paddlenbike's 2000 4Runner

[paddlenbike]

2000 Toyota 4Runner SR5 4WD

Powertrain & Performance:
- TRD Supercharged 5VZ-FE DOHC 24-valve V6 engine (https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-sSruSnaY9XU/TuGixU5SBNI/AAAAAAAAGY0/XoEIO4ZxUhc/s640/DSC_0845.JPG)
- URD 7th injector upgrade (https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-enIxD_go3lU/UF_C-PTCcgI/AAAAAAAAHbQ/LGJmYB5GMOQ/s640/DSC_1823r.jpg)
- 5-speed manual transmission
- Deckplate Airbox Mod
- True Flow Air Filter
- URD short shifter

Off-Road:
- 2.5" Tundra/OME lift (https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_Hp8E9rdd9MU/TdyaZ5fSQZI/AAAAAAAAFoc/nw6TpF7Uinw/s640/PB160602.JPG)
- 17x7.5" Tundra/Sequoia wheels in graphite gray
- 275/70R17 Cooper Discoverer S/T tires
- Factory rear locker (https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_Hp8E9rdd9MU/TdydL3nZvvI/AAAAAAAAFps/ViPN-W3md-o/s800/difflock8.jpg)
- Stubbs rock sliders with custom inserts (https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_Hp8E9rdd9MU/Tdyd8LGx_4I/AAAAAAAAFqg/-ZUHFlp01U8/s640/sliders-mod2.jpg)

Exterior:
- 99-00 Limited 5-spoke alloy wheels (https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_Hp8E9rdd9MU/TdyYJxUbChI/AAAAAAAAFno/Xb9oJJvUyi0/s640/DSC_0839.JPG)
- Yakima rack for mtbs and kayaks (https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_Hp8E9rdd9MU/TdyZ7kkVl2I/AAAAAAAAFoQ/LlYBu0f5WR8/s640/kayak1.jpg)
- DIY black emblems

Interior:
- Husky Floor Liners (https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_Hp8E9rdd9MU/TdydX6xyAmI/AAAAAAAAFqM/4muQgR7bm7Q/s640/footwell_lights1.jpg)
- Maglite Mod
- TRD shiftknob

Electrical:
- Pioneer headunit w/IPOD connection (https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_Hp8E9rdd9MU/TdydLyvyN3I/AAAAAAAAFpk/MVCTQWp--xg/s640/ant_switch.jpg)
- Manual/Auto control of power antenna via switch (https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_Hp8E9rdd9MU/TdydLyvyN3I/AAAAAAAAFpk/MVCTQWp--xg/s640/ant_switch.jpg)
- Yaesu FT1900R 2M radio in DIN below stereo (https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-IYt6Q__Nato/US0rqZsciFI/AAAAAAAAJXw/jLtRAi-DH60/s800/%255BUNSET%255D.jpg)
- 1970's Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham d'Elegance quad-horn set (https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/3_MnOFSmnk_5kT5WAEljkX2j5Q5TO6I-noy-jW-Lkjs?feat=directlink)
- Innovate wideband

Lighting:
- Hella Micro de fog lights, (https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_Hp8E9rdd9MU/TdyWw2fZjwI/AAAAAAAAFm8/_ss21Ttmzfg/s640/clean1.jpg) converted to HID
- LED taillights (https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_Hp8E9rdd9MU/Td0d_4Jg2oI/AAAAAAAAFro/vY3rWTTAFsM/s640/DSC_0078c.jpg)
- Illuminated center console and rear climate control with green LEDs (https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_Hp8E9rdd9MU/TdydNGKke2I/AAAAAAAAFqA/EAnqQxgV7V8/s640/interior-leds.jpg)
- Superflux LED footwell illumination (https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_Hp8E9rdd9MU/TdydNGKke2I/AAAAAAAAFqA/EAnqQxgV7V8/s640/interior-leds.jpg)
- Custom high-power Cree LED cargo light (https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_Hp8E9rdd9MU/Tdyfn5ZyEcI/AAAAAAAAFq4/qVzjhmIzORs/s640/DSC_0292.JPG)
- Custom high-power Cree LED hatch light (https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_Hp8E9rdd9MU/Tdyfn5ZyEcI/AAAAAAAAFq4/qVzjhmIzORs/s640/DSC_0292.JPG)

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_Hp8E9rdd9MU/TdyaZ6vobiI/AAAAAAAAFoU/8rQNuBvjOzU/s640/PB160609.JPG

[paddlenbike]

Thought I would show off some of my work with LEDs.

I built some current-regulated LED modules to illuminate the floor areas when you open the doors:
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_Hp8E9rdd9MU/TdydXykpmuI/AAAAAAAAFqI/8u_yF-He0_k/s640/footwell_lights2.jpg

Another pic (https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_Hp8E9rdd9MU/TdydNGKke2I/AAAAAAAAFqA/EAnqQxgV7V8/s640/interior-leds.jpg)

You might also note the illuminated rear climate control (and cupholder area).

I also added a high-powered Cree LED to the rear hatch to illuminate the ground when the hatch is opened. It provides a crazy amount of light for unloading the 4Runner at night and really works great for cooking in camp after dark. It comes on automatically when the rear hatch is opened. It is mounted in an Acura Legend door light housing and looks mostly factory.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_Hp8E9rdd9MU/TdydMJr2HJI/AAAAAAAAFpo/DMSjTol_Ze0/s640/hatchlight1.jpg

And here is the light output compared to a stock 4Runner:
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_Hp8E9rdd9MU/Tdyfn5ZyEcI/AAAAAAAAFq4/qVzjhmIzORs/s640/DSC_0292.JPG

As you can plainly see, the light has significant spill onto the ground and look at the difference in visibility inside the cargo areas.

I have really enjoyed these lighting modifications. I tend to store a lot of stuff in the footwells on wheeling and camping trips--stuff is so much easier to find at night with these additions.

[paddlenbike]

Wheeling pics from 2008:
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_Hp8E9rdd9MU/STzOMZKifuI/AAAAAAAADaw/Rh8h4vgnEzs/s640/2008-07%20-%20BRT%20004.jpg

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_Hp8E9rdd9MU/STzPB5rLo0I/AAAAAAAADds/7lSUJ076T0s/s640/DSC06113.JPG

I have not modified anything on the 4Runner for the past year--it is working really well as-is. I've waxed it and wheeled it, that's it! :thumbup:

[paddlenbike]

The stock running boards did a great job of keeping the sides of the 4Runner rock chip-free. As soon as I removed them and installed rock sliders, rock chips started showing up in the paint. I took one trip to Death Valley with the open rock sliders and picked up about 40 rock chips per side. (Traveling hundreds of miles on gravel roads at speeds up to 83 mph (by gps) does a great job of blasting paint off just about anything.) In an effort to preserve the 4Runner's paint I cut out steel inserts and welded them into the voids of the rock sliders. Here is the result:

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_Hp8E9rdd9MU/Tdyd8ETHFkI/AAAAAAAAFqc/e4fBYrc3nNM/s640/sliders-mod1.jpg

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_Hp8E9rdd9MU/Tdyd8LGx_4I/AAAAAAAAFqg/-ZUHFlp01U8/s640/sliders-mod2.jpg

It took a lot of work to match the bends of the sliders. Tubing benders have a tendency to push the outside of the bend further out before bending it inwards (if that makes any sense). Stubb's sliders are built on a jig and have extremely high quality control, but each of the six steel plates were still just slightly different. The welding itself took no more than about 15 minutes.

So do they work? Shortly after completing this project I took a trip to the desert (Joshua Tree) for 4 days of wheeling. Even though the sliders had 2-3 coats of primer and 6 coats of paint, the gravel blew through it all and left me with this:
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_Hp8E9rdd9MU/Tdyd8M5VSRI/AAAAAAAAFqk/cSuGMzI0ybQ/s640/sliders-work.jpg

You will note tons of chips in the bottom of the plates, and yet none of those rocks made it up to the body. Keep in mind those chips are from one extended weekend of wheeling, so clearly over the lifetime of the vehicle the paint is going to stay much nicer.

[paddlenbike]

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_Hp8E9rdd9MU/TdyZ7kkVl2I/AAAAAAAAFoQ/LlYBu0f5WR8/s640/kayak1.jpg

[paddlenbike]

I ended up picking a really good year (2000) and the original owner did a good job picking the right options:

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_Hp8E9rdd9MU/Tdyl-1iFMeI/AAAAAAAAFrI/XxYuu7WVoM4/s640/options.jpg


The truck is a base SR5. The manual transmission was not available on the Limited and this year 4Runner (2000) was the last year Toyota ever offered the manual.


2000 is the only year that you could order the large painted fender flares as a stand-alone option. (These became standard equipment on the 01-02 Sport Edition 4runners) They look like the flares that come on the Limiteds but without the plastic door clading.


2000 was also the last year that the e-locker was available on the 4Runner.

[paddlenbike]

Death Valley
http://lh3.ggpht.com/_Hp8E9rdd9MU/S6XCypPTg6I/AAAAAAAAEuU/gJNtQHEIdt4/s800/DSC_0072r.jpg

http://lh5.ggpht.com/_Hp8E9rdd9MU/S6XC4tNdKEI/AAAAAAAAEuY/F1Y64E1XHIw/s800/DSC_0087r.jpg

http://lh5.ggpht.com/_Hp8E9rdd9MU/S6XDR5LkpRI/AAAAAAAAEu4/kEZjdhNvUCU/s800/DSC_0149.JPG

http://lh5.ggpht.com/_Hp8E9rdd9MU/S6XDXYxK5bI/AAAAAAAAEu8/7DLtyShhzXI/s800/DSC_0155r.jpg

[paddlenbike]

http://lh3.ggpht.com/_Hp8E9rdd9MU/S6XDbqNXcyI/AAAAAAAAEvE/oKZ8lfJjeIY/s800/DSC_0172r.jpg

http://lh5.ggpht.com/_Hp8E9rdd9MU/S6XDdpsNB2I/AAAAAAAAEvI/aqfcTLXrW9c/s800/DSC_0176r.jpg

The road that keeps going forever:
http://lh6.ggpht.com/_Hp8E9rdd9MU/S6XDlWrXN1I/AAAAAAAAEvU/K3g6KyiUygc/s800/DSC_0190r.jpg

[paddlenbike]

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_Hp8E9rdd9MU/TdycCeqzG2I/AAAAAAAAFpQ/2PK66aguQiI/s640/DSC_0458.JPG

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_Hp8E9rdd9MU/Td0d_4Jg2oI/AAAAAAAAFro/vY3rWTTAFsM/s640/DSC_0078c.jpg

[paddlenbike]

Fun with HDR.
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-G3eO0S3JWKs/T40PZpGrbnI/AAAAAAAAGvA/O44JaAyVlnY/s800/2_3_07_w_Scottiac_022-001.jpg

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-qnuT9tSZd3I/T40P-FoXrZI/AAAAAAAAGww/lJ4u2f6kV_g/s800/P3271087-001.JPG

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-CPCmy4CDLjI/T40PewG1lkI/AAAAAAAAGvY/ff7VF751AgY/s800/DSC_0039-001.JPG

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-UIYtMprJvD8/T40PlNQuHkI/AAAAAAAAGvg/Isq6yiePT1I/s800/DSC_0213-001.JPG

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-fz8WdeqxNmU/T40PwATQSMI/AAAAAAAAGv4/dXgVhLwQurY/s800/DSC_0484-001.JPG

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-pA1L4RvxHbU/T40PyLLonVI/AAAAAAAAGwA/qalalsijqUw/s800/IMG_2569-001.JPG

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-c6PIk7EHHCg/T40P0qqNTvI/AAAAAAAAGwQ/JOhjdsbCq4s/s800/IMG_2663-001.JPG

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-DNlqe6wVzSs/T40P7RYyT4I/AAAAAAAAGwY/N_akteuhL6M/s800/IMG_2688-001.JPG

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-uPeaQS0-k3M/T40P9uKGZ5I/AAAAAAAAGwo/fN6VsVNSLtw/s800/IMG_2815-001.JPG

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-UWVdrBN_als/T40P8NHsIEI/AAAAAAAAGwg/ssQMT2SBiGM/s800/IMG_3503-001.JPG

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-s6lCfe13To0/T40PaCYzteI/AAAAAAAAGvQ/e6ZX2tnCT5Q/s800/DSC_0007-001.JPG

[paddlenbike]

Goal: Put contents of box on engine.
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-b-ZYizowOiE/T3SY9G7q_3I/AAAAAAAAGps/wMdHZZm3cXM/s640/%255BUNSET%255D.jpg

Yummy.
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-O7wbLojxbbM/TsKLbscgGII/AAAAAAAAGNo/OE_m8xkZHj0/s640/DSC_0677.JPG

Pre-supercharger:
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-yqadvP1-iBo/TsKLnZ2sj6I/AAAAAAAAGN8/GgzPSbTxLT0/s640/DSC_0682.JPG

At its most torn-down state (this is an easy and fun project):
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-rWiLKcXWURQ/TsKLoPhzHgI/AAAAAAAAGOM/hWveRvmWITo/s640/DSC_0685.JPG

5.5 hours later, horsepower jumps from 183 hp to 265 hp:
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-sSruSnaY9XU/TuGixU5SBNI/AAAAAAAAGY0/XoEIO4ZxUhc/s640/DSC_0845.JPG

This is my first supercharged vehicle, however I have owned four other turbocharged cars--a 2005 Subaru Outback 2.5XT, a 430 hp Toyota Supra Turbo and two turbo Volvos. Compared to a turbocharged vehicle, the supercharger makes instant horsepower and torque even at low RPMs (no turbo lag) and the supercharger is a self-contained unit with no external oil and coolant lines (which have leaked on every turbo car I have ever owned) and no intercooler plumbing to crowd the engine bay and reduce throttle response. The SC also does not add as much heat to the engine bay as a turbo. Finally, tuning is simpler since the boost is linear. You can even ziptie the bypass valve open if you want to run 87 octane fuel.

Disadvantages compared to a turbo? Hmm...technically it has more parasitic drag than a turbo, but with it's integrated bypass valve, Magnuson advertises the SC draws less than 1/4 of one horsepower in non-boost situations. There's also no turbo woosh and blow off valve sounds, just the whining of the supercharger impellers. There is also no way to intercool the TRD SC's air, but you can supplement with water or methanol injection for intake air charge cooling. Given all it's advantages, I'm sold on superchargers over turbos, but regardless, the world is a better place with forced induction. :)

[paddlenbike]

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-_-53Jovv30E/UPyrgRAHHUI/AAAAAAAAJU4/fwvk8o5vYUM/s800/Marin_Headlands.jpg

[paddlenbike]

I drove the 4Runner for about a year with the charger and no additional fuel system upgrades. Power was good but I had a very slight amount of disappointment--living near sealevel meant it had the low RPM ping and while it felt more powerful than before, it felt like it should have had more to offer. I decided to add the URD 7th injector kit, mainly from a piece-of-mind standpoint. I wanted to know that I could hitch up a trailer and pull a stupid load to the east coast tomorrow if I had to and not worry about a thing.

The injector (with the pink plug to the left of photo) drops into the EGR port of the supercharger (un-used on 90%+ of 4Runners):
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-enIxD_go3lU/UF_C-PTCcgI/AAAAAAAAHbQ/LGJmYB5GMOQ/s640/DSC_1823r.jpg

And some wiring. The URD ECU is pretty simple, it needs power, ground and tach signal from the Toyota ECU and it needs to intercept both the crank and cam angle signals, which means cutting the factory wire so the signal passes through the URD ECU before reaching the Toyota ECU. The URD box basically lies to the Toyota ECU about the timing to take care of the low RPM ping. Later I hooked up an optional feature called "closed loop boost enrichment" that tapped the O2 sensor circuit to drop the air/fuel (A/F) ratio when running over 3 psi of boost when still in closed loop (i.e. you're in a high load condition but not at full throttle).

I have found that most steep grades at high elevation (7,000+ft) require 2 psi of boost pressure or less to maintain speed, so the 3 psi+ closed loop enrichment will help keep the engine fueled and keep the SC intake temperatures low when I tow over highway passes. It also provides a nice smooth transition into boost when you accelerate hard.
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-BGbiYeiHk_U/UF_C-CfQ53I/AAAAAAAAHbI/Lql38kyy2rA/s640/DSC_1817r.jpg

More than half of the wiring you see here is for other things like the wideband O2 gauge.

The URD kit was very successful at taking care of the low RPM ping and high RPM lean-out that can occur to trucks at low elevations. It makes quite a bit more power, I would venture to say the URD kit added nearly half again as much power as the supercharger did itself and the driveability is perfect, like I expected from a factory system in the first place.

The SC is a chunk of change but it completely changed the way this truck drives. It's very powerful, even when you're just cruising along at 2500 RPMs and need to pick up the pace. I can drive over 9,000 ft passes without downshifting and when I'm screwing around offroad in the desert, the power is a ton of fun to have on tap. I still get 20 MPG on the highway. I can tow a heavy trailer and not worry about power. What else could I ask for?

[Seanz0rz]

Stop making me want one!

[DHC6twinotter]

I need to find a way to block your posts, Ken. That sounds soo nice!

[paddlenbike]

I need to find a way to block your posts, Ken. That sounds soo nice!

Haha. Just catching up on my Garage...I couldn't find it for a while after the server crash.

[YotaFun]

Looking good, great tech, now I have to get one.

But first I need to acquire a 4Runner that looks just as clean as yours and has less then 120k on the clock lol!

Doesn't URD have a harness that extended the factory one so you do not have to tap into the factory harness?

[paddlenbike]

Looking good, great tech, now I have to get one.

But first I need to acquire a 4Runner that looks just as clean as yours and has less then 120k on the clock lol!

There are a ton of clean 4Runners out here on the west coast. I have no relation to the seller, just saw this one in the local ad: 1999 Toyota 4Runner Limited with TRD Supercharger (http://sacramento.craigslist.org/cto/3917591286.html)
It would be worth the drive to get something that hasn't spent its life in the rust belt.


Doesn't URD have a harness that extended the factory one so you do not have to tap into the factory harness?

URD does make a harness but I think they want about $200 for it. Making a few tap connections and a couple of splice connections doesn't bother me too much. It would make the install go really quick though.

[paddlenbike]

Installed some 3/4" wheel spacers today. The Sequoia wheels are 1/2" wider than the factory 4Runner wheels and stick out 1/4" more, but they still looked tucked-in to the wheel wells.

Before:
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-zJnMcv0HG9s/UfNYfQgtE_I/AAAAAAAAKog/qT7IqbwOkHI/s800/DSC_0541r.jpg

After:
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-ridtz-PmCXQ/UfNYnoopODI/AAAAAAAAKow/rFOQ2UXb0xM/s800/DSC_0546.JPG

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-YhMVgc4SVmo/UfNapfQFx0I/AAAAAAAAKpc/OK2VBL9YUyw/s800/DSC_0543.JPG

I really like the stance now.
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-54uHdJrDdgI/UfNY_zhV1PI/AAAAAAAAKo8/UodLuYfhxd0/s800/DSC_0547.JPG

[YotaFun]

What spacer did you end up going with?

[paddlenbike]

What spacer did you end up going with?


I got in on the Tacomaworld group buy through Motorsport Technology. I ended up having to cut about a quarter inch off the 4runner rear studs to get them to work.

[4x4mike]

Looking good. Finally filling out those fender flares. Now get your radio programmed.

[paddlenbike]

A couple of pictures with the new shoes.
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-GJ7r-0OelYU/UgB_ojEJDtI/AAAAAAAAKrw/q_E-4Mf7Lbg/s800/DSC_0599r.jpg

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-ff45rh11BzE/UgB_hNsNtTI/AAAAAAAAKrk/jr5qVYmC9JM/s800/DSC_0645r.jpg

[paddlenbike]

For the past couple of years I have had a reoccurring problem resulting in a check engine light after following other trucks on dusty roads. I have removed the mass airflow sensor (MAF) for cleaning enough times that the o-ring gasket that goes around the MAF was stretched-out and not sealing. Engine vacuum was drawing dirty, unfiltered air from between the MAF and the intake tube, as evidenced by the amount of dirt around and downstream of the MAF. Eventually the MAF would get dirty enough to build up on the sensor and trigger the check engine light. I always knew before the light even came on that it was happening--engine idle would be fine and low throttle input was also fine, but medium to hard throttle would cause the engine to bog.

Last year I got a check engine light on the trail, so I pulled the MAF out and found the o-ring so stretched, I had to cut it in two, remove a section and use antibiotic ointment from my first aid kit to hold the gasket in place while I reinstalled the MAF. (Hey, it was all I had other than toothpaste!) I later found that Toyota does not sell the 3rd gen 4Runner o-ring gasket separate from a new MAF, which costs somewhere around $150.

I did, however, recently learn that Toyota sells the o-ring separately for the 4.0L V6 4Runners and Tacomas and 4.7L V8 4th gen 4Runners. I did a google image search and found that the MAF for the 4th gens looked the same as the one for 3rd gens. I headed to the Toyota dealership and they were nice enough to try the 4th gen MAF o-ring on a new 3rd gen MAF sensor. It fit perfectly.

The MAF can be removed and reinstalled in well under 10 minutes. The trick is to remove the 3 10mm bolts that hold the cruise control actuator to the passenger fender and fender wheel well and move it aside without disconnecting anything. This provides easy access to the MAF screws, which can easily be buggered up if you're trying to squeeze a tiny screwdriver or 90-degree driver in place. Next, unplug the MAF and remove the two philips head screws that secure the MAF in place. While the MAF is out, spray it down with electrical contact cleaner to remove dirt off the sensor bulb.

The cruise control is the aluminum and white box--in the photo I have already moved it aside:
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-9_cZ7VV3s4o/UgW15lEnL7I/AAAAAAAAKso/HUBu1OENxq0/s800/DSC_0648.jpg

Broken o-ring with new one:
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-giODYfiN74o/UgW15jdIhRI/AAAAAAAAKsw/NimoMOHRfBE/s800/DSC_0646.jpg

O-ring installed, fits like a glove:
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-of59yffPCbc/UgW15lPnu5I/AAAAAAAAKs0/L-GOHpfVYcw/s800/DSC_0647.jpg

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-IMYwlFf9Yck/UgW16JVVetI/AAAAAAAAKs4/zp95IQDPgY0/s800/DSC_0650.jpg

The MAF o-ring costs $2 and is part number 90099-14141.

[paddlenbike]

Wow, it has been a while since I updated this thread. Not a lot new. I replaced the blown Tokico Trekmaster front shocks with the Sonoran Steel-valved Bilstein 5100s, removed the noisy Yakima rack and put the stocker back on, I deleted the CB radio and added a Yaesu FT-1900R in the DIN slot below the stereo, added an NMO antenna mount to the roof (drill-through) and added a wideband Air-Fuel ratio meter in the deadspace next to the accessory outlets, shown here:
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-7-oWJlO41cw/VDIBgX2BTZI/AAAAAAAAOgY/tjc15Akb1Ig/s800/DSC_0988.JPG

This weekend I gave it a wash, clay bar and wax.

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-PFO32AIXY3I/VE2xDCj4V1I/AAAAAAAAQfA/WNZFK5njBVs/s800/DSC_1018.JPG

Unfortunately it won't be leaving the pavement any time soon due to the newborn baby, but it still sees a lot of towing and home improvement duty, and with any luck a ski trip or two this winter.

[paddlenbike]

The old steed has been trucking along like always, and has been fulfilling the daily driver role since my Nissan Leaf lease expired back in 2016. The 4Runner hasn't seen much offloading in the past few years due to major life changes including my daughter being born, but she's of the age now where she travels well. My interest in 4wheeling has been renewed big time. Time to address an issue that cropped up recently, a torn CV boot.

The Toyota FSM states the lower ball joint and tie rod end must be pulled to accomplish this. Let's just say that ball joints always cost me an hour or two of time and based on this guy's video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1uNQTSm7wcM) I learned that the task can be performed without touching either.

Steps are:
1) Remove center cap & loosen wheel lugs. Raise and support vehicle, remove wheel/tire (and wheel spacers if you have them);
2) Remove black center cap that covers the backside of the axle shaft splines and reveals the axle nut and cotter pin;
3) Remove cotter pin, castle nut and axle nut;
4) Support the lower A-arm and remove the 4 bolts that attach the lower ball joint to the a-arm;
5) Tap on the end of the axle spline with a rubber mallet to free it from the hub;
6) Using even pressure on two sides, (I used a crow bar as well as the opposite end of the factory wheel lug wrench), release axle shaft from front differential; (you're supposed to drain the front diff--I didn't; I just let the bit dribble out and later re-topped the fluid);
7) Swing the brake rotor and hub assembly out of the way while you finesse the axle out of place. All of that is covered in the video above.

Now you want to use the first part of Timmy the Toolman's video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vcCT4UgFUTw) that shows how to do the actual rebooting. He discusses a mod for lifted trucks but I did not do that. After all, my truck is 18 years old and has been lifted since 2005 and it just now started leaking. I'm going 100% stock, so I left out his mod.
Starting about 8 min 18 sec into his video, he gets to it.

In short:
1) Pop off the retaining clip from the end of the axle shaft that goes into the front diff. I used a screwdriver;
2) Get ready for a huge mess. Put rags under your work because sh*t is going everywhere. Cut the CV clamps; and I cut the upper boot off entirely;
3) Put match marks on inner joint cover and on the shaft. There are three orientations you could put it in and you want to go back in the position it was in;
4) Now you want to match mark the inner joint and the spline you are removing it from. You want the thing to go back on the exact splines you removed it from. I used a center punch;
5) Remove the snap ring that retains the inner joint;
6) My inner joint slid off without any effort, but you may need to use a brass drift here;
7) Cut the clamps and remove the boots;
8) Clean it all up, Mike-style.

To reinstall:
1) Slide the plastic-feeling boot into place near the outer joint. At this point I locked the smaller diameter part of the boot into its groove, turned the entire assembly upside down and filled the joint and boot with the black grease. (The kit comes with black and yellow--black is used in the outer joint and yellow on the inner)
2) Install clamps. The outer joint uses oeklier? style clamps that need a special tool. Exactly like timmy's experience, my cheap tool did not work. I copied his idea of using a set of dykes and it clamped them very well;
3) Slide on inner boot and clamps;
4) Align match marks and reinstall inner joint;
5) Install new snap ring to hold the inner joint in place. I struggled here. The taper on the ring meant every tool I had slipped off. After 20 min of fighting it, the bast*rd finally went on. You can see the match mark punch at about the 4 o'clock position.
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4818/45773738412_0fc5fb116a_c.jpg
6) Lube the inner joint and fill the boot with the yellow grease;
7) Reinstall the housing, making sure to align with your match marks from earlier;
8) Slip the boot into its final resting place and use the fold-over style clamps on the inner joint. It will be obvious how to use them when you get them in your hand;
9) Install new snap ring where inner spline goes into diff. I slipped it over the grooves and tapped it in with a hammer;
10) Be sure that the dust seal (a metal collar) goes back on before reinstalling the shaft into the front diff. See below for proper orientation.
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4803/44006316820_317e0c4495_c.jpg

You're good to go now. Just reinstall using opposite of disassembly. Be sure to top-off the front diff fluid because you probably lost a little. Overall, super messy but not too bad.

Please follow the videos I posted to make sure I didn't miss anything!

lower ball joint torque spec (the 4 bolts): 59 ft lbs
Wheel lug nut torque spec: 84 ft lbs
Axle nut: 174 ft lbs

[Seanz0rz]

Great writeup Ken!

A few tips I've come up with (done this way more times than I am comfortable admitting).

Jack up the side more than necessary. This will help keep most if not all of the diff fluid in the diff. So much so that I haven't had to refill a diff (but do check the level).

Replace the (4) ball joint bolts. They are likely 20 years old and reused the last time you did the ball joints. This (along with the BJ itself) fail and cause the tire to fold under the vehicle at the most inopportune time.

I use a folding plastic table to do my rebooting. I place (2) 2x4s, about 2-3 feet long down and cover with multiple large high-quality trash bags. This will keep the axle from rolling off the table and then the mess is contained and easy to dispose of.

Use a snap ring plier with this type of tip: https://smile.amazon.com/Stanley-Proto-J250G-9-Inch-Horseshoe/dp/B00209ETSS/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1541956436&sr=8-3&keywords=flat+snap+ring+pliers
I hate those snap rings, and always fight with them. I rebooted an axle for a friend and he had a pair similar, it was the easiest snap ring experience I have ever had, HIGHLY recommended (style, not the brand, above link is for reference only).

Have plenty of gloves and paper towels ready to go, along with a trash can (not just a bag, but something you can just toss soiled paper towels into).

I use dull nail nippers to clamp the outer clamps, although I have moved exclusively to something similar to these: https://www.mcmaster.com/catalog/124/327



I always forget to put match marks. It might matter, it might not. I have not noticed any kind of excess vibration, although my truck is full of 'em.

[slomatt]

Nice write up Ken! CV boots are good times, a few years ago I had to do all 4 boots on the 4Runner plus a boot on the WRX in the same month. The hardest part always seems to be getting the new band clamps in place. I ended up putting extended travel boots on the 4Runner since they were roughly the same cost as the factory ones.

[paddlenbike]

Hi guys! I hadn't really intended this to be a write-up per se, I mostly wanted to point out that you don't have to mess with either the tie rod end nor the lower ball joint when doing a CV boot replacement. Maybe that's common knowledge around here, but it wasn't something I was aware of. And thanks for the helpful additions Sean.

I'm amazed of the condition of the bearings inside. They literally looked like brand new. That was the experience I had when I tore the engine down on my Supra...the older Toyota stuff is just built so well!

I can't express how happy I've been with this 4Runner. It's more fun to drive than anything I have driven recently and the durability is just so good. Hoping my fellow motorists will stop running into it because I'd love to keep it another 20 years.

[Bob98SR5]

Reminds me I have a CV boot to replace on a spare CV axle. Thanks for the reminder, Ken!

(Though the intent of my post is to add yet another reply to your thread which wasn't intended to be a write up) :P :P :P

[paddlenbike]

Maintenance Time guys. Last year I replaced the driver's side CV boots and now the passenger side outer is leaking, so that needs to be addressed. I also recently replaced the MAF with a new one. Acceleration wasn't quite as strong as before and I noticed leaner fuel mixtures on the wideband and and a reoccurring CEL P0171 lean bank code. I think the original MAF had simply been cleaned too many times and was no longer reading accurately. I took a gamble on a Denso MAF on Amazon (https://amzn.to/31ZwFdE) ($67 vs twice that at Toyota) and it appears to be a completely legit product. Power is restored and it will easily chirp the tires going into 2nd gear.

It's time to do the full maintenance sweep on this thing. We currently sit at 160k. Here's what I'm thinking:
-Lube u-joints
-Drain & refill front & rear diff fluids, transmission and xfer case (Redline synthetic)
-Replace rear diff breather (it's original)
-Flush clutch fluid (that third pedal on the far left for those unfamiliar)
-Flush brake fluid
-Flush power steering fluid (it's original) How should I do this? Suck it out with a turkey baster and slowly replace?
-Flush coolant

Engine-Related:
-Replace timing belt (it's original) Do I need new idlers/tensioners?
-Replace water pump (it's original)
--> Should I do valve cover gaskets and cam shaft eccentrics? (original and not leaking)
-Replace spark plugs
-Replace spark plug wires (they are original)
-Replace PCV valve & grommet (it's original)
-Replace upper and lower radiator hoses
-Replace drive belts (AC, PS, alt, supercharger)

Other:
-The supercharger gets furry around the nosedrive. Thinking I should at least top it off with SC fluid to not risk running it dry. I understand the nose cone typically needs to be replaced around 100k and I think I'm at half that. It's quiet, so I won't do that yet.
-The positive battery cable/lug looks brittle. Thinking I should replace it.
-Is there any good reason to have the fuel injectors balanced/cleaned while I'm in there? Adds cost and takes it out of service for at least a week. I seem to remember Bob had an issue with this?

Otherwise, the thing runs super smooth, has great performance and you could practically eat off the motor--no leaks other than the slightly furry SC nose cone.

Any other maintenance items I'm missing? Ball joints were replaced not long ago, fuel filter is reasonably fresh. Brakes and suspension are all in very good shape. I'm not looking to do unnecessary stuff but while I have it apart I want to address common maintenance items on a 20-year old truck.

[YotaFun]

I think you have everything covered.

For power steering fluid I would do the turkey baster method for the cleaner side of the repair, or you could pull the lines off the rack itself, little more messy, but you can get more fluid out that way.
On the coolant I use the aftermarket Toyota red, just easier to get access too, and usually cheaper.

RockAuto has an AISIN Timing belt kit that comes with the belt, water pump, water pump gasket, tensioner, tensioner pulley, and idler pulley Part#TKT025. Or they have a kit without the tensioner part# TKT005, that is personal preference. I try to avoid replacing the tensioner just because it is a pain to do (Remove A/C Compressor). I would do the idler pulley and tensioner pulley while you are in there. I use this kit to save on the wallet, I do most of my shopping off RockAuto since you can get most OEM parts for much cheaper, Both Denso and NGK, and for stuff stuff that is not listed I try to research and use brands that are reputable, so far I have not had any issues.

If you have time, while your in there you could replace the valve cover gaskets as well.

For the battery terminals, I switched to marine battery terminals. The positive side is easy, the negative side you would have to cut off the factory end and crimp on a new lug which I feel its a better connection.

If you aren't experiencing a miss or significant loss in power, I would recommend leaving the injectors alone.

I am jealous, 160K, I forgot what it is like to drive a 4Runner with less then 200k lol!

[slomatt]

When I flushed my power steering fluid I used a baster to pull most of the dirty fluid out of the reservoir, re-filled it with clean fluid, and then pulled the return line off the reservoir and used the pump to to transfer the rest of old fluid into a jug (keeping the reservoir topped up of course). This was easy and didn't make a big mess.
https://www.toyota-4runner.org/3rd-gen-t4rs/66337-diy-power-steering-flush.html

For the timing belt I purchased a kit on eBay from aircabinman. These are well reviewed online and use both genuine and OEM parts.

Both my outer CV boots split at the same time, and I wanted to keep the factory CVs since they are supposedly stronger than the after market options. When I pulled out the shafts I found that the inner boots were also about to fail, so I ended up replacing all 4 with the softer and stronger boots from Off Road Solutions. I had a hard time getting the included band clamps to work so I ended up purchasing some nice stainless steel ones from McMaster Carr (part #5574K24).
https://www.offroadsolutions.com/products/replacement-cv-boot/

When I changed my lower ball joints I did the outer TREs as a preventative measure since I was already in there. If yours are still tight there's probably no need to change them now.

Have you checked the u-joints in your driveline? On my truck the one that couples to the rear differential got sticky and I replaced it when trying to track down a vibration at 60mph, but in retrospect it was probably fine.

If you don't have any leaks from the valve cover gasket I wouldn't mess with it. Mine has had a slight seep at the rear near the firewall for years, and other than a slight oil burning smell on startup if I haven't driven it in a long time it hasn't been an issue (no drips on the ground).

Otherwise, your list sounds pretty complete to me. There's not a lot that seems to commonly fail on these trucks. The only other things that come to mind are:
- Check your rear axle seals to make sure they aren't leaking.
- How's the condition of your clutch pedal bushings? I ended up replacing mine with nylon ones which have held up great.
- How are the bushings on your hatch lift struts? These commonly fail and cause metal on metal contact. Nylon bushings are a good replacement here also.
- Any issues with your door locks not working on hot days? Motors tend to go out on these.
- Have you cleaned and/or replaced the IACV?

[paddlenbike]

RockAuto has an AISIN Timing belt kit that comes with the belt, water pump, water pump gasket, tensioner, tensioner pulley, and idler pulley Part#TKT025. Or they have a kit without the tensioner part# TKT005, that is personal preference. I try to avoid replacing the tensioner just because it is a pain to do (Remove A/C Compressor).



GREAT info, thanks Avi. Amazon has TKT005 for $163 and TKT025 for $179. Super reasonable for those parts. I'll probably buy the one with the tensioner since it's only a few bucks more and decide whether or not to do it when I get in there. (I'm guessing I will.) Here's what someone had to say on an Amazon review:

"Bought this kit for my 1996 Toyota T100 4x4. Excellent quality! Does not come with a thermostat, I added a Toyota one to the cart. Comes with instructions that are pretty good. There are good videos out there that are more helpful. This 5vz-fe engine is friendly to backyard mechanics. I was able to remove and install the tensioner without removing the A/C bracket, checkout the how to videos for this time saving method. First time replacing timing belt/water pump myself, took me 7 hours. Removing crank bolt and crank pulley is the toughest part of the job."


If you have time, while your in there you could replace the valve cover gaskets as well.

I'll add that to the list.


For the battery terminals, I switched to marine battery terminals. The positive side is easy, the negative side you would have to cut off the factory end and crimp on a new lug which I feel its a better connection.

I have a heavy gauge lug crimper from the van project, but what terminals do you recommend?

Thanks for the info, I really appreciate it!

[paddlenbike]

When I flushed my power steering fluid I used a baster to pull most of the dirty fluid out of the reservoir, re-filled it with clean fluid, and then pulled the return line off the reservoir and used the pump to to transfer the rest of old fluid into a jug (keeping the reservoir topped up of course). This was easy and didn't make a big mess.
https://www.toyota-4runner.org/3rd-gen-t4rs/66337-diy-power-steering-flush.html

Looks like a good process, thanks!


As for the CV boots, I did the driver's side with OEM parts last year and already have the OEM kit for the passenger side on-hand. I figured the originals lasted 19 years (14 years of which it has been lifted).



Have you checked the u-joints in your driveline? On my truck the one that couples to the rear differential got sticky and I replaced it when trying to track down a vibration at 60mph, but in retrospect it was probably fine.

I have not checked them but the truck drives great. I lost some wheel weights and need a tire rebalance, which I will address soon as part of this maintenance sweep. There aren't any driveline issues that I know of.


Otherwise, your list sounds pretty complete to me. There's not a lot that seems to commonly fail on these trucks. The only other things that come to mind are:
- Check your rear axle seals to make sure they aren't leaking.
- How's the condition of your clutch pedal bushings? I ended up replacing mine with nylon ones which have held up great.
- How are the bushings on your hatch lift struts? These commonly fail and cause metal on metal contact. Nylon bushings are a good replacement here also.
- Any issues with your door locks not working on hot days? Motors tend to go out on these.
- Have you cleaned and/or replaced the IACV?

Rear axle seals are not leaking. It seems to be only the non-locking diff versions that have that problem. I am replacing the rear breather as preventative though.
I'll look at the clutch pedal bushing, thanks for the reminder.
As for the lift hatch bushings, found a good mod for a Strong-arm replacement strut and a diy bushing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QFJrKn7uT4c
Never had a problem with doorlocks
IACV & TB were last cleaned in 2011 when I installed the SC. I'll clean those while in there.

Thanks guys, super helpful!

[YotaFun]

I have a heavy gauge lug crimper from the van project, but what terminals do you recommend?

Thanks for the info, I really appreciate it!

I bought this kit off amazon and run them on almost all our vehicles (still have to upgrade the Matrix and Rav4).
https://www.amazon.com/Shoreline-Marine-Battery-Terminal-Kit/dp/B07NQLK321

[paddlenbike]

Maintenance sweep started today by replacing the passenger side CV boots. It went much smoother than the driver's side and for some reason I didn't fight with the tripod joint retaining clip this time-around.

I'll move on to the big timing belt job in a few weeks when my calendar clears out a bit. It'll take me that long to figure out all the parts I need and get them shipped to my house.

I'm pleasantly surprised by the online cost of Toyota parts. The OEM Toyota CV boot kit with inner and outer boots, the grease and all the clamps was only $55.78. I can only imagine what this simple job would have cost at Toyota. $450? More?

Happy Labor Day weekend! I started it off by, uh, laboring.

[Seanz0rz]

My experience is that Toyota will not reboot an axle, but sell you a new one.

I will look through my receipts and see what I bought for my timing belt job on the 4Runner. I replaced the radiator while I was in there, highly recommended!

[YotaFun]

Maintenance sweep started today by replacing the passenger side CV boots. It went much smoother than the driver's side and for some reason I didn't fight with the tripod joint retaining clip this time-around.

I'll move on to the big timing belt job in a few weeks when my calendar clears out a bit. It'll take me that long to figure out all the parts I need and get them shipped to my house.

I'm pleasantly surprised by the online cost of Toyota parts. The OEM Toyota CV boot kit with inner and outer boots, the grease and all the clamps was only $55.78. I can only imagine what this simple job would have cost at Toyota. $450? More?

Happy Labor Day weekend! I started it off by, uh, laboring.

I should have done some research before biting the bullet on the Berk/Arnley reboot kit, boots are great, the clamps not so much...


My experience is that Toyota will not reboot an axle, but sell you a new one.

I will look through my receipts and see what I bought for my timing belt job on the 4Runner. I replaced the radiator while I was in there, highly recommended!

Not 100% true. Depends on the dealer really. I rebooted axles all the time during my tenure at the dealer. It depends on the tech too, it saves the customer money rebooting.

[DHC6twinotter]

Back when I did my timing belt, I ordered the parts from eBay. I think it was the same guy that slomatt mentioned. The kit I bought included the tensioner and accessory belts. The tensioner wasn't too bad to replace. The AC compressor has to be taken off, but when I did it, I didn't take off the AC lines. I just unbolted the compressor and let it rest off to the side. One of the bolts is a pain to get to, but a ratcheting wrench would have done wonders here (I didn't have one at the time). I would replace the idler and tensioner pulleys, water pump, water pump gasket, thermostat, thermostat gasket, etc. All that came in the kit.

The front cam seals might be worth replacing while you are doing the timing belt. This is even easier if you plan on replacing the valve cover gaskets as well. The ebay kit came with cam seals.

Also, I can't remember if this was on my 2ng gen or my 3rd gen (maybe both?), but there is a beveled washer that sits in front of the crank gear that, according to the FSM, is supposed to be replaced when doing a timing belt. I think the crank bolt is supposed to be replaced too.

When doing the valve cover gaskets, I would also replace the rear cam plugs, as well as resealing the four half-moon aluminum plugs on the heads (one at either end of the exhaust cams). You might as well replace the spark plug tube gaskets as well (they are a pain to get out though).

Just my $.02.

[paddlenbike]

I made sure that was all on my list, thanks Dan. I forgot about the crank pulley bolt.

[paddlenbike]

Alright guys it took me a month to finally get all the parts together and find time to get this big project started. I am not known to be the fastest worker but it took me about 2.5 hours to get the skid plates off, the coolant drained and the supercharger off the top of the engine.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48806533583_62a6873c53_c.jpg

You can see that the starting point was pretty clean. For being an original 160,000 mile engine there really wasn't much in the way of an oily mess. I found some oil near the bottom of the engine in the vicinity of the oil dipstick tube, otherwise it looked pretty good.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48806535883_2114539602_c.jpg


I am finding that the valve cover gasket job is nearly as time consuming as the timing belt job. Most of that is taking the time to clean up the valve covers, install the spark plug grommets and mostly cleaning up and re-sealing the half-moon washers and the rear cam plugs. Today Mike stopped by and I put him to work cleaning my junk. Not really my junk, just polishing my nuts. Actually it was just my valve covers but in typical Mike fashion he did a good job.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48807031002_4bb78c071d_c.jpg

Other than some initial confusion about where to place the FIPG on the half-moons and the cam plugs, the valve cover gasket job was fairly straight-forward. I simply followed Toyota's recommendation on where to put the FIPG, although I know some people add it in other places too.

Beyond the items I mentioned above and the valve cover gaskets, I also did a new PCV valve and grommet, new spark plug tube gaskets, new valve cover rubber washers, new Denso Iridium IK22 plugs and new Toyota plug wires. I will be cleaning the throttle body on reassembly. I'll leave the IAC alone because it's working fine and is reasonably accessible if it does foul up.

Everything internally looked really good.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48807031767_a7b8c64dfd_c.jpg

As for the timing belt job, removing the crank pulley bolt (217 ft lbs) is often something people struggle with. I had no issue. I borrowed my buddy Stuart's cool tool he made to align with the pins in the crank and allows you to wedge it under the frame rail while you reef on the breaker bar. Worked perfect. All the timing covers, idler bearings, hydraulic tensioners, water pumps, etc removed relatively easily. I did fight the cam sprockets a bit. Even with Stuart's help, we didn't have the right tool to lock the cam sprockets into position while we loosened the bolt. He ran home and grabbed his impact wrench and it did the trick almost immediately. I don't own air tools but it goes to show that the impact action is invaluable at times.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48806892136_40338d628e_c.jpg

I got the cam seals replaced as well as the crankshaft seal. The new water pump went back on. It's amazing, the internals of the original water pump look so new that I was afraid I would confuse the parts with the brand new one, it looked that good. Same with the thermostat--it was dated 2000, so it was original but looked completely fresh like the new one. Amazing.

I don't have the full day to work tomorrow but hope to get the idlers and hydraulic tensioner on, timing belt set with everything at TDC and start getting the front covers reinstalled. I plan to change the oil in the supercharger and may have to button up the front and the top of the engine another day.

[paddlenbike]

I got the job done this weekend, but not without doing the timing belt job twice. More on that later. I watched a bunch of youtube videos and read some write-ups on getting the timing belt aligned on the cam and crank pulleys, and it seems as though everyone struggles with this step, and now I see why. Essentially you get the cam and crank pulleys all lined up at Top Dead Center (TDC). Put the belt on, aligning the marks on the belt labeled left and right cam with the marks on their respective pulleys. When you attempt to stretch the timing belt on to the crank pulley, you can't pull it tight enough to get it on the proper teeth. It often goes wrong here. From the moment the crank spins the first time it takes up the slack on the non-tensioner side and now you're off a tooth. After three tries I finally decided to spin the crankshaft and purposely have the crank timing set almost 1-full tooth before TDC. That means you can easily get the belt on and by the time the slack is taken up, the timing is correct. I spun the engine over by hand several times and triple-checked the alignment of cam and crank timing remained correct.

Everything else went back together smoothly. I left the radiator out to make sure the engine fired up and ran normally. Except it didn't. It would idle very rough and touching the throttle would kill it. There was no check engine light but it showed a pending code P1300 for ignition igniter circuit 1. Because I had replaced the spark plugs and wires I thought I'd check that first. I swapped ignition coils around and after several tries it wouldn't run as well on the backup coil. Swap it back and it would at least idle. I thought I was on to something.

One thing I have left out of this discussion...when attempting to remove the crankshaft timing sprocket (photo below), one of the small teeth broke off. The crank position sensor is pointed right at the teeth. I googled how a CPS sensor works and most of them work by the sensor counting a reluctor (magnet) embedded in the sprocket. There's a spot cast into the sprocket where there are no teeth, so I came to the conclusion that was the location of the reluctor and that's where the counting occurs. I put it back on with 100% confidence it was okay.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48821887976_e9499f354a_c.jpg

After the rough idle thing happened, I walked away from it for the night. The next morning I did a google search on the crank sprocket and it didn't take me long to find a couple of threads where something similar happened to others. Replacing the broken sprocket with a new one resolved the problem. Toyota had it in stock, picked it up and proceeded to dismantle the front of the engine again. With my newly discovered trick of purposely setting the crank timing back one tooth, I was able to diassemble and reassemble the engine, get the radiator reinstalled and coolant flushed over the next 5 hours.

I learned a lesson here. If you're this deep into an engine and there's any question at all about a part, replace it.

Overall, the job was pretty straight forward. I watched some videos on youtube to see what I was getting myself in to, took notes so I would have an order and torque specs, and you guys helped me know what parts to replace in the first place. Just take your time and be sure everything is clean and properly torqued. Overall, not bad.

I need to replace the rear diff breather, change the xfer case, transmission and diff fluids, flush the powersteering, brake and clutch hydraulic systems with new fluids and change the oil in the SC (I forgot to do it while it was off), and that will conclude the maintenance sweep.

[Seanz0rz]

Been there, done that. I was one tooth off on my CRV and had to tear it apart. Dad did the same on our old 3VZ back in the day.

Glad it is back together. I tried to go through my receipts and nearly had a panic attack at the disorganization and cost of doing 2 vehicles only a few months apart!

[paddlenbike]

It's a terrible feeling when you turn the key for the first time and don't get anything less than pure perfection. I literally took a perfectly running vehicle and turned it to crap for a bit there...

The truck doesn't feel any different but happy to know it should have no trouble going another 100k.

I spent a good deal of time figuring out all of the parts needed and the applicable part numbers. Rather than re-invent the wheel you can find all of the parts for a timing belt job and a valve cover gasket job here: https://kit.com/paddlenbike

(Similar site to what you guys have probably seen for my van build.)

I got the oil in the supercharger changed last night. Next up, power steering, brake and clutch fluid flush.

[YotaFun]

That is interesting that the tooth broke off the timing sprocket. Also another thing people tend to do is install that sprocket backwards that causes a bunch of issues.

Another tip for everyone on the timing belt install. What I have done on the several timing belt jobs I have done is removed the top idler pulley. Once you have everything lined up, usually you can get the pulled to sit close enough and run the bolt in slowly and it pulls everything nice and tight.

Again. I am very jealous of you California folk. I wish my engine bay and engine looked that good!

[Seanz0rz]

Again. I am very jealous of you California folk. I wish my engine bay and engine looked that good!


Nope, that is just Ken's (Mike's looks like this too). Mine always looks like the bathroom in Trainspotting.

[4x4mike]

Nope, that is just Ken's (Mike's looks like this too).

As clean as that engine bay looks I hate to be the barer of truth.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48860120937_b3874f12d8_b.jpg

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48860120682_48b260c766_b.jpg

I'm with you. I could not believe something like this came off the engine of something owned by Ken. If I wasn't there to help remove the valve covers I would have thought these were staged covers and something he got off of Craigslist as a joke. The covers cleaned up really well and very quick so I'm sure the grime was placed that morning but it was fun to stop by and help for a bit.

[Seanz0rz]

The power steering pump always releases the schmoo all over the front of the engine, and once the bolts loosen up and oil starts to seep out, game over for keeping it clean.

[paddlenbike]

As clean as that engine bay looks I hate to be the barer of truth.



Mike spilling my dirty secrets...

Glad I took the time to replace and reseal those cam plugs.

[paddlenbike]

New toys, new toys!

I added a Sherpa Matterhorn full length roof rack. The cross bars are all 80/20-based, and by now I think you all know how much I love that stuff for its adaptability.
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48927282371_e4bacaa396_b.jpg

I routed the lighbar wiring through a cable gland in the roof
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49086625636_c49d4b1971_z.jpg

Hogged-out some space for a couple more switches
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49086626156_9b603a0b58_z.jpg

And finally added an accessory fuse box under the hood
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49086625451_6bc884fdf9_z.jpg

It's bright af
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49086118843_a1987655a6_z.jpg

She's getting close to her 20th birthday! Next project will be onboard air. I'm getting tired of dragging out my 25 year old chinese MV50 air compressor every time, but call me impressed it's still working!

Ken

[slomatt]

I'm starting to think the MV50s are indestructible. When I rebuilt mine I found crap in the cylinder and scored walls... that was years ago and it's still going strong. Based on my measurements it's almost as powerful as the Viair that came in my Tacoma.

That all said... I broke down an bought an ARB dual compressor recently because a friend bought one. Very impressed.

[paddlenbike]

I'm starting to think the MV50s are indestructible. When I rebuilt mine I found crap in the cylinder and scored walls... that was years ago and it's still going strong. Based on my measurements it's almost as powerful as the Viair that came in my Tacoma.

That all said... I broke down an bought an ARB dual compressor recently because a friend bought one. Very impressed.

For $19.95 (what I paid for my MV50 25 years ago), it was probably one of the better investments I've made! That said, I'm also looking at permanently mounting something in the engine bay so-as to not have to run more wiring into the cab. On the list are 1) just mounting the MV-50, 2) a Viair, 3) ARB single. I just don't think I can get the ARB dual in the engine bay without some major surgery. If we could re-mount the cruise control, I think a dual might fit...

[Seanz0rz]

I've blown up 2 MV50s over the years. I really love my ARB dual compressor, and was very happy with my Viair in my 4Runner. I think a tank on my ARB would make it really perfect.

[paddlenbike]

Maybe they don't make MV50s like they used to, haha. I may end up with the ARB single as mounting it would be super easy. The dual ARB not so much.

[slomatt]

Keep the MV50! Mine looked like this inside ~5 years ago and it's still running just fine.
http://www.blankwhitepage.com/gallery/albums/t4r_oba/IMG_7624.jpg

I "ported" the head and replaced the valves with some parts of an old feeler gauge.
http://www.blankwhitepage.com/gallery/albums/t4r_oba/IMG_7629.jpg

(sorry to hijack your thread Ken)

[paddlenbike]

Keep the MV50! Mine looked like this inside ~5 years ago and it's still running just fine.


(sorry to hijack your thread Ken)

Not a hijack at all. If I decide to use my MV50 I would probably be well-advised to tear my down first.

[paddlenbike]

It's been a long time since I've crawled around under the 4Runner to check for anything awry. Pulled the fuel tank skid plate and pounded it back out again...it was starting to rust from the unpainted scars, so I got that straightened out the best I could. My rocksliders need to be repainted again as well.

I couldn't find anything mechanical that needed attention, so nothing to report here! These 3rd gens are simply the most amazing machines known to mankind.

-Ken