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Thanks Kevin! I thought it sounded pretty good too for being open at the collector off the Tri-Y header. Was expecting it to be a lot louder. Still plenty loud enough to shake decorations off the shelf, so not sustainable for my ear drums haha.
Received my third catalytic converter in the mail yesterday, and it fits soooo much better. Will take a side-by-side comparison tonight. I’ll be able to route my exhaust over the trans crossmember as opposed to under the cross member with the larger cat.
Gotta start accumulating exhaust pipe, bends, flanges and gaskets. Think I’ll bring my cat and the collector flange to National Exhaust to size up the pipe diameter i need there. 2″ ID flange, 2.25″ ID on the cat. Thinking a 45* bend, 2.25″ pipe could fit with maybe a slight flare on one end. Next week problem, after payday.
A little Sunshine makes a big difference in my life, so I converted two hours of building forts and bicycle rides into epic results in The Shop.
Psyched myself up yesterday, felt brave to put 15L off freshish 87 octane in the tank, and cycle the keys for good.
After a fuel leak at the tank (loose gear clamps), and 2-hours of NO SPARK investigation, I cleaned two ground locations and leapt for joy when Redee barked to life.
Redee spitting out some rays of motivation through an open header.
Redee lives!! 3RZ transplant, one step closer to cruising.
Cheers!!
The shop has seen some activity, but no photos of such efforts.
A couple weekends ago I put a new high pressure power steering hose into my sis-laws Altima, that was a total pain in the ass to do on a creeper. I also put in a windshield washer reservoir as hers was cracked at the 1/3 volume level.
I have repaired Matts snowblower twice this winter. Once the final drive chain blew a link, so a random tiny bolt and nut saved the day. A couple days later a shear pin on the final drive shaft broke, so I hammered a roll pin in its place.
Had the Taco in The Shop looking for the source of a chunk/rattle in the front end. Sounds like a bushing is gone, makes clunky noises when a bump is hit with just one tire. Thinking maybe sway bar bushungs? I bought them few months back, but never installed. I haven’t sorted out the rear and vibration, so the Taco still drives kinda shitty.
Nothing really happened in the last month.
My 10-year old iPhone broke, and I was phone and camera-less for a month. I managed to get all my photos recovered, but now they’re all on my computer and not my cell phone. Have to start making progress on Redee to get new photos haha.
I attempted to install the front carpet, but got pissed off and put it back up into the loft. Now i still have to reinstall the shifters, boots, seatbelts etc.
I added coolant and atf to the power steering system in preparation to fire her up. Still need to install a header gasket, and the air intake system, and put some gas in the tank before i twist the keys over. Getting close, but legitimately did nothing productive for the last month.
Just realized that this is the first time I’ve ever installed the dirt cars in Redee. They’ve Been in storage since I removed the interior, and did a major de-turding shortly after bringing her home in 2018.
Made some great progress on the interior today with one of my daughters. We had a blast doing Truck arts and crafts in the garage.
We cut new Vapor Barrier, applied new butyl rubber to keep it in place. We had to repair the door cards too, they are weak from the speaker holes that were cut into them. So we added some peg board and wood screws. Not great, but better than naked door frames.
I’m waiting on adhesive backed sound deadening to apply to the floor before putting down new carpet. Should be here this week.
Planning to save interior improvements as daddy-daughter time, and exhaust building at night by myself.
Some before and after door pics
Great news everybody!
The Australian header fits like a charm! Perfect clearance all over. Soooo happy. It won’t floor nearly as well as the LCE unit, but this one was 1/3 the price to my door.
The money saved is noticeable in the finish (painted vs ceramic), diameter (2” vs 2.5”), and bends (die vs mandrel). However, I’m not upset because I can more than finish the rest of the exhaust system with the money saved there.Perhaps after next payday I’ll buy the fluids I require (gas, atf for power steering, and Coolant), and attempt to test fire.
In the meantime i am trying to sell a pair 2.5” catslytic converters, so I can buy a smaller ID one. The header Outputs at 2.0” ID, and I was planning to run a 2.25” system. Now I’m not so sure.
It’s not pretty but it works. I cut off the original steering stabilizer mount off the frame, and welded it to the idler arm steering stop. Overall it’s only about 10cm from its original location.
Another item off the list.
Did some work on Redee last night, mainly cutting and welding.
I started my night by cutting off the stick mount for the steering stabilizer because the stabilizer interferes with the oil pan. So I’m working to relocate the passenger side mount lower and forwards. After cutting the mount off Matt popped over for half hour.
Just before Matt left I got him to help me lift the hood off the roof so I can test fit it. As I thought, it was being held up by the rad cap. So a small careful cut on one of the supports made enough space for the cap, however the latch wouldn’t latch properly. Turns out the missing lower latch support bracket was allowing the upper rad crossover to bend/rotate away from the hood striker. So I used some scrap metal to make a vertical support, and fixed my problem. Test fit the grill to make sure it cleared my prop, which it did.
By then it was 1am, so I called it quits for the night.
If my Australian header doesn’t fit, I found an alternative on eBay to try next.
Took some jumping through hoops, but I’ve ordered that Australian header today, ebay says it’ll arrive in less than 2 weeks. We shall see.
I plan to build the rest of the exhaust from 2.25” pipe, and run run a Magnaflow muffler. YouTube shows me I like the 3RZ & Magnaflow combination.
There’s a DIY builder kit, should have more than I need for $200 once it comes back in stock.
Not gonna order anything else until the header arrives and fits.
$1300 for oem LCA is too much for me. Dealers pricing is whack.
Today I got the Taco re-aligned again to have Caster added and the steering wheel Centred. Only driven 20kms since, but it is way better now. Pretty happy.
Still gotta call my buddy for rear wheel bearings, by far the worst part of my truck right now.
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Nice collection of equipment there Evan.
Is your barge operational all winter? Lakes stay clear enough?
That suburban was just a lil stuck on the one side eh? Was that a buddy? Or just stumble across a stuck fellow?
You are onto something with the Aussie style 1/2 canopy. Having space for dirty spilly gas, as well as lockable dry storage is gold. For me, an SUV is preferable, but At the same time I don’t know how I’d be able to do away with a truck bed. Maybe an 8’ Utility trailer? I feel like i should have bought a nice 5th gen 4Runner and a beater truck 12 years ago when I bought my taco. DD something nice, work and play to beat on something cheap.
Judge for yourself, but the plate is fairly beat up for being aligned once and having 3,000kms on it.
The shop is replacing my LCA hardware, I’m tired of running around. Tomorrow i will pick up my truck and pay them.
Then off to Lakeside for rear wheel bearings (fingers crossed I hope that’s my problem).
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The LCA hardware has failed somehow. I’m getting the truck realigned currently, Shop just called me and said the Camber plate is per bay chewed up, needs to be replaced. Add in the fact the nuts were not flanged like the OEM units, safe to say these are inferior.
Will try to get a picture of the failed part today.
Been chipping away at Redee on The Shop, a few items knocked of the list.
Mid last week I glued and screwed in my Fiberglass battery tray, and modified the 3RZ tie down to fit the rad support. With the battery secured, I tightened the positive and negative leads, and added a pigtail for my fancy battery charger. In hindsight the pigtail was unnecessary, but it looks good at least.
With the battery connected I tested my clutch start switch wiring and it failed. So I spent the next day at work pondering reasons, and making a game plan. Check continuity, check schematic, check computer, check hard notes. With all the checks showing positive, James suggested I clean the contacts in the switch. So I blasted it was contact cleaner, and voila, problem solved. Gotta keep it simple sometimes.
I ordered an exhaust header from Australlia, fits a 4wd Hilux, with 3RZ. Here’s to hoping it fits. Only $400 to my door. Fingers crossed.
Since the new header doesn’t have an egr port, I made a block off plate last night.
