Thank for the feedback .. Yeah it's a extra cab pick up . There seems like a hundred sensors on this thing haha but correct me if I'm wrong isn't the one for the gauge on the manifold right in the middle facing up towards the hood ? also If I was to say the hell with it and put in an after market gauge where would I put the sensor ??

BTW .. THAT RUNNER LOOKS AWESOME !!! GREAT JOB !!!

 

Oh man, I love the blue Runners, especially with the factory stripes on the sides. You seem to be pretty good at finding the deals, but if you can't find a valence for it, I have a red one I'd give you, you'll have to drive the '88 to Florida to get it though. I'll be sure to subscribe to your new build.

And holy cow, 32,000 miles in 1 year??

 

Oooooh, that Blueberry blue along with white are my 2 favorite OTHER colors.... aside from Red, of course! hahaha.

NICE, and I have to say, as usual, CAN'T WAIT for this next project! You're really getting me itching to take a couple projects on, Terry! Dang you! hahaha. No, really, I think it's time I put some of my 'ok' knowledge of these to work!

Best wishes with it, and I'm SURE it will wind up in a state that we wont even recognize what IT WAS!

 

Sweet another terry87 build no wait that sucks you are so much faster than I am you make me look bad, 1 runner done in less than a year and now another one, a p/u in the works bahhh. Just kidding man you have talked about this one a lot cant wait to see it come together.

 

looks like all the glass is intack, best of luck on the build...........

 

Hello coryc85...Thanks, When gas was cheap, I got to run all over the country, now Kansas City is a trip that I can barely afford with the gas I used to go quite aways on, I miss the good ole days.

Thanks Chef.. When I first got this runner, I really had no intention of ever parting it out. It is really a solid little truck. Other then from setting and hopefully my little rat buddy didnt do any wire damage. They like to chew those. I did get him though, so any damage he may have done, I think we are even.

Hello Jason, My little truck has been feeling a little neglected. I have been spending the time getting the shop ready and getting my bodywork supplies built back up. I could have it running in no time, but we have a nice little white 83 truck running around here that I want it to look as good as it does.lol..

It has been bugging me that I havent gotten to work on it in awhile, but I really want it to be as perfect and as nice as I can possibly get it. Wish I wasnt so particular at times. But it will be my first true frame off restore. I have done frames before, but not everything all on the same truck. I want it to be as sweet as possible.

Thanks RMP8080..It has good glass. Funny you should mention the glass. I used the back hatch off of the blue one to fix my 88 as the backglass was busted out of it. Now the 88s backhatch is going on this truck. I have since got a new backglass for the white hatch. I have learned a lot on the backhatch and I dont post to often on the homepage unless it is something I feel really confident about. The backhatch I feel is one of my strong areas so try to help ohters out as much as possible. It has alway been the window not working. Now get to learn how to install the back glass. One fix that is new to me. But I will get it done.

Well I got the boat out and hoping my helper can get some free time to help me get it home today. Will have to wait and see how things go. Got alot of things accomplished in the shop so it will make working on both trucks easier. I really feel the 86 will go quick as not as much hard repairs to do and since I will be keeping it the same or a similar color, it wont be as involved. It will be a nice daily driver and my 79/82/83 truck will be a more involved restore.

 

Hello EFI85... I think you jinked me. Just kidding, Today, on my flat bed, I had to make several trips and each time I started out, the truck was cold. One time the guage just did what you described. I know this is common on 4Runners with the rear heater option.

This truck is in great mechanical conditon and I went through it from bumper to bumper, but have to admit that I havent been keeping up with it as much as I should. When I was driving my wifes runner, the flatbed would sit 2-3 months at a time. It usually fires up in about 1 1/2 revolutions of the motor on a normal day and after sitting for months on end, it fires up amazingly fast.

But after it did this, I am going to be checking it out throughly in the next few days. May not be much, but now that I know this, I will be jumping all over it.

One thing I would suggest you could do on further down the road is to pull your radiator and have it professionally flushed. This wont solve your problem now but is something that a Preston Flush kit will not get cleaned. You will be surprised at the rust in there. The shop I use charges $25 to do this and is well worth it. You have to pull the radiator though.

For some possible fixes, and if you find one of these that works, let me know. I want to get mine fixed also. It will be a couple of days before I can get to it, but since it is in such great shape mechanically I not worried about any damage happening.

The guage sensor is exactly in betweent the #2 and #3 fuel injectors. If I recall right, it will need a 17mm deepwell to get it out. It will more then likely have some green corrosion build up on it. Take a brass wire toothbrush or some green scrubbing pads and get that corrosion off. It should have a blue electrical connector to it. I am betting this will fix our problem, but wont know until for sure.

Some other good preventive maintainace while doing this is under your front radiator hose and breather tube is another water sensor, but doesnt go to the guage, and your Cold Start Timing Switch. One has a brown connector and one has a green connector. Pull them and give them a good scrubbing. I think the Haynes Manual say to use some teflon tape on the Cold Start one. Probably a good idea to use it on both. The Cold Start one I think is the larger of the 2. I can just about guarantee that they will have build up on them as well. My 88 and some water sensors on my truck all looked the same.

You will lose some antifreeze when you pull these 2 sensors, but not to much. After you get done doing this. You will need to burp your system on this due to the water loss. It is actually a good idea to do it periodacally. I do it just for good measure.

To burp the system. Raise the front end of your truck a good one or two feet. You want the radiator cap higher then the back of the motor. I have used ramps, high raising floor jack and even a steep incline. With the motor cold, pull the cap off and let it come up to operating temp and cylce the thermostat a couple of times and that should get any trapped air out of the system. There are some other ways of burping the system I hear, but this is the easiest way that I know of and it has worked for me.

Except for cleaning the radiator, I am sure one of these will fix our trucks. If it doesnt I will be looking into it further. Really wont cost anything except to replace some antifreeze. Let me know as I will be a few days getting to mine. Not really worried about any damge happening, but I like mine to be in best shape as possible.

Guage sensor, has blue connector between 2 and 3 injectors.


Cold Start Timer and another water sensor. Should be brown and green.

 

ONE YEAR...WAHOOO!!!!

One year ago today I started this build. Got more then I really thought that I would accomplished. Still need to get the seats done and AC fixed, but have put 32,000 trouble free miles on the runner. Just went over the 300 thousand mile mark. Tried to make it wait until today, but it happened two days ago.

I consider it pretty much restored and it is now in the build up or improvement stage. The wife has taken over this truck so I am leaving it up to her as to what gets done now. I get to drive it sometimes and it is really enjoyable to drive.

We have an 01 Runner and she used to drive it all of the time, but now this is her favorite truck to drive. It was advertised as a parts truck or rock crawler project when I found it on Craigslist. The first pictures just dont do it justice as the condition that it was in and with my tight budget am surprised it has been as good of a truck as it is. Had to get creative on getting the most out of the parts I had.

Started this build to keep track of my progress and to be able to look back on my progress. I really tried to make this build thread really useful for others as well. I think I got hit with alot of the common problems and some unusual ones as well. Didnt do any real good post on the motor as there are better written pages then what I could do out there.

I get to start my 86 build today, the same day, just different year. Really looking forward to this build. It is a Blue 86 Runner 22re with blue interior. My favorite color. Wahoo again!!! Really want to it turn out as nice as this one.

This 88 build may slow down as the things she wants to do are out of the budget or she has other priorities that she wants to do. Dont know if it will ever be completely finished, but it will get updated ever once in awhile or when something gets done to it.

I do feel good that this truck is one of the threads that did get started and not just added to the dead threads. She wont get rid of this truck. It is a keeper.


Look for me on my 83 truck build or my new thread on the 86. Still trying to come up with a title, but it is going to be something like 86 parts truck with a second chance or something like that.

 

Congrats Terry! Runner looks great, you've really done a lot to it, and I know watching your build has helped me out in so many ways. I'm really looking forward to the 86 build.

 

Happy Birthday to the thing! lol. Wife took it over, eh? Sounds familiar, from times LONG gone! lol.

 

THANKS Terry !! as soon as I get time Ill be pulling those senders and cleaning them up . I will let you know how it trns out !! thanks again !!

 

Thanks coryc85.. I really apprciate it when my thread has helped some one out. I hope I can make my 86 thread just as useful. There were times that I spent hours looking for fixes. I know when it is a daily driver and it is down how strssful that can be.


Thanks Chef.. Yeah, she got it. But now she cant say anything on my 86 build. She is supportive. So I am really lucky here.

Your welcome EFI85..Try to help where I can.

 

Sup buddy? I posted a bunch of pics for ya on my thread of the interior.... let me know if that's what you wanted, k? Anything I can do to help, I WILL, k?

 

Thanks Chef.. The way that one picture looked I thought you had the magical answer on the cup holders. Wifey is wanting me to do twistedyota cupholder. I just dont have the fabbing skills at this time to come up with his. I am going to work with his idea though. Thanks for posting the pics. Really appreciate it.

 

I guess I have my real first problem since getting the 88 going. It seems when the engine is cold it starts stalling out above 2500 rpm. When it warms up it seems to get better. When it is cold it struggles to get to 60 mph and then a little ways further I can get to 70 and eventually 80. The weather temperture has been in the high 40s and low 50s lately.

No check engine light, no loose vacuum hoses that I can find. At first I thought it might be a fuel or air problem so I went ahead and changed the air filter. The old one looked good and couldnt tell a difference after changing air filters. So now I will go through and give it a whole new tune up even though most parts are just over a year old. Basically plugs,oil,fuel filter.

Not sure if this will help solve the problem, but dont want to be chasing my tail on a simple problem. Also since I have 3 trucks to keep up with, my next post is going to be my Tune Post so I can do a better job of keeping up with my services. I dont get to drive the 88 that much any more so it is easy to lose track of what has been done.

I will start researching what could be the problem, but if any of you have some ideas what it could be I would really appreciate it. It just started doing it yesterday and I havent looked into it just yet.

 

1/24/12
Changed Air Filter.

1/26/12
300,344 miles Changed Fuel Filter, Oil, Plugs,Replaced Cat Converter,Replaced missing bolt on back of head, Replaced Valve Cover gaskets.

 

congrats? on changing the air filter? that's waaay more exciting than anything i've done....with the exception of putting my stereo in...which was a good thing.

definitely congrats on passing 300k.

 

If your tune up doesn't sort out the problem, try swapping out your Mass Airflow Sensor.

 

Thanks 92 Toy, it was exciting passing the 300k mark. I need a stereo in my truck. One of these days I will get one in it. One of these days.lol

Thanks Lewis15498..I was thinking of the Maff Sensor after I posted. I was talking to a friend and he said it sounds like my catalytic converter could be at fault. As it warms up the honey comb is letting more exhaust pass. I havent dealt with a clogged converter in years and since this is probably an orginal, I am suspecting that. I have new converter in the shed so it shouldnt cost much getting it replaced. One of these days I will get a welder.

 

Cat converter definitely makes sense too. Let us know how it goes!