2000 Limited TRD refresh/repair story

Doing an oil change soon. How much seafoam do you put in?

 

8oz should be a safe amount

 

I pour a whole can of the high-mile into the crankcase and usually run about 300-500 miles on it. I actually need to buy some oil today so I can change in the near future. I think I'm a hundred or two over. I forget when I added it

 

Spent a $100 harbor freight gift card that I got for Christmas today.




Super pumped with the outcome. I didn’t realize that the compressor came with a built in fuse and switch, so I didn’t wire anything into the cab.

I was able to use existing bolt holes- right now it’s only held in by two bolts. One of the air box bolts, and the other is one of those threaded holes on the fender. For the ABS pump maybe? It also rests on the bumps that are circled. I put foam tape to protect the paint from wearing from vibration.

It feels pretty snug, but I’m going to check on it in 100 miles or so and see if it’s still tight. I’d really rather not drill any holes if I don’t have to.

Possibly later this summer I’ll build a fancier bracket for it, but I’m pretty happy with this considering the total cost was $80.

Also- a HF gift card is a fantastic gift. Even a small amount of money can get you so many things there. Never would’ve thought of giving a HF gift card, but I’m totally going to in the future.

 

What are you running in the PS reservior - coffee?

 

Isn’t it nasty? The PS fluid has gotten so hot so many times that the whole reservoir is dark and gross.

I have a new-used OEM pump and reservoir from a truck with like 40k miles. Scored them for like $45- I’ll be putting them on soon.


Ace Pickup Parts, a dismantler in California, got a 40k mile FGT about a year ago. I’ve bought a bunch of used OEM parts from that truck, from them, at good prices.

 

Big update!

The master cylinder started leaking fluid into the booster, and fast. It would dump everything in the reservoir in less than 10 miles. So I decided to replace everything. Like, everything.

The rotors/pads and drums/shoes got replaced, but I also threw on new stainless steel soft lines, new caliper hard lines, new drum hardware, parking brake cable, new parking brake bellcranks, the works. It was a little bit of a debacle to get it all to work but they’re solid now. Feels nice to have a firm pedal and clean fluid in the reservoir.




It was also really really nice to be able to use all new parts and hardware during reassembly- there were so so many parts that were beyond saving. The old bellcranks look like they came off the titanic:


About a year ago, I got the airbag light diagnosed at a shop. I finally got around to replacing the seatbelt pretensioner that was bad. The old one was definitely no good:


But after I replaced it, the airbag light is still on. And not just on constantly, blinking constantly, like before. Not sure if the light needs to be reset, or if the code needs to be cleared, or what. The truck is going to the mechanic in August to get a bunch of stuff done, I’ll tell them to take a look at it.


Cluster lights burned out again. Successfully removed the green rubber grommet from the old bulb without tearing it.


I also got new window vents! My grandpa put a set of these on shortly after he bought the truck, but they were chipped and cracked by the time I got them. I took them off but never got around to replacing them until now. Very happy with how they look and the increase in wind noise is minimal.


One thing though- the rear vent windows hit the visors when open. I can already see that it’s pulling the adhesive away from the visor. Not really the end of the world as I don’t use them often but it would still be nice if I could.


I finally put in a resistor on the headlights too, so I can finally have a high beam indicator on the cluster. I bought an ultra cheap one from superbrightleds.com, and I wasn’t sure that it would work, but it’s great. I mounted it nicely with double sided tape.

I also finally developed a bunch of rolls of film I’ve taken over the last few months. The truck was the subject of a bunch of photos.




The truck is going to be in the shop for a week or so in August. They’re gonna (finally) fix the 4WD and find the evap leak. I’m also hoping to put new bumpers on the truck this summer.

 

I was about to ask you if you wanted my old PS reservoir when I'm done. It may be in better shape than the one you have.

 

I appreciate the offer but I’m gonna clean out my new one real real good. If I can’t get it to look nice I’ll definitely let you know. Thanks man

 

Track rack..

 

How bad was it to get rid of the old adhesive? I should probably replace mine, not because I necessarily like them but because my paint has faded around them and one of them is completely busted with another one coming unattached. Just been dreading how much effort will be involved with getting the adhesive off.

 

It's super easy if you have a legit 3M eraser

This is one of those parts where you don't want to screw around with the alternatives, and don't buy this product from scAmazon or fleaBay, you will get a knockoff.

 

I lost both of my front vents on two separate road trips. At the time, I didn't see it as a big deal. But I really miss getting to crack my windows while its raining. I need to look into replacing them.

 

It took me a while because the old ones were on there for 22 years. I didn’t have one of the fancy 3M erasers shifty mentioned but I used a heat gun and a plastic razor blade and it worked well. Scuffing the paint up a little was kinda inevitable but I buffed it out fine.

 

This is my first time in the heat with the scangauge hooked up- not good. Of course the temp gauge on the cluster is right in the middle.


Almost certain the fan clutch is bad. The fan doesn’t roar at all and I can very easily see that the fan doesn’t spin up when you rev the engine. The bottom piece of the fan shroud is intact and the radiator was replaced in 2016 when the pink milkshake happened. Coolant, water pump, and hoses were replaced a year and a half ago.

An Aisin fan clutch is like $150. Is it worth being 3x the price of others? Have any of yall ran an aftermarket fan clutch?

Edit: this is also after 30min of standstill traffic in direct sun and 94° heat.

 

I think $150 is reasonable for that specific part, knowing the importance.

 

It is. For sure.

It’s just a full day of work- and with the $1,500+ bill I’m expecting soon, that’s not a small amount of money right now.

By the way, you got one of those Rockauto codes?

 

I started thinking logically again and ordered the Aisin.

I appreciate your skepticism towards my aftermarket-part-buying tendencies.

 

Ah, yes. Aisin is OEM. I thought that’s what you meant.

 

https://www.tundras.com/threads/rock-auto-discount-code.144871/

 

I assume you could run this thing on a drill? It shows up on scamazon (I know not to order there) for $42 just for 1. I'll shoot you a PM just to keep from throwing this thread off track.

 

Only replying with this for public info, but yes, you can chock into a drill. And it is pricey (the 3M one at least, which is what you should buy), but one will last you a lifetime and it has multiple purposes. But products with the "3M" label are probably one of the highest counterfeited products on the internet in my experience, so definitely buy from a reputable source. Someone who has a verified supply chain (i.e. once again, avoid scAmazon/fleaBay/WallyMart/Sears/NewEgg/etc.)

EDIT: The wheels, contrary to most people's logic, won't damage your paint, even the cheap ones, this video demonstrates that nicely. It also demonstrates how lackluster the non-3M wheels are, and why the 3M product is worth the $$. Not the BEST video, but it really drills home (ha!) the point.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Y_2DYBwoTU​

 

Thanks for Vid. Yes, they put a hair too many badges on our trucks lol

 

Success with the fan clutch! It’s only 80° out today, but this is after half an hour of idling:


Before it would’ve slowly creeped up to at least 195°, and the ATF temp would’ve been at least 155°. Feelin good.

Removal and installation was easy. It really pulls air now, I guess I never realized how worn out the old one was. I also got to use the new radiator hoses that I ordered two years ago when I did the timing belt.

 

Been putting together a toolbox and crate of supplies to keep in the truck when I go back to school in a month. Last year I relied on the tool roll I put together for my boat, which doesn’t have any metric sockets or wrenches. Lot of good it did.

I started by putting together this milk crake of stuff. Washer fluid, ATF, oil, WD40, glass cleaner, etc. Paper towels and ignition coil too.


It gets held in tightly in the front corner of the bed. The yellow bucket is filled with tie downs and straps.


I also mounted this little toolbox that I’ve had sitting in my garage for a while. It was my grandpas, and it fits perfectly in the corner of the bed. I always have heavy duty bungee cords running front to back, and I was able to attach the toolbox to the cord with big zip ties. I’m not worried about it since the bedcover locks, but I can also lock the toolbox too.


I then got bored and decided to put a gas strut on the lid so it will stay open. Not really needed but a fun touch.


I’m thinking that I’ll go to harbor freight and buy cheapo sockets, wrenches, and pliers. I’ve got plenty of screwdrivers. Any suggestions on what I should add?

 

ATF, and a gallon of coolant. Also zip ties, duct tape, bailing wire, and a BFH. I bought a long breaker bar and socket for removing lug nuts because the one Toyota provides is useless. I have a square (~ 12"x12") of 3/4" plywood to put under the jack in case I need to jack it up on sand, gravel, etc. I thought I was being AR when I added a tire repair kit to my tools, but I've used it 3 times so far. A 12v air compressor would be handy as well.

The tool box idea seems nice, but I see two negatives in my opinion:

- It makes it attractive and easy for some MF to steal all your stuff at once (a 5 gal bucket doesn't look like it has valuable stuff inside, but a tool box sure does).
- It seems to me that it will make a hell of a racket as you're rolling down the road.

 

$22 Tooluxe 50002L -35 Piece Tire Repair Universal Heavy Duty Tire Repair Kit with Plugs, Fix A Flat Tire Repair Kit, Ideal for Tires on Cars, Trucks, Motorcycles, ATV Roadside Emergency, Tire Plug Kit

Tire plug kit is a must in my opinion. I also keep a tattered jacket with my in truck tool kit. It's nice to be able to put something between yourself and the ground while working.

 

I’ll add plus 1 to the tire repair kit recommendation. Along with knowing how to use it. Easy way to get you back on the road after a flat. Even easier than changing the tire for a spare and keeps your matching set rolling. Does need an air compressor, which you already have.

 

Ugh, looks like those motherfuckers are ripping off Safety Seal. Once again, scAmazon allowing inferior products from China sink American manufacturing.

 

Very true. I’m not super concerned with the toolbox getting stolen, just because it’s under a locked bedcover, and it’ll also be stored in a locked parking garage on my college campus. Thankfully, it’s a really nice area. Like, people leave bikes unlocked there, which is mind blowing to me.

As for the noise, I haven’t noticed any yet. I’ve lined the drawers with foam and I’m assuming that the bedcover drowns out any noise that it’s been making.

I forgot to mention- I also keep moving blankets in the truck, but I need a better way of storing them. They work great for laying down on the ground, especially in the winter.