Well it didn't take too long but I did end up just ripping it out after frustrating myself trying to unhook the hose clamps. So I bent the pipes in the heater and I guess I cannot sell it now. Oh well, my dog can sit in the middle now instead of that worthless, huge heater and tiny little tray console that is not big enough for anything.

Two pipes run from the radiator to the heater and I took one of the rubber hoses that went to the heater and bent it around to cap both ends of the metal pipes that are left under the truck. The bend was so sharp that it pinched the rubber hose but since it started raining I just put it on and tightened it up. I have not noticed any flow related problems so it looks like the fluid does not have to flow through that part and I assume that you could just cap the pipes off just as easily.

Now I just have to fiberglass the hole in the floor pan. I like it much better. More room for all my crap.

 

i did the same thing on my '88 runner, only i bypassed the metal pipes under the hood using one of those molded hoses. mine didn't pinch shut.

don't mess with the fiberglass, just cut a small piece of sheetmetal to fit and silicone it down. i got one of those four piece floor mat sets and used one of the little rear mats to cover the hole in the carpet. just put two holes in it for the seat belts to mount through and it'll cover the hole and the mounting brackets too.

what did you do with the switches on the console? i removed the wiper switch along with the wiper. the window lock switch has to stay connected for the rear window to go up and down, so i pulled the harness and switch over and stuffed them under the seat. the other window switch uses the same connecter as an older toyota radio harness, so i got one end from the radio section at the parts store. the other end came from a junkyard tercel and i made up a harness to move the switch to the hole above the radio.

let us know how you work the details. your setup might be better than mine.

 

I haven't decided what to do with the switches yet. I will be doing my manual transmission swap hopefully in the next couple of weeks (this is what I said a month ago though) and I will decide what to do with them then. I was thinking about taking the rear window switch all the way over on the left hand side of the steering wheel where the 'clutch start cancel' button would be. Of course this would require lengthening the wires.

The window swithc is the only one I really need. My wiper is on the steering column and the other button is ect power which I won't need after mt. Sounds like yours is a little different from mine.

 

fyi:
there is a center console for 4runners that did not have the rear heater option..... it has dual compartments and can hold way, way more stuff.... i've always wanted to remove my rear heater and get one of these dual compartment consoles to switch mine out, but never got to it....

JOEY

 

do you have any pics of this? it would be intresting to look in to since i never use the rear heat anyways.

 

about 6 years ago I saw a write-up about a guy who removed the Toyota console and replaced it with a Tuffy locking console. It looked good and he did a good job of blending the lower part of the original console that surrounded the shifters. I am considering this--I am not sure I want to give up the rear heater yet.

 

Well it is 70 degrees here today. It's easier to give it up when you don't need it. (I don't ride in the back anyway)

Alright here's some pics for the freaks who always want pics. Not that it is really pic worthy.

From the driver's seat:

From the back seat:

Hole in the floor:

 

i took these off an ebay auction:




this is the factory dual compartment center console that came with 4runners without the rear heater.... there wasn't a photo of the inside of the compartment.... i'll have to check when i get home if i still have the brochure with what the inside looks like..... but it is 1000%+ more room than the itty bitty compartment i have....

notice there is a break mid-way where the larger lower 2nd compartment opens up.....

 

there is 2 of them on ebay right now but they are PRICEY!!! 180 for one and 80 bucks for the other..

 

if you look out for them.... they show up on ebay for alot less.... ~$10.... just have to get lucky..... this particular seller just has a high markup....

good luck

 

Good thread. It would help me out if I move
somewhere warmer. Unfortunately I use the rear heater.
It get's cold here in NE Ohio and the rear heater helps
out alot to warm the cab up.

You could probably cap the lines right where they split in
the engine comp.

 

My rear heater isn't working....Where is the valve located that the little lever controls? I guess I need to take it apart, but it just blows cold air. Any quick suggestions on troubleshooting it? I'm leaving mine in, and would like to get it working. It is cold here and my kid would like the rear heat option....

Thanks.

 

Hmm... It is really easy to take apart. Take the center console off and you will find 3 metal "spring clamp things" on the heater that you can pop off with a screwdriver. then you can take the rear cover off of the heater that will give you access to the pipes and the lever. I don't have the thing with me to tell you any more than that but I'm sure you could figure out something once you get it apart.

As for putting the other console in, I'm not going to do it. I'd rather leave it open so it is easy for my dog to get in the back.

 

i'm with you on the dog thing. my '84 didn't come with a back seat and my dog would stand with her back feet in the front of the bed and her front feet on the console. her head would be right level with mine. that was a pain. her head was always in the way, not to mention the "kisses" while i tried to drive.

the '88 with no console was alot better!

 

Update: I moved the rear window switch to beside the steering wheel and all went well. The switch was a perfect fit for te hole already there.


The problem that I encountered though was with the window lock button. I never use this button and thought that I could just unplug it and tuck the wires under the carpet. Wrong. The window will not work if this button is unpluged. So I guees I'm gonna have to move that too. Sucks when I don't really need it.

 

i had the same problem, but instead of relocating the switch, i left it pluged into the harness and pulled the harness and the switch over under the driver's seat. you have to take out the seat. the carpet overlaps under there. i pulled up the front section and tucked the switch into channel that the seat mounts to, under the carpet. that way it's out of sight and wont get bumped.

 

Maybe a volt meter will tell you which wire turns off with the switch. Might not be that hard to check, then just crimp those together and eliminate the switch.

Although, I just stuffed my switch like Brick did... and that worked fine to.

 

I just went through this trying to open up another spot for the locker switches. I think you can defeat it by jumping the blue and yellow wires (just check continuity between the two sets - it will show when the switch is engaged and not when it's not). In the end, I got lazy and just stuffed it under the change cup part of the console.

 

Well it sounds like the quick and easy, preferred soultion is to stuff it. That sounds good to me.

 

nice dog i would do it for the dog, i bet the dogs relly happy
bob/philly