Mystery Bolt

[pengy]

Hello Everyone:

I have been lurking on this forum since I purchased my 2004 SR5-V8 4runner, and have found the discussions helpful, but this time I think I will need the collective wisdom to help with this little problem.

My 4runner has been much of a garage queen since I bought it. It has 23970 miles on the odometer, still runs on the original tire treads which probably has over 1/2 of the treads and looks new (not abused and well taken care of).

I washed the 4runner on this past monday, and as usual, I used the hose and rinsed the suspension pieces & under carriage in case of any leftover salt from the past winter. The water pressure was not excessive, as I have well water, as I was just tried to dissolve any leftover salt. Then it just sat outside for 3 days for some additional nature's rain rinse because the weather has been so rainy here in NJ.

There was a bit of sunshine yesterday, so I decided it was time to get to oil change for my riding mower (John Deere 355 Diesel), to make the story short, I removed the mowing deck, drained the oil from the tractor, took off the tractor oil filter, then discovered the garden tractor place gave me the wrong oil filter.

In the process of pulling the 4runner outside, then moving the mowing deck into the garage, as I walked down the driveway, I found this mysterious bolt sitting on the driveway where my 4runner was parked last 3 days.

The problem is I don't know if this bolt came off my Garden Tractor or 4runner or some other machinery.

I have tried to do some searches based on the marking and it seems to read TVB 8.8 on the bolt head. The bolt was placed next to a METRIC measuring tape. The bolt is 3.5 cm long, hex-shaped allen key at 0.8cm. There is still grease on the whole length of the threads and on washer.

It certainly seems to be a substantial bolt to me, so I hope someone can help me figure out what this is if possible, or at least exclude this from my 4runner. I feel apprehensive thinking something substantial isn't bolted down.

Thanks in advance for your help.

Scott

[[6 Google Docs photo links below]]

https://docs.google.com/leaf?id=0B0...TctYTAxYzBmYmMxYjRh&hl=en_US&authkey=CLeWktsG

https://docs.google.com/leaf?id=0B0...TgtMDRmMjk4YzZhZGY5&hl=en_US&authkey=CMvl7oMF

https://docs.google.com/leaf?id=0B0...WQtYjEzNWU1NGU0NTJh&hl=en_US&authkey=CMjvg4IG

https://docs.google.com/leaf?id=0B0...TktYTMxNjJiYjRiODA1&hl=en_US&authkey=CJv8rp8G

https://docs.google.com/leaf?id=0B0...TctZDRmNmYwNjE0MzNh&hl=en_US&authkey=CIuFhpcE

https://docs.google.com/leaf?id=0B0...TctZDRmNmYwNjE0MzNh&hl=en_US&authkey=CIuFhpcE

 

[TOYLUVA]

not sure but ive been all under my runner installing the daystar and a heavy inspection after the stealer put in a new tranny {warranty}. cant recall a allen head on the truck anywhere but i could be wrong. thats a lot of grease too. i would be looking at drivetrain and steering parts {moving parts that require grease} and see if anything similar is around.

 

[jwyshrek]

Welcome.

I've been under my 4Runner quite a bit as well, but don't remember seeing any allen head bolts/screws...

The only place I've seen bolts like that was on the air conditioner compressor, but that is on my Cherokee. Not sure what the 4runner has.

 

[KB084RUNNER]

Check your transfer case. But I am guessing your garden tractor.

 

[gaterose]

I think that's from your lawn mower based on the condition. Have you checked to see what size the threads are?

If they're SAE its most likely from the John Deere, if they're metric they may be from the 4runner.

I know John Deere uses those 8.8 bolts to build their stuff. I dunno if I've seen any 8.8 hex head bolts on the 4r.

 

[Pritchnakoff]

The only time I can ever recall using an Allen wrench is when removing the front sway bar from the steering linkage; it requires the bolt to be held in place by an allen wrench while you loosen the nut, but this is not an allen screw that comes out.

I believe there may be allen screws that hold down the intake manifold, but unless the vehicle was at a severe angle or upside down, I don't think one of those would just fall out.

Strange one for sure :bash:, hope it's from the tractor..

 

[KB084RUNNER]

BTW, I found a nut under my Harley (no other machines in the garage anywhere nearby) back in 2007. Still no clue.

 

[TOY2G]

What the bolt is from I do not know, what is is not from I can tell you is a 4Runner, you will find no Yellow Zinc plated bolts under your vehicle from the factory, also on the 120 platform, you have two places to use a allen wrench...Sway bars, and front differential (4x4 only) and this is neither one of them. better check you pullys on your mower deck or the slide lever for the heighth.

Good Luck

 

[kobresia]

BTW, I found a nut under my Harley (no other machines in the garage anywhere nearby) back in 2007. Still no clue.

Huh, that just gave me an idea...I think I'm going to start carrying around a pocketful of random nuts and bolts to drop under H-Ds and vintage Triumphs... :bat:

I used to have an old Bonnie. I got to knowing where pretty much all the bolts went and what they looked like. Nothing leaves a trail of bolts and other parts behind like one of them. I could usually tell at a glance whether something I saw on the ground came off that bike.

 

[pengy]

Thank you for the information gathered so far about the minimal use of allen-key styled bolts in the 4runner. The size of the allen key is 8 mm according to my measurement tape, I think the threads diameter is about that as well, not 100% sure...

I myself had the feeling that it is not from either the 4runner nor the 355D Garden tractor, but one can never be sure... Today I removed the 54 inch mower deck so I could check under the chassis, motor mounts, & the cylinder heads on the diesel, and I just don't see this kind of mystery bolt used, even checked the pulley on the mower deck, but nothing...

JD 355D Diesel right cylinder head, exhaust & bolts

https://docs.google.com/leaf?id=0B0...GMtZTc1OTMwODRkNDRh&hl=en_US&authkey=CPjFwtwD

JD 355D Diesel left cylinder head (Bolt w/ 7 & dot above it)

https://docs.google.com/leaf?id=0B0...jAtNDUyOTZhYTQ3MWU1&hl=en_US&authkey=CNvb6a0K


JD 355D Diesel exhaust header view (of bolts used)

https://docs.google.com/leaf?id=0B0...GQtNDAxYjc0MmI3MmI1&hl=en_US&authkey=CMWKnKYD


JD 355 Engine mount (of regular bolts)

https://docs.google.com/leaf?id=0B0...GMtNzUwZDhhNWE3OWI1&hl=en_US&authkey=CLHNrrIO

I will check in the 4runner tomorrow in the places suggested, but if you look a link to picture of my driveway, you'll see there is no reason why anyone would want to bother to come up and drop a bolt as a prank -- and the reason I decided to buy a 4runner for the winter.

https://docs.google.com/leaf?id=0B0...ZDkyMjgwNDc2OGQ1&sort=name&layout=list&num=50

 

[K.C.]

...Monday Morning BUMP for you...