TW's active 4runner builders BS thread

The air box area, even with my patch, is going to rub. The only way to get around that is to ditch the stock airbox. And I’m not ready to do that yet #smog.

I can modify the clutch pedal. Just cut it and angle it more. But I don’t want to do that. I’m just gonna have to cut it all out and find out what happens.

 

Well the trip is over. Grand Canyon to Alabama in less than 36 hours on the way back. It went way too fast, feels like I just left...

 

So I have to ask, did you skip finals week?

 

Nope, I finished up early this year for some reason. Last one was 2 weeks ago from today. One more semester, can't wait to be done.

The starter gave up the ghost this morning. Tried 20ish times to start it and I just got single clicks and a couple very weak attempts to turn the motor over. Jump starting didn't help. Couldn't have died at a better time, glad I made it all the way home. Ordered a Denso one from advance Auto on my way to work. Should be here later today.

 

Why not rebuild your OEM one? Real easy

 

His isn’t OEM

 

Here's a few of pictures from my phone. Haven't looked at any of the pictures from my camera yet.

The smoke from the fires near Ventura made for some pretty wild looking skies at Pismo. @LTDSC where you at Pismo two weekends ago? If so you drove by where we were camping, I believe you were with a guy in a Tacoma.

Saw some Zebras and elephant seals along the PCH.

Crossed the Mojave river, which was much deeper than I expected. Got a little water through the rear doors. Right on the other side there was a group of decked out 2nd gens and Humvees, all Navy trucks out doing some sort of training in the desert. I recorded them crossing, and saved the dashcam video of my crossing.

Spent a night in Vegas, and then went to death valley and Alabama hills. Beautiful!

Then headed to the Grand canyon, and made an impromptu stop at the Hoover dam when we saw the signs. They had quite a security checkpoint there.

Then finished up at the grand canyon.

Can't wait to look through my cameras pictures and see how they came out.

 

no that was a friend of mine Chris, he was with Jeff from here.

 

Forreal. She's never left me stranded. Even when the fuel pump in New Mexico put so much gas into the truck it started to fill the evap system, poured out the top of the filler neck, and the truck didn't want to stay running. And then I was told it was my fault for choosing to use their gas station. I was pissed.

Exactly. I would rebuild if I had an OEM. Previous owner had the starter replaced right before I got the truck. $135 for a denso isn't bad when the Chinese ones are $95.

 

Gotcha, truck looked really similar to yours.

 

And that would be the source of my confusion haha.

 

No we got a late start that day, we didn't get out of Vegas until around noon after stopping to get food, gas, etc. We did Titus Canyon as the sun was setting and then drove up Scotty's Castle road to Ubehebe Crater. We drove a couple miles past the crater, and then camped at a pull off on the road. Then in the morning we drove back to Ubehebe to actually see the crater during the daylight, and then went to the racetrack. Death valley was amazing though, the features in the rock and mountains and the way you can really see the layers is something I've never seen anywhere else.

Saw a couple fighter jets doing some training as well. I really wanted one to buzz us or break the sound barrier, but sadly they didn't.

 

I checked the maps from the death valley national park website and they said no camping 2 miles after Ubehebe crater, and no camping after Teakettle junction, but you can camp between Teakettle junction and the two miles after Ubehebe. The sign just past Ubehebe said the same thing too. I wanted to make sure I followed the rules, too many people don't and ruin a good thing for others.

I wish I would have had more time, like a couple months haha. There were so many dirt roads out there I wanted to explore.

I also realized I don't understand California gas prices. I paid between $2.85 and $3.89 on normal roads, and $4.99 on the PCH. I'm not used to seeing more than 30 cents difference in the same state, let alone $1 from stations a mile apart...

 

Panamint was 4.49 or something like that when I passed through. My normal gas station here back home was 2.14 today. In Oklahoma it was 1.89. Feels good to see cheap gas again haha

 

Here's the description from the PDF on the back country roads in death valley. It's really only feasible to camp along the road if your have a single vehicle or maybe 2. No place big enough for a group to pull off. Im sure the homestake campsite by the racetrack is nicer too, but we ran out of daylight before we could make it there.

 

Yeah I'd have a commuter no doubt. I've also never seen so many Tesla's as I did out there. I probably averaged 15-16 mpg most of the trip. The last station in Nevada on I-15 is definitely aware of it too. Gas was $3.55 there...

 

I think the previous owner put the wrong starter in. I think the old one is the 1.4kw starter than came with the manuals, and the new one is the denso one I just bought which I know is the 1.8kw one that is supposed to come on all the automatics and manuals with the cold weather package

This aftermarket one also has a lot of corrosion on the outside whereas I didn't see any corrosion in the pictures I saw of people rebuilding their OEM ones. The rubber boot that's supposed to cover the one connection just crumbled after I pulled it out as well.

 

This is a stupid side note, but the sound of aftermarket starters is ass haha. You’ll be much happier with the Denso

 

I bet the truck starts faster now too. I watched Timmy the toolmans video on YouTube and I was surprised with how fast his started after he replaced his. Mine never started that fast. The insides look rough. Not even sure if these aftermarket ones could be rebuilt. Very happy to be putting a denso back in.