Thanks, B,

Very grateful. Yeah, I was seeing things kinda different. I thought I had to drop the crossmember, undo the Diff Drop Located bolts, and let the entire diff just come down and flex the axles in the opposite direction that they are, naturally. I didn't think I had to undo the driveshaft. Why wont it work that way? Just curious, cuz you said, "I would have to remove the CV's from the diff and everything", that way. Isn't removing the Diff Mount(on top of the cross member) the same thing as just removing the cross member with the diff still attached to it's cross member mount? Wouldn't removing the cross member mount allow me more drop of the diff? I mean, the Diff would no longer be supported up front, either way, correct?

I'm definitely going to remove the sway bar if I lift the motor any, because it's in the way of the portion of the trans that I would put the jack cup/plate. I have several jacks, so I'm tinkering around with some ideas, like sliding the jack in from the pass. side to jack up the motor, that way it wont be in the way as I drop the pan out to almost the ground.

Could you just clear up for me why my idea wouldn't work? Why, in other words, I would have to remove the diff from the axles, etc, if I removed the cross member with the diff still attached?

Thanks man, and thanks alot for the pics.

PS> BTW, I see, now, what you meant by "Remove the third diff mounting bolt, last"(the one that mounts the diff to the cross member).... that is what yo meant, right? That way, it would not be so much stress from weight on the diff drop located bolts, ....right? hahahaha. Plus, I could have it supported then and undo that last bolt on the cross member, ...THEN slowly drop it down.... AHHHHHHHH, why can't this just be all together with zippers and flux capacitors?????? lol.

 

mark un bolts circled jack under diff take out cross member you had shown lower that easy try to just take 3 bolts for idler to frame and that shoud allow rods to drop enough

 

Hello Chef.. I read through your build and it took some time to finish. Thats a nice 4Runner you have. I will be glad to get mine looking and running half as good as yours. I seen that the plugged injector was a tough one to figure out. The fix for the problem usually isnt so bad. It is the finding the problem.

Seen where someone was asking about not always getting our money back out of a truck, and I agree with you. I think for a years worth of payments I can come up a with a nice and dependable ride. Besides I do like working on them and nearly broke my neck as a really clean 4Runner drove by me the other day while trying to get a good look at it. Great job, gives the rest of us a goal to go for.

 

Why does everyone want you to remove that cross member. Everyone working on auto trans or something? Mine came out without dropping the crossmember. No lift, no body lift and stock 28's at the time.

Personally if I were keeping the diff bolted to the cv's I would not want to remove the crossmember because now the whole front side of the LCA's have no support to hold the cv's. I didn't undo any of the steering stuff either except the stabil.

I agree though removing the crossmemeber and the diff completely will undoubtedly give you more than enough room.

 

("why does everyone want you to remove the crossmember")Hahahaha... Yeah, don't take me into consideration in that question , because, well, I don't know what I'm doing ,.....I'm just asking cuz it seems sOOOOO close in there, and I thought that lowering it down by a jack, just a lil, would allow it to come out without banging around on things, lol.

I think, for now, I'm going to knock the front of the pan down a 1/4" or so, pull the hidden bolt and get that cover off, so I can see if I need a new cover or not.(Probably ordering one from Tod and Ted anyway, just for piece of mind, since, well, MY MACHINIST PICKED THIS ONE OUT! HAHAHAA) Also, I'll then back out the back two bolts for the pan and just see how tight that squeeze is, etc., to get an idea of the physics of this job, ...which you've done and I haven't.....but soon will, haha.

I'm ordering the TC Gasket, Pick up tube gasket, another tube of Toyota-FIPK for pan and cover, Oil Pump O-ring(Might have one) , today, from the dealer and possibly a Master Cyl from dealerdirectparts.com.... hopefully it wont be long for any of it, lol. Dealer is usually next day or same day.

 

BTW, thanks, Mike, I appreciate ANY AND ALL input! Trust me, I'm thorough in my research, so even if it's something that might be 'iffy', ...I'll catch it. I think it could work either way, but one way might give more room, yet cause more risk? lol. Not sure yet, but getting a much better idea of how all this is tied together.

Terry, thanx man! You're quite a reader, obviously, eh? lol. Yeah, I've had MANY issues, ......Oh, and the TRUCK HAS TOO! LOL. Seriously, this guy has now cost me around 200 Hours of chasing my tail or PRETTY MAJOR repairs/fixes. But, long and short, I LEARNED ENOUGH, now, to not bother with one for anything but tanking or maybe honing out my block, creating new journal slots, etc. And FOR CERTAIN, it will NOT be this last guy.

BRANDON, my man, ..... I just also wanted to get your opinion on whether I should get the 4 bushings on either side for the sway bar end link. Mine look like a 130 Year old tire that's been sitting in Death Valley for a while, lol. Huge cracks and very dry. Just to be PERFECTLY CLEAR..... I am NOT doubting your input or saying it's not risky... I just really am trying to learn all the 'allowable movement', 'clearances' of things, etc. I was trying to understand how the diff will drop down by just removing that top bolt where the diff-crossmember top mount is, .....Isn't the crossmember in the way?(or, is that why "undo the driveshaft", so it can pivot back and then away from the crossmember?) But.......isn't the same stress on the CV's ? OR, is it that, when removing the cross member bolts, the back end of the LCA's have nothing to support them, and that's dangerous? hahaha, ...Please, don't fly over here and beat me up in my sleep? hahaha. Just trying to learn.

 

B, I'll get some pics of the sway bar end link bushings, maybe that would help?

I think it's funny how the book tells us things that, sometimes, are done with special tools, lifts, etc., that they NEVER mention, lol. Maybe that's why when doing them, we're like, "UHHHHHHHHH, what? Impossible I say!" lol.

I'ma get it up on the stands now, and then GO FORWARD, INTO THIS SUNNY DAY WITH HOPE! HAHAHA.

 

HOLY CRAP, ......THIS FRIGGEN OIL PAN WILL NOT BUDGE!!!!!!!! I can't get it off, guys, ....not yet, of course, but as of now, HOLY CRAP!!!!!(did i say that already? hahaha) .

ANY TIPS, PLEASEEEEEEEEEE? I've tried prying on the rear of the pan guard against the bell housing for leverage(with wood in there, to be safe).....NOTHING! I guess I really used some STICKY STUFF! hahaha.

HELP, HELP, HELP! lol. This stinks, ...can't wedge anything in to pry it from the block(DAMAGE), can't use the Oil pump(DAMAGE!), .......banged on it with a rubber mallet, tried prying in safe ways, ....NOTHING!

 

Try cutting through the selant around the pan with a razor blade, then go back to prying. If you can get a razor blade in there it will help to break the seal. Sorry Mark I am behind on your progress, didn't check in all weekend and busy at work today. I'll read back through this evening and try to help where I can.

 

hey sorry, man gone half the day. You sure you didn't put superglue on that thing instead of FIPG? lol. Sorry had to take a poke.

Anyway you sure you got all of the screws out? plus the two nuts?

Mine took a bit to come off the first time too. Somewhere on that pan there is actually a pry point, don't ask me where, I don't remember, but I believe 1 on each side of the pan. Maybe where those two nuts are on each side.

If your gonna drop that sway bar out of the way and those bushings look like you say they do, better have a set standing by of the bushings.

 

Thanks, Rob, B, please don't apologize, lol. I am not in an URGENT hurry, but I have limited time, so I'm just frustrated to be stuck on ONE FRIGGEN THING AFTER ANOTHER! hahaha.

Yeah, Rob, I've tried to blade a bit of it, ....just REALLY hard to get in there in most spots. Some, IMPOSSIBLE, lol. I'll keep trying. Also, even hanging all my weight(230) on that support on the back of the pan? NOTHING, not even a 'peeeeeeeel', LOL. I know, it's got to get started, then at that point it can start to wiggle.

Ok, guys, well, I'll keep trying, what else can I do? lol. Oh, and yeah, I ordered all 8 bushings, Brandon, .......figured, they're there for a reason, right? lol. I'll get pics of mine now, YOU'LL see, they're toast, I would imagine. Anyway, I don't care about that stuff right now...just wanna get this pan out.

PS> BTW, B, I totally understand what you mean now. If I undo the diff drop located bolts, then the top one, .....With the Drive shaft disconnected, it can pivot down and give a bit more clearance. Not sure it's enough in my head, but since you did it, it must be, lol.

Thanks again, guys, KEEP THE IDEAS COMIN, K? LOL.

Mark

 

like I said, I was comfortable taking mine out and it came out, if you feel it was too tight for you to get it out then you can always take that crossmember and the entire diff out then. But I know 100% that that oil pan WILL come out without removing those altogether. At least on this body style and with a manual trans, and I did not lift the motor either, which you also have available to you.

 

hey chef if you do drop the diff down you can put the drop spacers in when you reassemble

 

GO THE PAN TO DROP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WOOT! Lol.

The razor made for the holders(triangled on each side?? lol) helped a lil... but then I went into the work room,....looked around, ....and I remember saying, 'YES, THAT'LL GET IT, OR I'LL LIGHT THIS THING ON FIRE!' hahaha. JK, ....mostly, lol.

Anyway, it was the clicking type razor/cutter that is the size of a pencil or so, with a 3/8" width blade or so that you can break off lil 1/4" pieces at a time? WHATEVER IT'S CALLED! lol. For detailed work. THAT DID IT! It's much thinner than a regular razor blade, which was the biggest problem. The pry spots are just behind the timing cover on both sides(large area of block that never really does anything, lol).

THE ONLY way to do this is with at least a razor, and preferably the type I spoke of.(I'll get a pic). Hopefully I didn't damage anything.

I'm going to try it your way, first, Brandon. I pretty much planned to all along,....but wanted to learn more and be SURE it wasn't going to help a lot more(BTW, I still don't know "what will happen if I remove the cross member?"... because you're making it sound as if I would have to remove the entire diff.....as in, I could put it on a bench, OUT, lol. Could you please clarify that? If not, it's cool... just really curious how this is all held together and NOT held together, lol. Thanks! )

I'ma get loosening those diff drop placement bolts, now. Then the top one and the driveshaft. At least that way, it's all easy to get back in with a good jack and such, right?

ps> JUST TO BE SURE I DO THIS RIGHT!.... How high do I lift the front end by the frame? Just enough to get the tires off the ground? ORRRRRRR, just enough to take all the pressure off the suspension, but NOT lifting the tires off the ground(where it's hanging)?

Thanks,

Mark

PSS> Mike, I don't think I'm installing a diff drop. Just the sway bar drop and new bushings for the sway bar ends. Plus ALL THAT OTHER CRAP! lol. However, if I do decide I don't like the angles A LOT, .....then I'll just install it later, ya know? Plus, i"m not sure on this, but I don't want to install a diff drop without the spacers in, right? I'm a lil bit of time away from that again now, until my buddy can do it and until I'm done WITH THIS DRAMA! lol. Thanks for the idea though, Mike.... good looking out!

 

yup, that's what I mean put it on a bench out. I say that because not so sure the LCA's with that cross member out will hold the weight of the diff.

haha well, don't ask me about lifting the truck, I did mine sitting on all fours. Of course I didn't remove my sway bar either, and your gonna have to lift it to get the sway bar off. I would say frame, just don't put the jack on the diff after you have undone the bolts.

The jackhole that towed my truck after I dropped my pan, hooked his flatbed winch hook to my diff AFTER I told him it was loose. He said they don't let us use the frame mounted tow hooks, I said ok, my truck falls off yours or my cv's end up bent I'm suing. lol.

 

Hahahah, ....well, yeah you woulda sued! lol....

Wait, DON'T put the jack under the Diff.? I don't need to if I do it the way you did, is what you're sayin?

 

Ok, the video will say most everything... but I'll post the pics,first, as the Video seems to mess up the format of the page..........Pics should be self explanatory, I'll post some descriptions later. Just a lil furious right now, ...so I'll be back, k?























I'll get more pics once the cover is cleaned up, etc., but as you'll hear in my Video.... I think the guy kept my LCE timing kit and put in, well, the one that's in the video, below. Well, at least part of it. I think the cam/timing gear is LCE, but I'll have to send them pics, asking them. The tensioner as you can see is OSK, Japan, but I'm not sure on that, either. I'll ask them. But what you CAN see, I think clearly, unless I'm missing something, .....the guides he put in are all PLASTIC! If that's the case, and I can't find the LCE timing kit in the little stuff that he gave back to me, ...THAT'S IT, PERIOD! I will do whatever I can, within the law, to hold him accountable. Up to this point, I figured, "It's lost time, a lil more money...but I've learned a lot, and besides, I'd have to take the whole motor out again"... OH MY GOD, don't I wish I had just don't that, RIGHT OFF, when the CAM issue was first discovered! Below is the video... If I'm off, you tell me, I'll gladly say so, honestly!.......

 

When i did it, i removed the two front diff bolts and the driveline, and let the diff swing down. I also removed the steering shock absorber
Then i maneuvered the pan off.

On the timing guides themselves. Those are plastic, looks OEM to me.
Go to the engnbldr site and buy his whole kit. It's like 80 bucks for everything.'
Just re-do everything that the guy did.
it's really easy once you're at this point. But be sure to not jack up your HG like I did, it'll leak like a sieve..
The guides themselves can be removed and replaced easy.

 

man I am sorry to hear/see this I hope you can get it worked out with out to much hasle.

 

Mark I cannot watch the video from this computer, but I will check it out in the AM. All I can say for now is that you have got to be effin kidding right? What an arse this machinist/ engine builder has turned out to be. First thing to do is be sure he didn't give you the LCE guides in that box, second go see him face to face and ask why your high $$ LCE guides are not in this motor. Be prepared to be lied to. Sorry to say but I doubt that even small claims court will help you much, it will cost more than you stand to get in the end. The best you can likely do is get your parts back or demand he buys you another timing set and install it yourself. Sorry man, I hope he makes it right. Be calm and cool, nothing you can do about it at this point, I know I would be inclined to get nasty with him and he deserves it but the level head will come out on top.