4th Gen V8 dip stick

[EDGE]

500k is very doable, on tundrasolutions some guy has a Tundra that he runs amsoil with extended drain intervals of 35k and has 300k+ on his truck, it's been several months since I have seen him post but he's probably got many more miles.

So how long does it take you to put the miles on, I have a friend in arkansas that puts 200-500k on his HD Chevy Pickup with ease, really does not take him any longer then 2-3 years tops 5 years if he keeps them that long at times he has put 30k on in a month, that kinda mileage does not really shock me it does but certain car only, living in NY you will find many vehicles with just as many miles if not more really shows you which vehicles last plus you would be amazed at what some people do to keep their cars running or don't do, usually being the imports, the domestics really start to self destruct at any given mileage, how you got that many miles out of 2 Chrysler Minivans Im amazed, usually anyone who has those vans has countless numbers of transmissions replaced among other countless problems, had a friend who worked in a Chrysler/Dodge dealer and all they did was replace the trans in Minivans with no more then 5 miles on them, they did not even tell the new owners and this was 99-00 model year when they where somewhat redesigned.

What do you use when you do your oil changes, how long do you go and the leaf blower, gas or electric and is it backpack or hand held:

 

[EDGE]

Damn, i am way different from you guys! I am the opposite end...i am just too damn lazy to clean my cars after getting home from work. And i realize that i am abusing them, but i can't help it...toooooo lazy!

Same here, I have not washed my cars for months and they have been covered with salt just yesterday I parked the 4Runner outside so the rain could wash the salt off

Don't feel like Im abusing them, treated my other cars the same way and they all looked just as good as the day I got them, now fighting the urge to bring them to a car wash is getting harder and harder

 

[RL Lemke]

What do you use when you do your oil changes, how long do you go and the leaf blower, gas or electric and is it backpack or hand held:

I change my own oil and filters on the cars every 10,000 miles with the best synthetic oil I can get. Since there is an Amsoil distribition facility in Arlington (25 miles) I now use Amsoil. The one rated for 35,000 miles. Before I used Red Line when I was in Reno, and was close to a distributer there.

I have a cheap Toro electric leaf blower. Rates very well for wind velocity though.

I am looking for a good spot to install a remote oil filter, with bypass for the 4Runner. I find that after 100,000 miles, oil gets dirty faster. I want to eliminate that in the 4Runner. With so much extra real estate under the 4Runner hood, I think I can find room.

 

[EDGE]

Have you ever had your oil analyzed, it would be interesting to see how the engine is wearing every 10k, or 50k

Could the dirtier oil after 100k be due to longer intervals what about 200k and 300k or does the oil just peak, you do live in a dustier climate, what about your air filter and fuel filter.

I've seen diesel oil for trucks and buses and it's as black going in as it is coming out, is it the same for cars, and I see this kid with a TDI VW Jetta, it's pretty new but constantly blows smoke out the tail pipe, the entire rear is covered with black soot, is that normal cause I've never seen a diesel smoke like that, Im unfamiliar with VW especially the diesels.

Do you do anything different at 100k, places power flush the engine but I've heard that may not be the best thing, what about switching to shorter intervals like 3k or 5k for 3 or 4 changes and then switching back to 10k, that should clean it up.

Do your transmissions last just as long, excluding the Chrysler minivans.

 

[RL Lemke]

Have you ever had your oil analyzed,

Could the dirtier oil after 100k be due to longer intervals what about 200k and 300k or does the oil just peak, you do live in a dustier climate, what about your air filter and fuel filter.

Im unfamiliar with VW especially the diesels.

Do you do anything different at 100k, places power flush the engine but I've heard that may not be the best thing, what about switching to shorter intervals like 3k or 5k for 3 or 4 changes and then switching back to 10k, that should clean it up.

Do your transmissions last just as long, excluding the Chrysler minivans.

I have done the engine oil and transmission analysis thing once last year. Nothing special in the results, in fact I could have left the oil in for longer. I just like 10,000 miles.

Dirtier oil in 100K engines is a common thing. The bypass filter is supposed to solve that, as it catches the finest particles.

Engine flush? Amsoil offers it to clear the gunk before switching to synthetic oil in high mileage engines.

If you look to Europe, there has been a trend toward extended drain intervals. However, you are required to use synthetic oil to do that. If it is good enough for Mercedes, it is good enough for me.

As far a diesels? That VW you refer to has a ruined engine. Modern diesels are as quiet and emission free as any gas engine. Have a listen to the VW V10 twin turbo - 23 mpg - 550 ft pounds of torque.

I have only synthetic in the transmissions. However, the Toyota transmission may already have synthetic. Investigation planned. The auto transmissions have not been a problem except in the Dodge minivans. Maybe making them pull the motorcycle trailer, and hold passing gear up mountain climbs is more than they were designed for. The Subaru transmission did just fine with all the abuse.

These questions seem to focus on the engine only. What I have learned is that the engine, like the brakes and suspension is a working component of the vehicle. I am willing to do what maintenance and part replacement necessary to keep top performance. I have learned that automakers chose certain levels of quality for all their parts. For a few cents here and there parts can last a lot longer. For example, the suspension of the Subaru has taken countless hours of Forest Service and BLM roads at warp speeds. Yet full inspection of the bushings shows that none need replacement. Look at the trim on so many vehicles out there, warped and loose. The Subaru

 

[EDGE]

That looks like the road to the Bat Cave

another question, what oil filters do you use

next time I see that VW i'll ask the guy, it has to have full maintenance on it so it's not like the dealer can miss the silver car being half black.

do you put the mileage on fast, their are some guys with 100k-200k on tundrasolutions.com all within a year or 2 or 3.

thanks for answering my questions

 

[RL Lemke]

I now use Amsoil filters. In the past I have used two other well rated filters, Hard Driver and Mobil 1. For the 4Runner I already have a supply of the TRD Premium filters. If I get the bypass installed I may switch to Amsoil for both filter elements.

Mileage? Well I was putting 2000 miles a week on the Mercedes when I lived in Dallas in the 80's. The Subaru got it's quarter million miles in 8.5 years. So, about 30k / year. The difference between those miles and highway drivers is how the Subaru earned the miles, with about 25% of the use hours off-road. The 104 square mile ranch I worked on in Reno had no paved roads. The below photo is from laying out my annual dualsport ride.

 

[EDGE]

Very cool

 

[momo.75]

A coat or two of Z-16 on all the surfaces I could get to, like hoses, trim, door & window seals, battery, heck everywhere I could reach under the hood. We will see how long it lasts. I was really suprised though, to see huge beads of water standing on the black plastic seal between the engine and the windshield. Normally water just kind of lays there on its way to and out the drain. Now it stands tall and rolls toward the couple of drains. I guess that Zaino Bros stuff really does what they say.

Oh yea, everything under the hood was dusty when I received it. The Z-16 did a good job of lifting the dust as it protected the finish.

RL Lemke,
You have got me in the mood for some engine cleaning. Is this the product you used under the hood. I know it is Z-16 like you stated, but since it says tire treatment, I just wanted to make sure it was the same. Any suggestions or tips? Thanks for your help!

 

[RL Lemke]

RL Lemke,
You have got me in the mood for some engine cleaning. Is this the product you used under the hood. I know it is Z-16 like you stated, but since it says tire treatment, I just wanted to make sure it was the same. Any suggestions or tips? Thanks for your help!

The bottle says for exterior rubber, vinyl and plastic trim. So, I used a foam pad to spread a light coat or three to all the surfaces I could get to.

 

[momo.75]

Thanks. Hopefully I will be well by this weekend, and my wife won't drag me out of town. I'll post a result pic, but I doubt it will be as nice as yours. :artist:

 

[2003_4Runner]

air filter....

RL Lemke,
I am debating whether I should go with performance air filters or should stay with Toyota ones. Also, if I were to go with other brands, which one do you recommand/prefer for 2003 V8 4Runner - TRD or Amsoil or K&N?. I read on internet that K&N doesn't do filtering job very well, allowing some particles to pass through?. Any suggestions/input?.
Thanks.

 

[RL Lemke]

Re: oil filter....

RL Lemke,
I am debating whether I should go with performance air filters or should stay with Toyota ones. Also, if I were to go with other brands, which one do you recommand/prefer for 2003 V8 4Runner - TRD or Amsoil or K&N?. I read on internet that K&N doesn't do filtering job very well, allowing some particles to pass through?. Any suggestions/input?.
Thanks.

I am often in dusty conditions, so I replace my filter often with the paper variety. My personal experience is that K&N do indeed pass very fine dust. On dirt bikes I only use foam though as it is the best for performance and and riding in very wet conditions. If you want to wick the last bit of performance and are willing to hassle with cleaning a foam filter, Amsoil air filters seem well made. I have tried them on three cars, before going back to the ease of paper.

I think the TRD filter is the same as K&N. OK for the street but I would never go off-road with it.

 

[Larry]

You can also wipe the plastic and metal surfaces with Pledge funiture polish. Just spray it on and wipe it off before it dries.

You may be surprised at the results and the fact that it is easyer to keep clean after an application.

Heat has no effect on the process except that you should wait until the engine is cold before starting. It also works great after using Clean Green or other soap solution for cleaning the engine compartment.