snow finally melted enough to work on it. pulled the upper intake off to get room to try a pipe wrench on the broken thermostat bolt that was sticking up. it started to move, I re position the pipe wrench and SNAP... now its broken off flush. This has been the worst bolt to try and remove, I tried heat and PB blaster before it broke, then after it broke, even more PB blaster and heating iron. I wasnt perfectly centered with my left handed drill bit, so now i just get to drill it out bigger and re-tap it.

ordered up some parts the other day, 4.7:1 transfer case gears from rocktactics, and a trail gear winch plate from some random Amazon seller. I am going to build a bumper off the plate (eventually), and beef up the rusted frame where it mounts to.

looking forward to the build. I am doing a restore on a 91', let me know how the install of the tire carrier goes

I have been so unmotivated to work on any of my projects by the time I get off work, drive home, feed the family, feed the livestock, get my kid showered and in bed, I don't want to do anything. the other day one of my old friends came into work and were talking toyotas and it motivated me a little bit so after everything else was done that night I went out and started removing the leaky steering box until I found out I didn't have a pickle fork big enough to pull the pitman arm off.

slowly picking up extra stuff for it. I picked up a top shift transfercase so right now im planning on doing a doubler with 2.23/4.7 gears and a SAS.

I have been working on it about 10 minutes each night, not much but its something lol. I was able to finish drilling and tapping the broken thermostat bolt, wasn't the cleanest job so I am changing it from a bolt to a stud which I epoxied into place last night to let it dry. Now i can start getting the intake put back together and delete as many vacuum lines as possible.

Little more tinkering around the last few days, only took me 6 months or so but I got the thermostat changed lol, both studs are epoxied/loctited in. I got the intake bolted back up, pulled the leaky steering box off, last night I tried the oven cleaner trick to clean the frame off, tonight I will go out and see just how clean it got it after drying.

just chipping away at it, last night was mounting the steering box, hooking up the hydraulics and steering shaft, then removing ang capping un-needed vacuum lines. I tried the oven cleaner instead of like a brake cleaner or engine de-greaser, it worked but I dont know that it worked any better than anything else. it was not a miracle in a can lol.



greasy













less greasy

We have been busy with junior rodeo season so its been a couple weeks since I have even touched the 4Runner. went out last night mounted my circuit breaker for the new alternator and tried my hand at building battery cables out of welding ground cable. I got both my positive cables made, from the alt to the breaker and breaker to battery. By the time I was done with those it was dark and bed time, hopefully tonight I can get out there and make a couple ground cables and get the alternator put in.

Went out last night and routed my positive cables, mounted the alternator and the power steering pump, went to put the power steering belt tensioner on and the bearing is seized. Pulley would move but not free spin, tear it apart and the bearing was spinning on the bolt spacer. pressed the bearing out and am picking a new one up in town today. Looking online the tensioners are about $200, I can get the bearing in town for $15 or order it online for $6

Still chipping away at it, went home last night and pushed the new bearing into the pulley, easy as butter and got it mounted, got the water pump pulley bolted on and the belts put on but not tightened yet. Then the family went to dinner down town.

new V6 aluminum 3 core radiator with shroud and electric fan showed up the other day, should be able to get it mounted up tonight since i am waiting on parts for the jeep.

test fitted the new radiator, had to drill new mounting holes but fitment looks good



not too keen on how the upper hose fitting points to the passenger side though but I was still able to get the hose on it.



my de-vacuumed engine



I was originally going to run the air cleaner in the stock location but after dealing with fitment issues of the intake pipe and now the location of the upper radiator hose I am just going to swap the battery and air filter sides, this should give me plenty of air flow to the filter



and no I am not going to leave it like that.

Saturday while waiting for the wife i was able to go out and look at the AFM harness. I didn't have to cut and extend the wiring like i first thought to move the AFM to the passenger side, I was able to separate the harness from the loom and reroute it. picked up some 3/8" split loom and spiral taped the wires up, came out pretty good and there is definitely enough harness to reroute.



just a simple elbow and a cone filter with an adapter is needed



I need to build a battery tray but test fitting the battery in the driver side





ya I know my distributor is hangin out lol

Friday took the family to the fair so we could check on my sons photo exhibits, he got 3 1st place ribbons and 1 2nd place.

Saturday was the last rodeo of the season



Sunday we had to go back to fair to pickup his photos exhibits. Then it was getting the door latch replaced on the TJ, changing the oil in the TJ and the oil and fuel filter in the Cummins. Then i was finally able to get some work done on the 4Runner.

finished building the battery cables, mounted the circuit breaker, mounted a power junction on the passenger side. It is tempting to yank the engine just to be able to clean the engine bay lol.

Yesterday I got the coolant hoses put on, filled it with antifreeze and the thermostat housing started leaking. I knew it was a possibility with how my broken bolt repair went. I am going to try a quick fix for now but a friend of mine has a spare manifold for me once I can pick it up from him. Set the engine to TDC and installed the distributor, wired in the fan controller for the electric fan, put the battery in, tried to fire it up but no luck. the starter seems to be sluggish and almost hanging up. I need to follow RAD4Runners starter relay fix and see if it fixes it, I also need to check my fuses and fuel delivery because there was not even a spit or sputter but it was late and getting dark so I just closed up last night.



Today was honey-do lists and homework, tomorrow morning is our local States day parade and festivities so maybe in the afternoon I can put a little time in the 4Runner again.

Took a vacation day yesterday, worked around the house and put some time into the 4Runner. Got it running for the first time in a year, had to set and reset the timing but finally got it to fire up. I still need to actually set the timing but my thermostat housing fix didnt work and i had a geyser of antifreeze shooting out, I ordered a lower intake manifold off Ebay for it, still need to finish my electric fan install and replace steering components and it should be drive-able once again.

Figured since I will be in there I may as well add some Bosch 4-hole injectors, found a refurbished set on Ebay with good reviews for $40. all the parts should be here by the 11th, were going camping that weekend so it will be after that before i can get it put back together and timed.