100,000 miles

[mtnbike28]

Pennzoil

Mark,

I have always stayed away from Pennzoil after the first two motors (Ford 302s) I helped tear down. Both were Pennzoil motors and filled with paraffin wax build up. It was a mess to clean and I could see it clogging oil return holes, etc. Just my SMALL experience. Now I am curious on the Fram part, that is what I used for 250,000 miles on my old pick-up.... My current Taco is Mobil One or Toyota filters only.

James sorry to add to the off topic : P

 

[jim65wagon]

Thanks Harp. Looking forward to seeing pics of the Flippac on a Taco.

Jay, no problem. My question to you would be, "How long ago was that?" Are we talking last year? 10 years ago? 20?

A little background/diatribe/rant(not aimed at anyone in particular [especially friends]) just an FYI

When I grew up in Indiana we used Valvoline and Fram's with no problems. I've been working on cars since I was 10, changing oils, greasing u-joints and changing sparkplugs (and setting points, tuning carbs by ear, etc).
That's 33 years of cars, oil and gasoline in my blood.

When I moved to PA, I tried out Pennzoil for the first time ever, it's what was flowing in our 300,000 mile F150, when we bought it.

With the Toyota I switched to synthetic 5W30 after a short break-in period. I've changed enough oil to know what dirty, poorly filtered oil looks, feels and smells like. The oil after 5000 miles looks quite fresh, smells like fresh oil and feels like fresh oil (I think I could go 7000 miles, but it was hard enough moving to 5000 from 3000). With the Fram, it's black and smelly - that's my reasoning on the filter. As for the oil, if it's a modern day oil and it meets the manufacturers specifications it will be fine as long as you regularly change the oil and filter! I'm not worried about my oil quality, or my filter quality and neither should you...

Haggis can attest that I am very fanatical about vehicle maintenance, and that I may know a thing or two about cars, trucks, building/rebuilding every aspect of motor vehicles. People need to stop worrying about how little I care for my truck. Like I said before, the only time it was in a shop was to do a timing belt change...which I'll likely do myself next time! Can you say the same?

You'd probably all be appalled to know that my transmission has TIV spec Supertech trans fluid in it! For the last 100,000 miles! Again, chill out, it's my transmission. No politics, no BS. It's just my truck.

 

[Haggis]

Geez Jim, 33 years of tearing down motors, racing cars and spinning mud. What could you possibly know about anything? :Mechanic:

I hate discussions about oil and filters because 75% is personnal preference and the other 25% is fart talk. Like Jim I've been pulling maintenance since I was a kid on all things powered from diesel power units, heavy equipment (skidders, dozers, front end loaders and the like), 4x4s and hot rods. When times were tough I've used cheap oil bought by the 55 gal drum to now where I run all Mobil 1 in everything. My experience has shown that regular maintenance is the key to engine quality and not which brand of oil and filter your using. And all motors are different (even the same make and displacement) and need a oil changes at different intervals depending on both how hard and what load they are subjected to. The trick is to read your oil as you change it out and adjust the schedule to meet that engines needs. Why do I run Mobil 1 synthetic? Well it works well, I can extend oil changes abit (4500 miles instead of 3000), it doesn't cost much more than regular and I can afford it. I've used all brands of filters and have found very little difference in used oil quality upon an oil change. If your motor is sludged and grungy you haven't been doing maintianance enough. Sure you might have changed it every 3000 miles, but you weren't reading your oil and adjusted the schedule properly.

Quaker State and Pennzoil were both refined and bottled 15 miles from our house back in the day. When they merged about 15 or 20 years ago, the oil being poured into Quaker Stae, Pennzoil, Wolfs Head and many "house" brands all came off the same line. How do I know? Until they shut the refineries down (about 12 years ago) and shipped the refineries to Brazil, almost evryone I knew worked for them.

So don't worry "Queen Elizabeth's Revenge" is being well cared for by one of the most through mechanic I've ever met. Nobody does maintenance as methodically and complete as James. And I'll put a good sum of money down that that black Tundra will still be rolling while more knowledgeable folks vehicles are on the scrap heap.

 

[jim65wagon]

So don't worry "Queen Ann's Revenge" is being well cared for by one of the most through mechanic I've ever met.

Dude! Who's Ann? Elizabeth would be hacked!

 

[Cackalak Han]

Mark,

I have always stayed away from Pennzoil after the first two motors (Ford 302s) I helped tear down. Both were Pennzoil motors and filled with paraffin wax build up. It was a mess to clean and I could see it clogging oil return holes, etc. Just my SMALL experience. Now I am curious on the Fram part, that is what I used for 250,000 miles on my old pick-up.... My current Taco is Mobil One or Toyota filters only.

James sorry to add to the off topic : P

Just to add to this, my father-in-law is also a mechanic and he noted that on a few occasions, he noticed the exact same thing from engines that used Pennzoil (took the pan off when cool. A BUNCH of wax build up. This is on the dino, not synthetic). I am staying away from Penn and QS.

Another note is that I have used Mobil1 exclusively (especially when I was into motorsport racing), but the last couple UOA's came up unfavorable. Switched to Amsoil/Valv Synthetic and all is good now. There is a rumor that M1 changed their formula years ago, which is why some are seeing sub-par analysis.

 

[rover4x4]

Please elaborate...based on what info/experience are you making this conclusion from?

sheer ratings and the www.

I guess you have toyotas so it really doesn't matter. I work with a fellow that had a 4Runner with the better part of 280k and he doesn't really even change his oil..

 

[jim65wagon]

The Donahoes are cranked up just a little higher. From previous measurements it's sitting with a 1 inch lift. If it doesn't rub there I'll leave it.

Just an FYI, it was relatively easy to adjust the coilovers on the truck. Lift, remove wheels, loosen set crew, and turn the adjusting collar clockwise. It was fairly easy to turn except, at the previous height the A-arm was right where the spanner wrench needed to be and I could get a little less than a quarter turn at a time....tedious, but easy.

 

[RoundOut]

The Donahoes are cranked up just a little higher. From previous measurements it's sitting with a 1 inch lift. If it doesn't rub there I'll leave it.

Just an FYI, it was relatively easy to adjust the coilovers on the truck. Lift, remove wheels, loosen set crew, and turn the adjusting collar clockwise. It was fairly easy to turn except, at the previous height the A-arm was right where the spanner wrench needed to be and I could get a little less than a quarter turn at a time....tedious, but easy.

On top of my Camburg SAWs, I had a one inch Daystar spacer. Two weeks ago in Colorado, DevinSixtySeven and I were wheeling up on Middle St. Vrain, and i had a steering knuckle break at the upper control arm misalignment spacer, allowing the whole tire and steering knuckle to fall into my coilover. This stranded us. Sean loaned me his steering knuckle off his Tundra, which was up on blocks in his garage, and sent some friends to remove it and bring it to us on the trail. We ate some pizza, made the trail repairs, and drove off more carefully than we drove up. :sombrero:

We determined that with the shock that long (because of the spacer) it may have put undue stress on the ring atop the steering knuckle where the ball-joint (or misalignment spacer in the case of the Camburg U.C.A.s) is pressed in, probably causing the failure. This was the second time this has happened, but the first time since having the Camburg SAWs.

When I got home, I removed the spacer, cranked them up, and now it rides like a Jeep CJ. I hate it. Thinking I would need the full crank height, I raised it higher than it was pre-spacer removal (one cannot tell until the tires are back on and one drives around the block). The plan now, is to lower it a bit until the ride is tolerable. Hopefully, it will still be high enough that I can corner and stuff without rubbing.

All that to say, cranking those coilovers up was a pain for me, I could only go 1/6 turn with the spindle (steering knuckle) in the way. I used a cheater (high-lift handle) on the end of my spanner to make it easier, but it was still a lot of work.

Hope yours is riding the way you want it, Jim. Mine still needs some work.

:ylsmoke:

 

[jim65wagon]

On top of my Camburg SAWs, I had a one inch Daystar spacer. Two weeks ago in Colorado, DevinSixtySeven and I were wheeling up on Middle St. Vrain, and i had a steering knuckle break at the upper control arm misalignment spacer, allowing the whole tire and steering knuckle to fall into my coilover. This stranded us. Sean loaned me his steering knuckle off his Tundra, which was up on blocks in his garage, and sent some friends to remove it and bring it to us on the trail. We ate some pizza, made the trail repairs, and drove off more carefully than we drove up. :sombrero:

We determined that with the shock that long (because of the spacer) it may have put undue stress on the ring atop the steering knuckle where the ball-joint (or misalignment spacer in the case of the Camburg U.C.A.s) is pressed in, probably causing the failure. This was the second time this has happened, but the first time since having the Camburg SAWs.

When I got home, I removed the spacer, cranked them up, and now it rides like a Jeep CJ. I hate it. Thinking I would need the full crank height, I raised it higher than it was pre-spacer removal (one cannot tell until the tires are back on and one drives around the block). The plan now, is to lower it a bit until the ride is tolerable. Hopefully, it will still be high enough that I can corner and stuff without rubbing.

All that to say, cranking those coilovers up was a pain for me, I could only go 1/6 turn with the spindle (steering knuckle) in the way. I used a cheater (high-lift handle) on the end of my spanner to make it easier, but it was still a lot of work.

Hope yours is riding the way you want it, Jim. Mine still needs some work.

:ylsmoke:

Wow! Gary, that's quite a story of field repair! As it sits, with only 1 inch of lift over stock height it rides nice and smooth. It's 1/2" lower than the stock coilovers and Daystar puck and rides much nicer! I'm really hoping those tires don't rub now.

BTW, I could turn the spanner wrench without the use of a cheater. I also sprayed the heck out of the threads with PBBlaster right before turning the collar.

 

[jim65wagon]

On a side note, at the Cape Lookout beach and on the Jeep road behind the dunes I had zero rub, and could travel faster more comfortably than with the stock coils....

 

[CYi5]

We determined that with the shock that long (because of the spacer) it may have put undue stress on the ring atop the steering knuckle where the ball-joint (or misalignment spacer in the case of the Camburg U.C.A.s) is pressed in, probably causing the failure. This was the second time this has happened, but the first time since having the Camburg SAWs.

Yea, not supposed to stack lifts like that. Sorry you had to learn the hard way :Wow1:.

 

[4Rescue]

AN odd note about Toyotas and fluid changes I've observed: I'm with you Jim, I keep an eye on things but I'm not so anal about fluid changes on this truck anymore because it is honestly just different then any vehicle I've ever owned.

The 2.8 GM motor's in the Trooper I drove in my youth AND the first XJ I bought both drank about 2 quarts in 5k so it litteraly had an oil change slowly between every major change at 5k. They were both identical in their opperation, lack of power and oil consumption. I guess it's saying something that they were all that consistant as this is a fairly common com plaint about these motors. They all felt IMENSELY better after an oil change.

ALL of my VW's (high-perf Water cooled:1.6 euro HP's, 1.8's, 2.0's, 1.8T's etc) got regualr changes at 3K just because I was really hard on those motors being that they saw track time along with me driving them like a total ************... What's funny is that THEY all felt like they got alot smoother, ran better and I dare say addded a few horses under the hood every time I changed the oil. All of them, I'd change the oil and then marvel at how quiet the valve-train was and how smooth even the 1.8 8V N/A motor pulled and revved.

All my 4.0L's were the same. Change the oil and it feels like the truck wants to run better, smoother, cooler etc. I almost got into the habbit of changing fluids TOO quickly because I loved how much better the motors felt and I rationalized that the motors were lasting longer if I gave them this kind of treatment...

The Toyota is completely different. I use good Toyota brand oil filters on her now after what I consider a fluke failure of a case on a Fram filter theat left me on the side of the hwy. for a hour or so untill I got my Dad to bring me some tools and an extra set of hands to get he old one off and the new one on and refill the motor. BUT, this little 22RE (and the one it replaced) feel exactly the same weather they're freshly changed or they're pushing 6K on a filter/fluid change. I notice they're finnicky about having coolant in them and like to rev-up if you're low, but they run smooth regardless of oil change status and really when I change at 5K the oil is in such good shape I can't belive it's been in a motor for that many miles. It's so good we have a seperate sump that we keep to use as oil around my dad's shop for little things here and there. It really is the first motor I'vve ever owned that's like this. In australia the one gasser Hilux we had was the same. The truck was completely falling off the frame, but the 22RE just chugged along smooth and for a 22re fairly quiet.

Something that DID take me a minute to get used to was the "22RE" noise that in one of my VW's would have sent me home thinking I had a stuck valve... I realize you ahve a far different engine, but something in Toyotas engineering and manufacturing practices makes motors and what not last and run well for long time intervals. THey had a few hickups in their reputation (the 3.0 V6 comes to mind and even it's not the WORST motor, that title belongs to the 2.8GM motor... WOrst motor ever made, I hate you GM for that motor!!!!!) but in reality they can really make a motor last and run smooth. They may be a little rackety at the top end, but boy do I marvel at the engineering that goes into these trucks (and car for that motter). Supras are a good example, they'ew pretty easy to wring 500hp out of and 1000hp has been done and was still apparently somewhat drivable (I think that's relative though and I don't really buy that). 500hp being do-able on stock internals.

Just something that rang true to me about Jim;s post and oil changes in HIS Toyota sorry for the hijack

...Anyway, back to your great truck Jim, I love those Tundras and I'm glad to see you loving yours so much. Someone already beat me to saying this, but it's awesome to see how little you really need to do to make one of these trucks into a great camping/exploring platform. Some tires and maybe some armor and away you go. That's the exact truck I'm trying to get my dad to relace his aging and struggling 98 XJ with to tow his Kubota and dump trailer back and forth from the coast cabin to thiser house here in Portland.

Question about your truck bed Tent: Do you find that it does well to keep the floor dry??? What I mean is do you have issues with the bed collecting water and then having it leak into the tent or does it cover the bed sides in a way so that the bed stay's dry???

Cheers

Dave

 

[jim65wagon]

Dave, thanks for the back-up! I've toyed with a lot of engines and this one is one of the best and smoothest I've ever dealt with.

The truck tent stays dry. The floor of the tent climbs up over the bedsides to the top of the bedrail. It's very dry and with an air mattress, very comfortable. The only issue we ever had was needing to empty the bed to set up the tent. Is that enough?

 

[jim65wagon]

Well, it's been a litle while since I've been here, and I actually have an update. I've ran my Ipod off of a Griffin Itrip FM transmitter for several years now. It played music ok (I never got very good stereo separation out of it), and it always had interference at some point on any trip.

I had the Ipod mounted with a Scoche Gripit, mated to a ProClips mount on the radio face...like this

It was actually a good setup, travel wise. The mount was solid and rattle free...the only fault it had (well, my fault really) was my fat fingers had a heck of a time using the tuner knob partially blocked by the mount.

Since I was only mildly annoyed on any given trip, I didn't worry about it. I missed the CD quality sound I had from discs, but I'm no audiophile! For my birthday this past December I received a UsaSpec Ipod Interface Adapter (specifically the UsaSpec PA15-TOY)

That's a stock photo, but that's all it is...a little box and a couple wires. I failed to get pics during the installl (it was COLD! outside) but it was easy-peasy. 5 screws remove the faceplate over the radio. 4 bolts remove the radio. Detach wiring. Attach UsaSpec wiring harness, reattach stock wiring, button the radio back up. I mounted the box to the floor, behind the center stack.

And ran the Ipod connector cable up and into the back of the glovebox. My dash now looks all stock, when I listen to the Ipod I get a Text display on the radio for the song playing

The radio controls the Ipod, I can change playlists (as disc on the radio display), change songs with the tracks button. If I pick disc 9, I can run the Ipod manually. It sounds good too, I've got stereo separation I've never heard from the Ipod before....best of all, when the metal comes up it will JAM! Not that I would ever play my stereo at a deafening roar, mind you...no, not me....

 

[Gone2Baja]

Great thread! I just read through all 8 pages, it was entertaining watching your build and reading about your trips.
Keep it up.