ANOTHER BOOK REVIEW! SHENANIGANS I SAY! Travel The Planet Overland...

“Adventure is worthwhile in itself.” 
   Amelia Earhart said this simple explanation to why going out and pushing limits is important sometime in the 1930s.  The far reaching internet seems unable to give me a date.  I believe in the last few years,  this quote has been brought to the forefront of the Overland Culture by Clay Croft of Expedition Overland,  who used the quote at least once in the amazing short films he and his crew have done around North and Central America.     While I agree with this,  there is a quote that always struck a chord with me a little more:

“We shall not cease from exploration. And the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started, and know the place for the first time. Through the unknown, remembered gate, when the last of earth left to discover is that which was the beginning.” T.S. Eliot    

Why this strikes so with me is unknown…but I’d like to think I have, in a small form,  grabbed this drive by the tail.   All journeys, however long,  are a circle it seems,  and if you start from a point on the globe,  point the nose or bow in any direction of the compass,   you will some day come to the exact spot you started.     How true this is, and it can be applied to everything: love,  education,  life….We all start life and then leave it, and that adventure is a circle. 
  How many twists, turns, dives and steep climbs in the circle, however, is up to you.

This is going somewhere, I assure you.       About a year and a half ago,  I came across a story.  I honestly can’t remember how,  though I think a podcast may have had something to do with it…that or ExpeditionPortal.com.   Regardless,  I found this story and it was amazing.    A Man and his Wife had taken their two children and stepped away from the “Norm”.  While that may seem not as spellbinding as some things,  it did turn me onto a book this man had written,  and that is where all of this comes somewhat, in a circle.

That man was Graeme Bell, and the book was We Will Be Free.   What a book, let me tell you.

I did do a (rather crap) review of it on this same blog about a year later (link is below, somewhere) which really gives my full opinion about it.  You should read the review, which I wrote sober and may have detracted from it.    Better,  read We Will Be Free itself.     Just a recap:   Graeme and Luisa Bell strike out on a grand adventure with their two kids and a land rover, and wind up seeing parts of the world that I’m sure none of us ever considered.  They set out with little more than a desire to do, and they have at this juncture, done amazing things and have transformed themselves and their world view in ways the entire globe would benefit from.  Very much a Covered Wagon, frontier sort of adventure.   I gifted my copy to another of my Montana Toyota OffRoad crew here so he could have some joy on his three month stint on an Oil tanker out of Valdez….

I may regret that….    

Needless to say, their book has awoken quite the monster in the overland sector.  It has taken this thing that people have been doing for years (Overlanding is not a new thing) and introduced it to the common man, if you will.     It is a story,  a chronicle….it is not,  however, a “How To”  manual.    
If We Will Be Free is the story told over amazing food and exceptional beer with good company and a fire nearby,  the Bell’s new book Travel The Planet Overland   is the self-help best seller.
And I say it like that because it is not exactly a How-To manual.  Have you ever tried to read one of those?    I just had to read up on removing a CV axle in my Toyota 4Runner to change a leaky seal, and had to read the how-to:  “Remove hub bushing and washer.  Discard Cotter Pin.  Tighten Hub Nut to 147 pounds pressure.  Kill yourself because this reading has no soul”   kind of bland sadness.
Travel The Planet Overland is a Self-Help book.   Have you read a Self-Help book?  I have.   It’s a book where someone shares their experiences,   what they did with their lives,  their actions to change and suggestions to readers who are on a similar wavelength.    

To say it as  “The Bells changed their life,  and you can too!  Here are tips and tricks!”   almost cheapens it,  but is still pretty apt.  I will probably post this review,  reread it and be very angry at suddenly thinking of a better comparison,  but that is what it is.      I have skimmed (I skim pretty critically) the book,  and am about halfway reading it word for word, and once again,  Graeme hits it out of the park.   Luisa’s sections match his,  and there is a distinct ballet of how the book is knitted together.    I think I said in We Will Be Free,  the whole family wrote the story,  but Graeme was the only one typing and scribbling the accounts.  Yeah,  Travel the Planet Overland is all of them again,  with the whole family submitting their own words.    Graeme and Luisa do most of the writing,  as their son is a teenager and busy with .....being a teenager (or something…we’ve all been there)  and their daughter is channeling Dr. Doolittle and adopting all the animals she can find.   Still, the book comes off as a masterpiece.   It is written completely,  without lots of jargon and babble.     

This is a blue collar Self Help book,  not an Oprah one.   

That said, the information and education one gets from this book is something you can’t get in school.   These are the real lessons by real people, and the Bells present it to you in language you can understand and equate to your own adventure.

Can’t think of a vehicle?   They have seen all types in the field, and can tell you what they have seen work best.  And what breaks down always.

Issues finding camp spots?   The Bells open the secrets of finding good ones.     

Technical driving,  border crossings,  the all important “MONEY” issues, field mechanic-ing,  RECIPES  (you know I am breaking out all the meat and fire to try these out)   and kit to bring on your trip,  they share what they know.    And I mean SHARE:  this is not a “This is how YOU do it”   book,  this is a “Hey,  grab a beer and a plate,  let me tell ya some stuff that WE did,  and if it works,  sweet”  book.  

It is presented with whimsy,   happiness, frustration,  anger and love.   This is their life lesson, and it is presented to you in all the color of the Hindu spring festival of Holi.  Its beautiful.

The book itself, as a physical thing,  is fantastic as well.    The build quality,  the lay out and format,  the pictures…. This is a book with heft.   Like, bring it  on your overland trip because you could bludgeon a stampeding howler monkey with this thing.   I’ve seen books of equivalent size,  for more money,  be less impressive….a lot.   

What is more impressive is that this book is a Kickstarter Project.  Means,  the Bells came out and said “WE WANT TO DO A THING FOR YOU!” and you,  the people, adventurers, fans and overlander kin, said “F--- YEAH WE WANT TO SEE IT!”     The Bell Family’s Kickstarter for this thing reached funding in like….4 days.  I may be wrong,  but the turnaround was insane.   Worth every Penny, I think.   

An actual Adventure Guide?  Yes please….I can read about magical sparky vampires,  you know,  never.  

That said, this awesome book that I have was the Kickstarter version,  which is amazing.  The Mass published version is a touch down the road at the moment,  I’m sure if you send Graeme or Luisa an email they can give some exact times. Maybe….they are overlanders, after all…  Places to go, you know, and maybe-haps more books to write?   Like I said…adventure is a circle…I don’t think they have come to the starting place again as of yet.
They may still have a few extra copies of this version up for sale.   The link will be below.   
I say do it.    Get the Book.    Do the Adventure.   Break out of the rat race and the grey suits in the grey cars going to grey office buildings…    Break down the wall and see the color again,  man.   

Cheers.

Links.
Original “We Will Be Free”  review by some guy (maybe me)
 http://aggrotread.blogspot.com/2016/04/in-which-book-is-reviewed-badly.html

Facebook, because we all have to have one.
https://www.facebook.com/a2a.expedition/
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/a2a.expedition/
https://www.instagram.com/graeme.r.bell/ 
Their actual website:
http://www.a2aexpedition.com/

BANNING SHIT. Lets go all out.

I find myself reading an interesting car article today, and made the mistake of looking at the comments. Some asshole always has to say "we need to ban women drivers." Yeah, um. Get Fucked, Wee man. But then I got thinking....if we banned women drivers, what else could we ban? Oh, the list.... Lets start first with everyone not white. Considering caucasian people are not actually the color "white", they count in this ban scheme. Throw all religions, creeds and gender Identities in there for good measure Subaru Drivers: Seriously, I look at subarus on the road, regardless the driver's age, race, gender or identity, and approach them with the same caution I would walking behind a horse. When your road rage is quelled by "oh, its a subaru", you know its bad. Rest in Peace, Josh's first jeep, victim of a subaru. Any vehicle with a Confederate Flag: Seriously, WTF are you "Good Ol' American Boys" doing, waving or emblazoning your vehicle with the flag of a defeated American enemy? The Rebel flag, which is actually the Battle FLag of the Army of Virginia, not the Confederacy, is like the Swastika at this point: Put it on your restored car if the restoration calls for it. A restored german fighter plane is painted to be historically correct. Automotively, this means a 1969 Charger Dukes of Hazzard Clone and ONLY THIS, not your fucking orange s-10 blazer done up with safety paint. The Prius: Because its a prius. almost as bad as subarus, I have found. Their performance limitations make them less....abrupt. Any asshole who owns a diesel and "Rolls Coal" with it. Really, what is the reason for this, other than to be be a cheesedick? The only, ONLY way that truck should be billowing smoke like that is if it is working REALLY HARD at doing its job...like, I dont know.. PULLING SOMETHING HEAVY..like, up a steep hill, perhaps. The infamous Turn Signal avoider. Seriously, USE THE TURN SIGNAL. If you don't, you get axed. That means no one in arizona can drive...ever. Turn signals are illegal there or something. That person who claims people of a different gender/race/religion/color can't drive. If we banned this asshat, I guarantee the driving experience for the rest of the world would be greatly improved, because the person that makes these claims, in my experience, is usually the asschoke in the safety orange confederate S-10 shitbox. People who don't take care of their cars: This is actually legit. If you hit me, endanger children, so forth and so on because YOU ignored the fact your car's brakes were crappy, you need to be removed from the driving pool. Lack of vehicle care shows you are not responsible enough. This is the short list. Im getting too annoyed to continue, and my tolerance for humanity is already pretty slim. Don't do any of the listed things, and yall should be cool.

IN WHICH A BOOK IS REVIEWED (BADLY).....

.....by Me, with could be quite catastrophic,   I don't know:  I'm an Archaeologist, Not a book critic.  All that follows makes sense to me.   

Sorry.

That said, you need to read this book.   I mean, look at it:

It’s a snorkel equipped Land Rover, on not depressing skinny tires.  Right off the bat, that should speak some tall volumes right there.       And the title is an intriguing one too….certainly does not initially conjure the notion of what the book is about, but makes perfect sense.   And if the truck and interesting title don’t catch your attention, how about the fact that the cover image oozes that honeyed word that has lured so many out, some to gristly ends……

..ADVENTURE…

Yes, that is my desk.  Yes there is a gun on it.   And a cup of tea.  And an old airplane toy, and line level string.   And keys.   It was not posed.   I am not that clever.   Don’t judge.

ANYWAY….

We Will Be Free, is a book written by Graeme Bell about overlanding with his family (which I will come back to) and his truck, a Land Rover Defender 130, or what we in the states would call “a quad cab truck”.   

First, I should explain “Overlanding” because some people who read this (all….7...of you, if I’m lucky) may not know the term.

AHEM: “Overlanding is self-reliant overland travel to remote destinations where the journey is the principal goal.”   Shamelessly stole that from Wikipedia via the Google.    I’m not bashful to say it.    It’s pretty sound.

So, this book is about a guy and his family toodling around some places where not many people go, and that’s about it….

EXCEPT IT SO ISN’T!

Here is me being critical:   The book is not always eloquent.    Sometimes, you find the thread interrupted.   Sometimes you have to go back and re-read parts to understand something further in the book.  Graeme is a man who writes, and writes like a man would, which is roughhewn at times, like old wood buildings.  

And that is why I LOVE the damn thing.    Really.    Allow me to elaborate before Graeme shows up at my door to have a discussion (Dude, He’s big. I know I’m pretty big, but dude….no brawling with him.)     I love this book because it is exactly that:  Rough.   And REAL.   I have read books that are written by people who write as their living and their absolute passion and are self-conscience about what they put on a page.    You can tell because it affects the truthfulness of their work.     I said Graeme writes a roughhewn book?   Yeah,   roughhewn like the timbers holding the walls of a renaissance cathedral.  It’s majestic.

Graeme writes a book that makes you pay attention.   It makes you think about what they are doing as you read it.  It conveys a sense that it is too vital and real to have been made up. Visceral, is almost a good word.   The amount of meat consumed in the book’s gestation would allow visceral as a good word, I imagine.

We Will Be Free reminds me of the old journals and transcribed diaries of soldiers and immigrants coming out into the American west with covered wagons 150- 200 years ago.  Except less of “Timmy has died of dysentery.” Anyone who played Oregon Trail will get that.    It is something that you know is special because the book is not why he is doing this…he is doing this because he is the record keeper. 

 

DAMN IT, MARGE!

And that brings me to his family.    I really feel that they ALL wrote this book.    Graeme, his wife Luisa, and their two kids Keelan and Jessica, are on this amazing journey together, and if the four of them were not in the story together, it would be a completely different book.   Started in South Africa, and trundled about that continent a bit.    Then onto a boat (very immigrant/new world-ish)   went the Land Rover, because it fits poorly into overhead luggage, and the Bell family find themselves in South America,  where their British-Midlands built covered wagon had trundled them about a continent that, dare I say,  is still very frontier.     

Graeme, as the family’s chronicler,   paints the pictures of their life in vivid, splashes of literary color:   You know his wife is a force of nature,  that his kids are experiencing things from a perspective that we as kids would have been lucky to see,  and that he himself can reckon with the defiant human spirit that every origin of man has that has allowed us to explore and exist on this planet.  Gets in touch with his “inner Viking”,  which is apt as hell.  They all are such an integral part of the book, I always want to say “The Bell Family”  as being the authors.   And if you want a book with a Pioneer soul?   Boom,  right here.    The Bells have removed themselves off the grid in such a fashion, a loopy militiaman on a mountain could pick up some tips.   What’s better, they have done it in a way that makes them happy, so it’s proof that you can live on a shoestring, with kids!   They don’t always need Corn Pops you know (I shamelessly love me some Corn Pops, which make me a bad, fat person).  

Graeme also doesn’t bore you with describing scenery you can look up on the internet, he tells you a bit about it, then describes the detail of dealing with people, broken parts,   and the anxiety of stepping out into what could be described as “a blank page”.   When was the last time YOU traipsed along in an old truck in another country, 5000 miles from home?   This is an adventure of the highest order,  in a world that many, myself included,  has lamented about “having no more adventure left.”

This book reminds me of another adventure book that I read many years ago, and actually bought after the man who wrote it came into the bar I worked at and told me some of his great stories.   Thomas Goltz’s Assassinating Shakespeare:  The Tale of the Bard in the Bush is the riveting tale of an American man from the boarder land of North Dakota/Montana finding himself in Africa, travelling the length of the continent in the late 1970s, performing Shakespeare with wooden puppets, while being pretty much destitute in a place he knew nothing about.  He became a minor celebrity over there…Graeme and Luisa may have heard of him in the paper or something.     I have had the pleasure of drinking and dining with this man,  and Mr. Goltz  is every bit the “swashbuckling adventurer/academic” that you’d expect.  He’s earned the Victorian Adventurer Moustache.    His book is very much like Graeme’s:  gritty,  unpolished,  and real.   The detail in the mundane is fantastic, and you see the parts of a story that are, in my opinion,  so much more important to me as an adventurer.   The liberal use of profanity is really the only difference.

I cannot state that enough.   Real is a big deal.  In this day and age,  its less “who you are” and almost always “The image of who you want to show the world”.  There is too much disguise, too much padding  to hide or muffle the realities of the world.     We Will be Free is a tale that removes those blinders, and says “HERE IS A TALE OF HIGH ADVENTURE!”   I could hear the drums in the opening credits from Schwarzenegger’s Conan the Barbarian playing with gusto when you open the book.    They have breakdowns!  They deal with shady folk!   They get  caught up in troubles that catch them off guard!   And they roll with the punches like a prize fighter and come out swinging.  Then into the teeth of the unknown again! 

I am sadly living the adventure life vicariously through them, at the moment,  but damn it,  It is gnawing at me to get out and do more traipsing about myself.   The Bells,  after this book was written,  have managed to drive all the way north,  to Alaska,  and back down again (I’ll apologize for the US some other time...it would take a while)  to Baja,  I think,  at the time I’m writing this.   

SO much adventure,  that Graeme and Luisa have put together another book!    There is more info here on their kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1423033955/travel-the-planet-overland-a-photo-book-and-guide    A how to guide on how to actually break free of the social bindings and be free on the trail?   YUS PLZ.      I say check it out.   Check out all of it.   I’m throwing my coin in soon as I have some!   New jobs take time to pay, you know?

LOOK! A BLOG/WEBSITE THING!  http://www.a2aexpedition.com/   If you get the book,   get it here.    I suppose you could get it from AMAZON,   but that outfit takes a bite out of what the Bells get…   Links to their Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, all there.    What?  I am not as computery as most.   Not going to past all the links.

Yes, I have a copy.

No.   You can’t borrow it.   No.

Other things to do,  if you want to know more?   

The Centre Steer Podcast has a few fantastic interviews with the Bells from last spring and just this past winter (look, links!)

(http://centresteer.com/podcast/centresteer-25-visit-with-the-inlaws/     http://centresteer.com/podcast/centresteer-30-drop-the-mic/  )

I actually listened to the first while driving to Wilcox, Arizona for a job.   Sad Fact: if I was not on that project, I would have been in Flagstaff at Overland Expo 2015,  with the specific goal to meet the Bells and shake their hands. 230 miles.    I could have done it…

  And to look at cool rigs,  because, be honest,  they are all cool.   Couldn’t ever afford one,  but cool.  Can’t go this year either.    Le Sigh.

Anyway,  yeah.    Read the Book.    Support some adventure.    Get a slice of your own, and use the Bell’s as your inspiration.    Really,  Be Free.

Cheers all.

  

The Peace of Wrenching.

Lately,  I have found myself in a wasteland of stress, anger and frustration.    I have returned home to Montana,  two months after setting out for what was to have been a 2-3 week project in Arizona.   This delay was largely due to the issues with my Toyota 4Runner,   which were highlighted in the previous blog.

If you can believe it,  the situation got even worse....   A thousand times so.  

A Uhaul that was powered by asthmatic chihuahuas..  

 As you can see,  this is what I ended up having to do after a total of 39 business days that The Engine Builders of Glendale, AZ,  had my truck. They misdiagnosed it twice, ended up ignoring my request to stop work,  and finally, when I got my truck back and they agreed to refund me my money,  I received an engineless 4Runner with a couple of buckets with parts just thrown in.   I had to lose my collective shit on the guy on the phone, in front of his customers at his shop,  to get the engine block and cylinder heads.  However,  there were two other 3rd generation 4Runners like mine there when I picked all this up, so chances are they gave me the old crap from one of them. Still,the shop came away with stealing the 3.4L V6's pistons,  crank shaft, water pump, oil pump, connecting rods and timing belt.  
I did get a radiator cap from something large,  probably a V8 truck, thrown in the box.
On top of this, I had to stay an extra week to get my refund, which was promised that Friday.

Naturally, it did not happen.
 I still am waiting.

 He has deposited $2500 of the $3130 he owes me, but is taking his sweet ass time about it.  This does not include the cost of the stolen parts ($800 bucks near abouts)  the Uhaul and Trailer ($1400)  or the fuel and hotel stays on my way back to Montana (did not even want to look)

BECAUSE PUZZLES!

In the grand scheme of all this bullshit, I managed to not straight up go over to the shop and murder the man.  I had the gun,  but I was in such a state that I would have found a way to stab him to death with something like a cardboard box or an egg carton or something.  
I was that angry.
Still am, actually.

Anyway,  there is a new(ish) motor awaiting me in Missoula at the Toyotas Only shop,  that they found for me and have resealed and done the complete Toyota service on a 72K mile donor motor.  Plug and play,  complete and ready to go.   Soon as I pay for it, of course.
 

Its a 7/16ths bolt...

The thing here is,  after all this time, I look forward to it.     I enjoy the fixing and building of things.
There is a sense of peace and harmony that goes along with the frustration and broken knuckles and stuck bolts.  Or, in the most recent case,  broken bolts...    That one broken bolt..literally a week of my life went into getting it out.....which never did happen.   I broke,  count it,  THREE cobalt drill bits,  three titanium drill bits,  one hardened steel screw extractor,  one tap and die set,  and all of my patience.   On a 7/16ths bolt used to hold a choke thermostat in the exhaust manifold.

I ended up swapping the whole thing out, which to do the exhaust manifold on a Dodge 225 Slant Six means taking off EVERYTHING (carb, intake,  ect). Luckily I had a spare manifold (because we all have spare manifolds) from the barn (because we all have barns), and now the truck runs perfectly.

The replacement...covered in birdshit.

Perfectly-Ish.

Its 32 years old...It did sit nearly two years before I pulled the whole truck out of the barn and got it running for a few weeks last summer.  I imagine I had it coming.   She's angry.

But,  to be truthful, it was all worth it.   The last day,  where everything started going back together,  bolt by bolt,  I felt a sense of relief.  That kind of relief you get when you realize you are not in trouble, or when a weight is lifted from your shoulders.  

Pictured:  Barn recovery last summer.

    Its a fair bit of peace.    And I sorely needed it.  Nothing felt better than putting it all back in place, tightening it all down,   feeling things seat.   The initial start and roar of a proper working choke and warm up was gratifying as hell.  

Like I said,  the Dodge runs perfectly-ish.    It still has its quirks. It still has a clutch issue where i have broken every part of the clutch, and don't know why (would you believe the shop that did the clutch on it 2006 put in the WRONG pressure plate?  I do. Now.)
  And its been a source of thousands of headaches.

 But at the same time,  it has been the source of one of the more unique forms of meditation that I have ever experienced.   I love working on it.    That goes for my toyota as well.   I have put all new brakes,  suspension and servicing on it since I bought it (and now I get to put in a new engine!  *facepalm*).   I sat down the other day and looked at all the parts that I now have to figure out,  and I felt a calm roll over me.    A place of Zen (of sorts).   I knew that I could do it, and that I will do it when I am finally able to pay for it.    But,  amidst the sea of stress and such,   I am still able to feel like I can achieve some peace...by picking up a wrench.

Why I need a garage...

So, as many of my friends know that I have been having some vehicular issues lately.    I've decided to give pretty much everyone an update, and inform those who don't know the situation.

So you can laugh at me,  or tell me I am a moron.

Anyway,  I have a 1997 Toyota 4Runner  (also called a Hilux Surf) with an automatic transmission and a 3.4L 5ZFE v6.   I bought the truck in 2012 with 210K miles on it,  and it has been an amazingly reliable  and all around useful vehicle for my growing family, for work, and exploration.    So much so.  that I decided, when faced with the choice of purchasing a newer vehicle,  or putting a new engine and transmission in the 4runner to bring it up to new,  that I would Zero hour the 4Runner and have a reliable,  sound truck that is less complicated than the newer counterparts,  and not have a $350-500 dollar monthly car payment for something that is far to electrical for my taste, and far too expensive to fix.      

SO,  that's what I did.  My poor 4Runner has been called a Lemon,  but 40K and three-4 years challenges that statement. The Toyota had served me well for 41,000 miles,   having only two issues in three years:  A leaky radiator hose that I replaced,  and in doing so,  cracked the plastic upper radiator tank,  which resulted in a new radiator,  and a stripped spark plug.   It served faithfully in Montana and Arizona,  and it really could, In my mind,  not be replaced by a newer version that would be as reliable or cost effective.
October of 2015 saw the 4runner's  transmission develop a small shudder, to which I was prepared:  the truck was over 250K at this point.   stuff is bound to wear out.    So I had the transmission replaced with a manufactured unit.   Which suffered from a stuck valve, and resulted in me having it warranty replaced by the original transmission that the shop had reconstructed.    This works wonders.

THe engine,  however.....   Well, This is where it will be the LONG read.  I am literally going to copy and paste from the document I have written documenting the whole goddamn process that I have dealt with.     I am fully aware that I am being too nice of a guy, and that everyone else by now would have called their lawyer.

Which I am going to.

Anyway,  read on...

4Runner was delivered by shop on Nov 18th, with 251,522 miles on it. Speaking with Tanya in the office,  I was told to drive it kind and not to overstress the 4Runner.   Shop was aware of the 4Runner’s pending journey north after break in.   Vehicle break in on the new engine to last 500 miles.   Directions to baby the 4Runner for the first 500 miles very direct, attached to invoice and explained to me on Saturday  Nov 21.   4Runner driven short trips,  within Phoenix and Mesa,  staying below 55mph and alternating acceleration and braking.   4Runner finally reaches 252,022 miles,  the break in point,  on Dec 12th.

Nov 6th: Vehicle is dropped off at The Engine Builders.

Nov 18th,  4Runner is delivered Engine Builders.  Dropped off at airport on Nov 21st.   Picked up Nov 25th.   4Runner is driven smoothly,  lightly,  and without stress until the 12th of December.

During the break in period,  NO leaks were observed from engine and cooling system.   Oil is checked every day, every drive.   Oil Change is done on December 13,  after 4Runner drains and cools the night of the 12-13th.   Oil Change is Completed with a Wix 51348 oil filter and Castrol 10w-40 oil.    Oil is still checked every day.  No warning lights during break in period  After oil change,  4Runner is driven on highway.   All fluids remain at good levels,   no leaks, and nothing to suggest seal or gasket failure. Oil change reported.  

4Runner sees transmission replacement on Dec 19th.   

4Runner is loaded and on the road for final move to Montana on Dec 20th.     Morning saw oil and coolant levels checked before hitting the road,  all of which checked out.   No leaks observed, no warning lights.

4Runner driven on highway north toward Wickenburg.  40 miles north of Wickenburg,  4Runner starts experiencing shudder,  power loss, and lower speeds.    Pulling over and doing a walk around while vehicle  idling showed no leak or issues.    Turning off and restarting of 4Runner resulted in a billowing cloud of oil smoke.    4Runner is shut off.      7 mile walk is taken before cellular signal enough to reach 911 is found to call AZHP and call for a tow truck.   When Tow finally arrived and 4Runner loaded,   closer inspection reveals oil on frame and exhaust manifold on right side of engine,  and oil blowback along the frame and belly of truck.  No warning lights on dash when this issue occurred.

Cost of tow to Wickenburg from mile 163: $275.00

Hotel in Wickenburg for the Night of Dec 20-21: $65.78

Tow to Engine Builders on Dec 21, covered by AAA.

Dec 21: Inspection of 4Runner at the shop revealed a possible leaking/failed valve cover gasket, a possible ring issue and a PVC issue.   Oil is checked,   ¾ of a quart low on oil.     4Runner is started,  let idle, and then moved back into the shop area,  billowing oil smoke.  Removal of air intake pipe connecting the air box to the intake to gain access to the right side revealed the pipe and resonator chambers were full of oil. Inspection of Air filter shows saturation of one corner of Air filter with oil, and significant oil blow by in airbox.   Oil is poured out,   pipe is disassembled,   cleaned and reassembled.   Airbox cleaned out to the best of mechanics ability without removal.    Brake cleaner used to clear oil off of air filter.  Valve cover gasket was not replaced  but valve cover bolts are so loose that the bolts are able to be tightened by hand before the ratchet can be used to tighten them.    PCV valve is replaced, along with the PCV hose to the intake.    Oil is topped off.    Shop charged $20 dollars for the oil, and the PCV/hose.    4Runner is driven around block,   running roughly,  then clearing up as oil in intake, exhaust and cylinders is burned off.    4Runner is driven from Glendale to Mesa,  then back north.   Hiccupping near Wiciup Arizona results in an inspection of intake pipe and intake butterfly, revealing more oil in pipe. Engine is over a quart low on oil. No leaks are visible. Phone calls between myself and the Engine Builders results in several conversations with Greg, the owner, about the possible problem.   The suggestion is that there is an issue with the PCV valve and PCV system.  Following the directions of the shop,  I inspected all the hoses and lines, all of which seem to be clear.    Shop suggests replacing the PCV valve,  Greg not knowing that the valve had already been replaced 4 hours earlier.  Discussion of possible crank case blow-by issue is deemed not possible by shop.  Notified the shop of my intent to drive to Kingman, AZ, 53 miles from Wiciup. At no point was I told not to.  Purchase of another quart of 10w40 oil at gas station (5.49),   engine oil is brought up to normal level. 4Runner is limped to Kingman,   stopping at O’Reilly Auto parts.   Purchase of a new PCV valve  ($2.69), two quarts of Castrol 10w40 oil (5.99 each) , two cans of Brake Cleaner to flush the intake pipe out (5.79) and two feet of 3/8s vacuum line for PCV system (that was not replaced and remains in the 4Runner currently,  3.49)  brings total to $35.23 in oil and parts to address the problem.    Stayed in Kingman AZ the night of Monday, Dec 21.  Motel cost in Kingman is $55.57.   

Research into the problem on a Toyota specific internet forum ( http://www.toyota-4runner.org/3rd-gen-t4rs/211623-oil-intake-intake-pipe.html  ) and asking other 4Runner owners netted a general consensus that the issue is piston ring blow by, and there is a need for a compression test on the engine.

Dec 22nd:    4Runner is picked up by AAA in Kingman and brought back to Glendale after waiting 5 hours.   4Runner is dropped off at Engine Builders owner Greg’s personal residence for security concerns due to arriving after shop closes for the day.    In order to return home for Christmas, and to allow the 4Runner to be repaired correctly, I leave the 4Runner and purchase a plane ticket for Dec 23rd to Missoula, MT.   My concerns about shop storage and repairs are answered with “We will take care of it”.

Plane ticket:  $174.00    Hotel near airport: $119.16, night of Dec22-23,  Taxi to airport: $18.06

Total costs,  not including fuel and food: $762.80

Jan 5th:  Call the Engine Builders at 2:57pm to inquire about my 4Runner,  having not heard anything.   Make contact with Tanya,  who tells me that the 4Runner was just brought into the shop to be looked and that she or the mechanic will call me on the next day, Wednesday the 6th.

Jan 6th: No phone call from shop

Jan 7th: Received confirmation on a work project starting the next week.   Called the shop three times, at 1:57pm, 3:04pm, and 3:53pm  reaching the message machine.  Left one message asking for a call back.

Jan 8th: No phone call from shop.  Called shop four times, at 11:05am,  2:17pm, 3:33pm, and 4:35pm, leaving two messages to inform them of my pending arrival,  and requesting a call back.    No calls are received from the shop.

Jan 11th:  Arrived at shop at 3:30pm to inquire in person after work, and to retrieve items from 4Runner for work.   Introduced to the new mechanic, who I believe is named Brian, who is working on my vehicle,  that he just now had a chance to look at.    His diagnosis is that Number 3 fuel injector has been spraying full blast the entire time (a theory NOT explored the first time I brought the truck in for the same issue on Dec 21),  that the oil has been thinned by fuel, and that carbon debris inside the engine has ruined the PCV valve, causing the engine to pull oil into the PCV system and,  the intake.   He also informs me that the spark plugs are not the correct plugs for the Toyota 3.4l engine,  which requires Platinum, single diode sparkplugs.  The plugs he found during his inspection are not correct, to which he says he will take care of it, and make sure that the plugs are replaced with the correct ones.  Insisted that I wouldn’t be charged for that.  

I was informed that Number 3 fuel injector will need replaced, at $173.00, and that the oil and filter will need changed due to fuel contamination.      I attempted to speak to Tanya in the office to get a total price,  only to find that she had left for the day.  I left a request that she call me the next day with the total cost of the repair.

Jan 12th:  Called shop to find out cost, then make decision  on when I can afford to pay it.     Made contact with Tanya who told me that the 4Runner was already repaired, and that her mechanic was out driving it.  Bill was $220.00.  I was told I could pick it up the next day.

Jan 13th:   Pick up my 4Runner close to 4pm.  Office was already closed.    One of the mechanics, Johnny,  called Tanya to confirm the bill and payment.   One of the mechanics, Byron,  said it was a Warranty repair, but the phone call confirmed the bill.   I spoke to Tanya on Johnny’s cell phone, and was informed as to why she had to leave early,  a confirmation on the bill, and was told that the shop had been starting and running the truck often, and that it had been taken out several times,   driven quite a distance.  If I recall correctly, she said something about 20-30 miles. She told me that she would email me an invoice with the repair breakdown.  I paid Johnny the 220 dollars,  which was witnessed by my coworker.    Placing my hand on the hood of my truck confirmed it was still warm from being driven,  but when I got in the 4runner,  looking at the trip counter on the truck only revealed 2.6 miles on the clock.   The clock at some point had been zeroed after I had dropped the 4Runner off at the shop in December.   Unless the mechanic who was driving the truck zeroed the clock,  my 4runner had only been driven a short distance.   

Driving the truck from Glendale to my lodging in Tempe, the truck drove fine.    The 4Runner was parked in the driveway, as a vehicle has been provided for the length of this project.

Jan 16th: I checked the oil in the morning,  which was a quart low.   The missing quart was replaced, and the truck was driven about 16 miles to test  the repair.    Truck seemed to be a bit low on power until reaching operating temperature,  but still didn’t feel right.   Upon returning from the test,  the 4Runner was allowed to cool down.   I removed the intake tube to inspect the throttle intake.  Doing so spilled more oil out of the one of the intake resonators.    Oil was drained into a bucket.   Inspection of the air filter revealed more oil contamination.  An engineer friend looking into the oil cap made note of the extremely heavy carbon buildup that is visible underneath the valve cover,  suggesting a potentially serious carbon burn issue,  or the possibility that the top end of this engine was not cleaned correctly during the rebuild., or addressed at all,  stating the carbon build up like that would be a result of thousands of miles of driving.   I was forced to clean out the intake tube of oil,   the throttle, Mass Airflow Sensor, and  air box.   I called the shop at 2:06pm, leaving a message asking for a call back on Monday to discuss the issue. 

Jan 18th:  Received call at 8:09 am from Greg at the engine builders,  who again told me that they would take care of it, and that the vehicle running LEAN on a cylinder would cause issues.    I needed to correct him three times that his mechanic told me the injector was running on full.   He was unsure as to why the office had not sent me the invoice for the injector repair, and said that his mechanic probably zeroed the clock when I asked about it.  I was told to bring the 4Runner back in so they can take care of it.

At 3:17, at the suggestion of family who utilize his shop, I contacted Jake at Master Technician Inc.  Toyota’s Only,  in Missoula, Montana.   I related to Jake the situation and issues with the truck,  to which his response was there should have been warning lights on the dash, Check Engine lights,  Misfire codes, and the vehicle  would have been running very poorly if one injector was running lean or pouring fuel.    I was also informed that, unless direct from Toyota dealership parts are used,  the engine will not run properly.  Jake also informed me that there is no rebuild “kit”  for the 3.4 from Toyota, that all the parts would have to be purchased piecemeal.   There is also no timing kit available,  only piecemeal parts for the assembly.   He said, based on what I have told him,  that it sounds like there is an issue with rings.   He said that there are 3 rings per cylinder,  2 for compression, one for oil.   Jake suggested that a borescope be used to see the inside of the cylinders to inspect if there is ring damage.   However,  based on what I told him,   he believes there is more than one ring issue, and in his experience, there is no way to correctly rebuild a 3.4 liter v-6 short of Toyota doing the job themselves.    His own company policy is to not rebuild a 3.4,  but to get a Toyota spec short block, or a low mileage unit.

Jan 19th:   Called shop at 7:45pm,  left message, and also sent an email to The Engine Builders requesting an invoice for the Jan 13th bill of $220, and also a copy of all the invoices, with part numbers,  of all the parts that have been put in my truck since November 6th.   Requested this information be sent to me by noon of Jan 20th.

Jan 20th:   Received the invoice for the Jan 13th repair via email. Date on invoice shows it was created on January 20th, 2016, and that the balance due is $0.00.   Repairs show no Oil change charges on ticket,  and a charge for a PCV Valve and Hose at $26.38.  PCV hose was replaced on Dec 21st, 2015 when the first PCV valve was changed. Still did not receive copies of vendor receipts showing the parts purchased for my vehicle.    Called shop at 8.46am to again request copies of these parts.

At 10:01am,  I spoke with Chris from Master Tech in Missoula, Montana,  asking about their experience with low mileage JDM engines,  and getting a 3rd opinion about the injector fault and the check engine lights,  to which I was informed that the Flooding Injector would cause the engine to flood out on that cylinder,  and NOT want to fire correctly at all.    The vehicle, he said, would definitely run rough and poorly if an injector failed,   either by dumping two much fuel or too little, and that I would definitely see an engine code and Check Engine light.

At 10:43,   spoke to Greg from The Engine Builders,   who was inquiring as to when I would be bringing my truck into the shop to be repaired.    I asked about when I was going to be able to see the vender receipts,  and was told that “We don’t do that.   We don’t write out the lists of every single part that goes into an engine.”  I pressed again,  to which I was told that the shop purchases parts at AutoZone, that they don’t use low quality parts, and that we can put a borescope into the cylinders to see the new parts.  The 7 minute conversation with Greg continued to the fuel injector running Lean issue again,   to which I again corrected him that his mechanic told me the faulty injector had been pouring fuel.     He explained to me how the truck would compensated in the other injectors to make up for the faulty one that was not spraying,   even though I told him again that his mechanic told me that the faulty injector was flooding out.     When I asked why the engine, as I have been told by two other Toyota Specific mechanics,  didn’t throw any Check Engine Lights,  I was informed that such an injector problem would only show up “Sometimes”.    Greg did confirm that the truck would run roughly and poorly on a lean/failed or Flooding out injector.     The conversation furthered to Greg asking if my wife had informed me,  during the drop off of the truck on Nov 18th, 2015,  that I needed to run a quart of acetone through the fuel system with the gas to clean the system and clear the injectors.    I informed him that she did not.    Greg then asked how many of these other mechanics and shop owners I have talked to since Monday give their personal cell numbers to their clients.   He requested that I bring my truck in so they can repair it,  and that they will make it right, and that they will take care of it.    I told him I would have the truck towed to the shop on January 21st, as I was not willing to drive it out to Glendale uncase of engine issues that may cause more damage.

At 10:52,  I called my wife to ask her about the acetone.   She told me that Greg had started to explain stuff to her, and she had stopped him and informed him that she was not a car person, and that he needed to tell me.    Greg apparently responded with “That’s Ok,  everything he needs to know is in the paperwork.”    Reading the paperwork again revealed no mention of Acetone in the fuel system.

Jan 21^st.   Called AAA for a tow truck to deliver the 4runner back to The Engine Builders.

At 1pm, I sat down with Greg at The Engine Builders.     He further explained how a bad injector could damage the engine,  and immediately threw his mechanics under the bus saying that they, as with most all other mechanics “only focus on one problem and don’t always fix the reason for that problem”.  He said it had been his intent to drive and diagnose the truck’s issues himself each time it had been in,  but had not had a chance too due to the fact that the truck was “repaired”  and released to me each time before he could test it himself.   When I asked about the parts being put in,  Greg told me that they put in what AutoZone sends them.   However, during my time at the office,   he had a discussion with his office manager about the Wrong spark plugs having to go back to AutoZone because “even though the parts store sent platinum sparkplugs,  the Dealership and the manufacturer requires a copper spark plug for the Hemi.”  Pointing that out to me,   he laid it out that he is able to catch such things in the shop only if he is able to see them or catch them.  If he hadn’t been there, that hemi powered dodge would have been given to the customer with the wrong plugs,  which would have in turn caused the care to run lean, and therefore damage the engine.   

When asked about parts, about why my truck was not equipped with Nippon-Denso plugs, he again told me that the plugs were the ones sent by AutoZone.    When I tried to get him to agree to giving me access to the receipts and invoices for the parts that have been put in my truck,  he told me that he does not buy “rebuild kits”   like other shops do,  but buys bearings,  oil pumps, rings,  pistons, etc from various makers, from the best companies he knows,  and that is how he builds engines for all of his customers.  While I was given the names of the companies he gets the parts from (Melling, Heliman, King), which Greg claimed were better quality than original parts.   I was still not shown the receipts.   I took him outside and opened the oil cap,  showing him the carbon build up in the top end.   His reply was “Let me show you how well things are cleaned” and brought me to the back of the shop,  to the workbench,  where he showed me an aluminum timing cover and oil pan,  both well cleaned and scrubbed.   However,  this did not answer my question about why there was so much carbon build up in the engine of my truck.  I feel this was a neglected part of my truck’s rebuild. I asked what his plan was in respect to my vehicle.   Greg wants to drive it,  see how the vehicle performs, and then will do a compression check of each cylinder.   It is in his opinion that there is a ring issue.   Worse case scenario,  there will be damage to the block, which will require another engine from a donor truck,  that the shop will build and install in my truck.    The engine cannot be bored out more than .30 over the original cylinder size.  If there is scoring on one or more of the damaged cylinders,  the block in the vehicle will be irreparable.  They will not be able to look at my truck until next week.   I will contact the shop Tuesday.   

January 26^th, 2016.     Called shop at 2:05 pm today.   No answer,  left a message requesting a call back.   No return call from shop.

Jan 27^th:  Called Shop at 1:30pm.   No answer.   Left message for call back.   Received call back within 3 minutes,   telling me Greg was on the other line, and that he would call me back when done.

Greg called me back 5 minutes later, and told me that they were having issues with an older chevy with a stroker engine,  which is different than other engines,  and that they will get to my truck tomorrow (January 28^th),  starting with a compression test, and, after the compression test is done,  start pulling the engine.

Called shop at 3pm,  needing to speak to Greg.   No answer.   Left Message. 

Has a heated conversation with Greg at 3:40 concerning my vehicle.    At this juncture,  I am not terribly confident or happy with the job that had been done each time my truck was brought in.   I am not terribly confident with what I am being told in respect to the issues, and my confidence is shaky concerning the job being done quickly.

I point blank asked my truck was not a priority.   I was told that it was.   When I asked why,  considering the situation,  my truck was not at the TOP of their to do list,  I was told that it was…Tomorrow.    I was told that his “one guy”  he wants on this big project had to finish the blazer,  and then would be on mine, tomorrow.   When I asked for a time frame,  he told me he would not know until tomorrow after the compression test.  To address my query into my truck being a priority, and having informed him that I am no longer holding residence in the state of Arizona and that my time here for work was limited,   he pointed out the job that was done on Dec 21^st, saying that they did it immediately.   He told me each time I brought the truck in it was looked at immediately.   When I asked why the truck only just got looked at and fixed on January 11^th-12^th, AFTER I returned to Arizona, and the truck had been at the shop since Dec 22^nd,  the conversation started to devolve.  The conversation rapidly got heated,  with Greg talking loudly over me,   telling me again how well his shop builds engines,  how I could go out and talk to his distributers on how he builds “stronger and better engines” and about the quality of the parts used ( I still not have been given or shown copies of the parts  invoices for my truck to confirm).    He countered me on every focus I have brought up, from what his mechanic said,  what I was told by other mechanics was wrong,  seemed to be sticking to the story that the engine would NOT run poorly with a failed injector (he asked if his mechanic told me the injector was “bad”, to which I said yes,  and only seemed to validate it as the failed part,  but not HOW it failed) , or kick warning lights, and then debunked the possibility of a low mileage JDM engine due to their poor care.   He then told me I needed to “stop accusing him”   of building a bad motor (which I have not done).   He told me that the problems that they are addressing are something that any other shop would be telling me “are my problem,  not theirs.”     After ensuring me, again,  that TOMORROW my truck would be first on the list,  and that they would take care of it,  the phone call ended.

February 1, 2016:  Called shop at 1:49pm for an Update.    No answer.   Left a message requesting a call back,  asking what had been found out about my truck.

February 2^nd, 2016:   Called shop at 8:49am, 10:32am and 1:06pm,   leaving a message each time for the shop to return my call and to please update me with the situation regarding my truck.  

Received a return call from the shop at 2:21pm,  and spoke to Greg.     Greg informed me that he had been thinking about what I had said about talking to Toyota specific mechanics and to the parts counter at the dealership,  and wanted to let me know that he has built a number of the 3.4L V6 engines for Findlay Toyota in Flagstaff, AZ, and that if his engines had issues,  a dealership would not use his services.

Greg then told me that his specific mechanic that he has had working on my truck was in the hospital,  having gone in for Emergency Surgery for something (he did not know what)  and wouldn’t be back to work until next Monday, Feb 8^th.     This is the only one of his mechanics he is willing to have work on my vehicle.    Greg also informed me that his mechanic had told him that my truck had been “overheated”,   and that there was a crack in the passenger side Intake manifold, and that the passenger side head gasket had melted.     He told me he was unsure,  as he has been out towing cars every day,  and is not in the shop to speak directly to his mechanics.   He read to me a text message from his mechanic (who is still in the hospital)  that roughly read “About 97 toyota 4runner, maroon, cracked passenger side intake manifold pipe,  and melted head gasket.”      Greg informed me the shop would cover it,  even though the truck “Overheated”,  but he wanted to let me know.   He also confirmed my vehicle would once again be worked on Monday, February 8^th,  when his mechanic he had returned to work.

During the entire time since the rebuild,   my truck never exhibited symptoms of running hot or overheating.    The dashboard mounted temp gauge never went higher than the normal operating temperature customary for that truck.    The truck,  during break in,   exhibited No loss of coolant,  no sign of coolant in exhaust,  no coolant smell,  no signs or white smoke indicative of a failed head gasket,  and NO sign of issues relating to a cracked intake manifold,  which would, if I am understanding where the crack is,  would cause a massive vacuum leak that would compromise the vehicle’s ability to run smoothly.  Aside from the oil blow-by, the vehicle has NOT run poorly suggesting any of these symptoms,    including the before mentioned flooding and/or lean running failed fuel injector.

Due to my mounting concern about this, I called Findlay Toyota in Flagstaff to confirm Greg’s statement that they use The Engine Builders as a rebuild shop.   Using the 1 888 275-1721 number found on their Flagstaff Dealership website,  I spoke to Alec in the Parts department,  who I asked about their use of  The Engine Builders as an engine rebuilder.    Alec asked why they would do that when they are able to rebuild engines at their own facility, using off the shelf Toyota parts.   He told me that an engine swap would result in them purchasing either a used engine or a long block, remanufactured engine from a business like LKQ Corporation, an auto component distributer. I asked about the JDM imported engines, and if they had experience with using them, and he told me that the dealership avoids them.  When I told Alec that Greg had told me that Findlay had used The Engine Builders,   Alec responded that he had never heard of the company before.