3rd Gen DIY maintenance quick reference

can anyone confirm that 3rd gens have a similar (compared to 2nd gens) setup of a metal screen "filter" in the sealed automatic transmission that one simply cleans off along with the magnets when changing the fluid? If so, I am definitely dropping the pan when I do my 60k full flush and fill soon. thanks!

 

Now that I've managed to buy the Toyota liquid gold, what is the preferred method of opening the can? "Back in the day", when I helped my Dad change oil it came in cans and he had a spout that pierced the lid, inserting the spout with can attached into the oil fill tube. Obviously that isn't useful here and at a bazillion $ an ounce I'd prefer not to experiment and seek the wisdom of TACOMAWORLD. Thank you.

 

this:
https://www.amazon.com/OXO-SteeL-Stainless-Bottle-Opener/dp/B0001YH1A2/ref=asc_df_B0001YH1A2/?hvadid=167123558869&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=8385182537793106553&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1012993&hvtargid=pla-275597172235

and this:

$9 Lubrimatic 55-001 4CC Fluid Pump for Quart Size Bottles

https://www.amazon.com/Plews-55001-Lubrimatic-Standard-Bottles/dp/B000BQW5LK

not elegant and pump doesn’t attach but it is cheap and works.

 

Church Key and pump. Perfect solution. Thank you!

 

You’re gonna hate the pump by the 3rd or 4th can. Just takes a while.

If you have a assistant to pour, you could get some flexible vinyl tubing from Lowe’s, route it up and attach to a funnel and have assistant pour in the funnel, same can opener.

Probably what I should do, but I save the wife’s assistance for brake flushes.

 

I use that same pump as shown above, it takes a lot of pumps but it works. Just get in a comfortable position. I keep the pump stable in one position, and pump the bottle up and down.

 

So used the new amzoil gear lube pouches servicing my transfer case and rear diff way easier than pumping just squeeze the bag no more pumping

 

Front/rear diff + transfer case can all use the same oil correct?

 

I would recommend the church key and the "flexible vinyl tubing from Lowe’s, route it up and attach to a funnel and have assistant pour in the funnel, same can opener." A 6-7 foot piece and a funnel and no pumping and you can stand and just pour it in. I just did this, and so much easier. Also used the same setup for the transmission (MT), transfer case. You also use the whole can- so no measuring or trying to get the pump to get the last little bit out.

 

Transfer case is different.

 

Transfer Case fluid change at 30K miles.
Home alone so pump is what I used. Used the liquid gold from Toyota (Transfer Gear Oil LF 75W,

$91 08885-81080 TOYOTA Genuine Transfer Case Gear Oil LF 75W 1 Litre 08885-81080

08885-81080). Transfer case was a tad overfilled; when I removed fill plug oil started running out a a pretty good rate (trucks been sitting for a few days).

Also, I should’ve just cracked the fill plug to make sure it could be removed later, for the fill-ex. Why? Because with it removed there’s no happy way of stopping the rapid rush of 75W from the drain hole. Nothing that Simple Green and a brush won’t handle. Pretty sure the smell is going to have to wear off though.

The fluid was golden colored, just like the new stuff. Nothing to clean off the drain or fill plugs either. My use of the truck is uneventful. Maybe some red dirt roads and sand periodically. Otherwise, mostly clean asphalt.

Putting the new fluid in: I stopped counting after 200 pumps, but it didn’t take too many more than that. Didn’t quite empty the 1L can though.

Only thing I can think of to make that stuff cost $50-ish a liter: the smell must come from some long extinct dinosaur that’s on a protected smell list. Yeah, we can talk about special formulation and additives but I’m sticking with my stink hypothesis.

 

Hey, I actually know the answer to this query regarding price and smell...

Whale sperm...

You try milking those fuckers

 

Yeah I have 100k plus miles and have had no problems

 

How so mines been fine no issues with 4wd lo or high

 

You used the Amsoil

$30 75w-90 Synthetic Gear Lube - 1 Quart (Pack of 2)

75w-90 diff gear oil for both front+rear diff & transfer case?

 

Transfer case uses different oil than the front and rear differentials. I was responding to someone that asked if all the cases (front diff, rear diff, transfer) used the same oil.

Toyota only recommends checking those oils at various mileage intervals and changing only if the truck is driven in severe conditions. Mine's not driven in severe conditions and the transfer case oil looked brand new. So, why'd I do it? Because I could? IDK. Would I do it again knowing what I know now? Probably. It was fun for me. The cost was about $60 and an hour of my time (took a few trips back and forth to the garage which meant rolling my big a$$ self under the truck more times than should have been needed).

I've also done "silly" things like replaced the turn signals in the mirrors with the sequential ones and replaced the rear view mirror on the windshield with one that has the garage door opener controls, for example.

What *did* require attention were the zirks/joints on the front drive shaft. I hooked up the grease gun and pumped several times into each of the 2 zirks, until grease was coming from the 4 joints on each end of the shaft.

 

yes i did

 

Im sure someone will be by to explain from a chemical stance, why that probably is not a good idea.

I dont know the chemistry, but i seem to recall there is the chemistry

 

Replaced front and rear diff fluids. Rear was “dirtier” than front which makes sense because I don’t run it in 4WD very often. (Does make me curious why the trans case fluid was so pristine looking. Also, puzzling why the trans case drain plug doesn’t have the magnet.)

Both front and rear had metal shavings accumulation on their drain plugs. I removed the TRD skid plate I’d previously installed to get easy access for the front diff drain and fill plugs. May do the rear diff again at 60K miles to see if it’s just as “dirty” or if the reason it looked like it did at 30K is because of the break in/gears seating.

 

You know I was wondering the same thing about the bottom plug on the transfer case . Where's the magnet?