2003 4Runner Limited 4wd V8 FJ tcased overlanding rockcrawling do-it-all build

Yeah, it won't cause any real issues. Only thing it will do is not drain all the oil with the dent there. Not a huge problem. Slide hammer with a bolt threaded into the drain hole should do the trick tho.

 

Well, it was fun (not) while it lasted.

DT headers are coming out, think I already have them sold. Got them installed with the Solid Offroad motor mounts, everything bolted down and I was starting to reassemble the DT y-pipe and remainder of the exhaust so I could get a first start in with the headers. Hadn't even run the truck with them open yet.

The DT y-pipe would not line up with the headers AT ALL. I could get one side or the other but not both. And then I discovered that the y-pipe with the headers would interfere with the front drive shaft. I had removed it to facilitate the header install on the driver side. No amount of juggling would make it clear short of cutting and rewelding the mount flanges. By this time, I was in no mood the deal with this bullshit and decided to go back to the OEM manifolds. I really don't have the time or the funds to have a custom y-pipe done and I'm just over it.









Leaving the Ti studs installed and using the DT exhaust gaskets along with the stock locking exhaust manifold nuts. Way more room to work on things like this, no worries of not passing the smog check, as much of a joke as it is, and no worries of dealing with the CEL issue for the O2 sensors. Truck sounds great as it is with the OEM manis, DT y-pipe (which clears the front driveshaft fine with the OEM manis) and cat back system. I have had to order a new dipstick tube since I mangled the original trying to make it work with the headers and also a driver side mani heat shield since I tossed the original last week and trash went out last Thursday.





BTW, 03-04 dipstick tubes are no longer available. This is because they have a little extra on the bracket that bolts to the head to help hold the trans dipstick. 05-09 V8 doesn't have a trans dipstick and that oil dipstick is still available, so I ordered one of those and will figure out securing the trans dipstick tube later. Part numbers for the oil dipstick tube below.

15301-50120 Dipstick $16.96
96721-19010 Engine Oil Dipstick Tube Seal $2.32
11452-50190 Oil Tube $28.63

 

That's a bummer

 

Same has happened to a lot of us. At the time I didn't have time to install the Y pipe and I was having it done at my buddies shop, so I had them cut it and clock the drivers flange, when they reported the misalignment. Don't remember what they charged me.
Don't recall the front drive shaft clearance being a problem.
I wonder how much difference there is in the Tundra vs 4Runner set, and if they've had some cross reference issues at Thorley.

 

Front driveshaft isn't an issue with running the OEM manis and DT y-pipe. It was only an issue with the headers. Since you cut and clocked the flange, you probably eliminated the clearance issue. I was just too frustrated and worn out to give a shit about running the headers any longer and wasn't about to start chopping up the exhaust just to make it fit right.

 

Yea it sucks. I do remember having them cut the Y flange, not the headers.

 

Hmm, wonder what the difference is. Had a shop install my DT headers and URD y-pipe. No issues on fitment for me. You think it's the pipe or the headers? Long tube DT's, right?

 

I'd say it was the headers, since the y-pipe fits perfectly with the OEM manifolds. Yes, long tube DT's.

I could have made it work but I am just completely over it. I didn't want to have to cut and reweld tubes, just to make everything work. I would have understood if it was from different manufacturers but from the same place, I expect them to fit correctly. My guess is that they made the y-pipe to fit the OEM manifolds but expected people to have a custom exhaust done with the headers, so didn't worry about making the headers a perfect match to the OEM manis outlet.

 

Driver side exhaust manifold is back on, just need the heat shield now. That and the new dipstick tube are supposed to be delivered tomorrow.

While I wait for that, I'm dropping the transfer case tot take care of a leak that it has now, which I suspect is coming from the front input shaft seal or one of the 2 shift shaft seals. Transfer case had just over 130k miles on it when I installed it and I have put an additional 40k miles on it. So not overly surprising to have leaks sprout up with around 170k on it now.

 

So, I'm dumb. I didn't toss the driver side heat shield after all, just placed it in a spot so I could find it later and completely over looked it until today. And the new one has already shipped and due for delivery tomorrow.

Which means the driver side is now all buttoned up and I am just waiting for the new dipstick tube, which is also scheduled for tomorrow. And since I'm waiting, I might as well take care of some additional things.

Replaced the coolant hoses running to the throttle body as they were fuel line and getting very hard, close to brittle. I also got some 3/16" thick rubber sheet and cut out some new splash shields for the front wheel wells. The OEM ones are long gone and the ones I had made previously were pre-body lift and had torn. They were also thinner and didn't cover as much. The new ones I made to cover more of the gap in the wheels wells. I also drilled the retaining holes a little larger to use better clips.





Working on dropping the transfer case now to replace the seals on the front of it. They started leaking recently and the front of the tcase is coated in gear oil.

 

Transfer case has a fresh input shaft seal now. There was about 1/2 a quart of gear oil that spilled out when I separated the tcase from the trans. Shift shaft seals were dry so definitely the input shaft seal. Of course, when I pulled the shifter, I found the shifter bushing was basically dust so I called Marlin and have a new bushing arriving tomorrow so I can wrap everything up. Shipping was expensive tho! So tomorrow I get the clean up trans tunnel and reseal my filler plate yet again. Going to try something different this time and use butyl rubber instead of gobs of black silicone sealant. Sorry, no updated pics from today. This is all stuff that I have done previously when I installed the tcase the first time.

 

I only received one part today, the heat shield, which I don't need. Dipstick tube was on the same tracking number but nothing showed from Fedex. And the shifter bushing from Marlin appears to have not shipped, according to the tracking number on UPS. Label created but UPS is still waiting for the package it seems.

So I have to call both Marlin and McGeorge on Monday to find out what the fuck happened. The 2 things I need to finish putting the 4runner together.

 

I have always struggled with marlin...

 

Marlin is such a shit show; they're 15mins from my house and I still don't bother to give them the business.

 

Yeah, unfortunately, they are the best and only real option for the shifter bushings. OEM works but they don't last for shit and aren't available as a separate part.

 

Following this .

 

New dipstick tube stuff showed up today. To make the newer tube work, I had to cut the factory retaining bracket off it, cut the original bracket off my molested tube from the failed header install and then weld the original bracket to the new tube. Then I was able to bolt the new tube to the head in the original location and still be able to bolt the trans dipstick tube, also into the original location. Bit if a hack but since the original tube for 03-04 V8 4Runners is discontinued and the 05-09 isn't but has different mount points, ya gotta make it work! Side note, I think the 05-09 dipstick tube is slightly shorter than the 03-04 one. I lost about 1/2 quart of oil in this whole debacle but with the new tube, it's reading like it's over-filled now. I know for a fact it isn't and should be maybe 1/2 quart low since I recently did oil and filter on it, before the old motor mount broke. So, I'll have to adjust the fill lines on the new dipstick now. Which is the same length as the original, so it's not the dipstick itself.





The tcase shifter bushing from Marlin is supposed to arrive tomorrow, so I should be driving the truck again by this weekend. I was able to fire it up again for the first time in over 3 weeks and it idles super smooth. No exhaust leaks, so I know for certain the old, OEM manifold gaskets were leaking pretty good but no cracks in these manifolds that I can detect now. Happy about that. No codes have popped either.

 

Tcase shifter bushing from Marlin arrived yesterday. Can confirm that the blue shifter bushing fits the FJC tcase (non-awd) with the oem rubber washer underneath it.

https://www.marlincrawler.com/trans...r-parts/heavy-duty-shifter-seat-forward-shift

Finished reinstalling the center console and drove it to/from softball last night and then to work this morning. Zero issues so far. No more exhaust leak tick, confirming that it was just the OEM manifold gaskets leaking on mine and not a cracked manifold. Throttle response is more instantaneous with the Solid Offroad motor mounts. Slightly more felt vibrations when sitting at a stop light but it's not bad at all. Driving the truck and the drivetrain just feels more solid now and working properly. Amazing how sloppy it felt before, which I can only recognize now that it isn't.

 

Also, highly recommend using these exhaust manifold gaskets for either headers or stock manifolds. These are the identical gaskets to what I used and that come with the Dough Thorley headers. They seal way better than OEM manifold gaskets do.

$38 Remflex 7023 Exhaust Gasket for Toyota V8 Engine, (Set of 2)

https://www.amazon.com/Remflex-7023-Exhaust-Gasket-Toyota/dp/B00GTF9790

 

New tires going on Friday next week. Toyo's new Open Country R/T Trail in 285/75/17.

Current tires are Toyo Open Country A/T III in 285/70/17. They are still serviceable with 40,577 miles on them but I killed one with a 1" tear in the sidewall and I have a road trip to Seattle at the end of June so I wanted to have new tires on before that, with a matching spare.