What have you done to your 1st gen Tundra today?

Noticed my steering felt a little heavy this morning, looks like my power steering pump is leaking. Leaving on a trip to shaver tomorrow for the weekend. Ok to drive the truck on this trip?

 

Its fiiiine.

I'd clean it up so that I could get a better idea of the leak path. Throw a quart of fluid in your toolkit.

 

Depends on the distance, occupants and planned activities. Just driving somewhere? No small children or wife? No offroading? Fill it back up, add some stop leak and send it till you get the pump replaced. Otherwise, source a replacement and swap before the trip.

 

FIRST SIMPSON DESERT VEHICLE CROSSING
Geologist and explorer Dr Reginald Sprigg, his wife Griselda and their two children, Doug (then seven) and Margaret (10), made the pioneering trip from Andado Station to Birdsville in 1962 in a short wheelbase Nissan
Patrol G60ahead of a small retinue of other four-wheel drive vehicles. The Nissan Patrol became not only the first, but also the only vehicle to complete the Spriggs’ grueling 12-day crossing of the 176,500 square kilometer desert and its 1,000 parallel sand dunes.

 

As others said, should be fine. As a band aid I’ve had good success with ‘Lucas power steering stop leak’, suck out some more fluid from the top and top it up with the Lucas.

 

Thanks! I love it. I had a few requirements when we did the garage addition a couple years ago. Haha. I even have a 220 outlet in the corner for when I have time to pickup welding. I only wish I had opted to have that damn pole removed in the middle.
The garage door panels are clouded so you can't really see into the garage.

You're right the tires look really wide for some reason. Not sure what's up with that.

 

Funny. No clue why. But that reminds me that I did find a full size spare that I picked up for $20 yesterday. I gotta get that mounted when I get my alignment.

 

I like this blue, but I miss my green truck. I'm a sucker for the green, especially the timberland mica.

 

This, or elderly abuse cuz of all the retirees. I get made fun of for locking my car doors...

 

Yeah that's a sweet work space. Ide need the bottom two levels to be polycarbonate or something... I'm not a tool/part thrower lol, but shit happens in my work space that defies explanation sometimes.

 

Thanks! We have a gravel driveway so I can't bring myself to put anything on the floor when I keep dragging in tons of rocks and gravel.

 

About a 4 hour drive to shaver lake, maybe hit china peak for a day. No off-roading just a little snow. Will have the whole fam with me so just making sure we don’t get stranded. Thanks gentlemen

 

Im down to a few times a year Sometimes you just gotta let that hate out.

 

Absolute worst case scenario, you lose power steering. Which would really really suck, but the truck would still be drivable, just with a lot of physical effort required.

I ran out of gas once at 70mph on the highway, shortly after I got the truck. Despite my skinny 17yr old arms, I was able to coast to an exit and into a neighborhood safely.

 

My now ex-stepdad's parents lived in Ketchum, so I spent a lot of time in the Sun Valley area for a while there, back in the 90's. I'm sure like everywhere, it's changed, but it was cool back then. Still had a little of the ski-bum vibe but had clearly been "gentrified". But the atmosphere was very laid back. Wealthy people were more likely to drive Suburbans than Audis or BMWs. Polo shirt and jeans were acceptable attire at even really nice restaurants.

 

I bet it was great back then. You should come back at some point. I still love it but it has changed a lot in the 8 years I've lived here. Still has the ski bum vibe and most people are laid back and really friendly. There is definitely an influx of people who don't live here full time and have the mentality of, "I'm on vacation. I should be able to do whatever I want without regard for people who live here." The relaxed people who earned their money still drive the suburbans and wagoneers and have the duct tape patches on their down jackets; while still having a net worth of 8 figures.

 

Places and people like that are the absolute best. I was very lucky to work for a man who had a large car collection, and he was the same way. Astronomically wealthy, yet still makes himself a PB&J for lunch, daily drives a grand cherokee, and shovels his own driveway. Coolest dude ever. Really appreciate people like that.

 

Replaced spark plugs and greased drive shaft today. Only noteworthy item was checking the parts before leaving the store. Looks like some wanker pulled a dirty one on Advanced Auto. Thankfully I checked before I left the store and saved one of those frustrating trips back to the store. 4 of the plugs were not new at all.

Owners manual calls for .043 gap. These were .047 out of the box. I did not change them, I installed at .047. I don’t think you should try to gap Iridium plugs? Seven of the old plugs came out with .047, one had .045 and one had .050. Of course that’s based on the cheapo gauge I have. Could just be the gauge that’s off. I’ve never looked into gauges, not sure if there are good ones and bad ones.

No issues with the zerks on the 4x4. I used the method suggested by @FirstGenVol for the slip yoke. And grinded a tip like @Professional Hand Model for the front 4x4 zerk. You guys are teaching me well! Thank you

 

You can gap iridium plugs, just stay away from the center electrode when making any adjustments. Not that you should really be touching the center electrode to gap a plug anyway.

$9 GEARWRENCH 32 Blade Deluxe SAE/Metric Feeler Gauge | 161D

A feeler gauge is what I like to use to measure, and a nice addition to your toolbox.

I use the black part of

$7 CTA Tools 3238 9-Wire Spark Plug Gap Gauge

this style tool to manipulate the ground strap either open or closed.

All that being said 4 thou isn't a huge deal. Like you said it could be an error in your gauge or how you are using it.

 

Checked my Toyota "Spare Tire Rod" and 'Winch' on this '06 FGT AC. Based on gen'l ovrall condition of truck/frame/drive-train it wasnt a surprise that the 'spare winch' worked for my 1st time, and who knows, maybe the trucks 1st time ever. As a reminder, truck spent all its life [less 7 mo's in SanDiego coastal] in Modesto, CA., so no surprise about winch condition. I just hosed this back half of the underbody to get ready for bed removal [Body&Paint].
The spare: Pretty sure its the leftover of what once ran on thse 5 spokes, but its not a 265/65-R17 as spec'd on the 'SillPlate' and which I currently have x4. As a spare, the small diam difrence fr/70 to 65 series is immaterial?
Also, for whomever is curious, some pics of the winch underside & Spare Tire Rod and some measurements of it.
pics:
Added an indicator for when rod is fully engaged to winch.


Rod, Winch and cable all good 1st time...

Rod, winch 'receiver' and winch


Length of rod to reach receiver


Rod dimensions: 1.5" diam head


7/16-1/2 thick




assembled rod overall length +/- 40"


Im curious if I can fab a single length rod with a hex end to just attach a drill driver to. Takes near 40 rotations to get tire down. Might make job easier in the dark on cold wet pavement.
Rechargeable Li-ION drivers are pretty cheap nowadays. Seen it done for trailer jack stands [of course you'd need to keep a chrged battery on board or a longcorded tool to 12v outlet].

 

If you make a tool, its gotta fit the ?bottle? jack, too.

 

I was having a misfire and a check engine light intermittently. Changed the plugs to OEM

$4 k20R-U denso 3122 spark plug

k20R-U denso plugs.

However the ones I pulled out are denso iridium SK16R11. Are these ever the right plugs for a 1st gen Tundra?

 

I got a stubby antenna off Amazon for a few bucks. Works good and doesn't get in the way.

 

After some research it looks like the SR16R11 is for the Toyota 4cyl cars....how the previous owner got those I have no idea. Been that way for the last couple of years since I bought it.

Any thoughts on what difference having iridium plugs with .070ish gap would make (or the wrong plugs in general)?

Seems like it's running well now, although I just took it for a short drive, wasn't a huge difference but feels like it's got more power when I use a skinny pedal.

 

Dunno, what engine you have? You failed to put that in your profile info.

Your correct plug part numbers are in the specifications section at the back of the Owner’s Manual nobody ever seems to read

 

I got the plugs from the dealership by VIN. I know that the new plugs are correct. The previous owner installed the plugs I took out.
I have the 2uz 4.7 V8

 

true that...
Even with a manual, single length rod [that could be stowed behind or below rear seat] it would still be a big improvement vs. wrestling the 3 joint deflections of the OEM unit.
Cant imagine what a PITA this would be in the dark w/traffic buzzing by @50+. Would some sort of rigging a PVC tube to the winch receiver work? Makes it a single clean shot to the receiver?

 

I never bothered to gap my plugs when I drove tacomas. It wasn't until the tundras, hell maybe not even the first one, but the second one, that I did gap em.

The VVTI (05+ 2uz) calls for iridium plugs

 

Yesterday and today were big days. Fox 2.5s with external reservoirs, front and back. JBA UCAs, OEM LCAs with OEM LBJs. Rebuilt and rebooted CV axles, needle bearing delete, inner/outer tie rods, gusseted spindles with news hubs/bearings and a fresh alignment.