fan which is relocated about 2 inches forward. I also fabricated a base plate with two cutouts for the legs of the electric fan to sit in.

By mounting the tranny cooler high up, this provide me some space to mount a winch in the future.

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For the GX470:

There is not a lot of space between the ac condenser and the front panel. This is a common theme on the GX470, very tight working spaces... The LX570 tranny cooler covers up the entire driver side grill where the original GX470 tranny cooler and the horns are. That meant relocating the horns. Unfortunately I could not find a way to mount the electric fan in front of the tranny cooler like I did on the LX570 due to the lack of grill space.

I had to cut off most of the brackets on the stock LX570 tranny cooler to fit in the tight space on the GX470. Then I had to create some custom aluminum brackets and mounts to hold the LX570 tranny cooler.

This also provide me with space to install a winch in the future.
The stock GX470 tranny cooler is currently sitting in a box and I may put it in line with the LX570 tranny cooler if I hit high ATF temp while towing.

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Below are some photos of the tranny cooler switch-a-roo.

 

[04UZJ100]

Would it have been easier to bypass the radiator on the 200? The 100 and GX do not go through the radiator and I have observed lower transmission temperatures on those vehicles in all operating conditions than the 200.

My 4Runner is typically 80F warmer than ambient air when cruising on the highway. The Cruiser operates basically at water temperature range and higher under all operating conditions and temperatures. I am curious why Toyota routed the coolant through the radiator outside of warming the transmission up faster.

 

[runnerxa]

Would it have been easier to bypass the radiator on the 200? The 100 and GX do not go through the radiator and I have observed lower transmission temperatures on those vehicles in all operating conditions than the 200.

My 4Runner is typically 80F warmer than ambient air when cruising on the highway. The Cruiser operates basically at water temperature range and higher under all operating conditions and temperatures. I am curious why Toyota routed the coolant through the radiator outside of warming the transmission up faster.

The LC200, GX470 (w/ towing package), 4th gen 4Runner (w/ towing package) came with external transmission coolers of varying size; the radiator was already bypassed from the factory. However, they are adequate at best so I added/upgraded them on all of my vehicles.

My daily ATF temps for both GX and the 200 series prior to tranny cooler upgrade range between high 180 to 210. When towing in the mountains, it goes up to 240 to 260.

Post tranny cooler upgrade, my daily ATF temps range between 160 to 180 and rarely go above 200. When towing in the mountains post tranny cooler upgrade, my ATF temp stays around 200 to 220. I use OBDLink MX and OBDLink MX+ to monitor both pan and transmission outlet ATF temp.

 

[JetFuel]

The LC200, GX470 (w/ towing package), 4th gen 4Runner (w/ towing package) came with external transmission coolers of varying size; the radiator was already bypassed from the factory. However, they are adequate at best so I added/upgraded them on all of my vehicles.

My daily ATF temps for both GX and the 200 series prior to tranny cooler upgrade range between high 180 to 210. When towing in the mountains, it goes up to 240 to 260.

Post tranny cooler upgrade, my daily ATF temps range between 160 to 180 and rarely go above 200. When towing in the mountains post tranny cooler upgrade, my ATF temp stays around 200 to 220. I use OBDLink MX and OBDLink MX+ to monitor both pan and cooler outlet ATF temp.

Great posts, thank you for sharing! Saving this as a future project.

 

[Angelo1]

If I am going to get a 2nd car to daily drive, TRD Pro 4 Runner or Tacoma? And why? Keeping my 200, but want something to reduce the miles on her from my commute.

TRD RAV4 hybrid

 

[FrazzledHunter]

Did two mundane things:

• Lubed the U joints and drive shafts for the 2nd time.
• Cracked the KDSS valves (1/4 turn) for the first time.
  • This was kind of interesting as I expected it to be difficult based on what I've read in these forums. But to my utter delight both turned and rather easily. So I guess I got lucky!!!
  • I bought my LC 11/2018 with approx. 6300 miles on it and the valve looked very clean. So I lightly wire brushed the area and applied grease to the whole valve when I first became aware of the rust issue. That was about 1/2019 at about 7000 mi.

Time to celebrate!

 

[lx200inAR]

Finished my Viair 400c install today. Used some 6” L Brackets to bolt the compressor over the aluminum bumper reinforcement behind the bumper skin in front of the radiator. Used the holes at the front of the L Brackets to mount a bracket I made out of 1.5” aluminum angle. Have the air quick coupler on a pivoting coupler so that I can latch it back inside the bumper when not using. Buttoned up all the wiring and got the air joints fairly well sealed. The compressor is controlled by a pressure switch and the ignition. It does run for about a half second every 90-120 seconds. Maybe one day I’ll take it back out and use some liquid gasket on all the joints. Airs up al 4 of my 285/75R17s at a rate of about 2 PSI/minute.
The secondary bonus of the big aluminum manifold and aluminum angle is they work as a heat sink for the compressor discharge tube. The first time I did a full air up, the quick coupler was too hot to touch comfortably. This time, no trouble.

 

[runnerxa]

Finished my Viair 400c install today. Used some 6” L Brackets to bolt the compressor over the aluminum bumper reinforcement behind the bumper skin in front of the radiator. Used the holes at the front of the L Brackets to mount a bracket I made out of 1.5” aluminum angle. Have the air quick coupler on a pivoting coupler so that I can latch it back inside the bumper when not using. Buttoned up all the wiring and got the air joints fairly well sealed. The compressor is controlled by a pressure switch and the ignition. It does run for about a half second every 90-120 seconds. Maybe one day I’ll take it back out and use some liquid gasket on all the joints. Airs up al 4 of my 285/75R17s at a rate of about 2 PSI/minute.
The secondary bonus of the big aluminum manifold and aluminum angle is they work as a heat sink for the compressor discharge tube. The first time I did a full air up, the quick coupler was too hot to touch comfortably. This time, no trouble.

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This looks awesome. Thanks for sharing.

 

[TXLC200]

Its been over a year since I started this work, but with the diligent work by the guys at Elite Image Audio in Kyle Texas its finally installed and working. Phoenix didn't send the cable for the cameras, but that's on the way.

The system: [ PX6 six-core ] 17" Vertical Screen Six-core Android Navigation Radio

The crew that actually installed it after it was clear it was beyond my capabilities. Elite Image Audio These guys had to take the entire dash to and in many cases trace the signals to correctly get the harnesses together correctly. It was NOT plug and play and these guys took is as a personal challenge to figure it out and get it working.

 

[BigMF]

Washed the truck. Not a big deal, I know. However, found a nice solution for washing under the roof top tent and Prinsu rack. I give you the Quickie Hardwood Floor Mop

The video below is showing how it works. When actually cleaning, I use soap and water of course.


The best part is the handle swivels down flat so you can slide it under the tent and it cleans the roof under the crossbars of the tent. Now, I just need to go get another before my wife founds out that I co-opted the one we have for outdoor use!

 

[runnerxa]

The LC200, GX470 (w/ towing package), 4th gen 4Runner (w/ towing package) came with external transmission coolers of varying size; the radiator was already bypassed from the factory. However, they are adequate at best so I added/upgraded them on all of my vehicles.

My daily ATF temps for both GX and the 200 series prior to tranny cooler upgrade range between high 180 to 210. When towing in the mountains, it goes up to 240 to 260.

Post tranny cooler upgrade, my daily ATF temps range between 160 to 180 and rarely go above 200. When towing in the mountains post tranny cooler upgrade, my ATF temp stays around 200 to 220. I use OBDLink MX and OBDLink MX+ to monitor both pan and transmission outlet ATF temp.

One important note I forgot to mention is that the AB60F transmission and possibly the 8 speed transmission on newer 200 series have a thermostat that warm up tranny temp for those that live in colder places. The first few days after I swapped the aftermarket tranny cooler to the 200 series, my ATF temp stayed high at 180 to 200. I know that the cooler was working because I was getting an ATF temp of 160-180 F on my GX. I recalled that when I performed the transmission fluid change on the 200 series, I had to bypass a thermostat so I can drain ATF directly off the tranny cooler outlet. If you do not bypass the thermostat (put a pin in to bypass the thermostat), then the tranny cooler will not cool the ATF until it reaches ~180 to 200 F. Daily driving, you will still hit ATF temp of 180+ to 220+. Once you bypass the thermostat, the ATF will flow directly to the tranny cooler on startup and your daily driving ATF temp will drop to 160ish. Uphill, you'll probably hit 185ish. Towing ATF temp will be around 200 to 220 with thermostat bypassed. I confirmed this with my OBD ATF readings when I took a trip through the winding mountains recently.

The 120 series A750F 5-speed transmissions doesn't have a thermostat to bypass so the ATF goes directly to the tranny cooler. I suspect that the 100 series A750F also does not have a thermostat but I cannot confirm that since I don't own a 100 series. The 150 series A760F 6-speed transmission may also have a thermostat. Newer Tacoma's 6 speed also have a thermostat.

 

[helena2019]

Front strut spacers.

 

[helena2019]

Put running boards back on. Can not decide if I like.

 

[dcs111]

To beat the KDSS valve dead horse a little more. bolts I had welded on before broke off, so I had them weld on some 3/4in bolts on to get some more purchasing power on the head of the screws. Painted the valve, let it dry, sprayed the open threads with kroil, then covered in grease. I’d like to see them get stuck now…

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I have a similar Frankenstein valve! Love it

 

[FerrisBueller]

Installed EC Offroad unit (Android Auto / Apple Carplay)