Just got a 97 SR5, would appreciate advice/feedback on basics

[beklemmung]

Firstly, thank you in advance to everyone who lends their expertise and knowledge, I really appreciate it. A bit about me: I didn't own a car at all from 2003-2017. I live in an apartment without a garage and with only basic tools, and my DIY ability is pretty minimal. My goal is to keep the truck well-maintained and reliable for on-road use in the Los Angeles area, with occasional longer trips to northern CA and possibly to CO.

I just got a 1997 SR5 with 194k miles. I'm the 3rd owner and know both previous owners. It was a daily driver in the Southwest from 1997-2014 by the original owner. In 2014, at 180k miles, it went to a family friend in the LA area, and for the past 5 years it's only been used for regular short drives (almost all trips less than 10 miles and below 50 mph). The only maintenance done since January 2014 was regular oil changes (and I assume air filter), a new battery, and new tires.

Some pictures: Imgur: The magic of the Internet

I don't have a relationship with any mechanics in the LA area, though the person from whom I got the truck recommended a mechanic that he's known for over 10 years. I plan to take the truck to the recommended mechanic soon to have it tuned up and have preventative maintenance performed (he will use parts that I purchase and bring in). I've tried to do my homework on this board but would greatly appreciate feedback from you knowledgeable folks about my initial plan, things to specifically ask the mechanic to check, etc. I don't have a firm budget; I'm willing to pay for things that are crucial to the truck's long-term health or will help gas mileage and on-road performance, but I'm not looking to dump thousands on off-road improvements, aesthetic items, minor upgrades, etc.

FYI, at the end of this post are the maintenance records going back to April 2007 when the truck had 105,000 miles (leaving out things like oil changes).

Specific things I'm planning to do or considering doing:

To do myself: replace wiper blades, air filter, use seafoam spray as shown here and add a treatment to the fuel tank.

Radiator - I think this might have the original radiator still and I'm going to replace it ASAP (likely with the Koyo that most people seem to like), as well as flush coolant and transmission fluid. The labor to have a mechanic install this trans cooler while he's putting in the new radiator should be fairly minimal, right? https://smile.amazon.com/Hayden-Automotive-678-Rapid-Cool-Transmission/dp/B000C3DDKO (and this would work and prevent any chance of strawberry milkshake, correct?)

Timing belt, water pump, idlers, tensioners, accessory belts, thermostat, etc - Timing belt last replaced 12 years and 90,000 miles ago. Looks like even longer than that for other things. Labor would be fairly high to get all this replaced, right? Is this still a wise investment even if so? Should I buy any parts other than the TB and WP?

Fuel filter - only a little over 50k miles on it but 9 years old, I plan to replace it. Should I be purchasing any related parts other than the $19 filter?

Spark plugs, ignition coils, ignition on plug boot - The current spark plugs only have about 14,000 miles on them but they're going on 5.5 years old. Should I replace them? If so should I also spend $30 on new NGK spark plug wire set? Also also, should I consider purchasing either or both of these items?
https://smile.amazon.com/NGK-58931-CPB-T003-Ignition-Coil/dp/B007PZRODO
https://smile.amazon.com/Pack-Ignition-Coils-Toyota-4RUNNER/dp/B00M13PSMO

Suspension - Work was done in Jan 14 and May 09 but don't really understand what exactly was done. It's quite squeaky when I go over bumps, moreso in the rear. Will ask mechanic to look but hopefully nothing major needed.

Brake fluid - only been 14k miles but those were all city driving and it's been 5.5 years. Flush and replace, or should be ok?

Things I have no idea about - lower ball joints, mass air flow sensor, MAF/TB cleaning, rack bushings, fan clutch, rear brakes, and much more. Anything critical to at least have a mechanic check that isn't listed above?

Maintenance history

Jan 2014 at 180k:
What is the "intake boot"?

Sept 2012 at 166k:

Oct 2011 at 156k:

May 2009 at 126k:

June 2008 at 116k:

April 2007 at 105k:

Thanks again for any and all help, appreciate it.

 

[calnhob]

First of all, congrats on the purchase and joining this forum.

I picked up a 97 SR5 in 2017 with 214K miles so I was in a similar boat except I have a garage and tools.

Seems like you've done some good research already (hate people that just come on here and don't bother to read all the good info already provided).

Most of the stuff you need to do are fairly easy and can be done in 1 day with the right tools. You don't need a garage but buy some basic tools. A lot of the special tools can be rented from an auto store like AutoZone/Kargen/etc. and tools are a lifetime investment that will pay dividends.

Next, watch Timmy's videos (just got a sticky on the forum) on how to fix/replace things. He goes into the every detail including what tools you need.

Lastly, join the socal 3rd gen group. Don't know the exact name but i'm sure you'll find them. Good, smart, friendly group that love to help others.

One more thing, don't rush to fix everything just cause "it's time". Do your research first. LBJ's and timing belts might be tops on the list but even those can wait a few months (I'm sure others will disagree).

 

[gamefreakgc]

Wow, you took some time to post all this!

I will respond to as much as I can in red. If I have no experience, I will not comment.

To do myself: replace wiper blades, air filter, use seafoam spray as shown here and add a treatment to the fuel tank. Works well if there's any carbon buildup, however these engines aren't known for it. The Seafoam Spray is a good product since you can't mess it up.

Radiator - I think this might have the original radiator still and I'm going to replace it ASAP (likely with the Koyo that most people seem to like), as well as flush coolant and transmission fluid. The labor to have a mechanic install this trans cooler while he's putting in the new radiator should be fairly minimal, right? https://smile.amazon.com/Hayden-Automotive-678-Rapid-Cool-Transmission/dp/B000C3DDKO (and this would work and prevent any chance of strawberry milkshake, correct?) Replacing the radiator and installing a cooler is redundant. Do one or the other, not both. Replacing the radiator is the better of the two choices since a cooler is only needed for people who tow frequently or supercharge. Also, only flush the transmission fluid if it's needed, the mechanic should be able to tell just fine.

Timing belt, water pump, idlers, tensioners, accessory belts, thermostat, etc - Timing belt last replaced 12 years and 90,000 miles ago. Looks like even longer than that for other things. Labor would be fairly high to get all this replaced, right? Is this still a wise investment even if so? Should I buy any parts other than the TB and WP? Yes, a timing belt in California will cost around $800-$1000. They last a long time but every 100k is a good rule of thumb (they rarely fail). Drive confidently for another 10k and tackle this later.

Fuel filter - only a little over 50k miles on it but 9 years old, I plan to replace it. Should I be purchasing any related parts other than the $19 filter? Fuel filters only need to replaced once, if ever so you are fine. Spend the parts & labor somewhere else, this is not needed.

Spark plugs, ignition coils, ignition on plug boot - The current spark plugs only have about 14,000 miles on them but they're going on 5.5 years old. Should I replace them? If so should I also spend $30 on new NGK spark plug wire set? Also also, should I consider purchasing either or both of these items?
https://smile.amazon.com/NGK-58931-CPB-T003-Ignition-Coil/dp/B007PZRODO
https://smile.amazon.com/Pack-Ignition-Coils-Toyota-4RUNNER/dp/B00M13PSMO
Do not buy coils, these will last well over 300,000 miles. Spark plugs last about 60,000 miles but have been known to last over 200,000 miles (yes, 200,000). You can buy wires and coil BOOTS (not the coils, just the boots) and install yourself, they are simple and cheap enough.

Suspension - Work was done in Jan 14 and May 09 but don't really understand what exactly was done. It's quite squeaky when I go over bumps, moreso in the rear. Will ask mechanic to look but hopefully nothing major needed.

Brake fluid - only been 14k miles but those were all city driving and it's been 5.5 years. Flush and replace, or should be ok? Mechanic will advise. If color is dark or brown, then replace. If not, drive happy. These 96-98 4Runners are very easy on brake fluid and have a simple system.

Things I have no idea about - lower ball joints, mass air flow sensor, MAF/TB cleaning, rack bushings, fan clutch, rear brakes, and much more. Anything critical to at least have a mechanic check that isn't listed above?Yes, have him check for play in the Lower ball joints. Replace only with OEM joints, nothing else if bad. The rest you can wait for another day.

Maintenance history

The intake boot is the air cleaner hose. Sometimes it cracks and causes leaks.

Thanks again for any and all help, appreciate it.

 

[beklemmung]

Calnhob, thanks for the suggestions. I will admit that I haven't given serious thought or effort in looking at what I might be capable of doing myself. I plan to do that in the near future, and will definitely watch Timmy's videos. Do you know any more about this SoCal 3rd gen group? Is there something here on the forums that I'm just not seeing?

Gamefreakgc, thanks for the advice. With regard to the radiator and trans cooler, would the cooler that I linked effectively make the strawberry milkshake failure impossible? I had thought it was a good idea to spend $100 to replace the radiator if it's got nearly 200k miles and 22 years on it, but you think I can just keep it until (if) it fails so long as I have the trans cooler to protect the transmission?

 

[jremus]

There are some videos on Youtube showing how to check for play in your ball joints by jacking the front up and wiggling the wheel to look for play. Follow those for a simple check on your own. also you can literally turn the wheels and get down and inspect them yourself to make sure the boots aren't torn/cracked. This will at least give you an idea if it's a "oh they're just old and replacing is good preventative maintenance" or "holy crap they're torn open, i need to do this now" type of problem.
Definitely stick to Toyota OEM though, not aftermarket.


Fuel Filter - if you want do that swap, it's a $7 part from Napa Auto versus the $20 one from Toyota. It takes 15 min or so. Just loosen the gas cap to release pressure and have a catch pan for the bit of gas that comes out. Don't bother with the whole "pull the fuse and let the engine run til stalling" thing (in my opinion anyway).

I had my belt, pump, thermo, radiator all done last year in anaheim at a shop since i was living in an apartment and couldn't do any of that myself there. Import Auto Clinic down near 91/57 at Anaheim/Orange. It was expensive though, but I can look up the cost if you wanted.

Brake fluid is easy to check yourself if it's dirty and determine if you should swap it. If you have a compressor then just get a speed bleeder from harbor freight for $35 and it's a straight forward job.

As far as suspension it sounds like the previous owners didn't go offroad... but did they have the truck loaded up a lot? They went through two suspensions if i'm reading that correctly for leaking struts/shocks.
Now you say yours in squeaking.
So you might very well have leaking suspension again as that seems to be routine for your vehicle, haha.
You can likely get under your car with a flashlight and check out the struts/shocks to see if there is any evidence of leaking fluid. I had a leaking front strut and it was very obvious.
Swapping out the suspension is easy to do in a driveway if you have the tools. Replacement struts/shocks can be as affordable or expensive as you like.

 

[Mtn Guy]

Hey there, I'm new to the forum too. That 4runner you picked up looks clean, nice purchase. Timmy's videos, as mentioned above, will help you in deciding to perform a job yourself or not. Otherwise, your plan of attack looks well thought out.

 

[phattyduck]

If the coolant has been changes fairly regularly (like, every 5 years) and the truck is rust free (it is, from the pics) - you barely have to even worry about a pink milkshake. It comes from corrosion. My '99 had an original radiator at 270k miles that I replaced last year (preventative) and the trans cooler connections were still perfect (no corrosion whatsoever - I pulled it completely apart to check) at that time - a California truck its whole life.

I would say change the fluids (diffs, transfer case, transmission, engine, coolant, brake fluid), lube the driveshafts, replace the radiator and lower ball joints (OEM only on the ball joints) and that's it.

Do the timing belt/idlers/tensioner/water pump/thermostat when its time, 90-120k miles (OEM only on the thermostat, with jiggle valve at 6 o'clock).

If the suspension makes noise or is bouncy, fix it - but it sounds like the truck has had an easy life. Everything else is a 'fix it when it goes wrong' kind of thing.

-Charlie

 

[beklemmung]

Thanks guys. I'm realizing that the answers to most of my questions are probably in Timmy's videos and previous discussions, I just need to put in the time to get them.

jremus, if you can easily look up what you paid at Import Auto Clinic that would be a helpful. I don't think I'm going to do mine immediately, but probably will in the not too distant future, and don't think I'll tackle that job myself.

 

[beklemmung]

Charlie, your reply went up while I had my response open (was distracted in other tabs). The truck has had a fairly easy life (a little mountain driving during trips to CO, and it was always in the Southwest and garage kept up until 2014). After watching most of Timmy's video about the radiator replacement and trans cooler install, I'm less worried about the pink milkshake than I was before, and if I'm understanding correctly, installing the new trans cooler in-line with the radiator doesn't remove the risk of pink milkshake. The only way to do that would be to only use the trans cooler alone and not route through the radiator which has problems of its own. I still haven't decided what I'm going to do but I don't feel the urgency about it that I did last week.

I need to get underneath and look for leaks around my struts. They aren't that old so I have a feeling there's a leak (or leaks) and that's why they're so noisy.

 

[calnhob]

Calnhob, thanks for the suggestions. I will admit that I haven't given serious thought or effort in looking at what I might be capable of doing myself. I plan to do that in the near future, and will definitely watch Timmy's videos. Do you know any more about this SoCal 3rd gen group? Is there something here on the forums that I'm just not seeing?

3G4R SoCal Public Group | Facebook

 

[beklemmung]

Thanks calnhob. Unfortunately I don't use Facebook.

 

[phattyduck]

installing the new trans cooler in-line with the radiator doesn't remove the risk of pink milkshake

Exactly. But a new radiator and reasonable maintenance also removes the possibility of a pink milkshake. If you are paying labor to install aftermarket parts (like a trans cooler), it gets expensive.

Unless you have a need for an extra trans cooler, why install one - more cost, more chance of leaks, etc. The stock setup is fine for 99% of the 4Runners out there.

If you are going to be supercharging, towing, or doing significant offroading, then that's a different story. Then you are in "pay to play" territory.

-Charlie

 

[beklemmung]

I don't plan to do any of those things - my initial reason for planning to install a trans cooler was relatively cheap insurance against pink milkshake. Now I think I'll just replace the radiator at some point as preventative maintenance, but not in a rush since it seems that many people go well over 200k miles on the original radiator, my truck has had regular coolant changes, and it's had an easy life (both in terms of use and its environment). Thanks again