Man, this thing is gonna be harder and harder to break, homie! I really love the 3rd gens, dayummmmm!

I hope Regina is doing well... You guys are always in my prayers!......

 

Hey man thanks for checking in. I have a long way to go to get it where I want but its getting there.

 

Thanks I appreciate it.

 

Man I hope so, I really like both my runners but for different reasons. I'm really happy with how things turned out this go around.

Regina is good and says hey.

 

im a little late posting this and picks will have to wait a bit longer but I wanted to say that I was able to attend the GREAT SMOKEY MOUNTIAN TRAIL RIDE this past weekend, this was an awesome event and I had a great time. around 150 toyotas were on the trails. Ive got a few pics and some video that I will get posted up asap. the runner did great no broken parts just a really dirty interior lol.

 

 

AWESOMENESS! More pics? So glad you got to get away and have a blast!

 

I have been fighting internet issues at home so I still can't load pics bummed. I haven't done anything to the runner since the last wheeling trip. just diving/enjoying having it back on the road, well at least I was until last weekend, I went to drive to town and on the way the engine stumbled a few times lost power and died, I started it back up and had a c.e.l. turned around and went home and it ran fine, started it the next morning and it wouldn't idle kinda popped threw the intake as I tried to bring up the RPMs , I had other plans for the day so I let it sit, started it the next day and it seemed to run better but sluggish. I have been able to pull the code for the C.E.L and I know theres now sense in trying to diagnose it with out that so that will be my first step. I will let yaall know what I find out as soon as I get back home.

 

well a few small updates. 1rst my internet at home is fixed. 2nd I got the runner into town to get the CEL checked out, turned out to be a MAF code, I thought that might be the case but it was nice to get confermation that it was somthing simple.I have to take the blame for this issue because my air box has had a hole in it that was allowing unfiltered air in since I bought it. so while I had it apart this time and since I have hunted everywhere I could think for a used air box to no avale I decided to fix mine. the hole was from where one of the mounts had broke off and since that was the worst I started there.


I cleaned up what ever was used for a previous fix, it looked like gorillia glue mixed up some 2 part platic weld and reatached the mount.


all 3 mounts were broke, so with one down I worked up a fix for he top mount, cut one out of a peice of tin and rivited it to what was left of the plastic mount.


not the best fixes but atleast theres no more holes or being held in place with zip ties.

I also thru in a spectra air fiter while i was at it, not a big fan of the K and N and have used several spectras in the past with good luck.

 

Good job with the fix. I'm glad I'm not the only one with a patched up air box with broken mounts. Looks good. I went a similar route and it's help up well for the last 3 years.

 

Nice fix! Liking your tin tab a lot.
If your code comes back I've got the test for the older style maf if you need it, assuming yours is like the 96's and it's not just plain dirty.

 

thanks man, I would have rather found a box in good shape but I dont think one exists lol. I think I have it solid enough now that it should hold up fingers crossed.

 

thanks hab. the tin fix was the only thing I could come up with, I suppose I could have remade it out of fiberglass but I would probably still be working on it lol.
I drove it to town and back a few times so far no more CEL but if it shows up again I will be hitting you up.

 

Well I managed to have another somewhat productive day. awhile back I hit the salvage yard to get get a few things for some mods I wanted to do, Ironicly the things I went after didnt work when I got home ugh. I went after a cooling fan off a 2nd gen 4runner and a cadilac horn like I saaid niether worked, however I did come across a couple things I could use, the caddy had a very nice trans cooler, and the runner had a nice relay box for the fan.
so today I set out to do a couple projects, first was to get the trans cooler installed, I had to make some simple brackets but it fits very well and should work great to prevent the milk shake syndrom.



the other project is getting an aux cooling fan set up [hence the 2nd gen fan]. my runner has never run hot or anything on the trail but it does get warm at times so Im not looking for a full on cooling fan just somthing for low RPM slow speed situations. Since the runner fan was a fail I picked up an aftermarket 10 inch job [would have rather had the toyota fan] and started test fitting it, it fit well on the pass side of the radiator however with the trans cooler mounted the the only way to mount it set it to far back and instead of blowing air thru the rad it just blew air around the fan. So a shroud was in order, I used a strip of thin rubber mat I had laying around not sure how well it will work I didnt have time to finish it up.


this fan will be triggered by a thermo switch as well as by the A/C compresser, the wireing is gonna take a bit mostly because Im not good at it lol but it shouldnt be to bad.

 

Nice Fix! The AFM should be happier now.

Nice mod as well. ..... interesting. I want to improve some things....... Just not sure on the e-fan just yet. Ian, iirc, went bsck to his clutch style dues to e-issues? Haha. .... Probably was just temporary drama that he ended up fixing... I can't remember.

 

hey mark thanks for droping by. I should have fixed the air box a long time ago but it should be fixed now.
the E fan Im installing like I said is an aux fan only, the mechanical fan will stay in place, the E fan will only be used in low RPM/low speed situations ie wheeling or heavy trafic.

 

after a couple days looking at how bad the cross member for the skid plate mount was bent up I decided to do somthing about it.

the old and the new


added some home brew captured nuts for mounting the skid plate back up.


slid it into the frame and laid down some heavy tacks so I could mount the skid plate and make sure everything was going to fit.


I used a peice of 2x2x1/8 square tubing, my original plan was to straighten and reinforce the factory peice but after looking at it it just wasnt worth it, it had been tore lose from the frame before[I would guess from the wreck]and was stamped with crumple points in it, so I figured going the route I did was a better solution considering how I use my runner.
I also drove it to town today and presure washed the radiator, I couldnt beleive how much mud I washed out of it, its a wonder it wasnt over heating, the A/C works so much better now.
I had to order the relays for the fan so thats on hold for now but with it installed I can put the grill etc back together. haveing everything tore down on the front like this really makes me wish I could start on my bumper but it will have to wait but its coming soon.
Im really happy with the progress I have made the past few days, Ive managed to get a lot of things done that have kinda been on the back burner. anyway thanks for checking in.

 

Good idea with the tubing.

What psi did you use on the radiator? I've always been scared to do that for fear of bending fins. What kind of a bumper do you plan on?

 

Dang,..... You need to Drive Old Yeller down on a visit for a couple weeks with the misses... Spend the day at Disneyland and the rest of the time we will get you and you're cool problem solving skills to work on my rig! Lol

 

hey man, I believe the new cross member will be way stonger than the original, I havent heard of anybody else bending one but none the less mine did.
on washing the radiator I just hit the car wash, done it for years with no issues radiator fins are preaty ridgid unless your start jabing the wond into it.
the front bumper will be built to match the front, tube bumper with plate where I can make it work and look rite. I want to do my body lift first its going to be bad enough haveing to raise the rear bumper and sliders.