Tales of the Silver Beast: Bluesky 07's Long Overdue Build Thread

[Bluesky 07]

Okay, I admit it: I’m OCD about my truck, today’s activity being the proof. I recently saw a post where one of the pics revealed that the DAC button on the console is supposed to light up. My DAC button did not light up, but it does now.

Replacing the little lightbulb (~$4 from Cobb County Toyota’s online parts store) is an easy 5-minute job, you just pull the shifter trim, unplug and remove the DAC switch, and use a small flat-head screwdriver to turn the bulb 1/4 so it comes out. Replace bulb & follow steps in reverse order. Lit!

 

[Bluesky 07]

Had my fuel sending unit replaced and did the fuel pump for good measure while the tank was out. The video at the end of this post by someone named Rick S. provides an impressively detailed analysis of the issue, the short version being that I recognized a number of the symptoms described have been going on with my truck for years. Recently it started reading 1/4 tank low all the time. I'm keeping this truck forever so I fixed it and wanted to provide some pics and info.

For reference, my 4R is an '07 V6 with ~228K miles.

Cost: Parts ~$283 | Labor $393 with 10% veteran discount makes the total ~$676. Yeah, a lot of money, but probably about a month's car payment on a new vehicle so there's that. Someone comfortable doing the job themselves could do it for about $250 worth of parts (fuel pump kit, fuel sending unit, and the housing with the filter media and even that's kind of optional).

Chokes me to pay the labor but after consideration of the job itself and other things going on, it was worth it.

Parts list. OEM items are from Cobb County Toyota's online store.
8332060440 $ 95.70 GAGE ASSEMBLY, FUEL SENDER
2330050120 $ 37.97 Fuel Filter << This is the housing w/filter media in it
7714435010 $ 33.59 Fuel Tank Lock Ring << Didn't necessarily need
7716904050 $ 6.34 Fuel Pump Tank Seal << Gasket
Denso fuel pump & mounting kit - ~$109 from Amazon

Here's a comparison of the fuel sending units and the problem is obvious - the "track" where the end of the float arm moves gets worn away over time.

Old:

New:

Interestingly, the 4th Gen fuel filter has two components. There's the strainer, which I have to say looked pretty clean for the age and mileage.

Old:

New:

Then the housing itself has filter media inside, visible through the hose connections in this pic of the new one. I unfortunately couldn't get a pic of the old one but it was nearly black.

Here's the video by Rick S. Worth watching if you're having these issues or just want a very thorough understanding of the fuel sending unit and how it works.

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[aemravan]

I actually came across your video on youtube late last week when I was having funky fuel level indicator issues on mine.

The under-hood work light is genius, i love it!

 

[Bluesky 07]

I actually came across your video on youtube late last week when I was having funky fuel level indicator issues on mine.

The under-hood work light is genius, i love it!

Actually the video is someone else's, I regret not being more clear about that. I'm changing my post to be sure that person gets the credit.

Thanks about the engine bay light. By coincidence, the first trip I took after installing it involved gassing up at 6am at a Sam's where they hadn't even turned on the fuel station lights yet and I needed to check my oil. It was golden.

 

[Bluesky 07]

Just got back from driving all 469 miles of the Blue Ridge Parkway plus Skyline Drive in Shenandoah NP. Loved it but will say that 90% of the Parkway’s “wow moments” are in North Carolina. Aside from a few interesting stops and overlooks, the stretch through Virginia looks like the rural Georgia roads I drive every day.

 

[Hi-desertT4R]

Just got back from driving all 469 miles of the Blue Ridge Parkway plus Skyline Drive in Shenandoah NP. Loved it but will say that 90% of the Parkway’s “wow moments” are in North Carolina. Aside from a few interesting stops and overlooks, the stretch through Virginia looks like the rural Georgia roads I drive every day.

Wow that’s some beautiful country out there. Looks amazing. Vastly different than the desert I’m in.

 

[Bluesky 07]

Ordered a bunch of parts to take advantage of Black Friday discounts:

- 1A Auto LCAs ($206.65 shipped)

- Eibach front shocks ($236.30 shipped). I already have the springs and recently did the rear shocks/springs so this will complete my transition from a 3rd Gen Tacoma suspension to Eibach.

- OEM brakes front and rear (list below). I've had the PowerStop Z36 kit for several years and many, many miles but couldn't pass on a full OEM set for less than the PowerStop kit.

049450C030 1 $ 15.30 SHIM KIT, ANTI SQUEAL, FRONT
0494630100 1 $ 15.30 SHIM KIT, ANTI SQUEAL(FOR REAR DISC BRAKE)
0446660090 1 $ 44.37 Disc Brake Pad Set (Rear)
04465AZ200 1 $ 38.76 Disc Brake Pad Set (Front)
4351260151 2 $ 52.75 Disc Brake Rotor (Front)
4243160201 2 $ 67.21 Disc Brake Rotor (Rear)
------------------------------------------------------------
$353.65 plus $21.22 tax = $374.87 picked up (but shipping would have been free anyway)

 

[Bluesky 07]

Front End Suspension Refresh

Finished my front suspension refresh with TRQ/1A Auto sway bar links. They look pretty solid. OEM on the left, new ones on the right:

Installation tip: 1A Auto has a nice video but they don't mention that the bolt ends will take a 6mm Allen wrench. If you have a ratcheting flat wrench, using an Allen wrench to keep the bolt from spinning is much easier than holding the bolt on the other side of the mount. That applies to removal and installation (the OEM bolts have the Allen wrench opening too). Also, spec is 52 ft lbs but I couldn't get the wrench to click. Settled for TAGN (That Ain't Goin' Nowhere).

My front end now consists of:
UCAs - 2020 Tacoma TRD Offroad
LCAs & sway bar links - TRQ/1A Auto
Coilovers - Eibach

Ride and handling are hands down the best since I bought the truck in 2014.

Next up:
OEM brakes all around
SS brake lines
Radiator, water pump, thermostat (ordered those today)

 

[Bluesky 07]

Just a note about my Michelin LTX AT2 tires. Michelin has a reputation for long tread life; I had my tires off over the weekend and got this pic showing the remaining tread vs. the wear indicators. These tires were installed in June 2020 and currently have 54,629 miles.

 

[Bluesky 07]

I replaced all 6 brake hoses with stainless steel. Used Stoptech front & rear and 20” Trail Gear for the two rear center lines. Here are some notes that may be helpful to anyone taking this on.

- First, shoutout to [MENTION=3312]tv4184[/MENTION] for the brilliant idea of removing the brackets and old hoses so you can swap them out on your workbench. The definition of working smarter, not harder, especially b/c the Trail Gear hoses differ from the OEM style. You have to fit a c-ring on one side so the OEM clip can secure the fitting to the bracket. I can’t imagine trying to do that under the truck.

Ready to reinstall.

- Stoptech provides caps for the ends of the hard lines but they were useless since the opening was way too small to go over the flared end. Luckily, these caulk tube sealers worked. They’re designed to roll down onto the tip of a caulk tube like a condom. They popped right on and prevented fluid drips even without having to unroll them.

- If I had a do-over, I wouldn’t buy Stoptech or the 20” Trail Gear hoses. One of the Stoptech hoses was really tough to get seated. Drip, drip, drip until I finally got it right and tight. Then the rear lines had L & R stickers on them. My assumption is that L = driver’s side, right? Either they don’t see it that way or the stickers were just reversed. That was annoying.

No issues with the center hoses, I would just buy 16” lengths next time b/c my truck is only mildly lifted so they’re on the long side. BTW, I somehow ended up with 2 sets of those so I’ll be listing the unopened surplus set for sale.

- Once the spare is removed and the rear end on jackstands, you can do the center hoses and both rear hoses without removing the wheels.

Bleeding was no issue. Maybe I’m wrong but there seems to be a lot of angst over bleeding b/c of the ABS and such. Not saying it isn’t a challenge but my understanding is that you only need the simple front/rear line procedure unless you replace one of the major components.

Brake pedal travel and feel didn’t change much but the same effort yields a quicker and firmer response.

 

[zguy1]

Nice upgrade! I heard the same thing about GM vehicles when bleeding brakes after getting air in the system. "You are going to need a GM Tech 2", they said. I never had an issue using traditional methods for bleeding after replacing calipers or lines. Maybe it is only for other components like the master cylinder, etc.

Btw, nice use of those caulk caps. Gives me a reason to buy some over using a nail to seal off my caulk tubes temporarily lol.

 

[Bluesky 07]

Finally got the HD Radio feature of my Pioneer AVH-2550 HU working properly by installing a BOSS Audio Systems MRANT10 Weatherproof Marine Dipole Hideaway Antenna,Black from Amazon. The radio reception had been awful, even driving down around Atlanta (I live 60 miles north). Granted, I missed connecting a blue wire when I did the install which I think powers the antenna inlaid in the rear side glass, so that likely prevented me from getting the full benefit of the OEM antenna (though I did buy a splitter so both plugs were used). In any case, after plugging the new one in, I got digital connections to all my stations inside my garage so for ~$8, I'm happy.

 

[riceandpho]

i would suggest you wire the factory power antenna to the acc wire, so on your aftermarket harness, the blue wire goes to the red wire, leave the pioneer blue/white wire for aftermarket amps.

Finally got the HD Radio feature of my Pioneer AVH-2550 HU working properly by installing a BOSS Audio Systems MRANT10 Weatherproof Marine Dipole Hideaway Antenna,Black from Amazon. The radio reception had been awful, even driving down around Atlanta (I live 60 miles north). Granted, I missed connecting a blue wire when I did the install which I think powers the antenna inlaid in the rear side glass, so that likely prevented me from getting the full benefit of the OEM antenna (though I did buy a splitter so both plugs were used). In any case, after plugging the new one in, I got digital connections to all my stations inside my garage so for ~$8, I'm happy.

 

[Bluesky 07]

[MENTION=5149]riceandpho[/MENTION] I went with the wire antenna in part b/c people have complained about poor reception from the inlaid antennae in the glass. I live in hilly terrain a ways from these stations so this worked out well.

 

[riceandpho]

[MENTION=5149]riceandpho[/MENTION] I went with the wire antenna in part b/c people have complained about poor reception from the inlaid antennae in the glass. I live in hilly terrain a ways from these stations so this worked out well.

im talking about the trigger wire, the blue/white from the radio is kinda on the weak side, thats why i suggest you to use the red acc to trigger the blue wire on the harness. have you tried it without the extra antenna you bought? also metallic window tint do affect some reception, thats why we pay more for ceramic tint.

 

[Bluesky 07]

im talking about the trigger wire, the blue/white from the radio is kinda on the weak side, thats why i suggest you to use the red acc to trigger the blue wire on the harness. have you tried it without the extra antenna you bought? also metallic window tint do affect some reception, thats why we pay more for ceramic tint.

Got it. I'll try that b/c as I noted in the "What Did You Do..." thread, my solution proved to only work in the garage with the key in the ACC position.

 

[riceandpho]

Got it. I'll try that b/c as I noted in the "What Did You Do..." thread, my solution proved to only work in the garage with the key in the ACC position.

yeap, seems like you missed that trigger wire to power on the amplifier.

once you get that straighten out, it should work as normal, but that external antenna seems kind of cool for me, I can use that to put some old radios to work if I decide to build a cooler boom box or something.

 

[Shank2015]

Good looking build. Do you daily drive this? I have yet to drive a 4th gen but want to.

 

[Bluesky 07]

Good looking build. Do you daily drive this? I have yet to drive a 4th gen but want to.

Thanks, I appreciate it. Yes, it's been my DD since I bought it in 2014 with ~96K miles. Best vehicle mechanically, and my favorite too, of any I have owned.

 

[Konvik808]

Hi OP: I really appreciate all the detail that goes into your post. It's really informative and helpful (especially since I only just started modifying my 05 4Runner this year (after being the original owner the whole time). I have a random coil spring question for you (and feel free to ignore me). I'm trying to find out the original height of my stock rear springs on my 05 2WD 4Runner and I can't seem to find that info anywhere. (And searching "height rear coil springs" is what led me to your post). Any ideas how I can find that info? I'm sure they've sagged significantly after 19 years. The issue I'm having is that I swapped my shocks to Bilstein 5100s, but even with the front 5100s at the lowest setting, I'm getting a bit of that rear sag look. I'd like to swap out my rear springs for say ICONs but can't figure out whether to go with the 2" or 3" lift because I can't figure out the stock spring height to determine the drop/sag I currently have. Appreciate any info you could share. Thanks.