AdventureTaco - turbodb's build and adventures

Well, you wanted to lighten her up a bit. There's at least 5 pounds of dust in there. Of course, the sound deadening will offset some of that, but you might net a slight weight loss.

 

doubtful. That stuff is heavy. Probably added 30lbs at least.

 

Well I mean, anything would sound better than the paper cones that had foam falling apart, hahahaha.

I think I could have actually fit 6 1/2" in the front doors but oh well.

Thanks! I've got one of those kits, though a different brand... Never really have liked it, but it could just be the one I got was a pile of crap. Anyway, for me it just stays the back of whatever drawer I threw it in. Lol.

Oh man, wouldn't that be nice? maybe I can look for some sound deadening foam that is filled with helium to make the truck lighter. Hahaha.

I think he was joking Monte.

 

Sound Deadening a 1st Gen Tacoma - Mat & Foam Installation
In the last post, I outlined the Materials and Prep necessary for sound deadening a 1st gen Tacoma. This time, we'll walk through the specifics on how to do the actual deadening.

As a reminder, all you really need to do this job are the following:

• RAAMAudio Package 2
  • 30 sheets of RAAMmat BXT II (56.25 sq ft).
  • 4 1/2 yards Ensolite Foam (62.43 sq ft).
• 3/8" split loom - you only need about 4' to house the interior door handle rods.
• A sharpie, utility knife , and scissors to cut the material.
• A screwdriver with a plastic handle to push the material into some of the contours of the sheet metal.

What's Our Goal Here?
BXT II RAAMmat - For the best results, you will want to aim for at least 50-60% coverage. Focus your time and effort behind speakers, in the middle of larger surfaces (outer door skins, back wall, side walls, and roof), and sealing up access holes to block the noise from getting into the car. From there, look to the floor, or doubling up RAAMmat in critical areas.

For those wanting to go all out - for instance if you are installing a competition level audio system with lots of power, etc. - more coverage and some doubling up will be be needed.

PS Ensolite - This works in higher frequency ranges by reducing reflections and diffusing the energy. It also decouples surfaces, reducing vibrations, and is a superb thermal barrier. For the best results, you want 100% coverage on nearly everything you can access. The only place to limit the use is behind speakers, just use a patch 8x8" or so to break up the back wave. PS Ensolite so effective that putting more behind the speakers will just kill off the mid-bass response which is not what you're looking for.

So, with that, let's get started!

Cleaning Surfaces
The first thing I did was to clean all the surfaces where material would be applied. No point in spending all the time to apply this stuff if dust and grime is going to keep it from being effective.

Use denatured alcohol to wipe down every metal surface you can. Don't forget to clean the inside surface of the outer skin of the truck as well - reach into all the door holes, quarter panel holes, etc. I found it interesting during this process to see which parts of the truck had been only primed, primed and painted, and primed, painted and clear coated!

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What starts out a little dusty...​

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All cleaned up.​

While cleaning things up, I was sure to not forget the carpets. It's not often that all the carpets are out of the truck and easy to clean - so I used a pressure washer on everything, leaving them out in the sun to dry for the next couple of days.

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With everything cleaned, I knew I could procrastinate no longer - it was time to start sound deadening!

The Doors
Note: you'll want to make sure the windows are up during this process.

When dealing with the doors, I knew I was dealing with two distinct surfaces that needed to be addressed - the outer skin of the door, and then the inner structure. Focusing on the outer skin first, I placed a 12"x12" square of BXT II behind the speaker, and then a second 8"x8" layer on top of that. The idea is to really deaden that area for the backwave from the speaker.

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Two layers of BXT II behind the front door speaker.​

Next, I covered close to 78% of the remainder of the outer door skin with BXT II. You can do more if you'd like, and you're likely to have to cut pieces to fit through the various access holes. While doing this, I evaluated the placement of each piece to ensure that I wasn't inhibiting any of the door functionality - I wanted my windows and locks to work when I was done, and I didn't want to block any of the drainage that takes place inside the door. I also made sure to get good adhesion around any ridges and depressions.

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The last component to adhere to the exterior door skin is a bit of PS Ensolite. Too much can be a bad thing here, so I put an 8"x8" square directly behind the speaker. That's it!

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With the door skin addressed, I moved on to the interior structure. This was a bit more complicated given the need for the door to still function and the door panel to snap into place when I was done. The idea though was simple - one, 100% coverage layer of BXT II to seal up the door, and then one, 100% coverage layer of PS Ensolite over that.

I found that using tape to hole material in place while I drew various cut lines on it was extremely helpful. I made cuts for all wires that needed access to the cab, for the rod that connects to the interior door handle, and to leave a 1" reveal around any attachment points (screws or clips). Also - I used the plastic handle of a screw driver to ensure good adhesion around any ridges and depressions.

Of note: I did NOT cut around the mounting holes for the speaker or for the interior door lever itself; I'd deal with those later.

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Draw directly on the mat, this takes the guesswork out of cutting.​

One thing to note is that the rod that connects to the interior door handle needs to continue to move once the (sticky) mat is installed. As such, I wrapped it in 3/8" split loom with a little hole cut out for the plastic clip. This meant that I could apply the BXT II and PS Ensolite without worrying that they would interfere with the operation of that rod.

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Protect the door handle rod.​

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Install one sheet at a time, in a portrait orientation. Three sheets will cover the door, with the BXT II mat replacing the old plastic weather barrier on the door.​

After covering the entire door with BXT II, it was time to re-install the speaker. First, I held the speaker mount in place and traced the location of the speaker itself, since it would need to protrude through the BXT II mat. I then used a utility knife to cut away that part of the mat. Then it was a simple matter of screwing in the speaker mount and plugging in the connector.

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Finally - or nearly - it was time for the PS Ensolite. Again, I used some tape to hold the foam in place and trace where it needed to be cut. Then, I was able to remove it from the door and cut it on the ground - a much easier proposition than cutting it in place.

Note: the door shapes are mirror images of each other. After tracing and cutting the PS Ensolite for one door, I flipped it over and used it as a template for the other.

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At this point, it made sense to reinstall the door panel - just to make sure the functionality of the door was still in tact. Plus, I knew that I still needed to cut some of the mat where the door lever would go, and figured this was a good time to do that.

The door panel slips over and installation is largely the reverse of removal. Once all of the clips are secured, I used a utility knife to cut out all of the PS Ensolite and BXT Mat where the door lever installs. This is necessary because the lever clips behind the sheet metal and any amount of mat in this area impedes its ability to do so. By cutting out the mat at this point, I was sure to cut it in exactly the right location.

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The Rear Wall (and Storage Cubbies)
This is generally the noisiest area of the truck. I went for as much coverage as I could, and used the knock test to determine when I'd covered "enough." Shoot for at least 80% coverage with the BXT II - focused in the middle, flexibible areas; add enough to make is have a nice solid thud when you give it a good thump with your fist. If it still resonates when you do that, add 25% more mat - or a second layer - right in the middle, across the area.

Then cover every sq inch with Ensolite.

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Shoot for at least 80% coverage of the back wall with BXT II mat.​

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Use a screwdriver to get good adhesion in all of the depressions.​

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Starting to cover with PS Ensolite.​

Once the rear wall was done, I realized it would be a lot easier to address the storage cubbies if I took out the sheet metal tops before applying BXT II mat and Ensolite foam. Coverage of these is similar to the back wall - use as much as you can of both products.

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A 10mm socket is all you need to give great access to the storage cubbies.​

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I used scraps and off-cuts of BXT II and full coverage of Ensolite in the cubbies. Do full coverage with BXT II if you can. This is one of the reasons I recommend purchasing RAAMAudio Package 2, so you have more BXT II material.​

The Rear Quarter Panels
The rear quarter panels are similar to the front doors in that they have both an outer skin and inner frame, as well as serving as the enclosures for speakers. As such, two layers of mat on the outer skin, directly behind the speaker and 75% coverage of the remainder of the outer skin, using the knock test from outside the vehicle. Then, install one 8"x8" square of PS Ensolite directly behind the speaker.

The interior sheet metal is a bit stiffer due to the fact that it secures the seat belts. Here, I aimed for 50% coverage with BXT II and covered as much as I could with PS Ensolite. The biggest problem is working around all of the clip holes and seatbelt mounting points. Still, the more PS Ensolite in this area, the better - to absorb the high ambient noise from the cabin.

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The Roof
I went to all the trouble to release the headliner, so I was definitely going to do the roof. The process was simple enough - first, remove the existing padding and adhesive strip (this is the hardest part). Then - since the roof is essentially one big flat piece of noisy sheet metal - cut to fit and go for full coverage with BXT II and PS Ensolite.

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Remove this crap.​

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Cover with BXT II, notching for any wires - Ham antenna in my case.​

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Cover with PS Ensolite.​

The Floor
Compared to the rest of the project, the floor is relatively easy given how easy the surface is to access. Start with a single layer of BXT II mat, being extra careful to press it into the various bends and crevices throughout the floor. The knock test can help you determine which areas give the most "bang for the buck." Shoot for 60-80% coverage with BXT II, and then cover with a full layer of PS Ensolite.

Note: When installing BXT II mat and PS Ensolite on the floor, mark any grommets and drain plugs and cut their perimeters now. The can remain covered, but by cutting them out, they'll be easier to access in the future. Additionally - and as with all other areas - make sure to leave the area around attachment points for the seats, etc. clear of material.

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Covering the floor will help block heat as well as sound.​

The Kick Panels
It's very difficult to access any sheet metal behind the kick panels, so I simply applied a layer of PS Ensolite to the back side of the kick panels themselves. This helps absorb the high ambient noise from the cabin.

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And with that, I was done!

Putting It All Back Together
Well, I wasn't really done - there was still the work of re-assembling the interior of the cabin and then testing out the entire system. For me - given the care I'd taken to ensure that holes that recieved interior trim panel clips were not covered by sound deadening mat - everything went back together reasonably easily. I think I only found one hole that I'd inadvertently covered for a clip in the rear quarter panel.

I won't go into all the details here - installation is essentially the reverse of removal - but the order of operations is as such:

1. Headliner - and the dome light, sun roof if applicable.
2. Carpet - and storage cubby trim. Don't forget to fish any wires through that you'll need later.
3. Rear Quarter Panels - and seat belts, xtracab window latch.
4. Rear wall lower, middle, and upper trim.
5. Front kick panels.
6. Door threshold.
7. Center console - this is important to do before seats, to access anchor points.
8. Seats.

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Like nothing had happened.​

And with that, the truck looked the same as before I'd started... gotta love those invisible mods! But, all it took was shutting the door once for me to know that this mod was a huge success. It was so rewarding to hear a dull thunk as the door closed.

 

It's Too Damn Hot In Here - Fixing the A/C Evap Core
For two years now, my A/C hasn't really worked. At some point - 17 years after it was originally installed - it developed a slow leak. As spring turned to summer in 2018, I noticed that - as Nelly might say - "it's getting hot in herre," even as I cranked up the cold.

For a while, I ignored it. There was no way I was ready to tackle the A/C system from a skills perspective - or so I thought at the time - and I knew that taking it to a shop was going to be rather expensive.

As one does, I opted to play it dumb. I putzed over to my local Toyota dealer and asked them if they could recharge the A/C because it wasn't blowing cold anymore. At least - I figured - I'd find out how bad the leak was based on how long the charge lasted!

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Naturally, the service tech at Toyota noticed the lack of refrigerant in the system and probably also performed a vacuum test. Shortly after, the service manager notified me that I had a leak, and that the tech was going to charge the system and add some dye so they could determine the location of said leak.

Or so they thought! After charging the system, the service manager came back out and let me know that the system seemed to be holding pressure, and they couldn't find leaking dye anywhere. And then he said something really cool - he told me to monitor the A/C and that if it lost charge over time, that I should bring it back in and they'd apply the recharge fee to a more thorough diagnosis.

I was super happy with that. ...though, I realize now - after doing this job myself - that the $165 I paid for the recharge is about $150 more than the materials they used to charge the system!

But hey, I don't want to take away from my joy at the time!

Anyway, I made it through spring and most of summer with at-least-kinda-working-A/C, but by the end of summer, it was quite clear that things were a bit on the sweaty side. But summer was over and I let it go till the next spring, when I took it in again to the same service manager and said, "Hey, remember how you said you'd apply that recharge fee to a diagnosis?"

And, to his credit, he was like, "Yep, let's do it!"

At any rate, three hours later, I was walking out of Toyota with a charged system and a bit more knowledge of the leak. It seems the tech poked around for a while under the hood and couldn't find anything - despite another dose of refrigerant and dye - and then used a refrigerant detector tool to sample the air coming out of the vents. Sure enough, it triggered, and the diagnosis was not good.

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Now, a curious reader may wonder, "What, pray tell, recommendation did Dan decline?" Well, I declined the $3,800 estimate to repair the system. Because, well, blue book value on the Tacoma is probably right around that amount. And, I hoped - even if I had to take the entire dash out to do it - that I could fix the A/C for a fraction of the price.

And I thought that because it was now two years later, and I was a bit more comfortable poking around in the truck. For better or worse.

Present Day

With summer coming - again - I knew it was time to get off my butt and make the A/C work. Knowing that the problem was inside the cab, I figured I might as well replace all the parts there just so I wouldn't have to wonder if it wasn't really the evaporator core, and so I purchased all the parts that I thought I'd need.

• A/C Evaporator Core (88501-04030) - the main component, air is cooled as it's blown over this radiator.
• A/C Pressure Switch (88645-04040) - monitors pressures in the system, and turns off the A/C if pressures aren't within certain tolerances.
• A/C Expansion Valve (88515-22240) - manages how much refrigerant flows throughout the evap core, so the core doesn't freeze.

I also did a little looking around online and discovered that any time you replace a component of your A/C system, it's also a good idea to replace the Receiver/Dryer, so I picked up one of those as well:

• A/C Receiver Drier (88471-34010)

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My wallet a little lighter, I wasn't done hemorrhaging cash quite yet. I still needed to pick up a couple special tools and some miscellaneous supplies. Still, I'd be well under the quote I'd gotten from Toyota.

• A/C Diagnostic Manifold Gauge Set - this gauge set would allow me to test the system and to charge the system with 134a refrigerant once I knew it would hold pressure.
• A/C Vacuum Pump - working in tandem with the manifold, the vacuum pump removes all air (and more importantly moisture) from the A/C system prior to charging.
• 2, 12oz cans of 134a A/C refrigerant - this is the stuff that makes it chilly.
• A/C Can Tap for R134A Refrigerant - connects the cans of refrigerant to the manifold gauge.
• Santech MT2580 A/C System O-Ring and Gasket Kit - I figured that I might as well replace any o-rings that I came across during this process, and this Santech kit is made specifically for our Tacomas.
• A/C PAG46 Oil - 8oz - this oil is used to lubricate various parts of the system.
• 10ml (10cc) syringe - used to measure the right amount of PAG46 oil into the system.
• And of course, a few standard tools:
  • A few sockets (this is a good set) - 10mm, 12mm.
  • Two adjustable wrenches - 8-inch and 10-inch
  • Philips and Flat screwdriver
  • A 5mm hex key (this is a good set)

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All that in hand, I could procrastinate no longer!

Doing the Job

What follows here is the saga of my specific repair. If you're interested in the step-by-step, with lots of photos version of this job, check out

Replacing the A/C Evaporator Core on a 1st gen Tacoma
(or 3rd gen 4Runner)​

So, as one does, I got started by with the Receiver/Drier. I'd hoped that I could simply remove the grill and access it - but that wasn't the case; the entire driver side headlight assembly - and corner light - had to be removed. No big deal really, except that when I went to reinstall the lights, I'd misplaced all the bolts and nuts... which meant a trip to Ace Hardware to pick up replacements.

It turns out that this was a good place to start because replacing the Receiver is reasonably easy. In 20 minutes I was done, and that meant I'd built up a bit of confidence!

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Next, it was on to the Evap Core itself. The process of removing it is reasonably long and detailed - though not really that hard, and definitely not the horrible experience that I'd been led to believe - and another couple hours later, I had the Evap Core sitting on my workbench, its housing removed.

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I could smell victory. Or maybe that was my own sweat.​

At any rate, I continued to follow the instructions I'd put together, and soon I had everything installed back in the truck and had my A/C Manifold Gauge hooked up to the system in order to pull a vacuum. Things really couldn't have been going better, I thought... prematurely.

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To my delight, the cheap vacuum pump did just fine with my big-old compressor and I pulled a full -30inHg for half an hour while the compressor hummed away in the background. Sure that I was going to be charging up the system in no time, I turned off the compressor and futzed around on my phone while I waited to ensure that the system maintained the vacuum for another 30 minutes.

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And this, my friends, is where the trouble started.

After 15 minutes, the system was down to -25inHg, and by the time 30 minutes had elapsed - well, there was clearly a problem and I was bummed. I put everything away for the afternoon and went inside, not sure what my next steps should be. Did I just pay $270 for a new Toyota Evap Core, only to have it be no good?! And, was I really so unlucky as to have an evap core fail in the truck and then get another faulty one when I went to replace it?

I stewed for an hour or so, and as I was relating the story to @mrs.turbodb, I wondered out loud - I wonder if I should go to Harbor Freight and get another manifold gauge, just in case the leak isn't in the A/C system at all.

It was a genius idea that someone brighter than me would have had hours earlier. With 20 minutes until Harbor Freight closed, I jetted down and picked up a second manifold gauge and also grabbed a Refrigerant Leak Detector - a neat little tool that detects R134a in the atmosphere and sounds and alarm when it is detected. I figured that if worse came to worse, I could use it to find where the leak was.

The next day, I hooked up the new manifold gauge set and once again pulled a good vacuum @ -30inHg - but I didn't get my hopes up until an hour later when the gauges were still sitting at -30inHg.

Success!
Except, no. See, it turns out that I'd forgotten to open the Schrader valves on the high and low pressure lines in the engine bay - so all I'd done was hold a vacuum on the manifold gauge itself.

Of course, when I correctly setup the manifold and tried to hold vacuum on the system, I was once again foiled - though, this time the vacuum only dropped from 30inHg to 27inHg in half an hour. At least this time, I knew that the manifold wasn't the thing leaking - or rather, it wasn't also leaking.

I broke out the Refrigerant Leak Detector and poked around the engine compartment - focusing on the bits I'd replaced - the Receiver/Drier, and the connections through the firewall, as well as around the compressor and condenser. No alarms.

Hesitant to see the results, I moved into to the cab and stuck the sensor into the air vents. Sure enough, it triggered! Somehow, someway, I had a leak in the brand new evap core I'd bought from Toyota. So, I pulled it all out and tested it with the detector. Yep, even though I couldn't see any of the dye leaking out anywhere, the detector was sure that this thing was hot.

https://www.youtube.com/embed/RpHEyNplq9I

Well damn.

So, I called up the (non-local) Toyota dealer from which I'd ordered the evap core, and the parts manager was actually great. I told him the situation, and speculated that perhaps the reasonably fragile evap core had been damaged in shipping and he offered to send a prepaid return label, as well as refund my purchase price once he received the return.

Which was great, except that it left me without an evap core.

I considered getting one at partsgeek.com, but that would take a week or more and still involve shipping - so in the end I decided to pay twice as much (but still half of Toyota) and head down to Napa and pick one up locally.

The build quality on the Napa evap core didn't look quite as good as the OEM core, but one thing it did have going for it was that it came with a gasket attached to the inlet and outlet - a gasket that kept the entire core pressurized like a soda can until I removed it to install the pressure switch and other components that I'd purchased for the job.

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And boy, was there pressure released when I removed the gasket. That was a good thing, because it meant that I knew that any leak in the system now was not a result of the evap core.

So, I set about putting everything back together for the second time - now, much more confident in my movements - and I pulled a -30inHg vacuum on the system. Triple checking that I'd opened and closed the right valves on the manifold, I left it alone for 45 minutes - my fingers and toes metaphorically crossed.

It worked!​

After such an ordeal, you can imagine my joy when I returned to find the same -30inHg readout on the manifold.

I set about charging the system - a reasonably easy process after everything else I'd been through and then wrapped up the job by reinstalling all the bits I'd removed in order to get at the components I'd replaced.

Now - the question remains - is it really fixed? I don't know - only time will tell, but by all measures it should be - and if it's not then I guess my next step is to replace the A/C compressor and condenser, since those are the only components I haven't replaced at this point!

But hey, for now, the truck is COLD. Fun times .

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Update: 5 July 2020
The A/C isn't fixed. It worked great (held the charge) for about a week and then stopped blowing cold. So, there's more to come regarding this saga...

 

Dang, this is why I hate doing A/C work on vehicles. Seems like you are always chasing something, and it's always the last part you replace. I always tell people to just replace it all if you are going to do it.

But how is the cab noise now? Would have been great to see before and after decibel readings, I bet there is a big difference.

 

FWIW, I've had the same issue with my 2G only the repair lasted longer. When I look at the system, there a pipe that connects to the core and is hard at the ends, flexible in the middle-sort of. I think that connection is the weak point. At least in my case.

Good luck!

 

Funny, when I lose things, it's always the last place I look that I find them again, too.

Cab noise is great...except that I'm rolling around with the windows down now, hahaha!

Thanks, I'll check that out. You mean the line in the engine bay right? I've got a new compressor to go in now, and that "flex" line seems like it's wrapped in something - could hide a leak I guess.

 

Yes. Runs from the compressor out to the core. Maybe use your sniffer along the link? Either way, it's got gaskets on either end and the engine and evaporator core do move separately so I suppose that could be the issue.

 

I meant to ask, did you put any dye in the refrigerant? You could use a UV light to look for that as well.

 

Yeah, that's the one. I ran the sniffer along it and got nothing. Replaced the o-ring at the firewall end of it last time; will do the compressor end this time (perhaps obviously).

Yep, had dye in it for a year (from Toyota). Neither they, nor I could find it anywhere. I bought some UV, and will be trying it this time.

 

The dye is sometimes hard to detect unless it spews out. And if you didn't put enough in, it may also be harder to find it. The other place to look is the high and low ports. Make sure they're not leaking.

 

I think it's not the high/low ports - at least initially - because the system didn't hold pressure originally when the manifold was connected to those ports (so they were open). Though, I suppose it could have been the evap core AND the high/low ports originally. I'll give them a check.

 

Now that I read my post again, that does sound silly, lol.

What I meant was by the time you have it fixed you have replaced the entire system. At least that is what happens to me, lol. When I take on something like this I just go buy all the parts and do the whole thing at once.

 

That's the expensive proposition. What sucks is, unless you know all the coolant is out of the system, you need to have it evacuated-not so nice a stuff to leak into the atmosphere.

 

For sure! If it's a leaky system, though, most of it is already out in the atmosphere. Might do more harm chasing a leak through every component than just replacing it all and being done with it. But taking it somewhere that can evac it safely is the right thing to do first.

I just find auto AC to be finicky when it gets older. You replace one component and the problem moves to the next component. Maybe not immediately, but within a year you are doing another repair.

Of course, if it is not a daily driver, it doesn't hurt to take your time going through it.

Looks like all the parts could be had for under $400. That's actually not too bad.

 

That is one of the reasons I don’t do auto A/C, too many different types of hoses, O-rings, piping and evaps. Lots of it aluminum, with so many dissimilar materials and all the vibration, and work hardening you can chase leaks till the cows come home. I would look at any mechanical connections. I’ll read through it all in the morning and maybe I see something that I missed tonight.

 

Yep I feel the pain, these ‘how hard can it be’ projects end up with enough bits to do the job twice when it is all said and done(?). The early 1st gens are way too busy under the hood with the giant charcoal canister, conveniently located where it is. I have all my relays mounted right where you mounted your compressor, I’ thinking the compressor will go into the bed RH side up forward.
Of course that will require a compressor, so just planning for now.

 

Great write up on the sound dampening, another one for the to do list!


Another fun learning experience about this type of project is that while you have to be optimistic about being able to do the job, you definitely have to be pessimistic about having enough supplies. That is where the bush mechanic comes out and then you have enough bits and pieces to do about 1-1/2 more wiring projects . Don’t even get me started on revisions....

Fuse panel install ver 1.0: next version will have a bigger bracket...

 

So true. I still have all those electrical supplies I bought for the Bussman, LOL. Will use them eventually I guess. Ironic thing is that now with the dual batteries, a lot of the electronics are in the cab, and the Bussman is used only for the aux lights and compressor, since it connects to the starting battery. Basically, unnecessary. Still a fun project though!

That looks like a great setup! I'd have put my Bussmann there if I didn't have F$#%#$# ABS! LOL.