nc-grayson
Member
tuned.
Absalom's Build Thread #2 - Revenge of the Oil Burners
- Thread starter absalom
- Start date
BrianSD_42
New member
Subscribed. I definitely like your attention to detail.
About the TDI swap, I just wanted to ask if you are prepared to pay for a customized ECU or the likes to get it to work?
DirtyFingers build has run into issues along those lines. I believe he finally had to pay up to get the ECU running correctly - and that engine is in the Toyota family.
I've never done anything like what you are attempting but I am eager to see how it turns out.
Good luck! :rockon:
About the TDI swap, I just wanted to ask if you are prepared to pay for a customized ECU or the likes to get it to work?
DirtyFingers build has run into issues along those lines. I believe he finally had to pay up to get the ECU running correctly - and that engine is in the Toyota family.
I've never done anything like what you are attempting but I am eager to see how it turns out.
Good luck! :rockon:
absalom
New member
I was unaware of another swap going on right now, I'll certainly have to look into his!
Regarding my swap, I'll just be using the VW ECU. I'll be getting an immobilizer delete coded in so that the engine thinks it's just an industrial VW engine. Then it's only a few wires to get it started. No having to worry about cluster paring, lost keys, yada yada. I'll have to do a fair amount of wiring to get it running and there's a few kinks I haven't figured out yet with getting the VSC to communicate with the TDI (Hopefully [MENTION=59542]Singtoe[/MENTION] will be able to assist with this issue). However, of all the hurdles I'll have to deal with on this swap, the ECU is actually the least of my concerns. It'll be running, while hanging from the engine crane before it ever goes inside the 4runner.
Edit: Oh right, his V8 swap. I must have missed the part about the custom ECU. Though I did notice where he was unable to deal with all the wiring, which is completely understandable. If I'm unable to complete the wiring myself, I have a guy who will make me a custom Toyota > TDI wiring harness for $700. Nice to have that as a last resort option.
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BrianSD_42
New member
I misspoke, he mentioned electrical complications beyond his control. Dude has been light on the details.
absalom
New member
So I finally got a hold of some pics from Mexico's debacle 2 weeks ago. Long story, short; my friend lost his $35k Tacoma to the ocean. We did some wheeling in, what we later discovered to be, a tidal zone. Suffice it to say, my 4runner made it out in the nick of time while his Tacoma was not so lucky.
Loading up for the trip.
Top of Competition Hill
Moments before leaving
Last picture before truck was buried
Tide is halfway in
cont.
<iframe width="853" height="480" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/_XrB91B-N4I" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
It was a terrible event to witness. As the truck was slowly engulfed by the rushing tide, we stood helpless on the shore wishing there was more we could do. It took two vehicles and over 400' of winch line to remove the truck the next morning. Unfortunately, by then, the entire truck had been submerged. My friend had to hold his breath as he "drove" underwater for 10 feet through a deep section on the way to the shore.
The truck is now back in Phoenix undergoing an extensive drying process, and we're all hoping for a speedy recovery though it's looking grim at this point. I'll attach other photos from this trip, which was amazing until this point!
Loading up for the trip.
Top of Competition Hill
Moments before leaving
Last picture before truck was buried
Tide is halfway in
cont.
<iframe width="853" height="480" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/_XrB91B-N4I" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
It was a terrible event to witness. As the truck was slowly engulfed by the rushing tide, we stood helpless on the shore wishing there was more we could do. It took two vehicles and over 400' of winch line to remove the truck the next morning. Unfortunately, by then, the entire truck had been submerged. My friend had to hold his breath as he "drove" underwater for 10 feet through a deep section on the way to the shore.
The truck is now back in Phoenix undergoing an extensive drying process, and we're all hoping for a speedy recovery though it's looking grim at this point. I'll attach other photos from this trip, which was amazing until this point!
absalom
New member
My wife and I just got back from a much more peaceful trip to Sedona and Mexico. Three days in stunning Sedonda and four more days in a beautiful Mexican beachside house with all the beer, wheeling, and tacos we could enjoy! Pushed the limits of the TRD/LC setup and managed to escape with relatively little body damage. Looking forward to the day when I can finally convert to a full 2.5" King's setup. The old girl finally turned over 250,000 miles!
<iframe width="853" height="480" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/aRsfNGE4oMU" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Happy Birthday!!
Oceanside
Tequila 150 Pre-running
Got to run about 1/2 of the track that is setup for this weekend's Tequila 150 race. Amazing route. Got to experience firsthand the famous silt everyone always talks about. Makes you completely blind until it blows off your windows!
In my defense, he was thirsty
<iframe width="853" height="480" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/HroYB2mfteA" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Shortly before Sedona, I did manage to have the 4xinnovation's Sliders installed by a fab friend of mine. I used Rustoleum "Pro" bedliner which guaranteed "no peeling and fading". Well, within three days, I have two peeling spots and a generally faded appearance. Very disappointing. Who makes a bedliner that stays jet black??
Obligatory Welding Pic
Finally, after much waiting on our parts, we finally ordered up some new wheels! Being the unoriginal, non-creative person I am, I chose the exact same wheels as my last build. I just love the looks of these things!! Next step from here is yet another projector retrofit. Hopefully then I can begin my bloody TDI swap!
I couldn't resist!
<iframe width="853" height="480" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/aRsfNGE4oMU" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Happy Birthday!!
Oceanside
Tequila 150 Pre-running
Got to run about 1/2 of the track that is setup for this weekend's Tequila 150 race. Amazing route. Got to experience firsthand the famous silt everyone always talks about. Makes you completely blind until it blows off your windows!
In my defense, he was thirsty
<iframe width="853" height="480" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/HroYB2mfteA" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Shortly before Sedona, I did manage to have the 4xinnovation's Sliders installed by a fab friend of mine. I used Rustoleum "Pro" bedliner which guaranteed "no peeling and fading". Well, within three days, I have two peeling spots and a generally faded appearance. Very disappointing. Who makes a bedliner that stays jet black??
Obligatory Welding Pic
Finally, after much waiting on our parts, we finally ordered up some new wheels! Being the unoriginal, non-creative person I am, I chose the exact same wheels as my last build. I just love the looks of these things!! Next step from here is yet another projector retrofit. Hopefully then I can begin my bloody TDI swap!
I couldn't resist!
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absalom
New member
That's exactly what we were thinking. We flushed basically the entire truck with fresh water when we got home. It's shocking though, there was already light surface rust on small bars underneath the dash. In of itself, nothing to be hugely concerned about, but it's a good reminder just how quickly salt and water can destroy our trucks!
The TDI swap is next in line. I've decided to put the projector retrofit on hold until the swap is complete. We had to the conversion on the back-burner while we had our wedding and honeymoon. Now, I'm back in the valley catching up with a backlog of clients.
My buddy just threw a rod on his 3.4L, so it may actually be a perfect time to do the swap! He'll take my motor and then I'll pick up a donor. It's a bittersweet event for sure. While I'm beyond excited to begin the swap, I'll be upset to have the 4runner out of commission for so long! We really do love wheeling almost weekly!
Yes, I'd really like that. I had an opportunity to drive a 98 with full Icon 2.5" F&R, huge improvement over mine. I'd really like to see what dual front shocks can offer over the fast stuff. The whoops in the video are actually pretty sizable, but I'm pretty positive just about any high dollar setup would destroy mine over the same terrain. Let me know when you're ready to go!
You know it's funny, his motor is in great shape. We went to great lengths to ensure we flushed all seawater out as soon as we returned to Phoenix. Right now, immobilizer issues are giving us a run for our money.
So, in the picture before the tide come in, you can see a small ledge immediately in front of the truck. When we were all scrambling to leave, he went forward over this ledge instead of backing up. I believe this caused him to get stuck to a point where we were unable to retrieve his vehicle with just my truck. One thing I learned is sand and water acts as basically wet cement. It acts like a giant vacuum on any tire that becomes buried. Very scary stuff. Since that trip, I've really come to appreciate the additional traction that all-terrain tires offer over mud terrains. Insurance coverage still remains to be determined at this point.
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absalom
New member
Sounds like you got off luckier than us! We were aired down, but he had mud terrains and a heavy right foot.
Oh, btw are you still down for wheeling on Sunday?
1985taylor1925
Senior Member
So what's the deal here? I keep expecting to see a turbo diesel in your truck. I'm loosing faith
absalom
New member
Dude, the wait is killing me. I'm working a few big clients right now, so once we close escrow I should have more time to dive in headfirst. My fear is that I start while I'm inundated with my full time job, and am unable to give the swap the attention it requires. So, I have to keep myself satiated with small-time mods. Boring as hell, but I'll go bonkers waiting if I don't keep myself busy. That, and we have a big wheeling trip planned to Mexico on June 28th, so I can't have the truck out of commission before then. Still got to get my lighting situation figured out, radio/antenna installed, and some more recovery gear. If the wait is unbearable, I'd say just unsub and I'll PM when we start!
1985taylor1925
Senior Member
Man, I totally understand the feeling. I couldnt do much on my truck last year because I was working 60 hour weeks. Then I bought my 1st gen, manual with the 3.0L 6 cylinder. Now I have two trucks that I want to build! But about 9 weeks ago I got really sick, to the point where I had to fly home to have family help take care of me while I see specialists to figure out whats going on with me. Im still undergoing tests and trying to get my health back. Anyway, Ive now been away from my trucks for 7 weeks and its killing me! I need to install some suspension, or modify something, or break something so can fix it.
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