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Starter

Discussion in '1st Gen Tundras (2000-2006)' started by Rmartinez, May 20, 2025 at 5:45 PM.

  1. May 20, 2025 at 5:45 PM
    #1
    Rmartinez

    Rmartinez [OP] New Member

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    Im making a list of stuff that I'm thinking of replacing since ill be replacing my starter here soon. So far i have sparkplugs, coils, pcv valve, starter is there anything else that i should consider replacing? And any advice in replacing the starter?
    For a 2002 Toyota tundra 2wd 400k plus miles
     
  2. May 20, 2025 at 6:24 PM
    #2
    shifty`

    shifty` All my rowdy friends have settled down

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    Don’t replace coils unless they’re dead (like, misfiring, and even then, onlynreplace the ones misfiring, and only use Denso from a legit source; avoid scAmazon, fleaBay, WallyMart).

    Better use of that money would be on fuel injectors, not coil packs. Your fuel injectors are tiiiiiiiiired after 400k miles. Replace your two PCV rubber hoses also. And replace the intake gaskets with OEM gaskets (trust me, OEM only on those, I can show pics of why, or ask @bmf4069 ), and you only need to do the lower intake gaskets.
     
  3. May 20, 2025 at 6:53 PM
    #3
    Rmartinez

    Rmartinez [OP] New Member

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    Lets me pics of why out of curiosity
     
  4. May 21, 2025 at 5:18 AM
    #4
    NickB_01TRD

    NickB_01TRD You don't need less cars, just more driveway.

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    What is it you're saying here exactly?
     
    Rmartinez[QUOTED][OP] likes this.
  5. May 21, 2025 at 5:37 AM
    #5
    shifty`

    shifty` All my rowdy friends have settled down

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    He wants to see pictures of why @bmf4069 needed to replace his lower intake gaskets twice. Because he insisted on trying aftermarket parts, which is something you NEVER do on a job that takes more than 1-2 hours and has so much collateral risk.

    Both brands of aftermarket gaskets failed, in short succession. Twice. Two different brands. So he had to pop the lid on his engine 3 times, which takes a normal person more than an hour to do, and there's collateral risk. Will you break old electrical connectors? Crack a vacuum or fuel line? Will something else break?

    This is why, in the community info megathread, we urge people: If the job takes more than an hour like fuel pump or starter, ALWAYS use OEM brand parts. This is true of the starter, fuel pump, injectors, manifold gaskets, SAI pump, knock sensors. Thankfully Denso made a lot of those parts so you can get them without the Toyota packaging for cheaper. Also, avoid store brands, and aftermarket. I won't even buy MSD coils, and I love MSD as a brand, used them forever, but those bastards are outsourcing to China now too, and the quality has gone down the shitter. Moog also. NAPA too. All of them, all the parts are shit quality now. Toyota has really strict quality control, you're virtually guaranteed to get a part that'll last just as long as the original, at a slight upcharge.

    BMF since went with OEM gaskets and hasn't blown one out. This is the sad reality: With most of the non-OEM brands and parts store brands outsourcing everything to Mainland China, with very little or no quality control, aftermarket parts are utter shit these days. We've seen the proof, we have a thread full of examples. It's especially bad with gaskets, anything brakes related (Just look at this Centric brand brake shoe fail!), and electronics/sensors. And the number of counterfeit parts people are scoring on scAmazon, fleaBay, WallyMart, and other sources is, frankly, disgusting.

    @Rmartinez here:

    First intake gasket fail, ITM brand died 3yrs and 9k miles: https://www.tundras.com/threads/wha...-gen-tundra-today.2558/page-1157#post-2511940
    2nd intake gasket fail, Ultra8 brand died 2yrs and 6k miles: https://www.tundras.com/threads/wha...-gen-tundra-today.2558/page-1794#post-3427236

    Compare that to OEM, which lasted more than 20 years?

    I've been wrenching for roughly 4 decades. I DO NOT understand why people would pay 20-40% less on a part that has 80% less lifespan. Just buy OEM, at a discount ... the sticky thread on how to get OEM parts cheap is there, and Toyota is having a 15% off sale right now through the national parts site.

    You CANNOT trust store brand and aftermarket parts these days. Those clowns are using all of us as guinea pigs, hiding behind "lifetime warranty". They're offering that because they know the failure rate is so high. I think back to all the times when people came here having just replaced their fuel pump with one from the store, and the truck still won't start, because the fuel pump was dead, straight out of the box. The parts store doesn't pay you for time and labor! Just pay the extra for OEM, do the job once, and roll on for another 20 years.

    Buy once, cry once.
     
    Last edited: May 21, 2025 at 5:46 AM
  6. May 21, 2025 at 5:58 AM
    #6
    bmf4069

    bmf4069 Michelob Ultra coinesour

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    Looks like you've got me covered homie. :fistbump:
     
  7. May 21, 2025 at 6:03 AM
    #7
    shifty`

    shifty` All my rowdy friends have settled down

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    Still feel like I need to tag you one more time @bmf4069 :rofl:
     
  8. May 21, 2025 at 6:04 AM
    #8
    shifty`

    shifty` All my rowdy friends have settled down

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  9. May 21, 2025 at 6:06 AM
    #9
    bmf4069

    bmf4069 Michelob Ultra coinesour

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    I missed the first one apparently. Got me on the 2nd. And 3rd.
     
  10. May 21, 2025 at 6:11 AM
    #10
    Sirfive

    Sirfive Master Procrastinator

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    The vacuum hoses are why i plan to completely remove the IM instead of just flipping it out of the way. I bet they’re pliable enough to convince me it’ll be okay, but brittle enough to crack anyway.

    the starter i bought DOES say 2.0kw on it though, and stickers never lie.
     
    Last edited: May 21, 2025 at 6:22 AM
    Rmartinez[OP] likes this.
  11. May 21, 2025 at 6:21 AM
    #11
    Rmartinez

    Rmartinez [OP] New Member

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  12. May 21, 2025 at 6:42 AM
    #12
    shifty`

    shifty` All my rowdy friends have settled down

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    Not a problem. The community info thread we've been working on, I teamed up with another member recently to knock out a maintenance plan in the 2nd reply: https://www.tundras.com/threads/so-you-wanna-buy-just-bought-a-1st-gen-tundra-eh.115928/

    It covers a lot of the "what should I do..." to get up to date on maintenance. It's more targeted at new owners of a used truck, but you may find it (or any of the other glut of info in the first two replies) to be helpful.

    Oh, and when you do get inside the intake valley, knowing mice are a huge problem, they love to nest under there, a few things to do while you're in there. Going by my circle colors here:

    Red: OEM intake gaskets, the white tabs go to the outside and facing up, this is how to tell they're installed correctly.
    Blue: That ground is extremely important, although I think it may only exist on 2000-2004 trucks? Pull that ground, clean up the metal on the block and eyelet to remove any rust. Apply dielectric grease and reinstall.
    Green: Mice love eating those wires for the knock sensors. I would wrap those with Rodent Tape (it's made by Honda) while you're in there, in case the truck is ever parked outside.​

    upload_2025-5-21_9-39-41.png
     
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  13. May 21, 2025 at 6:50 AM
    #13
    shifty`

    shifty` All my rowdy friends have settled down

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    Actually one more thing. The coolant crossover metal tube here (white arrow). There is a gasket at the red arrow end of things. It likes to crumble at this age. The part is $1 from Toyota. The part number is here from Toyota, 96761-24019

    upload_2025-5-21_9-45-14.png
     
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  14. May 21, 2025 at 7:48 AM
    #14
    bmf4069

    bmf4069 Michelob Ultra coinesour

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    Mine doesn't have that ground, but here's a pic of my mouse nest and chewed up knock sensors.

    20180908_130714.jpg

    20180908_131550.jpg
     
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  15. May 21, 2025 at 10:14 AM
    #15
    G_unit3000

    G_unit3000 New Member

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    I've wondered if heavy use of Fluid Film serves as a rodent repellent. It definitely stinks and I'd have to guess that the slimy texture would not be pleasant for a mouse. If crawl under my truck, I've got a layer of black slime on anywhere I touch it brush up against.
     
  16. May 21, 2025 at 2:33 PM
    #16
    bfunke

    bfunke Tundra Curmudgeon

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