My 2001 TRD Access Cab Repair/Modify Thread

Thanks for the kind words! It's been a very enjoyable journey

 

Not so much an update on the truck, but an update on the comment about selling it. I've decided to keep the Tundra and not buy anything else.
The reality of the situation is this. Do I really need a second (actually 3rd) car? I can't really justify dumping 25-30K on a car that will sit in the garage most of the time.
Makes little sense.

 

Not a great time to buy either.

 

Ehh, yeah, true... I wasn't seeing a vast increase with Cayman prices, but nevertheless, not now. Maybe after I retire....

 

Agreed. I paid too much for my '05 Double Cab, but the alternative was a significantly more expensive truck with high payments.

 

Well, I haven't updated this thread in quite a while, so it's time. I went to use the wipers a few weeks ago and there was nothing. No movement at all. Checked the fuse and it was good, so I thought maybe the motor finally tapped out.
I pulled the wiper motor out, disconnected the transmission and ran the motor and it did work, but I couldn't move the transmission by hand.
The right hand wiper mount on the linkage was corroded so badly, it was frozen solid and the rod between the motor and the wiper arm mount was bent.


I picked up a used transmission assembly from a yard out in Arizona, as opposed to buying an aftermarket Chinese unit for more money. It came out of a 2002 with 180k on it. I figured an Arizona truck would have decent wiper parts since they don't get much rain...



I paid 70.00 for the transmission, and was super pleased with it. Lots of dust, but no rust.

It's not too bad swapping the parts out. When reinstalling the motor you have to make sure the bracket that bolts onto the motor points to the 3 o'clock position with the dimple pointing up.



I greased up the wiper pivots before installing them, just to stave off corrosion



Next was just bolting everything in place and ensuring that little arm was clocked correctly. Then put the cowl cover back in place and the wipers back on.



closed up and back in business. The neighborhood birds have been using the truck for target practice, so next stop is the car wash...



That's it for now...

 

It's been a minute since I updated this thread, so I will simply say the truck is now in the hands of my son. He needed a vehicle, so we struck a deal. This way I still have access to a Pickup and he has access to a mechanic. There are a few stipulations; Keep it clean, keep the oil updated and let me know when something is not right.

I'm in the process of looking for a GX470. I figured I'd change things up slightly and find an SUV as a secondary vehicle.

So, this isn't goodbye, just a slight change.

 

Been a minute.
Came here looking for knowledge, but Man! Thats a helluva a journal and journey.
Its sounds like you're living a healthy mid-life looking North to retirement.

So, pardon the short derailment, but PS about 'Jones-ing' for a Cayman [i kinda drool too when I see'em cruising up and down the 5 in Socal], but I temporarily divested my ownership in German cars [and doubled down on Asian reliabilty since] back in early Covid, when I saw supply lines choking and figured a part I might need for my BMW might mean a long wait, meaning extended driveway time for the cars' maintenance. Meanwhile, I decided to sell while still in top condition and thereafter jumped on what I thot would be a placeholder car for max mpg and reliabilty: a '20 Corolla Hatchback. No longer a 'place-holder'; its now my go-to cross county commuter. No, its never going to out perform my 3 series wagon [except for mpg & reliability] but its my close to sports-rally-like handing for a lot less $s with exceptional Toyota reliabilty.
So my point Im suggesting here [cant prove, just feel it] is that the Asian manufacturers, more so Toyota-Honda-Nissan, have relentlessly studied the Euro assortment of performance machines for the US market and slowly followed up on them w/nearly 95% of the same performance results but they also studied the 'Euro design-engineering mistakes/expensive to repair faults'. Thus, again cant prove it, handing the US market their best counter offerings over Porsche-BMW-Audi and for quite a bit less acquisition/maintenance costs, and much more reliabilty.
But I'll stop there since its your thread and the FGT nation is waiting to rain queries on your skills and accomplishments. Thanks for the thread/journal.