Adventures in 4Runner'ing

[DaveInDenver]

Does it matter that much that the 945CBR is only a two row rather than three?

I replaced the original radiator with the Performance not long after I got the truck, so say about 2002 or so. I never once had any overheating issue. I only ran a stock fan and clutch, too. But my truck wasn't a hard core crawler. The 3-row core comes into play there.

But, OTOH, the problem I always had was the engine running too cool. On long descents the temp gauge would peg against the cold side most of the time, even in the summer. So my thought would be a 2-row with stock fan/clutch and perhaps add an electric aux fan for crawling? Just my $0.02, if your cooling system is not clogged and the shroud is in place 2-rows should be sufficient for a stock 22R-E.

 

[DaveInDenver]

BTW, to get a 3-row you'll have to find the one for a 22R-TE turbo. Those were 3-row cores. Otherwise I think even the V6 options were 2-row.

Performance 2320 is the turbo application radiator, although it's unlikely they'd have it in stock (it's not online).

https://shop.performanceradiator.co...th=1_33136_33839_33871_33872&product_id=11020

The other 3-row turbo that guys use is CSF 2314. Amazon has those, if you can wait for the shipping.

http://www.amazon.com/CSF-Toyota-4Runner-Pickup-Radiator/dp/B000CFRKS8

BTW, the one thing you have to watch is the radiator supports are not necessarily the same between trucks, so you need to make sure to get the ones for IFS 4Runner. That's why I mention taking the old one just to make sure the replacement mounts the same.

 

[DouglasVB]

I picked up a CSF 2314 from 1-800 Radiators. Was a good price even with the lifetime warrantee. Will swap it out after work today.

 

[DouglasVB]

The new radiator went in fine this evening. No leaks, no worries!

The old radiator came out in pieces. One of the supposedly welded-on brackets on the side of the radiator completely detached when I pulled the unit out. That radiator is really beat up. I'm not sure if it's worth JB Welding the crack in the filler neck and carrying as a trail spare. Would probably be better to buy a new $90 aluminum and plastic radiator as a trail spare...

I cut the breather bellows on both differentials. Each one let out a bunch of air. I'll be replacing them later with tubes running up high into the body. The parts are somewhere in my garage already as I had purchased them for the previous 4runner and never installed them.

My wiring of the light bar and other auxiliary electrical equipment is waiting for a fuse panel to arrive from Amazon. Looks like it won't come in until next week. I searched high and low for the panel I wanted locally but couldn't get it. Oh well!

I still need to build a center console radio box. I have the wood but now I need to uncover my power saw and a few other tools to make it happen. My plan is to tackle that tomorrow morning early.

 

[DaveInDenver]

Honestly, you'll be better off periodically inspecting your radiator and carrying JB Weld and a tube of Bar's Leak. Carrying around a whole radiator just seems excessive (and this coming from a guy who has about 100 lbs of tools and crap in my truck all the time).

The only time I've really had need of a whole radiator might have been after an idiotic attempt at crossing Medano Creek too fast with high water. I broke a fan blade off and it sliced my radiator.

It was in the FJ40 way, way back. But even then all I did was pinch the tube above and below the cut, used some JB Weld, refilled it with filtered creek water and drove home to Arvada slowly. I could have easily made it to Alamosa or even the Springs to get it fixed right.

The root fix really, though, is not being a dumbass in the future.

 

[DouglasVB]

The root fix really, though, is not being a dumbass in the future.

That's going to be a reaaaaaally hard one for me

 

[DaveInDenver]

That's going to be a reaaaaaally hard one for me

It helps tremendously to travel with experienced people who point out your mistakes before they can get catastrophic. Or they encourage you to do them. But pitch in with trail fixes after...

 

[DouglasVB]

The new radiator is performing as expected. We're all good there. No head gasket problems, no milkshake in the oil or coolant. Yay!

I wired up all of my electronic goodies over the weekend and built a little center console box for my radios. There is a little bleed-over from the 2M radio into the AM/FM but not the CB. It doesn't seem to be impacting anything other than a little noise when I transmit on the AM/FM (which I normally have muted anyway). I'll need to add a bigger alternator in the future to power everything sufficiently but for now it's good enough.

I noticed a leak from my T-cases which I traced back to the front output seal. I replaced it and in the process discovered that my gear oil had magically been replaced by silver sludge Yes, aluminum shavings in the oil.

As I see it, there are two possibilities: 1) I have the same problem that Squishy! had back a few months with the adapter plate bearing failing and eating away the aluminum in the adapter plate. 2) I didn't tolerance the area around the 4.7:1 gears sufficiently and I now have a very custom fit thanks to the big gear eating away some of the T-case housing.

The logical thing to do would be to drop out the T-cases and inspect like crazy. I however don't have the luxury of being able to do that easily. I don't have a jack sufficiently tall to safely remove the T-cases (last time I nearly dropped them on my head) and I don't have a garage in which I can do the job (the truck no longer fits into my garage due to clearance issues).

Instead what I have done is I refilled the T-cases with clean gear oil and now am running for a few days before I'll drain the oil and inspect to see if I get another soup of aluminum coming out. I'm also shopping for a jack that can support the T-cases safely and that goes high enough to remove them for later inspection.

 

[HoneyBadger]

You'll get silver oil again. It'll take a couple times to really flush all of it out. Make sure you run it around a heat it up before draining. It took us a while to completely clean it all out of Justin's cases with break cleaner. And they were disassembled. You may want to speak with him about this whole deal. If it is a bearing gone bad, get one of us to come give you a hand.

 

[DouglasVB]

Changed the t-case fluid again last night. Not nearly as goopy as the last time. I only had about 100 miles rather than about 600 miles on it this time. I'll run it another 100-200 miles, drain and refill, wash rinse repeat a few times.

I'm starting to chomp at the bit for a rear tire swing-out. All the room the spare takes up in the cargo area puts a real damper on packing in camping supplies. Perhaps fabbing up a rear tire swingout will be my first welding project? I'm looking at getting a Ready Welder II or Premier Power Welder. That's what's in my head now anyway.

 

[Squishy!]

Changed the t-case fluid again last night. Not nearly as goopy as the last time. I only had about 100 miles rather than about 600 miles on it this time. I'll run it another 100-200 miles, drain and refill, wash rinse repeat a few times. I'm starting to chomp at the bit for a rear tire swing-out. All the room the spare takes up in the cargo area puts a real damper on packing in camping supplies. Perhaps fabbing up a rear tire swingout will be my first welding project? I'm looking at getting a Ready Welder II or Premier Power Welder. That's what's in my head now anyway.

I would not recommend using an on board welder for much other that trail repairs. Invest in a 110v mig first 220 if you can swing it.

 

[Squishy!]

You'll get silver oil again. It'll take a couple times to really flush all of it out. Make sure you run it around a heat it up before draining. It took us a while to completely clean it all out of Justin's cases with break cleaner. And they were disassembled. You may want to speak with him about this whole deal. If it is a bearing gone bad, get one of us to come give you a hand.

I doubt your bearing has gone out unless your adapter plate was installed in the early 2000's. I would venture to say your gears are clearancing themselves.

 

[DouglasVB]

I doubt your bearing has gone out unless your adapter plate was installed in the early 2000's. I would venture to say your gears are clearancing themselves.

That's my current operating hypothesis as well. I must not have ground enough off. The case was probably installed around 2007-ish. The adapter plate looked identical to the one I bought a few months ago.

 

[DouglasVB]

I would not recommend using an on board welder for much other that trail repairs. Invest in a 110v mig first 220 if you can swing it.

I'm trying to avoid accumulating more tools that I need to plug into mains power. Someday I'm going to lose my garage

In the meantime, I could pick up something like this and most likely wire it into the dryer plug? A friend has one of these that I could borrow and that we've run in my garage before but I don't think it could do much heavy duty work. "Heavy duty" meaning welding on a tube bumper, not welding together a Liberty Ship.

 

[Squishy!]

I'm trying to avoid accumulating more tools that I need to plug into mains power. Someday I'm going to lose my garage In the meantime, I could pick up something like this and most likely wire it into the dryer plug? A friend has one of these that I could borrow and that we've run in my garage before but I don't think it could do much heavy duty work. "Heavy duty" meaning welding on a tube bumper, not welding together a Liberty Ship.

If you aren't able to get decent stuff, you'll only frustrate yourself. It's worth it to pay someone otherwise.

 

[rover67]

I think you're gonna be hard pressed to make decent welds on a tube bumper with a 110v flux core machine.

I have run lots of welders on my drier plugs at various places, that works... but I can't speak to the quality of the 220v welder from HF. I guess it could work?

 

[DaveInDenver]

I think you're gonna be hard pressed to make decent welds on a tube bumper with a 110v flux core machine.

I have run lots of welders on my drier plugs at various places, that works... but I can't speak to the quality of the 220v welder from HF. I guess it could work?

If it's like their tools I've used over the years, it'll work but only after you buy and return 3 getting one that isn't a dud.

 

[Squishy!]

I've welded with both the hf welders and the premier power welder. Both will do in a pinch, but I would NEVER rely on either with projects, only emergency repairs.

 

[J Kimmel]

I'm trying to avoid accumulating more tools that I need to plug into mains power. Someday I'm going to lose my garage

In the meantime, I could pick up something like this and most likely wire it into the dryer plug? A friend has one of these that I could borrow and that we've run in my garage before but I don't think it could do much heavy duty work. "Heavy duty" meaning welding on a tube bumper, not welding together a Liberty Ship.

These will work perfect if you like spending money more than once.

 

[AxleIke]

No on the HF welder. You can run hobby 220 machines from Lincoln, Miller, etc. on the drier plug.