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have you ever come close to needing a snorkel? if not, why bother? i like to wheel my 4runners, but i'm not about to wheel them where i'd need a snorkel, especially since i use them as daily drivers.
if you are building a dedicated wheeling rig, maybe.
have you ever come close to needing a snorkel? if not, why bother?
if you are building a dedicated wheeling rig, maybe.
Have I ever come close to needing one? Honestly, no. I would like to turn this into more of an adventure rig one day. I think the snorkel will come then. Have to complete the look, right? Although that money could be better spent on gas.
I dont have very many photos of this, but recently I ordered the LCE cat back exhaust system. My exhaust had seen the end of its days. Had pin holes, rust, and a crack in the weld at the muffler. It was toast. Couldn't be happier with the new system.bolts right up. The quality is top notch. LCE never disappoints. Also purchased a new catalytic converter. I had to have an exhaust shop bend up a new front pipe to go to the header/o2 sensor. Plus, installed new gaskets at the header. Ended up having to bend/ File down the EGR tube as there was a little bit of warping causing a bad seal. While I was at it also adjusted the valves on it. The truck now sounds and performs great. Quiet in the cab. Quiet at idle and has a great sound through the rpm range. Old vs new system.
Unfortunately, I also had the fuel pump go out. That's actually the entire reason it was in the shop. Unfortunately, the old one only lasted a year. Luckily all the lines, connections, and hanger are new. So made for an easy job.
Might try and get a youtube video up soon to get an exhaust clip.
I've appreciated your write-up. I am working on resurrecting a 1992 single cab. It has been a slow process as work takes lots of my time. I have run into a few of the same problems you have.
Keep up the good work and thanks for the progress log.
Have reached a crossroads with this truck. Over the winter I noticed a slight rattle when starting. Once the truck heated up it simply went away. I knew what it was or assumed what was happening.Its an old Toyota so I kept using it as daily/work truck This truck has had a long life.
Now I have never tore into the bottom end of this motor. Supposedly, it was rebuilt at some point by one of the previous owners. Haven't a clue when or how well to be honest. Im fairly certain it spun a bearing or completely destroyed something. Was driving down the interstate at like 70 and heard some strange noises. Got off at an exit and the truck wouldn't go above 55? No check engine lights checked for codes. Checked everything I could at a truck stop. Decided to turn around and just take back roads home the 100 miles. Get home fine. Still no codes. Checked timing and that was fine. Took off the valve cover and everything looked fine on the cams however the oil was grey and had an extreme amount of metal in it. Haven't dropped the pan so see what's in there yet.
So my options are now to 1.part out the truck/sell as is (going to avoid this route if possible) would involve finding a new truck also 2. Rebuild the motor that's in the truck if it's able to be. 3.Buy a short block from some engine rebuilder.The down side is it seems like every company that sells them has a half year lead time. The last one option 4.Find a donor truck and Frankenstein the two motors together. Might be going this route. A friend might have a lead on a pickup with 90k original miles. From the photos the truck is rough but if the motors good I wouldn't mind. If the motor hasn't been touched then its still all factory Toyota and what better than that? Or I guess option 5 would be to motorswap it? opinions on that?
Probably going to end up driving it a little more before the motor gets ripped out but currently has 257000 miles. Thinking I should at least keep it till it hits 300k
On the bright side recently got some sweet floor mats 😄
Rebuilding or changing an engine isn't as tragic as it feels. It's one of the largest expenses on the truck but if the rest of the truck has value, it is worth fixing.
I understand not everyone is comfortable diving into the internals of an engine and some people don't have the attention to detail required to do the job right but if you can, it is a rewarding process. My machine shop provided a core (minus head) for my engine. He prepped everything and handed me all the parts including the bearings and gaskets for $1100. That's hardly more than a set of good tires.
If you aren't ready to rebuild an engine, get a used one and put that in your truck. If you get 50,000 miles out of that engine, it is probably still cheaper than getting another truck.
I suggest not continuing to drive the truck. If the engine is rebuildable, it may not be if you continue to cause extreme wear on it.
It has been a long time so I figured id give an update on what I ended up doing. Like many vehicles with blown motors they tend to end up sitting for some time. Such was the case with mine. Sat in my driveway for about 6 months. I guess when compared to most projects that isn't long. After weighing my options I had three things to consider. time, work, and most importantly cost. I weighed rebuilding it myself but wouldn't of had the space I needed. Looked at even buying a donor motor and rebuilding that, but there were none in my area. Looking at the big rebuilders of 22res LCE, 22reperformance etc all of their lead times seemed to be extremely long and expected that. Needing to get the truck on the road again that wouldn't of been an option. So I need up getting a remanufactured 22re from Spartan engines. Read a number of reviews on them and they seemed decent. They were able to get out a motor out to me a lot sooner than I expected and seemed like good build quality. Came with three year 30k mile warranty. I don't expect it to last as long as a new factory Toyota motor but should hopefully last the rest of this trucks life. Anyways, after waiting for shop space and the motor to arrive it was finally time to do the swap. Took a couple of days to do, but for the most part everything went smoothly. Made a couple of other repairs whilst installing it. Did and Air injection delete. Also some painting of somethings to spice it up a bit. Ended up costing around 2100 so fingers crossed no regrets.
Unfortunately I didn't have much time to break in the motor or drive it a ton. Do to family events I had to move to Kauai a week after I dropped the motor in. So the truck got parked and stored away in a dry garage under a cover for the foreseeable future.Il be back in December for the holidays for a few weeks and might bring it out depending on the weather. Trying to avoid the salty roads. After that it'll sit again till June. Then depending on how things pan out in Kauai i'll be road tripping it across the good old US of A once again. Once it reaches the west coast it'll be shipped off to Kauai to spend the rest of its days on the island. In the mean time I'll be accumulating parts to install that I've been wanting that'll really change the look of this rig.
Well. That's quite the update. Well done on getting an engine in but too bad you haven't really driven it. I'm headed to Indiana near Christmas. I'll drive if for ya
Still have the truck. Pulled it out of storage about a month or so ago. Nice to have it back on the road. Got up to date plates and have done a number of upgrades so figured i should post them here.
The first was to replace the old worn out leaf springs. Got a pare of old man emu's They're the 1.5 in lift normal load. Only complaint is they're a little stiff still. Hopefully the new spare tire will help put some weight in the bed. What a major difference these are
Interior update. Do to my phone not having an aux cord i needed a new radio. Bought it on amazon and seems to work great for what i need.Its a real modern truck now wirh a touch screen! While the dash was apart figured i should paint it. Normally im against that, but someone in the past already painted it. It looked pretty rough so what the heck. Used STEEl IT grey and man do i like it now.
Also removed the ash tray and put it a small CB radio because a friend gave me an antenna.
Found a decent under dash cover peice? Beleive they came on the SR5 models?
Decided to clean up the wiring a bunch and the easiest was with an aux beam switch panel system. Got a 6 switch panel. Installation was fairly straight forward if you know only a little about wiring. It so much more compact and self contained. Would recommend it to anyone.
Purchased two matching guages to match the oil pressue one i had.
Last was window tint 20% all around except the windshield. Location of where i put the aux beam switch panel. Controls radiator fan, from auxiliary lights, turns on guages, usb cigarettelighter outlet, cb radio, and one is blank still Painted the guage pod too match the dash.
Under the hood. Didnt do a lot here. Purchased an optima red top battery. The old one was from 2015.No idea how it still worked. Had to get a new metal tie down as well. The aux beam system came with its own fuse block panel which allowed me to remove my homemade one. Now it looks a lot more factory. Bent a bracked to attach it to the engine bay and a long bolt/spacer to the stock fuse panel bolt location. The only other thing i can think of is i installed an ARB diff breather kit. Mounted it on the driver side fender. The optima was a lot smaller than the old battery and couldnt use the factory tie down This looks so much better. The old set up worked fine but this is much simpler Easy enough install to do while waiting for oil to drain. And is cheap insurance.
Exterior stuff. Along with the dash i used StelIt grey to paint the grille. Removed the years old plastidip that I had on it. What a pain that was.
Picked up a new set of Led headlights due to the old ones yellowing on the inside.
Got a stripe kit from BLvinyl and I think its what the truck really needed. Was a bit of money but adds a lot to the truck and really catches the eye. Came with the hood,sides,and the tailgate. Easy install took a couple hours. Was worried about how it would work with the bedliner paint but so far i have no complaints. This is by far my favorite mod currently.
Still need to paint the tailgate to get rid of that red.
and finish painting the mud flaps. Will update much sooner next time. Hopefully with better staged photos
Dang. I had a feeling i should update this the other day. I hadn't a clue just how long its been since my last post. Still have the truck. Just clocked 265k the other day. Believe it or not the truck now lives in Hawaii. I moved there in 2021. However, I moved the truck over in 2022. I could of had it shipped from Indiana but figured it was a much better idea to road trip it. The only way realy. Started in mid September. The work needed to the truck wasn't a lot but still took some time. Rear pinion seal, replace passenger cv, and have a shop freshin up the transmission with new seals and and new output shaft. I never had a plan for the journey but i trusted the truck. However, was still a little worried with how it would fair. Just knew that eventually I had to make it to Long Beach California. From there I'd hand the keys over and see it in a few weeks. I tried to avoid interstates most days. So it was slow going at times. The first couple of days were fine. Just a lot of checking on things and being paranoid about the truck. The midwest was alright. I grew up there so Indiana, Illinois, Iowa ive all seen before. Not much to talk about. Spent a few hours in Iowa looking around the greatest junkyard ill ever go to. The magnitude of old cars there was insane unfortunately not many toyotas.
Didnt really start to feel like i was on an adventure until driving through southern nebraska and northern Kansas. A whole lot of nothing and too late to turn back. Just out exploring back roads
I eventually crossed into Colorado. There's where I wish i would have spent some more time. Only spent a few days unfortunately because i needed to make it to Santa Fe NM. I did however drive the truck up to the top of pikes peak while i was there. Was one of the first up the mountain the day i did it. Surprisingly the truck made it. It was using every bit of horsepower it had to climb it. At 14000 feet and 33s the 22re wasn't stoked, but kept chugging. Not sure about the previous owners endeavors but its probably safe to say that its the highest this truck had ever gone. Even worse than the drive going up was the drive going down. Really trusting the breaks. So stoked i drove this up and can't believe people race up this.
Eventually I headed out of colorado for northern NM. I've been there a few times and I really enjoy this state.
Spent a week or so visiting Toas and Santa fe hiking and just enjoying New Mexico. Gave me some time to check over the truck. Fix anything that it might need before the next long haul. Surprisingly, no major problems with it at this point. Besides some trail scratches the truck was great. Only a slight oil leak and some suspension squeaks really.
Left New mexico at a perfect time of year. Wasn't too hot plus autumn was starting and I was able to drive through the National Forest past Los Alamos. Still not having a planned route was the right decision.
The west is truly the best Got to shoot some guns shortly after this. Rolled up to a gun club meet that was up there for the day. Unexpected but a sweet time.
Pointed the truck northwest into Navajo Nation territory. I knew once i reached there that if I ran into any issues with the truck id be really in a tough spot, but i just had to keep reminding myself that its a Toyota. Eventually made it to Utah, but not before stopping at the 4 corners monument. Unfortunately I missed it closing by 20 minutes so outside the gates is as close as I could get.
Honestly felt a bit lost out there. There was absolutely noone and nothing for miles. Utah is a crazy state.It was my first time there and to say that I was blown away is an understatement. The landscape and rock formations were something else. Right next to me i found some petroglyphs. Could have spent all day out here. Found this random trail off the highway. Of course the only other car i saw out there was another Toyota
Ive seen plenty of photos but to see some of the places in person was something else. Stayed around the southern half of the state mostly. Went to monument valley, valley of the gods, the classic forest gump movie spot.
Hung out with a couple Native americans one day. Did some hiking. Just was in total awe.
Utah is easily one of the greatest states in the nation and i cant wait to go back. I have so many photos and still feel like i hadn't took enough. Unfortunately it was time to continue my jouney. Still had to make it to Long Beach. Not without a few more stops. Next stop the grandest of canyons. But thats for the next post. Driving into a storm. Leaving Utah. Natures car wash
When you came across last Sept, did you take paved or US highways and then venture off? Or mostly backroads? I'd like to see the route of your travels if you ever get time to poast.
When you came across last Sept, did you take paved or US highways and then venture off? Or mostly backroads? I'd like to see the route of your travels if you ever get time to poast.
I realize this is a bit late, but during the trip, I never had a set route. I had a list of destinations I wanted to visit and general directions to get there, but I preferred to avoid interstates and highways as much as possible. Although the truck was capable of highway speeds, I didn’t see the point in pushing beyond 70 mph. Most days, I relied on the OnX Offroad app to find trails but often just went with the flow, letting the roads guide my journey and embracing the spontaneity of the adventure.
Life gets ahead of you sometimes. Heres the rest of the trip.
After exploring Utah, the journey continued to the Grand Canyon—a sight that never fails to amaze. Staying at an Airbnb in Williams, just south of the entrance, turned out to be a highlight.
Williams, a charming Route 66 town, offered a crazy surprise when I met some Australian blokes at a local pub. They to where driving across country but headed to New York. The town was a perfect stopover if you're in the area. After leaving williams with a bit of a hangover , I ventured through Northern Arizona, where I got lost on a few trails.
Despite the muddy conditions and a few tense moments, my truck, which by then was coated in mud, performed admirably. The only car wash was a long way off, in Vegas, but the adventure was worth it. As the landscape morphed into a Martian-like expanse, the sheer beauty of the country was breathtaking. Vegas was a new experience for me.
Arriving late, exhausted from the drive, I decided to cruise down Las Vegas Boulevard before heading to Old Vegas, where I was staying. It was here that I encountered a minor issue with the truck—it started hesitating and stalled at stoplights. After stopping at a gas station it didnt want to start. Eventually, after checking all the vitals it did start again, though not without some frustration. Still not sure why? Coolant temps where good, no check engine lights, fuses seemed fine. Perhaps it was just as tired as me. Despite this hiccup, pulling up to a hotel in my 30-year-old, mud-caked truck while Ferraris lined the valet area felt oddly satisfying. The valets seemed to enjoy the contrast. Finally an actual cool car they got to valet. They didn't believe me when i told them i drove if all the way from Indiana. I spent a few days in Vegas, absorbing the city's unique atmosphere, trying my chance at loosing money, and seeing a couple shows before heading to the Hoover Dam.
The lack of A/C in the truck made the desert heat challenging, but I managed. The journey continued into California. The stretch from Vegas to California was uneventful, mainly consisting of the 15 freeway.
A night in Barstow allowed for some minor trail exploration as I entered Southern California. I was soon reminded of the appeal of new cars in stop-and-go traffic. I stopped by YotaMasters, marking a symbolic end to my road trip.
The final leg was to Long Beach, but an unexpected issue arose: I had too much gas in the tank. The shipping company wouldn’t accept the truck with more than a quarter tank, and since it was a Friday, I was stranded for the weekend. I used the time to explore Laguna Beach, where the opulence of the houses and cars was strikingly different from the sketchy hotel I was staying in. On Sunday, I visited Hollywood and wished I had rented a motorcycle instead. When it was time to ship the truck, leaving it behind at the shipping yard felt surreal after such an extensive journey. A few hours later, I boarded a plane, leaving my truck behind for a few weeks. Only to be patiently waiting for its journey across the sea.
12-12-2020, 02:46 PM
Truck update
