RC000E

So I'm driving along, minding my business, tellin my friend how even at 217,000 miles, my 4runner is going strong. No sooner do I finish the sentence, and I hear this horrible noise begin. I'm like, dude you gotta be kiddin me.

So I coast down the hill to my house and park. I get out with the motor running, and I tell you, it sounds like the motor could grenade itself any second. I really can't tell for certain where it's coming from, but it sounds like the front of the motor.

So I leave it sit in disgust, for a few days. Finally yesterday, I see some snow flurries, and I'm thinking, no way am I gonna miss the snow this year (first winter with my truck). So I go out and start pulling things out. I figured it sounded like some type of sealed bearing assembly that let loose, and it being in the front I figured I'd check the timing belt tensioner or whatever else is in there (not familiar with Toyota's AT ALL).

So 1.5 hours or so, and I have the cover comin off only to see this birds nest of rubber and fiber EVERYWHERE. The timing belt is like half the width it should be, with the backside having been worn away creating this nest. I'm poking at the timing belt and just below the passenger side cam it's slop! I pull some more nest away to find my tensioner pulley!





So, it's safe to say that's the issue. That thing was making a HELL of a noise I tell you.

So, this all got me thinking. I've been building FWD turbo and N/A cars for a while. This is the first 4WD truck I've owned, so I kind of avoided tearing into this thing, but it honestly wasn't too bad.

I started thinking about diff fluids. How often should you change your diff fluids, and what problems result if you don't? Don't you just remove the pumpkin cover to drain it?

Also, I haven't changed a U-joint in about 13 years, but I have a bad one I think. Don't you just remove snap rings, then press it one way, remove the cap, then press it the other way, remove the cap, then do the same for the other two? It's been a long time.

Thanks for lookin

Schralper

Nice looking tensioner pulley.
For the diff's all ya gotta do is unscrew the drain plug. Fill thru other plug.
Yes ujoints are pretty much the same. Some are inner snaprings and some are outer.

Jay351

If you havnt already, extend your diff breathers. And change them after dunking them in water just to be safe (first few times) Water in the diffs = rust which is horrible for your bearings.

But I would change the diffs every few oil changes for regular dino oil.

RC000E

Yeah, I definitely gotta do the diff breather deal. I didn't really submerge per say, but I definitely have been bombing through deep mud muddles. My engine is tan from mud, so the chances are there that some got in the diffs.

The front and rear diffs both have drains and fill plugs?

What about transfer case maintenance. Do you just fluid change that as well?

I guess I'm just getting at, what are the typical maintenance things I should do before it gets to cold to be under the truck?

nate V

Change all the fluids at the same time and maybe flush them out with mystery oil.....

You can extend the breather lines with a greese gun hose...that's what mine are. Also I have sen them dome with air hoses.