Lightweight

[dieck]

Hey guys, my truck is a lightweight compared to yours, but my needs aren't quite as drastic either. It is my daily driver and light needs trailhead vehicle. I also recently installed a TRD charger on it which gives it quite a bit more pep.

I also have super high res bandwidth hog images if interested.

I do have a few mods you might find interesting

This is the truck in looking as it usually does for daily driving

http://heath.dieckert.com/albums/02-taco-donahoe-lift/IMG_3011.sized.jpg

http://heath.dieckert.com/albums/02-taco-donahoe-lift/IMG_3005.sized.jpg

Here are some pics of the inverter install (notice the subtle plug below the auto tranny shifter)

http://heath.dieckert.com/albums/taco-mods/IMG_0804_001.sized.jpg

http://heath.dieckert.com/albums/taco-mods/IMG_0810_001.sized.jpg

Here are a couple of the Line-X bed and ammo cans

http://heath.dieckert.com/albums/taco-mods/ammocan05.jpg

http://heath.dieckert.com/albums/taco-mods/ammocan02.jpg

And finally here is one of the taco with the ocean kayak (sometimes also a water safari alumacraft goes up there for the Texas Water Safari 260Mile canoe race)

http://heath.dieckert.com/albums/taco-mods/3_G.jpg

http://heath.dieckert.com/albums/taco-mods/2_G_001.jpg

[Scott Brady]

ooooh supercharger....

I remember back in 2001. I went to Tempe Toyota and was looking at 4runners and Tacomas (I ended up buying a Land Rover). They had a regular cab prerunner V6 with the supercharger. It was incredible. You could chirp the tires in third gear... :smileeek:

[dieck]

Proof that I need some extraction gear even for trailhead type work. This resulted in a LONG hike out of a swamp when the fire road turned into quicksand.

http://heath.dieckert.com/albums/05-04-2004-Camping/IMG_1750.sized.jpg

But if it gets you out in the wild, it's always worth the trouble.

http://heath.dieckert.com/albums/05-04-2004-Camping/IMG_1786.sized.jpg

This is a nifty camping hammock from Hennesey. It rocks and I've never gone back to a tent since I got it. I can literally put it up in under a minute without the rain fly and under 5 min with the rain fly. Super light weight when I'm on foot and ooooh so useful in swamps and mountains when there's not dry or flat ground.

http://heath.dieckert.com/albums/05-04-2004-Camping/IMG_1804.sized.jpg

http://heath.dieckert.com/albums/05-04-2004-Camping/IMG_1858.sized.jpg

Me at the trail head... Cheesin

http://heath.dieckert.com/albums/album06/IMG_6865.sized.jpg

And of course my faithful companion... Plato.
http://heath.dieckert.com/albums/02-taco-donahoe-lift/IMG_6849.sized.jpg

[bluerunner]

wow, thats really clean.

What other mods do you have planned?

Oh yeah, welcome to the board! :lurk:

[dieck]

Next on my mod list are fuel mods and a tranny job to bullet proof the charger install.

I'm also real intersted in a removable topper or soft top for the bed similar to this:

http://heath.dieckert.com/albums/fav-tacos/1_G.sized.jpg

Or maybe this:

http://heath.dieckert.com/albums/fav-tacos/ReyesGonzalez.jpg

And some protection, like this:
http://heath.dieckert.com/albums/fav-tacos/20020315_00111_sm.sized.jpg (Just kidding)

[lionsbreath]

Great looking truck! Welcome :victory:

[lionsbreath]

Is there any lift on your truck? How did you wire up the inverter? how much of a pain was it to put on the super charger did you do it yourself and did you install the 7th injector?

[The BN Guy]

I'm curious how you guys are mounting the ammo cans to the bed? Are you putting some sort of rubber bushing in between the two?

Clean looking truck. Lots of potential on the Taco's.

[dieck]

Is there any lift on your truck? How did you wire up the inverter? how much of a pain was it to put on the super charger did you do it yourself and did you install the 7th injector?

3 inch lift front and rear. Donahoe coilovers front deavers rear.

The charger install wasn't nearly as bad as I thought. The two hardest parts were removing all the belts from the accessories (with the tight engine compartment some of the adjustment bolts are hard to get to) and figuring out where all the vacuum connections go afterwards (the directions leave a little to be desired here).

I installed it on a friday night by myself. Started at 8:30 pm and finished completely at 2:00am. This time was really the whole job from opening the TRD box to re-bolting on the skid plate. Only tools needed were a screw driver (flat head), several metric socket wrenches, and a mechanics magnet for all the screws I dropped down into crevices.

I haven't done any fuel mods yet, and have had minimal knocking on this 02. I am probably running lean in the high rpms but I don't go there but once in a blue moon. I'm prepared to do some fuel mods from URD next if I think it's necessary but will probably not go with the 7th injector as I believe it's a bit of a hack sending fuel through the supercharger. Would rather go with more fuel pressure and larger injectors.

My favorite part about the supercharger is the engine has enough torque that it hardly ever downshifts on hills when on cruise control. Before it was shifting all over the place and felt very over taxed. As an interesting aside, if I drive like a grandpa in town I get 2 mpg better (19mpg) and 4mpg better on the highway (23 mpg). Not that this is a reason to do the charger, but it was a surprise. I think it is because the engine has so much more torque at low rpm that it doesn't rev as much under light accelleration.

The inverter install was pretty strait forward. Direct lead off the battery with a circuit breaker attached to the firewall. Wires pass through the gromet on the driver's side

I ran the wires in a loop in the engine bay to keep water from running down the wire in the engine bay and through the grommet.

http://heath.dieckert.com/albums/taco-mods/IMG_0813_001.sized.jpg

Up under the dash. I could have gone with a larger inverter on the install but this one meets all my needs to date which are admittedly minor (no power tools)

http://heath.dieckert.com/albums/taco-mods/IMG_0811_001.sized.jpg

This is the way it looks when getting in and out of the truck. You don't see anything.

http://heath.dieckert.com/albums/taco-mods/IMG_0809_001.sized.jpg

[dieck]

I'm curious how you guys are mounting the ammo cans to the bed? Are you putting some sort of rubber bushing in between the two?

Clean looking truck. Lots of potential on the Taco's.

I used a trick that I learned from my grandfather to mount the ammo cans. He's an avid offroad guy and his daily driver is a 1960's vintage international harvester scout. (NICE).

The trick was initially non intuitive for me but made sense upon reflection.

Go to lowes and buy a big back of toilet bowl brass bolts. Toilet bowl bolts have to create a water tight seal because they sit underwater in the toilet. These come with a bunch of soft rubber washers.

Drill your holes then install the bolts with one washer between the ammo can and the head of the bolt and another washer between the can and the bed. Best to align the holes so they are in the raised part of the bed so water channels in the lower sections and rarely comes in contact with the bolt. Because the bolts are brass the never rust. Also the bolts are long enough and soft enough that you can trim off the excess length with a dremel or grinder and still thread the nut.

It has worked flawlessly and have never had an ounce of moisture get in. The ammocans have great waterproof seals, line-x seals any seams and the toilet bowl bolts and washers on the bottom keep things dry down there.

[dieck]

I'm curious how you guys are mounting the ammo cans to the bed? Are you putting some sort of rubber bushing in between the two?

Clean looking truck. Lots of potential on the Taco's.


Regarding the clean comment, other than rain, those clean pics (1.5 years ago) was the last time the truck was washed. It's a lot dirtier now... :)

[The BN Guy]

Excellent! I have the can just need to mount the compressor in it, mount the tank, and then mount the can in the bed.

As for the topper, I've heard some great things about the Softtopper and the Can-Back. But the Can-Back company seems to be having some production problems. So the softtopper is the plan for Stormy.

[kcowyo]

Nice truck and 'yak!

I use those 20MM ammo cans also, to store my recovery gear and air compressor but I never thought about using bedliner on them. Good tip on the brass bolts too!

When you say fuel mods, I'm assuming your talking about Gadget's stuff but what do you have in mind for the tranny? Did you add a transmission cooler with your SC? I know Austin is fairly close to sea level, are you having pinging or lean out issues with your SC?

I enjoyed your gallery too. Now I know I'm not the only one with a huge stash of Sportsmobile pics! :eek: :D

[dieck]

Nice truck and 'yak!

When you say fuel mods, I'm assuming your talking about Gadget's stuff but what do you have in mind for the tranny? Did you add a transmission cooler with your SC? I know Austin is fairly close to sea level, are you having pinging or lean out issues with your SC?



I've been running a HUGE hayden tranny cooler since I first bought the truck. They are cheap insurance and the taco trannys run hot, especially in stop and go traffic as I sometimes get here in Austin.

Yeah, I'm thinking I'll probably go URD (Gadget) for the fuel mods. I don't ping much except right before tranny kickdown in heavily loaded situations. However I do believe the trucks run lean above 3500rpm without the mods so I'll probably do em.

For the tranny I'm thinking of IPT although level 10 has a good reputation too. Most of the guys running charger either have their valvebody reworked by one of these two companies or end up having to buy a new tranny.

You can check out Gadget's site for a play by play with level 10. Also the TTORA performance section has a bunch of posts on this.

IPT (http://www.importperformancetrans.com/)

[kcowyo]

I have a 2nd gen TRD supercharger on my '97 T100, with a tranny cooler too. No real complaints but I don't seem to have the initial throttle response like a couple of d'cab tacos with the SC that I've driven. Once it starts getting above 2800rpms, it does great, smooth through the whole power band. It just doesn't have that initial "snap", when you punch it like in the Tacomas.

Some of that I attribute to the T being heavier, by about 600lbs. It could be the gears, but I have stock 4.30's and I thought the d'cab tacomas did too? Also the Tacomas were new (less than 2K miles) at the time and the SC was installed when new. I have close to 50K on my SC now and some say the nose needs to be rebuilt around 60K.

On Yotatech.com, there is a member, Midiwall, who has done a ton of research and testing with Gadget on his SC. Some good reading and facts if you're still collecting info on fuel and tranny mods. It seems that there are varied performance results based on altitude as well, with regards to pinging and lean out. Owners in higher elevation areas like CO, report fewer problems than those closer to sea level. There are many variables, opinions and mixed results with the SC, but I've been very happy with mine.

[dieck]

I have a 2nd gen TRD supercharger on my '97 T100, with a tranny cooler too. No real complaints but I don't seem to have the initial throttle response like a couple of d'cab tacos with the SC that I've driven. Once it starts getting above 2800rpms, it does great, smooth through the whole power band. It just doesn't have that initial "snap", when you punch it like in the Tacomas.

Some of that I attribute to the T being heavier, by about 600lbs. It could be the gears, but I have stock 4.30's and I thought the d'cab tacomas did too? Also the Tacomas were new (less than 2K miles) at the time and the SC was installed when new. I have close to 50K on my SC now and some say the nose needs to be rebuilt around 60K.

On Yotatech.com, there is a member, Midiwall, who has done a ton of research and testing with Gadget on his SC. Some good reading and facts if you're still collecting info on fuel and tranny mods. It seems that there are varied performance results based on altitude as well, with regards to pinging and lean out. Owners in higher elevation areas like CO, report fewer problems than those closer to sea level. There are many variables, opinions and mixed results with the SC, but I've been very happy with mine.


Wow. Great info. Mine seems to have the accelleration snap and I'm still on stock 4.10 gears. What is your daily driving weight do you know? I'm still on my second tank of gas so I wouldn't call any of my conclusions mature yet regarding ping or running lean. I tool along most of the time under 2Krpm and love the low end torque with the charger.

Does the T100 have the 3.4 or the 3.0 liter engine? If you have the 3.0 that could explain some of the difference.

I'm very pleased with the charger and the taco as well. I wish the 05's retained more of the rugged simplicity of the 01-04's The new engine is no slouch though.

[kcowyo]

Well the 4.30's vs. 4.10's explains some of it. I was under the impression that d'cabs had 4.30's, but I didn't know for sure.

The curb weight on my truck is 3550lbs. I have a topper, which I'm guessing is 300-400lbs, plus my weight and some emergency gear I keep in the cab pushes the weight to around 4300lbs. I also have 285/75 size tires, 2 inches taller and (?) lbs heavier than the stock 245's. If I really try to be scientific I should include the weight of the spray-in bedliner, but like I said, too many variables.

I'm fortunate enough to have the 3.4 with an auto tranny and not the notorious 3.sl0. I hear ya' on the new 6 cylinder in the Tacomas. I've only driven one '05, but that had lots of what I call, snap, off the line. Felt bigger than my T100 though.

So do you regret going with the SC now that premium gas is well over $3 a gallon?

- K.C.

[dieck]

So do you regret going with the SC now that premium gas is well over $3 a gallon?

- K.C.

No I actually bought the charger 2 weeks ago while gas was about where it is now. I just installed it last Friday. Life is short and I've got a good job. No regrets whatsoever.

Plus my mileage went up quite a bit. On the first tank I stayed the same and was in it quite a bit. On the second tank I saw a 3mpg increase from my previous best but was also babying it to see how it would do.

I'm averaging 18-19mpg with mixed driving which seems to beat most with the 3.4. I'm a pretty conservative driver though.

[kevin]

A typical roots type supercharger, wich is what a TRD supercharger is, will almost always result in an increase in gas mileage. They simply provide more efficent combustion of fuel, provided they are set up for street use, (under driven.) I have been running a 671 supercharger on my 1998 454 chevrolet, and have seen a consitant gain in fuel economy, provided I keep my foot out of it!!

[flyingwil]

What's you switch for next to the Aux. Power adapters?

[dieck]

What's you switch for next to the Aux. Power adapters?

The inverter. I figured out very quickly that I am not small or limber enough to reach up under the dash without opening the door to turn it on.

[dieck]

Well, I've made some minor changes to the truck since I last posted. The taco has been absolutely bullet proof, even with the supercharger. (I bought gadgets fuel mods recently but have been a little intimidated by the electrical wiring required to install the piggyback ECU).

On a trip to Big Bend, Plato got rained on. So I let him in the back seat where he promptly vomited. (I might have been going too fast on a fire road to catch a little air) I decided it was time to make the bed more hospitable for him and our gear.

Picture from the fateful trip. Click if you want to see a massive image of Plato. This is the rest stop where I cleaned him and the recycled dog food up.

http://heath.dieckert.com/albums/album06/IMG_6878.sized.jpg (http://heath.dieckert.com/albums/album06/IMG_6878.jpg)


I bought a used camper top and got it cheap because the paint was destroyed. I had it color match line-x'ed as it was cheaper and more durable than repainting it. I love the line-x on it, they did a great job.

http://heath.dieckert.com/albums/album25/IMG_4407.sized.jpg

I Installed yakima rails on the top which can carry all my canoeing gear or bikes in a pinch.

http://heath.dieckert.com/albums/album25/IMG_4437.sized.jpg


http://heath.dieckert.com/albums/album14/IMG_5637_1_001.sized.jpg

http://heath.dieckert.com/albums/album38/IMG_5643.sized.jpg

Plato enjoys long trips much more with the camper on it as well as my luggage which now stays dry.

http://heath.dieckert.com/albums/album38/IMG_3899_001.sized.jpg

Then I upgraded to the "dirty thief wants my ipod and favorite knife" mod.

http://heath.dieckert.com/albums/album14/Photo_02.jpg

Shorty after the dirty thief mod I bought a locking tool box to put in my locking camper top. This will at least keep my toys safely out of eye sight when I am traveling as well as keep me in good standing with Johny law. I also keep a bug out bag in there in case my truck ever lets me down, or worse, I let it down and get it stuck (ahem, that's never happened).

Toy

http://heath.dieckert.com/albums/album14/IMG_3935.sized.jpg

Toy

http://heath.dieckert.com/albums/album14/sig_226R.sized.jpg

And when all the fun is done, the taco still fits in the garage with it's new friend "Big Mama" our 4x4 Sequoia.

http://heath.dieckert.com/albums/album14/IMG_6067_working_1.sized.jpg

[kcowyo]

Well, I've made some minor changes to the truck since I last posted. The taco has been absolutely bullet proof, even with the supercharger. (I bought gadgets fuel mods recently but have been a little intimidated by the electrical wiring required to install the piggyback ECU).






Gadget's SC mods are cool.






On a trip to Big Bend, Plato got rained on. So I let him in the back seat where he promptly vomited. (I might have been going too fast on a fire road to catch a little air)


Dog barf is not cool.




I bought a used camper top and got it cheap because the paint was destroyed. I had it color match line-x'ed as it was cheaper and more durable than repainting it. I love the line-x on it, they did a great job.




http://heath.dieckert.com/albums/album25/IMG_4407.sized.jpg



A refurbished D-cab topper with Line-X is cool.





Then I upgraded to the "dirty thief wants my ipod and favorite knife" mod.


http://heath.dieckert.com/albums/album14/Photo_02.jpg



That's not cool.








http://heath.dieckert.com/albums/album14/IMG_3935.sized.jpg



http://heath.dieckert.com/albums/album14/sig_226R.sized.jpg






Semi auto's are cool.






And when all the fun is done, the taco still fits in the garage with it's new friend "Big Mama" our 4x4 Sequoia.

http://heath.dieckert.com/albums/album14/IMG_6067_working_1.sized.jpg




Two Toyotas in your garage is definitely cool.

[dieck]

Two Toyotas in your garage is definitely cool.


Thank you for the compliments and comentary. My life and trucks are fairly mundane compared to some on this board. But I get a kick out of living vicariously through all of you.

[BogusBlake]

Bump for some more info on that inverter install (if you still check the thread)

How is the inverter attached to the firewall?

How did you wire the remote switch? Did you just open up the inverter and wire the switch in parallel with the other one?

[dieck]

I used short sheet metal screws through the firewall. Make sure you check the other side of the firewall for the AC and brake lines so you don't do something you would regret. The case on most inverters actually act as a heat sync. I slid the bottom off and put a longer piece of sheet metal in it which I put the screws through that then penetrate the firewall.

Inverters are very basic tech, so I just popped the case off the inverter and put leads on the existing switch to the remote switch.


Bump for some more info on that inverter install (if you still check the thread)

How is the inverter attached to the firewall?

How did you wire the remote switch? Did you just open up the inverter and wire the switch in parallel with the other one?

[teotwaki]

Springfield Arms M1A SOCOM?

http://heath.dieckert.com/albums/album14/IMG_3935.sized.jpg

[Rexsname]

Way cool rifle!! I had a M1-A "Scout" that I took to Gunsite twice. I earned an "E" ticket on my second time through the class. Sold that rifle for a Styer Scout:wings: . A wonderful rifle, does everything that I could ask of a rifle and does it without weighing a ton. (just over 6 lbs)

REX