[Spark plug gap for 22 rec fi]

Just buy your plugs at a Toyota dealer. They are not expensive and they will come pre-gapped

Linda S

They quoted me at 4 bucks a plug. Went to the AP store, and asked for NGKs, and they were about six bucks for the set IIRC.

4 each isn't expensive, but it is clearly over-priced. Of course this is the same dealer that wanted about 300 for the spare tire tool kit.

Dealers...

[Spark plug gap for 22 rec fi]

I just swapped out my plugs a couple weeks ago, and I asked the store clerk to look up the gap on the computer. I believe he came up with .034 for the NGKs I bought.

[Cooling system and valve cover questions]

How do you slip the alt belt on and off by hand? And if you can do that it can't possibly be tight enough to function properly, can it?

Reason Iask is for a totally unrelated reason. My alt belt comes a little loose and about once a month I get in there and tighten her up. For the life of me I cannot figure out why she repeatedly does this. I put a star washer on the bolt to kind of lock her in place on the arm, but the alt still slips just enough for a little squeaking when I fire her up or really stand on the gas pedal.

Like I said, it usually takes about a month for it to work its way loose, so I'm not sure what I'm dealing with. I've been cranking down on that bolt pretty good, seeing as I don't have an impact driver. Maybe I just can't get it tight enough with a 3/8 socket wrench? It's kinda hard getting anything bigger or longer on that bolt.

[Check engine light off and on]

Oh and do you have to go through the whole rigmarole with a timing light and warming the engine in a certain amount of steps? That was the biggest pain about scanning the Ford. Took like 30 minutes just to get her prepped to get an accurate scan.

[Check engine light off and on]

Nope that will light the brake light. No the OBDII did not start until 1996. The code reader is built in it flashes a digital code with the check engine light you have to jumper TE1 and E1 in the diagnostic connector under the hood then turn the key on (don't start it) the codes are published on any number of web sites.

That's right, I remember now. Had a belt give up the ghost on me during the winter. Good thing it was only a mile from home. She was running pretty hot when I got her back to the house.

I knew it was one of those pesky warning lights. I try to pretend they aren't there! La-la-la-la! BOOM!

Anyway, I remember using a jumper on my Ford so I'm familiar with the process somewhat. Does it do something like flash a sequence of lights to tell you the code? My Ford would flash the CHK eng. light say 3 times, pause, 4 times, pause, 1 time. That would signify code #341.

[Check engine light off and on]

I don't think any of our motorhomes have a plug for an OBD scanner. You have to jump a connector in the engine compartment and then just count the flashes on the dash. On my 86 there are 2 yellow plugs on the drivers side fender wall. It's one of those, don't remember which one. Here i found instructions and the codes you need to know

http://www.4crawler.com/4x4/CheapTricks/TroubleCodes/

Linda S

Yeah, I haven't even looked for a connector yet. I'm kind of surprised it wouldn't be in the usual place by the battery. But Toyota does what Toyota does. Who am I to question?

[Check engine light off and on]

OBDI is not perfectly standardized. Neither is OBDII but that's another issue. Best thing is to get a import-car OBDI scanner like the "Import Scanner" that iequui sells. Part # 3173.

Here's a link to the users manual that will tell you all you need.

I have an OBD1 scanner for my 94 Ford diesel truck and it does not work on a 94 Toyota. Scanner # 3173 works on Toyota trucks with 2.4s from 83 to 94.

http://www.iequus.com/Content/Support/Manual/3173_ICCR_E_14JAN03.pdf

I figured there would be one out there. I used to have one for my old Ford-driven MH and it came in handy. I usually take a quick look at the scanner display when I'm in an auto parts store but hardly anyone carries OBD1 units anymore, let alone for imports.

[Check engine light off and on]

Do the standard ODB1 readers work on Toyotas? Or is there a special code reader? If so, where can I get one?

[Check engine light off and on]

Couldn't this also be from a bad/loose alternator belt? If its slipping the check light will sometimes come on.

[Auto Trans Altitude OD Switch]

Ok here is the deal all non-lockup converters slip fact of life. When you are cruzing down the road flat ground nice high way the engine is not making much horse power or torque no matter what the rpm and the slip is low. There is an optimal rpm for any engines power it is rated at X rpm what they don't tell you it is it’s at wide open throttle at X rpm. So just puttering along the slip is there but not bad because the power is low, greater than the average car due to the air drag but tolerable. The hills come into view and you have to put your foot down a bit HP and torque increases require gasoline not RPM and they climb rapidly with your foot on the gas now the slip really comes in because the power is there and the MH is not going any faster. Now would be the time to unlock the O/D. Yes they will down shift but at that point the HP and torque is really high and the convert is in full slip mode. I all ways used my O/D but it was the only thing I owned that was an automatic and I drove it like a stick and down shifted the O/D at the slightest hint of a load. Bottom line change the fluid every 30K add a cooler and lock out O/D when there is a noticeable load and the trans will make it 150K or more. And yes left to their own devices they will get hot.

This sounds pretty much like how I use my OD. I don't turn it off on every little rolling hill, but I do when I know I have to climb.

BTW I checked and it appears I have a stock trans cooler. Someone mentioned that the OEM coolers may not be enough, but so far I haven't noticed any problems.

[Auto Trans Altitude OD Switch]

Make sure you have an aux tranny cooler, looks like a mini radiator just in front of the engine radiator. These trannys run hot and need to be cooled. The heat generated seems to be the culprit for the early demise of the tail shaft bearing. (If you don't have one, I'd recommend one, cheap and easy to install)

The OD is automatic, its like a 4th gear, and behaves just as you described. It will upshift / downshift automatically as torque is required (throttle setting vs speed)

It can be disabled if the popping in and out get to a nuisance. It will also be automatically disabled if your vehicle is above 3000 ft in altitude.

There is ongoing discussion on does the OD really save gas? I would say from my 25,000 miles that it appears to not save fuel, and may actually cost a tiny, tiny bit. HOWEVER, I have not taken any real accurate data to support that conclusion. It just seems to be that way. I also throw in that same mix, I have Cruise Control, and its possible the that could be aggrivating the fuel MPG, as the CC may be constantly "hunting" the throttle,m where a nice constant pressure would be much better for fuel economy.

I'll work on this later.

JOhn Mc

'88 Dolphin 4 Auto

I figure it probably does have the cooler already, and if not it will get one when I get back to Texas. Like I said, the mechanic that did the flush said everything was fine, so I suspect I don't have the overheating problem. I'm going to take a look for the cooler later this afternoon.

Yep My OD is the same. I have the on-off switch on the shifter lever, and a little orange light by the AC console.

I'm still don't get the OD hurting the mpg angle. I get better mileage with OD on and running at lower rpms. I understand the power band theory, but I still get better mileage with OD. I drive a lot of flatlands and gently rolling hills, so that might be the reason. I rarely have to boot her in the rear end with that passing gear to do any climbing.

I took her through the Appalachians on her maiden trip with me and found out right away that her and the mountains are not a good match. So now when I head back down to Texas I just go around 'em. The trip is like fifty miles longer, so its no big deal.

And I certainly didn't make a huge study of it. I just know from experimenting on a couple of long trips that no OD=lower mpg. I have a pretty steady foot, so I'm reasonably sure its not my driving habits. It was probably about 1-2 mpg, by my reckoning. Maybe not as earth-shattering as I previously mentioned, but on some of the 1700 mile trips I make, 1-2 mpg means a fair amount of money at the pump.

Plus, I just have this aversion to running four-bangers at high revs. Blew a 4cyl. sky-high once and learned an expensive lesson.

[Auto Trans Altitude OD Switch]

Sorry to start a dustup, but I'm still not completely understanding this. I have automatic OD. That means that when I am going up a hill, if I step on the gas hard, it shifts out of OD and into the "passing" gear. If necessariy, it will even shift into another "climbing" gear on long, hard hills. I try to avoid that, since I figure the engine is running close to red-line at that point.

I'm not trying to prolong the argument here, just trying to figure out what you guys are trying to say. It sounds to me like you have OD, but its not automatic, which doesn't make sense. Or that driving with OD and the cruise control on at the same time is the problem. That would kind of make sense since I could see the CC overriding the OD, causing the trans to overheat because it didn't shift out of OD.

My Goose is an '87, but its on an '86 chassis. Was the powertain package for the '86 Hilux any different from previous or future model years? I know I have this funky 1/2-ton front axle, 1-ton rear setup, but other than that I thought she was pretty much a generic Toyota setup.

BTW, I had the trans flushed and tuned about a thousand miles ago (43K), and I asked the trans guy if anything looked amiss. He said that the old fluid looked great and that the internals looked great. I did specifically ask him if the trans fluid showed any signs of being burnt (the smell test), and he said no.

So, I don't be seem to be having this problem of the OD overheating the trans. And I drive her virtually every day, to the tune of 14K+ miles since last November, probably 80% or more of those miles in OD. Maybe the previous owner put a trans cooler on her and I failed to notice it. I'm going to have to check on that, and if not, she's going to get one soon as I get home next month.

Either way, I'll keep an eye on my trans fluid. It'll be the first indicator of any overheating problems.

To Linda:

How do you get better mileage when you constantly run at higher rpms? I tried running without the OD for a full 200 miles a few times and went through way more fuel than when in OD. Matter of fact, one time I don't think I even made it 200 before having to re-fuel. And I usually get 220 or more if I'm topped off, on mostly flat highways or rolling hills.

Not saying your wrong, but if you are pulling it off, I want to know how. Could be useful information down the road somewheres.

I drive a lot of miles in my RVs (anywhere between 15-20K miles a year). I've had the Goose long enough now that I know her fuel needs like the back of my hand. She gets waaay better mileage running in OD.

[Adjusted my valves. Wow!]

Bob C; Another happy, satisfied customer. :detective2:I'll bet the majority of these have never had the valves adjusted, and they are all overdue. JOhn Mc88 Dolphin 4 Auto

Yeah, I was all set to do it yesterday then work changed my sked, lol. It figures. I'm gonna have to do it next Saturday. Gotta couple other minor things to do too. And now that I think about it, I might just go ahead and replace vacuum hoses while I'm at it.

[Auto Trans Altitude OD Switch]

Do you have a temp gauge??? Lots of heat in OD. Lots of toasted transmissions in the Toyota forums.WMEWME

I assume you are talking about trans temp, and no I don't have gauge for that. I do notice that engine temp goes up a bit on the long climbs, but other than that, no problems. I shut the OD down when I'm climbing hard anyway.

[Adjusted my valves. Wow!]

Toyota's Maintenance Schedule calls for every 30k miles and 36 months. No idea why they spec 36 months. It's not as though they go out of adjustment while it's sitting parked!

OK so she's overdue anyway. I'll just go ahead and take her hat off and do the adjustments.

Gotta run and go get some gaskets and a feeler gage before I go to work tonight. Thanks and talk to y'all later! You were great!

[Adjusted my valves. Wow!]

Didn't read the Duncan Racing page, but the first thought to my mind with rough running when humid is plug wires with degraded insulation. When it's dry and running smoothly, try spraying water on the plug wires with an old Windex bottle. In the dark you might even see sparks dancing about.

I have brand new plugs and qires, installed two weekends ago. And the old plugs were fine, nice chocolate brown, but they were Champions so I replaced them with NGKs because I've been told that Toys only seem to run right with either OEM or NGK.

That's another thing that bothers me. She runs rough like that but the plugs look beautiful, like she's never had a single misfire. One of the first things I thought of was she was running rich.

Could a leaky injector maybe, just maybe, be causing this?

[Adjusted my valves. Wow!]

Thanks Karin. But I have the 22RE so I'm fuel injected. I'm not sure you can adjust injectors. Or at least I don't know how to do it. I suspect that would be a computer thing. I suppose I could increase the air flow with a different airbox, but I'm not sure.

Thanks again John. After looking around for info, this seems pretty straightforward now. Hopefully it will cure the problem.

BTW...I only have 44,000 miles on mine. I don't have a book to tell me when valve lash should be done, but isn't 44K kind of early for an adjustment like that? Just wondering.

[Auto Trans Altitude OD Switch]

Why bother. The standard recommendation is to never use OD.

WME

From high in the Rockies in Wy.

Why is that? I use my OD all the time, unless it's an extreme climb. And with rolling hills and such, as soon as you step on the gas it kicks out of OD and into "passing" gear.

I'm glad mine has OD. She runs at pretty high rpms without it. Don't have a tach, but just by the sound of her I'm guessing over 3000rpm at 55mph. She doesn't nearly run that hard in OD.

I just wish I had cruise control on mine. It is the only thing I don't like about my GranVille. Anyone know where to get cruise control installed. I checked around a couple places in my travels and they just looked at me kinda funny. no one seems to install after-market CC anymore.

[Tires and Shocks]

I wish I had a 4X4 Sunrader!

So do I. that would be soooo cool. Screw the gas mileage! LOL

[Side view mirror]

Any update on finding a mirror? One of mine just cracked and needs to be replaced.

No. Got busy with other stuff and only now getting back to working on the 'ol girl. Thanks for reminding me though. I'm going to call NAPA post haste.

Your local RV dealer can order the mirrors and fittings you need from one of their supply catalogs. But not the tubular frame pieces, just the mirrors and mounting clips.

My local RV store carries some of the mirrors in stock.

I've talked to two different ones and they had no idea where to find them. I haven't asked at the last few I have been to.

And besides, I hate RV stores. They charge eleventy-three bazillion dollars for everything! I go to WalMart for the essentials (TP, tank deodorizer, new sewer hoses, etc.), and try to do repairs and add-ons myself.

My fridge went out about a month ago. Went to the RV shop in Baltimore and the guy said ~$1500!!1! I can probably do it myself for less than half that and get a fridge with auto-spark out of the deal. What a rip.

[Adjusted my valves. Wow!]

BTW, I think I read somewhere that you can crank the engine by hand, using the alternator bolt to get it to
TDC. Is that right?

[Adjusted my valves. Wow!]

Should take about 30 - 45 minutes . make sure you have new gaskets and seals before you start (Valve cover gasket, two 1/2 moons, four rubber seals), you can get these at any auto parts store. Get a can of carb cleaner to clean the gasket surface areas. Also wouln't hurt to squirt some in all the openings where you remove vacuum hoses.

Also make sure you have the feeler gauges.

I recommend pulling all the plugs, it makes it easier to rotate the engine to ZERO TDC by hand.

JOhn Mc

88 Dolphin 4 Auto

OK, thanks John. I think I'm going to do it this weekend. I hope this cures the problem, because she runs good once she's hot, but sometimes I think she wants to tear herself apart trying to warm up. It's really startling the way she lurches on the first crankup.

Any Idea if this muggy/rainy scenario might mean anything? I swear when its like 50 and dry outside she starts and runs like a dream. Even when its 80 and dry she's fine. It's weird.

I'm gonna hop over to YouTube and see if I can find a better vid.

[My Tire search]

Hmmm...why did my post end up inside the quote? Weird.

[My Tire search]

I finally am the proud owner of a Toyota Motorhome 1991 Micro Warrior! This website and it's participants have been a great resource!

Using a Washington State shipping address;

http://tirecrawler.com/ Nexen SV820 185R14 LT $74.22PC PLUS $118 TO SHIP 563.32

www.ONLINETIRES.COM Nexen SV820 185R14 LT $79.30 + $94.38 TO SHIP total 570.18

www.Ebay.com HERCULES POWER CV 185/14 18514 $98.99 freeship total 594

www.TiresEasy.com Sunny sn223c 185R14C D/8PR $66 per tire plus $16 shipping per tire total $492

www.busdepot.com Hankook RA08 $99.95 shipping for 6 $97 total $696

www.discountiredirect.com Yokohama 356 d rated $115 per tire free shipping +$60 credit total $630

I have not pulled the trigger I am still exploring some local sources. Does anynone know if I could get away with using ST205-75-r14 Hercules (6ply) c rated on the duals? I found them on local CL for $360 installed for 4.

I've 185 14 C's on mine Just had them put on at Merchants for about 520 for all six. They are the Ranger "Thunderer." Company is out of Thailand, and gets good reviews. Had 'em for about 400 miles now and I really like them. Roll and track well and not noisy at all, unless you're on grooved pavement, which makes all tires noisy anyway.

Deep, deep tread on them. Drove in a rainstorm yesterday (first time with the new ones), and really noticed an improvement in stopping power over the old tires. The old tires were Goodyear, and they were still in decent shape, except for the one that had a blowout, but I like these a lot better. Especially since the GY's are twice the price, almost.

[Adjusted my valves. Wow!]

I did the valve adjustment while the engine was at full operating temp. I had to handle the valve cover very carefully but only got a minor burn when I touched the radiator with the inside of my forearm. It did not take all that long to complete the valve adjustment. I did recheck the clearance after tightening the locknut. On two valves, I had to readjust and got it right on the second try, then rechecked again.

I took the RV into town today to see if I could feel any difference in the way it drove. I think I could but it may have been wishful thinking. I do know that the engine idles very smoothly now, something it has not done in the 2 years that I have owned it.

OK, so like how long is "not all that long?" Is this something I can do in a friend's driveway on a Saturday morning, or something more involved.

After all new plugs, wires, cap, and rotor I'm getting the same rough idle in P and in D, and I see no bad vacuum lines, so it seems this is the next step in the process. I looked at the video in the other thread from a fw weeks ago, but didn't really get much out of it.

Trouble is, I'm about 1800 miles from home. If I was at home I wouldn't mind if she was down for a few days because I had her taken apart, but I'm on the road working and the Goose is my house and transpo while I'm out here.

I am pretty handy, and I have a big 'ol box of Craftsmans I like to flash every now and then, but I've only worked on a valve train once, and that was back about thirty years ago in high school. So, with all that going on, I'm just a little aprehensive about taking the top off her motor.

Anyone have a better video or pics of the procedure?

Also, she only seems to rough idle when it is either very warm and humid, or when it's raining. That was the reason why I replaced the plugs, wires and cap. I figured that there was moisture getting into the ignition system, most likely in the distributor cap. But that didn't fix the problem, either.

When it's cool and dry she doesn't seem to have a problem. Of course, I may be mistakes on that, since I am rarely in a place with cool and dry conditions, but I have seemed to notice that this was the case.

And man, when it's humid or wet, does she start hard. Usually takes me about four tries to start her, and a couple of those times she will fire, and lurch to a stop. Feels like the motor is trying to rip itself free of the mounts. Usually on the third or fourth try whe will start and run real rough, sometimes on what feels like three cylinders, for as long as ten minutes or so 'til she warms. I have pulled up the hood and observed her motor shaking pretty violently when she's running like this.

Is it possible that there is something else wrong? Maybe a sensor is bad or something?

One more thing. If I let it go for now, how likely is it that I would burn a valve on the long drive home next month? I've made this drive three times with her running funky like this, but I'm hesitant to try a fourth. She runs great out on the road, it's just the morning start-ups that she has trouble with.