2007 Toyota 4Stunner

[Senor_Taylor]

So, the Tacoma is gone and I got a pile of money for it, so what else to do but spend it? (Except bathe in it.)
Mileage : 118,250

Our friendly Toyota expert, Jason, was happy to give me an insanely good price to do the timing belt an water pump. Recommended service for the timing belt is around 90K and this was at 116k when I bought it, so it was definitely due. I've put about 2000 miles on it since I bought it and it's been very nerve wracking imagining the timing belt letting go and destroying my engine. The upgraded VVT-I V8 motors are interference. I showed up around 10 am and we drained the coolant and left to go get lunch and pick up some tools while the car cooled. We got back and started tearing apart the car. By "We" I mean "Jason" because the man works so fast, I can't help but be in the way if I try to help. It wasn't long before dark storm clouds rolled in and we abandoned the project until it subsided. Realizing the rain would last until 6, we trudged back outside and I found an umbrella in the car to hold over Jason as he worked. Lightning quick hands and a few cuss words later and the water pump was out. The water pump actually did have a little wobble to the impeller so that feels like a victory that I decided to buy a new one for this project. The timing belt on the other hand, looked fine, but seemed to have stretched to the point of the tensioner being all of the way out and there still being slack in the belt. Definitely time to replace it. Jason suggested we not replace any of the bearings as they usually never fail, so we, "he", buttoned it back up in the pouring rain, and I headed home on my merry way.

I know it's not really supposed to affect performance, but I swear this thing runs a little better. I guess it's more in time, but the power delivery is great and it doesn't downshift if I'm at 3000RPM and floor it, it just kind of accelerates. Maybe it's my imagination, maybe I'm crazy, but I like it. I decided I hadn't spent enough money today, so I popped over to Hard Freight and purchased their finest chinesium tool cabinet combo and shoved it in the back of the 4Runner with the seats down. I actually don't think I could have fit those two boxes in the Tacoma with the truck box in the bed. I got home, pieced them together, replaced the cabin air filter and began work on the longest oil change I've ever done.

First off, I am so used to the Tacoma being lifted that I didn't realize how low the 4Runner is to the ground and how tight a fit it is to change the oil without jacking it up. The 4Runner is so tight in my garage with Zach's bike and my moped that I didn't even bother putting a jack under it and messing with that. Drain the oil and attempt to tackle the oil filter and I swear it took me 15 minutes of wrestling with it before I decided to stab it with a screwdriver, and even then it took another 10 minutes to get it off. I go to fill it back up and realize that this V8 takes 6.2 Quarts and I only bought 5. Guess I'm used to smaller engines. Oh well. Joey is bringing oil over tomorrow before we head to cannibalize some Subarus in Maryland tomorrow.

Next on the list is Jason is sourcing an OEM Exhaust Manifold, Trans, and Diff fluid, and the appropriate gaskets for one final wrench session before this thing is officially bulletproof for the next 60,000 miles. 4th gen 4Runner crack headers a lot for some reason and my passenger one seems to have cracked right after I bought it. The drive side manifold seems to have been replaced before I bought it, so I guess it was time. The only problem is this headers have a cat on them, so they're stupid expensive. Oh well. We also need to figure out why there is a whining noise coming from the alternator or near it. It doesn't seem to be a bearing, so Jason thinks it may be a diode or something like that dying in it.

Other than all of that, I'm in love with this car. I think it looks beautiful. It eats up highway miles, and it has so many creature comforts I'm still not used to. I'm not sure if I can ever go back to having a car with auto climiate control, steering wheel radio controls, and projector head lights. The seats are really comfortable in the rare situations that my back isn't already hurting and that's a big plus for me. I also LOVE the V8. I find myself slowing down just to floor it and listen to all 300 lb-ft of torque haul my ass up 28. I don't know how long I'll keep this and it's basically just an appliance at this point, but I've always taken care of my "primary" cars so this will receive on Toyota parts and fluids and my aim is to keep it as nice as I possibly can. Toyotas have always treated me well, why shouldn't I return the favor?









We also had to go find a C-Clamp to compress the tensioner, so I met some guys with some seriously cool dirt track cars.