amgraham

I have this posted on a few other sites but I figured it might be helpful or interesting to you guys as well. Also, I value your feedback so please post comments and ideas! I will try to update this as I do stuff. Here are the posts to get you up to date:

May 1st:

I have been looking for a long time for a longbed 4x4 and finally found the most solid one I have ever seen in VA. Here are some pics:

How it looked when I first got it home (the guy just used it as a 3rd vehicle, dump hauler, etc. so it was dirty and not well maintained):

Fender flares on one side :



Line-Xed bed is a big plus:

This is as bad as the rust gets on this truck:



I had to try a little flex to see how it would do (man it sucks):




For comparison here is my 4Runner.. I didn't think there would be that much difference:


Valve cover was loose so everything is nice and greasy:


And here we are after a bath:





Those are the most current pics I have but it now has no flares or bugshield.

So far I have powerwashed the underside twice, changed the clutch, pressure plate, flywheel, etc. Swapped in the Marlin shifter bushings, filled the tranny and t-case with Amsoil, changed the oil, replaced the valve cover gasket, adjusted the valves, replaced the wires, plugs, cap and rotor with all NGK stuff (had a hodgepodge of Autolite and Bosch stuff before), Seafoamed and BG44K'd it, and set the timing. Also, I replaced the horn contact that always wears out on these things.

I have to replace the timing chain though as the guides are broke and rattling and I can't seem to get the timing right so it's got a stumble off idle. I scored a DOA timing kit at a swap meet the other day so that'll go in probably tomorrow. Also, I got a piece of 2x6x3/16 steel that I'm going to make a rear bumper out of to get rid of the rusted U-haul hitch and bent step bumper. Also, once I find 2 more Taco wheels like on my runner those are going to be replacing the American Racing rims (I never have liked those and they make the tires stick out too far anyway on here IMO).

Also, I installed a CB I had laying around. I will take a pic of how I mounted it because someone might find it useful. I need to figure out a good place to mount an antenna though.. Ideas?

I might do some AALs and shackles in the rear to fix the sag unless I can afford new packs.

On the front bumper I am going to keep my eye out for an ARB or TJM or something. After being hit in one of these trucks I just don't trust the stocker. If I don't find anything I may make something custom although it's harder on the front without looking goofy.

I guess I should say that this truck will not be wheeled and will stay relatively stock to keep good gas mileage and drivability. Still, I would like to hear your ideas. I will try to update with pics in the next day or so and hopefully keep this pretty well updated.

amgraham

Ok, more pictures. Here it is today (May 2nd):





This is what I plan to make the rear bumper out of... 2x6x3/16:

Here's how I mounted the CB. I drilled through the bottom of the DIN pocket. Still need to figure out an antenna:

Do you think it's time for a throttle body clean? :



Today I replaced the timing chain. The old one had almost 10 degrees of slack (meaning that's how much the crank would turn before the cam moved). No wonder I couldn't get the timing right... While I was in there I replaced the oil and water pumps. I was putting all the brackets and stuff back on when we had a thunderstorm roll in and I had to stop. I should be able to finish up in the morning though. I can't wait to get this thing on the road :drool:

amgraham

May 3rd:

I didn't get any more work done on the truck today. It was misting rain all day and I got sick of coming in whenever it started raining harder. Hopefully it will be better weather tomorrow.

I did pull the throttle body off.. It was even worse behind the butterfly. I sprayed it down with BG intake cleaner to loosen it up and will scrub it clean tomorrow.

One thing my dad mentioned when looking at it was how much crap was built up in the cooling system. I already replaced the water pump (blade was rusted and it was just old). I've got new radiator/water pump hoses. I looked at the radiator today and it's got a lot of buildup inside and the tank has been repaired before and it really doesn't look that swift. So, I called around and found an all metal V6 radiator for $134. I compared the V6 and 4 cyl radiators and they seem to be similar dimensions so I'm hoping it will fit. The only differences I could see is the 3 cores (as opposed to 2.. It sits closer to the A/C condensor so I think the fan will still have enough room) and the inlet is in a different spot. I will try to post up some pics tomorrow to show the differences and, if I get the motor back together, let you know if it bolts in like I hope it will. I'm thinking this will help out over the summer which is normally pretty hot and I have had some overheating issues with the 4Runner under load so I will experiment with this to see if it works.

Also, we are talking about getting some new rear springs to fix the sag and support a load a little better. I've heard good stuff about the OMEs so I'm researching those. I just need stock height(ish) that can handle a load. Any recommendations? It has the 47" leafs.

Thanks!

amgraham

May 4th:

Here are some pics of where I was at yesterday:






Today I had planned on finishing everything. However, my left eye has been irritated for the last week and a half and didn't seem to be getting better. I finally broke down and went to the doc this morning and there was a piece of something embedded in the surface of my eye. I remember something flying into my eye while driving but I thought I had gotten it out. He basically had to scratch it out of my eye. So, I wasn't really feeling my Wheaties and I came home rocking the eye patch and decided to take a nap. I felt a little better after the nap so I went out and messed around with the truck a bit. Here was the progress when it got dark:





The doctor said my eye should be fine when I take the bandage off in the morning so as long as that's true I should be able to have her running again tomorrow. All I have left is tighten belts, vacuum lines, install radiator, hoses, and t-stat, and some tuning.

amgraham

May 5th:

Ok, the eye's better now so I got out in the rain and got the truck running. Here are the highlights:

For future reference the V6 radiator won't go in without some modification. It bolts up fine and the 4cyl shroud bolts on but the radiator is too tall and the hood hits when you shut it. I need to look at a V6 truck to see what's different about the mounting as it sits at about the same height as the 4cyl rad but since it is thicker it hits the front hood support. I tried to move it down but then it hit the skid. I didn't feel like messing with it any more so I just stuck a 4cyl rad in it. I'll do a little more research and see if I can make it work in my 4Runner.

When I started it up it had a steady stream of coolant coming from the tube that bolts to the back of the timing cover on the driver's side. I pulled the power steering pump off and tightened down some more on the bolts for that tube and got it down to a drip. I'll tighten them again tomorrow and see if it goes away. If not I guess I'll have to pull the alt bracket off again and silicone that tube.

Otherwise, it's doing pretty good. I have to re-adjust the valves. I'm gonna try a tighter tolerance than factory spec and see if it doesn't tap as much.

I still can't get the timing right. The mark is much more steady thanks to the new chain but I can't get the timing anywhere near the recommended 5* BTDC. It is highly retarded right now and the closest I can get is about 10* BTDC and there it backfires when I try to rev it. It's idling very high (it was doing that before but I figured it was getting thrown off by the bad timing chain). I hear that the TPS can do that if it's bad or out of adjustment so I'm gonna try to test and adjust that tomorrow. Any tips? I'm just going off the Roger Brown article.

Also, I measured the rear springs and they are the 47". Any recommendations on replacements? Like I said I'm looking at the OME stock replacements and maybe some shackles if that doesn't level it out.

I have some pics but they're mostly of the unsucessful V6 radiator so I probably won't post those up. Still, any input from you guys is greatly appreciated! Thanks!

amgraham

May 6th:

Ok, I played with the TPS today and got it within specs and set the timing. It ran great and idled well then I shut it off and started it back up and it was acting the same again. Soo, I will get a TPS tomorrow and see if that takes care of it for good. I think it's just intermittently crapping out on me. This is the last thing I have to do to the motor other than adjust the valves (I think I'm gonna wait a couple weeks on that though).

Hopefully, if the TPS fixes it I will be able to go tomorrow and get it inspected, tagged and on the road . I can't wait.

amgraham

May 7th:

TPS fixed it. A guy on TTORA is sending me a taillight and it should go through inspection then. If I get anxious I'll just swap the taillight out of the 4Runner and have it inspected .

amgraham

May 9th:

Ok, so I did get anxious and went ahead and got the truck inspected. It passed with the 4Runner taillight . Now just have to transfer tags and insurance. As far as work left I'm looking for some decent speakers and I have to install a head unit I have. Also have to get a CB antenna and wire up my aux. fuse box. Then, I will be building the rear bumper and tackling the springs. I'll try to keep updating.

amgraham

Well, I've driven the truck a few days and it's really doing well. Kinda nice to have A/C again as well . Today I was waiting for a friend to show up to weld his sliders on. He got stuck in traffic so I started tinkering with the truck. Here's what I got done:

I bought a factory clock the other day since this one didn't come with it and I'm so used to having one in the runner. For future reference the harness was taped to the radio harness. Plugged it in, put a screw in it, knocked out the panel in the heater control cover, and I was done. Easiest mod ever.

I installed my deck that I bought a week or 2 ago. I found the exact same model that I have in the 4Runner on the clearance rack at Circuit City and I really like the deck so I figured I would run one here too. It was really cheap too. It is the JVC KD-G-420:


The other day I stopped by the local audio shop and talked to the guys there. I can build a pretty decent stereo system when I have some room but there is very little space to mount stuff in here. I had planned to get some middle of the road 4" for the dash and some 6.5"s for the doors straight off the deck. When I mentioned this to them they said that every time they have seen that setup in one of these trucks the 4" speakers actually make it sound worse because the mounting locations suck so much as far as acoustics. They said I would be better off getting some 6.5" components and an amp. They recommended some MB Quarts that, ironically, they had a whole pile of. I told them I would think about it. I went and researched them and everyone hates them for some reason. So, I kept searching and found some that seem to be a good compromise since I'm only going to have 2 speakers (plus they were on sale at Crutchfield). I settled on the Polk db6500s.. They'll hopefully be here in a few days:


I had an old Rockford 2 channel 150W amp that I used to run my subs off of. It did well and was in the range recommended for the Polks. I wired that up to the new deck and installed it under the seat. I can't wait to see how it sounds with the new speakers. It is the Rockford Fosgate RF 2.6X. I can't find a pic right now but will have actual pics when I finish the install (I left the camera out in the truck).

I ran the cable to the aux fuse box and mounted it in the driver's kick panel. I ordered some 140W circuit breakers off of eBay so once those come in I'll actually hook it up. A pic of that is coming too.

Rather productive day today considering it was raining and I had other stuff to do. I'll probably run the speaker wires and stuff tomorrow and get the seat and all back in, then just wait for the stuff in the mail :chill:

shoes138

damn man your doing alot of stuff in just a couple of dayz good job!

amgraham

Thanks. I have some stuff to do to the runner that will require it to be down for awhile so I needed to get this thing straightened out quick. I forgot to mention I did this all during finals while working as well.. the last couple weeks have sucked.

vwfastg60

Nice to see the longbed buildups. I thought i was about the only one.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...Picture092.jpg

Just so you know as far as longbeds go you got a clean one. My passengers bedside is trashed and the interior was junk too.

amgraham

Nice man. Oh, believe me, I looked for years for a truck like this. Really, the only rust is on that bed seam and we're actually thinking about finding someone to fix that so it doesn't have any. As far as the interior... It's not great but at least it's not really funky like some I've gotten.

KevinInSac

It's coming along great. I can't believe you've had the time for that. I'm not in the middle of finals yet and it still took me more than a week just to replace the tailgate latch, driver side mirror, and two sets of lights.

2WDoffroadx

Dude that's awesome you could do that yourself. I've been worried about my chain lately, I wish i knew how to do that stuff myself.

amgraham

Well, I started working in a shop at 7 and am now almost 24 so I've had lots of practice . Still though, I really don't see how someone couldn't do it without a ton of experience but with the right directions. 4Crawler's write-up was very handy for me. I think the hardest part was getting the timing cover to break loose. I hit it and pried on it for about 30 min and finally got it loose. Let's just say that hopefully the next time I have to do it the motor will be out and the head will be off .

Stay tuned.. I'm uploading pics now of my progress over the weekend. Thanks so much for your comments!

amgraham

Here are the pics from my progress Saturday:
My aux. fuse box in the driver's kick panel:



Where I ran the cable for the fuse box (It's still unhooked though.. Once those circuit breakers come in I'll hook it up):


Amp setup as of Saturday (I just hooked up an old 6x9 in a box to get me through the weekend):


Today I went out to the boonies to pick up a new seat from Boheefus off of TTORA. When I got back my new speakers were waiting and so I pushed off work a little more and knocked out the install. Here we go...

One speaker installed, the other hole cut, and the first time it occurred to me to take pics :


Speaker installed. Yes, I slipped with the drill and poked a hole in my door panel. Yes, I am mad about that. I'll try to fix it later:


Sorry this came out fuzzy.. This is how I ran the speaker wire from the door. There is a hole that goes through the hinge so I just made it a little bigger and ran the wire behind the hinge so it wouldn't get pinched. That goop on there is silicone just in case:


Here's where it comes into the cab:


This is where I mounted the crossovers. Yeah, it's not ideal to have them that far away from the speakers but I think it'll be fine. They are mounted very solid with 2 self-tapping screws and are pretty much concealed by the seatbelt and kinda behind the seat:



Amp fully hooked up. I will probably clean it up a bit with some zip ties and stuff after I tweak on it a few days:



New stereo installed:


Other speaker installed:


Tweeter mounting (I just used velcro so it's easy to move if I need to and I didn't have to drill any holes.. I just tucked the wires behind the ends of the dash):



Cleaned out getting ready to install the seat:




Seat and my free Husky liners back in (for some reason this seat gives me a ton more room than the old one. Plus it's nice to not have to mess with that broken seat all the time):





And one last little mod. When I was on my way back from heefus' I noticed a CB store at the intersection of 95 and 301. Since I hadn't figured out an antenna yet I decided to stop in and see if they had some options. The owner was this really nice older guy that came out and crawled all over the truck and walked me through about every way to mount an antenna. Finally we determined that a magnet mount would probably be best since this truck isn't going to see wheeling action. I have had a checkered past with the magnet mounts having them fly off at interstate speeds. He assured me that the Wilson "Little Wil" would be a good choice since it has a strong magnet and a shorter, thin aerial that wouldn't catch the wind as bad. Unfortunately he was sold out. He had another magnet mount there he could have sold me but he said he didn't like those much and recommended for me to look at the truck stops for the Wilson. I was very impressed with how he didn't try to sell me on the other antenna even though it meant he lost a sale. So, if you are ever in that area stop by the "CB Shop" next to Mr. Fuel and talk to that guy.. he was really cool. Anyway, I found one at a Travel America truckstop for $36 and got it, mounted it up when I got home. Ran the coax through a plug on the back of the cab and under the carpet up to the radio. Here are pics:




I think that's it for now. Hopefully I'll get some new parts in over the next week and I will post up about those breakers when I try them out.

Edit: I forgot to mention that the stereo sounds AMAZING! It is very crisp and clean but still has enough bass to make you not really miss a sub. The tweeters on the dash kick the crap out of my 2 ways mounted in the doors of my 4Runner.. It just sounds so much better when your leg isn't blocking the treble. I highly recommend a setup like this if you have space constraints.

KevinInSac

Looking good man. I might want to put some compenent speakers in the back of my Xcab.

nmtoy

Very nice! Makes me want a 2nd gen pickup.

Robb