El Taco Diablo... Mall Crawlin, now with LT for tall curbs

T-minus 4 days to Death Valley trip. Did some finishing of some projects and started getting all the gear checked and rechecked for our first trip of 2022.

Had the reinforced and painted Tcase skid ready to go on. So it found it's spot back on the truck.



Finished the Platform 2.0


Hooked up the fridge with the newly wired socket, everything checks out.



Went over to Tractor Supply and got a couple new (metal) Jerry Cans. Because I'm completely f'n over the stupid Scepter cans.

Also put on the new Trasharoo.



Replaced the main buckles on the Trasharoo with these... because the plastic main buckles are complete garbage. Learned that lesson on the last one.



Also... we hosed the Trasharoo with about 4 coats of this.



Got our offering ready for Teakettle Junction. Our group will decorate it in camp the evening before we get there.

 

That transfer case skid is beefy now! I have that same one and instead of using the self tappers that it came with, I welded some 1/4" plates to the bottom of the frame with tapped holes. Now there's about a 1/4" gap I'm thinking of filling with ABS plastic underneath the TC. Was there a lot of bending with the design of that skid - it seems like there would be if you high centered or really dragged across it. One day if I get my truck running I might have to reinforce it like that too.

 

Seemed like the 3/16 plate would bend if I really dragged it. Also a few people have said that they have had to pound it out after hitting gnarly trails.

Figured I would reinforce while it was still relatively straight and before its tacoed around the tcase lol

 

What brand is it? I’ve been wanting to make one. Maybe if the price is right I’ll buy instead lol

 

Skidrow Offroad

 

Skidrow Offroad

They are a good company, really cool people, very responsive to emails and on Instagram.

 

Putting this here so I can find it again

https://cal4wheel.com/panamint-valley-days-run-descriptions

 

Cool trip to Death Valley

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/feb-2022-death-valley-shenanigans.756760/

 

Started working on a few things we identified on our trip.

Snatched up another Pelican case for 150 bucks. And replaced the original snorkle head with a pre filter.



Found a better spot for the shovel. Bought a trailer hitch lock for the top latch of the swing out. Also safety wired the clips to the red handle pins... because I lost them and had to use pieces of wire the whole trip lol. Now they don't get lost.

 

Also picked up a couple Milwaukee cases I'm going to use to expand our First Aid kit.



We encountered a motorcyclist in DV that had crashed and broken his arm. I normally carry a SAM splint, but I had taken it out of the truck, for some reason.

Luckily there was another group that could provide help... but what if they hadn't been there? Not happening again.

 

13401-62010 1992-1993 Camry Crank 3vz fe

 

@Empty_Lord

 

I bought the last new one. I don’t believe there’s any way to get them short of buying one from Australia (the 3vz was longer lived out there)

 

I've seen a few in parts listings from UAE too.

I think, if I do decide to go that route, I'll probably end up getting one from a Toyota Salvage yard in Rancho Cordova. That's where I've gotten most of the parts for my 4wd swap, and the rack for my kid's T4R.

If I'm rebuilding a 5vzfe completely. Is swapping to forged crank worth it though?

 

It does appear there is still, at least, one of them left here in the States though.

https://parts.lakelandtoyota.com/p/TOYOTA__/CRANKSHAFT/3905437/1340162010.html

Price is pretty steep... is why I'm wondering how neccesary it is.

 

It adds the benefit of strength. There’s no real down side other than the weight gain.

if your not boosting it there really is no need

 

And the price

But ya. I'm really considering it. Not for the Double Cab though. That'll be in a different build thread.

 

This ^

And if you're not planning on making more power than @1997tacomav6 with a 2" pulley and methanol, there's no way a forged crank is needed considering the miles he's got.

I'd port and polish the heads if you've got the whole thing apart and you are going to super / turbo charge.

 

If you have a manual going behind it that added weight is kinda nice. Almost like a heavier flywheel. But not super noticable

 

And you could buy a heavyweight flywheel from LCE for less than half the price. If price were no issue, f yeah.