What are you doing to your VX this week?

[Triathlete]

Or you can just go to autozone or the likes and borrow a puller (u shaped with a bolt in the center). I beat the s#&@ out of my lower and it would not budge. Luckily I was replacing it because it would not have been reusable. Went and borrowed the puller from autozone and it took less than 3 minutes. When it "popped" it was like a firecracker went off...as a matter of fact I thought the tool had broke or something. It was in there good!

[pbkid]

ok I hate to be that guy because I loved my vx to the moon and back but this thread really makes me happy to have a toyota. Parts galore. I just tore one of my ball joint boots replacing my front end. $20 out of a junkyard.

[Ebenezr]

Thanks. I will try that method. I have been removing the 4 lower ball joint bolts in its bracket then flip the whole assembly upward to remove cv's. I stripped a bolt when reattaching last week.

[tom4bren]

The threaded shaft on the ball joint is fairly soft material. I booger'd mine slightly when I was trying to get mine to release. It was still useable though.

When I was working on CSTYLES later on, we completely destroyed his. Luckly he was able to locate a replacement Center Link. He later took it over to a buddy of his just to see what it would take to get it apart. After torching it & pounding on it with a 3lbs mallet ... still wouldn't budge. By this time, the shaft had been cut off flush with the flange. They were finally able to press it out with a large press.

The bottom line is that it's a poor design for maintenance. The shaft is actually conical ... that part's normal. But the angle on the cone is too shallow ... that's the design flaw. I saw this before on a bracket we were making to mount a Thermal Imager on the MK-19. If that angle is too shallow, it only takes a small amount of force to get it wedged in there permanent like.

After saying all that, I really only have 3 points to make:

1. Do NOT use a ball joint fork. That tool will only work when you really don't need it anyway (could've gotten it apart by other means). It WILL destroy the boot which is hard to replace. Isuzu only sells them as part of the center link.

2. If you are trying to break the ball joints, remove the cotter pin and the castle nut, then put the castle nut back on upside down & thread it on until the shaft is even with the base of the castle nut. This will protect the threads and the cotter pin hole. It will also give you a larger area for pressing/pounding.

3. If/when you get it apart, apply some anti-sieze to the shaft during reassembly. You can pick it up at hardware stores or at Radio Shack. It'll keep you from fighting that battle again if you need to break that ball joint again. If you can't find anti-sieze, lemme know. I've got a big bottle (6 lifetime supplies) at home & will happily send you a small amount.

Tom

[Mile High VX]

Changed the oil, filter, and PCV valve. Lube the window tracks and top off all the fluids.

Got my blanks from Marlin and filled in the open space on the three switch bezel that houses my fog/driving light switch

Gave her a quick wash and replaced my 3.5L emblem that was wearing thin...

Over the weekend I'll be working on adding a rear dome light to the VX...can't wait...more wiring!

[VX KAT]

Changed the oil, filter, and PCV valve.

What brand of PCV valve are you using these days?

What other brands are you all using?

Don't have much confidence in Purolator 1061 any more since they changed the design, just a feeling, can't prove anything.

[Mile High VX]

What brand of PCV valve are you using these days?

What other brands are you all using?

Don't have much confidence in Purolator 1061 any more since they changed the design, just a feeling, can't prove anything.

It's a Microguard brand. Part number is 384. I pick it up when I buy the Wix filter at my local O'Reilley's auto parts store. It's my second one and the one I pulled today rattled and sounded just the new one I put in. It's plastic and the base is blue and the upper portion is black/dark brown...hope that helps. I don't use any oil so I'm calling it good to use.

[VX KAT]

It's a Microguard brand. Part number is 384. I pick it up when I buy the Wix filter at my local O'Reilley's auto parts store. It's my second one and the one I pulled today rattled and sounded just the new one I put in. It's plastic and the base is blue and the upper portion is black/dark brown...hope that helps. I don't use any oil so I'm calling it good to use.

The old Purolator PV1061 looked like this:
http://shop.advanceautoparts.com/1/1...rt-pv1061.html

The revised Purolator is now blue/brown. This is a "Fram", but it looks just like the Purolator and it says it fits the VX...probably sourced from the same supplier/manufacturer.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Fram-...#ht_1475wt_931

Interesting....on the Purolator site, they ONLY show the older black style...wonder if they've gone back to it?

I think I'll try a Microguard....my Purolators don't sound the same as new when I remove them. But I only use some oil when on prolonged/high rev highway driving 8+ hrs.

[Triathlete]

I've replaced my pvc valve once in 80,000+ miles and still burn zero oil!
Maybe I'll splurge and replace it again...


...at 200,000!

[vt_maverick]

I've replaced my pvc valve once in 80,000+ miles and still burn zero oil!
Maybe I'll splurge and replace it again...


...at 200,000!

+1, not as many miles though. Bought it at 24K and haven't replaced the PVC valve yet at 65K+ (unless the garage did it at one of the factory maintenance intervals). There's a lot to read on here about replacing it, but from my experience I just don't see what the big deal is.

[Mile High VX]

+1, not as many miles though. Bought it at 24K and haven't replaced the PVC valve yet at 65K+ (unless the garage did it at one of the factory maintenance intervals). There's a lot to read on here about replacing it, but from my experience I just don't see what the big deal is.

This is my second one (hey second oil change for me) and I did it just from reading the post.

I'll not be replacing it with every oil change unless something happens to change my mind...like starting to use some oil.

[VX KAT]

I'd read so many folks found that it had stuck open and allowed oil to be sucked out. It is intimidating when you remove the old one and it doesn't rattle much or at all...they say that means it's not functioning correctly. I guess I just look at it as cheap insurance. But then again, I wasn't using any oil when I removed malfunctioning ones.... so maybe it's a hit or miss thing?

[vt_maverick]

Doesn't a faulty PCV throw a CEL or engine code? Is leaking oil the only sign you'd ever get that your PCV had gone bad?

[Mile High VX]

added to the cargo area of the VX...

Just a little trimming to do tomorrow to make it square with the front one.

[Marlin]

Hey, that came out pretty good! What are you gonna do with the smaller light?