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May I suggest a sticky with a list of ‘mechanical’ things to be checked or replaced outright when getting a used Toy. (I’m not including camper items / appliances, etc). It would be nice if it could also serve as a quick reference / resource list for the more common maintenance requirements. The forum contains a wealth of information, but being a new Toy owner, it is a little daunting trying to get info on simpler items, while wishing to avoid being a nuisance ‘duplicate’ poster with previously addressed questions.

After trawling for a few hrs, this is a list I have made. I will endeavor to make it a ‘living’ document by adding any suggestions / recommendations / omissions

FLUIDS: Replace all fluids

- Flush coolant system. When selecting a coolant...stick with the GOOD STUFF

- Transmission: If you drained it and let it set, the converter will slowly drain into the pan until it gets below the bottom of the front pump. There is a lot of oil hiding in there. The dry fill is somewhere around 9 qts. One recommendation is to drain and fill 3 x, drain and fill and drive around and then drain and fill.

- Change the engine oil. Mineral oil: recommendation: Shell Rotella 15W-40 - T Triple Protection (high ZDDP additive package for metal-wear protection). Mixed response on Synthetics.

- Oil Filter Replacement: Filters for Toyota trucks come in at least three size ranges. Standard is 2.9" OD by 3.4" high. Next is 3.6": OD by 5.1"high, and then there is a two-quart version that is 3.6"OD by 7" high.

Amsoil published a lot of tests about their filters, the Amsoil "always won" but Mobile 1 and Hastings finished 2nd or 3rd depending on the test. Amsoil now sells Hastings as a cost saver filter.

If you do a lot of start and stop type driving, then a high quality stock sized filter is your choice. If you spend more time driving then a larger one (middle sized) is the ticket as the larger size lets the oil flow through filter medium slower. Plus there is a small cooling effect due to the larger housing.

- Change the air filter. To avoid mice, try using hardware cloth. Plastic screen is restrictive to air flow. Mice can't chew through ¼” hardware cloth. http://www.oreillyau...C0068&ppt=C0009

Shoes: 10” X 2 3/16 (254 mm X 56 mm) CENTRIC 11105230, CARLSON Part # A523, BENDIX Part # RS523, WAGNER Part # PAB523, NAPA TS523

O’Reilly's carries a shoe that will fit. http://www.oreillyau...03353&ppt=C0068

Hold-down kit: BENDIX Part # H7215DP, RAYBESTOS Part # H171332, AUTOSPECIALTY / KELSEY-HAYES Part # HK2209, ACDELCO Part # 18K628, WAGNER Part # H17133, NAPA UP 2273

Wheel cylinder: 7/8” bore BENDIX Part # 33919, RAYBESTOS Part # WC37654, AMERICAN REMANUFACTURERS INC. Part # 78422707, ACDELCO Part # 18E244, WAGNER Part # WC110923, DORMAN Part # W37654, AUTOSPECIALTY / KELSEY-HAYES Part # W56707, NAPA ATM P9466

Outer wheel-axle-seal: 1.625” OD , 1.35” shaft size, .35” wide L & S AUTOMOTIVE PRODUCTS Part # 7113911, BECK/ARNLEY Part # 0523184, NATIONAL Part # 710076, TIMKEN Part # 710076, SKF Part # 13911, VICTOR REINZ Part # 66527, NAPA NOS 13911

Inner wheel seal: 3.35” OD, 2.4” shaft size, .31” thick. BECK/ARNLEY Part # 0522680, L & S AUTOMOTIVE PRODUCTS Part # 7124635 , PRECISION AUTOMOTIVE Part # 226285, NATIONAL Part # 226285, SKF Part # 24635, TIMKEN Part # 226285, NAPA ATM 2117203 , NAPA NOS 24635

Proper length hold-down pins: 2 1/8” NAPA UP 80706

BELTS/HOSES:

- Change all belts.

- Replace the hoses, especially the "hidden" hose under the alternator

- Vacuum Hoses: There is a kit for the 22RE. http://www.lceperfor...k-p/1072442.htm

You don't need everything it comes with. Majority of the vacuum hose is 3mm. Buy something 12ft of 3mm vacuum hose. The 3mm fits snug and the silicone is a nice upgrade. http://www.summitrac...terial/silicone

Alternatively http://www.amazon.co...e/dp/B009PYDPRM A lot of the major parts stores have it also

Attached Files

TIRES:

Front at 40 and the rear at 45 psi. Much discussion on this

Learn about tire size and load range also to make sure they are the right tires

Learn to read a DOT date code

http://www.tirebuyer...es#.VMge2y6M63I

Recent thread on tires:

http://toyotamotorhome.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=7398

Metric tire sizes with the missing "middle" number have been around since the late 1950s. When that middle number is left out - it means it's an "82 % height to width" ratio. If the tire were an 185/75-14" instead - it would have a "75%" aspect ratio. 185R-14"C means 82%.

Toyota cab & chassis rigs sold to RV makers for use as motorhomes with dual rear wheels call for 185R-14" C tires with a minimum of a 6 ply rating for the rear. For the front Toyota calls for 185R-14" C tires with an 8 ply rating. RV makers can call for something even better, but not worse to meet Toyota standards.

OTHER

See if you have a transmission cooler if you have an automatic tranny

Check the furnace and a/c unit

Clean and straighten radiator fins, you will be surprised how much junk accumulates there

RV salvage yard search engine http://car-part.com/

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Don't forget to check spark plugs, wires, and distributer. I would also check the battery isolator, install heavier wires from isolator to rear battery, check coach ground, make sure that there are circuit breakers at both ends of the wire to the rear battery.

I installed an inexpensive volt meter that reads the voltage to the rear battery. I had problems with my isolator and now I can keep track of the output of my alternator, is the isolator working ok and it gives me an idea of how much coach battery charge is used overnight.

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I have a 90 and it has been stored outside always. I had an 88 mazda couple that drove like new. I will add my 2.5 cents here, take it for what it is worth 2.5 cents.

1. Engine Oil: I use a 10w30 synthetic oil, the engine manual calls for 10w30, I think the engineers at Toyota are smarter than me.

2. Brake fluid and if you have a clutch, clutch fluid needs to be flushed - brake fluid is hygroscopic and this needs to be done every 3-5 years.

3. Mine had mice damage to plug wires and they were change. Change plugs if in doubt and get some NGKs or what ever manual suggests.

4. a/c system uses the old coolant so if it does not work right has to be retro fitted.

5. Transmission - if in double drain and fill 3 x, drain and fill and drive around and then drain and fill....repeat once more.

6. Rear Differential - drain and fill with synthetic gear oil of the correct weight recommended by owner's manual

7. Steering fluid - suction out steering fluid (if in doubt) from reservoir and refill.

8. Engine Oil filter - any cheap filter is fine, if you are in love with the toyo and swing by your local Mobil 1 dealer and get a case of their filter. Cheaper from Mobil 1 dealer.

9. Inspect all vacuum hoses as they could fail with age.

10 Same for radiator hoses, inspect them for cracks. You can buy Toyota oem for a few dollars more at dealer or ebay.

11. Clean and straighten radiator fins, you will be surprised how much junk accumulates there.

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TIRES!! Learn to read a DOT date code. The coach I just bought had great looking tires, lots of thread and only 1 tire had some very minor weather checking. 4 of the the tires are 14 years old! I had one blowout on the way home.

http://www.tirebuyer.com/education/how-to-determine-the-age-of-your-tires#.VMge2y6M63I

There is some controversy weather a tire is good for 6 or 10 years, me personally 7 years max. I also had a flipper in Tampa tell me a coach had new tires, they were 6 years old with tire shine on them.

Learn about tire size and load range also to make sure they are the right tires! HTH JIm SW FL

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"Check to see if the rotor is worn down and inspect distributor cap condition"

Good point. After my purchase I found the rotor was worn down and the distributor cap showed signs of arcing directly to the rotor.

Also, my spring bushings were completely worn out, metal on metal contact. However, my Toyhome had over 200K miles so not everyone's experience will be similar.

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On 1/28/2015 at 2:12 PM, Derek up North said:

After 20-30 years, ALL rubber components should be considered for replacement. It's not just the rubber in tires that doesn't last forever. :)

 

X2, this is a painful process, the v6 engine has a lot of rubber hoses. I had a 1990 v6 camry wagon with 98k original miles, belonged to my buddies MIL and she never took it out of the neighborhood. All the rubber hoses including the fuel pulsation damper was cracked even though the paint looked like it just came out of the factory.

The fuel PD started leaking one day when I was in Detroit, I drove it back to Kzoo with fuel leaking on to the valve cover, I got lucky, it was near freezing 🙂

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  • 2 weeks later...

V6 timing belt and related components like the engine water pump should be replaced 60 to 80k. Valve adjustment on a V6 is not really a do it yourself project. Thing is most of our toy homes have low mileage. As a couple have said the rubber is a problem. Rubber really only lives around 8 years under heated and sun conditions.

Beyond the mechanics one must consider the coach stuff. Flush and sanitize the fresh water tank and water lines. Check all the plumbing connections for leaks. Replace the Carbon monoxide detector and general gas detector. Is the converter the old 6800 series, it has to go because they are junk. Molds that grew during the winter and lets not forget those creepy biting spiders that can move in. Oh ya and what about rodents.

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  • 6 months later...

How do you drain the fresh water tank and flush it properly?? I just bought a 1986 Toy Home with a Winnebago Mini and cannot find a fresh water holding tank drain plug. Do you open the Brown Water Holding Tank Valve and flush and drain that way?? Thanks All!

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On my 91 Winnie there is a valve on the discharge hose of the freshwater pump. When open, the pump will drain the tank, discharging out the bottom of the motorhome floor.

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How do you drain the fresh water tank and flush it properly?? I just bought a 1986 Toy Home with a Winnebago Mini and cannot find a fresh water holding tank drain plug. Do you open the Brown Water Holding Tank Valve and flush and drain that way?? Thanks All!

If it is like my 87 there is a T valve with a pull ring to drain the tank.

Flushing is fill and drain some more. I throw a little bleach in and flush the entire system through at the beginning of every season via the grey water tank. Last trip of the year I flush out both grey and black tanks at the campsite dumping station using plenty of water then put in a bit of RV tank cleaner before putting it away for the winter. This way it is not an issue in the spring to flush out the system through the grey tank valve at home

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  • 11 months later...

the above lists are good, how about lubing rear wheel bearings?

is that kind of assumed with doing inner and outer axle seals? is this just on the rear? how often/when do you know if this needs to be done? anything need to be done to front wheels?

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  • 1 month later...

15w40 recommended above. REALLY? thats for diesel engines -- should this be edited out of such an important post/sticky? Or is it really the way to go? Im gonna stick w 10w30 myself till here conclusive info otherwise.

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2 hours ago, longhaul said:

15w40 recommended above. REALLY? thats for diesel engines -- should this be edited out of such an important post/sticky? Or is it really the way to go? Im gonna stick w 10w30 myself till here conclusive info otherwise.

Shell Rotella T 15W-40 is not just for diesel engines. It is for HD use in gas and diesels and it likely better for a 80s-90s Toyota RV then what many use with 10W-30.  It is not a matter of the viscosity which is kind of meaningless when using a rig in moderate temps.  It is a matter of metal-wear protection and additives that were greatly lowered in most automotive-type engine oils in the late 2000s (way after our Toyotas were built).  Something like Rotella T 15W-40 is a popular choice of many old auto owners who want metal-wear protection like virtually all motor-oils had 10 years ago and  back and now do not. It certainly is not the ONLY choice if someone wants the wear-protection that oil used to provide.  Mobil 1 High Mileage is another - in any viscosity.  So are many versions of Amsoil.   Also - just about any off-road oil made for heavy equipment (gas or diesel), farm tractors - even lawn mowers and garden tractors also has the higher ZDDP levels.  The plain fact is - ZDDP was the standard for superior metal-wear protection. It was greatly lowered in most "light duty" auto oils in 2004 to protect emission-system parts.  HD oils kept the levels up.  At the same time, newer engines were built with newer alloys and/or heat-treating to make metal parts more durable.   It makes sense (at least to me and thousands of others) to use older type oil with higher anti-wear packages in older engines.  I will note that the biggest problem with new oil in old engines is for engines with flat-tapped camshafts.  I suspect all of us here have Toyotas with roller-cams so not such a huge issue.

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Ya know if you use xx oil instead of yy oil your engine will last 200k but if you use yy oil instead of xx oil it will last 200K. Stick with what Toyota recommends.

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On 9/3/2016 at 8:39 PM, jdemaris said:

 I will note that the biggest problem with new oil in old engines is for engines with flat-tapped camshafts.  I suspect all of us here have Toyotas with roller-cams so not such a huge issue.

I take that back. On second thought, I think all the Toyotas here have flat-tappet cams.  I know my 20R and 22Rs do.  From what I hear (never had one apart) the 3 liter V6 also has flat cam followers.  All the more reason to have oil with the same ZDDP level that it had when these Toyotas were built (in my opinion).

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12 hours ago, Maineah said:

Ya know if you use xx oil instead of yy oil your engine will last 200k but if you use yy oil instead of xx oil it will last 200K. Stick with what Toyota recommends.

How does someone do that?  Back when our Toyotas were "current" all motor-oils made for cars and trucks had near the same levels of ZDDP.   My 1978 Toyota Chinook called for SE oil.  My 1988 Toyota Minicruiser called for SF oil.  Both standards are now obsolete and the newest standards are NOT all 100% backwards compatible (in my opinion).  Especially true with diesels but I suspect to a lesser degree, with gas engines too.  I doubt the API does a lot of endurance testing on engines built in the 70s and 80s with the newest oils.  Similar issues came up in 1973 (or around then) when unleaded gas became the norm.  Same sort of thing again in diesels when ultra-low-sulfur diesel became the norm and had to be used in older engines with mechanical pumps (that do not exist anymore in new rigs).

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By the way - I know how boring and also emotional oil arguments/discussions can get.   Here are a few facts though I find kind of amusing.

Synthetic motor oil first came into common use with Adolph Hitler in WWII.

The main gain over conventional petrol oil was its high-heat endurance.

So what do we have today on the shelves?

Castrol Syntec 10W-30 "pure synthetic" has a max high heat rating of 392F
Valvoline 5W-40 full synthetic has a max high heat rating also of 392F

Now - look at plain-grade, conventional Shell Rotella 30W with a max high heat rating of 460 degrees F

Also - Shell Rotella T 15W-40 conventional petro oil (for gas and diesel engines) has a max high heat rating of 415 deingrees F

One might ask "why?"  The answer is - many oils sold as "full synthetic" are not.  Some have zero synthetic content.

Lots of BS and marketing hype. Hard to sift through it all and keep up.

Now - for a pure, non-scientific anecdotal report.

My 1988 Toyota Minicruiser with a 22RE was using 1/2 quart of oil after every trip to the Michigan UP. That means maybe 500 miles of driving.  I checked and this use was consistent with 7 trips.  The oil in my engine was Shell Rotella T Triple-Protection 15W-40.  Just messing around, I changed the oil to Mobil 1 High Mileage (high ZDDP) 10W-30.  Now after 4 trips to the UP, I've used NO oil. Hard to figure but that is what I've witnessed.  Why such a difference, I have no idea.

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  • 1 month later...

I recently changed my oil in my v6 and use rotella triple. Did a lot of research and seemed like a good choice, and half the price of Mobil 1. But if it consumes oil, I'll try the Mobil 1 high miles. 

Also, anything more specific for coolant other than "good stuff"?

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  • 1 month later...
On 9/5/2016 at 8:14 AM, zero said:

By the way - I know how boring and also emotional oil arguments/discussions can get.   Here are a few facts though I find kind of amusing.

Synthetic motor oil first came into common use with Adolph Hitler in WWII.

The main gain over conventional petrol oil was its high-heat endurance.

So what do we have today on the shelves?

Castrol Syntec 10W-30 "pure synthetic" has a max high heat rating of 392F
Valvoline 5W-40 full synthetic has a max high heat rating also of 392F

Now - look at plain-grade, conventional Shell Rotella 30W with a max high heat rating of 460 degrees F

Also - Shell Rotella T 15W-40 conventional petro oil (for gas and diesel engines) has a max high heat rating of 415 deingrees F

One might ask "why?"  The answer is - many oils sold as "full synthetic" are not.  Some have zero synthetic content.

Lots of BS and marketing hype. Hard to sift through it all and keep up.

Now - for a pure, non-scientific anecdotal report.

My 1988 Toyota Minicruiser with a 22RE was using 1/2 quart of oil after every trip to the Michigan UP. That means maybe 500 miles of driving.  I checked and this use was consistent with 7 trips.  The oil in my engine was Shell Rotella T Triple-Protection 15W-40.  Just messing around, I changed the oil to Mobil 1 High Mileage (high ZDDP) 10W-30.  Now after 4 trips to the UP, I've used NO oil. Hard to figure but that is what I've witnessed.  Why such a difference, I have no idea.

Well thats confusing,seemed like you were recommending the Shell Rotella but then you switched to Mobil 1 and are burning less oil,so which one are you still using?

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  • 4 weeks later...

Hey guys. Can someone explain the above mention of tire psi being 40 front and 45 rear? I have all mine set at 36 as that's the recommended according to the chart on my door. 83 sunrader 6lug rear 5 lug front. These are what I have. 6ish months old https://m.tirerack.com/tires/TireDetailsServlet?tireMake=Yokohama&tireModel=Y356&partnum=8R43568

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The numbers on the door was for the pickup before the home was added  to the back.  I run 45# on the front and 50# in the back . I have the yokohama 365 on mine too.  Was Highly Recommended by the late Sunrader  Bob. He was the Toyota motorhome guru !

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6 hours ago, Homer said:

The numbers on the door was for the pickup before the home was added  to the back.

I don't know about all Toyota motorhomes, but Winnebago at least added their own stickers with tire pressures indicated. I don't know if other manufacturers just left the Toyota stickers.

'Correct' inflation pressures have been discussed before (often) as well as Load Inflation tables.

Winnebago Tire Info.jpg

Winnebago Tire Pressures.jpg

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2 hours ago, Derek up North said:

I don't know about all Toyota motorhomes, but Winnebago at least added their own stickers with tire pressures indicated. I don't know if other manufacturers just left the Toyota stickers.

'Correct' inflation pressures have been discussed before (often) as well as Load Inflation tables.

Winnebago Tire Info.jpg

Winnebago Tire Pressures.jpg

Where is your sticker located? I wonder if I have one. overall concensus is my tires are way under inflated lol.

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9 hours ago, Homer said:

The numbers on the door was for the pickup before the home was added  to the back.  I run 45# on the front and 50# in the back . I have the yokohama 365 on mine too.  Was Highly Recommended by the late Sunrader  Bob. He was the Toyota motorhome guru !

Ok I will bump mine up. I wonder why different pressures in the front and rear? Interesting. 

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45 minutes ago, AbleThought said:

Ok I will bump mine up. I wonder why different pressures in the front and rear? Interesting. 

Tires are designed to the most efficient profile for stopping, traction, braking, resisting hydroplaning, control etc.  This profile is altered by the addition or subtraction of weight, which can be compensated for by changing air pressure in the tire.   Best I can describe it,  HTH   Jim  

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3 hours ago, jjrbus said:

Tires are designed to the most efficient profile for stopping, traction, braking, resisting hydroplaning, control etc.  This profile is altered by the addition or subtraction of weight, which can be compensated for by changing air pressure in the tire.   Best I can describe it,  HTH   Jim  

Good enough for me! 

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  • 1 year later...
On 1/27/2015 at 4:36 PM, jjrbus said:

TIRES!! Learn to read a DOT date code. The coach I just bought had great looking tires, lots of thread and only 1 tire had some very minor weather checking. 4 of the the tires are 14 years old! I had one blowout on the way home.

http://www.tirebuyer.com/education/how-to-determine-the-age-of-your-tires#.VMge2y6M63I

There is some controversy weather a tire is good for 6 or 10 years, me personally 7 years max. I also had a flipper in Tampa tell me a coach had new tires, they were 6 years old with tire shine on them.

Learn about tire size and load range also to make sure they are the right tires! HTH JIm SW FL

A friend gave me my camper and the tires looked good, one of the valve stems on the rear dually went bad so I took it to discount tire and they wouldn't touch them because they were seventeen years old. They won't touch anything over ten years old. I put all new rubber on the rig. The front tires were only 5 years old but were the wrong load range so we did those to. I'm not going to mess around with something that could kill you if it goes bad.

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  • 1 year later...

The checklist is a great idea for new owners.  Some additional items to check: 

 

Fuel lines: Both under the hood and the run from your gas tank to the front of the vehicle. The lines from the tank to the front of the vehicle are also rubber hoses which degrade over time. 

Valve Cover Gasket:  If you purchased your vehicle with relatively low miles (Under 85,000 miles) there is a good chance the valves have never been checked or adjusted. The gasket becomes hard and brittle and leaks oil as a result. 

Water pump gasket:  Check for leaks around your water pump. 

O2 Sensor:  This sensor will throw up an error code when it wears out. Easy to replace. 

 

Very important to pay close attention to the mechanicals of your vehicle; especially for first few months and repair and replace as needed.  If you have some experience with wrenching none of the above tasks are difficult. 

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  • 2 months later...

What about chassis greasing? I took a look to find the steering knuckle fitting but cannot locate it. Does it have a cap of some sort? Also I couldn't find the fitting on the propeller spinder. I must be blind,  but working on farm equipment in the past these fitting were easy to spot. Yeah we always carried a grease gun in the tractor.

 

-Front suspension upper and lower ball joints

-Control arm bushings

-Propeller shaftspider

 

Missing anything?

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