[CafeRoaster]

Today, I installed my dash cam that I had in the Element. It's a lot less clean than it was in the Element, as there is far less room in the headliner. In the Element, I was able to tuck all of the extra cable up in the headliner. Not so with the FJ. So for now I've zip-tied them into bundles behind the mirror.

For the rear camera, I'd like to install some sort of "stay" that will ensure the cable doesn't get shut in the door. I don't know of anything like that though, so if y'all have ideas, let me know!

I took a look at the engine filter yesterday. Looks like I have the discontinued TRD intake with that silly conical filter in it. Because I can't find any conical air filters with a 5.5" flange inner diameter, I'll be removing the adapter inside the air box so that I instead just have a 4" flange inner diameter to work with.

To my eyes, this filter needs replaced. The crumpling pleats don't give me confidence.

 

[CafeRoaster]

That’s a permanent type of filter, but it definitely needs to be cleaned and re-oiled. The crumbled pleats are just the previous owners poor handling of it, It doesn’t appear to be damaged. Congrats on the new rig.

Thanks! Yeah, it's the discontinued TRD. Haha. I'll just go ahead and grab an oil kit then. Thanks!

 

[CafeRoaster]

For the dash cam, run the wire under the roof liner along the windshield, down the passenger A pillar, down under the glove box, tuck it into the center console plastic and to the power supply. Enjoy!

I routed it along the driver side because the rear camera is on the driver side. I've done exactly what you're saying in my Honda Element, though. Maybe I'll watch a video about taking some of the panels off to get better access to the A pillar.

Right now, the power supply is just the 12v DC adapter. I've wired to a fuse before, but not sure it's worth all the extra cables. Hah!

 

[CafeRoaster]

That’s a permanent type of filter, but it definitely needs to be cleaned and re-oiled. The crumbled pleats are just the previous owners poor handling of it, It doesn’t appear to be damaged. Congrats on the new rig.

So the OEM filter is indeed an oiled filter, not a dry filter?

 

[CafeRoaster]

Because I prefer a fresh start, and because I'll be doing some off-roading, I purchased the Magnum FLOW Pro GUARD7 direct from aFe.

 

[CafeRoaster]

Today, I finally determined my FJ's name. "Fuji". Makes plenty of sense. The brand of camera I use are Fujifilm, the FJ is a Japanese vehicle (albeit only in brand), the rack I have coming is the Fuji, and my favorite work of art is Thirty-Six Views of Fuji by Hokusai.

 

[CafeRoaster]

Here's a good look at the FJ next to my Element, which I'm selling. Big upgrade in so many ways, bit of a downgrade in others. Ultimately, I had to choose which one suited the types of things I want to be doing with my vehicle.

 

[CafeRoaster]

Today, I got the Sherpa Fuji rack and my Desert Armor UL RTT installed!

A buddy helped me out on the rainiest day of the season. It was not fun and my fingers are still numb, but I had a pint of Fort George Vortex IPA, which makes it okay. And we finished before noon.

 

[CafeRoaster]

I would check the MAF considering the condition of the filter. Give the sensor a good spraying.

Spray with electronics cleaner?

 

[CafeRoaster]

Due to life circumstances and trying to sell my Honda Element, I have yet to get into the wild with the FJ.

That said, I’ve got some goodies heading my way.
Expedition One was having a 25% off sale on their rock sliders, so I pulled the trigger, which lead to me having a bit leftover since I’d budgeted more than what they ended up being. In all, here’s what’s coming:

• Expedition One rock sliders
• Bison Gear spare tire mounts
• Bison Gear propane bottle holder for spare tire mount
• Bison Gear diff breather kit
• Bison Gear drop down tailgate table

 

[CafeRoaster]

I've been pretty quiet on this thread. Not much to report other than regular maintenance items. I've also installed everything from my list below except for the diff breather kit and propane holder. The propane holder is too large for the tank I have. I'm also not happy with my JM-2 mount because I haven't figured out a good way to secure the tank to it.

Today, I changed the fluids on the front and rear differentials and the transfer case. All fluids still looked really good even though the last documentation of it being done was 100,000 miles ago (at 90,000 miles). No metal on any of the magnets either.

I still need to perform a drain and fill on the transmission, and I'm pretty nervous about it. I do wonder how important it is to get the vehicle perfectly level. I have nowhere that is perfectly level and don't have a good way to do so. I have ramps and leveling blocks, but none of those are safe to use on pavement. And my jack is too low profile for the FJ.

 

[CafeRoaster]

I'd perform one trans pan drain and fill and drive it for awhile to see how it operates. If it seems OK, perform another. Still OK, do another for a total of 3. I'd recommend Toyota WS ATF.

I've always wondered about the thought process behind doing multiple changes at very short intervals. By the time you drain and fill; the second time, everything is already a mix of new and old fluid. Doing another won't really dilute the old with more new, per se. At least, not in a measurable way.

I was hoping to figure out which hose goes from the transmission to the heat exchanger, and drain there. Or just drop the pan. Any reason not to do that?

 

[CafeRoaster]

Did the transmission fluid change today! 3 Liters came out, but only 1.5 Liters went back in. 😬 This leads me to believe it was overfilled whenever it was done last. I put in another 1/2 a quart after running through the gears again, and made sure it was idling with the check plug open. I'll be re-checking in a couple hundred miles, but the 30 miles of errands I ran after that didn't give me reason to be worried. Felt just like it had before.

I've officially [finally] replaced all fluids. I've lubricated the driveshafts at every oil change - though I have missed a couple of fittings every now and then - and with each oil change, I've forgotten to send the oil in to Blackstone Labs. 😆 Also forgot to grab a sample of the transmission fluid to send to the lab. Whoops.

Replaced the PCV the other day as well. Did the differential fluids, spark plugs. Running great! Hit 194,000 miles the other day. Here's to 500,000 more! 🍻

 

[CafeRoaster]

snip

Hmm. I don't understand the mechanics of it, but I don't really have to. I did the drain and fill already, and was planning to do another next weekend. Is that too soon? About how many miles is good before doing again? I feel like if I only do it once a year, I might be doing them once every single year. Haha.

Welcome! Your Element looks pretty awesome, you did a great job modding it. Looking forward to see what your FJ will look like in a few years.

Thank you! I really miss that vehicle. I put a lot of money, time, love, and elbow grease into it. And it was running perfectly. I miss how much space it had in it, especially since I have two medium-large dogs.

I don't know that I'll be doing much more than I already have to my FJ. I should post some updated photos and a list of things I've done. All very purposeful things.

 

[CafeRoaster]

snip

Interesting! Is there literally a type of varnish in the ATF or is it just a side-effect?

Sounds good. I'll continue to monitor and maybe I'll do 500 mile intervals until I use up 9 quarts total (or was it 12?).

 

[CafeRoaster]

Just performed the second oil change and second transmission fluid drain and fill. Both looked great, and I have samples of both on their way to Blackstone Labs.

This time, the transmission level check plug didn't drain anything out. At the drain plug, 2 liters / 2.11 quarts came out. I put in 2.25 quarts just to be sure. Warmed the transmission back up afterwards and got a small but steady stream at the check plug, so I'm happy.

The fill plug did take a part of me with it, which was to be expected. There's a sacrifice to be made. 😅

I'm setting plans for suspension, both for my FJ and for my wife's Fit. For Fuji, I'm thinking I'll go with the following:

I've had good experiences with Moog in the past, so I feel good about this setup. For the rear springs, I'll be getting the heavy duty version, I think. While I really don't want a stiffer ride, I also really don't want Fuji's rear to sag during camping trips.

 

[CafeRoaster]

A couple weeks ago, I performed the second drain and fill of the transmission fluid. I'm doing these at every oil change until I go through 12 quarts of fluid or until lab results start showing better numbers.

And here are the lab results!

 

[CafeRoaster]

And here's the first oil report.

 

[CafeRoaster]

Welp, I just pulled the trigger on a bunch of parts from RockAuto to perform a mostly complete suspension refresh. The only thing that Fuji really needs is an UCA bushing and front LCA bushings, but I'm replacing nearly everything, including CV axles. I will then bring along my perfectly fine OEM CV axles when I'm out on the trails. The rest of the front-end components are getting replaced, and I'm replacing the rear upper and lower control arms as well. Only things not getting changed out are the rear springs and the four 5100 struts. I really wanted to justify $400 for B12 springs, but I just didn't feel good about it right now.

I also ordered parts to do a complete suspension rebuild on our Honda Fit, so it's shaping up to be a busy spring and summer!