What have you done to your 2nd Gen 4Runner today?

Today I made a old air intake (CAI) shroud for my K&N 57-9006. I used the OEM funnel to help with sealing up the front of the shroud as it winds around the coolant overflow tank.

Best so far with this set up is 16.18 MPG on 11Nov2019. 214.7 mile round trip from MV, Ca to Gold Mountain in Big Bear, CA So the break down was some 160 mile of highway. 45 miles of the climb up and down to 7K feet in elevation and perhaps the rest about 10 miles out on the trail.

 

Today I tried to figure out why my highway rpms were so high almost 3k going 60 in 5th (5MT)

 

Over the Christmas to New Years break I fabbed up a 2-1/2" CAT-Back exhaust system with a Flowmaster FX muffler. It is lighter than a Bosal OEM Cat-Back but a whole lot louder!

 

Nice work, do you like it?

 

Nothing exciting here, just gave it a badly needed wash. She is behaving as she should....finally. Parker, would love to hear your review of the Flowmaster mod. We haven't replaced ours from the now deleted Cat back and wondered if going that route was worth it on such a small engine.

 

So it has been a few tank fulls now with the Flowmaster FX and your question prompted me to think a bit. So often these things are very subjective when one tries to evaluate. From that standpoint the engine literally bursts into this lovely rumble when it starts which I might add is immediate with out any prolonged cranking. It's flick the key, boom-started, rumble. It has a very pleasing idle noise! The reverberation off the walls in the community were I live creates some interesting sounds that everyone can hear. This is not a good thing. Throttle roll-on is great for making a racket up through 3K RPM with the throttle plate open more than half way. Basically it's an off road / green sticker only solution and is too stinking loud.

This morning I drove to work with my Galaxy S-7 running an app called Physics Tool Box. In it is a sound level meter with a strip chart that scrolls along as a time continuum. Having now taken the liberty to do this on my commute I wish I had the comparison with the Bosal CAT-Back, but I do not!

Decibels (dB) are a strange unit and are logarithmic so the numbers I am going to give are really only as good as the changes that seem to be the values the meter can produce. Because I have not conducted any sort of calibration the base line idle is what it is. However if I can assume that the response is correct then the delta's in values recorded will at least give me the sound levels that are a range that the vehicle produces.

First the sound measurement in the 4Runner's configuration is this:

• Custom made CAI shrouded on K&N air filter kit. Induction noise is a big contributor when the windows were down before the CAI shroud was made!
• Doug Thorley header, with Turbo flanges from header's to Y-pipe, Y-pipe is welded under drive shaft and another turbo flange to join it with the CAT or next item
• Straight through 16" long perf tube muffler in place of CAT it has no baffles.
• 2-/1/2" FlowMaster FlowFx muffler also straight through with a zig/zag internal bend in the perforated pipe.
• Custom made 2-1/2" CAT-Back as shown above in thread.
• Four hole fuel injectors, These things make a lot of racket.
• 31x10.5-R15 Cooper Discoverer AT3 LT on stock wheels. Fairly quit AT as big rubber goes!
• Windows are up
• Fan is off with re-circulation/fresh lever at middle position.

Cell phone is sitting vertically an a custom made cradle in the passenger side cup holder.

• Idle Cold 1,500 rpm not warmed up before commute. 75-80 dB
• Idle at 750 rpm warmed up after commute. 60-65 dB
• Rolling in traffic on interstate but crawling along in second gear or first >80 dB
• Spirited throttle roll-on 4-5K RPM range <100 dB It won't go much above 100 dB on average no matter what I do with the accelerator.
• Seemingly the rolling, accelerating and slowing noises ranges from >80 to <100 dB.

I think the take away form this data is that the operational range is about 20 dB with this present vehicle configuration.

Data below is mixed driving commute with exception to #12.
Probably because I am so in-awe with hearing the damn thing my MPG since I put it in has been:

1. 10Feb2020 11.37 mpg
2. 31Jan2020 12.61 mpg
3. 23Jan2020 12.01 mpg
4. 17Jan2020 12.72 mpg
5. 09Jan2020 12.03 mpg
6. 02Jan2020 14.14 mpg
7. 30Dec2019 FlowFX installed
8. 25Dec2019 13.65 mpg
9. 19Dec2019 13.77 mpg
10. 12Dec2019 13.72 mpg
11. 03Dec2019 14.35 mpg
12. 30Nov2019 16.55 mpg (213 miles on the tank lots of Interstate Highway)
13. 28Nov2019 12.87 mpg
14. 22Nov2019 13.82 mpg

So for the last two months getting the rig to go more than 150 miles on a tank full is pushing it and am usually seeing the fuel light blip as I come up into the 150 mile mark on the trip meter. The next step is to put the 2-1/2" MagnaFlow CAT back in and see if there is a db, MPG difference. But in the interim I have a FlowMaster Super Hp-2 on hand and am looking to run in place of the CAT to see how things work. Maybe measuring dB's at some distance away with vehicle stationary would be a good thing to evaluate?

 

Wow...what a review. You impress me with your thoroughness. Thanks!

 

Hey Guys, about to jump into the 4Runner world with a 91. Does anyone know a website that does easy to install bumpers. I’m really interested in getting swing out for camping. Does any one know a company that makes these for the 2nd gen?

 

Welcome to the world of fabrication.

 

Well, I finally ripped out the ol' EGR junk and installed the LCE plates that showed up in the mail, since Washington did away with emissions testing. I'm not sure how anybody was supposed to live with such a cluttered engine bay.

I need to run to the store and grab some hose clamps that'll fit the 5/8ths cap. The factory ones on the EGR valve tube were too big for the cap.

 

I hope the proposition/law passes in CA to make the smog check a rolling period of 30 years from present. Then I'll be doing this too!
Hey "thegillmachine" did you have to put a resistor into the connector for the thermistor (grey plug cousin in your picture) or did the LC-EGR-Delete kit supply that too?

 

Yes, LCE supplies two resistors. I used the 10k ohm one in the plug and wrapped the piss out of it with electrical tape. Also, one of the mounting bracket bolts toward the front of the motor is a vacuum plug, so make sure to replace that particular bolt if you ever get to do it (I used a dab of red RTV on the bolt to ensure the seal).

I went ahead and pulled the trigger on the LCE headers, and they'll be here at the same time as my Moog ball joints, tie rod ends, pitman and idler arms, timing belt/water pump kit, and Aisin locking hubs, so next weekend should be good and busy for me.

I'll be helping my buddy with his valve cover gaskets on the 350 motor in his 68 Chevy this weekend, and he'll be helping me reseal the valve covers and oil pan gasket in this trusty 3.go the following week, and we'll be dropping those headers in while the intake plenum is apart.

I'll keep my fingers crossed that CA comes to its senses, and post pictures in this thread of the work that gets done on this rig.

 

Installed my new short-throw-shifter kit from Marlin Crawler last night. Now this thing is some money ($333/shipped in CA) and sells out fairly regularly as I missed the last batch. But it includes a new gear lever and red anodized aluminum upper billet CNC housing that caps the R150F transmission. The throw from the pivot ball to the guide bushing is increased in length and therefore the gear lever moves less distance to make the gear changes. The upper shift lever is threaded onto the lower bent section that careens around the 4x4, Low-Range gear lever. So, the lever is not rubber damped like the OEM but this makes it easier to install the rubber booties. The feel in the hand is quite firm and the pivots which the ball on the lever rocks on are replaceable screws with turned down ends that are thread less. This is a good thing as these pins seem to be the high stress point in the OEM design and mine were loose in the aluminum housing which added to the loose shifting. Marlin Crawler uses some red Loctite on these screws when threaded into the aluminum housing. I had to remove and replace them to install the nylon ball cup-bushing into the housing. I also drilled two holes in the gear lever retainer cap to facilitate needle nose pliers for setting the darn thing on the pins. This is way less money than the tool Toyota makes for doing this. When this is all new the cap is a pisser to set past the raised bosses in the grooves that the pins interface with.

Some PO had installed the splash shield 180° out of position so the gear lever had been working its way through the sheet metal and that took some careful hammering to reform to the OEM shape. Yes the clutch fork boot was sitting on the gear leaver under the booties when I replaced the engine so some schmoes had had a go with this rig at some point. The orange RTV on the t-box cases makes me cringe in wondering what other nonsense lurks there-in?

First drive to work this morning with a cold drive train is that the feel in the selection in trying to persuade the synchronous-mesh collar to move has much more feed back and I might spring for a softer feeling leather wrapped gear knob. This worked a charm on a W-58 with a Cube short-throw shifter kit on my Jensen Healey. But the positiveness in having the selection made is absolute and as the shift collar is moved into a gear selection the ball detente that hold that gear selection true is felt back up through the lever. I could not get that with the worn out OEM stuff that was probably due to the pins moving around. I am sure the R150F has quite different ratios from a W-58 Celica transmission, with first being quite a low gear compared with the W-58. But the 4Runner is a truck and it shifts like a truck. There is nothing fast about it in that regard from 1st to 2nd!

 

Installed: Hella, Traffic Blaster's 118dB(A), 132 W with 12 V relay. For $26 on eBay and forward facing gets the job done!

 

Very nice.

 

Replaced my 29 year old spare today. Luckily the chain hadn't rusted in place since it had probably been 15 to 20 years since I had lower it.

 

We need to do the same.

 

I couldn't find a used tire in my area so I had to get new. Cost me $85 for the tire and $25 to install.

 

You'll be pleased with the LCE headers! I used them along with their cat, and exhaust. Fit is excellent and finish is even better. There's a reason that they cost what they do. Sounds sweet too.

 

I filled up my gas tank. First time in like 5 years. LOL

 

Replaced the bushings in my gear shift. Rock solid now.

 

@trlhiker what size tank you running, and how much does this cost you to fill up. just curiosity over petrol prices.

 

Mine has the 17.2 gal tank. Gas is at $1.59 a gallon here last I checked. Haven't been out in 3 days though so it may be lower. I zeroed out my trip meter so in another month or 2 I should know what mpg's are. LOL

 

Finished the rebuild and getting her ready for paint!

 

Just replaced my rear window relay box and woohoo, my window now works. Bought it off of Ebay. Now I need to get some clips for the side panel as a bunch broke while pulling it out. Anyone know the part number for the white clips?

 

All I've done today is finish chewing off the last of my fingernails, worrying about how the painting is going on my beloved Runner.

I wonder if she misses me, as much as I am missing her?

 

She’s got new BFG’s and Rims. I love the new look. Went stock size 275-R15’s.

 

I'm old and don't like crawling in and out of the back over the tailgate ....... love the tailgate versus a hatch, but just don't like having to climb in to load and unload the front of the cargo area. So here is my detailed fix:
Materials are 1 set of 40" lock-in / lock-out 600lb slides, 3" aluminum angle for brackets, 3/4 plywood, 3/4 aluminum angle for skirt brackets, 3"x 1/8" neoprene rubber for skirting, black speaker felt, 3/4" PVC tape for outside edge, 500 watt inverter.
I'll let the pictures explain the process:












continued...........

 

on with the rest of it .......









and the finished product installed .........

 

works beautifully!







smooth and functional! I like it!