Recent content by Twilghtzone

Don't have a Valvomax... but I have a Fumoto that works just fine. Makes it easy. Saves messing about with the plug. Highly recommended. Maybe (some day) I will buy the remote (screw on) oil filter kit. Big thing about the oil change job is dealing with the front skid plate.

They worked like a charm for me. Couple hundred thousand people had them work fine. Suspect it must have been a defective nipple casting. Could always go with this one... all stainless.

Yup... like you I'm an old-fashioned guy. Early on, metal shavings out. Then decent synthetic every 4 to 5K. Pull the dipstick... oil dark ? Rub it between fingers... still slick or not ?

Plate hinges up from the front. Studs can't be very long or maybe have a slotted cutout in the skid plate.

Yup. Normal. Crawl control, Downhill Braking System and the A-Trac all use repeated pulsing of the brakes. The 'grinding' noise you hear is from the brakes being applied and released repeatedly by the 'fancy electronic' brake system. If you are used to old time traditional 4 wheel systems...

Go to Amazon and look for 'terminal remover tool kit'. You will find lots of tools. Looks like yours is a 1mm wedge tool.

Those rubber tension cords won't do much in a 'serious' wreck.

Cable on Portable Winch ? Synthetic cable saves a lot of weight off the winch. ------- web stuff Winch line 30.4 lbs (steel cable) 4.3 lbs (synthetic winch rope)

Lower gear - More torque. Manually shifting gears operates the same way as in high range.

Black ice... with rain... above freezing. Worst one I saw. It was raining, but above freezing off the ground... but the ground itself was below freezing temperature. A thin layer of black ice formed and I was 'along for the ride'. Slid into a turnout (gravel). At the bottom of the hill was...

Local dealer has about 12 Toyotas in stock. No 4Runners. No Tacomas, No Tundras. Usually has about 50 of those in stock. Only a few of the other passenger cars.

Pennsylvania ! Salt on the bloody roads fuses under car stuff into irregular masses. Heat, penetrating oil might do the trick. But it would take a bit. Good channel for viewing salt messes on cars. South Main Auto Channel. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G4wK2TfUpd0&feature=youtu.be

Hmm... they don't look like 'Toyota' stickers to me. Heck just peel them off and see whats behind. Did you buy your rig used ?

Hmm... Truck might have been in a flood ? I'd check the other differential, trans, and transfer case.

Diehard AGM ? Looks like Johnson Controls makes them. If they do, it's probably a good battery.