Heavy Irrelevance

So since they have it, give them timing belt and water pump and try to negotiate price on plugs and maybe valve cover gaskets?

Oh and try to get package deal on serp belt and tensioner.

 

The zero belt and tensioner should be done for no extra labor. It literally all comes off to do the belt. Just pay for the parts and they should do it. That’s a completely overlapping job

 

They likely won’t work a deal on the valve covers. Honestly I would see if any of the locals would be up to do a mod day or something and give you a hand doing it. They’re not bad at all to do

 

I’m game to wrench. I’ll try to find parts. Just depends on how bad I can mess stuff up.

Oh and I owe speed freak a visit so he might be game on this one. Wanted to use him for help with the lift.

 

@empty_lord any thoughts on the tie rod? Probably need photos to tell?

 

What was the issue with it?

 

My notes say driver side inner and outer, need replacing, $1138.

I’ll probably go get the paperwork tomorrow so Im not left guessing about what I wrote down.

Tacoma Mike thought the pricing was a bit high on timing belt and water pump but I think he is in ME or something so maybe lower pricing all around.

 

The price for the t belt is competitive. Is it the best? Probably not. But for a deale.r. That’s a pretty damn good price. It’s 400 under what we charge at the dealer (it’s a menu item)

 

Any reputable shop should be able to knock out that work for under $3k. Dealership is always going to be 100%-200% higher in price than most shops, I've found all in my area charge labor hours consecutively versus dropping hours if the two repairs require same work. This adds up fast at their hourly rate.

After my factory alternator caught fire and smoked some stuff a couple years ago, USAA had me carry it to the dealership for eval. Dealership quoted like $1,500 or something. The trusted mechanic I use when I don't have the time or energy charged around $600, and used Denso parts.

Inner/outer tie rod seems exorbitantly high to me, as does water pump. Tie rods are something I feel like you could buy, bolt up, then eyeball in if you're mech-savvy, then roll to a nearby shop for an alignment. Note: I haven't had to do the job on my 1st gen yet, so maybe I'm ignorant.

Spark plugs are easy enough for you to do in under an hour for a fraction of the cost, using high-end plugs. #8 seems like BS, you could do the gaskets yourself for a tiny fraction of that. You could find the leak with a simple UV dye kit before dropping the money on anything.

I only use stealership for diagnostics and insurance-paid work these days. But I'd take them up on the timing belt offer.

 

Thanks everyone for all the help so far. Timing belt is a go, everything else there was no flexibility on price so it's a wait and try to shop around. The water pump is apparently $1200 normally so $598 is a "deal" when done with the timing belt? Doesn't seem like that much of a deal to me if it's something you bolt in but I bet it's more complicated than I realize not having done it. Water pump apparently includes the serpentine belt then the $398 extra is for the tensioner which is about $200 in parts and $170 in labor which I find kind of high for a tensioner. I've fiddled with one on my Lemond stationary bike, I know it's a bit of a hassle to get just right but a trained mechanic with proper tools and workspace, I can't see how that's a full hour of work.

One question remains, do I buy all the parts from the dealer? Inner and outer tie rods, valve cover gaskets, spark plugs, water pump, serpentine belt, serpentine belt tensioner. Or do I get part numbers and then order online since it's a good chunk? And are there any aftermarket options superior to OEM on these types of parts?

 

Also since I plan to redo the entire suspension and swap to 17's, I suspect the tie rods would be mixed into that work so we just do one alignment at the end? Unless there is value in separating?

 

As others have commented before in other threads, asking dealer if they will except parts you have bought online is a good idea and I assume they only accept OEM. As for parts where others are replacing, definetely shop around. Since Cool Springs Toyota is no longer, I have found McGeorge Toyota very responsive in shipment and in answering questions if you choose to call. Also when ordering with them, supplying VIN is a big help, they will call or email if they question an item they don’t feel fits.

 

This is really cool to follow: Thanks for sharing. This is neither an endorsement nor a suggestion, but I just was curious how much it would cost to replace the dash components yourself that had glue residue on it:

$230 TOYOTA Tundra Interior BURL Wood Dash Trim KIT Set 2000 2001 2002 2003

https://www.amazon.com/TOYOTA-TUNDRA-INTERIOR-BURL-WOOD/dp/B005IZ1FWO.

Burl wood for $259.99. hehe.

 

Thanks! I'm thinking get part numbers and shop online since I'm in no sort of hurry. The question about OEM vs aftermarket was purely focused on quality (is there a superior aftermarket option for, say, a tie rod) and not at all about price (I plan to spend something bordering on ridiculous on this truck for emotional reasons, hence the Suzie Orman reference earlier as in "don't do what I do".) One super nice thing about a 20 year old truck which someone else gave a beatdown for 11 years is that I don't feel any obligation to stick with OEM parts for warranty reasons but for sure I'll use them if they are the best option.

New $70 bezel has been ordered but I got the 03-04 wider one to see what the exact dimensions are and if I feel like attempting to file it. Also got some knobs. That should take care of a lot of the glue. Some on the rear window too but that's glass so likely easier to clean. The glue on the dash might take some delicate effort. Removing the stickers on the windows is even proving to be a bit of a challenge, though I haven't put a ton of time in yet. The fun thing here is that this is a 10 year project so I can just chip away at it as time permits. And hopefully once the boys are older there will be more time than the few minutes I get right now.

I also might try to sand and paint the original bezel and see how that looks. MGM perhaps. Give it a little bit of flavor. I think the vents pop right out.

 

Ok so I literally couldnt figure out why I was not able to post until I realized this is Tundras.com and not Tacoma World! Sheesh..

So if the Timing belt job listed there includes OE Denso parts and labor its a hell of a deal.

Rear shoes, if you want to swap to disk in the rear its not really worth it IMO, the drums actually work pretty well and you rarely have to change the shoes, I have done the disk swaps and its a lot of time and money and simply not worth the hassle unless you are auto-crossing every weekend. You also have to replace the master cylinder as well during the swap.

Tie rods, thats pretty expensive, I can save you money on that for sure!

Serp belt and tensioner, I can beat that as well.

I can surely do the valve covers as well for a LOT cheaper than quoted and may as well do the spark plugs at the same time while its apart since there is overlapping labor there.

Anyway I shot you a text about the Tbelt asking about if it was parts and labor but if it is then thats a good price!
Just lemme know and I can save you a bunch of cash.

 

It's really not that hard to do. The tough part is getting a good grip on the inner tie rods using a monkey wrench. A better option is to buy a specialized $30-$40 wide opening skinny crescent wrench (like 3-4 inch opening with 1/4" width) that would allow you to use the inner hex pattern on the tie rod itself. Biggest gotcha is to make sure you keep the steering rack in place via a regular crescent wrench to hold the rack while you screw on/off the inner tie rod.

Outer tie rods are easy and can be done in your sleep. You could even borrow tools from Autozone to help pop out the tie rod if a BFH doesn't work for you.

I did my inner tie rods with Moog since they were on the pricey side for OEM, but I used OEM on the outer since they aren't that expensive. The Moogs are still holding up well after 50K miles.

@daveeasa It's actually good you posted this...just took a look and it looks like they have some inexpensive wrenches like I stated above at Lowes. I think I might buy one. haha

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Kobalt-Adj...Vw5yzCh2HwgA-EAQYASABEgLclvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

 

A quick Thank You for suggesting this. I just got one for my buddy as his Kia Sorrento is scheduled to be delivered tomorrow.

And while I was all stoked on the possibility of him buying a brand new vehicle, today I learned that it is a 2019 with 20k miles. Still, I suspect for his use (hauling dogs and towing a really neat aluminum fish and wildlife boat from Montana back to central Cali coast for use in the ocean) I think it's a pretty smart move. Smart because I get to go hog f'ing wild now with the Tundra...

 

Well it needs a little scrubbing with a soft cloth but looks like a nice improvement from before. Opening measures 8x4. Don’t think I can make it any bigger.



Also got a tailgate handle to try out, old one is toast.

 

Ok, funny, old tailgate handle was just fine. Oh well, $12 for new plastic I guess. Just needed lube and the cover plate be t back straight and it opens clean now.

New wiper blades on too.

Working on USB power next, maybe re-route speaker wire so the radio works too

 

Ah, it’s Alpine components I used. Remembering now.



And boom, just like that we have tunes again.

 

Got started on front stack cleanup. Interestingly, the head unit has a bluetooth module, I had totally forgotten about that. Given that it's 10 years old, who knows if that works at all.

I did have the radio working again but it's non-operable right now it seems, I'm hoping because I disconnected all the buttons in the center stack as I hosed off the replacement and I'm waiting for it to dry out before transferring the electronics over.

 

If the clock isn’t plugged in, the radio will not work.

 

Cool, thanks Dan.

In other news, the mechanic who did my timing chain apparently did not see visible leaking of the water pump. That's good news since my wife wants to use the truck to park at the airport. It's a fairly good choice since it's the beatermobile for now, but that means I won't have access to it for almost a week once she leaves. Upside is I can finish a few minivan items:

1. Rear seat usb power (for the times when I'm lucky enough to be in the 3rd row and I can ignore my own kids in the middle
2. Replace driver side sunshade which my older son destroyed when he was 2. Let's hope I got the right part for that. It's been sitting for almost 2 years I think.
3. route the dometic always-hot power cord from the fuse box into the pocket where the vacuum would be if we had the fancy model. So I can run the fridge even when we stop. I'll have to drill a hole in the plastic, with the panel off for usb it'll be that much easier.

Tonight I have to crimp a few harnesses to send out to various people tomorrow am.

Tomorrow night is place a big Toyota parts order:

1. Water pump parts
2. valve cover gasket parts
3. inner and outer tie rods
4. Would be super slick if I can dig up the part number for the cover on the center seat belt anchor (it's mass covered in gorilla glue, would be nice to replace if not spendy)
5. Probably a bunch of other stuff I'm not thinking about, must review the paper

I'll also probably order a front header rail for the Tacoma.

Last, I have to go to the Leer dealer and get new struts & legit 3rd brake light. My $5 NAPA hack job with Boss 315 seemed to survive the trip my friends made with my dog to big bear while we hiked San Jacinto. So I have some time there which is good.

 

When your at the dealer, IF you get a chance, could you inquire about the part numbers for the side windows you’ve got? My dealers been useless. I may have to drive to leers plant and get a quote

 

Definitely will try. Not sure this dealer is going to be better, I kind of knew more than the people I talked to about the product itself when I ordered my 100xq. It's all about finding that one person who knows something...

 

Got my initial parts order in.

Now I need to figure out brakes. If I'm sticking with drums in the rear I want 14wa on the fronts if I can locate 17" wheels, otherwise 13wa calipers? Probably need new disks too. And then on the drums, I have no idea what to do with those, they need to be re-machined or something. Gonna be a lot of learning going on...

 

2002 has the 13WE (smaller calipers) same as me. I just placed an order for bolt on 13WL which are slightly larger.

Others have reported success with the 14WA with no additional major modifications to the booater/master cylinder. There are others who have reported a mushy feeling like @FirstGenVol. I think I should let him see this post, and give you better details since it is his truck, and he has all the first hand accounts with it.

@Thrussn has installed a T100 booster, and Master cylinder with a bigger bore (???) which can yield higher PSI than our stock B/MC. The 14WA are a bigger piston caliper which means they require more pressure to extend.

Here is a link to @Thrussn's T100 Booster/Master cylinder Upgrade. Happy reading David!

 

Yeah, thanks, I have skimmed some on the T100 booster and figured it was on the list of things to do. Brakes are a near term phase 2 b/c they are not great right now and I want to go hog wild, especially if I'm keeping drums in the back. But I think to do it right means 17's and I currently have no line on reasonably priced wheels. And it would be nice if I could mix and match my steelies with snow tires on them for either truck so I'm a bit torn on the brake calipers to use. I figure I'll hit up @Speed Freek to discuss while he's doing the tie rods in late August and I can order them then as I might go with stoptech or some other aftermarket product(s).

Thanks for the info and keeping me off the edge of buying the wrong stuff.

 

14WA calipers have been a nightmare for me but I've been the exception, not the norm. Countless other people have done the swap without issue. Some did T100 upgrade which is pretty sweet. I've changed my diagnosis of my issue multiple times over the last 10 months but I'm at least somewhat confident I still have air trapped in my damn ABS lines/module.

 

So if you were in my shoes, 13wa or you’d go 14’s again and suffer?