2002 Tundra v8 4x4 Starter

Hello All
I bought a used one owner well maintained 2002 Toyota Tundra v8 4x4 with 270k. Timing belt has been changed twice.
I bought knowing the frame is under recall. My question is about the starter. Knowing the intake manifold needs to be removed to get to the starter would/could/should I change the starter while the frame and body are off?
Keep in mind the starter is working fine and yes I know if it isn’t broke don’t fix it mindset but I am considering preventative maintenance. Only if it’s more efficient with the frame upgrade I will do. Please advise.

 

I doubt the intake manifold needs removed to replace the starter

 

If working within the engine bay it absolutely has to be removed to get to the starter. This is not a V6. It’s a V8. I was wondering when the engine is pulled can it be accessed and the reason for my post

 

He's talking about a 1st gen and yes, it has to be removed.

 

I'm confused on 1 point, you say the frame is "under recall". Has Toyota already agreed to replace your frame?

 

"I don't own a 1st gen tundra, I just post like I do on the internet"...lol

 

You sure?



And to OP, I wouldnt worry about it. It's not hard to pull it anyways.

 

It does. Maybe not on your truck, but it does on ours. We need Hand model to show up and post his First gen meme again it looks like.

 

Plus replacing doesn't guarantee that you won't have a starter problem in the future.

 

Eh it's really not a bad place. Out of all the elements and without the corrosion caused by that they'll last a long time.

Also if one is mounted externally doesn't mean they're easy to replace either, I had a Jeep that required pulling the exhaust on that side to get to it.

 

What's the recommended replacement starter?

 

Denso or OEM toyota. its kinda a pain to replace so putting a quality one in will pay for itself by not having to replace it again soon

 

These turd gen guys are a special breed. Looks like tye is po-po so hope I don’t get pulled over. Thanks for your service! Nothing personal, we’re just having fun officer...

Per the starter: There is the Heavy Duty Type OEM Starter which was/is still available. My 2002 still has the original starter (HD version). @Filthyphil just replaced his with a cheapy NAPA that failed quickly and then went to the HD Version with good strong starting results.

 

@empty_lord or anyone, what are the benefits I need to consider when selecting the 2.0KW vs what I assume is the original starter 1.4KW ? I don't do any heavy duty nothing....simply putter along like an ole fart.

 

Yeah. Only time I have a problem with my starter was the day after I washed my engine off. Squirted some water too close to the manifold and I guess splashed into the starter. Starter was fine that day. Next morning just a click. Tried a few more times. Click. Always one click.

Waited a few minutes and click click start! She started up!

I’m guessing some mojo needed to work off the contacts. Never a problem since. It is located in a great spot for protection.

 

You should pull the intake and get after then contacts! Then clean out and paint the valley.

All joking aside, I've thought about pulling the intake and cracking it open to throw it in the dishwasher to clean it.

 

SeaFoam engine spray through valve body! Then your truck exhaust will smell like swisher sweets for two weeks. You’ll even get the benefit of smoking out the neighbors right afterwards.

 

I don't think it does what I want it to do. It's one of the thing we do on our SHOs, minus the d/w part. That's for the single/brave of us.

Before:


After:


And of course:


That was about half an hour to pull, an hour to disassemble, and a few hours to clean. But given how simple the tundra intake is, that would go a lot quicker.

 

Curious if Toyota Corp has already given you, or prior owner, the OK for a Toyota dealership to replace the frame??
It's not common to hear that these days.

 

I'm genuinely concerned for him. I hope he didn't buy it with a bad frame thinking Toyota was just going to replace it....

 

2.0 just helps in extreme cold

 

I replaces the started 3 times in my 02 4.7.
DO NOT buy a refurbished unit, i did that the 1st time and ended up replacing it 2 months later. That was around 120k miles. The last time was around 245k miles, did it in about 4 hours.
I bought several cheap small flat head screwdrivers to bend up to make tools to release the clips on the coil packs. I only broke 1 clip, but it seated back fine and was good for another 10k miles till i sold the truck

 

like Fred said, I didn’t feel the need to spend the extra $85 on a HD starter and it failed in 10 days. My luck I’m sure had most to do with that however when I put the new 2.0 KW starter in, my truck turns over like a 6.7 powerstroke now, crazy fast. These things are a bitch compared to other trucks to get the starters out, so do it once correctly and learn from my mistake.

 

Did you replace your starter when it was off? I remember you had a rats nest in there right?

 

No sir. Just cleaned the nest and spliced in a knock sensor harness.

 

Just curious if you could tell, once the starter is visible, does it just unscrew from there? How difficult is it to actually remove once you get to that point?

 

There’s 2 bolts you get from above the transmission. It’s not too bad.