El Honcho - 1st Gen Taco build

Here is the wire schematic for the ignition circuit if it helps anyone. Might start a new thread for intermittent no crank no start in the first gen section...

 

HONCHO BE THE BOSS

 

My lazy ass did it with the steering rack unbolted but still connected to the rag joint. Ratchet strapped it out of the way as much as possible. Definitely wished I would have done this a couple of years ago when I did the front. O well, some of the front needed cleaned up anyways. Swapped out my LBJ's like it was 1968. Vatozone limited lifetime... Both LBJ's were loose as a goose. Boots not torn, no grease leaking. Just sloppy play. Tie rods are brand new. Did notice the driver side uniball on the upper has more play/looser than the passenger side. Passenger side is still really tight like it was brand new. Any guesses what that may be due to?

Need to get everything buttoned up so I can start to diagnose this high idle issue by taking DALANDSER steps to test voltage at the connector. I feel like the MAF readings may be off too. Is there a reference anywhere on the net for Tacoma ECU readings??? What is a normal MAF reading at idle? The only other thing that I did was clean the MAF with parts cleaner and not electrical cleaner. The MAF used to read like 5g/s at idle and now it's near 8 or 9g/s... Thinking this may be effecting my idle more than the shitty throttle body butterfly or IAC... It is absolutely amazing how many people have IAC/high idle issues on the Toyota 5vzfe. The internet is LITTERED with stories of high idle, no fix. Shit kind of pisses me off.

 

JON64l, sorry I never got back to you about picking up the throttle body. I wanted to get the truck running first. I will text you about the TB now that I have everything back running.

Other Note: Purchased the Tundra 13wl red caliper and rotor kit for $250 off Ebay. Also have a full rebuild kit for the back drums. New shoes and new drum cylinders. I ordered but haven't received the Willwood manual proportioning valve. After our mishap at Sheep Bridge I realized that I really really really need the back brakes to work because that is also the EMERGENCY brake for well, you know, EMERGENCIES! Also the stopping power my truck has right now with full long travel and 35's is atrocious. I can see why I go through front brakes every 2 years because those are the only two working!

Only other thing needed in the immediate is to make a simple rear tube bumper with receiver for hitch. 102 today in Phoenix and I can't tow the jet ski until this is done... it's LAKE TIME!

 

Hey joe, I saw you were asking some questions on another build thread about valance thickness and availability so I figured I’d hit you back on your build thread as to not clutter that other dudes thread.

Fiberwerx makes ones that you can cut to size and shape for your own personal bumper. 3/16 thick and they offer a hardware kit for mounting. I personally have experience with them. We made a bumper for my buddies tundra and it worked out great.

here’s a link:


https://www.fiberwerx.com/products/black-abs-plastic-valance

 

Thanks brother!

 

Nice Desolate Motorsports sells one with a choice of 6-8" width too.

https://desolatemotorsports.com/product-tag/valance/

I bought hardware from ebay (fender washers) and McMaster Carr

https://www.ebay.com/itm/M10-CNC-Bi...e=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649

https://www.mcmaster.com/screws

Flathead Screws > 18-8 Stainless Steel Metric M10 and pick your desired length

I actually switched to Zinc coated since Stainless bolts don't slide into the regular steel nuts I welded on to my supports well, but both are corrosion resistant.

https://www.mcmaster.com/nuts

Nyloc or whatever else you might want in M10. I welded the nuts into the valence supports.

The M10 hardware is bigger than what I think most pre-assorted kits will come with - maybe M6.

I bought a bunch for my fiberglass mounting points as well as the valence rather than having to go through either fiberwerx / desolate if you want more hardware. It's convenient only having one size allen wrench for my panels / valence when messing around with taking stuff on and off.

 

I recently trimmed and re-hung my rear glass. Made some beefy stays that utilize the two threaded holes under the bed supports fore and aft. I pushed out the glass as much as it would go without making it want to crack. It looks so much better now. I found some black fender washers on Ebay for a good price. They look pretty good. I'll post up some pics. Need to re-paint though. Not sure why but the paint I used did not bond well to the primer under it. Not messing with the HVLP spray gun this time. I'm going to roll it on. White oil based enamel. Then wet sand and spray with a clear. This last time I used the 2k clear but that shit is expensive and not sure its worth it. Might just use the enamel clear this time.

 

Last few days of work. Welded the 1/8 chromoly cam tab gussets. Got the alignment cams back on exactly where they were or +-1mm. Got new LBJ's in and cleaned the whole area up. Made some resi mounts out of angle iron that I welded to the frame. Before I just had the resis ghetto hose clamped to the frame. Put some new stickers on the resis too. Everything looks clean right now. Just waiting for these red powder coated Tundra 13wl calipers, rotors and pads. Got my alarm situation figured out. Just deleting the starter kill completely. Getting all that organized and zip tied neatly under the column. Another win today, I got my DVD working on the Pioneer for the first time in 3 years. It was just the simple ground switch so you can watch while driving. The only time I really use it is when we're waiting to get back into the US from Mexico.

One love to the survivors!

Covid 2020.

 

your thread makes me miss my 1st gen

 

I would love a new Tacoma but I won't do financing and honestly, I would never have to work on anything. Almost better this way. It makes you more knowledgeable owning a 20 year old vehicle. The only way this truck is going bye bye is if I can get into a 1st gen DC or DC w/4x4... Thanks for following the thread!

 

Thinking about this too, there's very few bolts on my truck I haven't had a wrench on, wiring I haven't messed with, or fabbed stuff I helped make or done myself. I just worry building this thing might end by the time something else becomes better. Even then a trail diagnosis won't always be possible, so I imagine what it would feel like with a modern vehicle out in bfe when it decides to not start and not from basic reasons or a built truck that opens a whole other can of worms once I get to see gremlins pop up I wasn't aware of upon buying it.

Then there is the fact that a double cab and an extra cab share the same frame - just moving body mounts lol.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B_keHLcHeQv/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

https://www.instagram.com/project_pos_taco/

 

You beat it off-road and you will be working on it the same number of hours no matter what year it is. The future is old, smog-exempt, TTB's and LS for me.

 

I have contemplated everything that you said LOL. My truck is a love/hate relationship definitely. I've had some relationships like that too so maybe it's my personality type. I need something to FIX. LMFAOOOOO! DONT SAVE HER, DONT SAVE HER, SHE DONT WANT TO BE SAVED BRO (Ty$ voice). The electrical gremlins are what keep me up at night. Unfortunately, I've dealt with too many on this truck out of my own inability or unwillingness when I was younger to fix the battery tie down issue. For years the battery was moving around under there just destroying shit slow like cancer. Never had symptoms back then. Similar to smoking. Just disrespected the hell out of my truck and now years later I'm paying for it. I agree though. New truck would be so nice for peace of mind and reliability HOWEVER, these late models are so tech advanced that troubleshooting issues becomes so much more difficult. It's like guys that prefer carb to EFI... I guess that's the other advantage of having the early model Taco. Shit is way easier to replace, diagnose. But yea man, the new stocker vs built question. As you say, wtf do you do when a 2019 isn't starting in BFE. Both not starting sucks but... and personally, I was born a throttle popper out of the womb. I think I would get bored and throttle pop a stocker and break something LOL. Ultimately though, I'm a numbers guy. I don't do payments. In times like these it's so nice not to have any car payment to make. I own my truck, my 99 4 door Civic and a Seadoo GTX, all straight cash homie. No payments. Nobody's coming at 2am to repo any of my shit, ever. LOL I think I mentioned it earlier in the thread but for a small minute there last summer this guy my girlfriend works with was trying to sell me this double cab shell. Seems like the easy way to do it but I don't know. This was so incomplete that I think it would have been so expensive to do. I'm waiting for that 1st gen DC 4x4 with a blown head gasket or something for like 4k and just swap everything from my truck over. I'd have to find stocker parts for my current whip to at least get something in return for it as a re-sale.... I figure the difference when everything is said and done may only be a 1-2k...

 

Yo, FUCK FEDEX!!!!!!! 7 days to get brakes from CHI TOWN to Phoenix. They spent two days in CHI CITY after being accepted, to in transit. Only took the parcel 1 day to go from CHI CITY to Phoenix. After initially arriving in Phoenix, the parcel spent another 2 nights in Phoenix. Now finally out for delivery today.

I fucking hate EBAY. Ebay will be EGONE in a few more years after Amazon eats up every last bit of market share. 2 day shipping has spoiled us. I'm reasonable so 4 days from CHI CITY I can fuck with. 7 days is down right disrespectful.

 

Since I'm sitting here holding my dick waiting for FEDEX to provide their mediocre service and because I'm missing MEXICO so deeply right now: FISHING PICS/JET SKI PICS. Talking about early year tech. 97 SEADOO GTX meant strictly for fishing. I bought it not running for 1k with trailer. Put some elbow grease into it and rebuilt carbs, new battery some other minor maintenance items... 3 years later still going strong! Set up for fishing, Garmin GPS/SONAR flush mounted into the glove box. 52qt Marine cooler with 6 rod holders on the swim deck.

Shortly after I bought it:

 

Elbow grease:

 

About to go IRATE! Just received my parcel. Opened it up. No calipers or pads. Just rotors. I'm about to lose my shit.