The Ugly Blue Truck - Now With Feeble Attempts at Remapping Volume/Seek Buttons!

ACCUMULATOR DELETE MOD

Having driven both the AT and MT Tacoma for extended periods of time I can say with (biased) confidence that as they come from the factory, MT better driving truck.

The MT is not without its hiccups though -- most notably the goofy clutch pedal response that these trucks have. After finding a thread by @tonered it seemed maybe I was not in fact a moron who forgot how to drive a stick, but that Toyota had sabotaged me with whatever a clutch accumulator was: MT Accumulator Delete Mod

Below is a highly scientific graph showing the disparity between driver in/output on the clutch pedal and what the clutch actually does.



Being slowly driven insane by unpredictable shifts at the hand of my arch nemesis: The Accumulator, I finally decided to delete the bastard.


STEP 0 - Suggested Parts & Tools

Parts

• 31490-35100 - Clutch Accumulator Assembly

Tools

• 10mm wrench

STEP 1 - Disassemble the Accumulator

To play things safe, I opted to buy a new accumulator and modify it; then replace the existing unit.

The accumulator has a stamped metal backing plate held in place by four 10mm bolts. Removing those bolts allows near full disassembly of the accumulator -- enough at least for a delete.



Once the bolts are removed, separate the component parts and store everything but the cast portion for later reassembly.




STEP 2 - "Delete" the Accumulator

The MT Accumulator Delete thread shows there are a few options on how this mod is accomplished. Modifying the OEM clutch accumulator using the "dremel method" seemed the least prone to future leaks or failures that might affect the other flex/hardline options.

For this portion of the mod, @PDXscottVT was kind enough to do the machining so this unit would have unnecessarily nice fit and finish for nobody to ever see since this is an entirely internal part...

A channel was machined between the two ports on the inside face of the cast part. The channel was as deep and wide as the diameter of the two ports.






STEP 3 - Reassemble the Accumulator

Now that the accumulator is deleted, it's time to put it back together prior to reinstalling.


STEP 4 - Install the Modified Accumulator

Due to lack of a garage, or driveway, or confidence in my own ability to swap out a transmission-critical part like this... I took the truck to a shop and had them do the install.

1.5hr of labor later and the new accumulator is on.


STEP 5 - Admire the Handiwork of Others

This mod is done completely on the backs of people who know what they're doing. @tonered starting the thread, @PDXscottVT helping with the machining, and the auto shop doing the actual install. I guess my role here was "general contractor"?

Driving after installing the deleted accumulator is a more enjoyable experience. Gone are the days of jerky shifts and sluggish clutch response. Now the truck feels like every other MT I've ever driven. Shifts have become much more predictable and smooth. I might be imagining things, but the clutch also feels a bit softer -- a little easier to push in, which is nice.

 

Cleanest ADM I've ever seen!

 

It is a ridiculously stupid part that handicaps newbies and OGs alike. Nice write up!

That was done on a mill? Looks killer.

 

Yeah, I milled it with one of the manual mills here at my work in Hillsboro.

Milling took a few minutes, setting it up was slightly tricky, since it had no opposing flat surfaces to clamp on, so it wouldn’t sit flat when clamped.. So I made my own by milling the saw cut parallel with the opposite side.

Dialed in the a hole to find the center, and zip-zip, done.

If anyone else wants theirs milled, message me.

 

DEALING WITH A LEAKY BATTERY

STEP -1 - Have a Leaky Battery

While installing raptor lights a couple days ago I noticed some rust in the engine bay and on some parts -- which is weird seeing how the truck is just a touch over six months old.

If you want a bit more detail on the... "diagnosing", you can check the thread posted prior to realizing this was likely caused mostly by a leaking battery (with a pinch of ugga dugga during UCA installation.)



The driver side is very rusted near the wheel well pinch weld, along the frame, and on the UCA and its hardware.

The passenger side is in much better shape, although there does appear to be a bit of marred paint that likely happened during UCA install on that side.




STEP 0 - Assess the Damage

Looking at the battery in what passes for daylight during winter in the PNW, it's painfully obvious the battery is spewing caustic shit.









Do you see that? Subtly circled in green below... the battery looks smushed. They're not supposed to smush, right?

In the second photo below, you can see the upper left corner seems to be the source of a majority of leaked acid -- maybe due to being warped by the battery bracket?

Probably.



The longer that nasty stuff sits around the engine bay the more damage it does, so getting it off ASAP seems like a good move.


STEP 1 - Recommended Parts and Tools

Unfortunately I don't have a garage and work in the street. The PNW is rainy and cold for the next few months, which is far from recommended conditions on products like rubberized undercoat. That means once this is cleaned off, the trashed area(s?) will get temporarily sealed with something like FluidFilm or Cosmoline until proper paint can be applied in the spring.

Parts

• Baking soda
• Shop cloths
• Paper towels

Tools

• Protective eyewear
• Protective gloves
• 10mm socket and/or wrench
• Trim removal pry tool
• Sacrificial toothbrush
• Spray bottle filled with water
• Small bowl or tupperware (for mixing baking soda paste)
• Garden hose or pressure washer

STEP 2 - Remove and Clean the Battery

This part couldn't be much easier. The positive and negative leads are each attached with one 10mm nut that is loosened, and a single 10mm nut is being used to tension the battery bracket in place.

Loosen the nut on the negative terminal first and disconnect the terminal. Repeat for the positive terminal.

Loosen the nut securing the battery bracket enough that you can wiggle the hook it is attached to out of it's little pocket. The bracket should pull right out.



Once the leads are off the terminals and the bracket is off, the battery should pull right out. Be careful not to tip it so no more acid pours out (or whatever the hell it does to escape...)

In my case, the battery tray was absolutely filled with acid, so before removal it got a healthy dose of baking soda to make handling safer.



With the battery out it's nice and easy to clean. I just mixed up a thick paste of baking soda and water and used the toothbrush to smear the slurry on all sides of the battery. After letting it sit for a couple minutes, I used the spray bottle to wash off the excess, and followed up with a paper towel to dry.



Oh yeah, also remember to blast off the nasty battery tray, too. Anyone else noticing that stress line along the front edge of the tray? Yeah, me too.

Wonder how that got there




STEP 3 - Clean the Engine Bay and Affected Parts

This is pretty easy. Just dump a shitload of baking soda onto the area where the battery usually sits, and dampen it a bit with the spray bottle as needed to keep things paste-y.



I had a larger brush but ended up using the toothbrush exclusively (and still got a ton of paint off!) My technique was to work top-to-bottom back-to-front scrubbing everything and trying to remove any discolored paint. Any spots that were too tight for the brush, I got some runnier baking soda paste and let capillary action suck it into the smaller spaces.

Don't forget any removable parts that got munched on by the acid -- they need neutralized too.




After scrubbing everything down, I let it chill for a likely unnecessary 10-15 minutes.


STEP 4 - Rinse the Engine Bay

Another easy step (I like these), rinse the baking soda and battery acid cocktail off the sheet metal, wiring and critical engine components.

There's no real trick to this beyond trying to remain mindful to keep washing muck/debris away and not pushing it further into nooks and crannies. Take your time, be thorough, and make sure to hit any area you scrubbed with lots of rinse. Any areas where paint or material was taken up each got extra attention during the rinse stage.

This is also where paper towels come clutch to help soak up and remaining baking soda/water and rub off any remaining loose paint.





STEP 5 - Reinstall the Battery

Just as easy as the first go-round, just different. (How fun is that?!)

Start by putting the battery tray back into place. Then, while keeping the battery level, place it back onto the tray.

Pop the battery bracket into place, ensure the hooks are inserted in their pockets, and hand snug the 10mm nut (being sure to not overtighten... )

When re-attaching the terminals, start with the negative terminal and tighten the 10mm nut to secure it. Repeat for the positive terminal.

STEP 6 - Admire Your Handiwork

A place for everything, and everything (back) in its place (for now.)



This is another project that's not exactly celebratory at the end. There's still work to do in the immediate future to seal the exposed areas with some kind of grease or non-paint protectant in order to get the truck through to spring when the areas can see primer and paint.

If you've got any suggestions for some kind of sealer that can be applied in moderately inclement weather and is easy enough to remove in the future in favor of paint, please drop a comment!

 

Congrats man, you've got rust now, so it can be an official "ugly blue" truck

 

here for the really good writeups. Nice OP @BudFriendguy

 

For sure one of the best writers in this forum!

 

Aw geez thanks guys

 

Pretty nice build and thread you have going on, but IMO it is super unsafe to run your UCA bolts backwards. If somehow the nut comes off, running them backwards can allow the UCA bolt to come out, whereas that cannot happen the other way around. It's really not that hard to install them correctly, I'd be flipping these ASAP.

 

The install was done by a local shop that also cracked my battery when re-installing, so this doesn't surprise me. I was unaware they were backwards, but maybe that's contributing to the messed up front end feel/sounds? Sheesh...

In a few weeks I've got an appointment at Das Mule and will mention this to them, in case it's as bad as you've got me feeling it may be.

Thankfully the truck doesn't do much driving these days due to remote work, so hopefully a few more weeks won't mess anything up more than it already has been.

Thanks for the heads up!

ETA: I'd do it myself but the weather in PNW is currently a dumpster fire and I don't have a garage to work from.

 

No problem, just seems like you are pretty detailed and wanted to make sure that didn't go amiss. The installing shop definitely took the easy way out when installing them. Chances are the bolt orientation won't be causing any issues/noises, and likely won't loosen up if it was properly torqued, but definitely isn't the correct way to do it. They're installed pointing towards the rear for a reason.

If the truck was not properly aligned after the suspension went in, though, that will absolutely cause some unhappy sounds and feels.

My local alignment shop is pretty amazing here, and it took them 3x putting the truck on and off the alignment rack to make sure everything settled before it was completely dialed.

 

This is the best thread I have ever seen.

 

Full disclosure, when I replaced my UCAs a couple years ago I maintained the OEM factory orientation with the bolts installed facing towards the rear, however, I recently noticed the new TRD UCAs on the 2022 TRD Pros are being installed from the factory with their bolts "backwards" facing towards the front. So...

 

Those are actually my picture on my truck, not the OP's. I think people make an issue out of something that isn't one. I have yet to find a single case with proof of the upper bolt coming loose or out when installed backwards. The nut is torqued with a generous application of Loctite. I have checked it a couple times over the last ~5k miles, including ~1k miles off-road, since install and they have held torque just fine. And I would argue that damaging the inner fender sheet metal to install the bolt the way it comes from factory if more incorrect than the way that leaves no evidence anything was ever touched. As someone that works on pickups for a living that gets to see the dumb ways things are put together, I am more inclined to believe the only reason that bolt is slid in that direction is it is easier for the factory worker standing next to the cab-less chassis to slide the bolt downhill and have it hold itself in place while the thread the nut on than to go the other direction. They aren't thinking about future serviceability, they are thinking about what is the fastest way to get the truck together and down the line. That is however just my opinion so I run them the way I choose on my truck.

I suspect he saw my image of the control arms mounted and thought it was your truck. Looking at your images your bolts are installed the way they came from factory, hence the damage to the inner fender. What feels off? Noise? Poor driving characteristics? Do you have an alignment printout for your truck? Have you had the lift re-torqued since install? What settings are you running on your suspension? (front preload, compression and rebound front and rear).

 

SUSPENSION STUFF PART I

Not a lot to preface with here, except I'm not exactly happy with the workmanship of the shop that performed the initial install. Especially with labor costing what it did.

CHAPTER 0 - Parts

ARB Old Man Emu BP51 Kit

• BP5160011L - Shock Absorber Rear LH
• BP5160011R - Shock Absorber Rear RH
• BP5190006L - Coilover LH
• BP5190006R - Coilover RH
• FK29 - Rear Driveshaft Spacer
• OMESB108 - Leaf Spring Bushing Kit
• OMEU53B - U Bolt
• VM80010016 - Front Coil-Over Installation Kit
• VM80010017 - Rear Shock Installation Kit
• UCA0005 - Upper Control Arm

CHAPTER 1 - Gains

Before the lift was installed, I took some measurements so there was a baseline to work against. I've been putting off measuring post-install because, frankly, the truck seems a little goofy...

The front is creaky and pops on u-turns, and the rear sits comically high. Part of the cause for the high rear is using a Dakar leaf pack with only a 220# canopy in added weight so far.

I've made an appointment at another shop in town to give everything a full sanity check, attempt to run down the concerning noises, and to level out the front/rear as much as possible. With so much subject to change it all seemed like a great excuse to be lazy on the measurements.

Well... this afternoon I got out there and measured anyway. Here's the numbers:

Ground to center of wheel

• Constant: 14 ¼"

Front, center of wheel to fender

• Before: 21"
• After: 22 ¼"

Rear, center of wheel to fender

• Before: 21"
• After: 25"

CHAPTER 2 - Leaks

The gift that keeps on giving: an unattended battery leak. It seems like the shop that did the suspension install might've removed the battery to get at the UCA and cracked it during reinstall.

Something like that doesn't exactly inspire confidence in the rest of the job.




CHAPTER 3 - Details

@Evan_P had asked what settings the shocks had been... set... to. Not knowing the answer, I crawled up under there today and snapped some pictures to get answers.

Front

• Compression: 3
• Rebound: 6

Rear

• Compression: 2.5
• Rebound: 3

CHAPTER 4 - Concerns

So the Dakars have been incredibly chatty from the get go, but based on what I'd read that just seemed to be par for the course.

Well, today while under there getting pics of the compression/rebound settings I saw something pretty concerning on the leaf springs:



Now I'm no mechanic or anything, but that don't look right... Maybe that bolt is backwards? Regardless, that shit sure seems like suspect #1 in the squeaky ass on this truck.

Someone also said that it looked like the towing overload spring was left in place, and that might normally be removed when installing an aftermarket leaf kit. Does anyone know if that applies to OME?

CHAPTER 5 - Contemplations

Jesus man, this truck. What a trainwreck, eh?

 

Yeah that bolt is in backwards. Are both sides like that? As for comp/rebound, front looks to be about right for unloaded, rear rebound is a little low. I'll take a look at mine in the AM to see what they are set at. The front definitely needs to come up. I am running the HD's as well on my truck and the rear sits about 1.5" higher than the front completely unloaded. I have the front coilovers set at 12mm driver side, 10mm passenger side. I ended up adding Headstrong offroad spacers above the front struts, 1/2" on driver side and 1/4" on passenger side, in order to keep the ride as it was and gain a little more height.

When you take it in to have it looked over I would have them go through and re-torque everything. Here are the install manuals if you don't have them with all the torque specs and recommended suspension settings.

 

Dude I feel ya on the lift situation. I had my lift installed by this mechanic who I used to take my old Volvo to. Super nice guy, always very reasonable on labor costs, and seemed competent. He told me he'd done a number of lift installs on Tacomas and was familiar with the SPC UCAs I was using. When I took it to another shop for an alignment they were like um sooo you were rubbing b/c your UCAs were installed backwards(?) and you're lucky you didn't shred your tires, your u bolts on the rear leafs are dangerously short, and the nuts on the top mounts weren't properly tightened. Me: