Well, had to say good-bye to an old....

Ramblin Fever · #1 10-12-2006, 05:55 PM

friend after 20-some years. It's too bad, just put new tires, shocks on it in the last year.

Traded our '85 Toyota (our big headache this last year) p/up for a 2004 Tacoma TRD Off-road 4x4 double cab (kids are just too big for a x-cab).

Not too bad of a deal, really - I was surprized they gave us $1,750 for the '85 (bucket of true rust, had over 260k, only BB at $800 on a good day). And we talked them down to $19k for the '04 with only 25k miles on the OD.

Has all bells and whistles, we'd have really prefered the manual, but that's only offered in the 2005's which are ludicrus in $$$. Otherwise, we would've had to go with a single or x-cab, which won't work.

2000izusu · #2 10-12-2006, 06:29 PM

congrats on the new ride! i love the looks of the tacoma. what motor do you have in it? i guess now that you got rid of the 85 toy, your rodeo moves into the beater spot.

rodeo02 · #3 10-12-2006, 09:45 PM

Yotas are nice small trucks. I bet that 2004 is a bit nicer than the '85! I drove my FIL's 2006 tundra extra cab 4x4 the other day (his company car). It's got the I-Force V8. I couldn't get over the power that thing has. It's a dang race car!! Not being used to it, I lit the tires right up the first time I took off!

Very touchy brakes as well. He only avgs about 15mpg with it though.

Their full sized chevy 4x4's do way better for MPG's just not in reliabilty.

Joel

Ramblin Fever · #4 10-12-2006, 10:30 PM

3.4L V6 5Z - something, don't have all of the engine model numbers in front of me now.

Yeah, this '04 puts that '85 to shame in every way - but, it has a lot to live up to as well, that '85 Toy had been through he$$ and back as they say. We can only hope this Yota is as reliable for at least 16-17yrs.

Well we're figuring this Tacoma will probably only average about the same as the Rodeo gets considering it's a double cab, automatic hopefully at least 18 city/23 highway.

2000Isuzu - The Rodeo is definitely the oldest of the bunch now, but it will actually get far less miles put on it then the Toy will. The toyota was needed for it's open bed and ease of ability for use on home construction sites which are located all over in and around city limits, as far north and south as 60 miles each way.

We were starting to put quite a few miles on in short time on the Rodeo lately as the old '85 Toy became somewhat yard-ridden from age and leaks, but it'll go back to only having maybe 8-10k put on in a year versus the 20k we were heading for. It already has high mileage for it's age.

surferfletch · #5 10-12-2006, 11:03 PM

Good luck with the new rig!

2000izusu · #6 10-13-2006, 06:47 AM

good luck with the new rig! the 3.4 is a solid motor with good history since it was new in 1996. you should easily be able to get 16-17 years out of it.

amigo-2k · #7 10-13-2006, 08:22 AM

Should be a nice ride. Hope you get 20 years out of this new truck too!

Ramblin Fever · #8 10-13-2006, 10:21 AM

Thank you for the comments - 1st things 1st, gonna put that screen mesh stuff in front of it's radiator just like I did the Rodeo's earlier this past spring - man that stuff REALLY stops rocks, bugs, weeds, etc from getting into the condensor/radiator.

Anyone have ANY clue where the oil filter is located on this engine? Can't find it for the life of me - course, it'd probably help if I took off the skid plate. I know they just changed the oil, so I'm just browsing in the engine bay for now.

rodeo02 · #9 10-13-2006, 10:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ramblin Fever

3.4L V6 5Z - something, don't have all of the engine model numbers in front of me now...

That one of the bet V6's ever made. Did you get an automatic trans? I think yota uses asian warner autos which are awesome. Pretty sure they have a dipstick and a drain plug on the pan. Let the games begin ramblin! What lubes/filters you got lined up?

Joel

2000izusu · #10 10-13-2006, 11:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rodeo02

That one of the bet V6's ever made. Did you get an automatic trans? I think yota uses asian warner autos which are awesome. Pretty sure they have a dipstick and a drain plug on the pan. Let the games begin ramblin! What lubes/filters you got lined up?

Joel

yeah i am pretty sure they use the asian a340, which is tough. also used in the 87-01 cherokee with the inline six. ramblin with your mainetance schedule you should be able to get 400,000 out of the trans (documented by many xj owners as well as 4runner owners). the only thing that seem to go wrong with the trans, short of abuse, is the shift solenoid packs accessable through the pan. couple hundred and back on the road. but it doesn't happen to everybody and when it does, it is a rig with high mileage. but truly i can't say enough, taco's are one of the most solid rigs on the road.

todds21 · #11 10-13-2006, 01:44 PM

I have a 2001 dubcab 3.4 Prerunner and its a great truck. I am debating selling it and getting what you have. I want/need a 4x4 and with the TRD package e-locker that thing is almost unstoppable. Only thing I can complain about the dubcab is the bed size.....but you get used to it and creative wiht packing it full.

http://www.fourwheeler.com/roadtests/16558/index4.html

I think you did real well getting that for 19K with low miles. Should run several hundred thousand miles with routine maintinence.

todds21 · #12 10-13-2006, 03:19 PM

ramblin the way i get to my oil filter is just crawl under truck and there is hole in the skid plate and its straight up on driver side. guess this woudl be on back underside of motor...kinda facing the firewall

I am using an oversized filter M1-209....allows for 6 quarts of oil instead of 5.7

Ramblin Fever · #13 10-13-2006, 05:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rodeo02

Pretty sure they have a dipstick and a drain plug on the pan.

Yes it does; yes we did end up with the automatic - was the only way we could get the 4-doors/double cab. Just too many of us to try and force an x-cab to work - x-cab was the only one offered with manual.

We'll service the auto every 12-15k

Quote:

Originally Posted by rodeo02

Let the games begin ramblin! What lubes/filters you got lined up?

Joel

- I knew this was coming!!

Well, got to say that I definitely like the Napa Gold filters - they're the only aftermarket filter that completely quiets the HLA on the Rodeo.

I will NOT, and I repeat will NOT use a supertech oil filter again - period!

I used two of these part#3614 (or something similar), think they were the E-core filters on two different vehicles, the '85 Toy and my G-ma's Geo Metro (both took same filter) - both gosh darn filters after 3-4k mile run on each vehicle, both filters were completely DRY and I mean NOT a single drop of oil.

Didn't care too mention on BITOG site because a lot of people like them, and I could've just ended up with two bad ones - but all I can say, is I'm glad that occured on two REAL old vehicles before trying one on a newer vehicle.

As for the oil, here's where it's gonna get tricky. The Dodge diesel uses the Delo 400 15w-40 - which, in my opinion, is far too thick for both the new Tacoma and the Rodeo.

The Rodeo seems to really like the combo of the Valvoline Maxlife 10w-30 and Napa Gold filters, but I do not see the point in using Maxlife HM oil in the Tacoma, and I don't care for Valvoline's regular oil.

So, all in all, I have absolutely NO idea yet

According to all the UOA's on BITOG a Toyota 3.4L will do good on honey or even canola cooking oil

so it makes deciding kinda hard when it'll do good on anything.

Kind of leaning towards GC and Napa Gold filters, and running it out to the OCI interval recommended in the warranty book - haven't read that far into the manual yet, but it's probably 5-6k or so.

I don't like the idea of having to stock up on 3 different types of oil, but guess we'll have to. I ran the GC in the Rodeo once, and I wasn't too thrilled, but that was also before the timing belt was replaced which I believe accounted for a lot of the noise I was hearing in the engine before the tall-tell signs of the waterpump.

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