kigmob's 1997 Supercharged 5VZ Toyota Tacoma 4x4 Build

Small update. I FINALLY got the header back from Doug Thorley. It looks great! I purchased an o2 simulator from a fellow TW member. I plan on going catless once I install the headers. Now I should have everything I need to get these headers on. I should be able to install them some time in December. Also, here's a few pics of how the trucks looking now a days.

 

Red TRD sticker on the SC



I also got an 01-04 style rear glass off eBay. I want to upgrade my quarter glass and rear glass to the 01-04 style to get rid of the ugly reflective/mirror glass that's on the truck now. I also like the tri-pane windows better.

 

Playing around in the dirt. Listen for the S/C at the end of the video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B1OCwj4-3Go

 

Got rid of my TG turn signals and did the blinker re-locate mod. I was getting tired of the extra wires hanging out and being worried to go through an automatic car wash . It looks so much cleaner now. I had to go back to some old tinted clear corners I had because I cracked my current corner lens trying to drill the holes. I actually like the look of these now.

 

Truck looks real good man. Have you dynoed it lately? I also have 33" Duratracs and I like them a lot. I have been able to get 19.1 keeping my foot out of it.

 

You need a retrofit now.

 

Just noticing these comments.

Thanks. I have never dyno'd it. It pulls nicely even with the 33" Duratracs. I'm thinking about regearing to 4.56's though to help waken up the SC some. Are you referring to 19.1 as mpgs? If so thats really well. I'm usually around 15-16. I can maybe get to 17 if I drive it like it doesn't have a SC.

God I would love that. Just so much $$$. I'm working on a few small things with the truck but like I mentioned above, I'm starting to look into regearing to 4.56's as my next big mod. Retro fits will hopefully come in the future though.

 

Small update:

I was not able to install my headers over my Christmas break like I wanted. Looks like they will have to wait until summer. I have mainly been keeping up with maintenance and doing small mods.

Recent Purchases:
1. TRD dynamic tensioner w/ pulley (Trying to track down a belt squeal issue at 3500-4000 RPMs)
2. Genuine black face TRD boost gauge (My current white TRD boost gauge does not match my 95-97 black gauge cluster)

Recent Minor Mods:
1. I installed 4 Kicker DSC65 6.5" speakers in the truck to replace my factory speakers. They sound really well except the rear passenger one does not work. I tried to figure it out today with no luck. I hate trying to pin point electrical problems. I'll look more into it when I have time.
2. I also got around to installing my B.A.M.F. BPV bracket. Braking feels a bit better now.


photo hosting

Other future plans include replacing my rear glass with the 01-04 style glass I ordered off of eBay a few months ago, wrapping my hood to cover the damaged clear coat, touching up my fender flares, and installing my headers of course.

 

Got a black TRD boost gauge. Glad I found this. These things are hard to come by. My white face TRD boost gauge will be up for sale.

 

How hard was it to wire up the 7th to Thea 97 ecu ?

 

Sorry bro just now checking on this build thread lol. I'm sure you got yours all hooked up by now. Wasn't too bad. Just very limited space under the dash to solder.

 

Figured I should update this thread a bit.

The next job I completed on my truck was the fan clutch. I didn't realize how bad it was until after I replaced it. Apparently the Hulk installed the previous fan clutch. I could not get the nuts to break loose for anything. I had to use a belt strap propped up against the power steering pulley to hold the fan pulley and then use vice grips on each nut to get them off. What a PITA. Then I had to go get new nuts and re install everything. I honestly couldn't believe how much quieter my truck is. It no longer sounds like a school bus coming down the street. I highly recommend replacing your fan clutch if your truck is really loud. At start up it will be loud, but after about a minute or so of operation the fan clutch should release the fan and allow it to "free wheel"/quiet down.






Also I replaced the dynamic tensioner for the supercharger with a new one from TRD.



I should note that the new fan clutch got rid of the belt squeal I had at 3500-4000 RPMs. The S/C belt has proper tension now and the fan clutch isn't holding back on it causing it to squeal.

 

My next mod was the URD Short Throw Shifter as well as a HD shifter seat and socket from Marlin. I love the way it shifts now and the new socket and seat helped with some slop in the shifter.


New seat and socket.




Old seat was actually in good shape.




New seat installed.




I was unable to get pictures of the short throw shifter installed. It was a very easy/straight forward install.

 

I created a nose cone support for my TRD S/C just like Gadget did a while back. I followed this:

http://www.gadgetonline.com/Tensioner.htm

I got a static tensioner plate and cut it up so it cleared the dynamic tensioner and pulley. The plate mounts to the nose cone of the S/C and acts as a support. I agree with Gadget that the nose cone of these S/C's should be supported. There is a lot of tension from the belt that is pulling down on the nose cone. These superchargers are bolted to our soft aluminum intake manifolds with a few bolts torqued to like 13 ft/lbs IIRC.

Before:


Cut:


No support:


Supported:




Since the install pictured above, I got the correct length bolt and eliminated the washers. I also got a thicker spacer between the plate and S/C for better support.

 

After letting my Doug Thorley headers sit for over a year, I decided to man up and install them. This was easily one of the worst jobs I've done on my truck. Removing the stock manifolds and cross over pipe was the hardest part. I found it interesting though that my kit was infact completely bolt on straight from Doug Thorley. I haven't seen anyone else with a completely bolt on kit. My kit is the EGR version (even though I don't have EGR) and came with this small adapter pipe. It fits right in between the y pipe and the cat. The front of my cat already has a 2 bolt flange on it so there was no cutting and welding for me. The adapter pipe made it all fit perfectly. The headers look great and give the exhaust a bit of a deeper tone. I still have my stock cat and a 18" magnaflow dumped before the axle. Throttle response feels better as well. Here's some pics.












You can see the adapter pipe and where I installed an AEM no weld O2 bung for my wideband. The no weld bung was cheap and was something I could do myself without having to bring the truck to a shop. Also, by not having to weld in a O2 bung, I was able to save the ceramic coating of the adapter pipe.

 

Changed out my rear glass with an 01-04 style glass. I like these much better. The install was kind of a PITA. Getting the new window and gasket to seat properly required a lot of pushing and pulling. Definitely needed help. The trick I used was to insert a 1/4" rope into the channel of the gasket and as my helper pushed from the outside, I pulled the rope out to allow the lip of the gasket channel to lift up over the pinch weld it sits on.








Now I just need to change the quarter windows to get rid of the reflective glass.

 

My most recent mod was installing a test pipe from LCEngineering and a URD O2 simulator. Their website says the test pipe is for the 3RZ but it's the same dimensions as the cat on my 5VZ. Although it was the same dimensions it did not just bolt up. It would have bolted up but apparently the I.D. of the OEM catalytic converter is a hair larger than the I.D. of the test pipe. There is a 1/4" lip on the rear exhaust pipe that fits into the rear of the catalytic converter. This lip would not fit inside the test pipe. I got out my grinder/cut off wheel and when to work. It all went together perfectly with the lip removed. I also installed 2 new OEM exhaust gaskets at each end of the test pipe. It sounds GREAT with the Doug Thorley headers and the 18" Magnaflow dumped before the axle. It's actually a pretty deep tone and is only loud when I get on it between 1500-2500 RPM. Anything smaller than the 18" muffler and it would be too loud for me. This is the perfect setup IMO.

Here's a pic of the test pipe. Its ceramic coated which is nice.




Pic of the lip I had to cut off.






During the install I notice my center support bearing has gone to shit. I can wiggle it around about a half an inch in each direction. I am surprised how long it lasted being that it was 35$ off eBay. I decided to order a new OEM center support bearing as well as all new OEM u joints. I plan on taking the shaft off and having a driveline shop install the bearing, joints, and balance the shaft.

 

Do you have negative boost at idle?? When I rev it in neutral it's still negative and no whine

 

Subbed, great truck man

 

Yes this is how it should be.