Slain's Overlander

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Slain's Overlander

Postby apSlain on Sat, 10 Oct 2015 4:43 +0000

Hey all; thought it was about time I contributed instead of just leeching information :lol:

This is my log of work for my HiLux. My taste in cars has definitely matured over the years as I was hell-bent on purchasing a Honda S2000 a few years ago. I then transitioned to having a love of utes and was going after a sports ute as my first car. My mate then introduced me to camping and off-roading and I decided to go after a four-wheel drive as overlanding has become a mainstay for me now.

After a bit of research and consulting with the budget I had settled on seeking out an extra cab manual diesel 'Lux. That was a bit of a stretch but I did track down a dual cab that had an attractive kilometre count. After an NRMA inspection and a bit of negotiation, she was mine.

2006 Toyota HiLux SR Dual Cab, Manual Diesel 4WD.
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I purchased it from a dealer who purchased it from an auction but the car was previously owned by Energy Australia. It had a touch over 93,000kms on it and was also pretty stock which was important to me. It did, however, come with a bullbar which I assume is a fleet bar (can't locate a brand on it), a canopy (think this is an ARB Classic going by an internal sticker), and a Hayman Reese towbar (P/N 2136RW).

The NRMA found a few issues that got fixed prior to purchase (dampness at the transfer case, weak struts on the canopy) and a few issues to watch out for (suspension bushes and mountings wearing, dent in the bash plate indicating off-road usage [asked specifically for a look into evidence of off-road use], rust). There was also a deep cut on the passenger side and holes drilled into the tub (which looked a little beat up). Something I wasn't happy about was that when I climbed into the tub, there was a razor blade in there.

I planned to leave the car at home the next day and camp out at Lake Lyell Recreation Park before meeting a group at Jenolan Caravan Park in Oberon. Unfortunately, my mate's Jeep Wrangler broke down so the HiLux had its first test. In three days of ownership I clocked up just over four hundred kilometres of travel.

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I was happy with everything but I could tell it needed some work as it had trouble reversing up some loose terrain at Lake Lyell.

Alas, buying the car had depleted my savings so simple accessories came first.

A HAIGH Sunland Dash Mat - Black (P/N T7901) and a RAM X-Grip/Suction Cup Phone Mount (P/N RAM-HOL-UN7BU, RAM-B-201U-C, RAP-B-224-2U). The dash mat was hard to track down but fits well minus the velcro pads which adhese poorly (as all dash mat adhesive does). There's not much to say about the phone mount; RAM Mounts is pricey as they're modular but their products work extremely well.

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R.M. Williams Rubber Floor Mats - Black in the front and Road Gear Rubber Deep Dish Floor Mats - Black in the rear. I want to get some Sandgrabba floor mats but they are too expensive right now. The front mats fit well but the rear mats slide everywhere on the vinyl which is hazardous for rear passengers who assume they have solid footing.

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Seat Belt Covers 'cause I came back from Mount Coree with a nasty scar that made it look like I'd gotten glassed in the neck. It was mainly from craning my neck over on the Gentle Annie Trail.

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Completed the folding back seat modification for some easily accessible storage space. There's not much to say here except that I get a horrendous noise when someone sits in the back and this is going to make it a cinch to fix that. I plan to add netting here to hold gear taut against the seat.

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Genuine Toyota Grip Assists and Grip Sub-Assembly (P/N 74611-0K040-B0, 74603-0K020-B0, 90159-60353) 'cause lowly SR buyers don't take passengers apparently. I'm pretty peeved that they don't come with covers for the screws. Also, those plastic screws (if you can call them screws) that occupy the holes in the cab are a nightmare to remove.

EDIT: note that I have received the wrong part for the rear despite the part numbers being correct.

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Billet Race Craft (BRC) Quad Breather Kit but I've only installed the front and rear differential hose. I still need to source a push-in fitting for the breather above the bell housing and I'm not confident on installing the remaining breathers (transfer case and gearbox [whichever isn't the breather above the bell housing], fuel tank, etc.). They'll go in eventually though.

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While I bought the boring gear and completed the cheap modifications that I could, the car racked up a few thousand kilometres:

Wombeyan Caves:
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Revisiting Newnes:
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Ascending Mount Coree where a 'roo decided to give the car its first scar with me when it jumped into my passenger door instead of the bullbar.
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Winter and a few other extenuating circumstances meant taking a small break from camping and kicked me into savings mode, the fruits of which you will see in my next post...
Last edited by apSlain on Mon, 03 Aug 2020 9:04 +0000, edited 14 times in total.
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Re: Slain's Overlander

Postby TOYZX on Sat, 10 Oct 2015 5:46 +0000

Keep up the good work mate. Beautiful country up there, was in the brindies for the long weekend. Was amazed to see some of the vehicles people try and get around in up there, saw some half wit on mt coree (couldn't get up the last snotty bit!) On a Harley Davidson with knobbies on it!
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Re: Slain's Overlander - Lift & Tyres!

Postby apSlain on Sat, 10 Oct 2015 5:59 +0000

Some months of saving later and a nice payrise from work allowed me to accelerate some plans I had for the 'Lux - namely, a lift and some tread!

After a few interactions with Brendan from The Ultimate Suspension about legalities and precautions (didn't want to worry about rubbing, engineering concerns, etc.) I booked the car in for a two inch lift, upper control arm upgrade to SuperPro Adjustable Arms, and Braided Brake Lines. Prior to that, I needed to source some new tyres and wheels. I decided on 265/75R16 Cooper S/T MAXX - an aggressive all-terrain - and some steel wheels in a positive twenty offset. I was pretty easy on the wheel choice so I left it with the tyre shop who use Gecko Wheels.

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I bought some 160mm * 40mm Utemart Fender Flares to keep the tyres from protruding but I'm still working on those as they're fitting poorly in the rear. I also installed Marks 4WD Digital Speedo Corrector (P/N MFK2800U) to keep the speedometer in check. I don't think it's needed as the speedometer reads close to true with 265/75R16 tyres but I like the peace of mind as I want to be a little under.

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The car then went in for the lift. The Ultimate Suspension also organised the tyres to be fitted during the wheel alignment so a huge thanks to them for going above and beyond.

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It has made a huge difference to the car, and all for the better. I have a few homemade ramps and we threw it up there on full-lock and there was some great clearance and no rub anywhere. The alignment does pull slightly left at the moment but that may be a tyre pressure issue. The only downside is that the height change brings out that 'roo dent in the passenger door a lot more :cry: I also need to source some tapered black wheel nuts and black out the centre caps to complete the look.

The stock mudflaps leave about an inch to be covered on the outside of the tyre so I bought some aftermarket flaps from Utemart to make up the difference. Alas, I lost height in the flaps in the changeover so I'll have to change these out again.

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I then decided to mount the spare which was a problem. While the towbar that was pre-installed is great for four-wheeling as it doesn't detract from the departure angle too much, it also cuts the amount of space you have for a spare. As a result, my 32" rubs on it when jacked all the way up.

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And that's where the car is at now. It's going in for its first service on Wednesday where a snorkel and bonnet protector should be installed. I'm calming down on the modifications until the New Year as, alas, I have to be a responsible adult.

In any case, on top of my list to change out is the head unit to something that supports bluetooth, doesn't have navigation, and is compatible with a reversing camera. I'm also after a dash cam and some rear speakers. If you have any suggestions here, feel free to share :)

I will hopefully have another entry to the log on Wednesday.
Last edited by apSlain on Fri, 23 Oct 2015 5:12 +0000, edited 2 times in total.
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Re: Slain's Overlander

Postby apSlain on Sat, 10 Oct 2015 6:01 +0000

TOYZX wrote:Keep up the good work mate. Beautiful country up there, was in the brindies for the long weekend. Was amazed to see some of the vehicles people try and get around in up there, saw some half wit on mt coree (couldn't get up the last snotty bit!) On a Harley Davidson with knobbies on it!

Hahaha, that would've been a good sight. Really love the Mount Coree area; it's one of my favourite spots (tied with Kosciuzsko) and one to revisit. I might explore the Brindies a bit more next time as we didn't have enough time to explore it last time.
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Re: Slain's Overlander

Postby TOYZX on Sat, 10 Oct 2015 7:42 +0000

Yeah we did a fair bit of driving over the weekend and I don't think there were many tracks we didn't do, wasn't as technical as I'd hoped but was still good fun. The track to get down to camp was probably the best track there.
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Re: Slain's Overlander

Postby apSlain on Wed, 14 Oct 2015 5:49 +0000

I got the vehicle serviced for the first time since owning it today. They didn't mention any problems to me so the vehicle seems in good condition. The dealership also ordered in the injector recall kit for the car which should get me by until I get a chance to replace my old injectors for some from Baileys Diesel Group.

Alas, it's all downhill from there. Even after confirming twice over the phone and once face-to-face that the dealership could install my DENSO snorkel during the service day, they turned around and said they couldn't do it. They also did not install the bonnet protector that I supplied as requested, even after confirming with them three times over that they would be able to despite the '07 Recall for the bonnet. They didn't even mention it when I got my keys back. They just waited for me to discover the part sitting in the front seat, still not installed, but clearly rummaged through.

I also discovered that I received the wrong part for the grip handles in the rear of the vehicle. I went back to the supplier who said they'll order the correct part in to compare and "see what [they] can do". No wonder why people avoid dealership servicing and go for aftermarket parts.

I've booked the car in with another dealership which is certain that they can do the installations. Maybe I'll have more luck next Tuesday arvo.
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Re: Slain's Overlander - Snorkel & Bonnet Protector!

Postby apSlain on Fri, 23 Oct 2015 5:31 +0000

I've fixed the size of the images so they fit within the forum post width :)

Work pulled a fast one on me on Tuesday and spoilt my installation plans so I rescheduled the job for Friday. Clintons Toyota was very accomodating with the change and so she went in this morning for more accessories.

I supplied the parts - a Genuine Toyota Bonnet Protector (P/N PZQ15-89070) and a DENSO Snorkel (Ram Head) (P/N TA0142900230DD) - and they supplied the labour.

As I've mentioned before, I had issues getting these parts installed at numerous other dealers who couldn't install the parts despite promising me they could. The snorkel, well, they must've just outright forgot that they don't install snorkels (funny how they figure that out after I book the service) and the bonnet protector, they just couldn't be arsed with considering they didn't even mention not installing it post-service.

Thankfully, ol' mate Clintons came through.

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I can't see what surface protection they've done to the cut areas but I'm impressed with the work. The snorkel doesn't move an inch and they managed to remove the splash guard without fouling the Utemart flare. They even installed a little plate of sorts to better accomodate where the flare screws to the grommet. Absolutely stoked.

The bonnet protector is lined up very well too. My only gripe is that there are some swarfs in the reinforcement plate where they had to drill but I can forgive that :lol: I'll admit, the protector is just for aesthetics. I'd like to match it up with a Satoshi-styled grille.

They also completed the injector nozzle seat recall for me.

I don't know what's coming next but I'm going to need a bit of time to swoon over the snorkel, haha.
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Re: Slain's Overlander - Vibration?

Postby apSlain on Mon, 26 Oct 2015 9:36 +0000

Took a trip to Blacksmiths Beach this weekend. A few wrong lines got me stuck but I managed to get out without needing to get recovered.

Unfortunately, after airing the tyres back up on the departure, a vibration has developed at speed which you can feel through the steering wheel. Keeping the car straight isn't an issue but it's definitely less comfortable in the cab. Would incorrect tyre pressures be the culprit here? They were aired to 40 PSI all 'round prior to the beach and I opted to let them down a little more (34 PSI in the rear due to being empty almost always, 38 PSI up front).

I've done a search on the forum and found a few common resolutions to vibration issues. Here's hoping the logical answer is the right one as the only variable that changed was the tyre pressure before and after the beach.

EDIT: it was the tyre pressures. While the ARB gauge read 34/38, the servo was reading 28/32. Back up to 40 all 'round and we're sweet.

EDIT 2: it wasn't the tyre pressures. Got a balance and alignment done and we're sweet after a week of ensuring all is actually fixed.
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Re: Slain's Overlander - Trips & A Head Unit!

Postby apSlain on Fri, 26 Feb 2016 6:54 +0000

It's been awhile since I've updated this but that's 'cause nothing much has happened to the 'Lux. 'cause of financial reasons, of course. Bit of an essay ahead.

In terms of trips, not much action happened there either. I took a few mates to Newnes for their first camping experience; it definitely could've been smoother but they seem eager for a second. The main attactions were The Glow Worm Tunnel and The Lost City. We use HERE Maps for our off-road navigation and I actually wanted to take the easy way to The Lost City but alas, HERE Maps intended differently.

From the Newnes camping area, we headed back down Wolgan Rd. As you pass Angus Place Colliery (https://goo.gl/maps/deAXBgDCa6D2) you'll be asked to turn left into what looks like an illegal road (something to do with coal I believe - you'll see the signage). Cross the road and follow the fencing on the left and you'll end up on Angus Fire Trail - which I don't believe is an illegal road - which merges into Beecroft Fire Trail. Being only one car with a bunch of first-timers with me I wasn't too confident on this trail but we made it through.

Gotta thank The Ultimate Suspension here - I was amazed at the rear articulation the lift had given me. I had to get one of the first-timers to spot me through but he did a good job (except he kept standing in front of the bloody car!). The track itself is gnarly and I did experience a bit of a slide on one obstacle but the 'Lux got through unscathed. I knew what to expect as I've been on the track once before which helped bolster confidence.

Our first big obstacle was a technical hill with a lot of dips that I just wasn't keen on taking. Thankfully, a convoy was already at the bottom of the hill attempting it. I watched them have a go and whilst they all made it up, I still wasn't keen on heading down it as they were kitted out far better than I. A chicken track was to the right and after some advice from the convoy, I took it. My concern was that the chicken track was loose soil, and it required a sharp left to avoid hitting a tree. There was plenty traction though so my concerns were unfounded.

The second obstacle was a fallen tree in the track. This must've been here for awhile as there was a nice loop around it that had been well travelled.

The third obstacle was a ridiculous decline that I wasn't going to take a chance on. Fortunately, doubling back revealed a nice chicken track that led into Sunnyside Ridge Rd and to The Lost City. I can't share HERE Maps routes but here's a screenshot of the way in (it's probably a known track but I know a few people have missed it - it's a nice shortcut to get into The Lost City area instead of going all the way 'round). You can see right at the end the two off-shoot tracks linking Beecroft Trail and Sunnyside Ridge Rd that avoid taking that last technical decline.

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I also lost my front number plate on the trip - not sure where though! I think it was the small water crossing over to the Newnes Ruins that stripped it? Anyway, I ended up back at Lithgow with another group of friends for New Years and showed them the same attractions. I may as well become a tour guide for the area!

In terms of modifications, I received and installed these items over the past fortnight:

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  • Kenwood DDX5015DAB - Audiovisual Receiver
  • Kenwood KCA-WL100 - HDMI WiFi Adapter
  • Kenwood CMOS-230 - Reversing Camera
Went with the Kenwood for two reasons - one, it was on special and two, the wireless air mirroring. Essentially, it'll let you mirror whatever's on your phone exactly to the head unit. To make my life easier, I also got these items:

  • Aerpro Toyota ISO Harness (APP0141)
  • Aerpro Kenwood to ISO Harness (APP8KE2)
  • Aerpro Toyota Facia Kit (ATB2)
Here's how it looks:

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Installation was straightforward after some research on the forum. I did get an autoelectrian to wire up the adapter and camera though. I wasn't confident on the space I had to work with. The hardest part is not losing one of the screws for the radio brackets. Also, I can confirm that grounding the parking brake wire will give you access to all features while driving (video playback and removal of application restrictions from air mirroing).

A few recommendations: a good spot for the external microphone is clipped to the top of the A-Pillar. I'd also recommend running an AUX from the back of the unit to the glove box (along with the attached USB extension) for easy access.

I'm happy with the unit in general though I feel radio reception is slightly worse. The air mirroring is a finnicky to get working but I drove home tonight using it the whole trip and it worked a treat. My phone was navigating with Waze and playing music with Google Play Music and it didn't hiccup on the display but you can tell there is a connection issue as your music will stutter just a little every now and then. Nothing to really rage about.

Now, controlling your phone is another issue. Swiping is difficult, and the screen calibration is just off. As such, you can't scroll through Facebook while driving for example (not that you should). You need to be a little forceful with your finger gestures and taps on the head unit for it to properly register where you're tapping or swiping. If you tap the head unit as you would your phone, it'll register a tap in the vicinity of where you tapped. I found forceful presses much more effective.

I can't tell you much on the reversing camera as I still need to run it to the back of the 'Lux but I can tell you that this head unit allows you to view the camera on-demand. You wire the reverse wire to the head unit itself, not the camera, for on-demand viewing. However, the only way to view it on-demand is to set your hold-TEL command to R-CAM.

My major gripe with this though is sun glare. You cannot see the head unit AT ALL when the sun's out. I've seen some makeshift solutions from the forum - love 'em! - but I wanted something a tad more OEM-looking so I bought one of these today. Admittedly, I don't expect it to work well at all but I thought I'd bite the bullet. This is a car fault, not the product's fault.

So, that's where I'm at. If you made it to the end, thanks for reading :D
Last edited by apSlain on Wed, 30 Mar 2016 12:59 +0000, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Slain's Overlander - Reversing Camera

Postby apSlain on Sat, 27 Feb 2016 5:44 +0000

Alright, so I hooked up the reversing camera today. See my previous post for the bundle details.

It really took a lot longer than it should have. Rather than rehash previous explanations, I'll link you to lais817's guide on how he did it as this is essentially what I did ('cept mine hooked into the head unit rather than replace the reversing mirror).

I was going to feed it into the chassis rail but the corrugated tubing I had made it an absolute nightmare. I followed some factory corrugated tubing then crossed over to the driver side of the car via the rail over the spare tyre as I fed too much cable through the grommet. I secured everything with cable ties.

My camera is mounted off-centre - on the passenger side - as to not foul the little gap to let the spare tyre down. It's secured with the double-sided tape provided by Kenwood and a pop-rivet.

Overall, the job was a nightmare but hey, I wasn't doing anything today regardless. Just gave the camera a go as the sun went down and the night vision is pretty good. I thought the number plate lights would render it blind but it just illuminated my towbar which is a win. If night vision becomes problematic, I'm just gonna get the brightest bulbs I can find to replace my reverse lights.
Last edited by apSlain on Wed, 30 Mar 2016 1:00 +0000, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Slain's Overlander - Servicing, The Hunter, and Mods

Postby apSlain on Fri, 25 Mar 2016 8:10 +0000

The car ticked over 110,000km at the start of the month which, by the servicing book, meant the timing belt service. As per recommendations on the forum I had the timing belt, idler, tensioner, water pump, camshaft seal, and crankshaft seal all replaced during the service. I also had all oils flushed and replenished. Yes, the service cost me an arm and a leg :cry: My poor ELocker fund...

The next Friday I went on a camping trip to the Hunter region to give my mate's brand new Isuzu D-Max a run. We didn't do anything difficult on the trip though we did traverse Howes Trail.

Our biggest challenge came from atop Pokolbin Mountains Road. We were recommended the lookout by a friendly bloke at a holiday park so we decided to take a peek. It's a narrow road with blind corners so do beware as you're driving up. As we got to the top (which offered a gorgeous view of the area) I noticed that a lot of cars had been turning back.

The looping track down - Mount Bright Road - hadn't been traversed in awhile. It was rough and required 4L to keep speed in check on the descent. The biggest worries are a deadly looking log that you need to get around in a narrow space and ensuring that the grass in the centre of the trail doesn't get caught underneath your car as it had grown high. My mate immediately regretted bring his new car down the trail but got through unscathed.

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As for today, I completed two minor changes to the car.

First, my RAM mount. I love it but it's a suction-based and not reliable (even though it's the best suction-based mount I've used). I wanted to mount it to the A-Pillar via the grab handle screw (similar to this kit). The Tacoma crew in America already had this idea and I borrowed their instructions with slight changes for the 'Lux.

The instructions in the link above work but I'd recommend a 70mm screw (at least 30mm thread) with a socket head cap (used an 80mm screw with a flat head cap as that's what I had), one flat washer, three nuts, and four spring washers. This is to ensure that the ball clears the grip handle far enough to fit the clamp and to ensure you can mount the phone somewhere that doesn't create a blind spot or compromise your steering. I took a file to the RAM short arm (RAM-B-201U-A) so that I could angle the X-Grip (RAM-HOL-UN7BU) how I wanted.

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If you can find some sort of M8-to-M6 non-threaded sleeve that'd make things nice and snug. I put heatshrink over the nuts and washers 'cause I wanted it to look neater.

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The other thing I did was install Newpro-Tech's interior lights (36 SMD LED Light Panel). I recommend that you remove the interior light enclosure because it makes life easier. Take off the cover then remove the two black screws from the enclosure. It'll come loose from the roof. Remove the enclosure from the white clip and work from there.

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As you can see, it's quite bright, haha.

It was a productive day with some smaller modifications but hey, a mod's a mod!
Last edited by apSlain on Mon, 22 Aug 2016 8:16 +0000, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Slain's Overlander

Postby LocalFart on Tue, 29 Mar 2016 12:54 +0000

Great write up mate :) *thumbs up*
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Re: Slain's Overlander

Postby Caleebra on Tue, 29 Mar 2016 11:32 +0000

Car looks great!
I did the same as you with the interior light on my xcab, was able to see underneath my seat with out a headlight! :D

Keep up the good work! :)
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Re: Slain's Overlander - Maintenace & Vanity

Postby apSlain on Sun, 22 May 2016 4:05 +0000

Thanks for your kind comments :)

Alas, being young and sort of broke, the 'Lux hasn't seen too many changes since March but that doesn't mean it hasn't been worked on.

Following some excellent guides from the returning boxhead55, I've cleaned out the MAF Sensor and MAP Filter. The MAF Sensor wasn't too bad - or rather, you couldn't really tell the state of it unless you've got some bug-inherited eyes. The MAP Filter, however...man, the amount of gunk that came out of that little thing was disgusting. These are some very easy maintenance items that I'd recommend doing. CRC Mass Air Flow Sensor Cleaner was used for the MAF Sensor, and CRC Throttle Body & Air Intake Cleaner for the MAP Filter.

Here's the MAF Sensor. Just unscrew those two screws, lift, and unclip.
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Here's the MAP Filter. Take it off its harness there, and pull those two hoses off.
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For instructions, click the links above. More technical minds have covered this far better than I could.

My new head unit has been a great addition to the vehicle but I couldn't use it very well in the sun. I decided to bite the bullet and buy a visor for it from Thailand that was suited to both HiLux's and Fortuner's. It's secured to the dash with double-sided tape.

The visor plus the dodgy installation.
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I honestly had little faith in the thing and thought it was money wasted but it's been pretty damn good! I installed it in early April and it's stayed solid since. It does vibrate a little when you're far too low in the rev range but other than that, no issues. For anyone buying one, I recommend a little bit of rubber at the corners just to prevent it scratching the dash. I don't know how it goes off-road yet as I haven't hit an intense track in awhile ( :( ).

Next up, a High Performance Diesel (HPD) Catch Can (OCC-B-THD4D-1). I'm a little cut that I purchased this just before Baileys Diesel Group (BDG) announced that their variant was coming but that's not a shot at HPD; this thing is quality although it looks a little too clean in the engine bay, haha. Installation was simple enough though getting one of the hoses on was a freakin' chore.

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Other changes I've made but haven't got pictures of:
  • Breathers have been relocated to the passenger side of the engine bay. The hoses have been changed to Festo, the fittings have been changed to Festo, and the breather behind the bell housing (either gearbox or transfer case) has been routed up.
  • My broken tail light has been replaced with Newpro-Tech 3D LED/CCFL Rear Tail Lights (Red) (the animation is of the smoked variant, not red) with Newpro-Tech 30W Super Bright Reverse LED Light Bulbs.
  • Added a genuine Sun Visor Organisor to the vehicle (PZ081-00014). I don't know why...
And other miscellaneous developments:
  • Had the suspension checked over by The Ultimate Suspension and it was all good. Again, fantastic service by the crew there - best company I have ever dealt with.
  • Wheels have been rebalanced, realigned, and rotated. Ended up losing two of my four centre caps due to this though - they weren't properly reinstalled.
  • I had to rethread my intercooler with helicoils after finding that Toyota had stripped the thread. I only found out when I noticed some oil on the rocker cover which was vapour seeping from the air intake connector.
  • Toyota also did not bleed my coolant which had me perplexed as to why my coolant kept dropping. Again, excellent forum instructions came into play.
So yeah, not much luck with Toyota...

Trip-wise, I camped out at Wiseman's Ferry. Not much to do there in terms of off-roading but it was a nice getaway. Had absolutely atrocious camp-neighbours though. Not going to rant about them again but the sheer disrespect for other campers in the area was unbelievable. They woke up and had a puncture in their tyre though so I don't know if someone decided on vigilante justice or if karma decided to strike.

Well, that's my update. I've got a few items sitting here at home to install so another entry may come soon. Thanks for reading :)
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Re: Slain's Overlander

Postby TOYZX on Sun, 22 May 2016 4:39 +0000

Nice one mate.

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Re: Slain's Overlander

Postby apSlain on Sat, 11 Jun 2016 5:56 +0000

A quick little update on my 'Lux.

I made the trek down to Baileys Diesel Group about a fortnight ago for a diagnostic and clean of the usual suspects. The diagnostic returned that my injectors aren't in the greatest of shapes so the clean wasn't completed. It's about right on time, too. I believe most of our resident forum mechanics are calling for the injectors to be replaced at 120,000km and when the diagnostic was carried out, my 'Lux had just ticked over 121,000km. So, I've booked the car in for a swap of the injectors amongst other items. That'll be coming toward the end of the month.

In the meantime, I carried out my first oil change on the car today which took longer than it should've. Removing the bash plates is a chore and mine are pretty beat up so just aligning the screws is nightmarish. Further, getting the oil filter off is another difficulty without the right/optimal tools i.e. a socket-type tool. We managed to get it with a strap-type tool but it was a pain. Managed to save the concrete but the crossmember below the sump is lathered in oil. What a stupid design...

The good news, though, is that the screen is nice and clean! I've been getting a little concerned due to white smoke during start-up the past few weeks but I'm certain it's condensation from the cool winter's morning. Regardless, injectors will be done soon.

Not sure what was in the car previously as Toyota had completed the service prior but I've put in Penrite HPR Diesel 15 15W-50 (Semi Synthetic) oil with a Ryco Z418 filter. I also chucked on a Fumoto Valve (F103N) for future mess prevention. Took the car for a spin and all seemed well.

In terms of trips, a mate and I camped out at Megalong Valley for a night on the weekend of the rains and floods. Great little spot though it is a bit of a drive to get down there and you're passing through numerous private properties. Insane fog, too! We stayed at Dunphy's Camping Area.

So yeah, not much of an update but the little things are what keeps the car kickin'.
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Re: Slain's Overlander - Injectors

Postby apSlain on Sun, 10 Jul 2016 10:24 +0000

It's been a month since my last addition to this log o' mine so I guess another entry is in order.

The 'Lux had a bit of surgery toward the end of June at Baileys Diesel Group (BDG). As previously mentioned, I had a diagnostic done by them which confirmed my injectors were in poor shape. I made the process harder on myself by insisting on making the trek from Western Sydney down to the south for the swap but quotes I got up in Sydney were ridiculous compared to what BDG had quoted. Also, there's no greater comfort than getting it done by one of the more renowned specialists in the field.

While BDG were in the guts of the 'Lux, I had the following items installed/items replaced/work done:
  • BDG 1KD-FTV Euro4 Injectors + Fitting Kit items (tappet cover, inlet seals, solenoid seals, leak off washers)
  • BDG 1KD-FTV Euro4 Fuel Lines
  • Suction Control Valve
  • 1KD-FTV Fuel Filter
  • Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) Valve and Inlet Manifold Clean
A bit on the service BDG provided: they were fantastic from start to finish. From courtesy calls just to confirm the work on the car to little things like resetting the trip meter to track their kilometres travelled on the car since having it in the shop, I couldn't fault anything. Even the documents provided after the completion of the work were nice and professional.

As for the car itself: wow. I thought I wasn't experiencing the signs of injector wear but from the next cold morning onwards, I immediately noticed that the loud rattling during acceleration had been completely removed. There was a bit more immediate power later in the rev-range. The engine ran a little quieter, and the hard vibration I experienced after a good high speed run were removed. You're not going to experience mind-shattering gains from this work, but you do gain a more resilient vehicle and peace-of-mind. I no longer mute my radio trying to pin-point foreign noises.

Beyond that, I did some personal work on the car that needs a bit of neatening up. A Street Guardian SG9665GC dash camera has been installed and I've put in a mount for my Uniden UH076SX-NB UHF Handheld. I'd chuck up a photo but they still need a bit of work.

I've got a lot of back-logged work that needs to be done to the car - some of which just need to be installed, some of which need to be purchased. It's just about when I can find the time to do it all :lol:
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Re: Slain's Overlander

Postby lenqt on Mon, 11 Jul 2016 7:16 +0000

Very detailed and great pictures mate looks like a different car with that lift and tread
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Re: Slain's Overlander

Postby apSlain on Sat, 13 Aug 2016 10:17 +0000

lenqt wrote:Very detailed and great pictures mate looks like a different car with that lift and tread

Cheers lenqt. It really is a different car with the lift and tread - for the better, too. But I guess that also depends on the purpose of the vehicle.

Not really an update, but here's what an HPD Oil Catch Can looks like after a few months (three, four?) of sitting in the car. It's been in there since late April/early May. The 'Lux ('06) has 126,200km on it.

Image
Image

Furthermore, I've been tracking my fuel usage since the work done by BDG and I'm looking at 640km on average before getting the fuel light, with 10L still in the tank. I'd say overall, if I was running the tank empty, I'd get about 730km? Wouldn't risk it though :lol:
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Re: Slain's Overlander

Postby lerroy on Sat, 11 Nov 2017 3:37 +0000

Ha that visor is a good idea, the sun on the head unit drives me nuts

great build keep up the good work, love all the detail.
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