Project VXOverLand

[MSHardeman]

Didn't see this earlier, but the McGard site has an application finder. Typed our info in and found this: http://www.mcgard.com/product-search...le_category=24
There are a few styles to choose from, but the ones that I bought were part no. 64015 (black bulge cone seat style lug nut set). For the wheel locks I got part no. 24026 (black cone seat wheel lock set with key). I have had these lug nuts and wheel locks on for I can't remember how long (8-years?) and I have been out to Moab with them for at least 6-years so I know they work.

Whichever way you go, if you are using stock rims, you will need cone seat lug nuts/ wheel locks with M12 x 1.5 thread size.

Enjoy!

[Thelgord]

I have been transitioning to noght shift over the last week or so. On Monday I am on nights full time, but only for two weeks then back to day shift. What a PITA.

Anywho, thanks for all the info on the lug nuts! For now I am not running any locking lug, but it is something I will need to buy.

What I did get done was change out both of my blown rear speakers. Nothing fancy, just some 40W speakers from Walmart. This is fine as my little Chinese head unit maxes out at only 25 watts anyway. The real kicker though? The previous owner cut about 3 inches out of the bottom of the metal plate the speaker mounts in on the drivers side. No idea why. There was also a lot of plastic cone shaped things that were obviously cut up by hand just laying behind the panel, and two dried out walnuts. Weird.

[ipd]

I hope the wal-trash speakers last more than 5 years. It's not a function of RMS vs the head unit. It's a function of build materials and a resistance to decay/dry-rot over time. That's why those clarion OEM speakers are crap. Paper cones and foam surrounds will rapidly deteriorate. That's why I went with the Pioneer's.

[Thelgord]

Completely agree. Then again I don’t know this VX has 5 years of life left. I am trying to keep the mechanical part good, no skimping there, so the budget needs shaved elsewhere.

I did, finally, get my switch bezel installed in the lower dash and double USB ports. I put one at each far end and tapped them from the cigarette lighter plug. The only I use it for is to power my satellite radio receiver, only 1.1 amps, the lighter has its own 15 amp fuse so I should be good. I wanted two sets, one on each side, to make it easier for the driver and passenger to access them. I still need to get a switch for my light bar and other items.

[Thelgord]

More updates!

I finally got around to doing the shift shaft seal. What a PITA! Took 2 days and a little blood, but I got it done. I also cleaned out the shift mode controller as it had transmission fluid leaking into it. Shifts are now smooth as butter! It has never driven so well.

The old seal wasn’t even a seal. It was a large glob of gasket maker. Spent a whole day trying to remove a seal that wasn’t there to begin with. I even purchased the seal remover tool and everything. So far no leaks! I hope it stays that way. IF this holds up I can go to Moab for 2019, the 20th anniversary of my VX!

[MSHardeman]

Thought I had a picture of it (can't find it now), but if I remember correctly the mode controller has an orange rubber gasket/ o-ring (for lack of a better term) that seals the two halves together. Sounds like someone split your mode controller apart already and used gasket maker to replace the original rubber gasket. If you were removing orange globs of gasket maker, maybe it was the old gasket that had been eaten away by the transmission fluid leaking on it.

Either way, glad that you got it fixed that the VX is shifting well.

[Thelgord]

Finally got around changing my Diff fluid, front and rear. Honestly the easiest thing the VX has let me do to her. I used Mobile 1 that already the limited slip additive in it. Not bad, around $90 for 4 bottles. I put just over 3 1/2 bottles in, got just under 3 bottles of old fluid out of the VX. I was surprised when I open the fill plug for the diff and nothing came out. I stuck my punky in the hole and never did find out how the fluid was. After removing the drain plug for the front diff, I got a nice steady stream of fluid, but it didn't last long. I am not sure how low it was, but it was definitely low. Fluid from both differentials looked like thin brown gravy. I know this should have been one of the first things I did with the VX, but it's done now. One more item checked off the list.

[Thelgord]

Installed a new Throttle Position Sensor, my second new one.

Going through my work log I changed it out initially on 14 Oct 2017. That one was one I pulled from a Trooper at Pull-A-Part.

My next one was a new part I installed on 15 June 2018. I purchased that one from Advanced Auto Parts. (I think that is where I got it, but I do remember I got it locally).

Yesterday, on 09 November 2018 I installed my second new one. This one I got from from Rock Auto dot com and it seems to have good reviews on the site, if that is worth anything. The body is a bit different than the one I got from Advanced Auto Parts (logo on one side and seems to be a bit thicker plastic), but it seems to be working great so far.

Counting the TPS that came with the VX I am now on my 4th TPS since I purchased it. Right around 17 months and 4 Throttle Position Sensors. I am really hoping this one holds up.

[Thelgord]

Installed yet another TPS after the engine went all kinds of wonkey on me, again. That didn’t fix it so now I have a spare TPS. The down side is my engine is running rough as all get out and I got p0300 code, random multiple misfires. Ran seafoam through the motor. Didn’t fix it. Though about the coil packs so I cleaned each and reinstalled them. No change. Someone on the FB page suggested lower intake gasket. It does seem likely at this point as the idea of multiple coil packs going bad at the same time just seems unlikely. Damnit. I did the damn intake gasket 3 times already! Arrrrrrg!

Ok rant over. I will try to get it next weekend. In the meantime I will be using the wife’s car. Damn it ...

[Thelgord]

Update! Got the lower intake replaced. Driver side rear cylinder location had a break in it. Re-assembled and ... no change. Based on a suggestion from the FB page I unplugged my MAF. Idled high, as expected, but smooth! After a few minutes it came back down it's normal idle. I cleaned the MAF with carb cleaner, and that worked for about 10 minutes. Then it went back to running wonky and weird misfires. I unplugged the MAF again and it sorted itself out. I am going to go get some MAF cleaner in the morning, and if that doesn't work, I will be dropping a bit over $100 on a MAF. I really hop I can just clean the damn thing.

[Thelgord]

Got the new MAF installed. It is great again! So happy to have my baby running again. It actually died following a fill up, literally at the pump when I tried to leave. The odometer showed 13.1 miles from there to my driveway. It sucked down a 1/4 tank on that drive. Hopefully the new one lasts longer than the last new one, which was installed on 23 September of 2017. So roughly 14 months.

Seems like every time I get it running great and I think I can start on other projects for the VX something else breaks. I planned on being a lot farther along with this build by now.

[Thelgord]

Well, the VX just wouldn’t let me finish out the year without an issue. Got the high idle back, yet again, and this time it was the TPS.

Happy New Year! Smh...

[Thelgord]

Just to clear up what could be confusing after looking through my build log.

On 09 November 2018 I replaced my TPS with a second new one. This did NOT fix my issue so I kept my "first new purchase" TPS in a box.

On 31 December 2018 I replaced my TPS again. I put my "first new purchase" TPS back in the VX. My "second new TPS" went bad after less than two months. The TPS I put back into the VX was originally purchased and installed on 15 JUNE 2018.

I have done so much work, and repeated so much work on this VX, it is getting hard to keep it all sorted, which is really the purpose of this thread. For my own sanity really.

Looking at my build/repair log, it would appear that July of 2018 was the only month nothing went wrong with the VX. Hooray! Sort of. I really want to do longer trips with it, but I just can't seem to make it reliable enough. I really don't trust that it won't break at the worst possible time, when I am the most remote, making recovering it that much harder. I really don't trust this VX, not yet anyway.

Still not sure what to do about the repeated failures of MAF and TPS sensors. Pull the entire wiring harness and rebuild/replace it? That may help, it may not. Probably won't hurt it any, but I really am getting tired of doing extra work on this thing for no reason. Perhaps when the weather warms up I can take a few days off work and start pulling wiring harnesses one at a time and check them out for cracks, damage, bad connectors, that sort of thing. Tedious work to say the least.

[Thelgord]

Got a relay and switch installed for off-road lights. I was going to use an 21” LED bar I had from my previous Tacoma, but the bar is too small. Guess I’m getting 6 of 8 inch round lights at some point.

[Thelgord]

On the way home today, high idle issue returned. By the time I got home it had settled back down. I think it may be an issue with the throttle cable. At the last stop sign before my driveway, the engine was still pulling hard, but I put my foot under the gas peddle and lifted it. When I got to my driveway the high idle was gone. Yay! I love mysteries! Damn it ...