New to me 02, questions

Hi all! I'm new to Toyota's truck line; coming from a history of XV10 and XV20 Camry's, plus one Prius. Recently purchased a rust-free 2002 RC SR5 with the 2UZ-FE and 4WD; has 360k miles and was owned by a gardening company in Tennessee from new to my purchase, all maintenance was done by the owner and was only logged in a workbook.

I've already gone through the 1GT buyer's guide on things to do, and have thus far replaced the timing belt, water pump, oil, trans fluid, the non-lsd rear diff / front diff / transfer case with 75W90, greased the full driveline with

$11 VV985 Valvoline Moly-Fortified Gray Full Synthetic Grease 14.1 OZ Cartridge

VV985 (inc the difficult zerk on the front driveshaft and the slip yoke on the rear driveshaft + jumping on the bed, bleeding excess), and cleaned up / regreased the transfer case shift actuator. Everything works, including 4WD, but the front diff axle seal leaks on the passenger side, so I'm going to take the opportunity to replace the CV axles, axle seals, and the lower ball joints on both sides.

Here's the questions I have so far:

1. Concerning the LBJs, I understand that the site to reference for correct post-recall part numbers is the epc-data site, but it doesn't load on my PC or phone, although I've seen folks reference it even as recent as February. Is the site down? And if so, can I just use Ourisman / TPCO to ensure I get the right LBJs? Using either of those sites, I come up with 43340-39356 for the driver and 43330-39466 for the passenger. Are those correct? I understand there was a change partway through MY 2002; mine was built 09/29/2001.
2. Concerning LBJ hardware, I understand I need to get new bolts. I'm planning to get ARP Chromoly Bolts, part number 663-1004. Will these work regardless of if I have the protectors or not, or do I need to check if I have them and go from there?
3. Are there any known issues with Detroit Axle's CV axles or seals? I've used them for many prior vehicles, but I understand select 1GT parts need to be OEM to have any longevity.
4. I have the cowl leak issue. I'm planning to get all new screw grommets. Are there 10 in total? I understand there's been some recent suspicion of QC issues, but I'm currently still planning to get part number 90080-18055. Is there any particular marine sealant folks prefer to use with these?
5. I can't tell if the radiator has been replaced or not. Considering it's behind both the A/C condenser and an oil cooler, it has no damage and still looks shiny new on both sides. There's nothing in either the workbook or the Carfax that suggests it's ever been replaced. I understand the concern here is the antifreeze leaking into the bottom transmission cooler. The old coolant prior to replacing the timing belt / water pump looked fine, and so too did the old transmission fluid, although it was clearly recently changed for how red it was, lacking any burned smell, and how easy the drain plug was to loosen. Should I just go ahead and play it safe by replacing the radiator? If so, is a Denso unit safe to use?
6. The only OBDII code I have is P0141. I've already used a multimeter to check the heater circuit, and... I'm getting nothing. No ohms read between the two same-colored wires for the heater circuit, and I get no voltage on the others. The O2 sensor is original. Am I safe in assuming there's an issue on the ECU side vs the O2 sensor itself?
7. I've got some steering play - not much, just enough to notice. Did some sleuthing, but I've not landed on any one universal consensus on what causes it or how to fix it, aside from tack welding. This is a minor issue as far as I'm concerned, but is there actually a known issue / remedy for this that I've missed?

 

https://www.tundras.com/threads/lower-ball-joints-part-numbers.97100/page-7#post-3684945
This post will show the part numbers you need. You have an 02 so you should have the protectors (verify or post pics if you arent sure), if they are good you can reuse, if not the pn for those is in the post. Make sure you run the longer bolts for the boots.

I don't recall how many but you only need to worry about the seal on 1 or 2 of them, the rest don't really matter. I used some random RTV I had laying around to seal mine, just make sure the surface is clean first.

You can post pics of it and maybe we can tell by the discoloration. If no record of replacement it may be best to go ahead and do it, as well as making sure it has the correct and fresh toyota coolant.

I'd consider doing all 4, even without seeing the heater code. At that mileage it's probably time anyway.

The passenger side seal sucks, if you aren't confident in yourself order two seals for when you have to do it again. You have to set the depth just right. If you are really wanting to do seals on both sides, consider replacing the bearing on the driver side behind the seal, search up ECGS bushing and it'll make sense.

Post up some pics of your truck. We'd love to see it.

 

Welcome from LA (Lower Alabama)!

 

Hey fellow LAer, I'm in the Mobile area!

Thanks for the info in your reply, will check out the link, check for protectors, and I'll just have my mechanic do the axle seals, along with the CV axles and LBJs.

As requested, photos! Just put a set of Cooper Discoverer Rugged Treks on it. My wife and I named her Rain. Maybe a little on the nose since it's Thunder Gray, but it seemed fitting given my dad and I got her during the southeastern storms a couple weeks ago. Plus it's one of our favorite characters in Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron. See last photos for radiator:

 

Welcome from NY.

 

There's really no reason not to replace the radiator. And yes, Denso is the go-to brand. It would have been convenient to do it during the timing belt/water pump job, but that's ok. A radiator isn't very expensive. Really cheap insurance. Get the right Toyota coolant in there if it's not already, new upper and lower hoses, and sleep better.

 

10-4. The radiator isn’t the worst in the world to pull, so I’ll do that first thing before turning it over to get the LBJs etc replaced.

 

I'm over in Spanish Fort. Look for my avatar in the back window of a silver '20 1794 with a Diamondback tonneau. That's me!

 

Yep, pretty easy. Even though I had my timing belt/water pump job scheduled at a mechanic about a month down the road, I went ahead and replaced the radiator and hoses, because I knew they were original and didn't want to chance it.

 

Not quite sure what you mean here, but poly steering rack bushings may help. You can buy them from companies like Total Chaos and a few others.

 

Is anything actually wrong with your existing axles? If the boots are torn, I would recommend you reboot them(assuming they are original OEM axles). I'm not that familiar with Detroit axles but I do know a few members have purchased them.

 

One of the bigger issues with aftermarket CV Axles seems to be their use of chubber (Chinese rubber), which starts to crack to hell within a year or three.

 

Maybe not; haven't had any knocks or issues. And after cleaning the undercarriage some today and refilling the front diff, I wasn't able to find any leaks on the driver side. I did however find two separate leaks on the passenger side - see photos:



The first leak is slow, but steady - drips maybe once every hour. The second leak drips once every couple mins when the truck is on level ground, and every 45~ seconds when the truck is banked to the passenger side.

Looks like the first leak is a failed seal around the housing of the front diff? And the second, I can't tell if this is an issue with the CV axle, outer seal, etc?

Here's other photos of the CV axles - two shots of the drivers, and a shot of the end of the passenger since the rest of it can be seen in the last photo above:




Here's photos of the current LBJs. The driver side is original with a protector; the passenger side is aftermarket since it has a zerk, and has no protector anymore:

 

Just giving this one bump since I’m about to order a round of parts. Currently planning to get these, but see the list for associated questions:

• Denso radiator 2210517
• Gates serpentine belt kit (belt, tensioner, idler - 90K38488A)
• Post-TSB accurate Toyota oil pressure sensor 83520-60051
• x2 Toyota cowl screw grommets 90080-18055
• Toyota LBJs & protectors (43340-39356, 43330-39466, and 2x 43346-60011)
• x10 ARP Chromoly bolts 663-1004 (?)
  • Are these long enough to work with the protectors? Or do I need to get the one-time use Toyota 90119-10933 bolts and torque to 37?
• CV axle for passenger side(?)
  • Do I need this? Where does the axle-side leak seem to be sourcing from?
  • If needed, what brand ideally?
• Passenger-side axle seal(?)
  • Does this appear to be the source of the diff-side leak? To me, it seems like the orange sealant around that section of housing has failed

 

For the front differential leak I would hold off on purchasing an axle. You are definitely going to need the outer axle seal but to tackle the inner leak it is going to be more involved. I attached a parts diagram of the front diff. Everything with a diamond next to it is a non-reusable part

 

So just for reference here, only 1 or 2 are the leaky ones, however I did find a few of mine to be somewhat damaged when putting screws back in. I'd get a few extras to be safe.

I'm not sure on the length there. I'd really consider just going the Toyota bolt route for these or just don't run the protector, it isn't necessary. The pre 02 trucks didn't even have the protector.

As for axle leaks, I'd say the one by the cv shaft is most likely from the axle seal, the other one in the middle of the diff is hard to say, can't say I've seen anyone post a leak from there.

I wouldn't get your hopes up that this will make your gauge read higher but if it does please tell.

 

This is the specific cowl fastener that sits over the airbox (stealing from @Baller with this image). However, the one at bottom/center is probably good to seal.

As for the cowl fastener part itself. The new OEM ones come with foams. They'll work fine as long as you push them fully in until they click to ensure they're properly seated. But honestly, as shown here in @Baller's photo, the definitive way to solve this problem is to remove the foams, and use a paint-safe sealant (normal silicone can induce rust!) similar to how is shown in this pic, and in PHM's build pic (he used Liquid Nails FuzeIt, IIRC).

​

 

I wish the exploded diagram had a flipped view, but what I can tell you is it’s the separate section of the differential that mounts to the diff itself, which houses the A.D.D. So it looks like it doesn’t have a traditional gasket, which may make sense as to why mine seems to have once been sealed with orange silicone.

Noted, thanks. I’ll just do without the protectors I suppose, since the ARP bolts are well-regarded. It’s not as if this truck will ever see any major off-roading; it’ll just see the occasional trip to town, the cold hole, and work around the property.

I prefer one-and-done, so appreciated, I’ll go the paint-safe marine sealant route!

 

I'm definitely interested if the new oil pressure sender makes a difference in what the gauge reads. I've noticed that my gauge hovers slightly above the L line for a long time after the engine is off. And it's in the same spot when idling and warm.

 

I’ll report back about the oil sensor to everyone then! This isn’t the one that was listed in the TSB, but rather an even newer one that someone elsewhere on the forum highlighted (I think it was linked in the 1GT buyers sticky)

 

Before I assume I’ve got all the parts I need for the radiator et al, I was just testing out the thermostatic fan clutch to see how it’s doing cold vs hot. I had already noticed the fan was engaging at either cold or hot, but when I spin it before a cold start or after shutting down at full operating temperature, it spins freely with just a little resistance. Is this normal? Was expecting it to be locked up once warm.

 

Sounds like a bad fan clutch to me. Should develop more spin resistance with heat. But even fully cold, you shouldn't be able to get it to do more than a full spin (mine is about half spin).

 

Got it, I’ll order the Aisin fan clutch off RockAuto then and install it at the same time as the other under-the-hood parts, thanks!

 

You may want to consider replacing the fan clutch bracket proactively also. Aisin also makes that. The bearing tends to spin-out on them, we've had quite a few cases recently. The part number is here at Summit, FBT-002, but RA also carries it.

Jump to 1m15s mark in this video for some tips on removing the bolts for the fan/clutch and replacing the bracket, we've had a number of people on here have issues with stubborn bolts at the fan, and this is the method I typically see people employ to get good leverage.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9M3hFSiKs_U#t=1m15s​

 

That's a massive help, thanks! Added the bracket to the RA cart with the fan clutch; I'll order them on Monday.

 

Not a problem.

Also note: Pretty sure you've got to transfer the studs from the OEM bracket over to the replacement. I don't have any tips for that; haven't had to do it yet.

 

Alright, all done with my end of the work; replaced the fan bearing bracket (which surprisingly came with its own studs!), fan clutch, serpentine belt tensioner, idler pulley, serpentine belt, radiator, oil pressure sending unit, and went ahead and did the oil as well, using a Toyota YZZD3 filter - the old one was a small Napa filter

Everything’s working great, except the fan clutch operates the same when the engine is off as the old one; regardless of temp, it spins freely with only a little resistance. That said, you can see and hear a difference; it’s slow on startup and then engages more with the engine’s speed once the engine bay is up to temp. So it does seem to be working. I also found the old one is the exact same Aisin model as the new one.

As for the oil pressure reading, there is a difference, and you can notice it, but it’s minimal.

Before:


After:


Up next is to get the LBJs and axle seal in and installed!