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

Nice Radiator

It’s look like a champion?

are you running green or red fluid?

 

It is. Red.

 

How long have you been running red in that radiator?

 

Yea, it's not the cost. I live in the Bay area with no indoor work space and very little outdoor space.

 

Hard to say. I always ran toyota coolant. But the radiator only been in the truck a couple of years and half that time it’s been parked and worked on getting links and everything else. So I can’t give you a good answer.

 

Champion warns against using red, they says it causes leaks in their radiator

Says:”Use the green stuff”

see this blog on Champions website
https://blog.championcooling.com/2017/08/04/what-coolant-color-do-i-use/

 

well thats odd

 

I seriously wonder what grade of cheap aluminum reacts with factory coolants so much. I stand by that their product is just bottom tier ebay trash with a pretty storefront. The aluminum core in an OEM or hell even a cheapo parts store replacement rad doesn't react to the proper coolant...

 

You live down the street from me btw. I’m in Fronterra Village

 

Champion claims that the brown sludge in their failed radiators is from “using the red stuff” when it looks suspiciously like someone mixed green and red coolant.

 

the only time ive seen toyota red sludge up is when someone mixes it with dexcool... green just makes it ugly... but never sludge... personally i run pink coolant..

 

I ran pink and mine still died. So whatever champion haha

 

champion is the reason i spent a ton of money on a American made custom radiator in the tundra... I dont want to deal with the leaking Chinese trash.


I'm going to run a koyo aluminum when the tacos running.

 

Thanks good day.

 

I'll probably put my stock one back in so I don't have to worry about it. Since everything is drained now.

 

Painting my seat bezels and recline levers to match. They were oak then I painted them to match the center console, but that made them too dark. A couple coats and then matte clear coat. Pretty close to stock- just a tad darker but close enough for $5 in paint.

 

Exactly what happened to me. Tried starting it and clicking only. Then I check the battery and it's loose. Snugged the bolt and snap. I doubled down on the zip ties in case of snapping

 

Replaced my alternator mounting bracket and brushes today. I had a stripped top pivot bolt. Had to take the alternator off and figured $13 brushes were a good idea while I had it off. Never serviced them before and I got the truck at 176k and sitting at 271.5k now. They looked to be good and shot. Had been having some intermittent battery lights but charging seemed fine so I ignored it. 14.25 volts before replacing and 14.29 volts after.

When tightening down to 25 foot pounds, the tensioner broke on me. And it was brand new. So I put old one back on and tightened as tight as I could get it with a 3/8 drive ratchet and said screw it.

 

Where to begin. Haven’t been on here in probably..well at least 5 years. I did my polyurethane steering rack bushings two weeks ago. Truck drives like new again. 218 K on the clock right now.

 

Did it get rid of any slop in the steering?