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

Out with old and on with the new (Snugtop handle cover). Thought this would be hard to find but Snugtop dealer in town had it for <$10. Also adjusted and lubed the linkage so it shuts tightly instead of rattling at 1/2 latched but still locked (there's two clicks to the closure).

 

Wrapped up my timing belt job yesterday. Took me many hours stretched over two weeks, with a lot of cleaning, parts and tool chasing, and several unexpected trips to the dealer to buy more parts.

The rear tensioner bolt fought me quite a bit, but I got it removed with a bolt extractor, the taped wobble socket and a 1/4" extension setup.

Was on the fence between reusing the working 20 year old radiator and installing a new one, but ending up buying a new one. The shorter radiator for the manual transmission seems to be discontinued both from Toyota and Denso, so I had to use the longer AT radiator and longer lower radiator hose.

The Lisle spill free funnel kit doesn't have a perfectly sized metal plate adapter for the new Denso radiator, so there was some leakage, but I got the system burped and topped off yesterday.

Very glad to be done, hoping that I get another 10+ years of trouble free timing.

 

+ 5 HP

 

The mpg isn’t accurate yet. Though it’s probably not far off lol. Curious where you guys are mounting your scan gauges and running the wire. I’ll probably try to clean this up later.

 

Put it on top of your steering column.

 

I’d still like to see the dash lights that are on the bottom but I’ll probably try both and see how I like.

 

Spike engineering makes a cool mount for it on the A pillar: https://spikerengineering.com/product-category/mounts/scangauge-ii-mounts

And Paranoid fab makes one for the ash tray: https://www.paranoidfabrications.com/products/1st-gen-tacoma-ashtray-scangauge-holder

other wise yah just velco to the top of the column.

 

Wow this is clutch. Looks like the spikerengineering one won’t work for me so paranoid fab it is. Thanks for the links

 

oooof $20 for a piece of alloy that you have to either use double sided tape or a glob of glue to hold the SGII in place.

 

I know right, you could use that glob of glue or double stick to hold a much better tool instead, which I might add comes with a clip so you can unclip it later

 

I stuck mine with velcro as far back as I could get it without it rubbing the windshield

 

Curious, has anyone tried (or even looked at) these cheapo ODBII gauges from Amazon?

$33 Head Up Display, Car HUD P8, OBDII & GPS Dual System, The 1st Model in The Market Can be Installed on A-Pillar Trim, Only Works on Most 2008+ Cars

https://www.amazon.com/wiiyii-Display-System-Installed-Pillar/dp/B0957V8VMC

 

Just use an old phone and bluetooth obd reader ya peasants!

 

Mind sharing what bed topper you got there?

 

Softtopper looks like.

 

Ya softopper

 

Did this on Saturday. Pretty happy with it.

 

OOOO! I just went old man on mine too!!!

 

Just to add to the info, you can also get just a key cutting code from the VIN that any locksmith can use (they are 5 digits), which you can then buy an OEM blank and take to them. I've done it with both of my Tacomas. Works great, and you get a nice new cut key like it was when the truck came from the factory.