coreman23

Hey guys, I've been trolling around for a while and thought I might as well put up a build up thread on my 1990 4runner that I got last year.

So far, all I have done is put in new spark plugs, wires, cap and rotor, air filter and ran some seafoam through it. I also got a new fuel filter on it. That was a huge pain as those that have done it know. I ended up taking the whole fuel line off under the front passenger side tire because the nut just wouldn't come undone.

The parking brake cable was broken, so I found a replacement and got that fixed. The brake light now stays on, so I may need to make an adjustment somewhere.

It has just over 200k miles on it. The timing belt was done about 20,000 miles ago, so I am good there. I called and the VIN is out of the head gasket range and the steering recall has been done. It's a 5 speed with the 3.0, but it's not as slow as I thought it would be. Should be fine for me, but I would imagine a 3.4 will be in my future. (This is way out of my league, so I would have to have it done.)

I found a tow bar to install on the back, but no hardware, so I have to work on finding replacements there. The trailer wiring is there and it works, so that is good.

I also took off the front bull bar, didn't like it.

I found a replacement rear window and that's installed. The motor is almost dead and I think I'm going to replace the relays to get that working like new again. You can see one of the pics there is a dent from the tire carrier, hopefully this doesn't affect the window as well. I think there is enough clearance, but the window wasn't able to go up without assistance with a battery straight to it.

This is our 3rd vehicle, so it's mainly for winter driving, camping, fishing and towing a small tent trailer. So this will end up being a mini expo rig.

Here is what needs to be done:

1) Need to install new stereo and dc adapter. Speakers are gone as well.
2) Need to baseline all the drivetrain fluids as well as my transmission. I am doing all new brake fluid as well.
3) The CV boots are torn, already bought those from Autozone. I know OEM is recommended, but these have a lifetime warranty and they were cheaper.
4) Front brake pads were so bad they were digging into the rotors, so I bought new rotors from Napa. These will be done along with the wheel bearings regreased and replacing the CV axles. Rears were checked by a local mechanic. I would like to add manual hubs when this is all apart, but we'll see how things work out.
5) A/C doesn't work. I noticed the fuse was blown, so I replaced it, tried it out and the light went on for a second, then blew the new fuse. I don't know much about this, I would assume it's the compressor, so I may have to take it in to have this fixed.
6) The valve cover gaskets are leaking. I have done this to another car of mine, so I think I will be ok with this.
7) It needs new tires. From my door ID tag, it looks like 31's were stock, so I will be looking at those, or possibly some 32's. Looking at the Goodyear Duratracs, they seem to do well in the snow and ice and that's where the truck will be used the most. I plan to clean up the wheels and spray them black.
8) Eventually I would like to add a remote start.
9) I think I have the valet key copy as I can't unlock the back or passenger door. I have to go to the dealer for an original key.
10) The rear driver's side window goes down from the driver's window control, but it goes up when it wants. Sometimes I have to use the driver's control and the rear control at the same time to get it to come back up. I'm guessing I just need to clean up the contacts and maybe lube up the window to get it working again. I will look into this later.

I think that is it for now. Recommendations are more than welcome and any help would be greatly appreciated. I can change my oil, brakes are fairly new to me, but this site is really helpful, so I think I can do most of the work myself.

(You can see from the last picture the tailgate guts. I had to break the white tab that holds the inside handle onto the regulator, so I will have to find a replacement for this. If you know what's it is called, that would help a lot.)

Here are some pics: