Bob's, "hold my beer and watch this" 06 DCSB build.

Been a bit since I've added to this.

This guy turned 1, and has been cutting into my truck mod fund and also truck mod time. He's a better investment than the truck so I can't complain. And if he plays his cards right, he'll be driving the Tacoma in 15yrs.


I sold the M100 trailer and my CVT Mt Shasta RTT to fund a possibly failing transmission.

Finally got setup with a tune from OVTune for my truck. Definitely an improvement over stock. No Dyno results to give solid evidence, but throttle response is better and the shift calibrations for the automatic are noticeable. 4th-OD hunt in the 40-45mph range is minimal or non existent vs before it would constantly shift with the slightest incline or increase in throttle. Truck carries itself better around town and will hold OD on the highway with fluctuating terrain.



Installed my dual ARB compressor behind the grill with a custom mount.


I picked up a used A750F automatic transmission from a 2012 t4r with 80k miles. It has the manual topshift tcase so I'll be working on getting that swapped at some point. I'll most likely be swapping the entire thing as one unit since they're both a750's and will bolt right up.




The biggest thing to mention from 2018 would be my engine letting go and throwing 2 rods at 185k. For some time I had heard a ticking from what I thought was the front timing cover and was coming from the timing chain was actually a rod knock.

Details here. https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/i-threw-2-crank-rods-1grfe-185k.578405/

Engine came from a 2010 with 40k and so far I've put ~800 miles on the truck with no issues.




I also tackled and fixed my long over due p2716 CEL that has been present for almost a year. I picked up a replacement internal wiring harness for the transmission and R&R'd it along with the shift D/SLT solenoid the CEL related to. No more CEL and nice smooth shifts since. It would seem that the shop I had perform a fluid and filter change had routed the internal harness wrong and it got pinched between the valve body and the transmission filter during reassembly causing the short in the harness. Thanks @gearcruncher for the literature on the A750, it helped increase my confidence to take on this task. Automatic transmissions are scary.


Currently working on my power rear slider window mod. I've got most of the parts to do it, just need to spend a few hours getting it all installed and working.

I've also found that lately my elocker isn't functioning correctly. The light just flashes on the dash. I can hear the actuator working when I press the button and I think I've narrowed it down to a faulty position sensor. The sensor that tells the ecu the locker is engaged seems to have failed.

Trying to get my hands on a 2016+ tacoma front diff to compare differences, if any, for a possible route of gear swap. 4.30 front from a 2016+ tacoma, and 4.30 elocker rear from a 3rd gen t4r limited. Total cost would be around $1200-$1500 depending on source of parts.

 

A few yrs ago i had a 2011 OR. The red "locked" light on mine started to flicker just driving around. I thought hmm, that's weird. I removed the position sensor from the diff and just worked it in and out with my thumb a few times, re-installed and it never acted up again. I think it just got sticky. It's a pretty simple switch, basically just like a manual trans reverse light switch with a little plunger

 

Seeing that t-case in the bed of your truck reminded me I need to pull mine out and replace the input shaft seal. Its leaking gear oil out of the "dry" space between the trans and t-case

Kinda frustrating for a 3 yr old truck. That's just a regular style seal in there right? Pop it out, pop the new one in? I've got lots of different pieces of metal pipe to use as a seal installer. I just want to know what I'm in for since I'll have to do it all in on a sunday at work. Cant have it taking up a rack come Monday morning

 

Good to know. It was flickering before it started only flashing.

 

I'm not entirely sure. The transmission and tcase where split already. I'm not at home at the moment but I'm pretty sure it's just a standard seal. Rip the old one out and gently press the new one in, good to go.

 

I looked through some of the blowup diagrams in @gearcruncher 's threads and couldn't get a good look at what's in there. The best diagram I could find showed a bearing retainer at the front of the t-case that had an o-ring in it, but it said "RA60" so I'm not sure if that's even the t-case I've got.

I can handle a regular seal or even taking a bearing retainer apart to get to an o-ring.. it would just be nice to know what's in there before i start.

When you get a minute, could take a pic of the transmission side of that t-case for me?

 

Will do

 

@b_r_o hope this helps. It's just a normal oil seal as far as I can tell.

 

Perfect! Thanks man

 

Well it's finally time.
























Time for a new frame!

I got a reminder letter from Toyota around Thanksgiving that I was nearing the end of my eligibility for the latest ZH6 frame warranty enhancement program for 2005-2010 Tacomas, that is currently being offered by Toyota USA as a result of the class action lawsuit. I got to thinking the last few days and did some reading up on the criteria that needed to be met and the process for replacement. To sum it up in one word, 10mm. I decided to pull out the creaper and ball peen hammer to investigate the frame by tapping up, down and all around both sides of the frame. The tone that echoed from the hammer was pretty consistent throughout, with some scale flaking off mainly from the cross members under the bed and in the spare tire location showed just how weathered my 13yr old trucks frame was.

As I got to the front of the truck I made random taps on the frame on the passenger side where the catalytic converter is and the tone was not like the rest of the frame. A few more taps focusing around the area where the tone had changed and a hairline crack showed how paper thin my frame actually was and after several more taps in a circular motion the frame began to just crumble and fall out of the frame like dust. Orange black, brown, just about every color of rust in the rainbow. I slid over to the driver's side and repeated the same process and sure as shit, de ja vu.

My truck was previously inspected by the local dealership in August of 2016 and no defects where found that would satisfy the requirements for the limited service campaign dealing with frame replacement on 05-08 tacomas at that time.

Part of me feels like this condition was present during the 2016 inspection and I was hustled out the door. I got the feeling the dealer either didn't want to deal with the frame, had never replaced one under an extended campaign, or believed that this condition couldn't exist in Tacomas from Washington. I haven't heard of many, if any Tacoma owners here in Washington state that have had their frames replaced. Mostly due to the fact we aren't a cold weather state and don't use salt on the roads during the winter months.

Well now I've got my truck scheduled to be inspected for the criteria listed in the ZH6 WEP. 10MM! The holes I exposed are easily 10mm in size and the area surrounding them is paper thin and can be distorted with pressure from my finger. It literally rotted from the inside out.

So pending results of my inspection next Saturday Jan 26th, I'd like to think I'm a shoe in with what I found today, it looks like I'll be getting a new frame and beat the deadline for my truck by 5 days. I'm glad I didn't just assume from visual observation that my frame was fine and took a closer look into this.

Driver and passenger front, inside of the frame right behind the tires and next to each exhaust banks catalytic converter. The typical trouble spot for our trucks.

 

Got denied a new frame at the local dealer today. They claimed I drilled this hole in the frame.

Another inspection scheduled at a different dealer for a second opinion on Tuesday.

 

Which dealer denied you? Was it Michael's?

 

Yep, second time they've been douches. I'm pretty sure they just hate doing warranty work. I'll be going to Toyota of kirkland on Tuesday for the second opinion.

Michael's couldn't even complete the leaf spring recall inspection, claiming my trucks too modified, when their aftermarket accessory dept sells the same OME Dakar leaf springs I have installed.

Fuck Michael's Toyota of Bellevue.

 

I've had good luck at lake city toyota. I mostly deal with their parts department but ive heard good stuff about the service end of things

 

Well if it comes to it, they may be my next visit after TOK.

 

Corporate field tech inspected my truck today and approved it for a new frame under the extended warranty program..

 

That's awesome man! Did he have anything to say about why Michael's would have declined it?

 

I didn't talk with corporate directly today just the service manager. He didn't go into details, so I'll have to see what the final service order says in a month or so. Gonna be at least a month.

 

It should get even rustier this weekend! Snowstorm coming

I'll bet a lot of dealers out here just shy away from those frame replacements because they're not that common. Back East where they see a lot of them they probably have entire ends of the shop set up and ready to go, along with technicians that are familiar and can do them fast