Went too long without a truck

Hello Tacoma nutz. After owning two Ford midsize pickup trucks and driving full size Ford F250-450 as part of my powertrain calibration job with a major HD diesel engine OEM for over 25 years I succumbed to the fact that stuffing lumber, bicycles etc into a small sedan was stupid.
Hated to buy a used truck from a dealer but I found a 2007 Tacoma nearby in excellent condition with 74k miles. Some undercarriage rust from countless midwestern salty roadways, but no body rust and interior was perfect. Access cab is a little tricky to "access" but I'm sorta slim and still agile. Anyway, I signed up to TW to get DYI help for basic repairs. First task, replace serp belt. 4.0L . Amazon Prime here we go.

 

Haha hold onto your wallet.... Your serpentine belt will be the first of many many many dollars spent.

But welcome!

 

aahhh uugghhh!! not what I wanted to hear. But, hey, I`m not a noob when it comes to auto repair and the Taco isn`t my main source of transportation.
next up; fuel economy experience... 4.0L no cargo load, no trailer, suburban driving. Any possibility of hitting 18 mpg in moderate weather?

 

I think he meant 'modifications'. Otherwise as long as you stick with scheduled maintenance your truck should last for 300,000 maybe more.
If your an AC with a short bed you have a better chance of hitting 18 than my DCLB. I hit 18 on the highway on a good day

 

Yes, sorry, mods... not repairs. So I say if this is not your primary vic you ditch the 18mpg idea and see how big of tires you can fit under a OME lift?? Lets see how low you can get your MPG's haha.

 

I can get 18 with my 4.0. Tires make a big difference. I have the stock size (P245) and non-LT tires. LT tires will drop you at least 1 mpg on most trucks.

But congrats on getting a Gen 2 4.0. There are few motors made in the last decade that are better for a truck.

 

AC (Access cab) only came with long beds.

 

Welcome to TW!

 

Thanks all for the warm welcome. One thing I didn't like was the aggressive tread on the tires, but being it was a used purchase I had no choice. Tires have a lot of tread left and they are in great shape. A few of the rims have only a hint of curb rash but they`re steel. But I digress, rolling resistance is probably going to kill F.E. to <18mpg.
As long as I don`t have to fret about cyl head gasket failure (pre 2006 4.0L, right?) I`ll concentrate on freshening up maintenance items for now.

 

Welcome!

I give you two months of being on this forum before you ditch the good MPG idea and start unloading your wallet into mods. It happened to all of us lol

 

anyone have trouble with a the rear bumper, plastic corner covers on a 2007 ACC?. loose and floppy.
seems like there might be a clip that engages a slot at the edge of the steel portion

 

Welcome to the Tacoma cult, I mean club. Lots of good folks on this site, lots of good advice on DIY maintenance. The money I've saved easily pays for my mods and upgrades.

 

Welcome!

 

Welcome!

 

Welcome

 

Welcome!

 

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