My Official OM617 Toyota Pickup Repower Thread

[OM617YOTA]

Originally Posted by JB3

I just had this same experience at one of those truck highway diesel pumps, where the island is 500 yards from the building. Guy turned off the pump, walked way over there to get it turned on, came back out to a mouthy trucker asking why I was blocking the pump.

We both need to install diesel badging

Holy cow, you walked over 1/4 mile one way just to have them turn the pump back on? 1/2 mile total? I'd have called them from the pump and it wouldn't have been polite.

Maybe I'm just being stubborn. I'm not going out of my way to procure and install diesel badging just to suit people who weren't paying attention anyway. It's straight piped, pretty obvious from the sound that it's a diesel. I know there are a lot of idiots in the world, and I definitely have my moments, but I'll just go to fuel stations where they assume I know what my truck burns and what pump I'm pulling up to.

[JB3]

Originally Posted by OM617YOTA

Holy cow, you walked over 1/4 mile one way just to have them turn the pump back on? 1/2 mile total? I'd have called them from the pump and it wouldn't have been polite.

Maybe I'm just being stubborn. I'm not going out of my way to procure and install diesel badging just to suit people who weren't paying attention anyway. It's straight piped, pretty obvious from the sound that it's a diesel. I know there are a lot of idiots in the world, and I definitely have my moments, but I'll just go to fuel stations where they assume I know what my truck burns and what pump I'm pulling up to.

don't know if it was that far, but it was definitely a decent walk from the distant truck pumps. Now that you put 500 yards in perspective, I doubt it was that far.

Was about 6 tractor trailer lengths or so. Busy place too, trucks backed up trying to use the pumps.

Though when the next in line saw that my van was diesel, he chilled out, came over to chat. Suddenly I went from a idiotic nimrod blocking the only diesel pump with my lunchbox shaped vehicle, to one of the boys ready to chat diesel and its virtues.
Plus I guess he was excited that he only had to wait for a 25 gallon tank to be filled vs 500 gallons

[OM617YOTA]

That's pretty cool! Glad everything calmed down.

Guess I'm just a bit irritable today. Mondays do that to me.

[mach4]

Originally Posted by JB3

We both need to install diesel badging

I made sure I got mine on right away as soon as the swap was done - both front and rear.





Never had a problem on any road trip, but normally use the car/light truck or RV pumps at the likes of FlyingJ, Love's, Pilot or similar high volume fuel vendors.

[Stretch]

Originally Posted by OM617YOTA

Holy cow, you walked over 1/4 mile one way just to have them turn the pump back on? 1/2 mile total? I'd have called them from the pump and it wouldn't have been polite.

Maybe I'm just being stubborn. I'm not going out of my way to procure and install diesel badging just to suit people who weren't paying attention anyway. It's straight piped, pretty obvious from the sound that it's a diesel. I know there are a lot of idiots in the world, and I definitely have my moments, but I'll just go to fuel stations where they assume I know what my truck burns and what pump I'm pulling up to.

Around here you are likely to get bashed by environmentalists for having a diesel - you are better off being one step ahead and put up a biodiesel sign with lots of butterflies on it. You've got to keep one step ahead of the buggers even if you do use dino...

[OM617YOTA]

If I lived in Portland or Seattle, I'd have that problem too. In a farming community outside Salem, I'm good to go.

I did have a lady in a Prius with "Flower Power" and "No Plug Required" and a few political bumper stickers(I'm sure plenty can guess which way she leaned) on her car ask why I felt the need for a stinky diesel truck when a little commuter car would get me around just fine. I said getting ME around isn't the problem, and asked how many cords of firewood her Prius would haul. She got a sour look on her face. Not sure if it's because I put her in her place or because I (gasp!) burn wood to heat my home.

[JB3]

the reality is you have taken a older reliable low maintenance engine you saved out of a 30 year old car that will last an incredibly long time, and repowered your vehicle with it.

She has jumped on the band wagon, swallowed car company environmental propaganda whole about how great her hybrid is, and probably has no idea of the environmental impact of battery maintenance, and other complex features of her car.
It has been my experience that people are surprisingly uninformed about total impact of a vehicle including manufacturing processes and rare materials, not just their economy and stickers.

Meanwhile, you can start your truck with one battery, remove it, and use it for something else while the engine continues to run. Your truck in current form given regular maintenance will last a lot longer than her much more susceptible to age newer hybrid.

Not that I don't like the prius, I think its a spectacular idea and design, and I like the latest body style as well, but I am bothered by the mentality that seems to overcome owners of them.
South park did it best with the smug factor episode

[Simpler=Better]

Originally Posted by OM617YOTA

If I lived in Portland or Seattle, I'd have that problem too. In a farming community outside Salem, I'm good to go.

I did have a lady in a Prius with "Flower Power" and "No Plug Required" and a few political bumper stickers(I'm sure plenty can guess which way she leaned) on her car ask why I felt the need for a stinky diesel truck when a little commuter car would get me around just fine. I said getting ME around isn't the problem, and asked how many cords of firewood her Prius would haul. She got a sour look on her face. Not sure if it's because I put her in her place or because I (gasp!) burn wood to heat my home.

The vinyl (aka PVC) in her interior, body panels, intake manifold, etc. has a bad rep with the hippies-you should bring that one up too next time you get harassed. It's more than just the fuel consumed by the vehicle

[OM617YOTA]

Yeah, her "no plug required" sticker really summed up both her feelings and her intelligence. Aside from a few PHEV's in Japan and a few custom user hacks here(which all specifically REQUIRE a plug), the Prius is not a hybrid. It is a gas powered vehicle. Period.

Hopped in the truck to head to work this morning. Started like usual. Went to drive away. Whoops, no power steering. Shut her down, hopped in the Mr2, drove that to work.

We have snow on the way. I've driven the Mr2 and GTO in the snow and they do fine, but I have firewood to haul and would really rather be driving my 4x4 if the snow gets more than a few inches deep.

Wish me luck when I get off work! I may be begging someone on the forum for a power steering pump.

[OM617YOTA]

Well, got home, checked PS fluid. Just fine.

Cranked her up. Turned the wheel. Slight jerk and then the power steering works fine. Go figure?

Got the block heater cord ordered, will be here in a couple days. Seriously kicking myself, I've known I needed a block heater for a long time now, and now the closest one is two days away with snow and cold temps coming to our area. Supposed to be 28 deg tonight, 17 deg tomorrow night, and 14 deg the next night. Already bought the dedicated extension cord and a timer. It has started fine at 25 degrees without any block heat, I'm thinking it SHOULD start at 17. Would really prefer to have a block heater and be CERTAIN it will start. I really want to have 4wd when the snow comes. Thanking the diesel gods I swapped to 5w-40.

Going to go ahead and add some anti gel tonight. Might not need it, but by the time I do it's too late.

[ROLLGUY]

Originally Posted by OM617YOTA

Would really prefer to have a block heater and be CERTAIN it will start. I really want to have 4wd when the snow comes. Thanking the diesel gods I swapped to 5w-40.

It is also nice to have heat in the cab right away, which you would not have without a block heater.

[Stretch]

Originally Posted by JB3

...
Not that I don't like the prius, I think its a spectacular idea and design, and I like the latest body style as well...

WTF!

I missed this when it was first posted

Come on JB3 you could design a much better solution than Toyota did for the Prius given their resources - look what you've done to your Astro van on a budget that wouldn't get you much heart trouble at McDonalds. The Prius is a total piece of stooooopid poorly thought out quickly rushed into production bit of crappy hyped up marketing driven ****.

Get real - don't blow smoke up the arses of the undeserving.

[Addicted]

Looks like everything is coming along nicely and you have a few of the last quirks almost worked out. The fact that you can't pump your own fuel in Oregon is also a booger. If I remember correctly you can legally pump your own Diesel though as the law only pertains to gasoline. I may be incorrect in this though.

Glad to hear about the synthetic oil. I had planned on using Delo and I know they have a new synthetic formula but the lighter weight oil might be a good idea for the winter months, if anything help with fuel economy.

My OM617 just got new sleeves pressed in and the crank was on the balancing machine yesterday. Hearing about you driving around your Toyota has me excited to hop in mine soon. If only I could have completed it as fast as you. I think I'm year 5 now?

[OM617YOTA]

Originally Posted by ROLLGUY

It is also nice to have heat in the cab right away, which you would not have without a block heater.

Good point! I've also been thinking about adding a small electric in-cab heater to help with that.

Originally Posted by Stretch

WTF!

I missed this when it was first posted

Come on JB3 you could design a much better solution than Toyota did for the Prius given their resources - look what you've done to your Astro van on a budget that wouldn't get you much heart trouble at McDonalds. The Prius is a total piece of stooooopid poorly thought out quickly rushed into production bit of crappy hyped up marketing driven ****.

Get real - don't blow smoke up the arses of the undeserving.

I have to disagree with you. Toyota designed the Prius perfectly. It wasn't designed to get good economy(people truly interested in economy rarely make a car payment), or to save the world, or to make Jesus love the baby whales, or any of that. It was designed to make money for Toyota. And it does so, by the truck load.

Originally Posted by Addicted

Looks like everything is coming along nicely and you have a few of the last quirks almost worked out. The fact that you can't pump your own fuel in Oregon is also a booger. If I remember correctly you can legally pump your own Diesel though as the law only pertains to gasoline. I may be incorrect in this though.

Glad to hear about the synthetic oil. I had planned on using Delo and I know they have a new synthetic formula but the lighter weight oil might be a good idea for the winter months, if anything help with fuel economy.

My OM617 just got new sleeves pressed in and the crank was on the balancing machine yesterday. Hearing about you driving around your Toyota has me excited to hop in mine soon. If only I could have completed it as fast as you. I think I'm year 5 now?

Thank you! I've pumped my own fuel plenty of times. Not sure about the law, but the station I go to doesn't care if I do. 5w-40 was widely recommended on this forum for helping significantly with cold starts. The engine runs noticeably better when cold.

I think my project took around three years, including installing the "rebuilt" 3.0 gasser and then ripping it back out again. It sucked as an engine but made a dandy boat anchor. I would have greatly liked to start with a rebuilt diesel like you're doing, but mine seems to be doing well. I need to compression test it again, now that I have a decent starter on it. I was lucky to break 250psi before, this starter cranks probably twice as fast. Once the final quirks are ironed out(I still shut her down by sucking on a tube, makes my girlfriend laugh every time) I plan on flat bedding the truck and finding a way to put AC on it. The truck came from the factory with AC, but had to remove the AC compressor from the motor because it couldn't share the same space as the steering box.

[Addicted]

Well I am sure you will have no problem finding a way to mount A/C on the engine. I am replacing mine with a new Sanden pump and it is in the lower left corner where the factory pump was if I remember correctly. It fits very nicely and is much cheaper than worrying about the factory components. I've owned a couple of 3.0's as well to include one I replaced an engine in. May be one of the worst engines that I have ever owned. The V10 TDI is a very close second.

Glad to hear it is getting cold back there though. We are tired of the heat here in Savannah GA. Actually flying home for Christmas this year and the wife's parents moved up to Dayton. I know you said you were near Salem so I'm not sure how far away you are but maybe I'll be able to stop by for a few minutes one day and check out the truck and see how you did and take some pointers. Mine is in Coos Bay and it has been over a year since I have seen it last.

Good luck and get that shutoff fixed. That takes some dedication to have to shut it off every time that way. At least extend the hose into the cab