Jeff's 1992 Toyota Hilux Xtra Cab Project (56K Death)

[lewis15498]

So almost two years ago, I picked this truck up. Seemed like a good investment at the time. The shitty 3Slow gave me nothing but problems. Some real morons had worked on the car and I continually found stupid performed by previous owners/poor mechanics.

Finally the nightmare came to an end right after I changed the alternator. I hopped in the truck, went to go fill the tank, and promptly blew a head gasket. Being so fed up with the motor and not willing to pay for a tow, I turned around and punched it. Made it several miles until it finally, screaming, it siezed up, 200 ft from my house. I got out and pushed it the rest of the way. Later I dragged it out back and there it sat for a year.

Last month I formulated a plan to revive this truck. The project goals at this point are to repair, restore and improve the truck. I know you guys love pictures and may enjoy watching the progress, so here goes.

Goals (Phase 1):
-Remove cab and bed.
-Strip, clean, remove rust, and paint frame.
-Replace all brake lines with stainless lines.
-Address any rust on underside of cab and bed.
-Convert auto trans to R150.
-Swap the 3Slow for a 3.4l 5VZFE.
-Reinstall cab and bed with 2" body lift.

---------- Post added at 01:34 AM ---------- Previous post was at 01:34 AM ----------

DAY 1

Initial assessment. 2 of 8 bolts had to be torched. Bed is ready for removal.

Later a couple friends come over and we lift the bed off without any issues. Taking the cab off will be just as easy. Hey, I can dream right?

The rust on the underside has progressed over the year it has sat, but I don't see anything comprimising the frame's integrity. Could it be better? Yes. Am I worried? No. I am hoping i can clean the proportioning valve up. I hear they are expensive.

---------- Post added at 01:48 AM ---------- Previous post was at 01:34 AM ----------

DAY 2

Started working on taking things apart. Took off the corner lights and directionals.

Got under the hood, removed some stuff and disconnected wires and whatnot. Pretty much everything that needs to be disconnected to remove the cab except the A/C lines is done.

Discovered some body rot. The PS rocker pannel is trash from the door back, and I found a hole behind the PS inner fender. Also peeling back the carpet revealed alot of surface rust on the floor pan, but that can be dealt with after the truck is together and running.

 

[suprarx7nut]

Cool project. I've got a 91 3.0 and I'm about to throw the motor through a house. It's absolutely awful.

Anyways, cool project and good luck. Keep up the pics!

Sent from my ADR6400L using Tapatalk

 

[hvyman]

Are you going to strip down the body and frame clean everything up and put it back? Basically like a frame up resto?

That truck looks stupid simple to do a frame up on. .

Cool project.

btw couple of your last pictures arent working

 

[kotu100]

awesome Jeff, im deff gonna follow the progress on this, let me know if you need a hand.

 

[lewis15498]

Cool project. I've got a 91 3.0 and I'm about to throw the motor through a house. It's absolutely awful.

Anyways, cool project and good luck. Keep up the pics!

Sent from my ADR6400L using Tapatalk

Yeah the 3.0 blows goats. Thank you, I'll keep posting progress.

Are you going to strip down the body and frame clean everything up and put it back? Basically like a frame up resto?

That truck looks stupid simple to do a frame up on. .

Cool project.

btw couple of your last pictures arent working

Yeah, I'm basically doing a frame up resto, however I'm leaving the body work for a later date due to time and finanical constraints. Thank you, and I'll fix the pictures, I think I deleted them by accident.

awesome Jeff, im deff gonna follow the progress on this, let me know if you need a hand.

Thanks Rick! I may call on that favor.

 

[lewis15498]

DAY 3

Things reallly get moving. I stripped down the front end minus the hood and removed the Seats. I disconnected the AT shifter, which was a bitch to figure out, but once I did it was easy. Got 4 of the 6 cab bolts undone, helped my brother with the brakes on his car and picked up just before it started pouring. Trying to be more organized I packaged removed parts in boxes, and labeld the boxes with a sharpie. Today was very productive and I'm feeling even better about the project.

2" body lift ready and waiting. I'm not a fan of body lifts, but it was either this or saw a hole in the hood so the 3.4 would clear it. It will have the added bonus of 2 inches of extra room for my fat man hands when performing work in the future.

Scored this unit out of a junkyard for $160. R150 out of another 92 with transfer case I think it has 165k on it. Drained tranny and diff fluids and they both looked good, both trans and transfer shift smoothly. I think I got one hell of a deal!

 

[lewis15498]

Day 4

Cab is no ready for removal. Removed the remaining two cab bolts and hood, disconnected the e-brake, fuel lines 4wd linkage a/c lines and any remaining hoses, wires exc. Jacked the cab up and installed i-hooks through the rear and middle mounts for lifting. There isn't much weight to the front clip so I think it will be fairly well balanced. I got two 6' lengths of chain and connected them to the I hooks then connected the front and rear chains to an engine leveler. Cab is currently sitting on pieces of a 2x3 on the frame. Next update the doors will come off and cab will be lifted off.

Looks like I'm going to be needing new body mount bushings.

 

[lewis15498]

Day 5

Today the cab came off. It went easier than I anticipated. I removed the wheels from the engine hoist for added stability. Had it set at the third boom bolt hole. In hind sight I should have used the fourth bolt hole as the rocker pannel hit the piston, but I was terrified it would topple over. Got the frame out from under it and set the cab on some blocks/pallets. Threw the doors back on and started removing things from the frame. I work on it for 4-6 hours each day, I've prolly put in 20-25 hours at this point and I'm pleased with my progress so far.

Almost there, throw in a little hulk power to clear the engine.

Rolled out the frame.

Set the cab down.

Put the doors back on. Somehow our fat bastard cat, Mario, got trapped inside. He was not happy about the situation.

Disabled vehicles make great storage units.

Unfortunately the board protecting the rocker slipped out and the rocker whacked the pump on the hoist. Put a decent ding in it. :cry:

When I set the cab on the ground the boom pressed against the top of the door opening, ripping the trim a little, no big deal.

Frame minus exhaust, spare and wiring. Started on unbolting the trans.

 

[kotu100]

you did this in todays weather? you brave brave man!
amazing progress so far, gonna strip the frame completly?

 

[ForcedTorque]

Cool project Jeff! Long time no see. Looks pretty easy coming apart. We'll see how easy it is going back once you change motors.

 

[lewis15498]

you did this in todays weather? you brave brave man!
amazing progress so far, gonna strip the frame completly?

Lol thanks buddy. Yes frames getting stripped down, at least down to a rolling frame, goin on the trailer and to the carwash, Wire wheel/grinder, cleaned and painted with Eastwood's Rust Encapsulator (POR 15 equivilent, but doesn't need to be topcoated).

As far as dealing with the weather, I've always been a bitch about the humidity, but I've found the method. I put all my tools outside, then go run an errand in my car which has no AC. Then when I get out of the car, it doesn't seem as bad. Mind over matter, but when I go in the house its like a refridgerator, and I dont want to go back out. Also staying hydrated is clutch.

Cool project Jeff! Long time no see. Looks pretty easy coming apart. We'll see how easy it is going back once you change motors.

Thanks Scott! Hows everything going with you?

The 2" body lift should provide some more clearance, I'm not looking forward to trying to line everything up lol.

 

[Pokey2301]

Subscribed!

 

[lewis15498]

Day 6

Pretty much everything is off the frame at this point, the bumper, tow hitch, spare tire, rear driveshaft, cab mounts, and misc. items have been removed. Engine and trans will come off next.

Picked this bad boy up from a salvage yard today, only has 126K on it, out of a 97 4Runner. The engine to the right is also a 5VZ but it has a blown head gasket. Buying the new engine for $825+tax was way cheaper than rebuilding the other one I had. It may get rebuilt at a later date, but its very likely it needs new heads as it was overheated badly.

Aisin clutch kit from rock auto. Sorry guys, it was the last one. Also shown replacement transmission mount and polyurethane bushing master kit.

Flywheel from autozone. Only $60 bucks. It may not be OEM quality, but its brand new which means I need not worry about hout spots. For the reccord, the dealer wanted $580 for a new flywheel. Risking having to take the trans off again is worth $520 to me, but I doubt I'll have a problem with the autozone unit.

 

[wiseco7mgt]

i love this thread! great work so far, can't wait for more updates.I miss my old 7mgte 4runner just for the whole fun factor, i shall now live vicariously through yours.lol

 

[lewis15498]

i love this thread! great work so far, can't wait for more updates.I miss my old 7mgte 4runner just for the whole fun factor, i shall now live vicariously through yours.lol

Thanks man! I had seriously considered a 7MGTE but starting with the 3.0, the 3.4 bolts right in. Also I feel like this setup may be more reliable with my budget.

 

[wiseco7mgt]

Yeah good choice, the 7mgte breaks a lot of stuff which then becomes a nightmare. I've seen 5mge Toyotas that went well enough so the 3.4 litre should be a great choice.
I think a simple 7mge would also work well with the stock transmission, although i'd like to try a built 7mgte with a built a340e and a 9" locker diff but only running 2wd, Kind of like the desert racing trucks.
Nothing like throwing huge rooster tails in the sand or mud.lol

 

[lewis15498]

Yeah I wasnt willing to sacrifice 4WD and I wanted a manual trans. You need a custom bellhousing to mate the R150 to a 7M. This is just so much easier. I also considered doing a lexus 4.0 V8 swap, but it required significantly more work/money. I'm pretty sure I'll be satisfied with the output of the 5VZ, and if I get bored down the road I can always supercharge it.

 

[lewis15498]

At this point the project has slowed down, as I have been rather busy lately. Besides work and everything, I took the weekend of the 24th off for my birthday. Went and saw a sublime/311 concert on Saturday, and then went to F1 Boston on Sunday (Indoor Cart Racing). By the way local guys, you get a free race on your birthday!

Worked on the truck early this week. Then left for New Hampshire with the girlfriend. She got me a 12 lap racing experience at NH Motor Speedway, which was nothing short of epic. Hit the rev limiter (set at 5K rpms) a half dozen times on the straights. The guy said I was probably going about 140mph. I'm not a huge Nascar guy, but it was exhilarating and I reccomend it to any driving enthusiast. Def gave me more appreciation for Nascar.

Ill try to do a little more work on the truck this week but I am leaving for FL tuesday, and coming back on the 10th, but going to see a friend in CT for the weekend, so I'm all over the place. After that, things with the truck will surely pick up speed again.

So without further adue:

Day 7

Removed engine and trans from the frame. Stripped off remaining parts, and got it out onto pavement. Sprayed everything down with marine clean, then hosed it off, the product works quite well. At this point I am thinking of dropping the front and rear axles, and most of the suspension. Gonna leave the upper control arm on, because I dont feel like messing with torsion bars.

Started stripping down the 3VZ harness. I am working on a spreadsheet that will guide me through all the wiring. After I have proofed it and my truck works I will gladly share it with you guys. I just dont want to post it before I check it for errors.

Goods from toyota. Fuel line, Fuel filter, Rear Main seal and Thermostat for the 5VZ.

 

[CATarga]

If you haven't searched Pirate4x4.com, Marlincrawler's forums, 4x4wire(Toyota trucks), or other Toyota forums, plenty of members on those boards have done the 5vze swaps, and can help out with the wiring harness. One on 4x4wire is currently doing the swap. Offroad solutions(the first or one of the first to do the swap) used to make them, but they are no longer officially in business, however I have heard they are willing to make a plug and play harness.

If you are not dead set on the 5vze and would rather use the 7mge, you can usually find the 4cyl. trans and transfer case set-up for under $200. The 7mge and 7mgte aren't as common a swap with the Toyota 4x4's, but they are easier than the other engine swaps. A couple of the members omn MArlin are running the 7mgte

The 3.0 has really gotten a bad rap, similar to that of the 7m, and like the 7, suffered from the changes mandated by the EPA and asbestos free HG's. Also adding to their problem was that most buyers thought it was as durable as the 22r series, but it is more akin to the 7m when it comes to proper maintainance and servicing. With the exception of a burnt valve my '90 has been trouble free since it was new, and now has just under 190k miles. You can make them run better, but it costs a pretty penny, unfortunately when I started modifying mine the 5vze wasn't even around. I am happy enough with the results, but when it comes time to do a full rebuild, I think I will opt for a 7mgte.

 

[lewis15498]

If you haven't searched Pirate4x4.com, Marlincrawler's forums, 4x4wire(Toyota trucks), or other Toyota forums, plenty of members on those boards have done the 5vze swaps, and can help out with the wiring harness. One on 4x4wire is currently doing the swap. Offroad solutions(the first or one of the first to do the swap) used to make them, but they are no longer officially in business, however I have heard they are willing to make a plug and play harness.

I've done alot of reading on the swap. Honestly I've found some of the information vague and conflicting. I'm actually a member at yotatech. Its much smaller than SM but its not a bad place.

As far as the wiring goes, I'm planning on doing it all myself. I have the skills to do it, and the TEWD for both the truck and the donor harness. Thanks for the suggestion though, I would definitely reccomend the ORS or other plug and play route to someone afraid of wiring, but to me, its just a waste of money, which I am short on.

If you are not dead set on the 5vze and would rather use the 7mge, you can usually find the 4cyl. trans and transfer case set-up for under $200. The 7mge and 7mgte aren't as common a swap with the Toyota 4x4's, but they are easier than the other engine swaps. A couple of the members omn MArlin are running the 7mgte.

I have a 7MGTE laying around and I had considered it, but its a long engine to try and fit in the trucks short engine bay. Also trying to fit an intercooler in there, it would be tight, as well as I would be worried about overheating with no room for a good fan.

Starting with the 3VZ, the 5VZ will bolt right in. The 5VZ also comes with a MHG. If I went the 7M route I would need to fab new engine mounts. Overall the 5VZ just seemed like the easier, more simple, and relable option. However the 7M is also a great Choice. I may have gone the 7M route or maybe a diesel route if the truck started its life with a 22R.

The 3.0 has really gotten a bad rap, similar to that of the 7m, and like the 7, suffered from the changes mandated by the EPA and asbestos free HG's. Also adding to their problem was that most buyers thought it was as durable as the 22r series, but it is more akin to the 7m when it comes to proper maintainance and servicing. With the exception of a burnt valve my '90 has been trouble free since it was new, and now has just under 190k miles. You can make them run better, but it costs a pretty penny, unfortunately when I started modifying mine the 5vze wasn't even around. I am happy enough with the results, but when it comes time to do a full rebuild, I think I will opt for a 7mgte.

Yeah, the 3.0 wasn't the worst engine ever, but mine was badly hurt when I got it. The 5VZ just has so much more to offer: MHG's, individual injector control, and a exhaust manifold design thats not fucking retarded. At the end of the day its more reliable, more powerful and more fuel friendly.