Nice, I like LED's also, might have to do some interior ones also now! gotta stop look'n at your thread when it comes to lighting...ahhahaa

 

Working on the GM alternator mod. The brackets came in from TG. They included the bolt to replace the bolt that holds the bottom rad hose to the alternator bracket. But oddly, the stock top bracket bolt was to short. The TG bracket is thicker than the stock bracket. I lucked out and found a bolt 1/4 " longer. Score

Here's where I'm at so far. Ran out of energy tonight. I actually have the alternator bolted in, just need to wire it up tomorrow.



Ya I know the bottom side of the engine compartment doesn't look good right now. I had the stock pan on the front and haven't pressure washed up there since putting it on last year.

I also had a CV blow a boot. So hopefully I'll be swapping out a CV tomorrow as well. Gota love wrenching a Toyota on a long weekend instead of camping Such it is.

 

Excellent!!! Haha, good to hear. I'm glad I can plant the Toyota seed. I definitely recommend interior lighting, I'm loving it!!!

 

Hey Travis, just getting caught up on your build thread, I really like how your hi-lift Jack mount turned out, nice work! Look forward to seeing how your GM alternator turns out!

 

Thanx Ed. The hi-lift worked out well and it's nice knowing it's back there and secure! I have gad a bottle jack in a hard plastic case bolted into the back drivers rear cargo panel for as long as I've owned this truck. It's a crappy jack but better than nothing in a pinch.

 

This week has been busy, now time to update!!!

I finished the GM alternator mod. It was a little longer than I would have figured. But true to form, I cannot cut corners. Do it once, do it right!

Here's some of the links I used to figure this out.
https://www.yotatech.com/forums/f116.../#post51716802
http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=964864
https://www.yotatech.com/forums/f120...n-down-213700/

There was others as well, but Ive lost track of them in the chaos of the week. I had to clear out my shop, and it's now packed into my apartment. Good thing I love my tools!!!



The alternator fit in well. But I did need to pull the lower rad hose to get it in. I pulled the rad and fan shroud out of the way to make life easier. This is a "2 wire" GM alternator. So actually three if you count the heavy gauge charge wire. Ive read articles were guys use 4 wire GM alternators as well with good results.

I took my 60 amp alternator in tho the guys at "Western Rose", an alternator and starter rebuild shop in between Red deer and Sylvan Lake, Alberta. These guys are awesome and work cheap! I swapped my old 60 amp alternator out, and took a rebuilt with a 160 amp stator in it for $100. Cheap, and they bench tested it @ 138 amps max draw.

I used a 4 gauge wire from the post on the back of the alternator straight to the battery. I decided to bypass the 80 factory circuit breaker because it's too tough to get the old nuts free for now. A fuse-able link wired inline for protection.



The other two wires, I tapped into the original alternators harness for the switched ignition source that doubles as "excite" and a "sense" wire. I actually cut off the original Toyota plug and ran my harness from the new GM alternator up the my splice point. Now my "idiot light" works, as does the charge gauge on the dash. This thing is internally regulated so almost a no hassle unit, and my truck looks and acts like stock!!! And it used the stock Toyota alternator belt as well with lots of room to spare.



After wiring and testing, I taped up the harness and wrapped in plastic wire loom to protect it and keep it clean.



I followed the factory harness and ran it under the harness that runs between the rad support and radiator.



The upgrade was well worth the $100 bucks for the alternator and $45 for the brackets from TG. Plus wire and fuse, maybe $25 more. So total cost of this mod $170 bucks. No more worry about driving at night with both sets of driving lights on, high beams, windshield wipers and heaters blowing on high!!!



I also had to swap out a bad C/V axle while I had the shop to work in.



Ticked me off because I had to pull the sway bar link to get it out! Done deal now.

And yes, since doing all of this work, I have made a trip to the car wash and pressure washed EVERYTHING very well. The pictures make my poor truck look like a beater...

 

Great work!

 

x2, nice, man!

 

Thanx guys. All these little mods are well worth the effort. Even if it's just me that knows they are there! But I get to appreciate them on a daily basis

I have an issue with my delay wipers and am looking for some feedback. My delay wipers no longer work. I still have the regular and fast speeds.

When I put the switch on the delay position, the wipers wipe the windshield once, then a short buzz comes from in the column (I think) and then nothing. It doesn't matter where I have the delay speed position set. Once in a while when I put the switch on delay, the wipers will go very slowly and buzz the whole time.

I'm wondering if a good cleaning of the switch inside the column will fix this? Has anyone had this problem and solved it? Any thoughts are appreciated.

This has been annoying me since last year some time and if I can fix it, it's time! I do have another switch that I robbed off an old column, but if I can actually fix my parts, rather than replacing them, I will.

Cheers!!!

 

I'm interested, Travis... Not sure I'd be of help, but if I have this problem, some day... could be useful. So, ....the 'delay' is not done by a relay of some kind? It's a type of timed switch or something? NO clue how that works. I fixed my wiper button and cruise control lever/actuation thingymadoer... but never got that deep into that or the signals.

Best wishes on this... Watchin.

 

Hey guys. I have finally finished University!!!! YIPPEE!!!! I've had a busy spring. Graduated, got married, and in the middle of Grande Prairie Ab. I have my Runner up here now, pulled it out of storage and made the 700km trip no problem. It was hot out that day and made me remember hoe much I need to get the A/C working again.

I was too busy with school to keep caught up in my favorite threads, but hopefully over the next month or two, I can get caught up once again I'm going to have to make a new list of TO DO's for my 87' but first things first, get moved, and build a garage

OK work to do, TTYL

 

DUDE!!!! you have the Factory Sunroof cover!!!! I have been looking for one of those. Great looking runner by the way. And I love the LEDs in the topper.

 

Congratulations on graduating and on getting married!!! Wow, you've been really busy, lol. Glad to hear your runner made the long trip, I hear ya on building a shop, I get so tired of working out in the gravel, I have a carport , but it's just not the same, especially when your welding and the wind picks up, lol. Look forward to seeing more mods on your runner down the road!

 

give me the sunroof cover or else!

 

Thanx Gizler. Ya it's one of my prize Yota parts. I bought a mint 85' SR5 Extra cab way back when, and it came with the sunroof cover. I was amazed that there even was such a thing, and now I love it and have taken it with me through several of the trucks I sold. The LED's have been great, so nice to have that much light at night, and low enough draw that I can leave them on for hours and not be concerned about draining the battery.

Sorry black 85', I'd have to fight you to the death for it!!!

Ed!!! Thanx for the kind words, and yes indeed, really busy!!! Things are still pretty fast paced at home, trying to get settled and getting the wife's Liberty ready to sell. Giving the Jeep the boot and giving her my Rav4 to use instead, converting her to Toyota power.

The application is in to the city for the variance allowance for the garage. I'm trying to squeeze in a 16X26X10, but I'm at 57% lot coverage and the city only allows 45%. Its a big legal process I am going through to get approval but if it works out, the extra months hassle will be well worth the extra space in the garage.

I'm hoping to get some time in on the Runner soon. My starter is a PITA. Ive replaced them over and over. This ones a Toyota starter and its bad too. I'm thinking it may be a solenoid or relay somewhere but need to research to find out more bout this. I hit the key and the starter just clicks. Sometimes banging on it with a hammer works, but sometimes it doesn't. Seems odd that a starter will fail on a monthly basis though. Any thoughts???

 

Just catching up on your thread. RAD has some great info on your starter problems. Cleaning the relay contacts made a big difference for me.>> https://www.yotatech.com/forums/f199...l#post51952166

Click on the yellow links in his signature or follow the pages after the ones above for more of his fixes. He understands this electric well.

 

I had the exact same problem with my starter when I first bought my 4runner, sometimes tapping on it with a hammer would work, I swapped in a different starter and it did the same thing. I didn't know about cleaning the starter relay contacts as Terry mentioned. I ended up buying a "Hot Shot" starter relay from Painless Wiring, but didn't install it until after I did my 302 swap. When my Ford starter started having the same issues of not starting, I finally installed the hot shot and haven't had a problem with it since. Just thought I'd throw that out there, just in case cleaning the contacts doesn't work.

 

My dome light doesn't work, so I'm drooling over all the interior lumens you've added. Your Runner looks great!

I'm struggling with the hi-lift mount situation myself, right now. I'm leaning toward the position you chose, but I run a soft-top when I'm wheeling, so I'm not sure I want it sticking up and out of the back of the truck.