Engine or Axle First?

Discussion in 'Maintenance/Repair' started by cmpete, Sep 16, 2013.

  1. cmpete

    cmpete Newbie

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    Hi guys, I just bought a '84 SR5 XtraCab 4WD with 22r and 5-speed. I'm a little bit of an auto n00b in general, so please bear with me. I tried searching, but somehow I think my question is special...but probably not, so please point me in the right direction if I'm not special.

    Truck is well-used (read: 325k on the body...yeah) but my first goal is to get him into a daily driver state (read: reliable and passing Portland Emissions/DEQ). The first major obstacle is probably going to be the crack in the block that the previous owner JB Welded shut--I have a donor almost-long block 22r sitting in the bed, so between the two I should have a running engine. He's missing a good portion of the emissions system (up top) for some strange reason, which I'm pretty sure will need to be replaced (laws?). I also know that the front axle is leaking like a champ at the hubs, so that needs to be rebuilt as well. And lastly, it's dirtier than all get out under the hood (living in a horse barn for the last few months apparently) and that's barn dust + greasy black goo.

    Thanks ahead of time for putting up with my n00bishness

    So, two main questions:



    tl;dr:
    1) Do I rebuild the front axle with the engine in, or out: which is easier/better? (Do I focus on the engine teardown first, tackle rebuilding the axle with the engine out, or do I just deal with one than the other?)

    2) What's the best/safest/fastest way to clean/degrease the inside of the engine compartment...including the engine itself?
     
  2. Scomber

    Scomber Enthusiast

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    How old does a truck have to be there to be emissions exempt? An '84 will be 30 years old come January.
     
  3. first80toyota

    first80toyota Addict

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    Depends on your states requirements.. Like in Washington it's 25 years but oregon is something else..

    For degreasing the engine compartment and engine I used oven cleaner from the dollar store.. I drove my truck there so it was nice and warm then just unloaded the can all over when I got home.. Closed the hood for a couple minutes then rinsed it off.. Had to repeat on the REALLY bad spots and everything else was spotless
     
  4. standardbyker88

    standardbyker88 Grand Toyotaholic

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    Purple power degreaser from the parts store works really well too. Go to the coin opp car wash. Wrap plastic bags around your carbarator, distributor, coil/ignitior and brake booster caps. And amything else you dont want hosed too hard. Then spray some purple power or over cleaner on the bad areas. Then go get your quarters and hose the whole truck. It should be on for a while now, use some high pressure soap and water then water. Should look great.

    And welcome to the site. I would say handle the engine first as long as the front axle will at least roll and steer. Leaks are a smaller issue than a bad motor. It should be a solid axle, and it can be rebuilt on the truck or taken off and rebuilt/swapped for a good one.
     
  5. Litneon

    Litneon Super Moderator Staff Member

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    The axle can be rebuilt anytime. They are pretty simple, although there are a few tricks out there that can be helpful. But, with any project, the more room you have, the easier things seem to be. So having the engine out will help in any case.

    As far as degreasing, I use the cheap engine degreaser from any parts store and purple power. And as previously stated, a pressure washer almost never hurts.
     
  6. cmpete

    cmpete Newbie

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    Thanks for all the degreasing tips--I grabbed some Purple Power Citrus Cleaner for general cleaning, maybe I'll look at their de-greaser--I think I have some LA Totally Awesome Oven Cleaner too, is that good?

    In Portland it's 1975 and older that are exempt :(
     
  7. first80toyota

    first80toyota Addict

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    I think the la totally awesome is the dollar store stuff.. It's what I like to use and works really good for being a dollar :lol:
     

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