What have you done to your Tacoma today? 1st Gen Edition

You are going the opposite direction of me. I’m already locked f/r on 35’s and plan on building a swing out setup and creating a bed rack for a custom soft top setup. BUT the rack is not for and likely never will be for a RTT. Stuck on the ground for a couple more years.

 

Sounds like a plan! The real star piece of my build is going the dual cases. Everything else is just in case I get stuck on a curb at Macy's

I'm interested in this rack you're building. Is it going to go over the current soft top you have or are you building a custom soft topper?

 

Dual cases are def where it’s at, and hoping to be my next big drive train mod, but I’m over due for some real suspension first.

So this is my crazy plan for the rack. And all my buddy’s think I’m crazy because I’m a stubborn fuck who wants his truck to be a true Swiss Army knife, while sacrificing nothing. So the rack will be three supports going across, but the back two have removable top supports so I can have a dual sport in the bed. Once it’s loaded in I can quick connect the supports back in for load bearing. The reason I want it to be able to bear loads is in case I need to get lumber, plywood, etc for house stuff, I can throw it on the rack. But the rack would also support a custom made canvas, I have run many ideas of how I want to do this too, but far too difficult to explain the craziness in my head without drawings. Basically I want dry storage, easy side access large enough to be able to get a box out from the side, the ability to carry a dual sport and still handle decently rough trails, and an overall easier to access and setup camp configuration. It’s a lot to ask without going to a full flat bed/tray setup but I am going to give it a go.

 

Yea, I can understand why they think you're crazy. Sounds like a helluva plan. I look forward to seeing the final product!

 

it’s the next logical step for the kinds of adventures I want to do, would love to try dual sport weekend camp trips which means learning to pack and camp light. Will be awesome if I can bring my crazy ideas to life.

 

...we were a little worried about something else entirely: the longer we were on the tracks, the more likely we were to encounter a representative from the railroad. Rumor has it that this rail line is now used by migrants trying to enter the USA from Mexico, and so is randomly patrolled. And, as a narrow swath of private land running through Anza-Borrego, the rail company has apparently decided that the best way to reduce liability is to keep everyone off the tracks - by issuing hefty tickets to anyone they find along the line.

Whether that was true or not, we didn't really want to find out...

Full story and photos: Anza-Borrego Part 5 - Palms, Pups, and the Longest Trestle​

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Anza-Borrego Part 5 - Palms, Pups, and the Longest Trestle​

catch up on the entire story here:
Double Fun @ Anza Borrego - March 2019 ​

 

Packing super light is definitely going to be fun. I thought my dad and I packed light but man oh man! Some guys on the Rubicon are next level. Meet a guy on time who basically brought only a sleeping bag, a few change of clothes, a small cooler with nothing but sandwiches and a 24 pack of water. I thought he was nuts, but he was out of a Buck Island for 3 days like my dad and I were.

 

Had the same thing happen to my truck after chasing a power steering whine, replaced my power steering pump, rack and pinion etc etc etc. If you go to the search bar and search “Power steering help” in 1st Gen and “Power steering help...again” you’ll see my doozy. Anywho, in the end I sold the truck cuz I needed something I could take my kids around in.

Check out this thread for rebuilding, really helped a lot.
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/power-steering-pump-rebuild-how-to-with-photos.377002/
The seal around the shaft that’s connect to the pulley is a beast to get out. That was the hardest part with rebuilding the pump. Also, make sure you replace the main gasket on the pump facing the right way. I was an idiot and put it on backwards the first time.

I got a 17mm, 14mm, and 12mm ratcheting wrench which helped a ton.

If rebuilding doesn’t help, I’d just buy an OEM pump with the reservoir from Toyota. Something like $500.
Also, be very cautious when taking off the high pressure line, this piece is only sold as the whole set that goes to the rack and pinion and costs over $400.

 

Also, to keep from having to take the fan shroud off, just remove the two top 10mm screws holding it on, and the bottom left (passenger side) screw (easier to get at than the bottom screw on the drivers side).
Sorry. Had to do this like 7 times trying to figure out where my whine was coming from.
These steps should be done after draining your PS system.
1) with the 17mm ratcheting wrench, loosen the bolt on the PS pulley.
2) next would be to loosen the bolt on the tensioner pulley to the left of the PS pulley with a 14mm flex head ratcheting wrench (if you can get one like the picture below)
If you don’t have one, you’ll need a 14 mm socket with a 3” extender. Pull the fan shroud up onto the pulleys, slip the wrench and socket through the gap, loosen the bolt)
3) loosen the tensioner connected to the pulley
4) after you get the belt off, finish taking the bolt off the PS pump pulley, and slide the pulley off the shaft.
5) next will be a 17mm bolt that holds the high pressure line on. Be careful that plastic vacuum piece from the other post. And be careful because there are two metal washers just don’t wanna lose those. From there you’ve got three 12mm bolts holding the reservoir to the PS pump, shimmy it out of the PS pump because the neck that goes into the PS pump is pretty small, don’t lose the O-ring. Easier to take the reservoir off while the PS pump is still bolted to the truck.
6) last 2-3 bolts holding the PS pump to the housing and you’re done, should shimmy on our for ya

 

Does anyone know how long of an extension is needed when replacing the plugs? I've been thinking about getting some new plugs ( I have never replaced them and I have no idea when the previous owner did. Or if he did) I don't have any extensions in my tool box so I will need to go out and buy one.

 

Get a couple 3 inch and a 6 inch. You'll need them for other stuff anyway. And get a swivel, I think I remember you'll need it for one or both of the plugs closest to the firewall. (At least you do on a 6cyl)

 

@Nate0303

Not sure if you have a 4 or 6 cyl... Here's some info on 6cyl

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/how-to-replacing-spark-plugs-and-wires-on-5vz-fe-3-4-v6.261034/

 

It would help to know which engine...

if it's a 3.4, I was able to do it with a 12" extension (which I think was about 6" longer than it had to be)

 

If you break that hard line, I don't see any reason not to adapt to JIC fittings and make a soft line to go in its place. It could be done for under $80, if you don't shop.

Hydraulics hose and line fabrication just isn't black magic. It's something you can learn and garner significant savings by DIYing. You really don't even need to have special tools other than a flaring kit, if you use the field-replaceable ends (which are every bit as strong as the swaged ends, and allow trailside fixes if need be.)

I fabricated all the hydraulic lines on my S10 SAS. Brakes, steering, hydroboost, everything.

 

Yes I do have the 3.4.

 

Given it's an aluminum head, make sure to avoid crossthreading, and apply a little antiseize. Having to helicoil the head after a plug strips out the hole is no fun.

 

I broke the little nubs off on accident. I ended up using JB weld to fix it. Just thought I’d mention it for him in case he did and got sticker shock lookin at the price to replace is all. It’s just that the plastic piece and the high pressure line are sold as one piece

 

Lol, getter done!

 

Oh please don't think I was taking you to task. It's just that I've been there done that as far as paying stupid prices for what are simple items that a little fabrication knowledge (very little, like how to cut the hose)and time on Youtube can fix easily.

With the proper hose, Addel clamps, and field-replaceable ends, there isn't anything you can't do when it comes to fluid power. If it happens to be some unobtainium-manufactered sort of fitting, you can even TIG-braze the OEM fitting to a JIC or whatever is needed, and rock on. Granted, TIG-brazing is an advanced skill, but if you have a hose shop or a heavy-equipment mechanic around it shouldn't be hard to find. For that matter, not sure you can't do it with MAPP gas and a copper-bronze rod.

As an example: I lost two transmissions to bad lines (OEM hardlines and corrosion, and then a poorly-fabricated set of hardlines I made out of steel tubing, BEFORE I learned how to do this). This was on my old 89 S10, before the time of Youtube. I didn't flare the ends of the hardline where I switched to rubber hose, and even though I doubled up on worm clamps, I still blew a line off. The OEM line issue was metal fatigue.

Got tired of that nonsense, and deadlined the vehicle for a week. During that time I started talking to a mech friend of mine who asked why I didn't just use 3/8"ID forklift soft line and JIC connectors. "What are those?" He took a trip to the hose shop with me for the cost of lunch, and gave me a crash course in rolling my own. My trans lines in that truck now are routed along the framerail, and haven't leaked a drop. The transmission has never shifted so well, either (I added an inline filter, but that is another thing I kinda geek out on). The lines are rated at 3000PSI working pressure- and the 700R4 cooling circuit MIGHT be 50PSI, on a hard day.

 

And torque it according to spec. The spec doesn't seem that tight, but the spec is all the torque it needs.