Nailit69

I found some fenders on CL that were on a parts for sale rig and were the same color as my 4runner and went to try and talk the guy into selling them, instead I came home with another 4Runner now I have 3. My girl wasn't very happy but she'll get over it soon enough.



When I got there to check it out I couldn't believe my eyes... a near perfect, 2nd owner '93 T4R with engine problems and I was customer #1. I couldn't let it slip through my fingers so I offered up what I thought was a reasonable price for the whole thing and he took it.

I brought it home and washed it and the body and paint are perfect. It has been well taken care of. Total pavement pounder, probably never been on anything more than gravel roads. Other than the engine it only needs a windshield and a new power antennae. Has the usual hole in the drivers seat, i'm starting to think that's how they came from the factory. Leather seats and door panels in good shape for 20 yrs old, power everything and it all works, nice Pioneer system, good tires, factory jack, owners manual, etc.

The one thing I don't really like other than the 3.0 is the automatic transmission. At 214,000 miles what are the chances this thing will last through another motor? Can any of you guys running automatics tell me the pros and or cons of these? I've had too many toyotas to remember but never had an automatic.

jb451

Can't help you with the auto question (if it were me i'd just as soon replace it), but that is one CLEAN 4Runner Nailit..... Very nice buy for sure!!

RSR

Provided it's been regularly flushed, your tranny should be good to go. On autos, the big thing is to replace your radiator every 150k if keeping the factory AFT to coolant (oil to water) A/T cooler setup. The radiator tends to fail here and allow the two to mix -- the pink slush problem detailed on these boards. Not so much a problem on the coolant side, but on the tranny side, it tends to fill up w/ coolant due to gravity and the water dissolves the adhesive on the clutch plates, ruining the tranny...

So:
-Check tranny fluid and ensure it's not burnt
-Flush tranny (I'd recommend the Amsoil flush, drain pan, drop pan and clean and replace mesh filter, reinstall pan, fill pan w/ regular ATF, do the two buckets w/ regular ATF flush, run it for a day or two, and then flush again w/ a quality synthetic ATF like Amsoil Multi ATF (why flush twice? B/c torque converter dumps some fluid back into pan -- not all goes to coolant line)
-Install a tranny temp gauge at hard exit line (from tranny to radiator) to monitor coolant temps for a few days
-Install an external cooler 1.5" thick like B&M or Tru Cool LPD (LPDs tend to be more hilghly recommended and have more options, but the B&M look nice too -- for the B&M just a few come w/ the install package while all the LPDs do) and from/between tranny out coolant line and before cooler, install one of the magnefine filters (keeps crud out of your new cooler for better preformance and pics up ferrous and other crap that the factory mesh filter won't)
--I know this one will fit: http://www.importperformancetrans.co...4588-1900.html
--But I still need to measure to see if either of these ones will
http://www.importperformancetrans.co...4589-1902.html
http://www.importperformancetrans.co...4590-1903.html
-Check temps to ensure they remain w/in spec (Toyota says 158 –
176 *F http://personal.utulsa.edu/~nathan-b...nce/2maint.pdf you might need to add a bypass temp gauge like this http://www.ebay.com/itm/TRANSMISSION...-/321082407626)
-And then you should be good to go so long as your temps remain w/in spec
--If not, check that your tranny cooler is mounted next to/abutting the AC condensor. This will ensure coolant fan draws air through and not around
-Lastly run a length of hose between tranny radiator connections to ensure your coolant doesn't dump in the event of failure -- and flush w/ water before hand if you want to be super careful).

Threads detail above on here by the way. Just

Or instead replace your radiator w/ new OEM (it's probably about time anyways and if you're rebuilding your engine, might as well ensure old crap from the radiator doesn't clog your freshly cleaned block and heads) and recongize you'll need to replace it again in 150k.

I think the best option from a flow perspective (a lot of folks have said bypass valves cause overheat when towing) is to run the factory cooler in parallel w/ external cooler. From tranny to cooler to radiator back to tranny is the Toyota towing package and best from the consistent tranny temp perspective as well as consistent coolant temp (tranny fluid exchanges heat w/ coolant in bottom 1/4 or so of the radiator meaning an overheating tranny adds add'l and not wanted heat to the coolant immediately before it cycles back to the block). From tranny to radiator to cooler to back to tranny is what a lot of tranny shops recommend and causes the lowest tranny fluid temps but also risks adding extra heat to the coolant... So your call. With this engine's heat problems, I lean towards the first right now, but am still thinking through how I want to configure (I have the towing package so have a basic but far from ideal version of the first setup currently). And if running synthetic coolant a slight overheat of tranny fluid is less of a concern, and remember the coolant enters the radiator at 180 to 200* F and is cooled below that by the time it exits and where tranny fluid is cooled. If tranny fluid is below coolant temps, heat will transfer to tranny coolant, but from a systems perspective that isn't a bad thing... Will ensure that both are in the lower end of ideal tranny operating temps per FSM I think.

Nailit69

Wow, that sounds pretty complete... so it should be good to go from the sounds of it. I will be replacing the radiator for sure and i'll do the flush/fill/flush/fill too. Hopefully it will hold up for 100,000 miles but i'm ready to do a tranny too if it's necessary. I'll probably give it to my daughter who lives out of state so major repairs will be difficult for me and impossible for her. I just want to give her a reliable rig that we don't have to mess with.

It's actually nicer than first thought and nicer than my current 4 Runner, I had thoughts of keeping it and giving her mine (which is still pretty nice but not perfect). Although I have so much time and money into mine I should just keep it, it's sweet but this one is even sweeter.

I bought cars for my other kids but she always wanted to make her own way and pay her own bills, now I want her to experience the wonderful world of no car payments so I think this one is hers.

RSR

Yes, these Toyota trannies are pretty robust. Big thing is to run good fluid in them, and ensure they don't overheat. The factory tranny heat light is between 250 and 300*F, which is almost too late w/ standard fluid if you don't immediately allow it to cool and then change fluid soon after that warning.

RSR

Here's the big external cooler thread I've found to be the most exhaustive, in a good way. My conclusions vary from the thread's consensus that the lowest possible tranny temp is best, but feel free to draw your own conclusions. https://www.yotatech.com/forums/f2/b...cooler-126953/

Nailit69

I was just looking at the jamb stickers and this one and my current one were built in the same year just a few months apart... 4/93 #452 & 12/93 #710 they were even borned the same year.

Nailit69

I was thinking of running an aux trans cooler rather than the stock one but time and money will dictate that. Seems to me when I had my powerstroke the ideal temp was below 220F and damage could occur over 270F.

Nailit69

Here's it's evil twin... the one I went to buy fenders for.



I just can't do it though... so i'm on the hunt for fenders again.

coopster

Really sweet looking ride.
(Are you sure its a real toyota? I don't see cancer-rust in the real wheel well/door jamb.)

Nailit69

Not a lot of salt on the roads around these parts just lots of rain. Most rigs around here get a constant 9 month underside pressure washing and then it's summer so rust isn't a huge problem most of the time. You're more likely to find corrosion on aluminum and chrome.

It's so uncommon here that I usually won't waste my time on a rig if I spot any cancer.

RSR

Some folks have had good luck w/ the fiberglass ones...

http://desktoglory.com/progress-exha...ender-install/

http://www.cardomain.com/ride/114727...oyota-4runner/

http://www.toyotafiberglass.com/ $160 plus shipping.