Pre-Build Thread
Plastidip | Return to Directory
3 years into owning the 4runner, I discovered this forum. Seeing all the cool builds, I wanted to spice mine up a bit. I liked the look of the black on tan from Dusty Driftwood, and Plastidip was something easy that I could do. I plastidipped all the badges, the rear valence piece, and the chrome grill. I only took a few pics, since I never envisioned myself making a thread like this. Also peep the Toyoda sticker, it sounded like a good idea when I was 16, but maybe not so much anymore lol.


Adjusting the Parking Brake | Return to Directory
Like a moron, I never used the parking brake because it didn’t seem to do much. Eventually, I got smart and realized how a parking brake can relieve stress on your parking pawl. To address its poor function, I decided to adjust the parking brake in my school apartment parking lot. This was the first real wrenching project on the 4runner, so I bought my first floor jack and stands. It doesn't sound like a big milestone, but having these tools opens up a lot of project opportunities.


My Own Oil Change on My Own! | 205k miles - 4k interval - Castrol High Mileage Synthetic Blend 5w-30 | Return to Directory
At this point in time, the 4runner has 205k. There was 4k on the old oil from Firestone, so I decided I wanted to change the oil and use a better filter than their small crappy Pennzoil ones. I bought a case of 5 Toyota 90915-YZZD3 filters, a 10 pack of the drain plug washers, and Castrol High Mileage Synthetic Blend 5w-30. I got an oil analysis report from Blackstone Laboratories and it showed 126ppm Potassium and 59ppm Sodium, signs of a potential head gasket leak. They advised that it is not a big leak, but repeat that interval and keep an eye on it. On the next 4k change at 209k, I used Shell Rotella Gas Truck Full Synthetic 5w-30 and got another report. Oddly enough, the numbers dropped to 50ppm Potassium and 28ppm Sodium. It dropped low enough that Blackstone Labs thought that I fixed it and those numbers were residual. No misfires on startup after sitting, starts right up after sitting for a few days due to this modern apocalypse. I’m keeping an eye on it and definitely going to do it the right way when the time comes. It is a build date 6/05 so I am on the old head gasket design.

This pic is on jack stands, it's not actually lifted like that.

Differential and Transfer Case Fluid | Return to Directory
I needed another project to do, and this seemed like a good idea. I used the tutorial found here: Changing Differential & Transfer Case Fluids - Pics Included. From what I fetched on the Toyota Owners site, these were last changed around 110k at the dealer by the previous owner. At 207k, these were overdue. I bought 8qts of Mobil 1 Full Synthetic 75w-90 and an off-brand drain plug washer set. I started with the rear fill, using a 12 point 24mm socket because it's what I had. Anyone who has done this before can see how that worked out. The dumb fill plug doesn’t have any corners on it anyway, so I just rounded it some more. I went out and bought a proper 6 point 24mm and a 6 point 15/16in (=23.8mm) to get this done. I also got a replacement fill bolt from the parts department at the local dealer. After that, everything was smooth sailing with the rear and transfer case. I did need to use a pump for the transfer case, but I could just turn the bottle upside down for the rear. Here is the new plug on my crustnado 4runner, what a nice contrast:


Now to the front, which was not as simple. I broke a bunch of skid plate bolts on the way in, which was not a good start. I drilled and re-tapped the holes for m8x1.25, got new fasteners, and some anti-seize. Onto the diff, the fill came out without issue, but the drain was really stuck. I ground the 10mm hex flat on the end, used a bunch of heat, a breaker bar, but it eventually stripped. Following this, I gave up for a bit. A few weekends later, I bought the Titanium Flux 125 on sale at Harbor Freight to fix a broken seat bracket on Mom's 2005 Sienna. Not the best welder out there, but for the price, its a decent first welder. Now that I had a welder, I welded a nut onto my drain bolt. With the concentrated heat from the weld and better grip on a big nut, the plug came out without issue. I was then able to pump the fluid in like normal.


Door Lock Actuator Replacement | Return to Directory
I did do a write-up on this already and it can be found here: 4th Gen Door Lock Actuator Replacement: Step by Step with Pictures.
I hadn’t found an in depth write-up on doing this, only a few mediocre youtube videos that didn’t really show everything. I wanted to have something that a novice wrencher, like me, could refer back to.

I ended up getting a whole actuator assembly, rather than replacing the little actuator motor. I was just starting to gain confidence to do more in depth projects, so it was safer and easier to get the whole unit. This project was pretty rewarding, because there was a noticeable difference when everything was all said and done. Oil and fluid changes don’t make it feel any different, but regaining the ability to use the left rear door sure feels much better. This job wasn’t too hard and I definitely would encourage anyone to do this themselves!