New Member with a few Qs

[diaz7412]

I don't have any experience with 4Runners (looking to buy one this week) BUT I can only offer what I learned from an experience I had last summer. I bought a 1948 Chrysler Windsor and completely redid or replace EVERYTHING. All gaskets, all brake lines, fuel lines, wires, tires, weather stripping...everything. Only thing I didn't replace was the coil. No idea why I didn't put the new one in (maybe I was breathing too many fumes) but it ran great with the old one....till I was taking a friend on his first ride in it and it didn't. Car just completely shut off in the middle of an intersection. I pushed it to the side of the road, towed it home..replaced the coil and it fired right up. Never had another problem with the car till I sold it. Plus...the peace of mind knowing it had all new parts was worth more than anything. If this is going to be a once in a lifetime trip (which for many of us it would be) why risk it.....I'd say get it replaced so when the time comes to hit the road, you'll never have worry about the gasket.

I just got a 4runner, and I'll probably end up replacing everything for the peace of mind. Thanks for sharing!

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

 

[s_hall42]

i am new as well. sorry if this not the place to post this. but i have a question as well. looking for help as on abs unit. someone pm me

 

[Shpakproof]

A few bugs I want to get cleared up

Please point me in the right direction.
I have a 93 4Runner v6 3.0l automatic. Front end is vacuum actuated.
Issue 1-

I swapped transmissions and transfer cases as a whole a while back. Tranny was the exact same, same shifter same plug, everything seems to shift, reverse lights work, I do have the o/d light flashing but I figure that isn't that big of a deal has never affected proformance, have drove this way for about 40,000km or so.
Alright so the problem lies with the transfer cases. I don't have the existing one anymore, and I can tell you there was a substantial difference, . The transfer case that was originally in the vehicle had a sliding shifter, push button on top and slide into 4wd, n, 4lo.
The new one that is in there has the mechanical shifter coming right out of transfer case and directly stick shifts into 4hi, n, 4lo.
My problem lies within being able to activate the 4wd.
Right now I pull transfer case into 4hi and there is nothing hooked up wiring wise to tell the vehicle to turn on the vacuum control system to lock in the front end.
Now there are 2 wires coming off transfer case behind the stick shifter that are not hooked up to anything as there is nothing on vehicle iharness in that area to plug into. There are also 2 wires from vehicle harness that are just sitting there not plugged into anywhere on current transmission or transfer case and I am only supposing one may be the 4wd switch. Though I have tried jumping them with key on to see if I could hear actuator kicking in with the jumping of wires. No prevail.
So my question is, does anyone know the easiest way to have 4wd? Do I just wire in a 12v switch to turn on the vaccuum valve that engages the 4wd fork in the front end?
Or do I try and hook the proper wires up together under vehicle so the transfer case is the switch like proper? If I was educated on what wires are used.
Suggestions on this issue is what I need the most.

Issue #2-
Rear brakes.
Right now I have none, they are plugged off at front end by passenger front tire. They are leaking from above the gas tank. Both ruptured at once. Right now I just use the front brakes (I should do a good burnout video) lol.
It is not a daily driver I use it to go out into the bush camping and now want to use it for hunting this year and keep the kids warm.
My question about the brakes is; out of the 2 lines that run along frame and the dissappear above fuel tank and the re appear by the rear end, which one ties into which one?
I mean along the frame they run side by side , so call them passenger and driver side brake lines. And then in the back end there is an upper and lower brake cylinder type hookup that they tie into, and without taking the tank down I would like to re-route new brake lines and get them hooked up to proper side of the vehicle.

No where have I been able to find out what I want to know on either issue.
I hope I have been informative enough for someone to give me an educated response. To find someone with knowledge on these things is hard enough, the Toyota dealership can't figure out why I want to fix this thing and told me to come in and buy a new one.
So I am hoping on some advice! Anything would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks!

 

[Shpakproof]

I now understand I'm posting in wrong section, but I am also a new member with a few Q's.
So sorry.
Please re direct me!

 

[cjdewese]

man that trip sounds amazing. Make sure to create a thread and bring us along as you go through it.

 

[Beebs]

For tires I'd recommend Goodyear Silent Armors. I've used them for many Colorado winters to get up to the ski hills and they're awesome on snow and ice. Also great and quiet on road performance.

 

[Ozsomeness]

Hi *everyone, Im new and was just wanting alittle help. I have a 2001 4 runneer, 3.4 v6..I am.wanting to change all pulleys and tensioners since I will be having the water pump done this weekend..how many does it have? Does it have 3 pulleys and 1 tensioner? I'm not a mechanic but I'm learning little by little

 

[Newconvert]

That sounds like an awesome trip, Hope you get all your issues sorted.

 

[T4RGrocerygetter]

Thanks for the replies and suggestions everyone. I’ve decided to hold off on replacing the head gasket atleast until more fatal signs start to show up. As of now I’m just being paranoid and the only symptom I have noticed is ~1/5th of a liter of coolant was lost over the last 7 or 8 months/8k Miles.

Although I will be driving in some cold, desolate parts of the US, it just doesn’t seem like a feasible repair considering the vehicle hasn’t been overheating or showing any symptoms aside from the small amount of coolant lost. I guess we’ll see how she’s running when I get closer to my departure date.

Any mechanics in the Albany, Ny area want to through some quotes out there?

I can assure you there will be plenty of pics taken while on my excursion.

 

[6uam671_T4R]

If the head gasket goes in a remote area, you'll surely be kicking yourself in the a$$. But hey, go for it! We'll be waiting to here how it goes. Good luck and be safe!

 

[hungryjack]

Good luck

Sounds fun!

 

[Overlanding99]

So after making as many posts that seemed atleast somewhat insightful, here goes,

I am new to the forum. A few months ago, after years of searching I finally pulled the trigger on an 05 Sr5 with 120k.

This December I will be taking 1-2 months to myself to explore the U.S. (and some of British Columbia) with my 4Runner. My goal is to visit as many ski resorts as possible in CO, MT, UT, WA, CA, OR, and British Columbia. All in all, there and back, it will be close to a 10,000 mile trip.

I have done some research and I came to the conclusion that with proper preparation it is possible to do. I will be doing the water pump, serp belt,changing all fluids, new tires, brakes, plugs, and inspecting other components as I near my departure sometime at the end of December.

My one main concern is my head gasket. It hasn't over heated, but the coolant level drops a tad over a period of 2-3 months. There is no rough idle yet but there is the occasional faint white smoke. I pulled the plugs and #6 plug had what appeared to be coolant deposits. There are no signs of external leaking so I am assuming it's a head gasket.

My questions are:

Is it worth getting the job done or do I risk doing the trip with the possibility that it might fail while thousands of miles away from home?

Any ideas on a good tire that'll be okay on the highway and perform well in snow and ice?

Is there anything in particular I should be replacing/checking in order to have a safe and sound vehicle for the trip?

Am I off my rocker thinking I can do this in a vehicle with so many miles?

Any input would be appreciated.

I have some answers for you-

1- when you go up elevations, there is a ton of stress on everything so what does that mean, everything needs to be in tip-top shape at the start of the trip and not on the side of the road while you're being stared down by a bear in the middle of nowhere (I know thats an over exaggeration)

2- If you don't know what tire to get, because we all know there are so many choices, always look towards an All Terrain tire, for instance the BFGoodrich A/T KO2 tire.

3- what you need to check the shocks, all the fuel lines and pump, all the brake lines and brakes in general, obviously all fluids, all suspension bushings, all hoses from radiator, alternator, and connections to the battery.

4- Hold on, did you say 125k miles. I just moved and drove from North Carolina to Montana in a '99 4runner with 280k miles towing a car behind it. With a 125k you can do anything