The Grocery Getter: Mrs. Bigfish's 2008 Sport Edition V6 4wd

[BigFishAllDay]

I also appreciate how easy it is to change the oil on my 2008. Toyota did their homework on that design. However, on the current generation 1GR they went the other way and made it a pain in the ass again by relocating the oil filter down low in front of the engine and changed it to a cartridge type. You now have to remove the skid plate every time you change it unless you get a aftermarket skid plate (RCI) with a filter door like I did.

34 extra horses and dual VVTI don't come free, you know.

 

[RioRunner]

It's good to see some other New Mexico locals on here! I don't come across many. I'll have to keep an eye out for the Grocery Getter while driving around town!

 

[BigFishAllDay]

Extended rear bump stops...

I got to work on some extended rear bump stops this weekend. The material list for the extensions was simple... about a foot of 2 x 2 x 0.125 wall square tubing and about 4" of 0.5 x 0.125 strap. I used a 3/8" bit for the smaller holes and a 1.25" hole saw to cut the access hole for the bump stop stud.

The stops are Daystar KU09014BK, 3 inches tall.

Daystar KU09014BK Wide Single Stud Bump Stops. Daystar Suspension Parts

A small piece of 1/2" strap was welded across the end of each extension to prevent the stops from rotating.

Access to easily torque the nut on the bump stop stud.

Centerline of the new bumps is offset ~1/2" rearward to account for the arc of the axle swing. I was going for 3/4" (same as Toytec/MT offerings), but my measurements were a bit off. Regardless, they should work fine and if not I can always slot the mounting holes. I considered purchasing commercially made extensions, but both offerings re-use the hard factory stops.

Compared to stock...

 

[BigFishAllDay]

I installed the rear bumps the other day and everything looks good.

Stock... look at that little thing...

Much better...

I also got the engine aprons installed. I went with Toyota parts on these. The part numbers are as follows:

53735-35150 Front shield, Right
53736-35150 Front shield, Left
53886-35020 Rear shield Left / Right x 2

I wish I had done a little more research prior to purchasing the Toyota parts, because it seems like I could have saved a little money. There is a good thread posted here on the forum that has a link to a pdf containing templates for cutting your own aprons out of your choice of rubber. I probably wouldn't have gone to all that trouble, but I also found a vendor selling pre-cut sets for $50 made of 1/8" rubber (they can do body lifts too). Either way would have saved a few bucks... here are the links:

http://www.toyota-4runner.org/4th-gen-t4rs/198245-pdfs-4th-gen-fender-liners.html

https://www.radrubberdesign.com/store.html

Before, with all the guts showing...

After, nice clean fenderwell...

I made some templates for myself prior to install, of course...

Also, I found that the rear aprons didn't fit very well and required a second set of holes for the two lowest rearward clips. With the clips placed in the new holes they lay flush against the frame / body.

Also, we put the new suspension on dirt for the first time. It felt good out there, but the sunroof rattle is driving me nuts. We had planned to do run some fairly difficult trails, but they were all closed, so the trip became more of a scenic cruise with a little 4wd action on some side roads.

 

[gm350reratliff]

That sunroof rattle drove me nuts too. There were 3 different rattles on mine. One of them was the rear of the sun shade flopping up and down on the headliner. I fixed it by stuffing a piece of foam between the head liner and sunshade. It's ghetto but effective. Another rattle was coming from the sunroof linkages. They are nice and tight when you first close it but then they relax a little and that rattle starts. I fixed that by removing the little black plastic covers on each side of the sunroof opening, then getting a good close on the sunroof, and finally by inserting some rubber shock bushings (the rubber ones are softer than the urethane bushings which is what you want) between the glass and sunroof rails, shim it tight by using some washers on the bottom side. The third and final rattle was from the sunroof frame where it attaches to the body. Surprisingly, the rear nuts were really loose, like never even hand tight. Another surprise was there was a lot of metal shavings on the driver side just laying on the headliner. Most of the shavings were aluminum so they had to off come from the sunroof assembly but I couldn't tell where they came from. My sunroof works great and we hardly ever used it, owned it since 2008, and nobody has ever worked on it.

Anyway, the dreaded sunroof rattle is about 98% cured. I still get some rattling from the sunroof mechanism ( fix #2) but I'm afraid to put too much pressure on the glass itself so I consider it good enough.

 

[BigFishAllDay]

Plugs, PCV, and Fog Light Mod

The '08 got a new set of plugs today. I went with the Denso variant (K20HR-U11) over the NGK. I'm convinced that the plugs I removed were the factory installed originals. I could find no record of the plugs being changed in the maintenance records, and there were Denso plugs in the right bank and NGKs in the left (which I'd guess is due to different assembly lines for each cylinder head?). Either way, they were well worn, with gaps from .070 to .073. The NGKs were definitely harder to remove from the head, and were a bit stuck after 135K miles... the Densos spun out easily.

The new plugs got a thin coat of Permatex Aluminum Anti-Seize lube on the threads and were torqued to 11 ft/lbs. Factory spec for the plugs is 14, but I backed it off a bit due to the anti-seize, and they felt plenty tight at 11. The coil pack mounting bolts were torqued to 7 ft/lbs. per spec.

90919-01235 Spark plug x 6 (Denso K20HR-U11)

Old:

New (.039 to .043 is spec)

Old plugs photographed in the orientation in which they lived in the engine. Top of photo is front of vehicle.

Left bank:

Right bank:

I also swapped in a new PCV valve while I was there. The old one still rattled but was a little sticky/oily compared to the new valve. I figured for $5, why not. I measured the threads on the PCV valve and they are indeed tapered threads, which lines up with the info I found in searches. I torqued the new valve conservatively at 15 ft/lbs due to the fact I could not find a factory spec in the FSM.

12204-31030 PCV valve

Last but not least I did the "Anytime Fog Light" mod... the fogs can now be operated anytime the vehicle ignition is on. The mod is pretty simple, just a couple jumpers added to the factory wiring.

Fogs alone:

Fogs and lows (the only stock option):

Fogs and highs:

Links I found helpful for the work above:

http://www.ezdries.net/Vidpics/4Run...e Specifications/1GR-FE Ignition/00301810.pdf

Toyota Tacoma PCV Valve Replacement Guide - 2005 To 2015 Model Years - 1GR-FE 4.0L V6 Engine - Picture Illustrated Automotive Maintenance DIY Instructions

Toyota 4Runner Independent use of Fog Light Mod

 

[BigFishAllDay]

It's good to see some other New Mexico locals on here! I don't come across many. I'll have to keep an eye out for the Grocery Getter while driving around town!

Definitely. Considering how many modified 4Runners I see around town, I would say NM is under represented here on the Forum. Honk if you spot us, and I'll do the same.

That sunroof rattle drove me nuts too. There were 3 different rattles on mine. One of them was the rear of the sun shade flopping up and down on the headliner. I fixed it by stuffing a piece of foam between the head liner and sunshade. It's ghetto but effective. Another rattle was coming from the sunroof linkages. They are nice and tight when you first close it but then they relax a little and that rattle starts. I fixed that by removing the little black plastic covers on each side of the sunroof opening, then getting a good close on the sunroof, and finally by inserting some rubber shock bushings (the rubber ones are softer than the urethane bushings which is what you want) between the glass and sunroof rails, shim it tight by using some washers on the bottom side. The third and final rattle was from the sunroof frame where it attaches to the body. Surprisingly, the rear nuts were really loose, like never even hand tight. Another surprise was there was a lot of metal shavings on the driver side just laying on the headliner. Most of the shavings were aluminum so they had to off come from the sunroof assembly but I couldn't tell where they came from. My sunroof works great and we hardly ever used it, owned it since 2008, and nobody has ever worked on it.

Anyway, the dreaded sunroof rattle is about 98% cured. I still get some rattling from the sunroof mechanism ( fix #2) but I'm afraid to put too much pressure on the glass itself so I consider it good enough.

Thanks for the tips, Ron. Am I reading things right in that the fixes you have put in place prevent you from opening/closing/normally using the sunroof?

I'll keep your info in mind when I eventually dig into fixing the rattle.

 

[gm350reratliff]

Definitely. Considering how many modified 4Runners I see around town, I would say NM is under represented here on the Forum. Honk if you spot us, and I'll do the same.



Thanks for the tips, Ron. Am I reading things right in that the fixes you have put in place prevent you from opening/closing/normally using the sunroof?

I'll keep your info in mind when I eventually dig into fixing the rattle.

Yes, with the rubber bushings in place, you can't open the sunroof but they're easily removable, then the sunroof is fully operational.

 

[Dirtco]

Nice to see you giving the "Grocery Getter" some love! Looks like a nice family vehicle.

 

[boostedka]

Thanks for posting up the links to your resources. I ended up getting a set of the engine aprons from Rad Rubber. They fit great and are about 3-4 times thicker than the OEM aprons.

 

[BigFishAllDay]

My wife has always liked the LED dome lights in my 3rd gen, and with all the interior lighting in the 4th gen, it seemed like a natural choice to give LEDs a try.

Parts list:

VANITY_2_W_5K - VLEDs Vanity Bulbs x 2
74_3_W_5K - VLEDs Glove Box Bulb
194_4_RB_5K_LL-CO - VLEDs License Plate Bulb x 2
Yorkim T10 194 Bulbs x 6 (Map Lights, Door Lights)
Ebay 48 SMD LED Panels w/adapters x 2 (Dome Lights)

Door lights before and after...

Old and new map lights...

Old and new vanity lights... these may be a little too bright. I found them blinding when used in the dark, but wifey gets the final vote being that she's the only user.

New glove box bulb, no before/after shots...

New license plate bulbs... these may be too bright as well.

New dome lights, 48 LED panels w/adapter bases. These are keepers. They light up the cabin/cargo area very well.

 

[BigFishAllDay]

The modified headlights were vetoed, so I polished up the stock set and re-installed them.

The fog lights got yellow Lamin-X covers to add some visual interest to the front end. We don't get much fog in NM, but we get some good snowstorms, and I'm curious to see if the yellow light is more useful when driving in heavy snowfall.

While messing with the LEDs, I ran down the battery. Apparently 4th gens are sensitive to voltage drops, because all kinds of funky sh*t started happening when the battery ran down. The radio would turn on and off when I switched on the lights, the rear wiper became possessed, and the dash lights were blinking like a Christmas tree. Initially I thought I'd royally screwed up on the "anytime fog light" mod, but then I thought to check the battery voltage. It was at 10.2V. I put the battery on a charger for an hour and everything went back to normal, but the battery wouldn't hold a charge. After a full night on the charger it only gave me one start, then nothing but a clicking starter solenoid.

I considered replacing it with a high end AGM battery like I run in my own vehicles, but that would be overkill for this vehicle. So, I ran down to Costco and picked up another Interstate Group 24F for $90 out the door. Per my local Toyota dealer parts man, Interstate manufactures the TrueStart OEM batteries for Toyota. The Toyota branded battery was $105, so I figured I'd save the $15 and get the same thing with an Interstate label.

The MAF sensor was pulled to check it's condition, and I found it fairly dirty, so it got a cleaning.

To go along with the freshly cleaned MAF sensor, I shot a dose of injector cleaner in the tank at the next fill up.

The center section of the grille had a few busted mounts, so I fixed them.

Finally, while checking for loose ends I found the power steering reservoir had pinkish / amber fluid in it, suggesting power steering fluid in the system versus straight Dex3 ATF. I found a maintenance record showing the last PS flush around 50K, so I went ahead flushed it with fresh Dex3 ATF per the manual/PS reservoir cap.

The friendly neighborhood roadrunner came by to check my work on the PS system...

Last, some parting shots of the front end with the freshened up stock headlights and yellow fogs...

This 4Runner is really getting dialed in. It runs like a top, and has a good baseline for future maintenance. I still have a few fluid changes to go (brake, trans, coolant), and maybe I'll install a new serpentine belt as preventive maintenance (the current belt looks good, though).

A few links that I found helpful for the last bit of work:

http://www.toyota-4runner.org/4th-gen-t4rs/219646-diy-power-steering-flush-4th-gen-specific.html

Power steering flush video > https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u-lrcKABxAQ

Lamin-X film install video (it really is this easy / simple) > https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bony6RbfCt0

and of course, JA's LED interior page...

Toyota 4Runner Interior 5k LED Lighting Conversion

 

[BigFishAllDay]

Nice to see you giving the "Grocery Getter" some love! Looks like a nice family vehicle.

The 4th gen platform has really grown on me, Jeremiah. I think I will always prefer the 3rd gen for trail work but for daily driving / road tripping, especially with kiddos, the 4th gen is a much more comfortable vehicle.

I probably won't get to do anything too serious with this one, but tinkering around with all the maintenance items helps take my mind off more stressful matters.

Thanks for posting up the links to your resources. I ended up getting a set of the engine aprons from Rad Rubber. They fit great and are about 3-4 times thicker than the OEM aprons.

No problem. Thanks for the review on those aprons.

 

[4Running Daily]

Looks great dude!

 

[BigFishAllDay]

Looks great dude!

Thanks, Connor. I've been scanning threads on TW lately and saw you posting some nice front end parts for sale here and there. I was wondering what you were up to until I saw a post somewhere about your new front UCA/spindle setup. I've never seen anything like that before. You should update your build here with some details.

EDIT > I just checked your build and didn't realize you'd posted anything about the setup here on T4R.

 

[JustinCG]

I replaced most of my interior bulbs with the VLED's as well. including my license plate and reverse bulbs. I didn't have that voltage issue. I still have to get the Door bulbs replaced. Do you think its from the other brands you bought that could be causing that issue? I have no problems with the VLEDS and plan on purchasing the door lights from them as well.

 

[BigFishAllDay]

I replaced most of my interior bulbs with the VLED's as well. including my license plate and reverse bulbs. I didn't have that voltage issue. I still have to get the Door bulbs replaced. Do you think its from the other brands you bought that could be causing that issue? I have no problems with the VLEDS and plan on purchasing the door lights from them as well.

The issue with the low battery voltage was not at all related to the LEDs themselves.

The problem was that the previous battery was going on 6 years old, spent 5 years in the blistering summer heat of Phoenix, and that my wife and daughter spent 25 minutes the prior day sitting in the vehicle listening to the radio. Then I had the lights on for 30 minutes to adjust the low beams, test the leds, take pictures, etc. The vehicle sees mostly short trips as well, so the battery rarely has a chance to fully recharge. All those things factored into the battery reaching its end of life. I simply ran it down too far and couldn't bring the charge back up.

After a brief period on the battery charger, all the issues were gone. The battery would take a charge, but would not hold it, so I replaced it with a new one.

 

[adkfinn]

Nice truck. Since you are on the LED train already and it looks like one of your marker/running lights is out I would suggest these: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B018GYMOZ0/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1


I have been running them for a few months, they are nice, true amber, and definitely brighter than stock.

 

[fayewong]

Today I took care of more maintenance. Oil changes on the 1GR are ridiculously easy. :banana:

This oil filter location and the oil catch are genius. A 32oz Gatorade bottle is a perfect fit for catching old oil from the filter via the drain nipple. Pouring in the new oil was a breeze too, thanks to the extended filler neck. I wish the 5VZ had these features.

Strange question to ask, but I always wonder why do people buy non-oem wiper blades for about $20 each when they could use stock blades and swap the rubber inserts out for $10 each from the dealership? Stock rubbers sometimes last longer than third party wiper blades.

I recently swapped my blades out for Lexus blades. feels more luxurious and a gives me a piece of mind that i save $20 each time I swap the inserts.

 

[BigFishAllDay]

Nice truck. Since you are on the LED train already and it looks like one of your marker/running lights is out I would suggest these:

I have been running them for a few months, they are nice, true amber, and definitely brighter than stock.

Thanks for the recommendation on the LED bulbs. Those do look like a good option. I'm still trying to figure out which picture you are looking at where the marker light is out. In the last two pictures of the front end that I posted it looks like the PS running light/blinker is out (maybe that is what you meant), but I checked and they are both functional (bright lighting on the PS front corner in the photo made it look like it was out I guess). However, the DS marker light is definitely out, so thanks for giving me a reason to take a look.

I appreciate you checking out the thread.

Strange question to ask, but I always wonder why do people buy non-oem wiper blades for about $20 each when they could use stock blades and swap the rubber inserts out for $10 each from the dealership? Stock rubbers sometimes last longer than third party wiper blades.

I recently swapped my blades out for Lexus blades. feels more luxurious and a gives me a piece of mind that i save $20 each time I swap the inserts.

The Bosch blades were $16 each at Wal-Mart. The best price I could find on OEM blades was $20 & $19 for L+R respectively through Camelback Toyota Parts.

You are correct that after installing OEM blades, one could simply replace the rubber inserts at $6/$4 for L+R, but then over time I'd still be left with a faded/oxidized, worn out looking wiper frame (the sun is hard on the paint here in the SW). The windshield wipers are something that I have to look at all the time, so when the finish on the frame starts to go, it bugs me. Taking the time to disassemble and paint the frame just isn't worth it. I'd rather spend the extra $20 and do a 30 second swap per side to a fresh part.

All that being said, if I'm replacing the whole blade anyway, I'd rather go with a high end blade that not only performs better than stock, but looks more modern while doing so.

I can't speak for everyone, but those are my reasons.