Hey guys. So I put together a really last minute trip this past weekend. Mark(Chefyota4x4) and i went to Angels crest again for another offroad trip to get away from all the drama in the urban city. This was a perfect way to spend the Labor day weekend; Friends, offroad, great food, What else can you ask for on a weekend trip. Wouldnt have spent it any other way. Thanks for coming Mark. So here are the pix off this weekend.

Pretty nice picture here, but unfortunately i was actually stuck here barely holding on to a hillside because my truck lost traction and went off the trail on to the side of a hill. Not very high but it was steep and it would have been pathetic to total my truck by rolling over on something so small. lol
As you can see my front tires are pointed toward the camera where the trail is at where i tried to get back on the trail but unfortunately i still couldnt get back up; instead i dug myself in a hole using 4x4 High and got even more stuck. lol Even when i used 4L it was just too late.

Rear Flex

This picture so doest do this situation any justice. But here is the hillside and my whole left rear end is hanging off it. while the front is on the trail.

Here's a close up of the hole i dug myself in. as you can see it isnt too bad but it was just angled off the side of that hill which made it impossible to get up without having lockers.

Mark just pulled up in front of me getting ready to pull me out.

Looking for the rope that we were planning to use.

Tieing my truck up to his. One reason why you should never go off-roading by yourself. Get stuck or break down in the middle of no where and nobody around for miles to come. Its scary

Here's a video Mark took of me going up the same hill I failed to go up last time. feels good to finally conquer this piece
The view



Mark getting out of his truck. Look at his rear axle. His tire is bottomed out its not even touching the floor.

Pure Sexiness lol



Probably the last time my truck would look like this before i got it all muddy in the mud pit.

Mark and I next to our trucks doing the "tough guy" arm cross pose lol

Another Just for fun.

Grubbin' Time
Faby and Mark. He up a nice 3 course meal this day. After many hours of offroading in the hot dry desert heat then jumping into a cold river followed by eating this feast he made. Awww man that was priceless. Definitely made the truck all more worth it. THANKS MARK!

This was the main course meal. lightly bbqd veggies, some marinated shrimp shish-ka-bobs, and a chicken brest marinated with a bunch of herbs and some sort of a bbq glaze. This was some of the best chicken i've ever had in my entire life. So delicious. before this we had a tossed salad topped with peanut dressing. and after we had a home made strawberry shortcake. By the time we were done i was so stuffed i wanted to sleep. Totally made the trip that much better. YOU ARE THE SHIZ NIZZ WHEN IT COMES TO COOKIN'!

Faby and my extreamly dirty truck. I think this will probably be the last time ill ever go into mud, unless theres no way around it, but I will never go in mud again by choice. Too Freekin dirty. now i have a power steering fluid leak coming out of what Mark and i think to be my gearbox. I dont know if i have to replace it or if they are even repairable. You can see an oil leak on the floor under my truck on this pic. Guess its like they say, "It aint about the parts you break, its about the friends you make" right. man....

The Trucks full of mud.

This picture looks like it was taken in a "graystyle" setting on the camera but unfortunately that is all mud. Kind of sad, a newly rebuilt motor coated in mud. Damn As anal as i am when it comes to keeping my truck clean i can already see it its gonna take me a good 4 hours to get my truck nice and shiney and all cleaned up under the hood. damn....
.

And yesterday I took a trip to my parents house to wash close. So while i was there i took it upon myself to clean the crap out of this truck. Luckily the inside wasnt too bad so it was just more of wiping down with a wet towel. I rised the truck off 3 times with water while rubbing off the body, wheelwells, under the truck, and engine bay area. YES I GOT UNDER THE TRUCK! lol i was soaked but i hate having hard dirt stuck on your parts when you wanna fix something. So i tried my best to get everything off. I washed it 3 times with water then twice with car wash soap same with under the hood. I'm sure i still gotta clean up more under the hood but for now its way better. Now it just looks a bit dusty but its a huge difference. I only took an after shot of the exterior. ill get one of the motor later if i remember.
Here she is all cleaned and shined up.


Although i sprung a leak and got ridiculously dirty. This trip was worth it all Got to have fun with my girl, Mark, swim, off-road, and eat a delicious meal. I have to say this was one of the funnest offroad trips ive ever been on. So Thanks Mark for making this weekend so great. Maybe next time we can grab a couple of SoCal Guys like JMC, Blakefogt, and that Mark guy you just met the other day, and a few other guys. Maybe my neighbors. A nice group of 5-6 people would be really nice.

I'll try to edit the videos in a bit. Thanks for reading and keeping up with my thread guys.

 

AWESOME update, Richard! Even though I was there, I enjoyed reading it as though I was there again! haha... MY PLEASURE, I'm glad I could serve you guys... You're nice people! Also, Faby is the cutest thang, literally, but I mean even more so her personality... Very bubbly and fun loving... I enjoyed meeting her and seeing you guys together like a good couple should.... RAZZIN LEFT AND RIGHT! hahaha. Seriously, she's a gem, CONGRATZ! I know, I know... I don't have to live with her, right? (hehehehe, JK, JK, Faby.... just razzin ya a bit )

Wow, so you did get pics of at least the preparing to pull ya out... Ok, Faby did, ... GOOD THINKING, GIRL! Gotta memorialize every trip... People just CAN'T take enough pictures... and usually don't, ya know? Get home, delete, delete, KEEP, delete! At least you have em, right? Look forward to seeing the video... Haven't cleaned my motor yet... Not really trippin on that just now... Wanted to be sure the there was no major stuff on the ball joint boots, etc.

VERY MUCH ENJOYED THAT, SIR! And yes, I agree, ...let's get some fellas together(and their ladies if they want) and head up there and then maybe add "Rowher Flats" and some other stuff I've avoided(just haven't wanted to get you stuck, ya know?)... And even better.... make a TRIP of it one day for a few days, up into the Sierras, Sequoias, etc... IT'S NIGHT AND DAY from each other in 'MAJESTY' levels, ya know what I mean? HUGE spances, fishing, some of the tallest mountains in the continental US.... GORGEOUS.. and most of all... the best part... HOT SPRINGS! lol.

Anyway, thanks for the update... Really sad my camera tripped out on me(my SD Card didn't format right or something.... half the videos are TOTALLY TRIPPING! I'll send you one to see if it's my computer... But I think in the transfer they got ruined... OR, if my Windows Uploader is toast.... that'd have done it as well,

LATER DUDE, .... hope to see ya soon. Lemme know if you need help with the gear box. Can't always promise I'll have time... But I'll definitely help if I have it!

 

Alright guys, I put together a video on Windows Movie Maker. Its a mixture of the videos and pictures we took. Hope you guys like.

 

Looks like a good time
The gear box is rebuildable, they sell new seals for them, I hate mud and we get lots around here.

 

Thanks for that info. Do those tend to mess up often? I don't know the first thing about gearboxes where can i get what i need to repair it? any auto store?

 

i dont drive fast in mud or water. i steam clean my engine bay and under side after each trip. i dont need any more work plus mud under the hood is just asking for problems

 

Hah, definitely don't have to say that twice. Lol. After this weekend I think I'm gonna try to avoid mud at all costs. I really don't wanna deal with that stuff again.
With that said, how can I get this problem fixed? I'll post up a video or pix hopefully by tomorrow to show you exactly what's messed up and where its leaking from to give you guys a better explanation.

 

The output seals are usually the ones that leak when they do, but make sure to check the lines first and make sure the fittings are tight. I don't know where they will have them for sale, I have never had to rebuild one but somewhere like Napa should have the seals.

 

"SLOW DOWN!" ..... bout all I can do, hehehe.

Hey, so it's leaking at the top end where I said I thought it was or what? The rebuild kits are best, from what I've read, from 'OEM or bust' type sellers. May have one at marlin or 4crawler or something. Check around. Your steering is still feather soft... So it's likely that seal I showed ya. Many don't wanna mess with resealing em so they opt like I said for a 2wd(same box as ours) one out of a low miles as possible pick up. Around 70$ for mine, with 89K miles(my box was toast.... Seals alone wouldn't have done it. In fact, it wasn't even leaking, it just failed. The rebuild/seal kit for it is less, I'm sure. Either way, it's gonna have to come out, ya know?

Lemme know what you decide on as far as which route....


Even slower, I got nailed by the mud because my tires stick out a couple inches... But yes, it makes a mess up in there. Gotta give it up to guys like Xxxtreme, .....they love the mud and deal with the consequences without complaint! lol. But just not for me if I can help it. We would have had to backed up quite a bit from there, back up that hill, etc... But there was a turnabout around 100yards from the water, IIRC. Next time... I'm creeping through if it's unavoidable, lol..... Just come-along out of there if stuck, lol. Need to grab an 'anywhere-backwedge' for those situations.. I see them on CL from time to time. Guy who had my Hi-lift had one... I could've grabbed it for cheap, but was trying to save money at the time, lol.

Anyway... my motor wasn't nearly as filled with mud as my fender lips, etc. Still, .. unless you live for the "MUD"... it's best to avoid it, I fully agree. PLENTY of fun to have out there without hitting that realm, hehe. However, on trips up in the Sierras, heading in miles to Hot Springs way up in the Mountains.... You don't often have a choice... you have to get through it to keep going. Lots of creeks and run offs up there you just can't avoid. But, .....yes, seeking it out is not without it's consequences... sometimes dire! lol.

 

PS> Sup Mr. Woods lol....

Hey, far as I could see, the fittings on top/in and out lines/ were not leaking. It appeared to be leaking from the mating surfaces of the Hard lines Housing to Box Mating surface, to be specific. However, with the plastic cover on, I couldn't see if it was leaking at the column rod to box seal.... That could very well be where it's leaking/or could ALSO be leaking from there.

Just clean it up, Richard, with some engine cleaner.... Then coat it with baby powder... you'll see every leak there is. Lil Pink Stream

 

Thanks guys. And thats a good idea. I'll see if I get time to get around to it today.

 

Hey Chef, that could be the input seal that is leaking then if it is coming from under that cover at the steering shaft, it is possible that some grainy stuff from mud or sand got in that cover and turning the wheel back and forth tore the seal.
I for one would just do what Chef did and most likely replace it, you can usually find them for pretty cheap.
Here is a link to rebuilding one though
http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=537622

 

Right on, Richard... fill us in.

Mr. Woods, ....... yeah, that's what I was saying. I got under there and was telling him, "I don't see ANY leakage from the Pitman shaft.... if you had a shaft seal leak.... you'd see it. I think it's leaking on the input end where the rod and box meet(gosh, that's nearly IMPOSSIBLE to say without sounding bad, lol)...."

Yeah, .......

I definitely think "Used 2wd" or "Reseal" are your options(unless you wanna buy a parts store box, which is 'IFFY' as to longevity, and around 200$... Or, online or dealer OEM... around 700-800$???). Maybe Pick-your-Part run, Richard????????? I think you're best off with one from a Dismantler like www.japanesetruckdismantlers.com ...... Because then you can return it. MAYBE can return at Pick-your-Part, ..but only for exchange, IIRC?

 

I ain't going on any trip with you guys if that's what I can expect afterwards to my clean engine bay!!! no sir, won't let that happen....gonna drive super slow like toyo said.

 

Don't worry, Grego... There'll likely be no more of that. I don't think either of us wanted to back up and get bushwacked to death... so we just went for it. I DID NOT push him to do that, I PROMISE! But honestly, it's not something I go looking for. Richard will tell you I'm pretty much a slow poke and take the occasional harder line if it's not a roll over risk.. But as I said, slowly. The powdery stuff you kinda have to keep it moving but there are lines on that too that are not so crazy. And there WAS a turnabout a lil bit back... Just was a LONGGGGGGG WAY back through everything we'd just weaseled through to find new stuff over each plateau, ya know?

I promise, if we see mud, and you don't even wanna crawl through it.. I'm TOTALLY down with turning around, ok? Really don't want you to think I'm careless... I take all kinds of recovery stuff and air down and up equip. OK hehehe.

 

Hey Richard, just getting caught up on everybody's build threads while I was out of town, it was hard to get internet service on my phone up where I was. Looks like you and Chef had a really fun time on your latest trip! Glad to hear you were able to get some more parts towards your SAS! You that much closer to getting it done! Awesome job on the video, turned out really good!!!

 

Hi Greg, Well You wont have to worry about the truck getting like that. this place we went is pretty much desert terrain. We found that small piece of muddy terrain by chance. And we chose to go into it lol we could have always gone around it.

I totally agree with You mark. I dont wanna hit up any mud parts anymore. Call me a lil Biatch, but i just hate the cleanup mess you gotta do afterward lol. i dont mind taking a mile detour around a muddy part lol Only way ill go through something like that again is if it is comepletely unavoidable. and for that ill just crawl through it. i wont rush in again lol

Thanks Ed, Its funny that was my first time ever making an edited video like that. As far as the SAS parts go. I'm anxious to start ordering the rest of the stuff already but i gotta hold up some. I just wanted to order those now so i could get started on the SFA rebuild and hav that part completely out of the way and not have to worry about it anymore ya know.

BTW I had never cut video parts out and added pix and/or music too. That was a first. I also think it came out great. getting picture and video changes to come out just right when a part on the song would change was a slight challenge at first. But i got the hang of it fast.

 

I found where my leak is coming from. It is coming from my Steering box.
I completely wiped it down. i turned it on for about 10 seconds and i saw the oil spilling little by little.I saw a small stream coming out from where the steering shaft goes into the steering box I wiped it down again while it was on then took another look and seen it came out again. So I'm sure this is where its coming from now. Here are a few pix to show you where im talking about and what it looks like.
If you guys have any input links, repair threads, anything that would help me out with this please post it up because these things cost over $500 for a new or rebuilt one. I gotta get this fixed.

 

BTW MARK THANK YOU FOR TALKING ME INTO STAYING WITH THE STOCK AIR FILTER SYSTEM! CHECK THIS OUT! PURE DISGUSTINGNESS!


You cant realy see very much inside the filter but trust me it was ALL in there lol

I just dusted it off for now. But i do plan on buying a new filter, and removing all of those air filter housing parts to deep clean it soon. I'm limited with $$$ after buying those SAS parts. So as of now, my priority is fixing that Steering box. After all its not like i can drive my truck atm haha it'll chug through my ATF fluid just by driving it.

 

Yeah, the leak COULD get worse.... eventually will... bot not knowing if or when is the 'SOLD ON THE FIX THIS NOW TICKET'....

Yeah, that's the input shaft seal... as my FAVORITE ACTOR, Mr. James Woods, and I were saying...haha....( I think I mentioned the Body to Pipe Housing area leaking too... Curious if it is and why if so).....

I'll have to look this up again... it's somewhere in my 300000000 bookmarked "Toyota Vendors and Repairs links" list! hehe....

All depends on how much you wanna work/how long the truck can be down....

1. IF you're decided you'll rebuild this box.... find the reseal/rebuild kit from Toyota and have it ready to ship ASAP, ya know? OR pick it up at the dealer(more $ most often). Gotta fish around on that one.

2. If you wanna do a replacement box...... I COULD hit the yard and HOPE to find a compatible one.. I can't be POSITIVE on this, but I think that in 89 the Gear Box became a little larger... Which changes things on how the splines line up or something. Mine bolted up, but it WAS bit of a bear. I think that's because I put a low miles 95 2WD 4Runner Gear box in there.... Anyway, I think any 86-95 IFS 4WD Box will swap, but even then, there are the differences of one being larger in 89-95(IIRC), which could change things.......(Lemme know... maybe I could yoink one for ya/with ya on the weekend or something? If it gets REALLY bad, like losing all fluid on the way to work... I wouldn't wait much longer, and In fact, I'd park it)........AND; Something therein.. YOU KNOW your gear box is good.... it just leaks, lol. Can't be positive one you get doesn't have a lil leaking...But you can usually tell by inspecting it. Also, you don't want one for replacement with a big front end collision... DAT NOT GOOD FOR DA PITMAN OR SHAFT QUITE OFTEN! lol. The one I got was wrecked in the rear.

BBL8r, T8r!

PS> Say "HEY GIRRRRRRRRRRRRL, SUP? " to Faby for me, k? ... But no, seriously, just say hey for me... She's a cool Chica!!