2nd Gen Tips, Mods & More

Would you be willing to put one together on greasing all the zerk points. I’ve a 2014 DCLB and am looking to do this on my own but there seems to be some controversy on the forum as on how and where they all are. Thanks in advance and Semper Fi!

 

Yea, I'll add that to the list of requests. It may take me some time since i do have a ton of other vids on the back log

 

What's the controversy? I thought it was relatively well-established that we have 5 grease poinst/zerks. (2011, 2014, and 2015 owners all chimed-in here, indicating they have the same 5 as the OP's 2013. A noted exception was V6 PreRunners that, apparently, don't have any.)

 

Ok thanks

 

Was wondering if anyone has ever painted their 2nd gen grill insert the body color , not the grill surround , the actual grill insert . Thank ya .

 

Can anybody confirm if 2nd gen stock ubolt threads are 1/2” or 9/16”?

 

Guys, I finally have this Clutch Replacement DIY Tutorial up! Including, rear main seal and flywheel. It was a sh!t ton of work to put together. LMK what ya'll think

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

 

I used your transmission removal last week to replace my clutch, TOB and RMS. It was fairly helpful.

 

I'm glad it worked out. Removing the Trans is a shit ton of work.

 

Incredible list. This link is dead, however. Thank you!

 

Like this?

 

@lechicklet
That looks awesome! What was your method for painting it? I'm very interested in doing this too mine. There are a lot of different ways to do it apparently. Yours came out great!

 

Thanks! I'm really fond of it myself

Use a soft plastic tool to pop off the plastic radio bezel and remove the screws holding your radio (I think there were 4 screws.) The climate control unit pops off pretty easily with that same plastic tool. (A screwdriver will likely damage your dash if you try.)

Once you’ve removed the radio and the climate console, you can remove the large silver plastic surround piece, it’s one big piece of plastic and it should pop off with a solid grip and some gumption.

Prep

I used steel wool to buff the silver plastic, then alcohol to clean it off. (Sandpaper was too rough for the soft plastic, so I don’t recommend it.) Then use painters tape and cover up the air vents and 4x4 controls.

The trick to the paint job was to apply many light coats. Light coats are the best way to get a smooth, even finish. I got white primer, which really helped with the pop of the white paint. I did about a coat every 45min for the primer and paint, and about 20min for the Gloss. You definitely want to let it cure for at least 12 hours before reinstalling it. I recommend 24hrs, but 12 might suffice in a pinch if you’re EXTRA careful and don’t want a single scratch (because putting the radio and climate pieces back could potentially scratch the paint.)

Paint
I used Rustoleum "2X Ultra Cover" products and I'm super happy with it so far. Make sure you get the kind that bonds to plastic.

Rust-Oleum 327914 American Accents Spray Paint, White Primer

Primer - 3 light coats

$5 Rust-Oleum 331181 Painter's Touch 2X Ultra Cover Spray Paint, 12 oz, Ultra Matte White

2-in-1 Paint - 3 light coats

$13 Rust-Oleum 327864 American Accents Spray Paint, 12 oz, Gloss Clear

Clear Gloss - 4 light coats

I did extra gloss coats because it’s a spot with a lot of hand contact. Def don't want grease and dirt getting to the actual paint, and so far the extra gloss coats have done their job.

So far, I’ve been super careful not to use any strong cleaning products for it. Sudsy soap and warm water work just fine to get any grime or smudges off. Pick a day where you're home and around the house doing errands and you can pop outside for a quick coat every so often and it goes by in not time at all.

Here's what it looked like after painting it:

 

hey everyone, so i got my 2013 tacoma on July 4th this year, just hit 95k miles. bought with around 93k. would love to know what kinds of fluids needs to be changed? timing belt or chain? its a V6 4.0L 4x2. ive searched for timing belt or chain and always come up with different answers. No clue when anything was done, so I'd like to complete the most important ones first. any oil recommendations for oil change?. thank you.

 

Not sure why I haven't built me one of these before now. Seen some plastic ones but I built one a Mack truck could run over and not hurt it. Packed a few wheel bearings in no time and not nearly as messy .

 

I’m sure I’m over looking it, but is there a good thread for dash disassembly?

 

Yes, it has to do with mods to the center console area under the HU. Start with the sill protectors and dead pedal, then the kick panel and lower dash cover(the hood cable release is mounted to it), then the cluster cover and AC controls which give access to the HU bolts. Once you remove the HU you can remove its surround. Then start on the center console(bolts under carpeted floor piece and screws under shift cover, remove knob to remove cover). Rear section first, then front section. Drop the glove box to get at remaining bolts that hold the area below the center dash panel. That's as far as I've taken it. I'll see if I can find the thread, it has pics. Might be a you tube on it as well.

 

Definitely a timing chain, you can confirm by looking down your oil fill tube during your next oil change, which BTW, you should buy a service manual just to familiarize yourself with the service intervals.

Not sure where you're from, but do a good look at your undercarriage...I just picked up my Taco 4 months ago with 42K on odometer and was surprised how much rust was hidden by the slid plate.

You should also take a look at the 2nd gen stickies here, TONS of info on maintenance and videos from other members.

 

I followed a youtube video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fu7aLaS7Guo