Update!
So actually not a lot to update on the Warthog. I pretty much completed what I set out to do with it. So there hasn't bee much to post about. Just rolled over 60k. Still love it as much as always.
One issue I had last year was the sears group 34 battery indeed did not survive being charged by the vehicle. I want to a commercial vehicle battery place and bought a "real" automotive group 34 AGM battery and it's been doing much better so far.
I also retired about 16 months ago. Which I thought would lead to a lot more traveling with the Warthog but weirdly has almost killed it! I am not sure why, Hope to remedy that this winter! Need to get in on some group events.
Lastly, I recently re-acquired my first Toyota 4x4. A 1986 standard cab SR5 pickup, carborated 22R, sadly not straight axle. My friend that I gave it to 15 years ago did an ok job keeping the fluids up and replacing things when they went bad but not much else, it's in some dire shape inside and under the hood. Nothing was cleaned at all in 15 years
Luckily! I live on the west coast so no road salt, the frame is virtually spotless rust wise. The body is just barely starting to show some, and the bed had a few bigger spots, but still far from anything drastic.
I spent the last 4 days and about $300 fixing up the engines worst problems.
"New" PS pump: So this was really messed up. 4 months ago the stock PS pump started to fail, loud, weird sound from front end. My friend took it to a mechanic that was mostly sure it was the pump and charged 400 bucks to fix it. In the end though, with a new (reman) pump in place the sound was till there, slightly different but there. Friend paid the 400 and left the shop with a new PS pump and the horrendous nose that it had before.
He drove it that way for 4 months! So I finally get it back and a stethoscope reveals that it is most definitely the pump. The guy managed to install a defective reman and set the customer home with it. (Strike 1).
So I order a new pump along with the alternator. After removing the PS pump belt the pully just wobbles around. Definalty a bad reman. As I'm removing the new reman pump I notice that there are only 3 screws holding it to the bracket instead of 4. So maybe one of them backed out and got lost sometime in the last 32 years, but what mechanic just LEAVES it missing? (Strike 2).
Well I was replacing the alternator at the same time so after removing the pump I removed the factory skidplate and when I did, out popped the fourth pump bracket nut. The nut wasn't lost, the "mechanic" had DROPPED it when removing the factory pump and then didn't even bother to retrieve it! (Strike 3) What a buffoon!
Lastly I had to hook up the PS fluid lines and flush out the old oil incase metal from the failing reman got in there. WHat a horrendously messy affair that was
But got it done and looking at the brown oil that came out, I'm 95% sure the guy didn;t even bother flushing out the 150k mile+ old PS fluid when changing the pump. Another big nono (strike 4). I can;t believe the guy even calls himself a mechanic. He's worse than and 18 year old with their first car.
"New" alternator: The old one wasn't like dead, but was 32 years old and the very last non smog thing not replaced on the outside of the engine, So I went ahead and did it. Just two bolts and a plug, shat could be easier? Well uh, besides having to drain the radiator to get it out, The pivot bolt was rusted inside of the alternator body and WOULD NOT come out. Couldn't punch it out from the other side because it's like 2 inches from a frame member. It was really stuck in there good. Lots of penetrating oil I got it to turn a little but was afraid of shearing the bolt head off it was so hard to turn.
Took about three hours of ingenuity and three different leverage techniques to back that 6 in bold all the way out without damaging anything, and I finally did it. Thankfully that's the only rusty bold I've seen on the thing.
Valve adjustment I mainly decided to do a valve adjustment just because. I was sure it hadn't been done in 15 years. There was a small tick but normal from the 22R really. So I warmed the truck up and took the valve cover off and got to work. Turns out the ticking valve was the only one that was set correctly. 6 others were WAY tight, but at least had some air gap when relaxed by the cam.
One valve though, exhaust on #2 as so tight it was holding the valve open slightly through the entire cycle. NO idea how long it had been like that
I got everything set to .008 and .012 and buttoned up the valve cover again with new gaskets. I started the engine and it ran nice. Valves a little louder now but no pinging or loud ticking, just... valve noise. But the best part is, the HORRIBLE low RMP shake that the engine had was completely gone. It was purring like a kitten. I was going to test for compression next but now I might not have too, it seems to be running really really nice now
I still need to replace a torn CV boot but the only thing left outside of the cab that I am not happy about mechanical-wise are the brakes. It's currently got 31s on it and I'd like to put some 33's or 32's at least, but the stopping power is pretty weak (Well compared to the 4 wheel disk braked warthog) Factory tires are like 28 in! I'll need to look into improving the brakes somehow before upping the tire size, any suggestions?
Anyway, that's what I've been up too. Not sure if I can start a "fake runner" build thread for the truck here, I might have to move off to ToyotaNation or something! For now I'm just getting back to being a pleasant drive, but I have vague plans for turning it into a truggy.
