Krypto's Camping/Expedition Build

Ok this is off my phone so I will probably edit this and submit a write up separately as not everyone who has a 3rz follows my build. This was the most in depth maintenance I have done to the front end besides a water pump on my old toyota pickup. I learned a lot but if you have done a water pump you can do this also as easily.

Tools needed:
Hose clamps X2 (upper and lower rad hoses)
Crankshaft holder $65 bucks on amazon
Rubber bands
A plastic shopping bag or zip lock bags
An impact screwdriver
General metric sockets and wrenches
Torque wrench
A covered drip pan (if you save your coolant)
Hammer 2 lbs sledge works nicely


Parts and supplies needed:
Lc Engineering Allen head screw set for oil pump cover
Shaft seal
Oil pump cover seal
Toyota FIPG
Grease

Prep the area by dropping the skids, and getting your tools and supplies out. Some of this is going to take coordination if you work by yourself like I do.

First you're going to want to clamp and remove the upper and lower radiator hoses. Open the drain cock and drain radiator. Disconnect hoses and plug holes with rags. Remove radiator. Don't forget to set aside bolts with parts. There's a lot of them in this one. You can pull the fan shroud with it. Just remember to remove the lower part of the fan shroud or else you could break that part. There's a bracket that secures to the top of the fan shroud as well so disconnect that and flip it back over the engine. It's easier to just remove the bracket. Also run the lower radiator hose up to the top of the engine and zip tie it to something. This will keep the rest of the coolant from leaking if it's leaking.

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Second take the fan out. 4 12mm nuts. Use a box wrench to brace so that you can break the nuts loose.

Next remove the rest of the belts. I snipped mine as they needed replacing anyway.

Take off the leading pulleys from the crank. It's 4 12mm bolts.

Easy so far right? Now it's time for that special tool. You will need a 1/2 inch breaker and well....make that 2. One for the tool and one for the crank bolt. I have a 31" breaker bar and I still had to put some effort into it. It is torqued to 210 lbs after all.

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Remove the bolt and pulley. It should just slide out. Do not mar the backside surfaces as that is what the seal slides on. Mess it up and you need a new pulley.

Now that was easy. Now drink a beer if you're of age. Otherwise it's a coke. This is arguably the hardest part and I would beat some Japanese engineer senseless for making the oil pan over secure with Phillips head screws. You can try a cordless drill.....but about half mike stripped so attempt at your own risk.

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To use a impact screwdriver you need clearence for a hammer and if you strip the heads then this will be your key to bleed rhe a/c system and remove the condenser. It will take 1 large can and 1 smaller can to recharge fully. Pretty easy to do though. More on this later.

To bleed the system slowly undo one of the 10mm bolts on the dryer. It will hiss and smell bad. Its r134 and not freon. Don't rush the bleed. Just back off. You can also rent the tools from vatozone but I didn't know this at the time. After you get done bleeding cover all of the connections to the ac system quickly with a plastic bag and rubber band it to keep dirt and moisture out of it. This is the coordination part.

Ok now use the impact on the stripped heads. Watch your knuckles. It hurts if you mess up

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After that carefully pop the cover off using a seal separator or a flat head screwdriver

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Replace the oil pump if you like or leave it. I replaced mine since it had 260 plus on the odo.

When replacing the shaft seal there are some very important things to remember. First is not to mar the outside of the housing. This will cause you to need a new oil pump cover. Second is to use a firm flat item to gently tap the seal in as evenly as possible. Flush with the rim is fine for this seal. Just make sure it's even. Last thing is to add some grease (a tiny bit, not even enough to cover your finger) to both the shaft and the backside of the crank pulley. This insures that the seal is not damaged when it starts rotating.

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Now what I don't have pics of is putting the little ribbon seal or fipg on. My hands were filthy and you don't want to dilly dally with that stuff. Once it sets it's good but you want it to set when everything is secured. I added fipg on the core all the way around for security. I also added fipg to the ribbon seal so it would stick in the channel more easily.

When tightening your Allen head bolts stitch the pressure meaning bounce from side to side instead of one after another. Thus ensures uniform pressure and that the cover seats properly.

Now do everything in reverse order and you're done. Amazingly everything went together easily and correctly.

I refilled the coolant and added the missing oil but left the truck to sit after that over night so everything could set up. Last thing I want to do is this seal again.

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Well I am still alive although by the bags under my eyes you would swear that I'm dead. Full time college and full time employment mean full time bags under the eyes. I'm managing my time and have very little for anything but work, school, or the family.

I know live on a dirt road which is a good sight better than the trailer park I was living at. After I moved someone stole my shed...but as I digress.

This is the new place.....still no garage. I added some mudflaps and I did the entire undercarriage in fluid film in preparation for the coming winter.

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Quickly running out of room though. I have a third one on the way and it's a 2 bedroom lol. Good thing I decided renting was the way to go for college.

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That looks like a lot nicer views than you might have had at the 'park, hopefully your shed wasn't necessary or had stuff you liked inside it. Also, congrats on #3!
 
That looks like a lot nicer views than you might have had at the 'park, hopefully your shed wasn't necessary or had stuff you liked inside it. Also, congrats on #3!
It was empty since I was already moving but I had planned on moving it with me but whatever. I hadn't rigged it for moving yet so the top of the shed wasn't attached that well to the base. It probably came apart as soon as they hit 45mph lol.

The views are wonderful. I've got a spot for a hammock that I will make sure I utilize next spring and summer.

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New Tires (not because I wanted to)

My wallet is still hollow looking....and very light from the pounding it just took. I had a lot of choices but honestly I was pretty pleased that the General Grabber AT/2 hung in there for 5 years in the desert with wheeling and the temps and then another year or so here in the freeze/thaw state of Michigan.

I did go with a size that fits my gearing better this time around. I'm hoping for increased mpg and slightly lower cruising rpms. So far....it seems.....so good.

I stuck with the AT/2 tire and got a 235/85 size this time instead of the 265/70. It's an inch increase (:ranger: I know) and a LOT skinnier lol. I only bought 4 because I didn't think the size was going to be that noticeable....lol. I'll get one eventually but since my spare might have had 200miles on it.....I decided to save my wallet a little and do without.

The ride with the E walls is better than the C walls? I honestly cannot tell the difference but I will say the cushy ride provided by the 5100s all around could compensate a lot for sidewall stiffness. Grip is certainly good even with the smaller contact surface and the tread is noticeably deeper. The tire fella at the counter could have been blowing smoke when he said that since this size is a lot more common for dualies there's more tread. If that's the case then I might be able to squeeze some more distance out of them. Who knows.

Grip offroad at speed is slightly increased when there is a lot of loose rock. However at 55 or below you cannot tell a difference. I have not had any squirrel like behavior in turns though.

Over all I am pleased. I will have a picture here soon.
 
So a doe, a deer, an F'ing deer, danced in front of my truck.
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It wiped out the condenser and the radiator. Luckily I hit it about a mile from the house so I drove her home and parked it.

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I used a hand winch to pull everything out. Thankfully I had lots of trees to use as an anchor.

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Had to drag out the paint can and get to work.

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Luckily I was able to repair my radiator shroud. Those things are expensive and rare for the 3rz. I did have to get the lower shroud, fan, and clutch but the rest of the parts I was able to find used.

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Finally got around to fixing this. The local PD has been harassing me about license plate lights. I get their point that it's a law but I'm also a full time college student with a wife and two kids who works full time. Anyhoo here's what came of that.

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More pics to come. I have to install the new light bar and the old one. I'm going to light the world for bambi on the back roads. Hopefully I never have to deal with this kind of damage again. I am working on a plate hybrid bumper design. So far I have pieces of it designed but the whole thing is quite a difficult thing to build and make it look nice on top of being functional. Trying to keep it light is also a concern since I do not really feel like redoing my suspension up front to support it.


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Just a quick update to prove I'm not dead and to pose a question on my own build thread lol.

Almost finished with college!! Next year this time I will have a BA in Economics from Hillsdale College. It's a great fit for my talents I think as I like to analyze just about anything.

The 4runner is doing well. I had to adjust the shims while it was snowing and then my clutch fork snapped after I put a new clutch master and slave in. I had to turn it over to a shop for 500 bones but she is running great. The mechanics were in awe of what I had and what kind of shape she was in.

This brings me to my question. I am tossing around the idea of grabbing a 1uz out of a rusted out tundra here in the midwest and dropping it in my runner. The power would double, I would be able to use my transmission, I could lift the body and redo the frame paint and check out a lot of stuff, and I would still be running normal pump gas with (as long as all of the forum claims are correct) better gas mileage. The bad things would be added weight to the front end, a lot of work, and then having to do ALL of my own work because I don't think another mechanic would touch it if I did. Anyhoo if anyone still reads this thread I have some things in store for the summer.

First thing up is a touch up on the monstaliner and ditching of the fenders. They have been a pita and I'm done with it. Another gallon should fix everything up so that's not a big deal. I will be spraying everything so a garage will be acquired for the project.

My wife's car has been bitten by a hit and run so cameras are going in both hers and mine. Other than that though things are pretty much maintenance for now till I get out of school. I still can't believe that I've been out of the Corps for 3 years and I'm graduating.....it's mind blowing. It seemed so far off when I started.

Krypto
 
Cool to hear another success story about a vet. I am a 9-year navy vet. I was in aviation and spent no most of my time on marine based and around marines. I'm down in Toledo. Finished up my schooling (for now) with a bachelors in Mechanical Engineering.
 
Another update but now, thanks to more gainful employment, I can make some more updates more often. I still have no garage but maybe this summer I can build a larger shed that will at least let me spread my tools out a little more.

In any case I graduate this may and I couldn't be happier about it.

Lots of stuff has happened but we will keep it 4runner related.

First off, the limited fenders had to go. They were holding moisture next to the body and in michigan that's a no go.



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I figured the best way to go about it was to fill the holes in with weld and grind back to surface.
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The Monstaliner did well on the sides of the vehicle but I had noticed peeling and fading where either my prep work or the coat was a little thin. It was mostly the hood but there were a few other places that I touched up. Another gallon of Monstaliner though and it was all set.
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Next up since the new job has some commuter miles in it I had to add a bumper. the bambis are super stupid and a few posts ago we saw the result of a close encounter. All in all I think it took around a grand in parts new and used to fix everything so after many negotiations I successfully negotiated with the wife to get one instead of trying to put humpty back together.

Shout out to Alec Luddecke and the True North Fabrications LLC for making this wonderful bumper.
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My neighbor is a great guy and provided me with shelter and a lot of help. I think the bumper weighs about 120ish pounds. I'm not sure if Alec is on T4R or not but he could probably give a more accurate weight. I went with the hoops as well for some upper protection
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Frame horns off! I needed those gone anyway. With this bumper it had to go all the way back for a tight fit.
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Test fit and measurements taken for adding the hoops on. I appreciated the lack of welding the hoops on. It saved a ton on shipping and I got to pick my angle and fit.
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Main hoop was first up and everything went smoothly. I really liked the look and so it continued.
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It's out of frame but somehow I made the hoops absolutely level. They are tacked in at this point.
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A better pic with the level off the tubing
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Off to the painting. I used Rustoleum Hammered paint like I did on my rack and swingout. It's held up beautifully and as with any spray paint it is easy to repair.
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I had a lot of electrical harnesses that I needed to modify and fabricate. The dining room table is a warm electrical shop :rolleyes:
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Night shot of the bumper lights. The two middle lights are the same ones I had mounted previously but I added some amber fogs for not so nice weather and a wide beam to help spot my favorite 200lbs stupid animal.
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I love the look from the front. The hoops don't get in the way of my headlights but it definitely falls into the category of anti-bambi, prius, smart car, or whatever else.
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A better angle to show how I did the hoop install. I like the forward lean. It does have a practical purpose. When impacting our stupid bambi types the neck is about the height of the top bar. It will naturally wrap so I'm just trying to prevent damage to the lights and/or the hood.
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I've got a few more projects in the pipeline. Hopefully this summer I can finally add the disc brakes to the rear and get the balance back in the brakes. Another member was kind enough to provide me with dxf files of the bracket and I will figure out the parking brake issue as well.

I'm also going to replace the plastic inner fenders with butyl rubber to provide a more lasting solution and clean up the front fenders a little. My plastic in there has taken a beating.

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Should you encounter a deer again, I think that bumper will fare better!

Monstaliner looks good. Did you roll it on?

A few more months to graduation!
 
Should you encounter a deer again, I think that bumper will fare better!

Monstaliner looks good. Did you roll it on?

A few more months to graduation!

This time I did. The original coat was sprayed. I could have acquired the compressor but I didn't have the time for the more extensive prep worked needed for spray and I had zero cover. I just don't think that it would have turned out very well at all.

From everything I have heard from other owners I should fare better.
 
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A small victory. I removed the rear CB mount and moved it up front to take advantage of the height. I also added a quick disconnect in case I find myself near a parking garage where it would be bouncing off every cement rib in the place.

It did not disappoint. I ended up with swr readings of 1 on the dot. Pretty good placement I guess and a good grounding point. I can tell when I am using my turn signals though. Somehow a little noise got in but I could probably isolate that with a magnet on the power wire.

A little progress in other areas too. I think I will be pulling the trigger on pink top injectors. As far as I know they are the original injectors and I think they might be on their way out. I've been getting progressively worse gas mileage on new coils, fresh valve adjustment, new plugs, new air filter, and pcv valve. Everything looked like it needed replacing and I had a stumble that went away with the new coil packs. Other than that it seems that the ol girl is ready to pass the 300k mark.
 
That bumper came out great!

Thanks! I'm really happy with it. It fits the vehicle well and I like all the additional mounting points (eventually I'll get around to a winch but I'm afraid I'd use it so little that it would not be worth it.


Also a small update. Since I deleted the Limited fenders I have realized the need for mudflaps and better protection for the inner fender. We got 10" in Southern Michigan and my truck feels at least 100lbs heavier because of all the snow that was flung around. (Probably not true but I fish and play golf so...)

I'm first of all replacing my inner fenders. They've been trimmed, tucked, and other stuff through the years making way for other things so it's high time I replaced them and lined them with rubber. If I start fresh I can mate the rubber to the inner fender and hopefully create some kind of lasting protective liner (I might trace the rubber inserts for others to emulate as well if there's interest). Previously I have used universal mud flaps but always found them lacking in both lasting power (snow tends to pull them off) so I had this idea that perhaps I could sandwich them in between the plastic and rubber to create a better structure.

Here's the amazon list.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07GCJFQY...olid=2931QCB6X2Y8N&psc=0&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01FN3UIJ...olid=2931QCB6X2Y8N&psc=0&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it

1/4" Rubber
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B016C5H26...olid=2931QCB6X2Y8N&psc=0&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it

Mudflaps
https://www.amazon.com/Rally-Armor-...E2BFK0B8A7XG&psc=1refRID=Z80ZG31EE2BFK0B8A7XG

Retainers (if someone has a better part# I would love that. Never can tell with these dern plastic retainers)
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0746Z8R5...&pd_rd_r=4e6c85af-1de2-11e9-b13d-a7e7d7d9ba49

That's it for now. Kinda starting to work up an idea for a better stereo system. Looking in the neighborhood of 1k for everything (6.5 component) Android HU, 5.25 midbass, 12" sub, and 5 channel D series amp)

Not looking to blow the doors off but improve on my sometimes working door speakers. Here's the possible list for that upgrade

Component Set
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ANI3LA...olid=2931QCB6X2Y8N&psc=0&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it

Android HU
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07CPS731...olid=2931QCB6X2Y8N&psc=0&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it

Midbass
https://www.amazon.com/Dayton-Audio.../B0072HYXCA/ref=wl_mb_wl_huc_clickstream_1_dp

Subwoofer (building a box for the in wall storage on the passenger side)
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00JZTDALI/ref=psdc_172568_t2_B003XFJ3FM

Amplifier (one to rule them all, I'm done with using the A/B hybrids that weigh as much as my front bumper)
https://www.amazon.com/NVX-5-Channe...20191&sr=8-1&keywords=nvx+5+channel+amplifier

I'm not a current audiophile although in the past I've had some pretty good setups. I still have some esx zed audios laying around but honestly there's no place to mount them except the walls of the cargo area and I wouldn't consider that a good option since each weighs about 25lbs apiece. I'd much rather utilize a digital option under one of the seats and call it good. I'll end up throwing the old amps up on fleabay for anyone who wants to buy them up and my cdt classic 3 way setup as well. This truck is not a sound box nor do I want to fiberglass and fit everything so it is. Offroad it will all eventually jiggle loose.

In other news I just started my final class for graduation and I couldn't have asked for a better commencement speaker. I get to take my picture with my old "boss" from the Marine Corps. Amazing timing and opportunity. I can't wait!!!
 
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Previously I have used universal mud flaps but always found them lacking in both lasting power (snow tends to pull them off) so I had this idea that perhaps I could sandwich them in between the plastic and rubber to create a better structure.

I like to use a big truck/transport type of mudflap. I get one at our local industrial supply company. The rubber is very nice and flexible/soft like a natural rubber and it has a cloth type reinforcement material internally. One big one allows me to make a set of 2 in whatever shape I please and costs about $20. I have a set on the front and am thinking of adding a set to the rear to keep some of the spray and debris off the rear bumper.

Just FYI. Have a look if you get the chance.
 
heeheehee

Are you looking for: 90189-06028 Fender Flare Grommet (that the screw goes into)?
It comes from this schematic

Just throwing this out there...
92toy came up with using conveyor belting (tractor supply or like) for mudflaps/fenders. Our 3rd gens aren't as easy to work with as his truck because of angles, but it's possible. Durable stuff.

Congrats on getting to that final class!

That's the one! Thanks man I appreciate it. I hadn't looked on the schematics. I'm sure I can cross reference the part and find a screw with a wide enough washer to hold the rubber securely.

Oh man.....the last class.....the senioritis :cheers: I'll be so happy when it's all over. I'm in the midst of planning a party of sorts but honestly I'm graduating a little late lol. I should have graduated in 2005 :wacko:


I like to use a big truck/transport type of mudflap. I get one at our local industrial supply company. The rubber is very nice and flexible/soft like a natural rubber and it has a cloth type reinforcement material internally. One big one allows me to make a set of 2 in whatever shape I please and costs about $20. I have a set on the front and am thinking of adding a set to the rear to keep some of the spray and debris off the rear bumper.

Just FYI. Have a look if you get the chance.

I like this idea. I certainly don't like it when the mudflap is carrying so much snow that it breaks or if I am off road and I drop off a ledge and it breaks. Amazon is my usual supplier of odd things but there are a few "truck" shops around. I certainly will end up trimming them no matter what. It's worth a look at the very least. At least if I did break one it would be cheap and easy to replace.
 
At the bottom of the schematic page it shows the limited flares, not sure if it's a different part number or not-or if that's what you need.

'05, '19, my sister's schooling went a lot like that out of necessity. Now she's a nurse and she's happy. You'll get it, just gotta make it that last little bit.
 
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At least if I did break one it would be cheap and easy to replace.

Can't break this stuff. It's fiber reinforced rubber, bends like a rubber boot. You could potentially rip it off taking the mounting hardware with it, but not break.

I put a "temporary" set on about 5 years ago when I took the running boards off, and I have yet to remove them.
 

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