What Did You Do To Your 3rd Gen Today?

[pdx650]

Fightman80

How did you attach the underhood lights to the hood?

I have just thought of something. Having the lights with a magnet base, a tiltable gimbal, and a spiraled springy cord to connect to the power supply from the lights themselves. Instead of having the lights permanently mounted under the hood, you could magnetically attach them somewhere in the engine bay (firewall or somewhere else just not the hood (keep the springy power cords away from the hot throttle body and engine to resist melting) and, when needed for focused locations, then attach the light to the hood and be able to position it, on its gimbaled base, to a specific location under the hood as the hood will be opened for remote maintenance.

I'd like to be able to illustrate this idea, but I can't.

I do like the idea of underhood lights for maintenance and times emergencies and that openeing the hood closes a normally momentary open circuit to turn on the lights. Very cool. And the leds are rated at a quarter of an amp, you say? Very nice.

Question about drilling through the firewall for wiring grommets. I've looked for a good way to get my 'hot' 12 AWG (gauge) and 30 amp inline fused accessories wire to my accessory 4 post terminal block behind my left foot kick panel to no avail. My only other option is to drill a grommet hole, add a grommet and then feed my hot 12 gauge accessory (and future subsequent wires) thorough it. But I can't find a good location to drill.

Currently, I have the 12 gauge wire coming off the positive from the battery and going behind the drivers' side fener well and into the door, then behind the kick panel. There has to be a better way. Help?

 

[tbst]

Installed MagLite holder and MagLite.

And then cut out enough plastic so my momentary DPDT switch will fit in. Will wire up winch tomorrow.

 

[JPGoober]

I installed 99' coils and Rancho shocks. Glad to end the sag!

 

[fightman80]

How did you attach the underhood lights to the hood?



Question about drilling through the firewall for wiring grommets. But I can't find a good location to drill.

Currently, I have the 12 gauge wire coming off the positive from the battery and going behind the drivers' side fener well and into the door, then behind the kick panel. There has to be a better way. Help?

The under hood lights are just fastened to the hood braces, using some VERY SHORT self tapping screws. (don't go too long, or you risk going right through your hood!)

I like your idea about the under hood lights.... DO IT! I'd love to see it!

As for running your wiring to the engine compartment, I've run mine down beside and below the master cylinder, through the fire wall....

And under my dash:

I've had the wiring for my driving lights running through there for years! You should be able to drill a larger hole to run thicker wiring.... That's what I would do.....

 

[ChildrenOfBodom]

Fightman, is your firewall grommet full?

 

[pdx650]

Fightman80

I will try to get a drill small enough to get through the firewall in the same place you did. Guess I'll have to go from the inside out towards the engine bay.

And I need to find some lights that are appropriate for the engine bay and can be exposed to the elements and heat. Let me look around. I might not find any available...or I'll have to come up with some that are not designed for the task...and make them suitable for the task. I'll document products and the procedure if I come up with something.

 

[sonoranrunner]

New radiator installed. 9mo. old one developed a weeping leak.

 

[ChildrenOfBodom]

I will try to get a drill small enough to get through the firewall in the same place you did. Guess I'll have to go from the inside out towards the engine bay.

Since when has cutting your firewall to add wires a good idea?

There's already a hole for this exact purpose... with a rubber grommet and everything. Considering I've run a good 20 or so wires through it (including 0 gauge amp positive), I highly doubt your guys grommets are full...

 

[pdx650]

Since when has cutting your firewall to add wires a good idea?

There's already a hole for this exact purpose... with a rubber grommet and everything. Considering I've run a good 20 or so wires through it (including 0 gauge amp positive), I highly doubt your guys grommets are full...

COB: Are you referring to the large grommet next to the hood release grommet on the drivers' side of the fire wall? That grommet is large, but the wiring going into the interior from the bay is a tight fit and I don't want to chance shorting another more important circuit. I'd rather go through with a drilled hole.

But please steer me the right way if I'm wrong. If I can go through another place, I will and not drill.

 

[ChildrenOfBodom]

COB: Are you referring to the large grommet next to the hood release grommet on the drivers' side of the fire wall? That grommet is large, but the wiring going into the interior from the bay is a tight fit and I don't want to chance shorting another more important circuit. I'd rather go through with a drilled hole.

But please steer me the right way if I'm wrong. If I can go through another place, I will and not drill.

It's a tight fit on purpose. It's meant for this exact use.

Take a wire coat hanger, bend it straight, tape your wires to it using electrical tape and slide through to the engine bay. I always stick the coat hanger from the inside to the engine bay.

If you need to pull wires through to the inside, stick the hanger through first, tape your wires, and pull it back through.

 

[IanB]

It's a tight fit on purpose. It's meant for this exact use.

Take a wire coat hanger, bend it straight, tape your wires to it using electrical tape and slide through to the engine bay. I always stick the coat hanger from the inside to the engine bay.

If you need to pull wires through to the inside, stick the hanger through first, tape your wires, and pull it back through.

Big X2, I've always run wires through the firewall this way, you don't want leaks there. You don't have to run the wires through the SAME hole as the existing wiring, use the coathanger to make a new hole in the grommet, so long as you don't make the hole bigger than it needs to be to pull the wires back through, it will self seal around the new wire. Don't drill new holes in your firewall.

 

[Drcoffee]

Just painted my new Bilsteins black for this weekends install. Looks awsome with the blue shield. TACO LBJ and OTRE too.

EDIT: 3/15/2012 Redoing the axle seals because they bagan to leak again.

 

[alexb]

Got a free Yakima bike rack thanks to DirtDawg last week. Got around to getting it put on today. Gonna be perfect for spring break in a few weeks. Going to be towing the bass boat so my normal hitch rack won't work.

 

[pdx650]

Here's my set up:

I know this is an odd place for my cb, but I want to be able to see, at a glance, the channel I am set to. Sure, the steering wheel is a bit in the way, but I can use the reflection off the glass at my window to see the numbers...backwards.

COB, I'll try out your method of wiring with a coat hanger through the grommet you are talking about. I'm just nervous about it since I am an infant in the electrical dept.



And here's a little MRAP I saw at work yesterday:

vvv And how do I remove these dag-um ads vvv?

 

[fightman80]

Since when has cutting your firewall to add wires a good idea?

There's already a hole for this exact purpose... with a rubber grommet and everything. Considering I've run a good 20 or so wires through it (including 0 gauge amp positive), I highly doubt your guys grommets are full...

To tell you the truth, I've never really thought anything of it. I can't remember why, but we never thought of using the stock grommet. The hole was drilled years ago, and hasn't caused any issue, and unless I'm missing something, what could be so bad about doing so??

Water won't get in, anymore than it would through the heater vents, or other small cracks and such.....

Again, maybe I'm missing something that you know??

If C.O.B says it's do-able through the grommet, than it must be. He's had his entire truck taken apart at one time or another, so he would know!

Good luck on fixing your setup pdx650!

 

[pdx650]

Fightman80, thanks. I really don't like the way the wire is routed now from the battery to the terminal block, but I'll try out COBs method and it'll probably just fine. I'll take pics.

 

[the great him]

And here's a little MRAP I saw at work yesterday:

man F**K those things.... if you have ever had to ride in one of those then you will know what i mean... ill gladly walk over riding around in one of those RPG/IED magnets...

 

[pdx650]

The kid

Nope, never been unfortunate enough to have been stuck in one, but I believe you.

 

[1985taylor1925]

I installed my lc coils and shocks. Pictures and info here

http://www.toyota-4runner.org/3rd-gen-t4rs/73462-few-pictures-my-runner-7.html

 

[TFJ-4runner]

We are 4runner whores ha... Helped my two buddies do their differential breathers, helped one wire the CB wires, and transmission cooler on the other.​