Okay, so I'll start with a few basic questions first in regards to my 88 panel van.
1) Are there still new windshields available from "usual suspects" glass installers?
2) Anyone know what if any 4 bolt wheel from another car is a good fit on the vans with the correct offset etc.?
3) Has anyone done the AC conversion to 134 on these older trucks?
I see that there are o ring kits available.
Thnaks,
Robert up in the Joshua Tree
I have yet to purchase a TV windshield, so I can't comment on what's available. As for the rims, The 2wd vans use a 4 lug 4 1/2" bolt pattern. The stock rim width is 5.5". That's pretty common, but the offset is about 25mm positive (not as common). There are a lot of rims out there that will physically bolt up, but will rub and / or interfere with the sliding door due to not enough positive, or maybe even too much negative offset. I think the maximum you could go with a 5 1/2" wide rim is about a 0 offset. If you go with a wider rim, (say 6 1/2"w) then you'd be limited to about a 10mm positive offset. Anything with a negative offset is out of the question. I found some cool progressive 14" star rims at a pick & pull yard that had the correct pattern but had too much positive offset (not sure what they were off of). I made some 1/4" spacers so I could run them and got some longer ARP studs to accommodate the increased thickness. The studs I got were for a Lexus, but they have the same pitch and knurl (just longer) They are high strength chromoly ARP #100-7715. I had to shorten them a little so the lug nuts wouldn't bottom out. Here's a picture of my off-set spacers:
Here's a picture of my rims:
I haven't done any AC conversions (I still have a bunch of R-12 rat-holed away..........and no, it's not for sale : ). Tim
I bought and had a windshield installed for about 200$ total. It was from a normal auto glass place in Portland Oregon(Precision auto glass I think) and took less than an hour.
Thanks guys for the replies. I am relieved to know about the windshield.
After posting the original question, I did some digging on line and on Fleabay as well, and it seems that the 77-82 Celicas shared the same wheel as the 2 wheel drive vans. I haven't verified that yet but they do look the same if memory serves. I had few of those Celicas when I was a Toyota Mechanic way way back.
As far as the AC is concerned, it doesn't currently work anyway, so we'll see if I even bother with it. It does get rather warm down here in the summer though.
I'm in the market for getting my windsheild replaced too. Make sure you get a windsheild that's all one tint if you are rather tall. You can see kinda what you are going to be looking at if the original windsheild is still in place. I've done some shopping around and it seems that I was getting anywhere from about $150 on up. I have some minor rust that would be great to take care of once the old windshield is out. So I might have them come in one day to remove the glass, then the next to install it.Originally Posted by wirewrkr
There's pretty good info at toyotavanpeople in regards to wheels. Might be worth searching thourgh that for info too.
on 134a retrofit first a few questions, first off why is it not working in the first place? is the compressor locked up? or did it just leak down from sitting? if it leaked down from sitting then you might wanna just check how much it is to get it filled up with r12, alot of times its actually cheaper than retrofitting, if you do wanna go the 134 route, first off replace the accumulator / receiver drier, most of the time the desicant inside it isn't compatible with 134, so that will need replacing, 2nd i would recommend flushing the system, which would entail undoing all the lines and flushing em out with ac flush, also flush the evaporator, you can try and flush the condenser but alot of times the tubes inside it are too small to flush, then replace all the seals and service valves, as the r12 ones aren't compatible with the oil / refrigerant either, then vac the system down for at least 30 minutes, and do it a few times if the system was open, also if the system was open for any length of time the compressor may be junk too as the seals don't like to be in air, also if the compressor didn't lock up most of the time you can run a conversion oil instead of flushing all the old oil out, and if it has an orifice tube that should be cleaned, or replaced, if it has one, most of the time if its got the expansion valve type system the junk will wind up in the receiver drier, so it will get removed from the system when ya replace it. its alot of work to do a retrofit right, but if ya do you won't have any issues for a bunch of miles.
Believe me if I could find some R12 I would do that first. I wish I hadn't sold my gauges.
Those that have stashes of R12 are, well,.......stashing it.
I haven't investigated why itt doesn't work yet, but will get to it.
I quit working wrenching at Toyota dealers in the early nineties, just after we did a gazillion AC recalls.
I hate AC work.
Thanks for the insightful input. Alot has changed since 95 when I hung up my wrenches.
When I get low on R-12 I search craigslist in areas that get hot (Arizona, Florida, etc). You can still get the small cans for around $25 each or even the big 20 lb cylinders for a couple hundred $$$. Last time I purchased (a couple years ago) I found a guy in Florida that had a full 20 lb cylinder and a 1/2 full 15 lb cylinder. His dad had died and he was cleaning out his shop. For a very reasonable price he sent me both via regular mail in unmarked cardboard boxes. Not the most responsible thing for him to do but I got them safe and sound.
You can find the stuff on eBay too, but there they are required to say you need a license before they'll sell to you. I'm pretty sure there's not R-12 police to stop an eBay sale, but I'd consider an eBay sale slightly more risky. If you use firefox as your browser, you can use www.crazedlist.org to search multiple craigslists at the same time. I found that to be very helpful when searching for things like this. Tim
well change your mindset to "i love working on ac" then you will never have ac problems ever again lol...
So, after really putting my best foot forward trying to clean the upper carpet piece, (under seats, console, etc) I have come to the sad conclusion that it's useful life is done. All the dirt, grime and dog hair that became interwoven through the years was pretty much all that was holding it together!
Sooo.............
Anyone got a good source for pre-molded carpet kits?
OR does anyone have a carpet set for the front and top that is in decent condition they want to part with?
Thanks in advance,
Robert
back to rims,,,I use some wider alloy mags on my 2wd,,think they were from a supra,,but -maybe- celica.
...I carry 215-70-14's and get just a -slight- rub from the sliding door
I have been trying to locate rims for my Ladies 1984 Van for months. I am finally going to pull the trigger on some Datsun rims. 14x5.5 with close to zero offset. I will still need to get proper lug nuts. The back spacing is just about 3.5 inches. The current rims stick out to much and rub on the sliding door, also one is bent. I sure hope these rims work out ok.
It will be close, but I'm thinking it will be okay. When you get them, please post a picture or 2 & give us an update on performance/fit. Tim
Here is some very useful information
How to Measure Wheel BackSpace
Items required to measure wheel backspace:
Tape measure Straight edge Wheel w/o tire (preferred) The easiest way to measure backspace is to lay the wheel face down onto the ground so the backside of the wheel is facing up. Take a straight edge and lay it diagonally across the inboard flange of the wheel. Take a tape measure and measure the distance from where the straight edge contacts the inboard flange to the hub mounting pad of the wheel. This measurement is backspace. The above photo shows three wheels with 2",3", & 4" backspace. Measuring Wheel Offset
To calculate offset you'll need the following measurements:
Subtract:
Wheel backspace Wheel Width Wheel Center line (outboard flange to inboard flange measurement / 2)
Tip:
Wheel center line from Wheel backspace to get offset.
If backspace is less than the wheel centerline the offset is negative If backspace is greater than the wheel centerline the offset is positive
To convert from inches to mm multiply by 25.4 To convert from mm to inches divide by 25.4 Backspace to Offset Conversion ChartThe table on the right is q quick reference for finding offset, pick the rim width and follow the row over to the backspace of your wheel.
Just for kicks I was putting on my winter tires for an Accord and they are 5.5 wide with 4.5 inches back spacing. That appears to be a fit with them sitting in just a quarter of an inch more than stock rims.
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