"Summer" refurbishement work on my Colorado

[AndyCook]

You can use your waffle board. TracMat sell a square piece of waffle board for £6 as a jack stand - pretty useful.

Cheers

how do you use it Gary? on its side? I have two 50mm thick waffleboards - but they aren't going to keep an axle in the air unless on their sides, but that doesnt sound stable

 

[Gary Stockton]

Re: "Summer" refurbishement work on my Colorado

Doh - mis-read your post use the waffles to put the hi-lift base on for extra stability. Put the spare tyre under the axle. Take off old tyre - swap tyres under the axle, fit spare to hub?

I dunno - unless you also have an exhaust jack. Personally won't use a hi-lift again for changing tyres - only as a lift 'n shift mechanism. I've witnessed two ugly events with them and heard too many stories to trust them much.

I know it's maintenance and operator skill, but these things seem to have a mind of their own sometimes!!

 

[Jon Wildsmith]

does anyone carry a form of axle-stand, to use when changing a wheel for example on a trip, after lifting the vehicle with the hi-lift?

Pretty sure Steven carries a normal axle stand

 

[Jon Wildsmith]

i have noticed no more dents in car doors since fitting sliders! for careless people in carparks opening their doors.
i have got a dent from a car door just above back wheel arch though... the sliders don't protect that area...

The standard alloy steps do a good enough job of deflecting doors but they won't deflect poor parking skills and I once had a little Renault I think it was bounced off my sliders while driving my old green 80 down a main road in Swindon and this car came out of a side road where the driver hadn't noticed the give way sign. The alloy side steps wouldn't have bounced that off. Think I've talked myself into sliders

 

[AndyCook]

Aircon condensor is missing loads of fins in the lower part

[attachment=1:3ci79y7y]IMG-20120726-00422.jpg[/attachment:3ci79y7y]

and a quick email to Simon @ Toyota has sorted out a new part
amazingly a condensor without the brackets cost nearly twice as much as one with the brackets!
so i got one with brackets!
[attachment=0:3ci79y7y]IMG-20120726-00415.jpg[/attachment:3ci79y7y]

 

[fridayman]

Re: "Summer" refurbishement work on my Colorado

How much was the condenser? I need a new one too.

 

[Ben]

how come you only bought 1 tyre leaver Andy, dont you need a pair?

this is the sort of folding axle stand Steven (SAE70) carries, for when hes using his wheel lifting adaptor, with his high lift for changing wheels.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Sealey-AS2000 ... 231ad6cc6e

 

[AndyCook]

The condensor+brackets sourced from Toyota via Simon Holton was £227
it was going to be £404.65 if i got only the condensor!!!

"Correct with the part Number 88461-60010
Retails at a eye watering £396.72 + Vat. Price to you £337.21 + vat (£404.65)

BUT...

If i get you part number 88460-60240 Which is the complete unit with brackets etc etc etc
Retails at £213.08 + Vat. Price to you £189.64 + vat (£227.57) "

you can get them for £80-100 on ebay and some aircon suppliers,
I also spoke with "Motorclimate" as recommended on here, they said to be carefull with ebay ones as often the connectors are screwin rather than "pad" that the toyota system uses. they quoted more than a discounted Toyota to build me a replacement.


Ben - I already have a smaller tyre lever to go with the new one. I would only use in emergency on alloys, as i tried to take a tyre off an old subaru alloy and it was damaging the wheel rim.

yes- re those axle stands we had a big discussion on this thread about them
viewtopic.php?f=54&t=15060

 

[AndyCook]

Mike Scott (Scott Refridgeration) & recommended to me by "Ecoman" last year popped round this evening and we worked on replacing my rather tired looking aircon condensor. Took an hour to drain, remove and refill - and lots of chat. i had done most of the work beforehand to remove stuff to make access easier and loosen all bolts or remove them. One bolt had sheared, so out came the drill and my new rivit nut tool

old one about to be drained of gas and removed
[attachment=2:1068mbxj]IMG_4236 (Medium).JPG[/attachment:1068mbxj]

not many fins!
[attachment=1:1068mbxj]IMG_4238 (Medium).JPG[/attachment:1068mbxj]

and new one fitted
[attachment=0:1068mbxj]IMG_4237 (Medium).JPG[/attachment:1068mbxj]

 

[AndyCook]

Fitted a kenlowe transmission cooler this evening - using supplied brackets and fitted 4 rivit-nuts to the front cross-brace to mount the brackets on. not going to plumb it in, until i have installed the transmission temperature sender and monitoried the trans temperature for a few journeys

[attachment=0:1uem6ypp]IMG-20120801-00427 (Medium).jpg[/attachment:1uem6ypp]

 

[BobMurphy]

Not going to plumb it in, until i have installed the transmission temperature sender and monitoried the trans temperature for a few journeys.

That should make for an interesting before & after comparison - are you going to be towing something large for the test ?

I hope we get some warm weather soon .

Bob.

 

[AndyCook]

hadnt thought of doing test towing, but i need to take the big trailer out to get some stuff soon, and the trailer weighs nearly 1ton unladen

 

[munster]

Got my condensor from advanced radiators same as my radiator both came with a two year waranty. The guy who came to refill the gas said it was realy good quality and its powder coated , AND £84.30

 

[AndyCook]

Got my condensor from advanced radiators same as my radiator both came with a two year waranty. The guy who came to refill the gas said it was realy good quality and its powder coated , AND £84.30

sounds good - but it didn't come in a £120 cardboard box with Toyota logo on it.....

 

[AndyCook]

VDO gauges & senders for coolant and autobox temperature not fitted and wired

I know that i should start getting worried when the transmission temperature goes into the 100-115 degC range
what about coolant? above 100 degC?

[attachment=0:2bqzluwm]IMG-20120802-00430.jpg[/attachment:2bqzluwm]

 

[Jon Wildsmith]

Depends a bit on where the sensor is but I'd expect normal running around low 90's / high 80's and start paying attention when it goes over 100 but not start getting worried till maybe 120 and your OEM gauge probably won't budge till 140!

 

[AndyCook]

Photo of the mocol inline adaptor & VDO oil ATF temperature gauge - I know the ATF will have cooled slightly by time it has travelled down 1m of the pipe from the gearbox, but i doubt by much.

[attachment=0:2ablhx2g]IMG-20120811-00448 (Medium).jpg[/attachment:2ablhx2g]

 

[AndyCook]

re-organised the Auxillary wiring for inverter plugs, 12v sockets and light switches in the boot today, the switch panel used to face inwards (sideways) towards boot and when fridge slide unit was in place it was difficult to access

so i have made a new cabinet and rearranged it to face towards back and added a new fuse box and 12v voltmeter

Also added another 12v socket to centre console in front, fed via fused spur wire to the auxillary battery for a permantly live option

[attachment=1:2uk73u93]IMG_4250.JPG[/attachment:2uk73u93]

[attachment=0:2uk73u93]IMG_4252.JPG[/attachment:2uk73u93]

 

[fridayman]

Is that the 600W or 2kW inverter you have fitted there? Can you show some pics of how it sits relative to the wheel arch. I have to fit my 2kW model in a week or two and trying to decide where to mount it.

 

[AndyCook]

Its a 500w inverter. travelled to paris this afternoon for a work trip so cant post any pics of its install. but i am sure i put some on here a few years ago so will dig out the link tomo