Knock sensors and harness question

No
Take the intake all the way off.
Lay across the motor and slam your head into the firewall.
Look down behind the head on the pass side. It’s clipped to a support.
Getting to it is another story..

 

Is this video similar to a 2006 tacoma??

 

If you have the 4.0L the engine is identical to the 4th gen 4Runner so yes it should basically be the same process.

 

We're part way thru this job using the excellent video - at the 15:00 mark he wrestles with a bolt at the back of the engine that holds 2 wire looms and is attached to the coolant tubes , I found an almost straight shot access to this bolt - this pic is looking thru the passenger wheel well , with the wheel removed , 1/4"drive configuration of socket/universal/short extension - the next pic is in the engine bay behind passenger cylinder head , really long 3/8" drive extension and rachet meets up with the 1/4" stuff below ... super easy ... by the way , on our 2009 Tacoma , it's a bolt , not a nut.

 

FYI, on my 08 I did not have to take off that back bracket by the fire wall. Did not loosen that nut/bolt. I did not want to deal with getting it re-fastened.

I cut the front and middle bracket close to the smaller pipe and then filed smooth both sides of the cut. Trying to avoid them coming into contact when I use the rubber and stop method like in the video.

The knock sensor harness connector mounts to a point in the valley and the back bracket via the factory zip tie-ish thing. I was able to get a blade on the zip tie and cut through. Then I fished the sensor side of the harness towards the fire wall and pulled the connector up to gain access to the clip. I did this while laying on top of the engine.