id pull the timing cover and check the guilds. If they are broke i dont think the timing chain cover is going to make 1200 miles of being eaten by the timing chain. If thats fine then i dont think you should have much problem making it. You can do just about anything to these things with a10,12,14,17,19 mm wrench and a pair or pliars.

 

i would just go to a good auto shop and tell them you just got it and plan on driving it home, they will look over everything then can and if it is a good shop they will tell you what does or doesn't need worked on before leaving. but i wouldn't worry too much, unless you had the thing complelty rebuilt you would technically not know for sure weather it can make it or not haha (even if it was a car you have had for a while).

 

I'd go to Harbor Freight and get a cheap voltmeter .

Read the volts on the battery with the truck on and off . With truck on , anything less than 14.5 volts and the alternator might be going bad .

With a bad alt. you can sometimes start the truck , then drive a short ways (about 50 miles once for me ) until the battery is drained , and then you'll slowly sputter to a stop .

Good Luck .

 

I flew down to buy my truck, I was picked up at the airport in the truck. I drove it to an insurance company, tried the 4wd, crawled underneath to check it out and paid for it. Then I drove it 14 hours back home; I had brought my tool pouch with me, I stopped more than I would have normally to check things out and had no issue - go for it!

 

Here is a few no one mentioned.

Make an extra key and put it on the other cars key ring!

Carry spare belts, Alt and PS. A two gallon gas can and a tow strap from HF is cheaper than AAA.

Tires! dry rott and balance.
Bounce test the shocks.

Try to find some of that groved pavement we have up here in colorado, shouldn't be hard. And Get a feel for it at speed. Nothing sucks like driving a squirrly beast 1200 miles.

Make sure the crossmembers have all the bolts and the nuts are tight. Nothing scares you like hearing one of those fall out, not to mention it could wind up in your tire, gas tank, or the wifeys windshield or radiator.

Not a bad idea to run some injector cleaner on the way seeing as you'll be using multiple tanks of fuel.

Reset the ECU when you get to new mexico or colorado, so it relearns for altitude. It'll do it by it's self but it learns faster supposedly.

 

:jessica:You might want to hit the door gasket with some silicone spray to keep it from freezing!

I bought a 4Runner from Down South that hates the cold Never having seen this extreme low temperature well not that cold about 0 Fahrenheit.

All kinds of bolts are coming loose in the engine the Maf Sensor fell out:jessica:

The starter just gave up the ghost on the first cold snap

Waiting to see what happens next .

I told it if it does not quit acting like a warm blooded vehicle I would take it to Prudhoe Bay and give it to someone to make a planter.

 

Ok, so in the process of getting the truck ready I removed 4 Offroad lights from the stock bumper. In doing so I somehow disconnected the headlights. It looks like whoever put the Offroad lights in also added some relays and other stuff. I am really unfamiliar with this kinda electrical work. Anyone have any ideas on how to get this hooked back up? Maybe a wire diagram for the stock setup? Thanks.

 

Did you disconnect the battery before removing the offroad lights? I wonder if you may have popped the 10 amp fuses. They're easy enough to check just to eliminate the fuses being an issue.

Did you have to remove any splices to pull the lights out?

PM me your email and I will send the 1988 FSM wire diagram page on headlights. I think it should be pretty close to the same.

 

There was a thread brought up a few days ago, regarding lighting swaps.

Thread is here

The stock setup is "switched ground", there should/would be constant power at the headlamp socket with the relays on the ground side. *edit* I didn't mean relay i meant switch really..

1: Establish a ground to the body and probe for power at the headlamp sockets.
2: Establish a body ground and test the socket for continuity to ground.

The addon lamps may have been wired in series with the stock lamps. This would be indicated by the lack of additional switches in the cab. If they were added in series to the stock wireing you can just jumper/tie the addon lights + and - back together.

If it was done with a proper addon wiring loom, you can just disconnect the stock lamp sockets from the addon and reattach the stock plugs to the lamps.

The 93fsm lighting section, should have a similar/relevent layout since it doesn't include the actual wireing colors.

With the switch in the on position there will/should be power at the #4 terminal of the "Headlamp control relay" and the headlamp fuse. You can find out the proper wiring color as it exits the fuse box. Find and reconnect this to the stock lamp socket, it should be run across the front of the radiator supports. Find the ground side wiring colors at the switch in the cab, test that they are in the same locations as the new model by testing for continuity to ground with the switch in the High and Low positions.

Make sure you're using the Resistance setting not the Diode/Continuity setting on your meter, so as not to short anything out.

Worst case depending what you had todo to remove the addon lamps, is just put them back and worry about it when you get it home.

 

Update: I made the "test trip" to AZ. So far so good. I figured out all the light stuff thanks to all the help on here. I have a few more tweaks to the truck then off to CO!

 

Glad you made it safely. Hope to see the build on it.

 

Aye aye Captain...looks like its smooth "sailing" for you now...yuk yuk yuk.

 

Good luck on your way to CO, I am in ABQ if you are heading that way and need some assistance, although I am a noob with the older trucks.

 

Thanks man. We'll be leaving in the morning at 3ish. Thanks for the offer.

 

X2! It's a gamble, if you make it you save a little money, but if something vital goes, you'll be out thousands. I've been in that position before, chanced it and paid heavily for it. If I were to do it again, I'd definitely tow the truck.

 

Thousands?! BAH, just find the local uhaul grab a truck and trailer and drag er home and deal with it after a good nights sleep.

 

At this point, I'm in it. If something happens, then we'll have to rent a trailer. Hopefully it all goes well.

 

What happened?

 

You made it to AZ ....your good. Sending you Highlux mojo....you are gonna be fine.


(Highlux mojo is concentrated and powerful, use at your own risk)

 

Curious about this. I am about to drive an '87 22r 4x4 to 0 degrees fahrenheit for the rest of the winter. It's always been on the west coast. I've done about all I can think of, but bolts were really falling out of yours? Didn't think about that... Uh, any other advice besides just getting under with a wrench and tightening everything? And do you use a block heater? Sorry for the thread hijack, good work Red Beard. I'm crossing my fingers here for my giant trip. Just picked mine up with 30,000 original miles. It sat for 20 years. Problem is, that means all rubber rotted. Including the head gasket =(