Locked & LS'd Tacoma

[BROmanian]

Browsing the good old marketplace resulted in me picking up a new project with a blown engine, yay me. Story is: I was driving and water came out the radiator and it won't start anymore, sounds great. Because love at first sight is real, well not really but it sounded great and I need a new project like I need to mess with a hornets nest filled with angry hungry murder hornets.
Anyways, it has a Trail Gear solid axle swap, Atlas leafs, LS engine (LM7 the 5.3) and a NP231 transfer case. But why you ask? I really miss Moab and still haven't done the Rubicon so the itch needs to be scratched and this beast should be up to the task.

 

[Kellyex1450]

im very excited for this! you know whats in the axles for gears and locker? what's the transfer case? this is a great head start

 

[Turboyota]

im very excited for this! you know whats in the axles for gears and locker? what's the transfer case? this is a great head start

Rear is factory e-locker
Front is ARB with compressor mounted to inner frame rail.

Front driveline angle is kinda fuckity, caster may be weird as well.

Frame plating and general fabwork look pretty decent

 

[BROmanian]

im very excited for this! you know whats in the axles for gears and locker? what's the transfer case? this is a great head start

The trasfercase is the 231J with SYE (slip yoke eliminator) the rear axle is stock with the stock E-locker so I'm assuming stock gearing and the front matches the rear gearing. I'm exited to because it has great bones to work with. Like Turboyota said the fab work looks really good, it has the right engine ( I'm not a Toyota guy) and if the T-case brakes it will be time for Atlas. The AC and heat works, happy about that. For some reason I cant upload pictures though

 

[BROmanian]

Some pictures of the rig

 

[BROmanian]

Not only does this picture show the ARB compressor but wait for it ................ the horn. Please baby Jesus, let it be Cucaracha music or the Ice cream truck music.

 

[the bodj]

Is it just my eyes or is the oilpan the lowest hanging fruit on the whole undercarriage?

 

[BROmanian]

Is it just my eyes or is the oilpan the lowest hanging fruit on the whole undercarriage?

It's definitely low but I think the transfer case is lower.
Plans are to install a skid plate in the near future. I'm going to try to flip the leafs (put the axles over the leaf springs) so its not so stupid tall and at that time I'm going to have to address the oil pan situation because I think that we will have interference issues.

 

[Motiracer38]

These things look great with links, tons and 40s and work even better. Looking forward to see what you do with it and can't wait to see it on the trails. I want to get back to Moab too, that may be on my list for next spring.

 

[BROmanian]

These things look great with links, tons and 40s and work even better. Looking forward to see what you do with it and can't wait to see it on the trails. I want to get back to Moab too, that may be on my list for next spring.

MOAB or bust, lets go.

 

[Kellyex1450]

This thing had to of spent a fair share of its time muddin Azusa Canyon.

 

[BROmanian]

This thing had to of spent a fair share of its time muddin Azusa Canyon.

Turboyota was saying the same thing. I wouldn't be surprised if the engine got hydro locked from water ingestion. I'll be looking at it this weekend and try to figure out what happened, battery is dead so I never got a chance to crank it.

 

[Kellyex1450]

 

[Turboyota]

View attachment 46395

Way too many cracker ass crackers for Azusa canyon

 

[BROmanian]

Finally got a day to work on the Taco.
Confirmed, no coolant in the radiator. The oil looked great so I don't think that coolant is leaking past the head gasket at least not into the oil passage.
All cylinders had great compression 175 psi, never smelled any gas so I checked for spark and I had good spark.
I checked for gas pressure and nothing. Next I started troubleshooting the electrical system and everything looked good so I figured that the fuel pump was bad.
Shitballs I have to remove the tank on the Taco to get to the fuel pump.
Like a dumbass I was laying there contemplating life choices and stated tapping on the tank to try to figure out how much gas I have in it.
Hollow sounds just like when I tap on my head. I did the right thing and siphoned Turboyotas ride on lawn mover, for science of course. I poured the gas in it and it and when I turned the key gas pissed all over the engine.
I did the only thing any guy could do and pretended I didn't just do that and connected the fuel line back up. It started right up ignoring my feelings, pretending like we didn't just have a great time.
The radiator was empty so I filled it up and while trying to bleed the system I found the thermostat to be stuck closed.
The fuel gauge read half but the tank was empty so he must have run out of gas while overheating? I have no clue right now but will drive it around and see if I have disappearing coolant issues. First a new thermostat

 

[BROmanian]

Got a fuzzy dice to commemorate our first hang together.

 

[Dirtstyle]

Sounds like this might be an easier project than you originally thought. What size tires do you have planned for it? I think it might look proportionate with 37-40s.

 

[BROmanian]

Sounds like this might be an easier project than you originally thought. What size tires do you have planned for it? I think it might look proportionate with 37-40s.

Famous last words but yes it does currently look like I lucked out on the engine being bad. I still have front and bumper build, cage and skid plates to do. The rear shackles look fuckety so I need to address that still. The plan is to run 37 inch tires and possibly deal with the lift if needed. Trail Gear sell different height leaf springs and these look like they are the 5" lift leafs, hoping to get 3" or even 4" leafs instead.