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An ode to Tundra Roja

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Toshi

Toshi

butthole powerwashing evangelist
Oct 23, 2001
39,767
8,762
kazlx said:
Definitely water pump. Might as well do the timing belt as well since it all has to come off anyway. The whole job still shouldn't be terribly expensive, I think mine was $700ish or so with everything. Make sure to use OE replacement pump.
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Then there are some other things that should be replaced while in there. Serpentine/accessory belt, fan bracket iirc (if the layout is anything like my Land Cruiser with the same engine).

I'd recommend going to Comprehensive Care Care. E Evans Ave, run by a bunch of old mechanics that I trust not to upsell me shit. They only work on Toyota, Subaru, and Honda, fwiw.
 
Pesqueeb

Pesqueeb

bicycle in airplane hangar
Feb 2, 2007
41,829
19,156
Riding the baggage carousel.
Most water pumps have a "weep hole" on the bottom that will drip when the pump gets shitty. If you have a mirror or someway to get a good look at the bottom of the pump take a look and see if that is in fact wet/leaking.
kazlx said:
Definitely water pump. Might as well do the timing belt as well since it all has to come off anyway. The whole job still shouldn't be terribly expensive, I think mine was $700ish or so with everything. Make sure to use OE replacement pump.
Click to expand...
:stupid:

And since that truck has a bazillion miles on it, if the radiator, hoses, and thermostat are OE, I'd do them too.
 
Full Trucker

Full Trucker

Frikkin newb!!!
Feb 26, 2003
11,140
8,780
Exit, CO
kazlx said:
Definitely water pump. Might as well do the timing belt as well since it all has to come off anyway. The whole job still shouldn't be terribly expensive, I think mine was $700ish or so with everything. Make sure to use OE replacement pump.
Click to expand...
Yeah, I chased some wetness to the side and above the crank pulley, and the water pump is located above and behind the crank pulley. So it's that, or maybe just water pump gasket. Either way, it's a shitty all-day job to get at yourself, gonna call in a pro.

Toshi said:
I'd recommend going to Comprehensive Care Care. E Evans Ave, run by a bunch of old mechanics that I trust not to upsell me shit. They only work on Toyota, Subaru, and Honda, fwiw.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the rec, doc. Might check them out. We (meaning Project Baja) have our own personal Ford Mechanic that's done some work on my truck and another dude's Tundra as a side hustle, so I'm checking with him to see if he has availability soon.

Pesqueeb said:
Most water pumps have a "weep hole" on the bottom that will drip when the pump gets shitty. If you have a mirror or someway to get a good look at the bottom of the pump take a look and see if that is in fact wet/leaking.

:stupid:
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Good to know about the glory weep hole, and great idea WRT the mirror.

Pesqueeb said:
And since that truck has a bazillion miles on it, if the radiator, hoses, and thermostat are OE, I'd do them too.
Click to expand...
Toshi said:
Then there are some other things that should be replaced while in there. Serpentine/accessory belt, fan bracket iirc (if the layout is anything like my Land Cruiser with the same engine).
Click to expand...
Hoses, water pump, and serpentine/timing/accessory belt were all done ~40k ago, in Oct 2017 right before we went to Baja.* Might just do them all again, I have another timing belt kit that includes the water pump, and I can get Gates hoses for free/cheap since several dudes on the team work there.

*Yes, it had 210k on the clock with an OG timing belt. Fight me.

rideit said:
Ridden hard, and put away wet
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Ain't that the truth. :D
 
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jimmydean

jimmydean

The Official Meat of Ridemonkey
Sep 10, 2001
43,106
15,186
Portland, OR
This is the only pic I have of this truck. I had so much fun beating the piss out of this thing.

FB_IMG_1576170502892.jpg


Shortly after this picture I installed cut out fender flares and 36" tires. I had 5.29 gears in it and it would climb straight vert.

This is why I want that damn truck in my hood!
 
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Full Trucker

Full Trucker

Frikkin newb!!!
Feb 26, 2003
11,140
8,780
Exit, CO
So I took her to the Project Baja mechanic, and it turns out the radiator was actually the culprit, it was leaking pretty bad. The dripping and wetness I saw coming from the engine and frame rails was caused by the fan blowing the coolant back towards the engine. But also, an o-ring for the thermostat housing was also leaking. So, I have a new radiator, o-ring, thermostat, radiator cap, and a flush and fill. All better!
 
johnbryanpeters

johnbryanpeters

Hero
Sep 27, 2001
36,818
18,393
Making moss sad in New Haven, Vermont
Full Trucker said:
So I took her to the Project Baja mechanic, and it turns out the radiator was actually the culprit, it was leaking pretty bad. The dripping and wetness I saw coming from the engine and frame rails was caused by the fan blowing the coolant back towards the engine. But also, an o-ring for the thermostat housing was also leaking. So, I have a new radiator, o-ring, thermostat, radiator cap, and a flush and fill. All better!
Click to expand...
Corrosion or mechanical damage?
 
canadmos

canadmos

Cake Tease
May 29, 2011
21,997
21,524
Canaderp
Full Trucker said:
So I took her to the Project Baja mechanic, and it turns out the radiator was actually the culprit, it was leaking pretty bad. The dripping and wetness I saw coming from the engine and frame rails was caused by the fan blowing the coolant back towards the engine. But also, an o-ring for the thermostat housing was also leaking. So, I have a new radiator, o-ring, thermostat, radiator cap, and a flush and fill. All better!
Click to expand...
How about that timing belt? :busted:
 
Full Trucker

Full Trucker

Frikkin newb!!!
Feb 26, 2003
11,140
8,780
Exit, CO
johnbryanpeters said:
Corrosion or mechanical damage?
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I didn’t ask specifically, but I trust Steve to tell me when and if things look bad. So I’m going to assume no corrosion or mechanical damage to anything. Oh wait... are you asking about the radiator and what the cause if the leak was? I’ll ask him. He didn’t say. I assume “old as fuck” was the problem.
 
Toshi

Toshi

butthole powerwashing evangelist
Oct 23, 2001
39,767
8,762
canadmos said:
Derp, my reading comprehension sucks. Thought I read he was still on the original with quarter million miles. :eek:
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He only went 210k miles on a belt that should be changed every 90k. He was being conservative, really!
 
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