MatosTaco's Build Thread

As of now my truck has not received a large amount of modifications. However, I have added quite a few small details to improve the look and the experience my truck provides. Improvements have been made to the areas of instrumentation, music, and mild modifications to the performance and handling.

I started out with simple things. My senior year of highschool, I bought a 10 CD changer and installed that with the help of my friend David. Later on, thanks to the crappy construction job done by the lunatics they hire to do roads here in Miami, my trucks shocks blew. I drove it that way for a while and thanks to all the excess vibration caused by that, my truck developed a few rattles. I eventually grew tired and went to Toyota where I bought 4 new shocks and installed them, literally the first time I had done any serious work on my truck.(All I had done before was changing brake pads or oil).

After that, I thought the catalytic converter had clogged. In actuality, I had washed the engine and threw a code that made it run bad and my friend David's diagnostic computer only mentioned an error with the catalytic. I would later find out the O2 sensors were blown. In the meantime, we spent the day gutting the cat only to discover that it still ran crappy and to remember I had a similar (though not as severe) situation before after washing the engine. We cleaned the plugs and then erased the code the next morning. That was how I spent my last day of spring break on my first year at the University, lucky me.:mad: I later bought the O2 sensors and had those installed by a nearby mechanic who is originally from the Dominican Republic like myself.

I now had a catless Tacoma, I lost low end torque in exchange for a little more top end, and I now had more noise and smell which took some getting used to- it doesn't even bother me now after over three years of driving it like that. Thank God for the fact that Florida has no emissions testing. On my second year at the University, my friend Ricarfens got me into the idea of adding a grounding kit so I ordered one and installed it. It noticeably smoothed the idle and improved how loud I could turn up the music without distortion. My friend Javier later bought a TRD intake which was not meant for his Corolla. It was too long, so we cut it and part went on his car and the remainder was used to replace the corrugated plastic part of my intake. Before long, the spark plug wires went bad so I ordered up a set of MSD wires and these also smoothed the idle, even more so than the grounding kit. My friend Javier, who helped me install both even noticed which he didn't after the grounding kit. Soon after, I bought the projector headlights and destroyed all but one of the clips holding on the grill because the stupid Hanes manual said I could remove the grill without taking off the bumper- WRONG! Luckily, the bumper holds the grill on and so do the corner lights. I gained better lights, the ability to change just the bulbs, and angel eyes as well.
http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/mm121/MatosTaco/CleanTaco013.jpg
http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/mm121/MatosTaco/TRD-wires.gif
http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/mm121/MatosTaco/TRD-intake.gif

Later on, my trans started acting up. It became impossible to shift gears in many cases, and in first the truck would drive forward without my pushing the accelerator and with the clutch pressed completely down! This was caused by the master and slave cylinders failing.(Yet I was still able to whoop a couple ricers with that problem and the O2 sensors blown-read my racing stories thread) So off to Toyota I went to obtain the originals and I had my mechanic install them. The starter later gave out and I had him install a new one as well. Also, the key cylinder for the ignition somehow got locked so I had to go off to Toyota and buy a new one to replace it. This I did myself in a matter of minutes. I also took off my old plastic bedliner, prepped the bed, and did a roll on liner.

Summer of my second year, the tires wore out and I bought new ones. The Futura GLS tires were pretty good except that they have some inflation issue and wear out in the middle first no matter what you do (short of under inflating them). I stuck to the usual things for a while, oil, spark plugs and brake pads. I also did a 100,000 mile service which was way overpriced and I could have done myself. At one point I got shocks for the hood and made custom brackets to hold them on. Unfortunately, the shocks were too thick and alot of underhood brackets would have to be modified so that they would not hit anything when I closed the hood so I scratched that project.

On the summer of my third year, I painted the edges of the bed with a rubberized undercoat, it looked great but eventually lost color from the sun. The metal frame around my four pane rear window was fading so I masked all that area off and painted it all.
http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/mm121/MatosTaco/Newpics036.jpg
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My Cd changer stopped working for no apparent reason-prompting me to realize Sony Xplode equipment is garbage, so I removed it and never bought Sony Xplode stuff again.

My fourth year at the University was when the good stuff started getting done. I removed my front door speakers and added in Pioneers with built in tweeters. I also custom mounted some PB tweeters onto my sail panels, this came out good enough that it looks almost stock. I grew tired of having no tachometer, so I ordered one and started coming up with ways to make a gauge pod. I eventually made one out of pvc pipe and after alot of hassle managed to find the signal for the tach and install it. The pod was painted in a satin black to match the color and texture of my center console. After an oil change at the dealer, I was informed that my valve cover gasket needed replacing. I changed it myself and took advantage of the opportunity to paint the cover with high temp engine primer and wrinkle finish black. I then got a hookup from a friend that works at the dealer and I scored a TRD oil cap and new brake pads all for the price of just the pads- employee discounts come in handy.

http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/mm121/MatosTaco/Taco001.jpg

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http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/mm121/MatosTaco/Taco004.jpg

http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/mm121/MatosTaco/enginebay.jpg

During this summer, I started my new job and began saving up for mods. Some idiots vandalized my truck by breaking the back window. I rode with it that way for awhile until I found a place that replaced it with a single pane for $130. I watched ebay like a hawk for awhile until I found a set of Lancer Evolution VIII wheels for sale at a good price. I sniped the bid and won the set. When I got them I left them in the garage for a few weeks. I later realized two of them were warped and oval instead of round. So I painted the two good ones and my friend Javier hooked me up with free tires, he works at Pep Boys. He also mounted my tires, balanced them, mounted the wheels in the back, and moved my rear wheels to the front and balanced those as well (they had more tread). All of this was absolutely free! It really pays to have friends!

My rims are painted in Black Sand Pearl, a stock Toyota color. It looks flat when sprayed, the pearlescence only shows after the clearcoat. I actually did the basecoat under an awning as it rained and I did the clear this past weekend. I used my smaller paint gun in order to get the best spray pattern and I went around the rims in a specific way in order to get the best coverage.As for the results, the pictures speak for themselves.

http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/mm121/MatosTaco/Rims004.jpg

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I painted the two front rims some time before the holidays, however there had been no sun for a few days so when I took them to get the tires mounted, the lips got the paint stripped right off of them by the machine. I taped them off and then went on vacation. Once I came back I painted them and then left them in the garage for a good week before mounting them, I did not want any more mistakes!

Here are the images of the rims mounted.

http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/mm121/MatosTaco/Jan%202010/angle.jpg
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http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/mm121/MatosTaco/Jan%202010/Front.jpg
http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/mm121/MatosTaco/Jan%202010/upfront.jpg

I took advantage and used the excess paint in the gun for painting my front Toyota emblem along with the Tacoma emblems on the side. I made sure to sand the emblems then hit them with the same process as the rims- self etching primer, filler primer, then base and clear.I plan to leave the side ones off for awhile though, I'm liking the smooth look.

http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/mm121/MatosTaco/Jan%202010/Symbols.jpg

http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/mm121/MatosTaco/Jan%202010/symbol.jpg

Here are some images of the Engine with the TRD oil cap, my engine is quite dirty at the moment, looks like this weekend is cleaning weekend.

http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/mm121/MatosTaco/Jan%202010/engine2.jpg

http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/mm121/MatosTaco/Jan%202010/engine1.jpg

I added the blacked out emblems to the truck today. I used 3M emblem and trim adhesive and just smeared it lightly on the back of the emblems. It is much like pvc cement and it does the job pretty quickly- you just need to take an Xacto knife and clean the little bits of goop off the edges once it dries.
http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/mm121/MatosTaco/Jan%202010/blacklogo.jpg
http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/mm121/MatosTaco/Jan%202010/sideview.jpg

I scored a Lund Backdraft spoiler on ebay for 20 dollars and 12.99 shipping. Not bad for an item that usually costs $85. I decided I wanted to mold it on and take advantage of the opportunity to fix a rusting dent I had in the top right part of the tailgate.

http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/mm121/MatosTaco/Jan%202010/Tailgate.jpg
Tailgate ready for fiberglass

http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/mm121/MatosTaco/Jan%202010/spoiler.jpg
no good foam tape

http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/mm121/MatosTaco/Jan%202010/Removal.jpg

I did the elbow mod. I didn't take any pictures but basically the stock air box connects to the inner fender and you would assume the air comes from there. However, it is connected to a 90 degree elbow that in turn connects to a plastic tube between the inner and outer fender. This tub runs all the way back to the door area and breathes through there. If you decide to add a snorkel to you truck just drill a hole in the fender and add a pipe to that end and your done! I simply took out the airbox and the piece bolted to the wall out. This piece is the one with the elbow and I cut the bend off on a bandsaw. I then replaced everything.I found it helpful to remove bolts on the outer side of the wheel well lining and pull the lining out such that I could access the gap between the inner and outer fender from below. From here I was able to see that the truck can now breathe air from the gap between the front bumper and the body as well as the whole area in front of the wheel.

What the elbow mod basically does is that it allows your truck to breathe unrestricted as you rise in the power band. It does not turn your truck into a rocket, it is not a substitute for turbocharging and serious power mods, but it is a good way to let loose the potential of the stock setup. One thing alot of people don't understand about going fast is that you need to know the vehicles power band and how to make best use of it. The stock 2RZ-FE Tacoma's power band is between 3 and 5 thousand rpm. The truck starts pulling hard at 3k, it makes it's maximum torque at 4k, and it makes it's maximum horsepower at 5k. It is fastest if you make use of the power band in 2nd and 3rd gears. I did a pull after doing this mod and discovered that it basically opened up the "stuffed nose" if you will. When I would run to 5k rpm in 2nd and then pop in 3rd before, the truck would choke in 3rd and the nice acceleration you felt in 2nd would not continue. With the elbow mod, the fun continues all the way through 4th gear. I still have to try a few more runs before I can say definitively what the main differences are but this is the most immediate and obvious result.

I finally took the leap and ordered a set of QA1 coilovers from Paradise Racing. I went with single adjustables with 8 inch long, 565 lb rate springs. I'll have pictures up soon. I'm currently waiting on a set of Beefed QA1 mounting plates and some 3.5" blocks. Once I get those ordered and they arrive, I'll be sure to do a thorough write up of the installation process. I'll also get into detail with my ride height and dampening adjustment so others who come after me will have a better idea of how to tune these properly.

Just a few updates on the tailgate. I decided to shave my tailgate handle and invert the handle so that it is on the other side. Here are a few pictures of the progress

http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/mm121/MatosTaco/Jan%202010/tape.jpg
Here is the hole taped off for fiberglassing from the inside.

http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/mm121/MatosTaco/Jan%202010/glassed.jpg
After fiberglass.

http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/mm121/MatosTaco/JBwelded.jpg
Everything JB welded, I like it so much better than bondo!

http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/mm121/MatosTaco/tailgate.jpg
Primered and almost ready for paint.

Here's a preview of the QA1s I got from Luis. The box on the right of my tailgate on the above photo is the box they came in.

http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/mm121/MatosTaco/ShockBox.jpg

http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/mm121/MatosTaco/QA1Assembled.jpg

I swung by the paint supply and bought the paint to do my tailgate and possibly my front and rear bumpers and grill. The paint on my truck is called pewter pearl and is paint code 196 in case anyone needs it. I did more priming and sanding on the tailgate today and I'm hoping to get basecoat/clearcoat done tomorrow. God willing it will be a hot sunny day so that I can get it all done. I'll be sure to post pictures of my progress. I haven't been able to lower the truck yet because I'm still waiting on the blocks and plates. I'm so pissed with myself for not ordering them at the same time I ordered my QA1s, I would have probably had the parts by now. Oh well, looks like I'll only be able to enjoy a lowered truck for a week before I have to go off to Washington state on my internship. It's all good, I'd rather wait on quality parts than get it slammed quickly on some crappy auto parts blocks that are bound to fail.

Finally finished and installed!

http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/mm121/MatosTaco/tailgatecomplete.jpg

http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/mm121/MatosTaco/Web-rear-shot.jpg

Pewter pearl is actually a black base with silver sparkles mixed in, it was very interesting to mix and spray.

Dropped the back yesterday, pictures coming soon. I already bottomed out today and let me tell you it sucks, time for stiffer rear shocks lol! I may just install the QA1s, leave them high and remove the blocks in the back because my brother will be driving it over the summer. Funniest thing is when I was taking the truck off the jackstands; I had one out but the tire on that side still wasn't touching the floor, funny and scary all at once.

Here it is, on the QA1s . . . It was one heck of a way to start off memorial day weekend

http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/mm121/MatosTaco/Slam.png

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I took the first Monday back from my internship to get the truck back into drivable conditions. My friend Javier came over and we very quickly installed the new rear shocks- (KYB Monomax I got from Beefed at a very good price). I also sprayed rust reformer over the U bolts which I had forgotten to do before I left. After that we called around for alignment shops and found a little place that does lowered cars and they aligned the truck for a mere $64.14 (that's including tax!). I should have pictures up soon. Besides this, I am planning a little makeover for the truck. I don't know what the birds around here are eating but their crap has burned right through the paint on parts of my hood, roof, and fenders. I'm planning to throw on a set of 01-04 fenders, a carbon fiber hood,and paint the roof- either black or the stock pewter pearl. Besides that, I'd like to get a set of new tires, get my rims powdercoated, and bring the front down another inch.

I ordered a set of black Acura RSX seats from ebay. They were $175 which is a good deal in my opinion. I'll have pictures and install information up soon. In the meantime, enjoy these gratuitous photos of my truck.

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs041.snc4/34412_477354232867_666897867_6942267_5432991_n.jpg (http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=2356106&id=666897867)

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs668.snc4/60796_477354262867_666897867_6942268_4562846_n.jpg (http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=2356106&id=666897867)

Here is another little teaser. This is one thing I love about working on these little trucks, you get to do alot of "firsts" - First Tacoma with Lancer Evolution wheels, first 2wd Tacoma with RSX seats, who knows which other "firsts" may come along. When was the last time someone did a "first" on a Honda Civic?

http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/mm121/MatosTaco/DSC04267.jpg

http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/mm121/MatosTaco/DSC04263.jpg

They fit quite well.

http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/mm121/MatosTaco/seattest2.jpg

http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/mm121/MatosTaco/seattest.jpg

My red and clear tails finally came this afternoon, post office "missent" them once they were already here in Miami. Big thanks to Jose/JDMHelix for the hookup:waytogo:

http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/mm121/MatosTaco/DSC04325.jpg

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Well, I finally installed the RSX seats today. I did all the work to install one last night and then spent today doing the drivers side. I literally mean the whole day, from 11:00 am to 11:45 PM! I still need to make an extra piece for raising the outboard side of the driver's seat, I added a half inch thick spacer and it was not enough, the seat is leaned outward. Why couldn't Toyota just use a flat bar where the front of the seat mounts like everyone else? No! They just had to do some stupid slanted bar. I did take the truck for a spin and I have to say I hate how high the seats sit, it feels as if I never dropped my truck! I may end up making my own brackets from scratch in order to lower them some. It was a huge PITA to install these seats and I simply can't believe that there is still work left to do!

Didn't do anything with the seats today. I blocked up the outboard driver's side brackets 1/2 inch as I saw that was what VRacer did but the seat leans outward. I will have to do 1" soon, it's killing me how high the seats are. I mean, the visibility is great and I still have good head room, not bad considering I'm 6'2." Besides this, the seats are awesome. They are exponentially more comfortable than the stock seats and they really hold you in place. You feel way more connected to the truck and it really shows in the corners. Another beautiful thing is that the bolt from the seatbelt buckle matches the thread for the buckle on the RSX seat so I was able to add my stock seat belt buckle without buying more hardware.

http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/mm121/MatosTaco/DSC04400.jpg

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Finished getting my clutch and flywheel in a couple hours ago , pictures coming soon.

Going to have to redo the clutch installation, tomorrow's going to be a long day lol.

Well, my friend Javier came over yesterday and we took the transmission down again and re did the clutch installation. The pressure plate was warped just as Gadget said. I cleaned the holes for the dowels and we reinstalled the pressure plate, using quarter turn increments in order to tighten the pressure plate down. It was not possible to do half turns as there was not enough room under there, however quarter turns work the same- they just take twice as long to do.

Big thanks to Gadget for his awesome customer service and his willingness to help. I would have never figured it out without him. Who else do you know that will take your phone call at 8:30 PM on a Sunday night? I can't thank you enough Gadget! The truck is running great, no shaking or clutch chatter whatsoever. The new clutch is rougher at engagement than the stock, but that's to be expected.

The old stuff
http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/mm121/MatosTaco/DSC04550.jpg

New Flywheel installed
http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/mm121/MatosTaco/DSC04552.jpg

New clutch installed (this was taken the first time I installed it)
http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/mm121/MatosTaco/DSC04556.jpg

Trans out of the truck
http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/mm121/MatosTaco/DSC04567.jpg

Closeup
http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/mm121/MatosTaco/DSC04571.jpg

Method of adding transmission fluid
http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/mm121/MatosTaco/DSC04583.jpg
http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/mm121/MatosTaco/DSC04582.jpg

Caught the lunar eclipse
http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/mm121/MatosTaco/DSC04579.jpg

Well, I took the truck to the gas station today and I was scared the whole way to and from, I thought something was going wrong and I got alot of stares lol. However, I realized they must have thought I don't know how to drive stick and from the research I've done it seems alot of people have that experience with an upgraded clutch. I got an odd noise when letting off the throttle and letting it roll in 4th and also 3rd gear.

However, I just took it for an extended spin around my neighborhood and I found that it was much more compliant. Maybe it likes the temperature at night? Anyhow, there was a lot of starting and stopping at stop signs coupled with plenty of shifting through 1-4 gears. I took my camera along and tried to get some video of when that noise happened but I only managed to replicate it once and then it never happened again. I wasn't able to get video of it. It started getting easier to drive as I kept going and not just because I got better at handling it. I noticed that the clutch, which up until now had always engaged with the pedal still very close to the floor, was now engaging with the pedal a little higher. This makes it easier to drive. I still have problems starting off the line without peeling out or shaking the truck as if I'm about to stall it- man it feels just like when I was learning stick! I used to drive around my neighborhood just like that to try and improve my skills.

Overall, it's an interesting experience, sort of sucks to not be able to drive it as easily as before yet it's exciting to some degree.

I had Javier ride in the the back of my truck about a week ago while I took it for a spin on the highway as the vibration sound was happening alot at speed. As soon as the sound started, he knocked on my back window, confirming that the problem was somewhere in the back. We decided it had to be the center bearing on the driveshaft.

Sure enough, when I got back from vacation I jacked up the truck and realized that I had foolishly installed the bracket for the bearing upside down. The only way I knew was because of the markings left by the washers. I could not get the bearing back into the position where the washer markings were and after speaking to Gadget I realized this was because of the fact that the truck is dropped. Interestingly enough, it had been in that position the whole time I was dropped until I removed the bracket for the clutch installation. I had never had vibration before.

After taking it for another clutch break-in run I noticed the sound was gone. That was yesterday. Today the noise returned, although it does not happen as often as before. The clutch itself is starting to become easier to use. I think the driveshaft may need some sort of alignment after all. It could also be the famous flywheel chatter- only time will tell I guess.

Gold/Bronze powder coated wheels. Pictures coming tomorrow.

Here they are, the powder color is "bronze" but it is the color of fresh bronze, the more copper like color that comes to mind when people hear the word is aged bronze if I am not mistaken.
http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/mm121/MatosTaco/DSC05038.jpg
http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/mm121/MatosTaco/DSC05037.jpg

Finally Mounting them after having the truck on stands for two weeks, ouch.
http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/mm121/MatosTaco/DSC05043.jpg

A shot later on in the day, it was gloomy out so the color of the wheels didn't look as bright
http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/mm121/MatosTaco/DSC05049.jpg
Time to drop the truck some more, the front is ready to go, the rear will need more mods.
Beefed! I need that 4 link lol!

Took advantage of my day off and brought the front down another half inch. Once I get the four link (I know you'll get it done Beefy!) and some rear coilovers, I'll bring the front down the last half inch that the QA1s will allow. I'm loving how it looks now.
http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/mm121/MatosTaco/down.jpg

I wrapped my steering wheel in leather. I'm loving the new look and feel of my steering wheel, no more ugly cracked surface. It took a while to do and I got stabbed in the fingers by the huge sewing needles that came with the wrap, but it was well worth it.

http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/mm121/MatosTaco/DSC05067.jpg

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Got a few mods coming up this weekend. The SRunner rear sway bar is hopefully coming on (the brackets are back- ordered) along with full interior LEDs, blue for the dash and bright white for the dome light.

Alright here it goes . . . I took the center console out and then removed the panel around the ignition. I then followed the dash take apart instructions in the tech section. It isn't mentioned there, but I highly recommend you take out the plastic cover around the steering column in order to make it easier to take the panel around the gauge cluster out. The left side A/C vent has a 90 degree elbow which makes removal of that part a pain if you don't remove the column cover.
http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/mm121/MatosTaco/Apart.jpg

With that done, just remove the cluster. If you have an older Tacoma like mine, it will have a mechanical speedometer so you will feel a pop as you pull the cluster out, don't despair. This is just the mechanical connection popping out.

http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/mm121/MatosTaco/speedo.jpg

Take out the stock lights according to the instructions in the tech and put in the new LEDs. The ones for the cluster are two #194 wedge base bulbs. On my dash, there is only one LED in the A/C panel, a #74 wedge base bulb.

http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/mm121/MatosTaco/replacement.jpg
http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/mm121/MatosTaco/insert.jpg

I plugged in the gauge cluster harnesses and the dimmer harness in order to test out the bulbs, mine were not polarized so this step was more out of curiosity/ double checking just to make sure- it would have sucked to put that dash back together and find out the bulbs were in wrong. From here, everything comes back together the same way it went in. However, in order to reconnect the speedometer you need to stick your right arm through the center opening and push the end inside the dash into the back of the cluster- it is pretty much impossible to do otherwise.

http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/mm121/MatosTaco/arm.jpg

Now simply enjoy the new dash. The 5- LED bulbs I chose are a nice blue, blue and orange are complementary colors so the lights really make the orange needles pop. Pictures do not do it justice, it is way nicer in person. I now need a new radio as the green from it detracts from the overall effect.

http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/mm121/MatosTaco/Dash.jpg
http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/mm121/MatosTaco/ACpanel.jpg

This took all of 20 min to complete, followed by hours of waiting for night to come so I could see the effect.

The SR rear sway bar went in yesterday. Hellwig only sent me the shackles, guess they didn't understand I also needed the U bolts lol, so I got some from Home Depot. They are temporary until I upgrade or weld the shackles to the axle but they get the job done. I took the truck for a spin and found that the rear end definitely comes out more and the truck has more bite when it turns in. However, My front tires are now rubbing the fender liner and the fender itself when I corner hard. Time for some good old fashioned fender rolling.

This is what the Toyota brackets for the SRunner sway bar look like
http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/mm121/MatosTaco/DSC05270.jpg

This is the sway bar with all the necessary bolts and brackets assembled to it
http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/mm121/MatosTaco/DSC05269.jpg

These are the Hellwig shackles for the axle, had I known how they looked I would have saved time and money by making my own from some square tube.
http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/mm121/MatosTaco/DSC05247.jpg
http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/mm121/MatosTaco/DSC05246.jpg

Here it is under my truck
http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/mm121/MatosTaco/DSC05278.jpg

Here is a side view
http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/mm121/MatosTaco/DSC05275.jpg

On a random note, I just drove my friend Javier's AE86 for the first time, we recently got it running. It has a six puck, unsprung hub clutch and aluminum flywheel from SPEC and it engages smooth as butter, it's not even broken in yet- this was its first use! This is possibly because that clutch is about the size of a donut. I now understand how Luis could drive his newborn around with one of those clutches in his AE86.

I came back and found my brother got me a TRD shift knob for my birthday! Score! Unfortunately, the internal seals on my brake master cylinder were out. I initially thought I just had air in the lines so my friend Javi came over and we bled the lines, only to find that nothing improved. Upon removing the cylinder, I found that one of the seals for the rear brakes was blown so I picked up another master cylinder at the auto parts(no one seems to sell rebuild kits) for $77 and put the internals from that into the Toyota one. Unfortunately, I did not notice the inside walls were roughed up. So upon bleeding the brakes, they were good for awhile when suddenly, the pedal dropped. We took the thing apart, realized the walls were the problem and had blown the seal in the same position. So we swapped some good seals from the Toyota internals and put them into the new cylinder and installed that. Bled the brakes AGAIN, and the problem was solved. The truck brakes better than ever. Should have just installed the new cylinder to begin with. A warning to you guys, the factory brake master cylinder costs $295 at Toyota, this is insane- don't even bother with them. The $77 A1 Cardone from the autoparts works perfectly.

So Clean!
http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/mm121/MatosTaco/DSC08439.jpg

http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/mm121/MatosTaco/DSC08438.jpg

http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/mm121/MatosTaco/DSC08437.jpg

It feels great and it looks nice in there.

Gross looking cylinder, the fluid was disgusting too, it had clearly broken down and absorbed water
http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/mm121/MatosTaco/gross.jpg

Here is the new cylinder and reservoir in place

http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/mm121/MatosTaco/nice.jpg

http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/mm121/MatosTaco/neat.jpg

Yet another gratuitous shot of the Taco, I was hoping to come back to the Sunshine State, only to find nonstop rain!
http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/mm121/MatosTaco/Rainy.gif

My brakes are working great now, but the brake light keeps coming on. I pulled the 15 amp EFI fuse and erased the ECU thinking this would do it but the light came on shortly after. I will try to troubleshoot this, maybe even return to the old reservoir. It could be that the crappy aftermarket sensor is bad or the clip for the harness gives a bad connection.

I topped off the brake fluid and problem solved! I also did the carrier bearing flip this weekend but it actually makes the off throttle vibration problem worse. I've always said it, my vibration issue is the clutch/flywheel combo. I'm going to start saving up and hopefully I will attempt clutch/flywheel installation again after Thanksgiving. It's going to suck to break in a clutch again but it will be well worth it.

I replaced my airbox with a K&N cone filter this weekend. So far I have put over 80 miles on it and I notice that the engine warms up to operating temperature much faster then before which makes sense since it is now drinking warm air from the engine bay. I cannot comment on gas mileage just yet because I have not finished a tank. I would love to get a scangauge and monitor fuel consumption more properly. I have the IAT sensor sitting below the filter so it reads the intake temp decently.

http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/mm121/MatosTaco/DSC08525.jpg

http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/mm121/MatosTaco/DSC08528.jpg

Yes, I know I have no cap on the washer fluid lol. Anyone care to donate one?

So I didn't like how the filter was just sitting on the fender and squeaking at idle, I also didn't like my IAT sensor hanging by the filter. I saw that Rusty (Poppyseed) mentioned he had a homemade intake in one thread so I messaged him for a picture and I loved what he had done. Rusty cut the stock intake piece right before that big ugly resonator and added a new elbow up to a cone filter. He told me the elbow was available at any Advance Auto Parts and he even went so far as to hook me up with a discount on the part! I bought a new maf adapter that comes with a hole for the sensor and is aluminum (the plastic piece I was using was flexing and causing the gasket to crack). At home, I traced the shape of my maf pipe's flange onto the maf adapter and drilled out the hole's so it would align to my maf pipe perfectly.Later, I took the new parts to work so I could do the install there. Besides doing design in CAD, performing finite element analysis and optimization, part of my job is manufacturing components. We have our own machine shop, which is one of three on my university's engineering campus; I was able to do it there- big thanks to my Supervisor Amer for allowing me to do so and to my coworker Jairo for his advice! I used the vertical bandsaw to cut off the resonator on the factory intake piece and I used the horizontal bandsaw to cut about 4.3" from the new intake elbow. This all took about an hour. I then installed everything and went home. However, I was not done yet. I drilled the hole on the maf adapter a little larger using a unibit and deburred it so I could put in the IAT grommet and fit the sensor in. I also used a cut off wheel to reshape the maf adapter plate to the same shape as my maf pipe's flange. The last touch was to take some aluminum bars that come with the intake elbow and drill one out to accept a bolt. I then bolted them together to make a bracket to hold up my intake so it isn't just sitting there. I used the rubber grommet that came on the maf adapter under the bracket for some vibration absorption. I still need to replace the hose from the egr to the intake (I used clear air line to mate them) and have my cousin powder coat the entire intake (maf pipe and all) in mirror black so that it really pops. Really big thanks to Rusty for all his help! I could not have done it without ya bro:waytogo:

Here is an overall view of the engine bay, I removed the bracket for the intake resonator shortly after taking this picture.
http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/mm121/MatosTaco/DSC08568.jpg

Here is the bracket I made for the intake, it uses one of the bolts and one of the mounting points for the stock airbox.
http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/mm121/MatosTaco/DSC08562.jpg

You can see where the IAT sensor plugs in at the bottom, out of sight from above.
http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/mm121/MatosTaco/DSC08566.jpg

My washer cap is coming soon thanks to yota.coma!
http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/mm121/MatosTaco/DSC08564.jpg

I got a Morimoto Mini D2S kit from The Retrofit Source on a group buy. I spent the weekend working on fitting the projectors into a new set of 7x6 headlights I got on ebay. I am going to be vacuum-forming Lexan lenses for it soon, my vacuum table is almost done. Pictures coming soon!

Sorry for the delay, here is the progress so far!
http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/mm121/MatosTaco/1-1.jpg
http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/mm121/MatosTaco/2.jpg
http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/mm121/MatosTaco/3.jpg
I tightened down the projectors into the housing using the supplied nut and alignment plate. I then dipped a nail in ink and stuck it through the mounting holes on the projectors to mark the housings. I then drilled the housings at these points and passed 10-32 screws through the holes to use as mounts for the projector. Since they are marked with the projector aligned, they will provide alignment after the center is bored out.
http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/mm121/MatosTaco/4.jpg
http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/mm121/MatosTaco/5.jpg
I removed the lenses to bore the holes for the projector mounts. When I tried to re install the lenses, they had to be put on by force. This was caused by the lens mounting holes being drilled in the incorrect locations. I remedied this by boring out the holes on the lens mount such that they would align to the holes in the projector housing without having to be forced into position.
http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/mm121/MatosTaco/6.jpg
I then cut a stainless tube I had lying around so that it would fit against the housing. I used this to properly transfer pressure between the bolt/washer and the light housing.
http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/mm121/MatosTaco/7.jpg
http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/mm121/MatosTaco/8.jpg
http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/mm121/MatosTaco/9.jpg
In order for the projectors to sit far back enough in the housing to where I could put the headlight lens back on, I had to bore the opening out and cut grooves for the corners of the projector to sit in using a dremel.
http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/mm121/MatosTaco/10.jpg
I then poured plaster into one of the headlight lenses to create a mold. When the plaster expands as it cures, it cracks the glass, so be sure to do this only if you're really set on making Lexan lenses.
http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/mm121/MatosTaco/11.jpg
http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/mm121/MatosTaco/12.jpg
http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/mm121/MatosTaco/13.jpg
http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/mm121/MatosTaco/14.jpg
I will have updates up sometime next weekend so stay tuned for more.

Updates for the lights are coming soon, in the meantime just wanted to mention that I just bought a Miata and will likely be starting another project vehicle. For the most part though, I'm just excited to have a backup car for when the truck needs downtime to get mods done.

Alright, as promised, here are pictures of my progress on the headlights:

I started by placing masking tape over the back of the openings I made. Be sure to do this with the projectors on! I then added fiberglass on the back, followed by a coat of JB Weld for good measure once the fiberglass dried. Once the JB Weld cured, I rubber coated the back to cover it all up. Unnecessary? Yes, but still a good idea as it reinforces the weakened housings and will hold up to years of vibration and shock.
http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/mm121/MatosTaco/15.jpg
http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/mm121/MatosTaco/16.jpg
http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/mm121/MatosTaco/17.jpg
http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/mm121/MatosTaco/20.jpg
http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/mm121/MatosTaco/21.jpg

I then masked off the shrouds and painted the silver parts with Rust Reformer as it dries a perfect flat black and holds up to alot of abuse.
http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/mm121/MatosTaco/18.jpg
http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/mm121/MatosTaco/19.jpg

With this complete, I removed the lenses from the projectors and taped off the back of the projectors to keep them from getting coated in dust. I then cut the screws short so they would not interfere with the shrouds.
http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/mm121/MatosTaco/22.jpg
http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/mm121/MatosTaco/23.jpg

I then removed the projectors and wrapped the solenoid wires in electrical tape followed by heat shrink wrap (I shrunk the wrap only after putting on the plastic clip)
http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/mm121/MatosTaco/24.jpg
http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/mm121/MatosTaco/25.jpg

I test fit the shrouds and found that they needed trimming to sit low enough on the projector. Specifically because of the ridges on the bottom of the projector.
http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/mm121/MatosTaco/28.jpg
http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/mm121/MatosTaco/33.jpg

The projectors then went back into the headlight housings and I test fit the shrouds
http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/mm121/MatosTaco/26.jpg
http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/mm121/MatosTaco/27.jpg

I then test fit the lights
Before
http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/mm121/MatosTaco/29.jpg
After
http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/mm121/MatosTaco/30.jpg

I also added the nice bixenon logos that come with them
http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/mm121/MatosTaco/32.jpg

Here is a crappy picture of the light output, this is without adjustment of any kind
http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/mm121/MatosTaco/31.jpg

I had a wiring issue with the HIDs where they were in high beam mode when I turned the lights on and high beam mode did nothing. Chris D suggested I switch the blue and orange pins on the input plug. When I did this, I thought the fuse went out again but I realized that I heard the solenoids go "clack" when I turned the lights on so I put the high beam on and had low beam mode activate. I then simply switched which clip goes to the solenoids and which goes to the ballasts. So if you purchase a Morimoto kit for your truck, you want to switch the blue and orange pins such that the blue is on the top of the input plug and you want the blue/black plug connected to the ballasts. The orange/black goes to the solenoids.

I've had these on the truck for almost a couple of weeks now but final exams and projects have kept me from posting them up. Here are the completed lights.
http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/mm121/MatosTaco/zeemasterpiece.jpg

Pictures of the lights on the truck. This is in broad daylight yet they can still blaze up a camera. Night and output pictures to come soon! http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/mm121/MatosTaco/HID1.jpg
http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/mm121/MatosTaco/HID2.jpg

Note: This glare is actually invisible in real life, it is due to camera exposure. Even at night, all the human eye sees is a bright dot in center of each light, no blinding of other drivers (plus the two glowing dots look awesome!)

Installed a new radio in the truck, Pioneer unit with Bluetooth. The phone calls and music streaming are amazingly clear. This unit also powers my Pioneer door speakers properly so they sound much better.
http://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/383523_10150796831567868_666897867_11895133_139506 7298_n.jpg

The holes lined up perfectly with the factory Tacoma brackets!
http://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/550241_10150796831662868_666897867_11895136_147814 5431_n.jpg

It has several variations of every color, I was able to find a blue that matched my interior lighting perfectly
http://sphotos.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/538489_10150796831777868_666897867_11895139_999120 047_n.jpg

I used one of the empty plates on the dash to mount the Bluetooth mic. Unless you have acrylic glue, I suggest you drill it and put a screw through it. Neither two part epoxy nor superglue worked for this.
http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/s720x720/578244_10150819046872868_666897867_11981686_933351 923_n.jpg

We need to breathe some life into this forum. Hopefully next week, when I am done with finals, I can go ahead and start posting more Taco mods.

Alright, center console, e-fan, and Morimoto XB LED angel eyes coming soon :)

Here is a pic of the angel eyes in action. These things are intense in broad daylight, and impossible to photograph at night without playing with the camera's settings (and knowing what you're doing). I have enough expensive hobbies so I'm trying to avoid learning about photography. Got these from theretrofitsource, it's a simple install with just two wires. I tapped into the power for the corner lights for them and finished everything with heatshrink wrap.
http://sphotos.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/p480x480/575180_10151009107447868_666897867_12354758_521706 919_n.jpg

My truck is currently at my neighbor's paint shop being completely repainted inside and out. They are also welding in a new panel on the driver's side and undercoating the bottom of the bed before putting it back on. Completed pics to come soon :)

http://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn1/529029_10151138126417868_1409193559_n.jpg
http://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/581965_10151138126542868_683195616_n.jpg
http://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/553387_10151138126647868_590823258_n.jpg

It's back, and fresher than ever! I wish it would stay that way and never get scratched!
http://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/558319_10151155281797868_1376894135_n.jpg

DIY water/meth injection coming soon!

I have water/methanol injection up and running on my truck. I used instructions I got from the "do it yourself water alcohol injection" section at turbomirage.com. My system uses the more affordable Shurflo 8000 series pump and the smaller of the two McMaster nozzles he recommends. It also uses the factory washer reservoir for a clean install. The IAT sensor is installed downstream of the nozzle so it picks up the change in temperature. Removing the IAT from its old location on the maf adapter also allowed me to push the filter back an inch, such that it no longer contacts the plug for my headlight.

Here is the pump mounted under the intake. Disregard my ultra-dirty K&N filter, cleaning that is next on my list- although I may just replace it with an Amsoil filter.
http://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc6/253126_10151312968967868_1058130980_n.jpg

My switch for triggering the spray
http://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn1/522931_10151312965377868_873362710_n.jpg

New location for IAT
http://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc7/420475_10151314897977868_2015266196_n.jpg

As usual, I used heat-shrink wrap on all the connections
http://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/397294_10151314899687868_709058605_n.jpg