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

Unfortunately, it could be a number of things.

Cracked head
Head gasket leak
Worn rings
Burnt/cracked valve/seats
Valve clearance out of spec causing valves not to fully seat- that can lead to burnt valves


To check for rings, pull the plug on the cylinder with
low compression. Pour a little oil into the hole for the plug. Retest the compression. If the number increases its likely worn rings.

The aluminum heads are prone to fatigue and cracks can develop between the valves, also a head gasket starting to go can show similar symptoms. On cold startup if you smell coolant or see white smoke until the engine warms up that can be a sign as coolant might be seeping into the combustion chamber and is burning up and being expelled out the tailpipe. Once the engine heats up, the crack or gasket often closes due to thermal expansion and the issue stops while the engine is warm.

Another way to tell if it’s a cracked head or possibly a head gasket starting to go- on a cold engine, pull the EFI fuse in the main panel under the hood so you can crank the engine without it starting. Pull the radiator cap. Have someone turn it over while you look in the radiator. If bubbles are coming from the radiator, good possibility it’s a cracked head and compressed air from the cylinder is pushing air through the water jacket.

Milky oil or dirty radiator coolant, obvious cracked head or head gasket failure as the two are mixing from exhaust gasses in the coolant and coolant in the oil.

Warm up your truck before you drive it if this is the issue and the problem may not get any worse for a while.

For valves being out of spec you need to pull your valve covers and check your clearances. That’s a process and you need to be precise.

You can often tell too if the valve is burnt or not seating , etc if there’s a lot of sludge under the valve cover

 

I found a set of leather Subaru XV Crosstrek seats for $300 shipped from eBay.

I don’t recommend them, the seat backs are really high and I had to do a lot to make them fit.

If you look frequently though there is way more available on eBay than Craigslist, just look for buy it now places with listed shipping, several places, mostly wreckers, the shipping is free.

I was looking at Mazda and BMW seats a lot, though I know Subaru seats are nice too.

The key for me was manual seats because I didn’t want to wire power seats.

Now that I know and if I had it to do again I’d test drive the car they came from and look for seats from a coupe so they travel/fold forward for access to the back seat.

 

Damn she’s really starting to blossom haha

 

Paid $30 for a gallon of Toyota pink coolant to top her off

 

So it begins...

 

Did a few things yesterday.

1 front brake pad replacement
2 full oil change
2 front diff fluid changes
2 Tcase fluid changes
1 rear diff breather relocate
2 sets of BAMF skids install
1 set of BAMF slider install
1 full OME lift with ECGS bushing replace, SPC UCA install, pinion shim, and Ubolt flip, and front/rear Superbumps. (From @Wheeler's Off-Road Inc)

All on 2nd gens tho... Does that even count?

 

All that work and it's still a shitty 2nd gen.

 

Don't get me wrong... I'm 100% (1st gen) best gen. But 2nd gens are nice rigs. And have more cool stuff readily available.

3rd gens however... They are shitty.

 

@eon_blue @Speedytech7 @Blue92 how do I get this bottom shackles bolt out to replace it with the Daystar bolt?

 

Hit that bitch... Or cut it... The rust and shit is what's holding it in there.

 

They’re press fit, have to hammer it straight out

 

Thank you both.

 

Where'd ya get the hood scoop?

 

Thank you sir

 

They're pressed in, I thought the daystar bolts we're just for the main eye in the front if the leaf pack

 

Here’s round one of sandblasting, next up is the intake manifold.

 

I'm so far behind lol, what're you up to now?

 

Does anybody have access to toyotas wiring diagram site? I forgot what its called but its a very resourceful site. I need fusebox wiring diagrams for a 2014 toyota yaris

 

Newest mod for the truck, Alpine TRD I4 supercharger. Few things that need to be done before I can install it. Both EGR stud holes need to be welded shut and re-tapped, and the rotor casing side of the intake manifold needs to be machined flat.

Going to get it jetwashed too, the inside is absolutely horrifying from the EGR residue. I'm hoping the meth injection will help combat the oil and sludge buildup.

 

Technically yeah but I've used them in the rear for several months now and they work well. They're maybe 3 threads shorter than the stock bolt but I haven't had any problems. Didn't realize until recently that they make another kit for the rear shackles but the only difference must be the length of the bolt being slightly longer.