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Finally picked up another 1st gen Tacoma. This one was a former students when I was still teaching Automotive Tech. The engine started overheating and their mechanic advised to put a new head on. About a year after the new head, it started mixing coolant and oil again. Not sure what the issue was, they decided to pull the engine to replace it. A few years later I got a call from them asking if I wanted to buy it! I jumped at the opportunity.
Day I brought it home.
More to come.......
Last edited by Gizler00; 08-20-2024 at 12:16 PM.
Reason: Name change
2002 Ex cab 4wd Tacoma 2.7L 3RZ 254,000 miles on the body
So I promptly started looking for a donor engine. I had a few good leads on just an engine that were around 1200-1500$ Then I stumbled onto an entire donor truck that was the same year, but a manual transmission and a regular cab. It had 198,000 miles on it and was in fair shape. The body was not very nice but the engine ran pretty decent under starting fluid. (fuel pump was dead)
Managed to get a fuel cell made up with a 5gal lowes bucket and a new fuel pump. She ran amazing! So we started the removal!
Quite a few months passed before we could get the new heart into the excab. So in the meantime we replaced the rear main seal, swapped the flywheel for the flexplate, new plugs, and a new water pump. Then she was ready to go. After a few months of my boys nagging me to get it installed......We tackled the job on 8/9...... 3 hours later and we had it installed.
Fast forward to the next day.........about two hours and we had it wired up and running! I drove it all the next week back and forth to work to see how it was....
As of today, I have just about 315 miles on it since the swap. I replaced the front pads, rotors, and calipers.....Swapped out the rear diff fluid, and simple stuff like air filter and fixed the broken excab window latch. I currently have a check engine light with some evap codes. It will nto Pass pa emissions with the light on. I have it traced down to the VSV on the Canister. I am still waiting for it to come in the mail. I think the canister is still ok, but will not be able to verify until I get the VSV here and installed.
In the meantime, I have been wiring wheeling down the floorboard rust that accumulated since it sat in grass for two years waiting for an engine. I started coating with Chassis saver last night and also doing the frame as well. The frame was replaced under the recall many years back and has not seen many miles or winters since then. So once I get it coated, I will do the entire inside and outside of the frame and rockers with WoolWax to help preserve it. The bed has the typical rust right where the passenger wheelwell meets the bed floor. I am contemplating removing the bed and cutting out bad and welding in new. Aside from some surface rust, its in pretty good shape.
I am so excited to have another 1st gen! I really miss my 04 double cab though!!
I am hoping to get all new suspension and tires soon. I really want to go with the OME lift, but I have had good luck with Bilstein 5100's stock coils, and an add a leaf in the past. My plans are to use this as my work commuter and then have my boys start using it as their first vehicle in a few years.
08-20-2024, 03:31 AM
