Changing all fluids to synthetic?

I wish to upgrade all of my vehicle fluids to full synthetic where possible. I'm seeking recommendations for the following fluids.

I am a newbie to this and have never owned a vehicle with 4wd and I just want to maintain the 4wd system in the best possible way!

Transmission fluid
Front and Rear differentials
Transfer case
Radiator
Brake system
Power steering

Thank you all.

 

Not necessary

 

Sometimes expensive isn’t always better.

Example: swapped out my GN4 oil in the GSXR to Motul. Noticed harder shifts right away. It wasnt shifting good at all. Switched back to the cheaper stuff and it runs like a dream.
But ya I only use Mobil one synthetic oil.
But I use the cheaper Car Quest Dexron II for the trans and swap out two quarts when I do oil changes.
You might want to replace the radiator and upper coolant hose if it hasn’t been done they only last twenty-twenty five years...

 

Engine oil is not on the list. I have already changed that over to Valvoline 5w30 10,000 High Mileage Full Synthetic with a
NAPA Gold oil filter.

 

You have to change the oil every 3,500 miles....

 

That is true when talking about conventional motor oil. My post had no references to motor oil. I'm talking about transfer case and differential fluids. Brake fluid and tranny fluid.

 

Extra virgin olive oil

 

Yes

 

I am looking for information not a bunch of kids farting around. Go watch some Teletubbies if you are just killing time. It may be more suited to your intellectual levels but you can always Google it if that confuses you also!!!

 

There's really no answer to your question. "Best" is subjective. Even the "experts" that test different oils all come out with different results on the "best."

If price is of no concern, go get everything from Toyota. At least you'll know they are all the correct fluids and have the recommended additives.

 

Finally, an intelligent reply.
Thanks for your time.

 

I got my diff and transfer quarts from the dealer. It’s Mag-One, not very expensive. Most dealers keep the oil in big barrels so you have to order it. And the crush washers are available on eBay for like eight bucks.....

 

Ok thank you for not being an idiot!!

 

Wait the crush washers are from Amazon... Here they are. Get a Haynes repair manual it has all the torque specs and viscosities....

 

calm down old man. No one cares.

 

Asking “best” in any forum invites a host of opinion. No different then best pizza or best sex position . All are what is readily available in you area...when i eat pizza I get full, when the prop shaft get serviced I feel good....when I use any certified oil in any case I dont worry. Mobile 1 anything is great. If you want to drop $$$ royal purple and some other boutique offerings ..hell where are the Ams oil fanboys at? Use what you can get and monitor and change regularly

 

You can never go wrong with Toyota fluids for Toyota's...but...I started using Red Line all synthetic years ago in my 85 4 Runner DLX 5 speed for everything...it changed everything, shifting became easier, differentials stopped making noise on turns and the engine quit clattering...I can't say for the newer 4 Runners or the automatics if that's a good idea or not but for the older ones I would stand by Red Line as being the best decision I made for my 4 Runner. Like Jake said above...it all becomes very subjective

 

That's all I am looking for as far as recommendations. Just the name of a product that worked well for you.

 

I use AmsOil for everything. Driveline, brake & steering gets new every 100,000. Crankcase gets new every 25,000 or 18 months & a new oil filter every 12,500. Coolant is whatever spec you require with the addition of Mishimoto Liquid Chill. I've been running it this way since 2008.

 

I run Amsoil in my 4Runner. Never had a problem with it.

 

Atomic Punk - No need to switch over all the fluids you mention just keep them changed regularly and you should be good. I'm no mechanic just my opinion and I think you see other people feel the same way. You'll always find die hard people that love a particular brand for one reason or another. Guess the real answer is you need to make your own decisions there.

 

IMHO OP I don’t think your going to see much benefit if any going to all synthetic fluids assuming you are putting it to the 2001 you mention in your signature. Maybe... if you are doing serious mileage 25k or more a year. I would change it regularly with any certified fluid. For motor oils I generally stick with Toyota OEM or Mobil 1 (EP preferably). As far as gear/transfer case oil I prefer Amsoil but have used Mobil 1 in the past. Never changed my our transmission oil...too such of a chicken s!$& to do it...I just go to the dealer. I am OCD and only use particular brands but in reality it doesn’t make a measurable difference. Synthetic vs conventional/ Mobil 1 vs Pennzoil...changing it is the key.

 

Thanks for your opinion. My 4r has 300k on it and I just want to give it the best protection possible.

 

Doing serious mileage annually isn't a factor in this case, you already have serious mileage. It's about performance & how long you want your engine to last until needing its 1st rebuild. From the in depth research I've done on the 5VZ-FE engines since 2008, one of the many design features is the ability to go 350k-400k initially. At which point you rebuild it & it'll go another 350k-400k. It was suggested in the design specs that it'll run with this duty cycle up to 1.2M-1.5M.

He's right about change interval. BUT when you calculate how many times you have to change mineral sourced oil (5x-8x) for the 25,000 miles then compare it to the ONE time you change the AmsOil 5w-30, it's much less expensive. If you are a DIY person it costs even more when you add your time to do the oil change. Same goes for all the other fluids, except coolant. Even with the Mishimoto additive, drain, flush & refill every 3 years with distilled water as the dilute. The oil filters should be AmsOil as well, change them every 12,500 miles, the filters aren't more than 1.5 times the price for a filter that lasts 3 times as long as STP or Fram.

If you do decide to switch all of your fluids out for AmsOil, become a preferred customer for $20/year & get 25% knocked off your price immediately. It'll pay for itself when you buy a gallon of SevereGear 75-90 gear oil (you'll need 3 gal). After the big purchase, I let the preferred customer renewal slide without any penalty. Personally, I like dealing with a local independent dealer, but you can buy it online too.

Regardless of which way you go on oil, you really need to get one of these:

$37 Fumoto Original F103S LC-10 Lever Clip FS-Series Engine Oil Drain Valve, 1 Pack

Fumoto F103S LC-10 Lever Clip FS-Series Engine Oil Drain Valve. -OR-

$40 Fumoto F103SX M12-1.25 Sx Series Drain Valve, Bronze

F103SX: New Generation Fumoto Valve. With this you can drain your engine oil at operating temperature & not burn yourself. With the nipple clip & hose you can drain it into what ever container you want & not have any spillage to clean up afterward.

 

Kipp, I would like to take a second to thank you for your reply! That's exactly the type of information I was kinda hoping to find on this forum! Knowledgeable, informative facts with situational comparisons and a few suggestions for making the whole process a little less of a pain in the butt. Thanks again!!
Would I still need new crush washers with those valves? Do they sell them for all of the drain holes?
Oil pan, transfer case and differentials?

 

I am sorry I just beg to differ that annual mileage isn’t a factor. For example let’s say the OPs truck is used under normal circumstances...meaning not severe off reading or towing at max frequently. And let’s say he is only doing 7.5k a mile in mileage. With conventional that’s 1.5 oil changes a year or 2 if you choose to change every six months. With Amsoil Signature Series you would have to keep that oil in service for about 3 1/2 years to see a cost savings (to truly maximize the benefits of cost and longevity). I WOULD NOT run any oil that long. Now if he is doing 15k or more synthetic is the way to go. Each product has its place in the spectrum. Synthetic oil is great but it does not differ from anything in nature...meaning over time and use it’s going to degrade. For a moment let’s take the cost factor out of the equation. At one year service intervals I have no doubt the synthetic will take longer to break down but I don’t believe there will be any discernible performance gains. I feel the synthetics are superior in long drain intervals and in extreme applications (police cars, cabs, serious off-roaders, towing ETC ETC). I should have clarified earlier but my above statements are in regards to engine oil.

With regards to drivetrain 300k is a lot of miles and no matter how you slice it it’s a 19 year old vehicle. What’s going to happen with this truck is going to happen I see no real benefit of running the highest quality fluids for little to possibly no better wear. And before I get flamed...I AM NOT SAYING TO PUT THE TRUCK IN A JUNKYARD. All I am saying is to run quality over the counter stuff at factory intervals and most likely you’ll get the same mileage out of the truck as with high end fluids.

I inherited my step fathers 1989 4Runner with 475k and all he ever did was to change all the fluids at factory intervals and with all Toyota fluids (except the motor occasionally). The only significant work done to that truck was a head gasket.

 

Regarding those Fumoto valves, do they need an adapter to work? Isn't the drain area crowded by a skid plate that will prevent installation or prevent operation? I know I need a small socket extension to undo my drain plug. I've always wanted to get one of those but never pulled the trigger.

I use TOYOTA filters. They are like $3.75 from on-line dealers (McGeorge). I just buy a bunch or with another parts order.

 

You've been answered numerous times.

1) It's got 300,000 miles switching to "the best" now is a mute point. Use OEM or equivelant and you'll be fine.
2) Synthetic or not? Your choice will it make your vehicle run forever...No it won't...If it makes you sleep better at night use it.
3) Change intervals? Toyota recommended or sooner... Follow severe condition intervals again if it makes you feel better.

 

I'm planning on replacing my transfer case and differential oil with Ravenol. It seems to be a good product, and it's one of the only brands available in the proper viscosity.

I've only seen it on Amazon.

 

If I remember correctly, I ordered all new washers form Toyota USA Corp HQ's warehouse. They are significantly cheaper than buying parts from your local stealership, even after shipping.

Here's what I recommend be done with the drain & fill plugs: The drain plugs have magnets in them to trap metal shavings. What I did is find a pick-a-part yard that has a selection of same year 4Runners/Tacos & if the transfer case, rear or front diffs are busted or already missing parts, I take the drain plugs off it & use them for the fill plugs on my rig. Now I have effectively doubled the magnetic filtration. So now when I check the fluid level I can also see if I have any shavings on top, if I do then, I can put the fill plug back in after cleaning it & take the bottom one out, temporarily plug the hole with a finger or cork, clean it off if needed, put it back in & decide on whether it needs a pro to look it over or not.

When I 1st changed out my differential lube, I used the really heavy 80w-140 thinking better protection. It may have been better protection but as the lube heats up it gets thicker. I found out by the 2nd tank of fuel I was losing 3 mpg because the engine had to work that much harder to spin the drive shaft. So now using 75w-90 it's a little easier to spin the drive shaft when it's cold outside.

Here is a very informative video about differential lube dynamics.

If you're still not quite sure what the differences are & still have questions, check out the AmsOil FAQ page.

Ok, here is the common mistake on these (or any) forum boards: comparing apples, oranges & pears. The OP & I have 3rd gen 4Rs with the 5VZ-FE engines. Before my 3rd gen I had a 4th gen HiLux that uses the same 22R engine that is either the same as or the basis of your 1st gen 4R. The 22R is world famous (Esp with 3rd world terrorists) for going 500k-600k before needing a rebuild. I also had a 2nd gen 4R with a 3.0L 3VZ-E V6 engine (AKA the 3.slow) that the engine threw a rod @ 183k even though I babied it.

You have a 5th gen 4R with a state of the art engine that is sometimes even referred to as a power plant & rated in kilowatts. You have previous experience with a 1st gen 4R probably with a 2.4L 22R (carb), 22R-E (efi) (both in line 4) or even perhaps the 1st run of the 3.slow. Can you kind of see where I'm going with this? We have oranges, you have an apple & a pear. Knowing how one type of engine performs doesn't make you an expert on them all.

This has all been my experience with my 5VZ-FE using AmsOil products in it since 2008. Another point I should make is with regard to carbon. The reason I use AmsOil filters is because the porosity of the media is in the 1-2 micron range, whereas STP, Fram, Toyota, etc are in the 3-4 micron size. Carbon production is a natural result of burning fossil fuels. If left in suspension in your oil long enough it'll ultimately act like a diamond & scratch the hell out of your cylinder walls & rings.

As you may have noticed in my signature above the picture, I went a step further in 2008 & converted my engine to run on E-85 ethanol (105 octane racing fuel for $1.89/gal). E-85 combustion produces 90% less carbon. Because of that my oil remains so clean I have a difficult time seeing it on the dipstick for the 1st 3-4 months after an oil change. I can still run gasoline, but I don't like to because of the carbon. Having a supercharger also requires me to run 91 octane or higher fuel. Rather than pay at least $0.30/gal more for 91, I currently pay $0.59/gal less for 105. My conversion paid for itself in 6 months because of the price difference between gasoline & E-85.

I have a skid plate with a 4" oil drain opening. The bottom of the oil pan is about 4" above the bottom of the plate. I have the 1st type of valve & the nipple is about 2" above the bottom of the plate. It fits fine & I have no problem accessing the valve control. I do like the 2nd type though & if I didn't already have one, I'd get it instead. You don't need an adapter. To find out which valve will work for your oil pan plug you need to go to Fumoto's website, enter your info & then search for that part # on Amazon. It's a little more expensive on Amazon but the shipping is faster & free since it meets the $35 minimum, If you have Prime, you already know the story. The free shipping from Fumoto minimum is $50.

I wasn't even going to reply to this comment in here, but you pissed me off in your header & then your following 3 points. It's the OP's question thread, not yours. You're scolding him like a petulant child with your header & telling him to shut up about it with your 3 erroneous statements. If you're going to troll someone on their thread, expect your post to be put under the microscope & then get publicly humiliated for being an illiterate putz. Which brings me to my next point.

Just like Oey12, I'm a little OCD too. For me though, it's the English language. If English isn't the one you were taught in school, then I apologize. The red, blue or green zigzag lines under words you've typed, means they are grammatically incorrect or spelled wrong. The phrase you're looking for is 'Moot Point'. Go ahead & click on it, it's right there in black & white on Wikipedia. Your spelling error should have been spelled 'equivalent'. Oh & by the way, that thought of Oey12's & yourself is pronounced 'fucking asshole', not fuckin'.

"Yer not Colt or Rooster & this ain't . But I bet yer about as bright as Henderson's son & we all know what they say about the Hendersons."

The primary reason I exclusively use AmsOil is that they were the 1st pioneers into synthetic oil starting off with heavily modified Wisconsin soybean oil as its base in the early 1970s. Another reason I prefer Amsoil over mineral source is the inescapable amount of naturally occurring contaminants in mineral sourced. As can be read on the AmsOil website:

"FAQ #9: What is the difference between synthetic and conventional oil?

Answer: Motor oil, whether synthetic or petroleum-based, consists of molecular chains of hydrogen and carbon atoms, referred to as hydrocarbons. Petroleum crude oil is a thick, highly flammable dark-brown or greenish liquid with high energy density. Many contaminating elements exist in this complex mixture of hydrocarbons, including sulfur, nitrogen, oxygen and metal components such as nickel or vanadium. Petroleum crude oil is the raw material used for a wide variety of petrochemicals, including solvents, fertilizers, plastics and lubricants.

The oil refining process separates the various types of molecules in the oil by weight, resulting in a concentrated batch suitable for manufacturing products such as gasoline, LPG, kerosene or lubricant base oils. The chemical composition of conventional motor oil can vary substantially depending on the raw crude oil refining process.

While petroleum base oils are refined, synthetic base oils are manufactured and can achieve a higher performance level. Synthetic oil is chemically engineered for a certain molecular composition with a tailored and uniform structure. Such fine-tuned control over the final molecular composition of synthetic oils is the key to their superior performance properties. Designing molecular structures in a planned and orderly fashion results in molecules, and end-products, that are far more stable than their refined petroleum counterparts."