Hey Dudes,

I realize we're all suppose to be sheltering in place and acting like everyone is a potential zombie ready to tear us apart, but by taking some pretty basic precautions, we can safely be around each other. I'm not talking big uncontrolled mobs of people. I'm talking two dudes getting together to do some automotive work and document it on video.

So, I'm wondering if anyone during this hard time has a job they need help with that we haven't yet documented on our channel. If you live in the Bay Area and have an idea for a video, let me know. I promise I won't sneeze on you, cough on you or try to kiss you. I'm just trying to make a positive out of a negative situation.

Do me a favor and save me any lectures on this decision. I'm a firefighter on the front lines of the virus and I know the risks. Basic universal precautions will keep us from potentially passing the virus to each other. Using gloves, washing hands, not rubbing our eyes or putting our fingers in our mouths with unwashed hands and not actively coughing or sneezing all over each other will keep us safe. Hell, you can even wear a mask for the whole video session if it makes you feel safer.

I'm taking this virus situation seriously but I'm not flipping out about it. Stay safe and healthy my 3rd Gen 4runner Brothers.

Peace out,

Timmy

Here's one to tackle that's not on your channel.

Stuck moonroof due to clogged drains/rusted up tracks.

Moonroof quit opening, just went *click once each time. Turned out the motor was just fine, but both tracks were gunked and almost rusted solid from not checking the drain tubes regularly.

As of a few years ago, the tracks with their push/pull mechanisms were still available, but the price tag for everything was north of $400. Maybe not worth it to many to get a moonroof going again, but I really prefer to have everything working on my 4runner.

I am still holding out for the bushings change in a loose shifter. Sadly, on my part, I have ordered two sets over time to do it myself, but in moving so much in three years I have lost them. Time to order another pair.

Is there a video on like switch management like spod install with battery upgrade?

Thanks for the reminder on this one. I know that Faye Hadley gal did a video on this for her channel but this is one we definitely should document.

How about a main seal, oil cooler seal or oil pan gasket? All of them recently failed on me and I need to change them. Not fun. Wish I lived in Cali.

Love your videos and I’m actually doing my lower ball joints and outer tie rods with the help of your videos now that I have some free time!

You are in CA and not a sheeple!???? . Do not let this get out, or Newsom will have you arrested.

Thanks for taking such good car of us T4R3G owners.


Eddie

Tim,

I don’t live in Cali and I don’t know what you should fix on a Toyota.

I just want to be counted as saying “I like your style”.

I 2nd the auto shifter bushings.

One thing I tried that worked well for me was putting the new bushing on a screwdriver, putting the tip of the screwdriver into the hole where the bushing will go, and just slide the bushing down into position and push it the rest of the way in. Really made the bottom two bushings easy.

We've done a video of removing the headliner on these rigs trying to track down a leak and we've shot a video on cleaning the drains. We haven't however done a video for replacing moonroof tracks. Something to think about. Thanks for the suggestion. If you had the time and patience, maybe going to a PickNPull and pulling the parts you need from a wrecked rig would be smart to save yourself a bunch of money to get your moonroof working again.

No, we haven't done a video like this but we need to. I've been wanting to add accessory lighting to my 98.

We are planning on doing the Cadillac alternator upgrade with the Big 3 Mod.

We've replaced a rear main seal when doing the clutch replacement video with our buddy Dan.

We haven't done an oil cooler seal replacement but it was going to be part of an engine swap we had planned and canceled due to this virus situation.

We have a video for removing the front differential and that's the bulk of the hard work to get the oil pan dropped. I helped @JZiggy reseal his oil pan when we had his front differential out for a TrueTrac installation. I thought about filming it but it's no different of a procedure than we show dropping the trans pan. You need to separate the pan from the block with a slim tool, get the pan off, clean up the pan and block surfaces and reseal with a quality gasket sealer like the Toyota FIPG (black).

Glad you're fining our videos helpful. Happy Wrenching!

I would like to find somebody that really needs it so we can show the improvement. Neither of my rigs or Sean's rigs have a shifter with a ton of play, I believe. I'll have to check in with Sean to confirm this.

I would guess that your environment in CA is salubrious for the original bushings to remain viable due to a lack of humidity. Here in the South such is not the case, nor is it friendly for seals, plastics, or electronics for the long term. I know it is an easy job, just haven’t seen a video on it.

How about recovering a chair? Have a steamer on hand if you do such.

I just had to replace my original alternator with a Toyota remanned one. The windings and the rectifier were toast. My parts guy said the CS-144 alternator was on backorder as of two weeks ago, at least for him, so I went through a dealer.