Build Tacoma 4500 build

The 160 may be a little cool but it'll tell you if that's your problem.

My heater ports are plugged and I deleted the thermostat years ago. Runs wherever I set my fans now.
 
Agreed, factory LS’s run at 190-210.

160 will tell you if the thermostat is the issue though.
 
Thermostat ordered. Drained the coolant today and caught almost all of it and didn’t make a mess so that was good. My dad and I got the passenger fender mounted. Will try to get that in Friday and start bleeding the system. At some point I’ll try to put some kind of grill on it but it’s a super low priority.

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Also struggling with brakes. They’re 14 in rotors and hats from branik with wilwood 4 piston calipers front and rear. Wilwood 1” high volume master with a busted knuckle 9:1 pedal.

I’ve bled them multiple times (inside and outside bleeders) and even bought brake bleed bottles with one way valves and not getting anymore air out but the pedal is firm when stopped but when driving I can’t lock up the wheels and I can push it all the way to the floor with very poor results.

Besides bleeding more, any suggestions. Everything says this should work no issue and wilwood doesn’t seem to sell a 1 1/8 or 1 1/16 bore master in the high output masters. Just 3/4 an 7/8 and 1”.
 
Malburg114 said:
Also struggling with brakes. They’re 14 in rotors and hats from branik with wilwood 4 piston calipers front and rear. Wilwood 1” high volume master with a busted knuckle 9:1 pedal.

I’ve bled them multiple times (inside and outside bleeders) and even bought brake bleed bottles with one way valves and not getting anymore air out but the pedal is firm when stopped but when driving I can’t lock up the wheels and I can push it all the way to the floor with very poor results.

Besides bleeding more, any suggestions. Everything says this should work no issue and wilwood doesn’t seem to sell a 1 1/8 or 1 1/16 bore master in the high output masters. Just 3/4 an 7/8 and 1”.
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get a guage
 
Malburg114 said:
I used the “u” rubber plug to bypass. The heater ports. I had plans to put a heater in it at some point.

It’s a Saginaw box. Should be a Jeep tj/lj box so same style as the sweet boxes
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I think that is part of your problem, need to plug the heater ports. The LS water pump will bypass the radiator through the u shaped hose connecting the heater ports.

Do some googling on that.
 
Opiebennett said:
I think that is part of your problem, need to plug the heater ports. The LS water pump will bypass the radiator through the u shaped hose connecting the heater ports.

Do some googling on that.
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Nope not an issue. In all LS engine cars/trucks the heater core is wide open flowing all the time.

I've got a bypass in my heater core lines in my swap because the Scout heater core has a shut off valve.

Never over heated once.

190-220 is normal OP temps on these engines.

If you block both ports then you need to drill a bleed hole in the thermostat.
 
I got the new thermostat in yesterday and a quick heat cycle. I pulled the jiggle valve out of it and made sure to have the hole at the top.

Today I spent all morning trying to bleed it. Someone else suggested the bypass might be causing issues so I pinched it off. At first it seemed to work and right at 160 the thermostat opened and it took a ton of coolant. Was idling with low temps then it just started to climb and never stopped. All the fittings on the radiator and water pump are the same temp so I think this thermostat is atleast opening. I cracked the steam ports till I got coolant. But the passenger side of the radiator is still getting only warm while the driver is hot (75-80* vs 150-160*).

Pretty sure the air bubble is in the radiator. Going to try and jack the back up tomorrow and do some more heat cycles. If that doesn’t work I’ll order a vacuum pump system to vacuum bleed the system. I stood the radiator up to see if that helps too. I’ll try lifting the fill side up some to get the bubble out.
 
mobil1syn said:
get a guage
Click to expand...
x2


I have a different brand, but its a simple way to see what is happening at the calipers.

Bench bleeding the MC and vacuum bleeding the calipers has always worked well for me.

You can also pressure bleed them. My I have a pressure bleeder cap for my CNC MC's that has a schrader valve on it. I can put ~5-10 PSI at the MC and crack a caliper bleeder. I don't know if there is a Wilwood MC cap for your setup that would allow for a schrader, but Motive pressure bleeders have a universal pressure cap that works for that style. Be forewarned they can make an absolute mess if they don't seal right!


When I was struggling to get my manual brakes to work right, I read the BillaVista brake bible and found it useful:


Things that helped me get my manual brake dual MC system to work better were smaller piston calipers (1/2 ton chevy stuff on one tons, not exactly apples to apples), finding the optimal pedal ratio (Not sure off the top of my head what mine is), installing smaller diameter MC's (3/4" F/R) and switching to Hawk Super Duty brake pads. In the end, I wish I had just installed hydroboost...
 
message our buddy Scott, I know he went through difficulties getting air out of a rear mounted radiator up high. He may have some tips and tricks
 
abrogate said:
x2


I have a different brand, but its a simple way to see what is happening at the calipers.

Bench bleeding the MC and vacuum bleeding the calipers has always worked well for me.

You can also pressure bleed them. My I have a pressure bleeder cap for my CNC MC's that has a schrader valve on it. I can put ~5-10 PSI at the MC and crack a caliper bleeder. I don't know if there is a Wilwood MC cap for your setup that would allow for a schrader, but Motive pressure bleeders have a universal pressure cap that works for that style. Be forewarned they can make an absolute mess if they don't seal right!


When I was struggling to get my manual brakes to work right, I read the BillaVista brake bible and found it useful:


Things that helped me get my manual brake dual MC system to work better were smaller piston calipers (1/2 ton chevy stuff on one tons, not exactly apples to apples), finding the optimal pedal ratio (Not sure off the top of my head what mine is), installing smaller diameter MC's (3/4" F/R) and switching to Hawk Super Duty brake pads. In the end, I wish I had just installed hydroboost...
Click to expand...
I’ll read up some and see. We bled all 4 bleeders (top and bottom) today. Only got a very small amount of air out of one bleeder. Rest was straight fluid. I have shut off valves front and rear and closing one or the other the pedal is stiff so I’m going to try driving with just the front tomorrow and see if they lock up. I also started to mess with the proportioning valve to see if that helps.

Up on a rock and the brakes held fine with the pedal not to the floor. Just a little more travel than I want. But moving the pedal just feels soft till I reach the end of the stroke. It’ll stop. Just not like it should.
 
06h3 said:
message our buddy Scott, I know he went through difficulties getting air out of a rear mounted radiator up high. He may have some tips and tricks
Click to expand...
I’ve talked to him a bunch. He’s been super helpful. Mostly the same things. Back it up something. Crack the steam ports. Etc.
 
I messed with it more today. Just idling it didn’t take more fluid. I tried lifting the rear with the engine hoist. Shaking the radiator. And all sorts of other stuff including cracking lines. In a last ditch effort went for a drive and backed up a rock and let it Idle. It took longer but it still hit 220. Still feel like there’s an air bubble in the radiator as passenger side was only warm (warmer than before but not hot like the driver).

Talked to some more people and one suggested a higher psi radiator cap so wife grabbed a 20 and 22psi and a new water pump. I ordered fittings to go from the heater barbs to a lines with caps as well.

Tomorrow. I’ll try the different cap and run down to the rock with the funnel and some coolant in a hope to burp the system and maybe clamp off the heater core loop.

The steering’s also giving me issues but been posting in the 4500 steering thread to try and figure that out.

Looks cool. I just want drive it though.
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Thinking I may have a bad radiator… Im waiting to hear from the company to see what they are going to do before I attempt to add a baffle cause this one isn’t doing anything. My theory is the baffle is allowing hot water to go in and right back out. Company says 10% of fluid should pass but there’s clearly more. The top fitting is the same temp as the bottom fitting and that side of the radiator is same temp as coolant in the motor. Meanwhile the opposite side of the radiator is cool to warm at best. Last pictures are of the baffle through a bore scope.

Plan for fix is a drill a hole in the top of the radiator. Bend the old baffle down. Cut a slit in the middle of the tank and slide a piece of aluminum in and fit it as close to the fins as possible. Then weld it from the outside to close the slit and hold the plate. Then weld a npt bung in the top hole for the steam port return.

Worked on some other things to not be so frustrated. Side number plates (bead roll is just for looks. Number will cover entire plate). Secondary door latches.

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-16. It’s a dual pass. The baffle is just tacd inside instead of welded on the outside.
 
Company agreed to replace the radiator but said it would take roughly 2 weeks to make. I went ahead and added a baffle of my own to the old radiator. Drilled a hole in the top for a npt bung and used a rod to bend the old baffle down. Then cut a slit in the tank and slid a plate in and welded it up. My tig welding isn’t that good and aluminum is even harder. But got it sealed it up and a 180 thermostat installed and no more overheating.

I also adjusted the preload on the steering box cap which took away the darting I was getting when driving on the asphalt.

Finally got to actually drive the thing today and it’s great. It’s fast. Smooth and just overall fun. Hottest I saw was 196 and seemed to stay around 189-192.

I do need to update the Holley computer and screen to v3 so I can upload the “tune” I made which is just changing the inputs to turn on the transmission fan. Not sure if anyone has any experience with this as the screen and ecu are v2 and I’d prefer to just keep it that as I’m not very computer savvy and the updating looks semi complicated.
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Weird deal on the radiator but good find! That's a tricky one.

Malburg114 said:
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Good to see you out enjoying the thing finally, looks like a blast! I've enjoyed watching the build, you have some real talent.

I hate to be that guy, but put on your belts even when you're playing around! Too many guys around here have bad stories of 'he was just going for a ride across camp'...
 
Nvr-enough said:
Weird deal on the radiator but good find! That's a tricky one.



Good to see you out enjoying the thing finally, looks like a blast! I've enjoyed watching the build, you have some real talent.

I hate to be that guy, but put on your belts even when you're playing around! Too many guys around here have bad stories of 'he was just going for a ride across camp'...
Click to expand...
We had lap belts on. Seen enough rollovers to know to wear something.
 
My dad and I knocked out a bunch of things yesterday. Mesh on the b pillar in and done. Passenger actual seat in and fits. And a bunch of other stuff. We took it for a 30-35 mile rip today. Helmets and all. Things fast but shocks are soft. It did get hot coming back to the house as it was all uphill and loose but after I got home and it cooled looks like the radiator was a little low. Minute I stopped or slowed down it cooled back off. For good measures I had one fan with more cfm and I just ordered a second.

He also cut up the bedsides so he could take them home and fiberglass the tail light sections back on. Should look cool overlapping the body.

It also has a vibration at 50-55 and seems to keep getting worse from the front driveshaft (I’m assuming as that had the most run out of the two). We had it up to 60 ish I think. So more than likely will take that to be balanced or just have one made.

Chasing some leaks and the rear axle keeps puking oil out the breather but other than that it seems to run good. Honestly couldn’t be happier.
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350TacoZilla said:
What about double cab bedsides for an off the shelf solution?
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Those would probably be closer for the rear overhang. May not need to cut anything out of the back. I think he cut 12 or 13” out of the back. he found these in St. George used for a good deal I thought so gets us started. The fenders aren’t the same side to side but they’ll work. If I trash these I’ll order a double cab bedside to see if they just require cutting around the cab corner.
 
Winch line spooled. Rustys 4x4 recovery gear was nice enough to send me a big box of their hand woven gear from South Africa. They also have a us dealer out of Colorado (Jayhawks trailer in commerce city). Looking forward to trying their stuff out. And my dad picked up a flat link after seeing them and how much easier it was to winch with at hammers.

The come up competition seal 8.0 winch is also insanely fast.

Jack extension. And did a Holley screen to make it easier to watch gauges
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Painted the back. Got the new fans on the back. Put a manifold block in for the trans temp sensor so hopefully it works. Adjusted the brake pedal. And a few other small things.
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