Hi everyone - long time listener, first time caller. After considering it for many years, I finally bought a kei truck. This forum has been a valuable reference for me, and so I'm going to document my truck, the work I do to it, and the lessons I learn along the way here. It's part build log, part notebook, and will probably be a reference for me later as much as anyone else! IMG_9686 by ulteriormotors posted Sep 25, 2025 at 9:09 AM So this is where we start. 1995 DD51T Suzuki Carry, fresh off the truck and into my driveway. This one is 4WD with front axle lock (no rear diff lock), 4-sp transmission, transfer case, and absolutely no other extras. ~27k km on the odometer, and the dealer I bought it from gave it an inspection and tune-up (oil change, fuel/oil/air filters, distributor cap, spark plugs and wires) and swapped the tires to Yokohama Geolander KTs on the stock 12" wheels. A quick inspection shows minimal rust and a little corrosion on some of the exposed wiring under the bed. It runs and drives smoothly, though the axle lock is questionable. The button doesn't do anything, and the light comes on automatically when shifted into either 4WD mode. When shifted back into 2WD, the axle lock light remains on until the truck is turned off and restarted. I have a pretty basic use case for this truck - I live on a dirt road out in the woods, and the majority of my driving is getting in and out of town. I have a small van for longer drives and highway use, but as it gets older I want to take it easier on that poor thing. The kei truck should be able to absorb a lot of my day-to-day use to save some wear and tear on my main car and will also be very functional for hauling firewood, getting around the property, and exploring the nearly infinite forest access roads nearby. I don't need to drive fast, I just need simple and robust transportation. In a previous career I maintained heavy equipment from the '60s and '70s, so although I wouldn't call myself a mechanic I'm fairly handy, and this is a simple vehicle. The goal is to get this truck in good operational condition, replace older components as needed to prevent future issues, and make any necessary modifications as they come up. As I still don't have all the paperwork in order, registering it for the street will have to wait and I've only done a little driving on the backroads near me. It seems to drive well, though once it stops raining I would like to get it on stands and verify the axle lock functionality. Driving with such a small engine and no tach is going to take some getting used to, as this engine loves to rev and I'm used to shifting in a place that is likely too low for it! Maybe I'll add a tach at some point, but it's hardly a priority. Next steps while I wait to be able to register it are getting it on stands and doing some cleaning and inspection so I have an accurate assessment of where everything stands currently. More to come!
I took the truck out during a break in the rain this afternoon. 4WD definitely works and the axle lock engages, though that didn't really prevent me from nearly getting stuck almost immediately. The briefest of forays out into the yard to collect some wood... IMG_9696 by ulteriormotors posted Sep 25, 2025 at 9:41 PM The axle lock still does not disengage when I put the truck back into 2WD, but does disengage when I turn it off an back on again. I may try removing the switch and any relays associated with the 4WD controller and cleaning them off with some contact cleaner - clearly they do something and aren't totally dead, but at the same time I might just bypass them entirely and be done with it rather than wait for them to fail again. I found and translated a couple of labels in the cab: IMG_9693 by ulteriormotors posted Sep 25, 2025 at 2:06 PM This one is recommended pressures - top row is for "light loads" or general use, the bottom is for heavier fixed loads like a permanently installed structure or equipment on the rear. The pressure conversion from kg/sq. cm to psi is roughly 14.22, so ~28.5 psi for standard operation and 31/34 psi for heavy loads. IMG_9690 by ulteriormotors posted Sep 25, 2025 at 2:06 PM This is the service tag to note when the timing belt was changed. It's blank and the truck only has 28k km on it, I'm not sure if the dealer did the timing belt but I'll inspect it at some point. It definitely doesn't have much wear but if it is original it is 30 years old and rubber doesn't like to last that long. I'll be filling in the date and mileage when I do the belt. I'm also somewhat tempted to copy that design for other maintenance tasks and mount those plates elsewhere in the truck - a small project for a lazy winter day I think.
Finalized registration and titling in MA, and learned some lessons along the way. I had all my paperwork as required by the RMV, however the copy of form 7501 that I received with the truck was not stamped. The RMV insisted it needed to be stamped, and the broker insisted it didn't. After a long time on the phone with both the broker and a CBP field office, I learned that there are two types of form 7501. There is a paper version, which is what you would fill out and bring to the port if you were importing a vehicle yourself - this needs to get stamped at the port and is what the RMV was expecting to receive. There is also a "paperless" version of the form, which goes through the ACE system that brokers use to file paperwork electronically with CBP. This is what I had, and critically it included a receipt from the ACE system showing each line item on the form and that it had been accepted and cleared. The particular RMV I went to was not aware of this, but after some explanation and showing that the line items for both forms matched, they accepted it. Hopefully nobody else runs into that mess, but if they do perhaps that will help. In any case, I now have plates and a title in the mail. I also went to a local locksmith to get a second copy of my key made. Blanks are cheap enough to import online, but my truck also uses the same blank as a 1989-2002 Suzuki Sidekick. It's Ilco SUZ17-P, and they cost ~$2. Works perfectly. Your mileage may vary, but I don't think the lock cylinders varied much across model years within any given platform. Since I'm driving on the road now, I have noticed a fair amount of gear noise in 4th. Nothing bad, it almost sounds like the rear end on an old sprinter. I'm not sure if it's just how those gears sound at higher loads, but I'll check oil and fluids at some point, as well as getting the truck up on jack stands soon to have a better look at the front and rear end. IMG_9704 by ulteriormotors posted Sep 30, 2025 at 9:36 AM Speaking of which, I ran into a pretty good stump that was hiding in the brush, and bent the steering guard. Guess it did its job, but now I need to go find some steel tubing and replace that little crossbar. Might be a sign I need a beefier front bumper in the future as well.
I got to investigating the Axle Lock and 4WD controller - the truck did lock the front axle when shifting into 4WD, but would not unlock when shifting back to 2WD. Since it would reset to unlocked when the truck shut off, I assumed the issue was with the button itself rather than the 4WD controller. Removing the button/light unit from the dash, disassembling it, and cleaning with contact cleaner and compressed air did the trick, and now I have a front axle that locks and unlocks when I want it to. A bit of interior cleaning, and then off to inspection!
First the good news - the truck passed inspection without issue. We're fully road-legal! I had some plywood pieces I was using to adapt the JDM license plate mount to US spec, but replaced those with a little adapter kit from Something Different Engineering. They're acrylic so a little loctite on the threads goes a long way, and a chunk of adhesive weatherstripping on the back of the plates kills any noise. A great solution at a great price. https://somethingdifferenteng.com/products/kei-class-vehicle-plate-adapter Now that I'm on pavement more, the driveline noise under certain load/speed conditions in 4th gear has become a bit more apparent. Time to investigate. First things first - have a look underneath and see if anything is obviously amiss. IMG_9710 by ulteriormotors posted Oct 2, 2025 at 10:16 AM No excessive rattling or play in the driveshafts, CVs, or mounts. But there is an extremely small oil leak from the bottom of the flange at the rear of the transfer case, which isn't great. It's so slow that I haven't seen any drips anywhere I park the truck, but even a leak that slow over several years of sitting in a lot can end up as a lot of fluid loss. Screenshot 2025-10-02 At 10.15.01 AM by ulteriormotors posted Oct 2, 2025 at 10:16 AM I checked the diagram in the Danko manual, but it doesn't seem to accurately reflect the configuration that is actually on my truck. Furthermore, it doesn't actually show the bolts (or torque spec) that I'm interested in. If anyone has better information, I am all ears! Seems to be a safe bet that torque should be somewhere in the 200-300 kg-cm range (15-21 ft-lb) - I put a box wrench on the oily bolts and they moved much too easily. Brought out the torque wrench and took them up to 300 kg-cm, then cleaned the area with some alcohol and a rag so I can see if the leak is sealed or not. I'm lucky that my local Napa stocks 90wt GL-4 oil, less lucky that it's $75/gal. Cheaper than transmission damage though, so I'm going to change the fluid to ensure that I have the right type and correct amount in there. I'll also take a sample of the old oil while I'm at it, and send it out for analysis. For reference, here's the oil I'm using: https://www.napaonline.com/en/p/SL_SL24239
I changed the transmission fluid today. I don't have a great way to gauge how much came out, but it didn't seem to be in bad condition - very dark but I could see some light still through the sample I took. A bit of sludge on the magnetic drain plug, nothing terrible. I'm going to send the sample out to see what'd going on in there. I had parked the truck on the most level part of my driveway, and put a level in the bed to make sure I was pretty close to level both fore-aft and left-right so that I could fill until the oil started to flow back out the fill/inspection port rather than trying to guess the actual amount I was putting in. Ballpark, it seems like the transmission took ~2.4L, which is less than spec (2.6L) but not by much. I closed everything up, made sure both drain and fill ports were torqued to 275 kg-cm (love digital torque wrenches for this stuff), wiped up the drips from the fill port, and went for a test drive. Verdict: it sounds nicer and shifts a bit more smoothly. The syncros definitely feel better. My gear noise in 4th is still there though - I'm inclined to think it might be quieter but that could also me in my head since I just changed the oil. It is only in 4th, and really only between 40-45 kph when under load. Upon getting back from the test drive, I noticed a little bit of excess oil on the opposite side of the transmission from where I was working. I'm not sure if it got splashed over there when I was moving the transfer pump around and I didn't notice, or if a bit dripped out of the breather. I wiped it up, cleaned the whole area again, and set down a white absorbent mat to see if I'm getting any drips and what color they are. Even if this doesn't clear up the noise, at least it's a couple more bolts/plugs I've touched and torqued to spec, and I can be confident that I have the correct fluid volume and type in the transmission. So that's some more boxes checked. This weekend I'll continue down the driveline and change the oil in the front and rear differentials, and that will be the last of the fluids on the truck! With some more miles on it at this point, it really is a treat to drive. There's a little drivetrain noise and a good amount of road/wind noise, but friends report that from the outside it's almost silent when I drive by. I might be moving on to projects that are purely for fun rather than preventative maintenance, and then... it's done and I just drive it I guess? That doesn't seem right, I'll have to find more to do...
I am not a oil nerd but when it comes to syncros I have only 2 oils I really like. On my HiJet I used Redline GL4 90wt along with Redline MTL mixed almost 50/50. Shifts really smooth and I found some really good deals on the oil, about $7 a quart. In cars using ATF I still will use MTL on BW T-5s and most newer trans will get any brand Syncromesh.
Interesting - I haven't seen a GL-4 90wt Redline oil yet but I will definitely keep an eye out. The closest I've seen near me is their 74-90wt GL-4 for $23/qt! I will admit I'm a sucker for OEM spec and don't tend to deviate unless I have a good idea of what I'm trying to do and explicitly want something else. What's your experience with the MTF blend? I'm still experiencing a good amount of leakage from the transmission, mostly when going (or parked facing) uphill. Oil drips from this hole near the top of the driver (right) side of the transfer case: IMG_9717 by ulteriormotors posted Oct 5, 2025 at 8:15 PM I have been able to find a better diagram - I was looking in the wrong part of the Danko manual and found a parts listing for the transfer case separately. Screenshot 2025-10-05 At 8.09.42 PM by ulteriormotors posted Oct 5, 2025 at 8:15 PM It is somewhat hard to tell, but it looks like part #13 (plug) should maybe be in that hole? If anyone has a 4-speed transmission with hi-lo transfer case and could let me know what theirs looks like that would be extremely helpful! If there's supposed to be a plug there, I'd like to get it installed so I don't have to deal with drips and can remain at the correct fluid level. Otherwise, perhaps I just need to let it bleed down to where it wants to be. It is funny that it didn't do this when I got the truck, and the only things I've touched on the transmission case are the drain and fill plugs. Then again, not all that much oil came out...
In an effort to get a visual reference on another one of these transmissions, I went on Yahoo Auctions Japan and found a few listed for sale. They seem to have a plug in the port where I am experiencing an oil leak, so I made a small plug for mine. It fits snugly, but is definitely not airtight as to still allow some pressure relief to avoid damaging any larger seals or gaskets. Hopefully it just stops the oil leaking. Differential oil may still happen this week, but I'm heading out of time so projects will be on hold for a while.
I've finally finished changing all the fluids in the truck - front and rear diff oil has been done (80-90wt GL-5 from my local Kubota dealer) and although what came out looked good, it's good to have a known start point for all future service intervals. After a few hundred kilometers of driving, the plug in the transmission is also holding up well, and I have had no further drips or leaks. So I'm calling that one a success. The noise I'm chasing persists though - I've gone through and verified that the u-joints on both driveshafts are within spec and nothing is loose, so at this point I'm somewhat resigned to this either being an issue with some wear in 4th gear (possible but unlikely given the mileage on the truck) or a resonance that old transmission and engine mount bushings just aren't absorbing and are passing straight through to the frame and cab (much more likely, as the rubber is 30 years old!). Regardless, there's either nothing I can reasonably do about it or it's nothing more than an annoyance. So I'm going to let it lie for now. All focus is now on reliability and comfort for winter, which will be here before I know it. Upcoming projects in order of priority: Check/set ignition timing Thorough inspection (and replacement as needed) of all vacuum lines Oil change to 5w-30 for colder tempertures Shifter bushing replacement Dynamat in cab/doors, and replacement headliner Engine/Transmission mount replacement Under-bed tool storage Skid plate Rear bumper with hitch receiver There's always more to be done, but the goal isn't anything fancy. I just want to put in enough work up front that I end up with a reliable light-duty truck that won't require much ongoing large-scale work.
You are doing it right! Keep it up and it will be reliable as all get out. Remember, these are trucks and they are kind of noisy no matter what you do. I try to drown out the rattles and clanging by revving the hell of it as I drive LOL!
A few updates after more regular use and variable weather: Now that I've run regular gas through the system (everything is flushed, and no more additives) I am averaging ~35mpg for mixed use between 2WD road driving and 4WD forest roads. Not bad at all, especially with truck tires and all the hills here! It definitely appreciates running mid-grade or premium gas, though I don't know if that has more to do with the difference in additive package or the octane. These engines are high-compression, but not designed for fancy gas. My favorite speed-dependent rattling noise does in fact seem to be RPM-dependent! I went to pick up some compost at a local farm, and found that while loaded (~900lb) my noise is audible in third gear, and very subtly in second. This leads me to believe that it's not only between certain speeds in 4th (final drive noise, likely) but some combination of engine RPM and output torque that makes the noise, and when unloaded that combination really only happens in 4th. So that leads me more in the direction of engine/transmission mounts. 30 year old rubber, seems likely. Unfortunately those seem to be hard to get (or very expensive) in the US, I thought I had seen a cross reference for a compatible engine mount somewhere but for the life of me I can't find it anywhere now. I may just end up ordering OEM from Japan. Now that morning temperatures are down in the 30s (fahrenheit) here, I have noticed that although the engine starts well without much cranking, the cranking is sounding a bit on the weak side. I might want to replace the battery before it gets properly cold - I'm not especially interested in finding the lower temperature limit of the Panasonic battery that came with the truck. Although expensive, I think I might go with a Prius battery. It'll fit with no modifications, and AGM is great in cold conditions. Plus I can get a good warranty from Napa. Still, nearly $250 is a tough pill to swallow so I may wait a while longer.
Well, it's definitely fall here. Frequent below-freezing mornings are getting me used to having a carbureted vehicle again, and all that entails. Speaking of which... IMG_9806 by ulteriormotors posted Oct 29, 2025 at 5:27 PM I found that one of my warm air intake hoses corroded off of its mount. The other end of the original mounting flange is still in there, and someone at some point rolled up a soda can to make a connector. Not ideal, it's pretty loose and is probably rattling (and therefore my enemy). But it's not hurting anything, so I'll leave it for now. When I fix that eventually, I'll note what kind of Japanese soda donated its can! I did finally check the timing while I was in there. After warming up and sitting at idle, it was just a bit below 7deg with the vacuum advance still connected. Not ideal - I bumped it up a bit to 8ish. I can do it more precisely with the vacuum advance plugged, but I'm waiting for new lines to show up so I'll revisit that one a bit later. What struck me as odd is that I'm nearly maxed out on the adjustment range on the distributor - is that normal? There's still a little room to go, but not much at all. The truck will be getting a workout at an event this week and weekend, so we will see how it goes and continue from there.
Hi ulteriormotors, great name by the way - would you happen to have any pictures of the vacuum advance line and where it connects? How do you get a more accurate adjustment with it plugged? I'm very new to fixing engines, though I just redid all my vacuum lines but replaced like for like one by one, used almost exactly 6 metres/20ft of 3mm id tubing with very little to spare but I was being generous and careful with my cuts! My distributor adjustment is also just about maxed out, but I've got bigger problems to tackle first with the interior of the cap and the leads both looking pretty ungood as a colleague would say, and only running 1.5 cylinders it seems. Will let you know how I get on, thank you for all the information you've been building up in this thread (Red arrow towards front of truck)
I can definitely take a photo when I open it back up - it's pouring rain here though, so it may be a bit. There's a small metal actuator on the side if the distributor, it takes the vacuum line for the advance. If you have it connected, it is the only vacuum line that goes to the distributor. If it isn't connected... it's the only place on the distributor that looks like it would take a vacuum line There is a check valve that runs inline with that, make sure it's installed the right way. I took your photo and added a red circle around the actuator, and a green arrow over top what appears to be the vacuum line: With vacuum advance, the actuator is advancing (or retarding) the ignition timing based on vacuum. The manufacturer spec is that timing should be 7deg BTDC at idle (950 RPM +/- 50). It doesn't specify whether the line is disconnected or not, but in the past I've always seen it done with the line disconnected and it is called out in the spec if it should be left connected. So... I would assume you disconnect the line on these. Next time I open it up, I'll disconnect the line and see if it changes the base timing at idle or not. Of course, if you do disconnect a vacuum line, be sure to plug it so you don't have a vacuum leak! One thing you can do to check your work is run the timing light and slowly pull on the throttle to increase engine speed. With no load on the engine, you should be able to watch the timing advance as RPM climbs. If it doesn't, make sure the vacuum line is connected and the check valve is the right way around. You can always flip it and try again if it doesn't work. While you're in there, a new cap and rotor will go a long way, along with new plug wires (those look a bit old). Check the plugs to make sure they're clean, and if you have a cylinder that's not firing properly you'll see one plug that's quite different from the other two. These engines are simple, but that doesn't mean they're easy. There's a lot of parts that have to work together just right, and if you aren't used to these systems (or are extremely out of practice, as the case may be) then it can be pretty confusing. I spend a lot of time tracing things out to check my work and working backwards to solve problems. When in doubt - clean, adjust, try again!
I got laid off from my job today, so I guess I have a bit more time to put into the truck for a while. With that being said, I was able to open everything up and get some photos. Buttercup Kiwi, here's a photo showing the connection and the check valve for the vacuum advance on the distributor on my truck: IMG_9829 by ulteriormotors posted Nov 4, 2025 at 4:51 PM The lines are in rough shape, so I guess I'll use some of this time to order a bunch of silicone line and fittings, and get started on replacing everything. I was considering getting a different color to make it evident which ones I've already done, but I don't think there's much risk of mistaking a black silicone hose for the ancient grey ones on there now! I noticed the truck had been idling pretty high even when fully warmed up, so I got in there and actually adjusted it. Warm idle was set to nearly 1100 RPM! I cleaned and adjusted the actuators and cables so everything moved as smoothly as possible, then brought the base idle down to 950. With a vacuum gauge connected, I fiddled with the fine adjust mixture screw to hit maximum vacuum, then adjusted the idle screw again to 950. Verify the timing was still set appropriately (with the advance disconnected this time), flip on the lights, adjust high idle to 1350, flip the lights back off, and it goes back to 950. Beautiful. I do find it idles back down rather slowly after acceleration, but it's smooth and stable so I'll take it. We have more cold weather coming in soon, which will be a good test of whether that idle was set high for a reason. I still have a hunch that my engine might be running a bit lean in certain conditions, I will have to pull the plugs and have a look. To put a bow on my transmission plug saga, I finally got the actual OEM plug and replaced my temporary one with it: IMG_9828 by ulteriormotors posted Nov 4, 2025 at 4:51 PM It's just a piece of rubber. The Suzuki part is 09250-08001, I was able to throw one in with an existing order or it wouldn't be worth importing. I should have gotten more to have on hand, next time I bring over a shipment I'll get several more. At only ¥117, they're basically free. I've also begun the process of installing sound deadening in the cab. IMG_9826 by ulteriormotors posted Nov 4, 2025 at 5:09 PM I am using 80mil Kilmat. It might be better to use the 125mil Dynamat, but I really can't justify the extra cost for this project. So far I've done the top of the cab and behind the backrest, which does make some difference but not massive. I think the big gains will be doing the inside of the doors for road noise, and the wiring tunnel and "firewall" by my legs in the cab for engine and transmission noise. I just need to find where I put my trim clip tools to make the door card removal less of a mess... A few posts back I had a list of projects in rough order of priority. So here's an update on that - some items are done and gone, and some new ones have come up to fill their place! Inspect spark plugs to verify/rule out lean condition Oil change to 5w-30 for colder temperatures Thorough inspection (and replacement as needed) of all vacuum lines Dynamat in cab/doors, and replacement headliner (in progress) Shifter bushing replacement Engine/Transmission mount replacement Under-bed tool storage Rear bumper with hitch receiver Skid Plate Why do I get the feeling this list might not get shorter...
Sound deadening is mostly finished - I removed the door cards and used my offcuts and scraps from the seats and roof to cover as much of the inside of the doors as possible: IMG_9833 by ulteriormotors posted Nov 6, 2025 at 8:14 AM There's only so many places I could reach, but with the doors it is absolutely a case of something is better than nothing. Because I am absolutely the worst at dealing with trim clips, I did break a few when removing the door cards. Part #665-3282 from my local NAPA is a perfect replacement. I also used some scraps of fabric and foam to make a new headliner - I'm far from being an upholsterer and there was a lot of cursing involved but it came out OK, and really made the inside of the cab look a lot nicer! IMG_9842 by ulteriormotors posted Nov 6, 2025 at 8:14 AM I really need to do the sun visor now though... With the Kilmat installed behind the seats, in the roof, and in the doors, the truck isn't exactly quiet but the road noise is greatly reduced especially at high frequencies. I'll call it a win. IMG_9837 by ulteriormotors posted Nov 6, 2025 at 8:14 AM I also changed the oil and installed a Fumoto valve while I was at it. The newer SX-series valves fit great on the stock oil pan and exit at a right angle so it's tucked out of the way. I love these valves - they're a bit slower than a drain plug but clean, fast, and easy. During the oil change I also swapped to a new filter and filled up with 5W-30 synthetic blend. Can't go wrong with napa brand on sale for $3.99/qt. The change in oil grade probably doesn't make any difference now, but as it continues to get colder I'm hoping it will run a bit better in this little engine. Now I just have to wait for my new vacuum line to arrive in the mail, and commit to ordering a new 16mm spark plug socket online because I can't find one locally to save my life! I would really like to pull the plugs and have a look at them to verify carb settings and function. Project list, as it stands this morning: Inspect spark plugs to verify/rule out lean condition Thorough inspection (and replacement as needed) of all vacuum lines Shifter bushing replacement Engine/Transmission mount replacement Under-bed tool storage Rear bumper with hitch receiver Skid Plate
Well, my unemployment period lasted a couple days before I found some temp work. I'm not good at sitting still. Here's a photo of my little truck on the job site, might need to build a lumber rack... IMG_9864 by ulteriormotors posted Nov 15, 2025 at 8:17 PM Anyway, still plenty going on. Nothing glamorous, but some good diagnostic work and preventative maintenance. The easy things first - I got new windshield wipers! A generic 15" and 17" blade with hook mounts fit right on, and now work much better on ice and snow than the ones that came on the truck. I splurged and bought nicer wipers for a whole $8 each on RockAuto. I had a hunch I might have a lean condition, so I pulled the spark plugs to have a look. They were... fine. Maybe a little bit lean but not an amount I could confidently guess based only on visual inspection. So we will go with fine. Everything was a bit cleaner on cylinder 3, again not problematic but noted. I put the plugs back in, warmed up the engine, ran a half can of seafoam into the intake, let it hot soak, and then drove it hard for a while. Sea foam spray is far from a miracle cure, but it sure doesn't hurt anything. Just make sure to change your plugs after if you do this - it can really foul them up if there is enough carbon for it to clean out! I swapped in a nice new set of iridium plugs, which probably don't make much of a difference but I feel like they run a little cleaner on high-revving engines, especially if they err on the lean side. IMG_9853 by ulteriormotors posted Nov 15, 2025 at 8:17 PM Next up, getting into the EGR valve. If you work on engines at all, big or small, I highly recommend one of these little pressure/vacuum pumps. I use it mostly for diagnosing two-stroke issues, but it sure has been useful on the carry as well! In this case, I disconnected the vacuum line running to the EGR valve and was able to manually cycle the valve with the pump to make sure it was working. I could also pull a vacuum on the line to the EGR and see if it leaked (it didn't). The valve did work - at idle, opening the valve makes the engine struggle and eventually die. The line coming from the manifold does also show vacuum fluctuating with throttle and speed, which is a good sign. Next step, plugging various vacuum lines to simulate not having EGR function for a test drive: IMG_9854 by ulteriormotors posted Nov 15, 2025 at 8:17 PM IMG_9855 by ulteriormotors posted Nov 15, 2025 at 8:17 PM These are two ways I plug vacuum ports for testing. I have a bunch of these angled silicone plugs that came with the pressure/vacuum kit. They're kind of cheesy but work well for this. Another option if you don't have a plug is to take a section of vacuum line, fold it over to crimp it, and hold it in place with some zip ties. Either will work, but the important thing for this test was to make sure that the EGR wasn't actuating and that I didn't have a vacuum leak back into the manifold. Driving with the EGR disconnected showed slightly better manners and a little more power, but still some hesitation and misfire at the bottom of the power band. Time to pull the thing and go a little deeper. IMG_9869 by ulteriormotors posted Nov 15, 2025 at 8:17 PM IMG_9870 by ulteriormotors posted Nov 15, 2025 at 8:17 PM Ah, typical EGR stuff. All gunked up with carbon deposits. Not only is it not great to have this stuff caking up the intake, but it can (and had!) accumulate all over the inside of the valve, which can cause it to not fully close. I scraped out what I could with a pick, and soaked the inside of the valve body in seafoam spray while cycling the valve to make sure it really got in there. After a few rounds of that, I cleaned out the valve with carb cleaner followed by some compressed air. I vacuumed the chunks out of the intake with a shopvac because I didn't want to blow them into the intake. I did also note a tear in the EGR gasket, which is not great. A fresh gasket cut from a sheet of gasket paper, bolt the thing back on, new vacuum line (almost done with those!), and back out for another test drive. With the EGR connected it does drive differently. There's a bit less torque available, but with a much smoother top end and quieter running while cruising at high revs and low load. Generally things are a bit smoother now, which is good validation that the EGR was probably leaking. In hindsight, it would have been good to put in a block-off plate to really test things, but also not fully necessary. After some more driving I'll pull the plugs again to see how if they look any different. I have really started to notice an exhaust leak that was pretty small, and is now not so small. A cursory look around doesn't show any obvious holes or carbon buildup that might indicate a leak, so next time I have both free time and a good weather window I'll have to dig into that. In the interim, the truck continues to run well and more importantly, reliably. Keeping things as close to stock as possible does sometimes pay off. I'm tempted to pull the intake off to really clean everything out, but that feels like opening a can of "while you're in there" worms I'm not sure I'm ready for. Maybe when I do the mounts I'll pull the whole engine and clean everything? But from there it's a slippery slope to building a whole new exhaust (with equal-length headers and an O2 sensor port, of course) and then while you're in there, might as well do all the gaskets, and while you're in there, might as well just rebuild the engine, and..... you see how this goes. More projects than time or money. I guess this is a thing now, so here's the project list in rough order of priority: Finish replacing all vacuum lines (in progress) Find/repair exhaust leak Shifter bushing replacement Engine/Transmission mount replacement Under-bed tool storage Rear bumper with hitch receiver Skid Plate
One other update I haven't mentioned yet takes us down the preventative maintenance rabbit hole. Last month when I changed the transmission and differential oils, I sent out samples of each to a lab. The analysis came back, and it's... interesting. Transmission first: There's more to an oil sample report than just this breakdown, but this was the interesting part. Lead was much higher than I would expect to see. Granted, I have no idea when the oil in the transmission was last changed (if ever) so it's possible that levels are very high due to accumulation over an excessively long period of time and/or initial break-in rather than excessive wear. I'm going to keep an eye on that number, and see if it goes down at the next service interval. If it does (I would expect to see under 20ppm), then there's nothing to worry about. If it remains high, then something is wearing rapidly. I don't think there's any plain bearings or bushings in this transmission, so lead would most likely come from the syncros. Here's the sample from the rear diff. Again, very high lead but also very high silicon. To me this one seems a lot like the oil has never been changed, and the lead and silicon are from the differential's break-in period and the original factory sealant. I'll do another sample at the next service interval and see what it looks like. With both of these, I wouldn't be that surprised if the trans and the diff are just worn. The truck doesn't have a lot of miles on it, but it sure does seem like it lived a hard life before I got it. There's probably not a ton I can do as far as repairs go on these, as internal parts for transmissions and differentials are very hard to come by and extremely expensive to source. But I still think it's worth tracking, the trends from oil samples can reveal a lot if you're willing to look. But that's also the thing about oil samples - you don't learn much from a single sample or data point, you need the trend and that can take time. I did also submit a sample from the engine oil, and will post an update when that comes back. That one I know the service interval, so although it's still only a single data point I will be able to make better inferences from it.
Nice work! You don't need that EGR stuff and the catalytic convert can have the honeycomb removed if you do an exhaust. BTW, the exhaust caused me to be down 2 months before I figured out the muffler had collapsed due to chunks of catalytic converter flying through it. It was 100% blocked.
It's true - the EGR system isn't fully necessary. But I do like to keep things as OEM as possible unless I'm fully doing things my own way. Good call on the cat - I don't think I have any flow issues in the exhaust (quite the opposite actually, leaks and all) but I will definitely give it a look when I am going through the exhaust next time. If I delete the EGR I'll probably delete the cat as well
A short update, since I've been spending a lot more time driving the truck than working on it... My truck didn't come with a 12V socket, just a knockout in the dash where it would go. I've been wanting to put in a USB port there so I can charge devices. This isn't the exact one I used, because I found one in a parts bin. But this is what i would recommend - something with a robust regulator and no LED (I hate having lights on the dash): https://powerwerx.com/panel-mount-usb-65w-qc40-typec-pd In any case, since I had some trouble figuring out how to remove the bezel around the OEM radio I thought I'd share what I learned. In the back of the storage compartment below the radio, there is one screw. Remove that. Then pull out the ashtray and fully remove the drawer. The metal part that the drawer goes into does not need to be fully removed, but there is a screw at the front of it that should come out. That will let you pull down the top of the clip, and there are two screws above it that go into the bottom of the radio bezel. Remove those two, and the whole thing should come out very easily. If it feels stuck, stop! There are clips at the top, but the bottom is retained only by screws so if the bottom of the bezel won't move, you missed a screw. If you're having trouble getting those two screws out, you can remove the entire ashtray bracket. There are three screws at the back, you only need to remove the left two. The one on the right holds a bracket that can come out as part of the assembly. IMG_9891 by ulteriormotors posted Nov 27, 2025 at 7:16 AM Plenty of access, no need to disconnect anything here. There should be some extra wires tucked up in the top right of the cavity there: IMG_9890 by ulteriormotors posted Nov 27, 2025 at 7:16 AM One is a spade, one is a bullet. For me, these wires go through the accessory fuse and are live any time the key is in ACC or ON. I didn't have any connectors handy, so I cut off the original ones and spliced these onto my USB module, then tucked everything back out of the way of the radio. As they say, installation is the reverse of removal. IMG_9892 by ulteriormotors posted Nov 27, 2025 at 7:17 AM And here's how it came out. A quick and easy project that is going to be very useful. I'm always trying to reconcile things with this truck. It must have really been a utility vehicle, for only having ~26k km when I got it, it sure is beat up! Suits me fine, I use it daily as a work truck now and don't mind having it be less precious. But man, that dash is rough...
ulteriormotors, your entire feed is amazing. Hope you don't mind but I'll be using it to work on my Suzuki Carry.
