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MMA_Alex's 1990 4Runner Build Thread
A few years after getting rid of my 93 p/u I realized I missed it and wanted another toy. A deal for a 1990 4Runner with a surprisingly solid frame (for the northeast) came up and I decided to buy it.
Heres how she looked when I got her over the winter: https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.yot...4605408e27.jpg Note: its a 22re with a replacement grill off a v6. https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.yot...a15fa35ecf.jpg And they even threw in a spare motor to rebuild https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.yot...69f207add0.jpg |
So I decided to let it sit for a little while while I got together a work list and started gathering parts.
The list I came up with: Replace both front fenders, do bodywork, and paint Replace both master cyl, front calipers and pads Inspect and replace brake lines as needed Fix parking brake (Would not ratchet properly) Fix turn signals/4ways (No turn signals worked and only one blinked on haz mode) Fix brake lights (only one worked) Do tuneup on engine Check all fluids Repair non-functional horn Fix rear window (was 1/2" down and switch did nothing) Clean up frame rust and paint with por-15 Replace all four shocks & steering stabilizer Then it started to snow...and snow...and snow some more. Finally spring came around, and eager to start working on it I got to dig it out. https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.yot...b9f02deae2.jpg Yes, that's it under that snowpile https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.yot...5b1bc8005a.jpg https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.yot...bacefbcf2b.jpg https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.yot...5ec42b530b.jpg More to follow... |
Dang, that's alot of snow! Sounds like a cool project! I like the roof rack, looks kinda like a Nissan Xterra style.
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Thanks rustED. I like the looks of the rack too, unfortunately because theres only 1 cross bar at each end its probably only good for holding a canoe, surfboard, skis etc in its current form. I'm thinking its going to end up with a basket on it.
Another update: Started to pull apart the spare motor, which I'm planning to rebuild and use to replace the high mileage motor currently in the truck. Got the engine up on a fancy new harbor freight motor stand. Pulled the valve cover, exhaust and intake manifolds (Didn't get pics of that) https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.yot...47c0c83422.jpg https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.yot...27d1120903.jpg https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.yot...5b1a025eab.jpg Pulled the head. Found a bunch of carbon. https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.yot...8739e5b05f.jpg https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.yot...1e3a6edeea.jpg https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.yot...5852fb64c7.jpg Pulled the oil pan and found the remnants of an old timing chain guide on the oil pickup https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.yot...811134a8a9.jpg Haven't pulled anything else yet. I decided to wait to rebuild the motor till this winter and will leave the motor like this for now. |
Finally got her into the garage for the real work to begin
https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.yot...63275d5c0e.jpg Began by wire wheeling & cleaning up the frame and underside. Found everything to be pretty Solid. Spent a lot of time POR-15 ing what was left of the rust after wirewheeling off the loose stuff. https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.yot...840f8aa248.jpg https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.yot...f9eeb68541.jpg Had a hard time driving it into the garage. After I got the wheels off I found out why. Both front calipers had seized in place with the pads held hard against the rotors. Went ahead and replaced both of those https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.yot...bb70bf72c0.jpg Replaced both front fenders and began to do the body work in preparation for painting it in the future https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.yot...5a2dab0a92.jpg https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.yot...e3c9c7cd63.jpg The battery it came with was totally dead after sitting for the winter and wouldn't take a charge so I used a jump box for working thru my electrical issues with the turn signals, one rear marker, etc. Luckily the battery was still under full warranty so I got a free replacement. This is under the rear after POR-15 treatment. https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.yot...cae709e0d7.jpg I Also replaced the shocks, did a tuneup, replaced a number of brake lines, fixed some electrical issues, replaced front rotors & pads etc |
I'm always super impressed when I see you guys from the NE working on your cars. I don't get how you handle all the rust!
Looks like a great build though, good luck! |
The trick is pb blaster, a large hammer, and a torch.
I think most of the toyotas this old in the NE have been scrapped due to rust already |
Another bunch of pictures from the work I've done
The first 3 are me removing the gauge panel and replacing burnt out bulbs. It is all LED now https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.yot...97ff9ae4e3.jpg https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.yot...5f3cedb427.jpg https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.yot...6baa0d40d0.jpg I had noticed the fuel sender (level gauge) wasnt working so while I had the tank down to fix another issue I decided to troubleshoot it. It was just old and corroded so some spray contact cleaner, emery cloth, and some elbow grease later it was working properly again. https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.yot...b67d8ff5ca.jpg https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.yot...72008fe962.jpg I also replaced a bunch of bad brake lines. This was the end of the line that goes into the top of the LSPV. It connects to a t-fitting behind the right front wheel. My understanding it is is a sensing line so that if the front brakes fail it maxes out the rear brake pressure to help you stop. As you can see there's no way for brake fluid to get thru there? Not sure if that was intentional or not? https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.yot...8723cb364e.jpg While working on the rear brakes I managed to break the rear line where it bolts to a holder on the driver side. It was pretty corroded and broke quite easily so it probably needed to be replaced anyway. I used the old line as a rough guide and bent the new line into roughly the correct shape. I did the final shaping as I installed it. https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.yot...a0268aea84.jpg I did most of the rest of the body work at this point too. She's starting to look real good now. https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.yot...fe3dd794d9.jpg https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.yot...9904a4b865.jpg https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.yot...e173b615f5.jpg https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.yot...36c5d8bbda.jpg https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.yot...0fda94d44a.jpg I also got the rear window motor replaced. Cant get it working with the switch yet, but I can climb in the back with a jump box and some alligator clips and at least get it to go up and down now. Also managed to get a gas door on ebay (When I bought it it didnt come with a gas door? Theres nothing wrong with the latch so I'm not sure why?) |
So my initial reason for dropping the gas tank was that the previous owner had wired in a power switch for the fuel pump and I wanted to see what that was about. I discovered he had t-ed into the factory wiring and the factory wiring had come apart.
https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.yot...793a3b7319.jpg After putting it back together to test it (still down from the truck) I discovered it would not get power without the FP-B+ test ports jumped. After some research I found it was probably the circuit opening relay https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.yot...37c94dff5a.jpg I managed to snag a used circuit opening relay off ebay for around $20. Much cheaper than the dealer. After swapping the relay the pump comes on when it is supposed to. https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.yot...c897630920.jpg https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.yot...ccaf6d8472.jpg I managed to get the tank down with the driveshaft in place, but couldn't manage to get it back up without disconnecting the driveshaft. While in storage over the winter both rear tires managed to go completely flat and sit that way, under the snow and ice, for a few months. After reinflating them they both had cracks. Upon closer inspection all four tires were in pretty poor shape, despite having plenty of tread life. I planned on using them to roll the 4runner around while I was working on it and then get new ones when I had her back on the road. I kept having issues with spontaneous flat tires. Everything would be fine and then all of a sudden one tire would start leaking heavily at the bead and be totally flat an hour or two later. It was getting pretty annoying so I ordered a can of rim bead sealant. I deflated the tires and pried down as best I could with the bead still seated and sealed them up. You could tell where a number of the leaks were after applying the sealant as it would bubble if it wasnt sealing well. This seemed to work pretty well for a little while, but I would still get spontaneous flats. I decided that the wheels were probably pretty rusted internally and not salvagable, so I decided to order new wheels and tires from tirerack. I also ordered a new muffler and tailpipe. I ended up getting a dynomax kit. I was surprised at how cheap it was. The 4Runner had a cherry bomb that looked like it had been cut off someone elses exhaust poorly attached to the cat. As it ended under the body it won't pass inspection. It also looked and sounded terrible. https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.yot...7e793c1103.jpg BFG A/T KO 32 x 11.5 https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.yot...5a9354ee94.jpg While I was traveling for work I saw a cheap chinese lightbar on amazon and just decided to order it. When I got home I realized it was too big and the only place it would fit was on the roof rack if I were to modify it so I had tabs to mount it. https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.yot...472fa1a0de.jpg I welded tabs, made out of some spare angle iron i had from another project, to the side. https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.yot...d33a6c28db.jpg |
So I had to let the truck sit for awhile. I decided to rattle can prime the whole thing to protect the newly done body work and make it all one color.
https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.yot...d929223d42.jpg https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.yot...414ab328f6.jpg After the weather warmed up and dried out (I'm painting this thing outside) I did the final bits of body work. It seems like every time you think everything is done, you go ahead and prime it, and realize that its not even close. https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.yot...0582f3644b.jpg https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.yot...5eb8a01a49.jpg When I bought the 4Runner the front windshield had clearly been leaking. The inside metal trim on the bottom was rusty, and the whole windshield had a heavy bead of silicone around it... I had some techs come in and remove the old windshield prior to painting so that I could clean up the mounting area well and paint it to prevent future issues. I was up in the air about weather to replace the windshield or put the old one back in, but the techs broke it while removing it so I was stuck getting a new one. https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.yot...48324a6295.jpg Some of the rust on the windshield mounting flange. I wire wheeled the entire thing removing almost all of the rust. I then treated it with naval jelly to convert any small remaining areas of rust. After that was fully dry I used bondo to repair any holes or large pits as needed. https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.yot...f2dbc79660.jpg After completing that I taped everything off really well, as well as removing the front bumper, turn signals, grill, etc. I ordered a single stage urethane paint (2 part) as well as a 2K (2 Stage) primer from paintforcars.com https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.yot...0a4d0a1b4d.jpg https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.yot...5574ff473d.jpg https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.yot...684bb9ad39.jpg https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.yot...496d18b233.jpg After priming I block sanded the whole car with 600 grit wet sand paper. I had ordered a new hood, due to the one it came with being dented where it meets the cowl (and rubbing on that edge when you open and close it). The truck freight company that was supposed to bring it took forever to deliver it. It sat for 8 days within 50 miles of my house, and they wouldn't let me pick it up without permission from the shipper, who would have to give permission to the freight broker, who would give permission to the shipping company...yeah right good luck with that. The company was nice enough to come up with a lot of excuses, including a broken down truck, one instance of "oops forgot to put it in the truck today", giving the drivers July 3rd off, and not enough room in the truck (probably because you guys couldn't be bothered to work on the 3rd.) https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.yot...a92d5a3ef0.jpg I used a cheapy Harbor Freight HVLP gun, and being that this is my first time painting a car I'm pretty happy with how it came out! https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.yot...1ef590dd86.jpg https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.yot...ca0fdb65f2.jpg After painting I treated her to a new Trail Gear tube bumper (No stinger) and got the hood and the windshield reinstalled. https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.yot...99710072b6.jpg https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.yot...ac4139cd4c.jpg https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.yot...dd70829247.jpg |
Good work man, it's coming along nicely.
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Very good looking runner! Love to see them start off like a piece of coal and end up a diamond! Good work man
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Great thread so far! That's a ton of snow!!!
I think the paint job came out great! Keep up the good work. |
A couple more small things done:
Finally got the wiring run, and all hooked up and the lightbar now works. https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.yot...c13ab723e0.jpg When I got the truck the HVAC Fan didn't work and there was not even a blower switch in the dash. I ordered a new blower switch off ebay, and plugged it in. After installing it the fan still didn't work. https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.yot...f8a1a0d30a.jpg Did some troubleshooting and had no voltage at the fan. I noticed that at some point the plug that went into the fan had been cut and hooked back together with crimp connectors. I decided to redo that, after seeing all the other "electrical repairs" that had been done by the previous owner for piece of mind. Still no voltage at the fan, so I checked the fuses, and relay. Fuses were fine, but the relay had a ton of corrosion...as seen below. https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.yot...1217c34dac.jpg You can even see bleeding rust coming out from under the relay cover. Time to replace. When I got the truck there had been some parts in the back seat. The previous owner was even nice enough to give me a new fan & all the wiring out of some other Toyota vehicle. Didn't need all that, but attached was the relay I needed. Swapped the relays and now the fan works fine. The rear fan still doesen't work though (not even sure where air comes out of? under the back of the center console?). There's an open spot for an identical relay just forward of the one that fixed the main hvac fan, maybe I need relay there for the rear? I guess I need to check the FSM wiring diagram. Edit: I removed the relay, and tried it in the forward relay slot, and I got the rear blower working. I'll be ordering a used one off ebay for $6 shipped. |
Nice work. Figuring out how all this stuff works is a pain, but in a strange way it's fun too. The feeling I get when I make things work is pretty good.
What's next? |
Thanks. Its largely relearning things i've forgotten in the last few years.
coming up next: reattaching windshield trim getting the rear drums off & replacing broken off rear lug stud replace leaking vacuum brake booster figure out why rear window doesn't work replace heater core valve & cable, both stuck |
LED corner turn signals
After a long break to work on other projects I've finally gotten back to working on the 4Runner...
First up I decided to get rid of the turn signals I had zip tied onto my tube bumper. I saw a few people on here had added LEDs to their corner markers so I decided to do that. https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.yot...c63f853d13.jpg Before... https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.yot...5bd22a48eb.jpg New LEDs for the corner markers https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.yot...b8be03691b.jpg After I also needed to put in a LED compatible flasher relay. I had a hard time finding my flasher relay. I read a lot of threads where people were saying it was in the drivers side kick panel. It is not on this model. Flasher relay location : To the left of the steering wheel under the lower dash panel trim. It is attached to the tubular dash support framing. I plugged in the new relay, and couldn't get it to work. https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.yot...5f043b2d8f.jpg You need to pull out the metal prong, and the black adapter will come off so that the relay will fit. Once removed it snaps right into place and will work properly https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.yot...c825549082.jpg EP35 LED compatible flasher relay. This will fix the rapid blink from having too low a current draw with led turn signals |
Vacuum Brake Booster
I also needed to replace the Vacuum Brake Booster. I have had the part sitting in my garage for about 4 months now and decided it was time to replace it.
I knew it was leaking because the idle would go up and down when I hold in the brake pedal (after warm up), but it would idle fine with no brakes applied. To remove the vacuum booster you need to first remove the large vacuum line going to it in the engine bay. You also need to remove the four bolts that hold the master cylinder on. I managed to get it out of the way without removing any brake lines. Be careful moving it that you don't kink or break any brake lines. https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.yot...8b8a8af722.jpg To get it out you need to remove the four bolts in the picture which are underneath the dash You also need to remove the brake pedal return spring, and a spring clip and pin that hold the bracket that connects the pedal to the booster rod. https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.yot...f50c6afbec.jpg Out with the old, in with the new. You need to swap over the pedal bracket (on the top of the left one) and make sure it's adjusted to the same length Put everything back together as you found it. Don't forget the gaskets. https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.yot...1e8de465c4.jpg Done! |
Great looking build.
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Clutch master/slave
The clutch had felt weird wince I bought this thing. I was planning on eventually putting a new clutch in when I rebuild my spare engine to drop in. I decided to try bleeding the clutch to see if I could improve the pedal feel. The bleeder was so rusted I figure it'd be best to just replace the whole slave cylinder. I decided to replace the master while I was at it.
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.yot...e6f04ef86d.jpg old clutch master cylinder https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.yot...026d873a5b.jpg old clutch slave cylinder. I managed to break the hardline getting it off, and had to cut off the end and reflare it. What a pain to get the new one back in place And a couple pictures of how the whole thing is coming along: https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.yot...56fb757f62.jpg https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.yot...31dcee6dbe.jpg |
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