Recent content by crainholio

Can't really go wrong either way in my experience, but for a mostly RWD powertrain like the 4Runner, Amsoil SVG probably has an advantage in wear protection when used in the rear diff.

Oldest daughter was approaching driving age, so I bought a fixer-upper to use as a teaching project. She now knows how to use a service manual, tools, and her brain. The original plan was a junkyard engine swap but it only needed timing chains/tensioners/guides/sprockets.

This engine was neglected by the original owner, oil change records showed OCIs at 20k miles and up for the first 96k miles he had it. He got some religion after that, when P0016 hit and the dealer quoted a new engine pack due to sludge, but he dumped the truck on Craigslist when it wouldn't...

My current go-to for the past few fills has been Valvoline Extended Protection 5W-30, keeps the valvetrain quiet like Shell Rotella Gas Truck used to. I have Valvoline EPHM waiting to go in next.

Flushed 3x since I bought it at 164k miles, current fill is LubeGard Complete Synth and it's nice & quiet.

2019 RAV4 here approaching 50K miles, and I installed Valvoline Extended Protection 0W-20 during two oil changes at ~30K and ~35K when TGMO 0W-16 was out of stock locally. I keep a stash of the Valvoline for our '21 Pentastar vehicle so in it went per the manual dispensation. No discernible...

The leftover oil is fractional quart bottles that are not going to be used otherwise, e.g. 5W-20 and too thin for my mower, log splitter, etc. I've used diesel to flush the pan, followed by leftover oil to wash out the diesel...didn't seem to do any better or worse. I don't usually have any...

The most common sequences I've seen involve starting in the middle and working your way outward in a figure-8. Best approach is at 1/3 of torque spec for the first pass, then 2/3 of spec for second pass, then the actual torque spec for last pass. This compresses the gasket from the center outward.

See my post regarding my '07 4Runner, PS pump had a groan when cold with two different flushes of Dex-Merc fluid. I flushed in Lube Gard synthetic PS fluid and it's quiet including this morning's -1 degF startup.

I looked up the product data sheets for each, and assuming the specs haven't changed since I used Castrol HM and Valvoline, here's how they compare: 40degC 100degC VI Castrol HM 36.6 8 200 Valvoline 34.5 7.1 174 LubeGard 36.29 6.64 140 If cold viscosity was causing the groaning noise...

Yes.

Vehicle is a 2007 Toyota 4Runner at 274K miles, bought at 164K miles with negligent maintenance by the original owner. I had initially flushed the black PS with Castrol DEX-MERC High Mileage ATF, temporarily plumbed in a Magnefine filter on the return hose for a few hundred local miles while the...

I dealt with this job on my 1GR-FE '07 4Runner, it's a real bear even when the engine's mounted forward-facing. Lots of sealing surfaces to clean, lots of bolt threads to clean, laying down that bead of FIPG and not smearing it during assembly...I'd not want to be a Toyota Tech doing this job...

I fought a similar issue on our previous 2005 Ford 3.0L V6 at around 175K miles, sent off the factory injectors to a reputable shop that's always done good work for me and developed same symptoms you described...but only after a hot shutdown. Extended troubleshooting found that it held fuel...

Not in this case, there's a TSB for the 2019 RAV4 (among others) that gets a free firmware update. Had this done on the 2019 RAV4 we purchased back in July 2022 as a CPO, so I don't really have a "before" comparison...but it shifts and behaves comparably to my 2007 4Runner. See Toyota...