I just had time to get a shot of the gap between the radiator and the condenser.

You can see the gap with the lines I drew and the yellow arrows showing the openings. If left open the draw of air will seep through there and less through the condenser coil.

I found a small piece of foam to give you guys an idea of what I'm talking about.



Actually here's what I'm looking to get from the hardware store which is what i recall being similar to what came with my 86 4Runner when i drove it off the dealer lot in 1986.




Should somehow setup with this stuff on the top and the bottom to keep the flow going through the condenser.

 

that attachment is called a Can Tap, You could run down to the autoparts store and get one by ordering it as i found out they don't stock it. the other place is epay just type in can tap. This is one of those items that EPA didn't like since you can actually fill a R12 unit with R134 with out retrofitting the valve stems. Let me know if you need any help in getting one.

 

In the import car industry we have what are called cooling plates..

may have to make one for the 4runner..


hmmm...

 

That not a bad idea Outsane, I never thought of that only because i was so mentally put back in 1986 when i got the truck remembering what it had there. For now I'm going to try and stick with the foam, it's kind of in my budget range for this and time. It also has the image of what Toyota had there when I purchased the truck. Maybe by the time I get my 86 started on I'll give that a try. Though I really like your idea, thanks...

 

This evening I had the pleasure of driving the truck for a while in a nice comfortable cool cab. The AC rocks right now and cools really well. I can't complain and only have good things to say so far as for R152a.

The one thing I notice since I have my radio console/ash tray off I notice how cool it was there and stuck my hand behind there and it was cold. I am assuming that the Air ducts are leaking through their connecting point/joints. Once again we are back to the foam seal being deteriorated. I'm going to have to put on my list to replace or repair those foam seals on the air duct pipes. Trying figure ifI should try to do it without removing the dash board cover or should I remove the dash board cover and order a dash cap from Coverlay. Here's there instruction for installing it:

http://coverlaymfg.iwebcat.com/imgVD...nstallatio.pdf

has anyone had any dealings with them or this brand?

I could probably get it entire dash cap for $66.50 ship.

 

Removing the dashpad isnt hard at all. Start from the drivers side and work over to the passenger side. The passenger vent can be brittle so be careful with it. Once you get the vent out of it, break off the smaller tabs inside the larger tabs. My video isnt the best, but it will show you how to get the passenger vent out. The speedo bezel covers one of the nuts to get the pad out. Link>>> https://www.yotatech.com/forums/f199...l#post51778558 Post #451. Check the foam around the connection on the PE pipe or make sure it is even there. I have seen them missing before. Same for the drivers door vent, there is a pipe that gets left off when someone has worked under the dash on the drivers side.

The top video is not the one I made but check out the bottom videos and it says "Video I made". It just looks like a picture but is a video.

I havent used an overlay. Corax has a thread somewhere on how he fiberglassed his dashpad. I may have posted it in my link above. If not I will see if I can find it and add it to later. I will check into the R152 when I get to it sommmmeday, which I hope is soon.

As far as dashpads, just keep an eye out and one will eventually pop up. I got a sweet one this week and nothing interior paint wont take care of. Wahoo!!

 

I've been driving around a bit and have noticed that the temperature in the full sun around 89-90 degrees the vent temperatures were 40-42 degrees that's up 5 to 10 degrees and then later in the afternoon I get vent temperature around 30-35 degrees. Even so, the temperature was comfortable, but once your sitting in the car cooling and the temperature rises just a hair it always feels hotter.

I'm going to have to check the pressures hi and low to make sure its working properly. Could be over charged which may cause it to return heat back through. Don't think it's undercharged as it took almost 16-17oz. and I originally figured it would only need max 15oz. I will know more once I check the high and low side to see where my pressures are, maybe it could be a bad expansion valve.

 

Sorry haven't had much to update recently as things have gotten a little busier for me in the last 2 weeks.

I did however find out that my expansion valve on my AC wasn't up to par judging by the erratic reading I was getting from the low side. I wasn't getting a reading from the high side so when I changed the valve I changed the schrader core. Once I did all that I got better reading and readings from the high side. I charged up the AC with the R-152a with pressures at 25psi on the low and 180psi. That used about 9oz of refrigerant which is less that calculated 11 to 12oz. Its cooling about 44-47 degrees at the vent. Pressures are low so if need be I can add just a hair more. I like the way it's working now, but I notice the other day it takes about 5 to 10 minutes for the truck to cool down. Still leaking air under the dash.

By the way here's a clip from an EPA report done back in the 90's on refrigerant. I underlined the part I was interested in. Check it out:

 

Hey Guys, Sorry about not posting for sometime now. Been distracted with other things for the past couple of months.

Anyhow, I took the drive north about 125 miles and wouldn't you know I got stranded. I had to tow it to the place I was headed and left it there. It took a little over a month before I got it back home. Once I got it back home I started a tear down and found that the connecting rod cab nuts had backed out. Never heard of that ever happening, but it did to me. Guess I'll be looking for a connecting rod to replace the one that was damaged. Also been looking for a machine shop just turn one journal, seems like no one down this far wants to do just one, they all want to do the who crank when it doesn't need to.

Didn't want to waste a whole bunch of time waiting to find some one to work on the journal, so I took the block from the 86 Runner and put it in there. Been running that for the past 3 weeks, but in that time perio I blew the hose off one of the radiator hose and had to rig the hose and drive it back home. The only thing I'm dealing with so far is the low idle till it warms up, IAC and the AC idle up, though it could be clogs coolant line or EGR. I could deal with that till I find the parts.

So far I got I've gotten 300 miles on it running around driving it and no mishaps so far, took it on two 100 mile round trip. I would like to get new fuel injectors to improve performance and mileage. I know the set that are in there now either need a good cleaning or replacement.

As for the AC, its working great, really cold. I thought I had a leak some time back before the truck broke down on me a few months ago. So it was sitting and towed then motor pulled and block replaced. Turned on the AC and its cooling pretty sweet about 42F m.o.l. Although, I added another towel and now have 2 towels covering the gap between the radiator and the condenser, as it helps stream the air flow through the two.

Still a bunch of stuff to work on, but time and $ are holding me back right now. I am just going over the paint work my neighbors is doing on his F150, he's getting 150 different ways of doing it from different paint and body shops he knows. I'm think of starting on that as well myself.

 

I've been having this idle up issue and I know its the VSV switch. I'm assuming that even though the contacts are working, there is an issue with the actual switch. I've switched it out with the one from my 86 runner, but that seems to be failing as well. With the original one that was on there, it would click and the idle would just drop 750+/- to 500rpm. Turn the A/C off and the idle would rev up to 1200rpm. with the one from the 86 the idle would idle up about 100 to 200 rpms 750 +/- to 900rpm, but when you turn it off it would idle up to 1200rpm. without the A/C turned on after a cold start and driven around all day with out the AC the idle would stay pretty much consistent at 700 to 800rpm.(Cold start doesn't really work only on really cold days the rpm rev up to about 1000rpm, but typically starts up cold at 750rpm rough idle this is another issue). I plan on changing the VSV as the cost from the dealer ends up to be about $23.00 with my discount.

Here's a diagram of what I think is suppose to happen with the VSV.

 

After I get this done, I'm going to see about cleaning up the IACV which I'm assuming its clogged up with carbon and can't toggle over as easy or at all.

 

Junk - I hope you get the idle up solved. I fixed mine not too long ago because once you have working AC, you really need that idle up. I was missing a vac line which goes from the throttle body to that modulator or whatever it is on the rear of the intake. https://www.yotatech.com/forums/f199...l#post52106967

Oh and Chef has some great videos on testing the VSV, altho I think you have it figured out.

 

Hey Cory Long time no hear...

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO EVERYONE OUT THERE!!!

Thanks for the support Cory that part you are talking about is the A/C ACTUATOR which connects to the throttle body, Power Steering and the Idle up switch hoses. I think there is a diaphragm in there that can sometime go bad, otherwise they very rarely fail. I was looking for a diagram of the internals, but didn't find one.

I'm going to run over to the dealer and get the Idle up switch VSV next year to resolve that issue.

I'm going to toy with the IACV a little. I notice that on the one off the 86 that when I let it sit side by side with the 87, the opening on the 86 was greater that the one from the 87. I put the one from the 86 on and it didn't change much, but what I did notice on that on those cold mornings we a couple of times, the idle would start up high. This leads me to believe that maybe there is carbon build up inside the IACV which i will try to clean on and loose up what needs to rotate. Just trying, what can I loose now. A need one would cost me roughly $250 and a used one may cost me $50, but either way I would have to find a new one unless cleaning works.

 

Hey all, HAPPY NEW YEARS!!!

Been soaking the IACV carb cleaner to see if it would loosen the carbon inside for a few days, spraying and walking away and spraying on and off. I think this week I will try and swap out the IACV on the truck back to the one that was originally on there. I do see a difference with cold starts but only when there is a drastic change in temps. Really cold mornings the idles up and then drops after long drives. My guess is because of the age and the gunk carbon inside it is causing this issues, but I maybe very wrong.

Also, still looking for a machine shop to just do one journal on a crankshaft and that seems to be near impossible, they all want to turn the whole crank when it's not necessary. I guess turning one journal isn't profitable.

 

Junk - Happy New Year. I am reading your thread and following along, just have not had much computer time over the holidays. Those IACVs are a real weak point. One of these days I'm going to convert to the newer style intake and throttle body which has that wax kind of IACV.

 

Hey Cory, Happy New Years to you. Sorry for the late response, I don't get much time for anything right myself. Been tide up with a few stuff that's going to change the way I do things.

The IACV seems to be an issue all around, and I've notice quite a bit over the past few days as it's been pretty cold. The idle seems to be sticking at 1100 rpms right now and sometimes changes depending on the time of day or should I say weather conditions. Sometimes about 2 or 3 hours of sitting and restarting the rpms are at 750 to 800. I am still soaking the IACV on and off every chance I get I spray it with carb cleaner hoping this will clean any carbon or gunk. Once I get the chance I'll swap this one back in and see if that changes things. Also, I plan on ordering that magnetic AC idle up switch from the dealer since its only 20-25 bucks for a new one. I'm also looking at the water temp now and notice the temp is now jumping up even on cold so, I'm thinking of replacing this with an aftermarket one just as a quick repair plus I maybe able to get my usual 30% discount from one of the local autoparts stores, that means the temp repair maybe only $10.

 

Okay been a while since I posted on here. Been busy with life in General. Haven't done much to the truck in a while, yet it's running OK, still need to get in there and fine tune a bunch of things.

I was cleaning out the garage sorting through a bunch of odds and end things when I look over at the truck and see the rust peeking trough the metal trim around the windshield. I head over and start removing some of the trim and what do I see rust cancer. Not good I said to my self and then start peeling away at the rust and what happens ping.... #$@&$@* holes. typical holes for these trucks same thing that I got in the 86 4runner.

So I sit down and start pondering what I want to do at this point. I decided to go the filler route, but with a little more to it rather than welding and cutting. I've started gather stuff I needed, good thing my neighbors a airplane mechanic he brings me home a sheet of thin aluminum and some fastweld epoxy they use on airplanes. Plan on using some of this material and a metal bondo to fill that hole over. There are several types of metal fillers most common that I know are all-metal by USC, Metal 2 Metal by Evercoat and lab-metal by alvin products each with its advantage and disadvantage. Needless to say everyone has there own choices, but I'm going to use all-metal as I know someone who used it before and it's still holding after 20 yrs.

Once I get going here, I'll post pictures of what I'm doing just so you guys could see how bad I'm going to mess up... HAHA

 

Here's what are days looks like so far way down in South Florida





Nice and sunny.....

 

Sunshine!!!


Ewwww.

 

Yup bright and sunny and today we should be in the mid 80's.

I've known all along there is a air flow leak with the AC. I would stick my hand behind the dash and feel how cool it was. The other day I was wearing slippers and driving and my toes were cold. Can't wait to work on that dash then i could get in there and seal up those air flow leaks on the AC channels.

All in all it's cooling really good.