1987 4Runner Turbo SR5 Build ~ "Weird Science"

viesail

New member
1987 4Runner Turbo SR5 Build -

I'm going to be doing most of the thread for "under the hood" related work on "Weird Science" at build at www.22rte-trucks.com

This thread here will have a summary of the motor work and all of the mods, interior/exterior work, and expedition build-out.
 
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viesail

New member
Bringing us up to Speed

I live in Charleston, SC, and bought the truck off a fella in a trailer park up in the swamp country. He was in the process of converting it to a rockcrawler when he ran out of money and posted it to craigslist. She had 36" swampers, a 7" lift, and was converted to carbureted but didn't run as the fuel tank was still set up for EFI. In order to show me that the motor ran he had to feed the carb with gas out of Mellow Yellow bottle with a pin hole in the top.

The truck began its life in 1987, as a Toyota 4Runner Turbo SR5, and appears to have spent the first 25 years of its life on a horse ranch in near Aiken, SC. It still bears the scars of inquisitive horse teeth and climbing goat hooves. At some point in time, the turbo must have blown, though I can't image it was while delivering hay across the ranch. She must have sat for few years up against a shed, baking in the oppressive South Carolina sun. The driver's side still has most of the clear coat intact and the side mirror looked pretty good. The Passenger side however, looks as though it was used for horse-sized scratching post.

The Rancher must have eventually tired of the bright red goat watchtower, and sold her off. This is where our swamp friend comes in. It's really frustrating to know that he just tossed the 22rte block and head and associated plumping and that would take me so long to resource again. He told me he put in a "rebuilt" 22r, that I would later determine had a massive oil leak in the valves. He also hacked the harness all up like a absolute ********. People, if you're going to mod a classic vehicle that you don't plan on owning for the rest of your life, please leave the harness as unmolested as possible. Obviously, rewiring will have to be done, but don't go in and hack 1" of wire harness off like a bad leg in the civil war. It just sucks for the next guy.

It's not all bad though. Lucky, he hadn't scrapped the 22rte ECU, or messed around with the fuel tank (still setup for EFi) which was the major obstacle in his way to being up and running. He also hadn't touched the digital dash or tossed the turbo boost pressure sensor, two parts that are pretty hard to find. But the best thing he did was swap out the automatic trans for a G54. At least, that was the best thing 4 years ago, when the thought of swapping out a transmission had me running for the hills in fear.
 
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viesail

New member
2012 - Saving her from the Swamps

Weird Science up on the dolly for travel back down the Charleston. PO took the 36" swampers off and gave me 4 mismatched wheels and tires of varying state of baldness, 2 of which went flat shortly after getting back to the coast.

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viesail

New member
2012 - Learning the Ropes

2012 - Figure out what the hell I'm looking at. I have no mechanical background. I have a buddy who runs a brake and muffler shop, but he's got to run a business, so I only turned to him when I was in an absolute corner. I these forums are what got me through.

First up, remove carburetor, source and reinstate EFI.

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viesail

New member
2013 - Ignition

I messed around with the 4Runner for several months. Had a Hanyes book, so obviously that was more confusion than help. Bolted up most of the EFI parts I sourced from the local yard and ebay, but she just wouldn't turn over. The dash was completely torn apart and I also had no idea where to start there. The working conditions were tough too, outside in the yard, mostly at night.

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viesail

New member
2013 - A Real Garage and a Real Long Break

Like it always does, life got in the way. The good new, I moved to a house with a garage. The bad, I had my first home ownership to deal with, and she sat in there collecting dust for the next 2 years.

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viesail

New member
2015 - She Roars

After getting inspired by a old Range Rover Defender, I hit the garage with force. Found myself a FSM for my 87, and discovered the Yota Yard in Denver. It's a slow moving place, but super helpful for those hard to find parts. She would turn over, but not fire up. I traced her refusal start to every possible source I could look up. After tearing down the entire EFI, dropping the fuel tank, cleaning the rats nest of wires that the PO left me with, I finally found the issue. Clogged injectors. After sending them off for a makeover, I put the key in the ignition and crossed my fingers.

[video]https://www.instagram.com/p/5s0DFuPO4m/?taken-by=burlagio&hl=en[/video]


Boom
 

viesail

New member
2015 - Taking the lift out

The fella up in the swamp had 36" tires on there, didn't want to give them to me, and stuck me with 4 bald mismatched spares. I was left with a pretty ugly looking setup. A 3" suspension lift plus a 4" body lift and 31" tires. That 7" lift had to go. So I drove her up to my buddies shop to get on the car lift and put in new bushings and 1" lift kit for 4" lift overall.

7" lift and mismatched tires and wheels
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Brake work and taking the lift out
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Picked up a set of 31"s and wheels on craigslist. Also, this is her good side, the "barn side". The passenger side "horse scratch post" is faded and roughed all up.
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koreytribe

New member
Cool build!! I live in lex, sc. I have a complete 22re drivetrain from an '88. Complete down to fan belt an ecu still attached. Let me know.
 

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