My 86' T4R-V8 Swap & SAS Build

rustED

Adventurer
My next project was to replace the stock center console/armrest. The factory one is too short to use as a armrest, has no cup holder and the storage compartment is really small. I also want to add a lock.






Here's the finished product
 
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rustED

Adventurer
I got some new Glow Shift gauges (oil pressure, water temp, volts). I thought about getting one of those B pillar gauge pods, but thought it might be distracting when driving at night, plus they cost like $80. So I cheaped out and bought a $10 universal gauge pod, and built a base that contoured the dashpad to mount it to. This was my first attempt.




^^^I didn't like the overall height and look, kind of reminded me of a clock sitting on a mantle, lol.

So I shortened up the base, mounted it to the dashpad, cut the gauge pod down, ran the wires.







 

rustED

Adventurer
I want to eventually build a new front bumper, but in the meantime I decided to modify my Smittybuilt bumper and add a winch. I built my own winch mount out of some 1/4" thick plate.



I cut out the center tube out of the bumper and welded on some mounting brackets that capped off the ends of the tube. Now the bumper will bolt onto the winch mount, where as before the winch plate was bolted to the bumper, which was much more likely to ripped the bumper off than to pull out a stuck 4runner.






 

rustED

Adventurer
So I had been driving my 4runner without power steering for about 2yrs before finally getting around to installing it. I decided to go with the toyota steering pump and adapt it to work with the 302, this way I can keep all the stock hoses. Also if I decide to do hydrolic assisted steering using a ram, I can upgrade to a aftermarket high volume pump easily. I had to build a mounting bracket to adapt the power steering pump mount to the head of the 302. The black bracket in the pics is the one I built, the silver one is the factory toyota bracket.











^^^ its nice to have power steering again, especially with high-steer and 35" tires! don't judge me on the wire nuts, they are just temporary, once I get my new radiator and 14" electric fan in I will wire it up proper!

^^^here is my new aluminum radiator, fan shroud and 14" electric fan from CFR Performance.
 
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rustED

Adventurer
Nice work man!

Thanks alot! It's still a work in progress, I have alot of things I want to do to it, here's a short wishlist:
•Front and rear bumpers, swing out tire carrier for the rear
•sliders
•build a roof rack
•soft topper
•megasquirt (diy fuel injection)
•half doors, or maybe tube doors.
I'm sure I'm forgetting a bunch of stuff...the only problem is I have a trailer that I'm building that's competing for my attention and my limited ca$h flow, lol. Here's a few pics of my trailer project:








 

SIZZLE

Pro-party
Awesome rig. Just goes to show, you don't need a lot of money. Just a vision and some skills. You got both!
 

rustED

Adventurer
Nice work rustED. The truck looks like it performs great, and it doesn't look bad either. Very cool DIY build.
Thanks DangerAbe, it's been fun to work on, and been pretty reliable over the past 2-1/2 yrs as a daily driver. I hope to get a few more projects knocked out on it this summer.

Awesome rig. Just goes to show, you don't need a lot of money. Just a vision and some skills. You got both!
Thanks! I appreciate the compliments SIZZLE!
 

rustED

Adventurer
So this build is pretty much caught up to my current status, just been dd the 4runner for the last 2-1/2 yrs, that is till about a week and half ago. The runner started running rough, losing power, and running a little hotter than normal. When I got off work that night it was hard to start, once it started I had to keep the gas pedal floored to keep it running. The cap looked fine, changed the plugs and wires (it was due for a tune up anyway) still ran rough, no change. Finally I started messing with the timing, after advancing it nearly as far as I could, it started running good again. So I'm pretty sure that my timing chain jumped a tooth. So my plan is to change the timing set. Since the so little clearance between the radiator and the water pump, I'll have to pull the radiator and electric fans. This will be a good time to install my new CFR Performance rad, shroud and 14" fan. I will have to move the radiator forward to make it all fit, this will require modifying the core support more, I'll lose the use of my hood latch, so I'll have to order some hoodpins too.
 

rustED

Adventurer
So today I took the winch, winch plate, and the bumper off. I also pulled the electric fans, radiator and hood latching mechanism off. I unplugged the wiring harness that runs across the core support and pulled it back across to the passenger side so it's out of the way when I start cutting.



^the core support upper crossmember and the one in the middle just above the frame crossmember are coming completely out. I'll have to move the radiator forward to have enough clearance due to it being thicker, and also the addition of the shroud and bigger 14" fan.


^the tab/bracket with the bolt in it is going to have to be cut off both sides of the crossmember, my radiator is literally going to be sitting a 1/2 above and nearly flush with the front of the crossmember. I'm going to have to figure out a new way to mount my winch plate.

 

rustED

Adventurer
Nice work on that runner!

Thanks, I appreciate the compliments!

Last night I ordered a double roller timing chain set, a gear puller, and a universal set of silicone upper and lower radiator hoses. I also ordered a set of Synergy hood pins from Poly Performance.

 

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