Air tank install looks great Hab! Sounds like a great way to spend spring break!

Alas, ski season did not happen for me this year. Very, very, very poor snow year. Snow reporting sites on Mt Hood are at 6-25% of normal. I suspect strict water rationing for yards this summer so will forego garden this year. The fishing boat and trailer restoration is just about done and I be chasing fishies soon.

Sorry to read of the '63s fire. Hope the damage was not too severe.

 

Wow, that is some little snow!

The 63 is fine, minus one of its two air filters. Still, amusing that it was the first of the bunch to catch fire...

Amazing weather today. Terrific trail rerouting and maintenance work done. Got a couple more holes drilled in the 96 after removing one of the bumper wings. That *should* be it for drilling. Still can't figure what to do with the pressure gauge and switch.

Off to do some parts ordering research...

 

Hey hab, can you not just mount the switch and gauge in the panel you hid the compressor behind. If you explained this or your reasoning for not doing it I missed it sorry.

 

Hi Hab,
Was curious myself. I saw your post @ t4r.org Also remembered seeing a member there selling an A-Pillar gauge pod. Probably would be a pita mounting it there, but then wasn't sure where you were thinking of mounting your gauge of what style of gauge. Anyway, FWIW, here is a link to the A-Pillar gauge pod:

http://www.toyota-4runner.org/sale-t...ntonio-tx.html

 

It appears to be the standard 2 1/16" gauge size but 3" deep
The switch is small and can fit about anywhere easy enough.
Been crawling all over the place looking for a spot!

I looked at the b-pillar- too shallow
c-pillar is too shallow
The trim panel below the steering wheel is the wrong angle, as is the glove box.
It's too big to fit where the ashtray used to be without blocking the other gauges.
The center console gets kicked by the kid on the back and my fat butt on the side.
I like your ideas of the rear and there's a couple of holes behind the cargo panel that it would fit, but there's many times situations like this:


Though I like the spot...maybe put a little metal cage around it so it doesn't get broken?
I'm not a big fan of the a-pillar spot, I figured I'd mount it as low as possible.

Back to the cargo area. There is a spot where the air filter hose is coming out near the roof in this pic that might work:


at least it would be less affected by my junk.
Ooh, see those two round holes above the one the air line is coming out of??? I wonder...
Come to think of it, I would have to keep the compressor clear of stuff while it's running, won't I? Hmmmm....sensing a change in panel modding direction to accommodate....

Since this air compressor w/tank set-up is new to me I have to ask- do I need to be able to keep an eye on the gauge (has pressure relieve valve in the tank too) and how long would it take to pressurize the tank? Can I just have the switch up front and flip a bit before it's needed? Do I need the gauge up front to remind me that it's on or will the noise do that for me? Do I really need the switch up front?

Thanks for helping me work this stuff out! Also, you guys seem to have sent me in a possibly better new direction so thanks for that, too!!

 

Hey hab, keeping an eye on the gauge isn't super important if you have a pressure shut off switch on the compressor. However it would for me be nice to have it so if need be I could glance at it while using the system just to know how everything is working, as for how long it will take to fill the tank that's hard to answer because there's a few things that play into it. I would keep the switch close to the compressor just because that's what makes sense to me but it really doesn't matter. I've seen guys do some really cool gauge pods with different PVC fittings just throwing that out there. I'm sure what ever you do it will be cool and work great.

 

Thanks Jason. I looked at those holes in the upper d-pillar- too small, too shallow. Thanks for the tip on the homemade gauge pods, I've got to do some searching and see if I can pick up some ideas. I'm so flipper flopper on this!

 

Not so much flipper flopper as wanting to do it rite, no one will fault you for that.

 

^Yeah! And only one (or two) times!

Anyone needing pics or whatnot, I have the center dash trim currently removed. Easy to see the top of the climate control right now....

 

The hubby's little saying about your rig surely did backfire.
The 99s skids all on now?
What's happening in the dash??

 

I have the later third gen and have wondered how to get the dash apart, not needing it now and not thinking I will need into it anytime soon but would still like to know.

I broke the back glass out of my 3rd gen and will be doing a write up on it. I have a new glass and am getting it a part. So far not to bad of a job and will post a link for it if you want it. Never thought I would be changing a back glass but things happen.

 

It was a very *small* fire, and it was just the foam 'sock' air filter that slips over the DCOE intake trumpets. Not really particularly part of the car.

Hah, but yeah, that was a rather dysfunctional morning for the '63. It had a dying/nearly dead battery (charge it all night, it would have enough juice for one or two cranks), and apparently a fried rotor as well. So it started up, was snorting and backfiring a bunch (not uncommon for cold DCOE's). I backed it out of the garage, went to go forward, and it died. Tried cranking it and the battery was too dead already to do much. Then I noticed smoke.

Yeah.... time to drive a Toyota to work. Volvos are generally very dependable and durable (to a fault), and generally speaking, anything that goes awry on mine is some sort of 'improvement' I've done to them.

 

Really that husband o' mine just likes to start the day with a bit too much excitement sometimes...

RW- One skid to go, I believe. He's got the fumoto valve in (skid does not have a hole for the oil pan bolt). I thought he'd drill one but he's going with the valve and will reach in to open it. Theory is less mess. That seems sound. Skid's painted, just gotta find a little time to get it in.

I'm trying to find a way to fit the air pressure gauge into the center is why the trim is off. I think I've got a plan that might work....been fiddling with it, doing some of that head scritchin'.

Terry- I've got the older style center thingy (technical term). It's pretty easy to do that one. If I take the 99 apart I'll have to write it up- I *think* that one's more like yours.

On mine remove the 4 climate control slide 'knobs' by sliding them off. Remove the a/c button and then the climate control panel (4 catches- one at the center of each side). I use a smallish screw driver blade. There are 2 screws at opposite corners behind that panel that hold the trim piece on. There are 2 other screws that hold the climate controls in. Careful consideration should net you the correct screws. After that gently pop the trim off. There are 3 plugs at the top to undo and the lighter power and light to unplug too.

My truck doesn't have this but some 4Runners do: when plugging the clock back in make sure you aren't plugging it into a dummy connector. If the clock did work before you started but doesn't after that's the first place I'd look.
I can take pictures but yours won't be exactly like mine.

Yeah, I wouldn't mind a link for the back glass if you write it up, or I'll see it in one of your threads. Hope I never need it, though!!! Things indeed, do happen.

If this gauge thing works okay I'll post up pics. If not we'll just pretend nothing ever happened.

 

Hoping the gauge works out up there. No skids on my rig but I do have a Fumoto drain installed. I like it....just slooooow to drain the 5w-30 out.

 

Gauge panel attemp #1. Disaster. We'll just call it a practice run. Spiderman says everybody gets one, right? *sigh*.

Hope things are going well for you all. Trail building day again today. Tasty bench cutting- 3' wide, 4' high bench on a very steep hillside. Mega dirt removal. Brand new trail is happening again!

 

Sorry round one was won by the gauge panel. You'll win the next one!

I'm just about done getting the wiring finished on the fishing boat. Lots of starts and stops made for a long project.

Oh, yes, there may be a little skiing in the next week. It seems cold and a little snow finally decided to appear on the mountain if the forecast holds. Fingers and toes are crossed in anticipation.

 

Very seldom do I get things on the first attempt. You will get it and learned how not how to do it the first time.

I will do a write up on the back glass sometime this week. It is a two person job and a real pain in the neck to do, hope not to do that one again. Thanks for your notes on the dash. I will add that to mine soon as well.

 

rw- Snow? Yay for you! Yay it's not here!

Terry- definitely I learn more from my mistakes than when things go right first off. Been brainstorming a lot today but nothin's happening.
I know your center piece is a little different than the 96 but I'm not sure how. Pretty sure it's somewhat similar enough to use my notes as a vague blind leading blind sort of guide.

Was going to wire the compressor to the switch on the tank today, but need 8 gauge, will pick up tomorrow if there's time. Got the cargo panels all back in and that's pretty much done, still thinking and thinking and thinking on the gauges. Actually may be forming some sort of a plan-ish.

 

Hab, no snow here in town....it's just a little over a foot of new up on Mt. Hood. Test shakedown cruise of the boat was successful this afternoon. It been a lot of work just getting motor and wiring in shape after sitting in garage 15 years.

Plan 2 for the gauges will be a success!

 

Good to hear the boat goes rw! Of course it does.

Comparison of the 96 vs the 99's dash center piece:
Yellow= clips
Red= plugs that need to be undone. Not pictured: the light above the ashtray- I don't have one of those.
Green= where the two screws hold the center piece onto the dash are



One of the places the 4 catches that hold the face of the climate control on go



The climate control face showing the clips on each side (one is missing on mine). They're in the center of each side.



and the 99:
Yellow= clips
Red= places with unpluggables. (there may be two more where the other two sockets are, under the ashtray- this piece is missing those)
Green= where the fabled dummy plug is



I cannot find any spots where screws would go. It's possible this one's held in only by the clips. I do not know if you'd have to deal with the climate control face or not.