Hello From Wisconsin

[Boerderij_Kabouter]

First time Previa owner and very excited about it. I finally found a '92 with a manual transmission in good enough shape to pull the trigger on it. We are working with about 168k miles and zero rust. Some body damage and the interior is not great, but the engine seems to run great and the transmission is in good shape too.

The plan for this van is to fully rehab it for my daily driver and hopefully keep this car for a very, very long time.

Current issues:
1. Variable idle that drops to 0 and stalls.
2. Oil leak, not terrible but it is there.
3. Cosmetic issues we will address down the road

Plan of attack:
1. Clean throttle body, IAC, and EGR - fingers crossed that this fixes my idle issue
2. Replace fuel filter
3. Change transmission fluid - 2.3 qt 75W90 GL4
4. Change transfer case oil - 1.4 qt 75W90 GL4
5. Change rear differential oil - 1.6 qt 80W90
6. Change coolant - 12.3 qt
7. Replace valve cover gasket - use Toyota FIPG (form in place gasket) - hoping this is my oil leak
8. Replace distributor o-ring and gasket if oil leak persists
9. Change oil - 8 qt including full replace of overflow tank

I would love to hear any other really common items that should just get replaced right off the bat. I want to have my mechanicals all in line before I start working on making it look nice etc. Long term is to put Sienna struts on it for a couple inches of lift for some slightly larger tires (summer/winter sets for Wisconsin weather), reupholster, fix dents, repaint, and a custom roof rack for hauling toys around town (bikes, paddleboards, etc.).

This seems like a great community and resource, so thanks in advance!

[Previologist]

The FIPG only goes on 4 small spots when you change the VC gasket. Just use an OEM gasket for the rest. No need to mess with success.

It won't be rust free for long in WI if you don't add rust protection to your list. Especially the rear wheel wells.

[Boerderij_Kabouter]

I saw that about being sure to not over apply the FIPG, but I have not found a great picture of what it means yet. I will keep looking and probably make a post about it once it comes time to actually perform that service.

Definitely going to be doing a Fluid Film undercoat. That is a definite need!

I have to say the van is way zippier than I was expecting. I have the NA engine and was expecting it to be much more slow/sluggish. It goes just fine!

My van is named Njord:

13044

My other ride is Skadi the Äventyrsvagnen (https://www.fordtransitusaforum.com/threads/skadi-%C3%84ventyrsvagnen-four-person-winter-adventure-van.77510/page-16?post_id=1314828#post-1314828).

13045

[Previologist]

Its all right here, with pictures

https://www.toyotanation.com/threads/valve-cover-gasket-spark-plugs-replacement-in-pictures.365347/

To get rid of the photobucket watermarks right click pics and open in new tab. But I lied. Its 6 spots

[Boerderij_Kabouter]

THANK YOU!

[Previologist]

No problemo. You'll see exactly where those 4 dabs on the front side go once you get the old gasket off. There are seams, perhaps expansion seams. I dunno.

Other things to check on your new van are the SADS couplers/bushings. That's a medium PIA job. The major PIA that has killed many a Previa is head gasket, so be on the alert for any funny business like disappearing coolant, overheating, or large amounts of white smoke on startup after its sat for a couple days. That's one you should figure on having to do someday, maybe later and maybe sooner. Few escape the curse of the blown head gasket. Use Asian pink coolant (after a thorough flush to get rid of any green) when you change it

[man_btc]

Good general info here:

https://www.toyotavantech.com/forum/showthread.php?7805-checking-out-a-1991-Toyota-Previa-5-speed&p=45932#post45932

[Boerderij_Kabouter]

I have scheduled a Block test with my mechanic for next week. I definitely blow white smoke on really cold days (like today), but I am not losing coolant and it is really only on cold start that I have smoke. Still, the more I have been looking into the head gasket failures, it seems like a job I should maybe just do as a maintenance item. My 1992 apparently has an older, weaker gasket design that was later improved. Does the group generally think it is a good idea to just rebuild the engine now or wait until there is a failure? My plan is to restore this van and have it as my daily driver for low mileage driving for a long, long time. I am not trying to eek a few laughs out of it only, so the investment does not scare me.

[Previologist]

A little white smoke is normal in my experience. Prodigious amounts for just a few minutes after starting is what should concern you. Harbor Freight sells an exhaust gas tester that is cheaper than your mechanic.

Somewhere around this site or ToyotaNation I posted a video of my exhaust when it was blown, but I cant find it now.

[13ozLatte]

Hey! Mine had 167k miles when I bought it, just about the same as yours! I ran it up to about 411k, never had a blown head gasket. But it did develop a knock and lose power, so I ended up putting a JDM engine in at that point. It's near 430k now!