Field-expedient repair

The FJ80 was running hot (lean mixture) and the idle had suddenly gone low and rough.  A quick check of the intake revealed a crack in the rubber astronaut-arm runner that connects the throttle body with the AFM.  Being as this was 18:00 last evening, a repair to make it drivable to Toyota Parts today was in order.  Thankfully the tube hadn’t torn completely – the split was maybe about halfway around.  I cut a piece of bicycle innertube that would go about 1.25 times around the intake flex tube and split it so it would lay flat as a sheet.  After cleaning the intake tube and washing all the talcum off the innertube section, I slathered everything with Rubatex and tightly wrapped the innertube around the intake tube.  Some zip-ties helped ensure an airtight seal and hold everything in place until the glue dried.

Ran fine after that.  I could have just left it – I’m sure there are more hack repairs out there on the road that are considered “permanent” by their owners!

Went by Toyota City and got replacements for both rubber sections of the intake from Clyde and put them on at lunchtime.  To replace intake runner sections, start by removing the air cleaner cover – this will allow for movement and space to remove the intake.  Remove all vacuum lines running to metal center section of intake runner – a small screwdriver may be needed to pry them off. Use pliers to remove spring clamps from ISC hose and crankcase breather hose so these can be removed from intake runner.  Loosen the 4 clamps on the intake runner with a 10mm wrench and separate the runner from the throttle body and AFM.  Replace rubber sections and reinstall runner in reverse order.  Reinstall vacuum hoses and reinstall air cleaner cover. 

Tools needed:

• 10mm wrench
• small screwdriver
• common pliers

About $140 in parts, 15-minutes, low difficulty