Buying 2001 Tacoma with front end damage, good deal?

Pictures are a little blurry some shots were hard to take. The leak is between the bell housing and the block I think it is the rear main seal but there is probably no way of knowing without pulling the trans off. Are there any other seals that would cause an oil leak inside the bell housing? The oil pan gasket will prob get done at the same time. Now its all about calling places to get quotes.... may do the work myself haven't decided how ballsy I am yet. Thanks for the help so far everyone

Bumper should be picked up and install attempted Wednesday

OP

 

if comming directly from bell housing and everything from oil pan up is dry on back of motor, it should be rear main. There is a off chance it is just the rear of oil pan leaking but that would probably leak all the time where the rear main will leak more while running (because of crank turning in the seal)... either way $1500 sounds like decent deal..... make sure to take care of that rust now even before fixing the front end I would tackle rust. There is a company that a product called rust reformer that you spray on and can then paint over when dry, I know alot of guys just paint over the rust with some flat black but that wont help, clean frame first then hit with a good undercoating product.

 

I'm hoping I can put it together well enough to pass inspection then take it to Toyota for the frame rust campaign and they will fix it. Wishful thinking probably, but if it doesn't work out Ill rip it all apart and do it myself. Still debating doing the clutch and seal myself. I am reasonably mechanically able but have not done anything trans related dont want to mess anything up. And that thing looks damned heavy prob a b@#$% even with a trans jack lol

Truck is officially mine went to the mva signed the title over today!

 

clutch job is easy on these things I am getting ready to do the same on my 1998 i just bought , want me to take some pics? (i'll be pulling cab off anyhow before doing clutch) you dont have to pull cab you can do it all from underneath in about 1.5hrs

 

this place may be your new best friend, they are extremely cheap too http://www.ranchotoyotatruckparts.com/toyota-tacoma.html

 

Tacozilla, Thanks for the offer but don't worry about it man. I'm sure there are write ups I can use. Don't want to slow down your job. If i decide to do it and i get hemmed up ill just ask you for advice. Im from frederick know anywhere semi local to you or me to resurface the flywheel? Im up in htown a decent amount.

Fireturk that site looks like a gold mine!... hopefully body parts arent to pricey to ship..... to bad they arent on our side of the country.

Got the cross member put on and a certifit headlight (looks pretty good for 50 bucks). Headlight sticks out about an inch to far on the fender side and sit maybe an inch in on the inside but it will do for now. Wont line up with the turn signal hold down screw but ill figure something out. Looks like i am definately goinna have to do the radiator support. It looks OK up until the end of the radiator then it is all bent up. May have to take it somewhere for that I have 0 welding experience. Ill post some pics in the next few days.

Can I use a floor jack to get the trans out? Not sure if and autoparts places loan out trans jacks.

What parts do I need to order aside from a clutch kit toyota throw out bearing and a main seal kit. Shifter bushings or anything?

Man with out you guys id probly be sitting on my thumb somewhere wondering where to start with this truck. Thanks everyone!

 

Finally got back to work on the truck. Been away for a few days. So the first pictures show the fubared radiator support looks good till just past the radiator. There is also some pictures showing the jacked up head light. Got a cheap bumper reinforcement from ebay it didnt quite fit so i had to dremel the mount hole on the back a little bit. It doesn't exactly fit the contour of the toyota aux crossmember but its close. Not that impressed with it but for $40 bucks I guess I couldnt expect to much..... Should be inspection worthy.

Got a few more pics to share......

 

the rad support dont look to bad. Id just take and straighten it out to the best you can, like I did on my old 4runner.

 

and yes you can take out a trans with a floor jack having 2 and friends helps alot though

 

I ordered a replacement grill from parts geek. It was $35 shipped and definitely worth that (part number 8221-04027755). Its not as nice as stock but for the price i think it is well worth it. Anyway on the passenger side the grill fits awesome but the drivers side sucks. I think because of the core support being screwed up it is throwing off everything on that side. With the corner light lined up with the screw hole on the head light it looks as pictured about an inch out from where it should be. Headlight is obviously not right either.

I think this may be beyond my abilities i might just have to bite the bullet and take it to a body shop to get the core support replaced.

 

Few more pics of the grill clips. I guess i could try my slide hammer on the radiator support just put a 2x4 on the inside....? any other ideas or just hammer that thing?

OK that's all my pictures for the day!!

 

If your going to take it to a shop you just as well have them button the whole thing up, not just a radiator support, you may have problems with a shop carrying in your own parts, if there not OEM thats an excuse right there for not obtaining a good fit, will fit crap is just that!

 

I think denny's machine in williamsport can re-surface flywheels


got my truck all pieced together btw

 

Seems like a good buy to me & a great restoration/build thread for you if you want to keep us updated with your progress.....

 

The only part that has a "will fit" feel is the reinforcement bar. It is very sturdy but one of the cut outs to mount it was off just a hair. I can't justify spending $140 for the same part from the dealer when the possibility of replacing the bumper in the near future is still in the air. I am very impressed with the quality of the certifit headlight. The grill was a huge shock i bought it with the idea that it wouldn't look great but i could use it to get through inspection until i found a stock one. It is a decent part though.

Whenever I find a local wrecked truck to pull parts off Ill replace whatever is "junk" on the truck.

In the next few weeks Ill probably start on the clutch and pull off the driver side fender.

Are there a lot of spot welds holding on the fender or just the bolts?

350 is that the truck with the Chevy frame back to stock? Looks good!

Ill keep you guys posted on the progress. Thanks for the help

 

yeah i bought a wrecked tacoma 4cyl and put mine back to stock

your truck is looking good also, core support might be trick but I have seen guys use a 4x4 block cut to length and a bottle jack to push them back out evenly

 

So after vacation, work, girlfriend, and sheer laziness it is now September and the truck still isn't on the road..... damn it. I got the fender off (3 of 6 bolts broken lol still gonna have to deal with that) I am in the process of doing the clutch now and man did i F up. So im doing the rear main seal today. My 1/4 inch torque wench hasn't been used in awhile and like a dumb ass I left it with some tension on it.... So i drove around to all the auto parts stores sears and walmart. No one had a new 1/4 wench for me (not sure where to take it locally to get it tested) It was getting late in the day and i am sick of this truck not being on the road so i decided id test my wench against my 1/2 lb shitty harbor freight wench. Its brand new and i bought it for wheel nuts etc. So the wenches seemed to match up pretty well so i decide to use the 1/4. Get everything off cleaned up new seal on rtved hand tighten all the bolt then break out the torque wrench i torque every bolt and get the click get to the top bolt (of course) pull on it no click pull a little more thinking man this doesn't seem right. And at that instant the bolt breaks..... shit. After convincing myself that id be ok using my possibly uncalibrated torque wrench i guess i got what was coming to me.

Anyone got any advice for me? Ive never drilled out a broken bolt before any words of encouragement? The bolt came out fine the first time so its not seized in there or anything. I have some cheap left hand drill bits and easy outs from Harbor freight i guess i should get quality stuff any recommendations?

Sorry for the pic quality cell phone and pissed off don't make for the best photos.

Thanks for the help & Glad to be back at it!!

OP

 

if you take the rear main back out do you think the bolt would stick out or still be in flush where it broke? I have had alot of success just cutting a slit into bolt and backing out with good flat screw driver or using the old chisel method where you angle the chisel and tap it to turn the bolt out.. if its stock in there use a small bit and drill maybe 1/2 way through bolt (long wise) then try to back it out with easy out

 

I havent taken it off yet. I am not able to get back to it till saturday and i thought it would rain before then from the hurricane. Hoping there is going to be a tiny lip. Ill post if i have problems.

Is there a specific bolt i should be using or can i just go to lowes and get some automotive bolt (grade 3 i guess?) Im already planning like the thing id out must be a good sign.

Thanks for the info

 

no problem as for bolt I think they are grade 5? not sure but take an old one with you and go to a place that deals with automotive hardware (we have a place in hagerstown called automotive fasteners) so you make sure you dont get a bolt with a head that sticks out too far or something else un-foreseen