What Did You Do To Your 3rd Gen Today?

[Trophy_Rock]

Looks good boss, how do you like the toyos? Im between them and the falken at3w

 

[stieg]

weekend

ill be doing the oil change this weekend (been a year, but only 10k milage, full synth), ordering a tyc radiator to replacing mine now thats its sorta leaking at the upper seams. also ordering some amazon sway bar links (dont do any tough offroading, just to camp sites usually is worst, when i bought it had none) new air filter, deciding whether or not to get an amazon cai or just deckplate it. new fuel filter on the order as well and a new thermo (one day plan on supercharging in like a year so want most everything else done before).
so summed up,
oil change, radiator, sway bar links, fuel filter, thermostat. considering amazon cai or deckplate (cant find anything new on the forumns for all these newer brands, just having to go off their reviews)

 

[JZiggy]

I got my new Spiker Engineering phone mount installed today. As I studies this thing more closely I was really impressed with the quality, fit, and finish. There are some specialized bends to allow this bracket to fit absolutely perfectly up to the dash.

I have my fancy magnetic mount + rotation preventer installed onto the Spiker bracket.

One comment about the install is that you really need to look carefully from multiple angles and make sure you've got the bonding surfaces of the bracket tucked up to the dash precisely. There's really only one way that it fits and you kind of have to work it into place. But once you do it sticks on there great.

 

[texadelphia]

Washed off all the winter grime. Really needs buffed and waxed but that will come when the weather warms up some more.

Sent from my moto x4 using Tapatalk

 

[hanks4runner]

Patched a hairline crack on the front of the original '98 radiator with 250k, with JB Weld, hope it holds!

 

[Smog-guy707]

Patched a hairline crack on the front of the original '98 radiator with 250k, with JB Weld, hope it holds!

Looks like it’s time to replace it. JB is a temporary fix. Do it before you overheat it!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Brian.]

Patched a hairline crack on the front of the original '98 radiator with 250k, with JB Weld, hope it holds!

Seriously? Over a $100 part that, if it fails, leaves you stranded AND risks the engine being trashed? Nevermind that the radiator is at the end of its useful life anyway when it comes to the separation of coolant and ATF, so the transmission is at risk too.

This is one of those "ounce of prevention" things, like the lower ball joints & fasteners. Cheap (relative to the damage done if they fail), and simple to DIY.

 

[hanks4runner]

Seriously? Over a $100 part that, if it fails, leaves you stranded AND risks the engine being trashed? Nevermind that the radiator is at the end of its useful life anyway when it comes to the separation of coolant and ATF, so the transmission is at risk too.

This is one of those "ounce of prevention" things, like the lower ball joints & fasteners. Cheap (relative to the damage done if they fail), and simple to DIY.

Hey, it allowed me to take a trailer load of trash to the dump and now my wife is happy! It was well worth the risk driving 20 miles. Now I will look at replacing the radiator!

 

[Limited1996]

While the carpet was out I decided to go ahead and take advantage and put some Kilmat down before I installed the new carpet. The new carpet from Stock Interiors was molded but not cut at all so that was the most difficult part. Overall it went well. It's not perfect but much better than that stinky old carpet I took out!

 

[giguchan]

Went to the dealer where i was given a List of things wrong with my 3Gen. I was told that i should buy a new Runner..

Right... Now i am even MORE determined to keep it... take your $10k worth of repairs and shove it.

 

[heat]

Went to the dealer where i was given a List of things wrong with my 3Gen. I was told that i should buy a new Runner..

Right... Now i am even MORE determined to keep it... take your $10k worth of repairs and shove it.

So it'll require, what?, maybe $400 worth of parts?

 

[2001 Limited 285K]

Went to the dealer where i was given a List of things wrong with my 3Gen. I was told that i should buy a new Runner..

Right... Now i am even MORE determined to keep it... take your $10k worth of repairs and shove it.

Ha! I had a dealer tell me the exact same thing! 10K to fix. But really, they said, I needed a new 4Runner. The problem was frame rot on the rear passenger side of the '01. Near the muffler. Couldn't pass safety inspection. So it was a big problem. Pretty much everyone wanted to fix me up with a new frame. Lowest quote was around $7,500.

Through this forum I discovered ARZ SafeTCap, which worked like a charm. $200 for the part, around $850 for welding it on. Frame fixed and I was back on the road safety inspected for another year.

 

[ATX4Yota]

Today I changed the rear diff fluid..80w-90. Damn that gear oil stinks! You know you've got an awesome vehicle when the manufacturer still sells fill and drain plugs 19 years after the fact. Yeah...I'll be purchasing both. Not going to lie and say I was a bit anxious when I crawled under and looked at the fill plug. Thankfully both plugs came out without stripping.

 

[giguchan]

To get the 4WD to work again yeah $400 in labor and another $400 in parts.

 

[giguchan]

Ha! I had a dealer tell me the exact same thing! 10K to fix. But really, they said, I needed a new 4Runner. The problem was frame rot on the rear passenger side of the '01. Near the muffler. Couldn't pass safety inspection. So it was a big problem. Pretty much everyone wanted to fix me up with a new frame. Lowest quote was around $7,500.

Through this forum I discovered ARZ SafeTCap, which worked like a charm. $200 for the part, around $850 for welding it on. Frame fixed and I was back on the road safety inspected for another year.

That's pretty harsh what the dealer told you. I mean i'm here in NY.. even though they throw down Acid on the roads here in the Winter I've been pretty lucky with my frame.. it's with everything else under there. thats giving me grief.

Here everybody's rich.. nobody stays in a Car. after the lease is up so the car they had is rusting away under someone else's Ass.

 

[giguchan]

Today I changed the rear diff fluid..80w-90. Damn that gear oil stinks! You know you've got an awesome vehicle when the manufacturer still sells fill and drain plugs 19 years after the fact. Yeah...I'll be purchasing both. Not going to lie and say I was a bit anxious when I crawled under and looked at the fill plug. Thankfully both plugs came out without stripping.

I asked the dealer to top off my Diff fluid(it leaks) this time they wouldn't touch it because they said it's rotted by the Drain /fill.

 

[ATX4Yota]

Preach it brother. Still on original alternator on my 3rd gen. My 5th gen just got it's 3rd alternator. The suspension parts seem to be holding up better on the 5th gen though but dont get abused much. I've NEVER had the check engine light or a single code on my 3rd gen (knock on wood).

I didn't drive mine long enough before I bought it for the CEL to come on. I've tested every check valve in the fuel/evap system and they all work. I'm thinking it's the gasket on the gas tank where the fuel suction tube is. The low pressure hose that goes to the fuel suction tube ruptured last year. I've got a temp fix on that, because you can't buy the hose separate from the suction tube assembly. But the fuel gauge now goes bonkers when less than half a tank of gas. I'll be dropping the tank soon and replacing the suction tube, gasket and fuel sending unit. Hopefully that will at least fix my uncertain fuel reading, if not the evap codes as well.

 

[johnt]

It's very simple but more annoying than you'd imagine trying to get the second pins in with one hand while shoulder pressing the hatch up and slightly with the other. I used an adjustable aluminum step ladder with rolled up towels on top to hold the hatch up which is dangerously heavy. I would not attemp it with out a step ladder or something stable to support it. A single strut will not hold it up. Stick a small screwdriver in the e-clip and twist and it pops off. Remove old strut, clean the pins and bend the clips a bit tight again with pliers. Test fit pin/spacers on new strut. I squeezed the ends a fraction in a vice so clip would seat. Install top end. You might need to squeeze the sides of bracket with channel lock pliers to allow clip to properly seat on pin. Pinched the clip in to place with slip joint pliers with a satisfying click. Now do other end. Repeat on other side.

Tim's youtube channel has a video on it, search 4runner hatch struts and find Timmy the Toolman. Cutting and filing the nylon spacers to fit took up most of the time.

thanks for the breakdown; timmy's videos are great too. the clips at the bottom end of my struts are rusted so I'll have to remove them somehow, but otherwise this sounds like a simple process.

 

[hanks4runner]

Ha! I had a dealer tell me the exact same thing! 10K to fix. But really, they said, I needed a new 4Runner. The problem was frame rot on the rear passenger side of the '01. Near the muffler. Couldn't pass safety inspection. So it was a big problem. Pretty much everyone wanted to fix me up with a new frame. Lowest quote was around $7,500.

Through this forum I discovered ARZ SafeTCap, which worked like a charm. $200 for the part, around $850 for welding it on. Frame fixed and I was back on the road safety inspected for another year.

Last inspection, my '98 had a small hole in the same spot, just ahead of the trailing arm on passenger side, but the small locally owned garage here in Virginia referred me to another garage that was known for making quality patches, so for 100, got it patched and inspected. If I had taken better care of my 4Runner over the years, I would spend some money to fix it right...

 

[repo]

thanks for the breakdown; timmy's videos are great too. the clips at the bottom end of my struts are rusted so I'll have to remove them somehow, but otherwise this sounds like a simple process.

I read this was the first job you're going to do and remembered it was the first thing I did (after engine/diff oil changes) so gave you the thorough run down ha. Second job I did was sway bar bushings and end links. 3rd job was lower ball joints and it escalated quickly to valve cover gaskets, brakes, fuel sending unit, radiator, etc. became fun to replace stuff as preventative maintenance. Pay a Toyota shop to do the rear axle seals/bearings though, frickin nightmare.

Spray a little WD40 on the rusted clips for a day or 2 and you can buy new e-clips are Lowes or Ace. Search the forum for the size of them or buy an assortment box.