They had some fun with names on them towns! Then there is the city of Springfield we go through heading north to Vermont and turned around just before Springfield Vermont almost 2 hours later 😀

 

I wonder which Springfield they film The Simpsons in...


Pat☺

 

The Simpsons Springfield was based on Springfield Oregon. Also Krusty the clown was based on a clown named rusty nails, who would frequent the grocery store my parents shopped at when I was little. He scared me!

Anyway, I won't derail this thread further...

 

ha ha that's good stuff! I remember years ago fans felt it was Springfield MA because there was rumor that matt groening or someone else was from Amherst MA. And then there is the memorial bridge. Like Springfield MA and a bunch of other Springfields...... and an episode where Bart saw a 3 eyed fish in the river that bridge goes over. Like the Connecticut river which has a polluted past........ all stories tho, he wasn't from MA I guess.


Anyway back to the 4runner, what kind of mileage does everyone get in cold weather? I noticed recently it has dropped a lot. On this trip to VT I specifically kept track. I really wish I had watched it closely last winter but think we were doing better then. The best we got of mostly highway and 50 MPH back roads was only 16 MPG. I haven't gotten into checking anything out yet but have been thinking it's been running kinda rich lately. It's gonna have sit on the back burner for a while because I have a whole list of things I just have not been able to get to with the other vehicles and house. Everything I really wanted to be done with before winter but there I will be out in the driveway wrenching in the snow soon....

I wasn't planning on putting a bunch of miles on the 4runner this winter season Anyway so it can sit for a while no problem. It will see a lot less salt this year, even though we saw a bunch on Saturday.

 

From Saturday.

 

I wonder (yeah, I do that a lot) how much..."shrinkage"...that poor truck experienced when it hit the snow?


How far did you air down for that little trip? Just curious. We're heading into snow season here in Oregon (not Springfield) and I'm curious what a good pressure for paved roads with snow packed down by other traffic would be.
Up till now, I was using the 87 4Runner in winter, and the pickup in summer. I set the 'Runner's tires to 32 front, 34 rear during the warm summer weather, and never let any out come winter. I am certain they were a bit lower once the weather turned come winter, but I don't know exactly how much. They LOOKED like they had a great contact patch, but I am sure I could get a better one. I just don't want to damage the tires on my 99, which we're using this winter.
Toyo AT3's, brand new this summer, 2000 miles on them so far, same pressure set in them as the 87's tires (BFG ATA's) so far. Once again, looks like a good contact patch on the ground all the way 'round. The tread touches all the way out to the edge of the tire, but just barely. I'm thinking maybe go down to 30 front, 32 rear for the snow? 28/30 even? Maybe the cold weather will just do the job of airing down enough for me?

I don't want to blow my mileage out of the water, about 17.8 this summer overall average, but I really want a safe vehicle, with good traction. The 87 did right by me every winter for the last 16 years, now I am trusting the 99 to do the same thing. Just wanting a little advice from someone with more experience in the snow than I have, is all.

Thanks man! BTW, that video either looks scary as heck if that turn was unintentional, or fun as heck if it was intentional
Pat☺

 

I've always been around 32 psi on all 4 tires with both the 4runner and FJ . With cold it has always been a job just to keep air in the tires 🙄 big job when using aluminum wheels. Back when the tire pressure sensors worked on the FJ it let me know often that I was close to 20 psi.

Ha ha that video clip looks so much crazier than real life. We we barely above idle in reverse coming back from our little picnic spot.

In the past few days I spent a few minutes with the 4runner in between other projects. I wanted to check a few of the simple things first, air filter, distributor cap, rotor, spark plugs, check the exhaust manifold studs and oxygen sensor studs to see if it was tight. I replaced the bolts that secured it with studs instead a while back. I didn't like how they went in. They weren't seated all the way . Now they are and torqued in.

So it looks like what the fuel consumption problem was the number 4 spark plug was only hand tight. I'm always afraid of stripping the head so this time I installed all plugs with a torque wrench. While I was there I did a compression check and all cylinders were good and exactly the same. The spark plugs looked good too.

 

Thank you for the tire inflation help. I appreciate it!

If it matters, The Book calls out 13 ft/lbs torque for spark plugs. It's what I've been setting mine for on the 2 87's, and neither has had any trouble yet.
I do use a spark plug thread chaser I bought when I did the head on the 87 Runner many (25) years ago. If I think I feel the slightest difficulty threading in the plugs by hand, the threads get it with the thread chaser. The pickup has everything out in the open, so I just use my fingers to start the plugs. The 4Runner's #4 plug is hard for me to reach, being the short, fat, ugly (which isn't of concern here), guy I've become over the years, so it get's started with a piece of rubber fuel line. Works like a dream.
A very short extension and a spark plug socket for the torque wrench, and Ta-DA! GTG.
A little dab of silicon dielectric grease in the ends of the plug wire and they slip right on, easy as pie. Or cake. Mmmmmmm...cake...

I still think that video looked scary. Or fun. All depends , now don't it?
Enjoy!
Pat☺

 

You're welcome, Pat thanks for the milage info! That was the issue with getting that plug in right. The heater core hoses are sorta in the way. I can reach it with just the spark plug socket but put three extensions on to tighten it down then the extensions just go around the hoses.

Hey Im short too, since this thing is lifted 😄 I was standing on a bucket to get the nut on top of the starter. Just have to give the intake manifold a hug and pretty much blindly turn the nut. I love blindly working on stuff, lol. I considered opening the access panel on the passenger side wheel well but this was quicker. So when I was hugging the intake the bucket slipped out from under me and I was dangling from the fender. Ahhhh fun and games......

 

Here's another little clip from the picnicking adventure.

 

I have to admit, I took the access panel off from the wheel well on the passenger side some 26 years ago, and, naturally, lost it. I keep used parts, like hoses, plug wires, etc, but can I remember where I put that part of the truck? Noooo!
I did it to change the fuel filter, and I think, IIRC, it was such a huge pain, I left the panel off...just in case of a leak, or something. It didn't, but, yeah, the panel vanished. Oh well, hasn't been a problem yet

My lovely wife is, thankfully, even shorter than I am. She just climbs up on the brush guard I put on, and sits on the valve cover to help me. She can wrench with thee best.
Her father taught a class in Yuma on being an A&P mechanic, and she took it, just due to being bored. Found out she has a talent for it.

Me, I use a couple 6X6 blocks to stand on. And jack up the 4Runners. And Block the wheels. And...
the list goes on and on.

Thanks for the new vid. Make what's going on more sensible. Cold, slick, kinda scary, but more sensible
Have fun!
Pat☺

 

An industrial/manufacturing engineer and outdoorsman, I work, live, play, sleep LEAN.

 

An industrial/manufacturing engineer and outdoorsman, I work, live, play, sleep LEAN.

 

I thought the book specced out the lug nuts at 92 ft/lbs...?

But hey, if that's what you use, that's you. Good to see I use the same pressure as everyone (!) else

Have fun!
Pat☺

 

they have the construction trucks lit up again!

 

Last year.

 

I torque to 90 on both vehicles and so far so good. I don't recall where I got that number. 🤔 are you running steel wheels, Pat? I thought I saw something different for alloys or coned versus flat lugs and bigger tires.........

 

As far as I know, our 99 4Runner has factory rims, whatever those are. I BELIEVE they're aluminum. I'll see if I can find where I read that number.
Same with our 87 4R. Factory rims. Again, I got the number from "The Book". I'll see if I can find it, and put the page up for you.

Sorry if I'm slow. I had to take my most beloved wife to the hospital yesterday for a pancreatic infection, which had spread to the liver and gall bladder, and was pumping nastiness into her stomach. They pumped out about 2 stomachs worth of disgusting crap out last night. No eating, no drinking, for two days on her part. Oh yeah, we had no insurance for her. Just our luck.

Couple that with our first real snow storm of the season yesterday! I am not well practised in snow-wheeling. Thank goodness the 99 4Runner with new Toyo AT3s on it held the road like a dream. I had to make several round trips home last night. About 20-25 miles each way. Snow falling, the road covered, with a few FEW clear areas. I was scared S-less I was going to over do some control, and wind up in a ditch upside down. The truck ran beautifully, and held on to the road like a lover no matter the conditions. Snowing, with packed snow on the road, freezing, icy, whatever. Anywho, after the last trip home at 0300, I collapsed into our bed, and slept like the dead.

Now I have to work with all these hospitals involved to try and pay this all off. Not a lot of time to work on stuff like this, but I'll see what I can find later on, k?

Take care, stay safe.
Pat☺

 

We wish your wife and you well, Pat.

 

So sorry to hear of your wife Pat, take care of her and yourself! From your description she sounds like a keeper with her helping you wrench on the old yotas and such.

Brent