ToyYoda

I just bought an 87' 4runner with 22RE and a 5spd. for $1700.


It was in good enough shape to where I couldn't pass it up. It does have 256k miles on it but has a new longblock in it. The truck is pretty sound and I drive it daily right now but it has a few problems like I'd like to figure out.

1. Fuel gauge doesn't work but the low fuel level light does. If it's filled up full, it works for a little bit but not very long.

2. The transmission is noisy in just about every gear except 4th. 5th gear is the loudest. I don't have the boot cover on so I'm sure that's part of the reason it's noisy but 4th is so quiet. No other problems though.

3. When I'm driving at a steady speed, the headlights flicker but only get dim. The dash and CD player do it too so I'm thinking maybe needs a new alternator?

4. My rear springs are sagging. Can someone link me to a good thread that has a good fix for this?

Other than those things, it's a pretty sweet ride. Back to having no power and being scared to merge on the highway

sh0kk86

1. http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showt...gas+guage+full

2. .

3. ya alternator

4. lift springs, stock springs, blocks

todopodero

Instead of buying a new alternator, try replacing the brushes first:
http://www.4x4wire.com/toyota/mainte...nator_brushes/

Real cheap and easy and will probably fix your alt issues.

misterzee

that is a sweet looking 87 !! original graphics ! nice!! Its a beauty with the SR5, inclinometer, sunroof, red!! Please take some more pics for us!!
Did you change the gear lube in the tranny and transfer case and your diffs yet? do that
*We replaced a noisy tranny in our 88 (250k miles) with another good used one (100k miles)... probably some syncros or bearings loosening up....
*Toytec has a nice extra spring you can wedge into the back pack that won't make your truck too stiff... its part of their 2" ifs lift kit
*Your electrical problem is most likely a bad ground. The wiring grounds to the body and frame in several places on the truck... a few right in the engine compartment... also, over long periods of time, like between 1987 and 2008, some connections and connectors get corroded and need to be disconnected and cleaned up. There is a splice joint for the bright-dim circuit in the harness that runs right behind the battery that gets eaten up with battery acid vapors... and if your tailgate window gets flaky in any way, suspect the section of harness that goes out of the rear quarter panel-down past the tailpipe-and back up into the tailgate.
.... whew ... sorry bout all that ...
oh.... lose the running boards... I'll be the first of many who will bug you about that LOL

ToyYoda

Thanks guys. I'll swap some good fluid in the tranny today. Hopefully I don't make a huge mess this time.

I'll probably just go with blocks under the springs so it's still soft. How many inches should I go up? 2" blocks?

I'll get rid of the running boards too. Just need to find a place to toss them.

I noticed a loose ground at the wire in the back of the engine. The screw they used is too long so the wire just loosely fits around it.

I'll post some updates and more pics. soon.

misterzee

my humble opinion, blocks are YUK
check out the toytec TAC-AL-LA add a leaf

Jory121

ya dont use blocks...there junk, do it right the first time and youll thank yourself later

Jory121

use add a-leafs

eightnine

Do not use blocks man, just get an add a leaf, it will ride and look a lot better than ghetto blocks.

ToyYoda

Ok, add a leafs it is.

I haven't gotten around to working on it yet but I plan to get a lot done this weekend.

Here are some better photos.

annoyingrob

Helpful hint for filling the transmission:

I believe the shift linkage is all internal on these transmissions right? If so,

Drain it, then take out the shifter, and pour it in there. If you're worried about over-filling, take out teh fill plug, and pour until it starts coming out. IIRC it's about 3.8 qts.

It's a PITA with a pump filling it from the fill hole.

mnmontana

1. Fuel gauge doesn't work but the low fuel level light does. If it's filled up full, it works for a little bit but not very long.


Sounds like the peg/float in the tank that reads the fluid level is bent or rusted (not positive if the 4runner has this, but seen this in other vehicles)

2. The transmission is noisy in just about every gear except 4th. 5th gear is the loudest. I don't have the boot cover on so I'm sure that's part of the reason it's noisy but 4th is so quiet. No other problems though.

You dont want to take tranny advice from me, lol.

3. When I'm driving at a steady speed, the headlights flicker but only get dim. The dash and CD player do it too so I'm thinking maybe needs a new alternator?

Check wiring, make sure everything is secure, and even try pulling the wires off the battery, cleaning the posts, cleaning the contact points for the ground wire, etc. If it still does it, then alternator is problably on its way out. Start the truck, turn on the headlights, put a voltmeter on the battery, see what it is at. if its under 12.5 the alternator is problably dead, if its over 12.5 then the issue is problably a bad ground wire


4. My rear springs are sagging. Can someone link me to a good thread that has a good fix for this?


I used add-a-leafs on my camaros (same rear leaf spring setup), and it was cheap, and worked nicely. You could also use traction bars, but that kills some clearance.

Other than those things, it's a pretty sweet ride. Back to having no power and being scared to merge on the highway

ToyYoda

I replaced the alternator because it was covered in oil. That fixed the electrical
issues. I noticed the new alt. had oil dripping from the bottom after a going to
work and back so I replaced the power steering pump as well. No more oil

Now for add-a-leafs and tranny swap :/

Oh and I failed my emissions test so I bought a new catalytic converter but I've
also noticed while I'm cruising, there is a misfire when I am barely on the throttle
and the idle is somewhat rough but it's not too bad. Any ideas?

chewie1014

Add-a-leaf is the way to go. Blocks suck. Good decisions.

As for the tranny, if it's got 250K miles on it, your looking at synchros or bearings. Both can be noisy if going out. Bearings tend to lead to a heat problem...not so for synchros. A bad bearing can seize the tranny up completely...a bad synchro usually just eliminates a gear by not letting your choose that gear while moving. Either way, it sounds like it may be time for a rebuild.

Are you sure it's the catalytic converter. That's the knee jerk reaction. Sounds like it just needs a tune up. Slight hesitation on light throttle and a rough idle makes me thing so. May depend on how new a "new longblock" is.

Check the O2 sensor. They should have replaced when putting in the engine, but maybe not.

Clean the intake. Pull a can of sea foam into the intake using a vacuum hose. A search on here can give you more specifics. Pull the air intake hose and clean the throttle body real well. Dump a can of seafoam in the gas tank as well to clean the injectors.

Replace fuel filter. It's mounted on the side of the block. You can access it from the little panel in the passenger side wheel well - a hell of a lot easier to do from there.

New air filter, plugs, wires, cap and rotor.

That's what I'd do.

ToyYoda

Some of that stuff has already been replaced so I guess I'll start with the old stuff. I did buy the truck with a new oxygen sensor in the glove box so might as well do that. The cat. I bought was a magnaflow high flow cat. so I'm sure that's better than the original. Hopefully those two things help. The long block was recently replaced and has about 6k miles on it but I'll do a compression test for the fun of it.

Why would oil leak from inside the tranny after long distance drives? My clutch fork even has oil on it but the clutch itself looks dry.

chewie1014

Input shaft seal or front bearing gasket. Easy fixes once you get past removing the tranny. If you do have bearings going bad, long distances will gradually increase heat expanding and thinning your fluid. It may be doing it enough to push it through the seals. Or it may just be a bad seal that requires a long enough trip to fling enough dope to be noticeable.