Amazing! Great news!! Wonder WHY the took it...

... where was it? Did you call the cops?

 

Seems like a joy ride for some one. The truck was less than 2 miles from my house. Had been sitting for over 4 months. Glad to have her back!

 

Ok gang, it's been a while. Since I got my truck back I've been saving up and working towards either a rebuild or picking up a rebuilt motor. Ended up finding one on Craigslist for the right price. This weekend I'll be doing the swap, try to post some photos along the way. Any words of advice before diving in?? Otherwise, here goes!

 

Good luck! I'm just glad you got your truck back.

 

Part IV. A New Hope
A long time ago (this last weekend), in a garage far far away from some of you, I undertook a real big project for me. For several months my crankshaft bearings have been groaning. After it got stolen it just hasn't been the same. Maybe she doesn't feel safe anymore so she breaks down to prevent anyone else from stealing her... Personification aside, i put a new heart and lungs in over the weekend. I took friday off work to have an additional day because who knows what could happen with these old machines. And it was my first time, so I didn't want to rush it. My workshop isn't very close to my house, so I have to plan these kinds of things in a shared workspace. Blah blah blah, I picked up a rebuilt motor, a weber that I rebuilt a week ago, and some other parts I thought I would need. Grabbed a change of clothes and some food then off to the shop for the weekend. Got the truck pulled in thursday night, took the hood off and went out for a beer. Off to a good start!


Friday was the real work, started pulling components, already looks better without the massive stock carb stove pipe.


Up up and away.


I'm down with the PO's decision to go blue, but I do like that drab green stock color.


Plus, rattle can blue is wayyyy easier to match!


What a difference. Amazing what a little paint can do. I was quite pleased to find a rebuilt 20r with complimentary colors to my hilux. Old and new.


Oh yeah, dang that looks good right!


That's all the photos for now, but since then I have the emissions stuff capped off, got rid of lots of vacuum hose, and have the weber installed.

I reattached all the components, filled up the tranny, engine oil, and radiator. Primed the motor with oil, set the timing off the distributor, and it fired up! Holy **** I couldn't believe it!! Ran for a while, valves need adjusted and weber tuned but damn.

It makes sense that it works for logical reasons, but practically, knowing I replaced and engine and handled all those parts and got it all back together and THEN it fired up! I'm still in a bit of shock. So next up is a valve adjustment, weber tuning, and whatever else I run into between now and then, oh and some coolant hoses need replaced.

My homemade block off plates seemed to be holding up, we will see once the motor truly gets warmed up. Well that's all I got for now. More to come.

 

Awww you forgot the Star Wars theam music.

 

Good job on the swap! glad you got it running first shot! keep it up

 

nice find, work and painting!

 

Picked up some lens film. Quick photo from last night after I got them back in place. Now I just need to wire them up! Amazing what heatgun can do with this stuff. I may do my motorcycle light too!

 

Daylight shot.

 

Updated links for the previous posts photo.

 

Next up, new wires and loom from LC Engineering. It'll be a nice upgrade from the zip-ties that have long held the wires off the exhaust manifold. Also a plug kit to make sure everything is all buttoned after removing the egr shenanigans.

On the way is a dash cap once the motor is running solid and i've sorted out what I want to in the engine bay. I want to do some rewiring. Picked up some heat shrink, going to get after some loose wire that need wrangled. After getting the headlights covered in the yellow film, which i think looks bad ass, I wired them up. Got the passenger side working but the driver side is being finicky. Has juice to the positive, has a good ground, remove the bulb to test and it works, so somewhere inside the housing it's not connecting. In time, in time.

After going for a short test drive yesterday my alternator wasn't putting out much charge. Going to get it tested and probably replaced, still under warranty, thankfully.

 

more updates

Got the LCE loom hooked up! Does wonders for the engine bay.

 

My rig next to a buddies.... gotta love it.

 

New door seals!


Door closes with a little bit nicer sound now. I'm thinking of doing some sound dampening the in the door panels. In time.

 

Dash cap. It's the little things. This one goes a long way towards classing up the interior. Also painted the metal dash a solid color. Primer for now, but looks ok. Better than it was.

 

Lookin hella good bro. Keep it up.

 

wonderful updates!

 

The pickup has been sitting for a month or so, nice weather has had me on my bike. So as fall sets in my list of projects is starting up for the truck. I readjusted the carb, cleaned up the spark plugs and checked the gap. Got the tire pressure evened up. In the process I noticed my reverse lights weren't working, both bulbs are in tact but no power. Put a tarp down and checked the switch on the tranny, both prongs had snapped off. Not sure how or when that happened... ha. But re-ordered that part.
We have had a ton of rain the last week here in the PNW and I have so build up inside the cab. Seems to be coming down just forward if the drivers side door, missing the fuse box and collecting on the floor mat. I'm guessing it's somewhere along the windshield, maybe the gasket is going out.
Also looking at replacing the seat, I'll be doing some searches through the forums for suggestions, if anyone reading this has one they like please let me know. Currently, I have an SR5 3-seater. Fits nicely but the driver side is getting getting pretty loooow.
Thankfully, it's mostly minor stuff right now. I'll post some more pics soon. Cheers

 

Oh yeah, I did a bed coating this summer!


Waaaaay better! I'm thinking next summer of taking the bed off and doing a layer underneath as well.