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Flyinby

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About Flyinby

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  • My Toyota Motorhome
    1993 Itasca Spirit rear dinette
  • Location
    Central California USA

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    Male
  • Interests
    photography, travel, computers, tinkering with things

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  1. This is an old post from 7 years ago, but these folks are still in business and doing the swaps. Prices, of course, have changed, so here's some updated info for reference. Base price now (for RV) is $8500. In my case, with all the "recommended" options such as timing belt, and some necessary modifications, the price was about $12000 with the basic used 3.4 engine. My 3.0 had a probable burnt valve (weak cylinder) and I was thinking of going for this...they're about 700 miles north of us so it was drivable there as-is. Then I got to rethinking it...the 3.0, if fixed, would likely be good for another 50k miles or so, way more than we'll need (we're both in mid-70's now and just RV-travel occasionally. Added to that is that we're in CA, so the smog requirements demand a lot of extra trouble to get it approved. And, the hood either has to be cut out for a scoop, or a special manifold used. And apparently the steering gear interferes and needs to be swapped. Thinking of the potential headaches of such a major operation, with them 700 miles away in case something isn't right, and dealing with smog referees etc., I just decided it wasn't worth it, so am going for fixing the 3.0 vz-e. It's ready for a timing belt anyway, so might as well just get it running properly and be done with it. Neither the full engine swap nor doing the heads/valves on the 3.0 can fully guarantee a trouble-free future and no hassles, and fixing the 3.0 is a lot cheaper. But back to ToyOnlySwaps, they seem to have good reviews and definitely know their stuff. It's now justin@toyonlyswaps.com, not Cliff.
  2. Those levels are notoriously inaccurate. Best way I've found is to check fore-aft for level, then spin it around 180 degrees and see if the reading is the same. When you get one that reads the same when reversed, then check the side-to-side axis the same way. Out of half a dozen of them, you might get lucky and find one accurate in both. Fortunately they're cheap. If you only have one, you can just reverse it and figure it's level when it's off the same amount in both directions I guess if you're mounting it permanently, you could just use a real level to level the coach fore-aft and side to side, then shim the cheap level so it reads correctly when mounted.. Usually I don't worry about it much unless things are noticeably off, and my refrigerator always seems to work fine on propane, usually more likely to get too cold rather than anything else.
  3. Maybe better late than never, but wanted to mention that Toyota can look up to see if the head gasket had been replaced. 2-3 years ago when we got our '93 Itasca, I called the local dealer and they were happy to look it up, and found it had been done at 75000 miles. Also, in reference to the original LP gas heater mentioned in an early reply, I had expected it to be junk, but tried it anyway, and works great! A small forced-air furnace with thermostat on the wall (at least on our Itasca Spirit), and the fan is a bit loud, but it heats the place up so nicely and quickly, I've never had to use the Buddy heater I carry as a backup. On a cold morning, just reach up and click on the thermostat, and within minutes it's nice and comfortable in there. No fumes, and it uses very little LP gas, judging from how long the tank lasts compared to not using heat.
  4. Looks really great, but I'm curious about the lock on the door. My understanding was it was a DOT regulation that the propane access door can't be locked for safety reasons. (in event of an accident, propane can be shut off without delay). Not a criticism, your work looks great.
  5. Thanks IdahoDoug, I think the reason I posted hear was that somewhere in my head was the nagging knowledge that such a major swap might be just creating headaches (and more so with CA emission issues possibly complicating things) . They gave me a pretty thorough list of what's needed, and it's a lot...steering box, hood scoop, lots more, in order for the 3.4 to fit properly, but with so many changes, I agree that there's a lot to go wrong, or at least bring up new problems. They do convert the cruise control and A/C, of course at extra cost. It IS almost tempting to dive into it myself and do the heads and timing belt; just looking under the hood, seeing everything packed in there so tightly made me decide I wasn't going to tackle it myself (getting up in years and lazier 8^). I'm not familiar with this particular engine as it hasn't needed any work up until now, but I do have the PDF manual so maybe I'll look it over and see if I'm tempted. It runs great (though I can hear the weak cylinder at idle), no oil use, no leaks, no sign of coolant problems/leaks, trans oil looks clean and smells fine. It's drivable now but won't pass the next CA smog test. Maybe it doesn't make much sense to do such a major undertaking for a somewhat minor issue. I know the 3.0 isn't a well-liked engine, perhaps that influenced my thinking on it too. Appreciate the info, this board and its members are a great asset for keeping these great little motorhomes on the road.
  6. That's helpful...though apparently they locate an engine just before starting the process (or they say they can get low mileage Japan engines for additional cost). So I couldn't give them the VIN in advance of paying the deposit. ToyOnly says they'll use a CA vehicle for all the needed equipment, but it's "our responsibility" to deal with CA smog. I didn't know about contacting the DMV BEFORE proceeding, but it sounds like I'd better do that. I knew about the referee inspection but thought if it passed the emissions test and had all the original CA smog equipment from the new engine, and the two catalytic converters from our current one, it would be OK. Contacting the DMV may influence my decision, if it's too big a hassle...a valve job on the current engine wouldn't require any of that, so I'll see what they say. I know ToyOnly has done CA vehicles before, and according to the customer's facebook posts, they've passed smog, but I have no idea how much hassle they had to go through beforehand. Thanks for the info, it might save me from a big hassle later.
  7. We have a '93 Itasca Spirit with rear dinette, really happy with it size-wise, layout-wise, and personality-wise, but the 3.0 has a weak cylinder, probably a burnt valve. Head gasket was done by Toyota at 75k, it now has 90+k, and it's passed its last CA smog inspection. So we have about a year and a half to fix it. I read here of ToyOnly swaps in Oregon, and contacted them. They do the swap with a used but good 3.4L, all modifications and new timing belt etc. Their customers seem happy, but with such a major modification, I know we have to deal with CA DMV, and that's OK, I figured on that. But I wondered if anyone here has had that done, and were there any resulting issues, or was it all smooth sailing? More power, better mileage (than our 5 1/2 cyl current engine), and it sounds great, but as a lifelong mechanic, I know there are plenty of things that can go wrong. I no longer want to do major engine work, and want something we can enjoy for a while til we're too old, so getting another smooth 50k miles out of it would be fine. In the past, I'd probably have pulled the heads and done the work, even though I can see it's a miserable engine to work on. But I'm debating, if I take it into a shop, they do the valves and heads, and timing belt etc., and we can get another 50k out of it, that might be acceptable too. Even paying a shop, the price would be less than half of the conversion, though the cost is secondary. Primary is that I want it reliable, and no 'clunk clunk' as you go down the road because the 3.4 engine bangs into the wheelwell, or other unforseen glitches. So if you've had this done, or know of someone who has, any advice or info would be appreciated. We're on the shop's waiting list, and will probably go ahead with the swap unless it's a mixed bag of benefits and we may be better off just fixing the 3.0.
  8. Well, it's fixed and working, but I opted for Plan B. The sticking cable was indeed the problem, and I could pull out the cable end while pressing the brake pedal which unlocked the shifter. I figured on taking out the cable and fixing it properly, but ran into some snags along the way. The '93 is a little different than the posted pictures, but close enough. But when I went to take off the plastic duct, there's a single screw in an awkward place...no straight shot with a Phillips, not enough room for a stubby, and trying a 90 degree Phillips just would not stay in well enough to turn it. To make it worse, I could only open the driver door just enough to squeeze through, because the RV had been moved close to a wall, so my attack angles were limited. Even a Phillips bit in a 1/4" universal socket with extensions wouldn't budge it, and it was looking like it might damage the screw. I was tempted to just break off the plastic tab that holds the duct, and replace it with metal when I reinstalled, but took a second look at the cable and got an idea I liked better. At the brake pedal end of the cable there are 3 14mm nuts for different purposes, and it's possible to remove the cable from the metal ferrule that goes through the bracket to the brake pedal. The ferrule also acts as a stop for the 'up' travel of the pedal, so you wouldn't want to remove the whole assembly. I backed out the nut that held the cable to the ferrule, and was able to pull the cable out of the ferrule. Pulled firmly on the dangling end of the cable to make sure it was fully unlocked, and put things back together. Initially I thought if worse came to worse, I'd just cut the cable and do without the unneeded Park-pedal lockout, but this is better because nothing is damaged and it can be fully put back if I ever get the urge. Both my wife and I drove for many years without the "feature" that locks a vehicle in park if you're not pressing the brake, and hitting the brake before shifting into drive or reverse is a deeply-embedded habit for both of us. And this way, the stuck shifter, at least from the brake cable, is never going to happen again. It might be a good idea, if your lockout cable is intact but you've had sticking problems, to keep a small pair of dikes (side-cutter pliers) in the glovebox. If it happens, you can manipulate your head down there with a flashlight and see the protrusion when you hold down the brake pedal, grab the end with the dikes (or needlenose, but dikes have a better grip), and pull it out, enabling you to shift out of park if the key is turned on. There's also a way to tell, without looking, if it's the brake lockout or the ignition lockout keeping you from getting out of park. If you can pull the shift lever toward you a couple of inches, as you would to shift out of Park, then it's not the brake lockout stopping you. The ignition lockout lets you pull it toward you, but stops you from pulling it down into gear. The brake lock won't let you pull the shift lever toward you at all. Thanks for the helpful advice from this forum.
  9. Wow, talk about quick responses, thanks to both for your quick replies. Wanderlustking, it's the shifter that's locked, not the steering wheel, but I have had the situation you describe happen on multiple vehicles...quite common and unnerving when it happens until you know the way to release it. Linda S, I agree they should have had a safety recall since this is so common. There should ALWAYS be an override for any such system, it's just common sense since it can leave people stranded. Now that I know it IS a cable from brake to column (and how to get at it) I know where to focus tomorrow. Fortunately I have the driver's seat out so it might make it a bit less unpleasant to get in there to see. If that's the issue, which it most likely is, I'll try to see it's well lubricated to prevent any sort of future corrosion, but if it happens again, I'll figure out a way to completely disable it. A safety feature that can leave you stranded in the middle of nowhere...not an example of brilliant engineering. Thanks again, and I'll report back with the (positive, I hope) results in a day or so.
  10. We were gone about 6 weeks, and I went to start up and move our '93 Itasca Spirit for exercise as I normally do, but when I went to take it out of park, the shift column wouldn't budge. After a web search I was more confused than ever...the usual bad info, such as 'the '93 Toyota trucks didn't have column shift' to blown brakelight fuses. After checking the brakelights etc., i took off the lower panel below the steering wheel, thinking the ignition switch lockout would be causing it, but it's working fine. I did see something about a cable that runs from the brake pedal to the column with a lock pawl that can get corroded, and if that's true, it could be the cause, but I had to wrestle with one seized bolt on the driver's seat for most of an hour and the day is done, so thought I'd check here and see if anyone knows what that year uses for lockouts...it definitely has the ignition switch lockout and it definitely isn't the cause. When I wiggle the shift column, I can see a very slight twisting movement where the shaft goes through the firewall, which doesn't tell me a lot. I can't pull back on the shift lever as I think I recall having to do to get it out of park. It simply will not move the shaft in or out, and I can't tell if it's another lockout or something frozen. It was shifting fine prior to being parked for the 6 weeks. If anyone knows which type of lockouts and the likelihood of their causing this with the '93, I'd appreciate the info so I know where to look first. Now that the seat bolts are out I can go in there tomorrow and get a little better view, hopefully. I've sprayed WD40 around any suspicious rusted areas of the column, but have no clear evidence that it's seized, and as i said, the column does show a very slight turning movement when wiggling the shifter with the ignition lock released. Thanks in advance for any helpful info anyone may have.
  11. Having to start over every time you drive somewhere would get old very quickly. Our fridge is a 3-way, so I suppose I could switch it to 12v when driving, but other than for a long drive, or to conserve propane, I never bother with the 12v, just leave it running on propane. There are some useful tricks to maximize its ability to keep it cool, and they help a lot. One is, a day or two before you're leaving, plug it in and get it nice and cold for when you're ready to go. If there's extra room inside, fill in the space with gallon bottles of cold drinking water (you can always remove them to make space if needed, and re-cool them if/when you are somewhere you can plug in overnight). They'll serve as a buffer to keep things cold much longer, should you need to shut off the propane. Also, get a thermometer and put it inside the fridge, and set the controls to keep it just above freezing, say 34-35, and mark that spot on the control. Then set it warmer to where it stays at 38-40, and mark that spot. Whenever you plug in, set it to the coldest mark, and on propane you can set it to the warmer mark if you want to conserve propane, or if you have to shut it off and re-cool for some reason. When adding stuff to the refrigerator, try to add stuff that's already cold, if possible, rather than the 6-pack that's been sitting in the sun all morning. As for your earlier extension cord question, the refrigerator doesn't use a lot of power...our Spirit uses just under 200 watts, but that's the refrigerator combined with the battery charger, so any lightweight 16-18 gauge extension cord is fine unless you're going to run the AC or microwave.
  12. Hi, thanks for this info...we're considering redoing the stripes on our '93 Spirit and it sounds like he might be able to make up what we need. I tried looking up T12 marketing both on Facebook and via Google, and all I get is a marketing firm...nothing about a body shop as you described, or vinyl decals, not a hint, and wanted to confirm if that's the right info before I go calling a marketing agency. We get enough "marketing" on our phone already...🙂
  13. If it's the meter in the picture a few posts above, set the selector on DCV(olts) 20, and be sure the black lead is plugged into 'COM', and (important) the red lead is plugged into the VmA plug, NOT the '10ADC', which would produce a spark because it's shorting out the battery. You may not have damaged anything, see if the voltmeter works hooked up as above, when you touch the black lead to the - or NEG battery post and the red to the + or POS.
  14. The tiny open flame on a Mr. Buddy heater is a safety precaution, besides being a sort of pilot light. If oxygen gets low, the flame gets too small (or goes out) to generate the small current necessary to keep the heater gas valve open, and it closes, shutting down the heater. The heat from the heater itself is produced by catalytic action, so CO isn't an issue (though if you go to YouTube and search, you'll find every opinion under the sun, from the guy who's used 3 of them in his shop daily for 10 years and is an aeronautical engineer currently running the Mars program at the top of his field, to a guy who has rescued hundreds of people with severe CO poisoning, and claims that you need a $500 gourmet CO detector if you want it to actually work). Personally, I've used Mr. Buddy heaters fairly regularly in my 2 shops, which have a very small vent but are reasonably airtight (with the in/out door being used fairly often). I've used these for years, and haven't been rescued yet, and my brain is still functioning, depending probably on who you ask. CO detectors have never risen above 0. In my 21' Spirit, for testing purposes I've closed it up and left the Mr. Buddy on (on low, high is way too hot for that little space) for an hour or so, and checked the new CO detector I installed for any sign of CO increase, and it showed none. However, in my case, it's a backup...the original furnace works fine. I take the Mr. Buddy along, just-in-case, and they're very nice if you're sitting outside in cold weather. No smoky campfire needed unless you want it for atmosphere. Prior to getting the RV, the Buddy was wonderful for use in our tent on those cold Yosemite mornings. The Mr. Buddy is probably better as a temporary fix, or if you don't often need heat...just a bit in the morning or evening to warm things up for a while. I don't think the smell is all that much, but I suppose that depends on who's sniffing. Cost of use is low, especially if you refill your own disposable gas canisters, which is fairly simple. So while I agree that a more permanent heater installation is the best, I myself wouldn't hesitate to use a good catalytic, with a window cracked just a bit, for interim or occasional use. I would never go to sleep with one on (however I feel the same about the built in heat), just on the general principle of "don't push it" and the law of Murphy.
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