1. Welcome to Tacoma World!

    You are currently viewing as a guest! To get full-access, you need to register for a FREE account.

    As a registered member, you’ll be able to:
    • Participate in all Tacoma discussion topics
    • Communicate privately with other Tacoma owners from around the world
    • Post your own photos in our Members Gallery
    • Access all special features of the site

BartMaster1234's (Almost) Supercharged 2.7l 1998 PreRunner 4x4 Conversion [Build Thread]

Discussion in '1st Gen. Builds (1995-2004)' started by BartMaster1234, Jun 14, 2017.

  1. Jun 14, 2017 at 2:50 AM
    #1
    BartMaster1234

    BartMaster1234 [OP] American Auto Horns

    Joined:
    Aug 21, 2016
    Member:
    #195197
    Messages:
    45,636
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Tyler
    San Francisco, California
    Vehicle:
    1998 PreRunner 4x4 2.7l Supercharged
    Flux Capacitor
    HELLO, WORLD!
    After almost 1,500 messages and a year of posting around on here I guess it's time for me to make a build thread. My first post on this forum was of me panicking because I tried to flush my Power Steering System, unplugged the wrong hose, and spilled the entire contents of the P/S reservoir on my Alternator, and all over my driveway. For the first time in my life I was scared to turn on my car over the fear something would spontaneously combust or catch on fire.

    Almost a year later and all you great people have inspired me to do what I've done to my truck as you'll come to learn through this post.

    IMG_0755.jpg

    SPECIFICATIONS

    1998 Toyota Tacoma PreRunner Extended Cab
    2.7l Inline 4 Cylinder Engine (3RZ-FE)
    4x4 Automatic Drivetrain (A340F)
    8" Ring Gear, 4:30, Open 2 Pinion (Gear Ratio - B07A)
    Metallic Black - #204

    Interior:
    • WeatherTech AVM Floor Mats
    • 'A' Pillar Grab Handle RAM Phone Mount
    • '01-'04 Double-Decker Center Console
    • Gentex 313 Rearview Mirror with Temperature, HomeLink, Compass, and Auto-Dim from 2012 Nissan Titan
    • '01-'04 Gray Door Panels
    • 1990 Toyota Hilux Surf Inclinometer
    Exterior:
    • Black Billet Grille with 1990 4Runner Emblem
    • Dee-Zee Trailer Tongue Triangular Toolbox
    • '01-'04 Chrome Power Mirrors
    Armor:
    • Refinished MANIK Grille Guard
    • '01-'04 Tacoma Fender Flares
    • Relentless Fabrication PREDATOR Plated Winch Bumper (TBA)
    • Relentless Fabrication Sliders (TBA)
    Engine/Drivetrain:
    • Alpine TRD 3RZ-FE Supercharger
    • URD 6.5 PSI 2.5" Supercharger Pulley
    • AEM Methanol Injection System
    • PLX-DM6 Multigauge / SM-AFR Wideband Simulator
    • Speedhut TRD Boost Gauge
    • Safari Snorkel
    Suspension, Tire, and Brakes:
    • ICON Dynamics 2.5" Coilovers 58610
    • ICON Dynamics Rear Shocks 56502
    • SPC Upper Control Arms
    • AllPro Standard Leaf Springs
    • 2017 Tacoma TRD Off-Road 16" Wheels & Toyota Wheel Locks
    • BF Goodrich KO2 A/T P265/75R16 Tires
    • Rebuilt Toyota Tundra 13WL Brake Calipers - Red Powder Coated
    • Baer Toyota Tundra Drilled & Slotted Performance Sport Rotors
    • LC Engineering Stainless Steel Braided Toyota Tundra Brake Lines & Hardware
    • BAMF Rear Brake Proportioning Valve
    Electrical:
    Communications:
    • Midland 1001Z CB Radio
    • Firestik Firefly Fiberglass Antenna
    • Firestik FireRing CB Coaxial Cable
    • CBI Offroad Antenna Mount
    Audio:
    • Kenwood DDX373BT Touchscreen Receiver
    • Rockford-Fosgate P16 Punch 6-Inch Speakers
    • Kenwood KSC-SW11 Under-Seat Subwoofer
    • PYLE PA System via Midland CB Radio
    • JL Audio Stealthbox
    Lighting:
    Service History:
    • Replaced Original Toyota Battery to DuraLast Battery (December 2015)
    • Flushed Power Steering System (August 2016)
    • Replaced 12 Year Old P265/75R15 FireStone Tires to Stock Size P235/75R15 Michelin XLT A/S Tires (August 2016)
    • Swapped Over-Rail Drop-In Bedliner to Under-Rail Bedliner (January 2017)
    • Replaced the flaking exterior door Window Trim (February 2017)
    • Changed 6,200 Mile Conventional Oil to Mobil 1 Full Synthetic (March 2017)
    • Installed Powerstop Z36 Brake Pads and Slotted Rotors w/ Brake Fluid Change & Bleed (June 2017)
    • Replaced Michelin XLT A/S P235/75R15 Tires and original 15" Alloy Wheels with BF Goodrich KO2 A/T P265/75/R16 Tires and 2017 Tacoma Off-Road Wheels (October 2017)
    • Installed Toyota Tundra Big Brake Upgrade including new Calipers, Rotors, and LCE Stainless Steel Brake Lines (December 2017)
    • Synthetic Oil Change (December 2017)
    • 2WD > 4WD Conversion (December 2017/January 2018)
    Work In Progress:

    PICTURES

    December 2017
    Shot on-location at CSUEB!

    IMG_0754.jpg IMG_0758.jpg IMG_0760.jpg IMG_0743.jpg
    IMG_5817.jpg
    June 2017
    A New Beginning

    new3.jpg
    New1.jpg new2.jpg new4.jpg DSC_0263.jpg

    August 2016
    First Drive


    bobsuruncle.jpg

     
    Last edited: Jan 29, 2023
  2. Jun 14, 2017 at 3:01 AM
    #2
    DustStorm4x4

    DustStorm4x4 BBC 2020

    Joined:
    Jul 2, 2015
    Member:
    #158634
    Messages:
    8,934
    Gender:
    Male
    U S A
    Vehicle:
    04 Jeep LJ
    Super clean :thumbsup: can't wait to see the updates. Especially those heated Lexus seats. Love the front license plate too haha.
     
    BartMaster1234[OP] likes this.
  3. Jun 14, 2017 at 10:41 AM
    #3
    BartMaster1234

    BartMaster1234 [OP] American Auto Horns

    Joined:
    Aug 21, 2016
    Member:
    #195197
    Messages:
    45,636
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Tyler
    San Francisco, California
    Vehicle:
    1998 PreRunner 4x4 2.7l Supercharged
    Flux Capacitor
    Thanks! I ordered one of those black and yellow California vanity plates but I'm still waiting for it to come in. I still have tons of things to do to get those Lexus chairs in the truck.
     
    DustStorm4x4[QUOTED] likes this.
  4. Jun 29, 2017 at 2:05 AM
    #4
    BartMaster1234

    BartMaster1234 [OP] American Auto Horns

    Joined:
    Aug 21, 2016
    Member:
    #195197
    Messages:
    45,636
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Tyler
    San Francisco, California
    Vehicle:
    1998 PreRunner 4x4 2.7l Supercharged
    Flux Capacitor
    Picked up some '01-'04 fender flares off Craigslist for $100. They're a little beat up, but with some paint they'll look great.

    IMG_2568.jpg

    Lifted the truck on a rack today to inspect the underside. Gotta love California and the non-existent rust. Carrier bearing/driveshaft has zero play, no oil leaks - nothing out of the ordinary.

    IMG_2589.jpg IMG_2582.jpg IMG_2581.jpg

    And yes that is the original 1998 dealer provided full sized spare. If you look closely you'll see a green sticker on it that says "DEALER".

    I'm planning on flushing the rear differential fluid since soon since I have access to this great shop at my college. Anything else I should do while I have access to the lift?
     
  5. Jul 4, 2017 at 12:43 AM
    #5
    BartMaster1234

    BartMaster1234 [OP] American Auto Horns

    Joined:
    Aug 21, 2016
    Member:
    #195197
    Messages:
    45,636
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Tyler
    San Francisco, California
    Vehicle:
    1998 PreRunner 4x4 2.7l Supercharged
    Flux Capacitor
    Here are some photos taken from my Lexus ES300 Power Bucket Seat retrofit thread. I bought some old 60/40 Tacoma seats (beat up as hell) and ripped them apart until I was left with only the mounting rails. My plan is the cut off the feet of the Lexus seats and weld the Tacoma rails onto the Lexus rails while attempting to keep the original Toyota sliding mechanism intact.

    The hard part is the wiring, finding the FSM was hard enough. Trying to figure out what the hell all these wires do is even more difficult.

    IMG_2035.jpg IMG_2036.jpg IMG_2042.jpg IMG_2049.jpg IMG_2134.jpg IMG_2148.jpg IMG_2197.jpg IMG_2145.jpg
    IMG_2394.jpg
     
    ruffridha9 and DriftingPanda18 like this.
  6. Jul 16, 2017 at 4:20 PM
    #6
    MstrYota

    MstrYota Great balls of fire!

    Joined:
    Mar 7, 2016
    Member:
    #180558
    Messages:
    447
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Daniel
    Ventura County, CA
    Vehicle:
    2000 TRD 4x4 Prerunner/1998 TRD 4x4
    Too much but not enough!
    Subd for 4WD swap
     
  7. Jul 16, 2017 at 4:26 PM
    #7
    BartMaster1234

    BartMaster1234 [OP] American Auto Horns

    Joined:
    Aug 21, 2016
    Member:
    #195197
    Messages:
    45,636
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Tyler
    San Francisco, California
    Vehicle:
    1998 PreRunner 4x4 2.7l Supercharged
    Flux Capacitor
    Ohhh boy speaking of the 4WD Swap. I just got back from pick & pull. I got a notification from Row52 that they had a 1995 4Runner 4x4 in stock right as I woke up. I threw on some pants and rushed over there (since these things get picked clean as soon as they enter the yard) What I didn't realize was that the 3rd generation of 4Runner started in 1996 not 1995 and everything on that car was unusable. I spent a good two to three hours under that damn 4Runner trying to get the transfer case off. I forgot my breaker bar so I tried using a piece of the Catalytic Converter piping as a breaker bar, didn't work.

    I ended up getting 90% of the bolts off with my ratchet and a box end wrench until it came time to remove the driveshaft... there was a point where I knew this transfer case wouldn't work on the Tacoma after asking around but I was already too damn invested. I called my friend up and we both tried breaking off the bolts that connect it to the front diff but it never budged. I gave up. The T4R had an A340H tranny so I assumed since it was in the A340x family it would work, apparently not.

    I'm just going to pay for a damn transmission and t-case off the vehicle already that shit took me forever and I didn't get anywhere.
     
  8. Jul 16, 2017 at 4:35 PM
    #8
    MstrYota

    MstrYota Great balls of fire!

    Joined:
    Mar 7, 2016
    Member:
    #180558
    Messages:
    447
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Daniel
    Ventura County, CA
    Vehicle:
    2000 TRD 4x4 Prerunner/1998 TRD 4x4
    Too much but not enough!
    Damn man that sucks. Now you know what years will and won't work though so you won't buy the wrong one. You have to check craigslist often and hope you get lucky. Junkyards are another option too, but there could be a higher probability of damage or higher wear on parts. You could also look on here for someone selling their transmission
     
    BartMaster1234[OP] likes this.
  9. Jul 16, 2017 at 4:57 PM
    #9
    BartMaster1234

    BartMaster1234 [OP] American Auto Horns

    Joined:
    Aug 21, 2016
    Member:
    #195197
    Messages:
    45,636
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Tyler
    San Francisco, California
    Vehicle:
    1998 PreRunner 4x4 2.7l Supercharged
    Flux Capacitor
    I found a lead on an A340F for $250 and a T-case for $200 over in Nevada. Seemed too good to be true but I'll give them a call anyway. 150,000 on the drivetrain.

    I'm buying some brake calipers off of a Guy parting out his 03 Tundra to do the Tundra brake upgrade and it looks like he has an A340F, albeit a fully electronic transfer case since it's a Tundra. He still wants $600. He's firm on his pricing I couldn't talk him down for the pricing on the brake calipers either.
     
  10. Jul 16, 2017 at 5:05 PM
    #10
    MstrYota

    MstrYota Great balls of fire!

    Joined:
    Mar 7, 2016
    Member:
    #180558
    Messages:
    447
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Daniel
    Ventura County, CA
    Vehicle:
    2000 TRD 4x4 Prerunner/1998 TRD 4x4
    Too much but not enough!
    I don't think you want an electronic transfer case unless you plan on doing all sorts of wiring and whatnot. Get the manual j shift transfer case, it is wayyyy easier and almost hassle free
     
  11. Jul 16, 2017 at 5:07 PM
    #11
    BartMaster1234

    BartMaster1234 [OP] American Auto Horns

    Joined:
    Aug 21, 2016
    Member:
    #195197
    Messages:
    45,636
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Tyler
    San Francisco, California
    Vehicle:
    1998 PreRunner 4x4 2.7l Supercharged
    Flux Capacitor
    Can you have push button 4WD and manual hubs? I'm not too crazy about wiring but I've done a lot of wiring in my truck including putting in power doors so I'm not turned off on the idea. I know the ADD is all vacuum though.
     
  12. Jul 16, 2017 at 5:10 PM
    #12
    MstrYota

    MstrYota Great balls of fire!

    Joined:
    Mar 7, 2016
    Member:
    #180558
    Messages:
    447
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Daniel
    Ventura County, CA
    Vehicle:
    2000 TRD 4x4 Prerunner/1998 TRD 4x4
    Too much but not enough!
    I'm not sure if you could have a push button system with manual hubs, all manual hub set ups I've seen have a j shift case. I think you can, I swear I've seen 4runners with j shift and ADD. I would strongly recommend not going the ADD route though, you are going to have to do a considerable amount of wiring and electrical modification.
     
    BartMaster1234[OP] likes this.
  13. Jul 19, 2017 at 10:54 AM
    #13
    BartMaster1234

    BartMaster1234 [OP] American Auto Horns

    Joined:
    Aug 21, 2016
    Member:
    #195197
    Messages:
    45,636
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Tyler
    San Francisco, California
    Vehicle:
    1998 PreRunner 4x4 2.7l Supercharged
    Flux Capacitor
    Well, looks like my PreRunner conversion is happening. I'm driving up to Nevada this Friday to pick up an A340F, 4Runner 4.30 Front Carrier, and some other small parts. Hopefully I can get this done by the end of the summer.
     
    nzbrock and MstrYota like this.
  14. Jul 22, 2017 at 1:25 PM
    #14
    MstrYota

    MstrYota Great balls of fire!

    Joined:
    Mar 7, 2016
    Member:
    #180558
    Messages:
    447
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Daniel
    Ventura County, CA
    Vehicle:
    2000 TRD 4x4 Prerunner/1998 TRD 4x4
    Too much but not enough!
    Well?
     
  15. Jul 22, 2017 at 1:29 PM
    #15
    BartMaster1234

    BartMaster1234 [OP] American Auto Horns

    Joined:
    Aug 21, 2016
    Member:
    #195197
    Messages:
    45,636
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Tyler
    San Francisco, California
    Vehicle:
    1998 PreRunner 4x4 2.7l Supercharged
    Flux Capacitor
    It's definitely happening!

    IMG_3029.jpg
     
  16. Jul 22, 2017 at 1:40 PM
    #16
    MstrYota

    MstrYota Great balls of fire!

    Joined:
    Mar 7, 2016
    Member:
    #180558
    Messages:
    447
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Daniel
    Ventura County, CA
    Vehicle:
    2000 TRD 4x4 Prerunner/1998 TRD 4x4
    Too much but not enough!
    Nice! Is that a little extra something between the tranny and transfer case?
     
  17. Jul 22, 2017 at 1:43 PM
    #17
    BartMaster1234

    BartMaster1234 [OP] American Auto Horns

    Joined:
    Aug 21, 2016
    Member:
    #195197
    Messages:
    45,636
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Tyler
    San Francisco, California
    Vehicle:
    1998 PreRunner 4x4 2.7l Supercharged
    Flux Capacitor
    Is there? I don't think so.

    I bought this as a package deal, the t-case came attached on the tranny. It came off of a 1999 Tacoma 4x4 2.7l, so it had the same drivetrain as me. Hopefully nothing changed between 1999/1998 which is my truck's model year.
     
  18. Jul 22, 2017 at 1:44 PM
    #18
    MstrYota

    MstrYota Great balls of fire!

    Joined:
    Mar 7, 2016
    Member:
    #180558
    Messages:
    447
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Daniel
    Ventura County, CA
    Vehicle:
    2000 TRD 4x4 Prerunner/1998 TRD 4x4
    Too much but not enough!
    can you get a picture of the back of the transmission?
     
  19. Jul 22, 2017 at 1:44 PM
    #19
    BartMaster1234

    BartMaster1234 [OP] American Auto Horns

    Joined:
    Aug 21, 2016
    Member:
    #195197
    Messages:
    45,636
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Tyler
    San Francisco, California
    Vehicle:
    1998 PreRunner 4x4 2.7l Supercharged
    Flux Capacitor
    Sure, the back side as in the torque converter, the t-case, the top of the tranny, or the bottom?
     
  20. Jul 22, 2017 at 1:58 PM
    #20
    MstrYota

    MstrYota Great balls of fire!

    Joined:
    Mar 7, 2016
    Member:
    #180558
    Messages:
    447
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Daniel
    Ventura County, CA
    Vehicle:
    2000 TRD 4x4 Prerunner/1998 TRD 4x4
    Too much but not enough!
    Oops forgot to specify. Transfer case end, top and sides
     

Products Discussed in

To Top