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Been working the past couple of weekends with little to no time to spend on the rigs. However, in spite of a little mixup of the truck arriving and unloading in Dallas only to find that my motor mysteriously made it to Houston instead, that all got ironed out and the Engine was delivered Friday....a couple of days late, but it's here.
Same crate I shipped it out in along with all of the extra parts they didn't use packaged up with it (may use some of those for the turbo build).
I've got a couple of huge deadline related projects I need to get buttoned up at work, but really looking forward to getting that bad boy back to the house and dropping it in the '89 4Runner so I can close this 2 1/2 year saga on engine woes and put that in the rearview. Plans after that will be to focus on getting the rest of the dangling items sorted out on the '86 (Seats, dash, and drive the '89 up to the shop to fab a matching rear bumper and side steps) so I can get it sold and offset some of the cost of everything else.
P.S. If anyone is a blood type match and needs a kidney transplant I'm not your guy....because mine is in Lake Havasu City Arizona
P.SS Feeling a little burned out lately, and not happy I haven't been able to get any work done on either rig, I put in for a whole weeks worth of vacation time on Memorial Day week.....so get ready to see some "leaps and bounds" worth of progress coming up.
I've been following along on your build for some time now. I was happy to hear that LCE was able to help out. They are great! They have helped me out a few times also. I look forward to seeing the end result. I totally admire your persistence.
I had the same thing happen with the thrust bearings on a "new reman" motor that I picked up for cheap that was installed in a truck I bought for parts. I took the oil pan off and surprise the thrust bearings were laying there on the bottom one was curled up the other was like new. Just like your motor the block and crank were shot. I understand your pain.
since the camera on my phone is busted, I thought I'd post a few things I've seen on Craigslist lately just for fun, and to liven up this wordy thread a bit.
Fiberglass stepside bed? Looks like it would go great on an FJ40->Fj45 Conversion
Woke up happy. Finally got a weekend I can work on the rigs and get that fresh LCE motor dropped in, and button up the few things left on the Black '86.
Walked outside and apparently in the storms overnight a tree fell on not one, but both 4Runners. No insurance on either, no renters insurance.
Woke up happy. Finally got a weekend I can work on the rigs and get that fresh LCE motor dropped in, and button up the few things left on the Black '86.
Walked outside and apparently in the storms overnight a tree fell on not one, but both 4Runners. No insurance on either, no renters insurance.
That's some crazy bad luck, I hope there are enough good parts between the two 4runner's that you can at least make one driver out of them. I was looking forward to seeing that LCE motor getting put in.... feel bad for you man!
I didn't have time to mess with it this morning in the dark, but figured I'd assess it when I got home in the daylight.
It wasn't a whole tree, just a really huge branch. Looks like the black '86 took the brunt of the blow as it fell, but because of the UPOL Raptor paint job? Had a few scratches, but wiped clean with almost no damage except for the windshield (it was already cracked and need replacing before it could pass inspection anyway). Because it was a green branch that broke in high wind, most of the branches were still pretty flexible and sprouting and in spite of a few scratches here and there, I didn't notice any other body damage.
However, The red '89' took a direct hit from the main 8-9" diameter end of the branch that fell. Lucky? Right through the windshield as well. Maybe a golf ball size dent in the chrome windshield surround but nothing else. It would have probably caved in the hood or roof, but landed almost perfect into the glass
I guess before a cup of coffee, already late for work and fumbling for my keys and cigarettes this morning, when I flipped the headlights on to my dad's truck it looked like both cars were completely buried and all I saw was broken glass glimmers and my red hood sticking up at a funny angle (wasn't bolted back on after I pulled the motor). Even though it took me an hour and a half to cut it all away this afternoon, I was surprised at how little damage there was the more I removed. There might be a few dings and scratches to the red rig, but it was getting painted later anyway and I already have a stockpile of Bondo.
so......I was toying with using the Bedliner to paint my rig over traditional paint, not a question in my mind now seeing how much hard core abuse that black spray job took with that branch (almost 1/3 of the whole tree) scratching and scraping it as it fell and even as I pulled chunks of it free trying to clear it off. I'm definitely going to do the same spray for mine now without a doubt, although probably a different color scheme.
Secondly, even though I felt heartbroken all day long, I can be pretty bullheaded and downright stubborn, and decided to load up the crated motor and engine hoist (had to fit them in like puzzle pieces to fit in the back of the truck which was fun by myself from a dock height to the pickup bed) even though the 4Runner/s were buried in Sherwood forest.
let's see if I can finally get a tune out of this trombone
Last edited by joelsmithdesigns; May 19, 2017 at 06:31 PM.
got the block bolted up, but couldn't get all of the accessories and rest of the stuff hooked up before it got dark. Two new windshields going in this morning. Hoping to have the rig running by the weekend, or if not, I've got the entire next week off to work on it and get the black one finished and ready to sell.
motor is back in and all accessories bolted up. have to weld up the battery box (broke when I pulled it) and some other stuff for the intake side. brought a camera home so there will be pictures!
can't wait to see what all I can get done this week.
've been meaning to wrap the header in some heat wrap and since it was off I figured now would be as good of a time as any. It was kind of a PITA because a few of the tubes were so close together it made it tough to get it wrapped correctly, but I still think it turned out pretty nice.
I also decided to finalize the intake as well...plans are for a snorkel out of 3" Stainless exhaust tubing (bends and straights). After the battery swap space is limited to say the least on the intake side when you consider a filter, the MAF, and all the hookups. I thought the K&N Apollo system would make a pretty good sealed filter and would be fairly easy to clean / remove. However, the back of the Apollo had about 2-3" of swoop and there simply wasn't enough room for that extra linear distance. So, I fabbed up a new plate that bolted directly to the MAF and filter and saved a little bit of space.
original back to the K&N Apollo New SS plate that mounts directly to the MAF view from the end cutout for 3" metal flex line round cutout for snorkel grommet
almost ready to roll.
I got the intake squared away and the lines going all the way back to where the snorkel hooks up. As soon as I get the rig up and running and can take it up to the shop, I'll weld up the rest of the snorkel going up the Passenger's side A-pillar.
More to come soon! However I had to work today and tomorrow, so I'll just have to swap out and be off Monday and Tuesday of next week.
Last edited by joelsmithdesigns; Jun 5, 2017 at 08:22 AM.
May 8, 2017 | 07:24 AM
