New Garage, New Project. 1998 4runner Rescue

[seymourless]

Hey all,

This is my first Toyota!

The Toyota: 1998 4Runner 3.4l Auto 4wd, Desert Dune metallic, 176k miles, no documented history, got a killer deal on it!

Issues: No documented history, dented bumper, dented fender, front driveshaft transfer case seal leak, passenger rear axle seal leak (drum brakes are bad because of this), rear shocks shaft rusted off (stock), coolant line leak for rear seat heater, surface rust everywhere (repairable enough for my current skillset), caked in mud, interior smells, steering wheel has a bend (?), previous owner cut the exhaust after the cat, dash lights do not work, missing fender flares

Good Things: Paint is in great shape, transmission shifts great, engine starts easily and runs great with no smoke, no engine/transmission leaks, all electronics work with no check engine lights. This is not my daily, so i can take my time fixing it up

About me: I have had several cars over the past 5 years, including multiple Jeeps. I have recently caught the bug of flipping cars after fixing them up, hence the several cars. Just got a new job, moved to a new town to be with my Fiance, and finally have my own garage/driveway!!! Last 2 years in a townhouse with strict HOA and 1 parking spot for a house of 4 dudes made wrenching extremely tough.

I would love to keep this 4runner, but that will be dependent on how it turns out and how much work will be needed. So far I am digging the idea of owning a 3rd gen. I am a lot closer to the beach now and would love to take it out on the sand. I like fishing and mountain bike riding, which this 4runner would be a great help with.

My daily is a 2012 Mazdaspeed3. I love it, but am scared to get it dirty. Took it to the beach last year, decided to rent a jetski on a whim with a buddy, ended up flipping the jetski and getting soaked, with no towels available and a 20 mile drive back to the house. The car hasn't smelt the same since haha.

Here are a few pictures! I am trying to document this build via video, so I am hoping to upload those as I edit them. These will be in detail with how I found the 4runner and what work I am doing to get it back to shape.

Thanks for looking!

 

[Ol School]

Welcome to T4R.ORG
Congrats on the new project and garage.
That last picture looks like Crozet?

 

[seymourless]

Welcome to T4R.ORG
Congrats on the new project and garage.
That last picture looks like Crozet?

Sure is! Was out there for a car show, as I just moved from Charlottesville.

 

[4Runner-Dan]

Looks about as good as mine! Ha. Projects are fun, though. What part of VA?

 

[seymourless]

Looks about as good as mine! Ha. Projects are fun, though. What part of VA?

Newport News, just up the road from you it looks like! Moved down here just as the colder weather came in....cannot wait for it to warm up to be outside more and explore around the area.

 

[MattJakobs]

Looks like all VA guys here haha, congrats on the score and can't wait to see what happens with it. I spend most of my time in Hatteras during the summer months, great place to go sand wheeling if you haven't already.

 

[seymourless]

Looks like all VA guys here haha, congrats on the score and can't wait to see what happens with it. I spend most of my time in Hatteras during the summer months, great place to go sand wheeling if you haven't already.

Thanks!

Just read your build thread quickly..do you get into any fishing? I would love to get mine good enough to take camping at the OBX on the weekends. Never surfed, but have never lived close enough to the ocean for it to be convenient until now.

Also, looking for junkyards in the VA beach/Peninsula area that may have parts for my 3rd gen...I need a lot haha

 

[xcmtb83]

Welcome to T4R, this is a great forum.

Enough talking, now get to resurrecting that old girl! :cheers:

 

[MattJakobs]

Thanks!

Just read your build thread quickly..do you get into any fishing? I would love to get mine good enough to take camping at the OBX on the weekends. Never surfed, but have never lived close enough to the ocean for it to be convenient until now.

Also, looking for junkyards in the VA beach/Peninsula area that may have parts for my 3rd gen...I need a lot haha

I need a lot of work too, just starting off with a long list. I do most of my fishing local, in the Lynnhaven River, Chesapeake Bay, or the ocean front at night. Camping down south is a ton of fun and usually pretty cheap, these are the perfect vehicles for that with space and convieniencr. I want to start a trailer build but that will be further down the line after I get all the 4Runner tasks finished up.

I've never actually found any 3rd gens in a junk yard locally, though I don't go to often because I haven't needed anything really to pick up. One of the better yards I've been to is off Virginia Beach Boulevard heading towards the beach, can't think of the name right now but they have a good sized yard.

 

[4Runner-Dan]

Funny you should mention junkyards, as I'm out jumping today. Just went Tubb's Used Auto Parts in Chesapeake. They have two 2wd 2000s. Fairly complete. The other place I check is Pick n Pull in VB.

 

[seymourless]

Funny you should mention junkyards, as I'm out jumping today. Just went Tubb's Used Auto Parts in Chesapeake. They have two 2wd 2000s. Fairly complete. The other place I check is Pick n Pull in VB.

Thanks! I will have to check it out once i am at a better place with my project

 

[seymourless]

So I have been working a lot on the 4runner. Every time I get busy with a project i fail to keep things updated and share them. this build, i have decided to make videos of the progress so that i can keep track and make something that is entertaining.

This is my first video, and basically looks over all the issues that I have to deal with. I am pretty deep into changing out my rear axle seal currently, so i will make a video as soon as i am done. Ill probably take some pictures as well.

Let me know what you think!

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/9Zy2E3ST21U" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

 

[seymourless]

I have been busy working on the 4runner when it is warm enough outside to be enjoyable, or at least warm enough in the garage.

The first big project has been fixing the rear axle seal leak, which means all new brake components, new seals, new fluid, and getting the bearings/seals pressed onto the axle. It has been messy so far.

All was going well, got the axles back, only to find the shop pressed the the components on too far. The abs sensor and the coupling/race/retainer that makes the contact with the inner axle seal was too close to the backplate, creating no seal at all. I had read about this, and was sure that the shop would measure before taking the old parts off...I was wrong.

I am in the middle of editing a video on the process, so stay tuned! here are some bad iphone photos on what I was going through. My hands were covered in grease from the messy job, and after some time so was my phone

BTW: Does anyone have any tips for re-installing the rear abs sensor? It has been the most stubborn aspect of the job so far :frusty:

 

[seymourless]

Here is part one of the rear axle seal leak fix. Big thanks to the thread by bigfishallday!

I went through this process with not much focus on the alignment of the bearing retainer to create the seal needed. Hopefully someone watches this video and does not have to deal with the disappointment of a poor shop install of the bearing and other machine pressed equipment.

Anyone have any tips for re-installing the abs sensor? Mine will not press back into the axle housing correctly

I tried to film this from the perspective of someone performing this job for the first time, which it was my first. Let me know what you think!

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/IBxMHNyOPxY" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

 

[repo]

You got Australian ties by any chance?

 

[mycocobean]

Love the videos! Definitely a good resource for anyone else with a leak

 

[seymourless]

You got Australian ties by any chance?

Sure do! I was born and raised in Perth, WA. I've been in the U.S. for just over half my life now.

Love the videos! Definitely a good resource for anyone else with a leak

Thanks! The job was lengthy, but not super tough by any means. I had never replaced drum brakes either, which turned out to be fairly easy as well on the 4Runner. I'll be sure to post videos of that process and put the axle and seals back in soon.

 

[repo]

Sure do! I was born and raised in Perth, WA. I've been in the U.S. for just over half my life now.

Cool. I wondered about the bogan plate on the mazda. Spent half my life in the UK so seen my fair share of Australian TV ha :yo:

This will be interesting to follow. When I see some of these cars I wonder who the hell are these people who manage to mess up interiors like this.

 

[seymourless]

Cool. I wondered about the bogan plate on the mazda. Spent half my life in the UK so seen my fair share of Australian TV ha :yo:

This will be interesting to follow. When I see some of these cars I wonder who the hell are these people who manage to mess up interiors like this.

Haha yea I would not be caught dead with the BOGAN plates in Australia, but for over here I think it is a good joke.

Yea the kid before me had a learning disability and got in trouble with the law apparently, so his dad sold it over to me. Pretty much neglected the 4runner, but I figured its worth a shot with the lower miles. I believe he owned the 4runner for less than a year. The interior needs some love, and I can wait to fix it up, but only after I make sure it has a lot more life yet mechanically. So far so good, just need to run a compression test.

 

[Salman]

Welcome

Welcome to T4R.org. Nice to see another member from VA. Nice videos keep them coming...