iourius

Hey everyone, this is the beginning of a new journey for me, something I've always wanted to do but never had the time or funds..
Recently bought a 1994 Pickup 4x4 Extracab, has some minor issues but overall great condition in my opinion especially for the price..
I am newer to 4x4's and am hoping to learn more about how everything works..
This truck is going to be my adventure wagon, take it camping/fishing/off-roading.. anything 4x4's are really designed for..
This is going to be a project for the next few years so any help along the way will be greatly appreciated!
Checked VIN for information here is what I got;
3VZ-E Engine
Xtra Long 4x4
5 Speed
DLX
EFI
CANADA
Axle Code;
8"inch ring gear
4.556 gear ratio
4 pinion no limited slip
Thanks for viewing!

iourius

First day home..

iourius

Started removing interior parts





speaks for itself





first step was clean interior fully as it reeked of cigarettes and was filthy





lightbulb replaced and works again





Sun visor was clearly broken and the previous owner decided super glue was the best fix.. idiot

iourius

Only real body rust issue.. so I ordered new fender, since there was a deal on buy both sides I went for it just in case haha





Would like to get rid of the stock bumper and valace and get or make my own bush bumper in the future





There's an oil leak from what seems to be the rear of the oil pan so everything is coated in oil, also steering pump was spitting a little when I got it, seems to have stopped now..





boot was busted open making a little noise on the left turns so ordered new axle, and sprung for the second as the other side didn't look good and is probably near the end

MudHippy

Those Moog idler arms are pretty crappy/weak. I wanna shoot the moron who designed those. But, since it's already installed, you might as well run it until the wheels aren't alignable anymore. Which might be sooner than later(if it's not shot already).

iourius

The sad body damage, debating whether to fix it or replace the entire box eventually..





the main damage point, tips on repair options?





great condition inside though very minor surface rust spots





Will pull that straight when I get a chance as I'd like to put a canopy on





Custom bumper is welded on and i'd like to remove it and do a nice wrap around style

MudHippy

Ummmm...it's a truck. It's for doing truck things. Truck things will involve some body damage at some point. You leave it how it is. Just like the rest of us. It adds character. Chicks dig it. You'd be less of a man to fix it. Only sissies drive perfectly straight trucks. You're not one of those right?

Nothing wrong with that bumper at all. I wish I was there when you go to cut it off. I'd snag that thing from you in a hot second.

iourius

Yeah everyone has their own way of looking at their vehicle.. I'd like to straighten the box out and try to repair the rusty banged up corner as much as possible but since I'm no expert and this is a bush truck I'll drive it as is when I've got all the mechanics dealt with.. just would like to stop any rusted parts from getting worse so it'll probably be patchy one day for some time haha

iourius

Oil seems to be leaking from this area only while truck is running.. rear driver side corner of oil pan

iourius

Washed and degreased.. way nicer to work under there

iourius

Seized bolts, some broke during removal, balljoints were tough to move and very hard to remove so I'll need to order new ones(know where to get good ones at a fair price?)<br/>had hard time removing axle but got it all off in the end

MudHippy

Keep it and just replace the boot(save for a spare, though the one you ordered will likely be inferior quality). The ball joints being stiff is a good thing. Basically means they aren't bad. If you replace them anyway, which I wouldn't do if I were you, you'll want to get them from Toyota. Or take your chances trying to find the 555 branded(OEM). I think you can get them from rockauto as Beck/Arnley.

That oil leak is most likely the oil cooler, and/or the valve covers.

iourius

Thanks Mudhippy! Yeah keeping the old axles think I can at least reuse one no problem with new boot.. balljoints I meant as stiff in a broken way would get caught up like a bad joint then pop back into place haha I'll see if the local Toyota has some for a good price otherwise I'll buy the beck arnley ones online.. I did notice the leak in the oil cooler and looks like whoever put the oil pan on last didn't do a good job sealing the rear as there was very little gasket and a bunch of gunk in the one corner including gunk inside the pan.. what's your suggestion for the leaky oil cooler? New seals or just add gasket maker when putting it back on?
Thanks!

iourius

Is the back plate not supposed to be sealed as there is a lot of gunk inside the casing...





How can I clean this stuff out of there? Suggestions..

iourius

Camera hasnt been working so i dont have pictures but got a Power steering pump rebuild/reseal kit and took it apart changed all the seals and gaskets and got it back together but before I install it I thought it'd be a good time to check the timing belt says it was last done 70km 13years ago... any suggestions or tips for doing timing belt work?

iourius

Timing belt looks like it's in good condition.. won't be messing around with it yet..

SCLead

If/when you decide to do the timing belt work, I went with the Gates TCK240 kit. Less than $85 shipped and includes a new tensioner and tensioner spring, as well as water return/idler, and their belts seem to be plenty respected, even among OEM purists.

Not a terribly difficult job, but while you're in there, it makes sense to replace the water pump and thermostat, since the pump is driven by the timing belt, and the thermostat mounts in the pump. I went ahead and replaced my front crank seal as well, because it added little in the way of labor (but it *does* need to be torqued to 181ftlb, which kind of sucks).

Try to get a look at the crankshaft seals as well. One of mine had a very minor leak, basically impossible to spot from the outside, but again - figured if I was in there, I may as well for $9 each.

As for the caved in bed corner, I'm like you - I want my rig to stay as straight as possible, especially if it's a cheap/easy repair. If you're going to swap the bumper, especially if you're building from scratch, what about cutting the body line a bit higher and wrapping the bumper around in place of the body damage while increasing your departure angle?

iourius

SCLead thanks for the tips! I am not doing the timing right now as I would like to get the truck running sooner and I feel the belt is solid enough to last at least until winter where I will probably do a lot more work...
I actually kinda like that idea of cutting the rear section.. i will consider doing it eventually when I fix the box more, for now just cleaned it up so its not rusting away.. though I did find some nasty rust on the cab unfortunately couple holes are now present and will require some patching...
oh the work just keeps adding up but I'm enjoying it all!

iourius

iourius