SOLVED! Post 2853 Leaking Injectors, Dealer Techs Rock! Extended Cranking after Engine Swap 3.4L 5vz

I to would put up a good fight if I had to drive a Honda Civic Instead of a Tacoma !!!

Then women always have the other option to play !! No more baked Goods !!

 

You're right, can't say I blame him for trying to fight it. But I will still win, at least on this topic

We just need to find a 4 Runner so we can both have a sweet ride all the time!!!!!!!!

Although I will say, the Civic has a few advantages. For example, the car basically drives itself. And it still corners like a little champ, even after all these years! After driving the Taco for a while, the Civic feels like a little race car : ) Although it also feels like you are sitting on the road : ) Maybe we should just keep the ol' Civ and add a 4 Runner - it's not like we'd get big bucks trading it in anyway. It would be interesting to see just how high in miles that little beast would actually go to......

 

Just finished updating all 5 of the other threads I started in January, felt great to be able to write SOLVED on all those sites!! On one of the sites, I never got a single reply, wow! Tacoma World really seems to be the popular site these days. So glad I found it when this all started!! I remember being shocked/thrilled when I got so many replies so quickly after starting this thread.

TW folks rock!!

Here's the other 5 sites:

http://www.toyotanation.com/forum/7...-new-engine-hard-warm-starts.html#post9389738

http://forum.ih8mud.com/threads/new-engine-hard-warm-starts.835345/#post-9748965

http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/toyota-tacoma/1977986-new-engine-hard-warm-starts.html#post31685073

http://www.yotatech.com/f120/new-engine-fuel-issue-285973/index2.html

And now? Well, the current to do list is:

1) Find 4Runner

2) Paint topper

3) Build custom storage/comfy sleeping in Taco bed

4) Build a stand for the topper - preferably so we can back the Taco under it and make topper off/on process easier - any ideas anyone? I know I've seen a link about ideas for this before, but can't remember where....

5) 1STJEN plates!

6) Attempt some basic cosmetic touch ups on the Taco, inside and out

7) Shocks/struts, and eventually wheel bearing? Still not hearing it...

8) Buy neighbor's barely used BFG's for great price

9) Research/price camper options for the Taco bed
10) PLAN EASTERN OREGON TOYOTA TOUR!!!!!!!!!! And about 5 billion other road trips!!!!!

PS: What a fun list compared to what it was 2 months ago!!! Back then it was stuff like, test VSV, look up some parts crap, try to interpret terrible FSM diagrams, try donor parts, recheck something we already checked 5 times - yeah, this stuff is way more fun!!!!!! Thanks again @noahpete & @Jayman405!!!!!!!!!!

 

what about this: http://www.ebay.com/itm/10x20-PORTA...9&pid=100005&rk=3&rkt=6&sd=161707133932&rt=nc

 

I like it! We'd actually like to do something like that also (some kind of canopy/carport thingy), but I was talking about a stand to elevate the topper off the ground, at a height that allows you to back the truck bed under it, then somehow transfer the topper's weight from the elevated stands onto the truck bed easily. I know I've seen ideas for this, just trying to dust the cobwebs off and remember where! : ) As it is now, Eric picks the topper up by himself turtle style then slides it on, and winds up scratching the piss out of the truck bed in the process. Wanting to eliminate that so he stops breaking his back every time and we stop adding to the already scratched to hell bed look.

 

now that the taco problem is fixed we can move onto other projects, spent the morning working on the 68 Dodge D100 Utiline, oil and grease, but failed greaseing speedo cable, new cable on order. Picked up my taco from body shop after some paint and trim work...

check it out:

 

the 20x10ft one I used to have to park my boat under was made with 10ft high side poles and all metal pipes and fittings for the frame and it was just covered by a tarp. it was sturdy as hell and could easily carry the weight of a person. just make sure your buying one made of metal pipe and not plastic. they are great and very easy to put up but make sure you secure them to the ground or it flies away like an umbrella in the wind lol.

now if you want something more permanent and strong then get one of these: https://store.alansfactoryoutlet.com/regular-style-carports-s/1822.htm

 

Sweetness!! Eric is finishing up changing out the O2s. We ordered them from RA a few weeks ago and kinda forgot about them in all the excitement over figuring out the injectors were the real culprit. Then figured, may as well switch them out since the old ones have 200K on them. Looks like he is about done, I am glad! Was worried that now that it's fixed, we'd fuck with it and break it again, would not be very funny

I've got the inside all shiny clean and now it's beer time and planning our new truck bed "bed"

 

Went out in my buddy's 8 wheel Argo anphib,,so much fun. Just turn off the road basically anywhere and make your own path. Has a trolling motor pad on the back. Has the track kit for the snow. Fuel injected.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WgXrXbCZeio

 

Its way cool to see you, 2 enjoying yourself. Much nicer seeing these super exuberant posts! No more doom and gloom.

A small part of me is thinking that you may be looking forward to the next repair...and there will be one, but you guys have so much knowledge and a huge pool of resources to overcome any Tacoma issue, it will be easy to make the Tacoma happy again.

If that wheel bearing is not making any noise, then there is nothing wrong with it. You will know if the WB is bad. Move on to something like those shocks and struts or getting the bed cap painted. do yourself a favor and use anti-sieze on all the fasteners when you do those struts and shocks. Its not as a big deal for areas that don't use road salt, but is still makes it easier the next time you take it apart.

 

I'm gonna have to make a vid of my bed cap lift. Basicly it gets hoisted to the ceiling of my front garage. Only lifting I do is moving the step stool around the the truck to attach the lift straps to the bed cap. I have a hand, worm drive boat winch that retracts the cables that lift the bed cap. Those winches are super slow, so I removed the handle and welded a not to the crank shaft. I use my cordless drill with a socket to drive the winch. Lift the cap to the ceiling and out of the way. To re install, I do the opposite. Hopefully in the next week or so I can get that cap off. Can't really tow the 5th wheel camper with the bed cap on the truck. Unfortunately, I'm stuck at work for the next 7 nights. It'll have to be sometime next week if time allows. I got 3-4 utility trailers to get done in the next month, so time is gonna be limited.

In addition, it looks like I'm going to be getting my other knee replaced in June or July. I'll have time then, but I got to get the heavy work done before that nightmare.

 

Headed to Depot to pick up lumber for the truck "bed" - figured out a pretty solid, super easy, very cheap plan!! Will share pics later! : )

 

Dude!! Less than $50 in supplies!! If this "bed" idea works, I'm definitely sharing pics. Trying it now, we'll see! : ) Found the perfect spray paint to paint the rusty wheel thingys - and yes, that IS the correct technical term

Taco is getting styled out y'all!! Now you TW folks HAVE to come on the Eastern Oregon Toyota Tour, to admire it's beauty!!

EDIT: Eric suggested putting a disco ball back there, so we'd have the most partyin' truck bed on the tour. I didn't like the idea. Who do you think won that debate?

Also, starting like a SERIOUS boss now. Wondering if changing out those O2s made some kind of difference. It was good before, but leaving Depot just now, it was like freaking beautiful. Can't believe I have become such a cranking snob!!

 

This is totally gonna work! Here's what we bought:

4 x 8 OSB 3/4" $15
6 x 8 gray indoor/outdoor rug $19
2" x 10" x 10', cut in half lengthwise $10

The two sections of the 10' board fit into these slots in the bed (one set of two slots before the wheel wells, one set of two after them), and their height matches the wheel wells, which creates a sturdy flat surface for the OSB to lay across the top of those boards and the wheel wells. The rug goes on top of that, then I have an old king duvet cover, so I'm going to get some big foam pieces and the washable cover will keep them enclosed.

Posting pics soon.....

Only downside I can see so far is if we sit up too fast, we will nail our foreheads on the topper ceiling - owww!!!!!!





EDIT: What I like most about this set up is that it is very easily disassembled/reassembled, so we are not constrained to packing things according to the height of the wheel wells. We always have a bunch of coolers/bins that are all the same height, which is taller than where that board will rest. So we can just bring the "bed" pieces, pack our stuff however we want, then when we get to a campsite, unload, pop the pieces in within 5 min, and done!

 

You need to learn how to weld !! So you can make all kinds of interesting projects.

Be simple to make a free standing structure to back the truck under and lift the cap off.

Could be something as simple as 4 eye bolts on the 4 corners of the roof or as fancy as you like

 

OMG, that thing looks like so much fun!! Holy crap!! Great Mod, thanks a lot. Just added another big ticket item to my wish list. C'mon man, I gotta catch up on this list before adding to it!!!

 

Thanks K! I glanced at you and Mod's posts yesterday when I was blabbing about the Taco's new "bed" but was in such a hurry I didn't read all the way through. Got a chance to read them more thoroughly now, and I'm glad I did. I love this post!! Makes me happy and makes me laugh too! You know us pretty well buddy!

You totally called it, about the "looking forward to the next repair" - sort of. It's hard to explain, but yeah, we got SO used to worrying about the Taco all day, every day, that I have to be honest, there was a twinge of "Is this REALLY over? What now?" But just a twinge. It's long gone and has been easily replaced with trip planning and that massive Taco to do list I posted yesterday. And as for repairs, after both of us had to deal with the frustration ALL THIS TIME of trying to diagnose something that we just couldn't at home with our set up/tools/skill level/etc, it is VERY satisfying to "go back to the old days" when Eric did most of the repairs himself, me fetching beers, crazy peanut gallery neighbors all nosy and hanging around. Except now I know just enough to be annoying..........so whereas before I'd be engrossed in my own project, now I toggle between my own thing and hovering near him and asking questions to make sure "he's doing it right" - he really, really appreciates that a lot, let me tell you guys. I also ask lots of important technical questions, such as:

1) When are you going to be done???????????? (this gets asked at least 30 times an hour)
2) What did you break????? You broke something, didn't you???? Careful with my truck man!
3) What exactly is going on? Are you actually getting anything done??? Maybe you should stop before you break something.
4) Do we have to drive to OReilly's or is it beer time???????? Just borrow what you need from the neighbor so we can have beer NOW!!!!!!!

Yep, things are getting back to normal around here Don't you guys wish your wives "helped" like that when you worked on your Tacomas?

Speaking of the peanut gallery neighbors............

So yesterday morning, Eric had the hood up and all his stuff spread out to do the O2s. Then one by one, neighbors started slowly coming out of their front doors with this sad look on their faces. Couldn't figure out why. We were in a great mood, thinking about how the truck is fixed (I think about that every ~1.5 seconds!), sun is out, doing preventative maintenance after 6 months of head scratching is freaking awesome, cold Hefe's in frig, etc. Finally one neighbor had the courage to ask, "What's wrong with the truck now?" Then it was obvious all the others were wondering the same thing!! Once I told them it was prev. maintenance, they informed me that from here on out, anytime he plans to do ANYTHING to the truck, even an oil change, we are to put a note on their doors first so they don't have to worry when they see the hood up!! They weren't kidding either, they all started chiming in, like they'd been sweating it all morning, thinking something was wrong again, and were too scared to ask us directly!! If that doesn't drive the point home of just HOW LONG this thing has dragged on, I don't know what the hell would!! Too funny.

PS: thanks for the tip about the anti-seize, committing this one to memory! : )

 

Yikes, good luck with the knee replacement K. You going with an aftermarket or the OEM knee? OK, I have to be honest, I stole this joke from someone else on the thread, who has a loved one having the same sx - hint, he loves the EDITS.

Your topper on/off set up sounds SWEET! I've watched Youtubes of people with that set up and drooled over it. Would be soooo nice. But with no garage, we will have to build something to hold it up instead of hoist it down. I'm going to take some pics of the topper and the area it lives in when it's not on the Taco, to see if you guys can give me any pointers on what we can do to get creative and git 'er dun! There's a stone wall surrounding where it lives, that is about waist height. I'm thinking we may be able to incorporate it to help get the topper up to the height we want.....

BTW, where ya towing your 5th wheel camper to? I didn't know you had one of those? Pics please! You guys have a fun trip coming up?

Also, how's the cinnamon roll trailer coming along? You HAVE been working on it, right? Will it cost more drinks than a donor charcoal canister?

 

Your pic didn't post hetkind! I want to see what it looks like, try again please!

 

Pretty funny, FWIW the wife is going aftermarket cause OEM is NLA in our years. I'm putting mine off as long a I can stand it, along with the hips.