• Introduction
• Overview
  • Air Conditioning
  • Body
  • Brakes
  • Dashboard
  • Differential & Axle
  • Driving
    • On-Road
    • Off-Road
  • Driveshafts
  • Engine
  • Engine Rebuilding
  • Electrical
  • Front-End Alignment
  • Heater
  • Headlights

• Locking Hubs Overview
  • AT/Auto Hub
  • MT/Auto Hub
  • AT/Man. Hub
  • MT/Man. Hub
• Mechanic-ing
• Roof Racks
• Suspension
  • Shock Absorbers
• Tires
• Transmission & Transfer Case
• Towing
• Wheel Upgrades
• Wheel Bearings
• Windsheild Wipers

This document is compiled from notes accumulated over the past years of fun with 4WD Toyota Vans. It’s intended for owners and would-be owners of these unusual autos. And maybe the mechanics who must work on them. It’s comforting to know that this addiction has plenty of company.

Some general statements cover this entire document:
This isn’t intended to replace a proper Shop Manual and correct, logical diagnoses. Remember that no one can diagnose your van’s problems from any distance. I only attempt to cover known issues here, with the intent of alerting owners to problems that will arise sooner or later on ALL vans.

This is restricted to coverage of US market 4WD vans. “Passenger side” and the “right side” of the van are synonymous; “drivers side” means the left side. (Imported vehicles do not reverse the ‘hood’ or engine internals, though the dash assembly is completely mirrored.)

With regards to the 2WD, there is much overlap, and during the years that the 2WD was produced along side the 4WD (1986 to 1989), they are nearly identical. Earlier 2WD (before August of 85) vans are not as much the same and many parts will not cross over. I personally do not work on the 2WD except for dismantling them for parts for the 4WD so I have not attempted to include them in this writing. Owners of the 2WD should definitely read through this document, go examine their own van and probably will find that the information is at least partly applicable. From my own observations, there are differences in the entire front end and suspension, brake systems, rear axle and suspension, the electrical systems, with variations in optional equipment. I’m often asked if it is possible to convert a 2WD to 4WD. Anything is possible, but this is not an economical idea in the case of the van.

We love these vans because of their all round capability and versatility. It is very difficult to find a low buck (have you checked new AWD van prices lately?) rig that will permit you to 1) drive it in city traffic each day; 2) camp comfortably anywhere; 3) carry all of your beloved outdoor toys; 4) get decent fuel economy; 5) go where you want to go, winter or summer. And do it all in such style. They go down the highway and into the woods in great comfort, won’t let you down if well maintained.

Owners of these vans, and the mechanics servicing them would do well to read this entire document thoroughly. These vans can develop problems that will become extensive and quite expensive to repair unless correct preventative maintenance is done regularly. I rebuild the vans for that reason. They have a reputation for unbelievable longevity and reliability, but that is easily jeopardized by poor or sloppy service. As they age, the need for more extensive repairs or replacement will become greater, increasing the need for excellent work.

The Toyota Van was a global issue vehicle. Perhaps the earliest relatives were Tarago’s or Lite Ace vehicles. The van the US recognizes was originally called the Spacecruiser in Japan and England; in Australia was called the Tarago, Spaceia, or Spacie. Later cars became much fancier, the names being TownAce (townie), Royal Lounge, and Master Ace Surf. There are so many overseas variations that I do not attempt to fill the reader in completely here. Greater detail is available from links on the toyotavans.org website. These vans were actually produced through at least 1995 or 96, but the US was not honored with its presence past 1989. There are some rumors of a 1990 or two around the US, but 1989 is the most recent I’ve personally observed. The cut off month for each succeeding model year was August; therefore a vehicle ID plate showing August or later of 89 is technically a 1990, though parts suppliers in the US do not acknowledge the existence of that year model. The US saw the import of the 4WD van from August of 1986 (actually an 1987 year model) through 1989. The 4WD Cargo Panel (referred to by Toyota as the Delux model in their manuals) and the 4WD LE Wagon were imported all three years; a 4WD Delux Wagon was imported in 1989 and had the windows of the LE but lacked the fancy interior. It is worth one’s time to search out some photos of more recent overseas vehicles; the body style changed after 1990 and becomes very streamlined. Later vehicles have up to 8 sunroofs, which wrap over the edge of a taller roof mold than we ever saw in the US. Many of the European cars are Diesel, again something I’ve never personally observed. Three versions of Diesel engine installed over the extra years of van that the US didn’t get, from 2.0 L 85 HP to 2.2 L 100 HP to 2.4 L 110 HP in final years.

On the Internet, search on Toyota Van, Toyota Town Ace, Toyota Spacecruiser. In 1999, when I bought YoYo, there was just about Zero on the Internet for the old van. It’s seeing a comeback, again popular. The site this document is posted on is excellent for the van: www.yotavans.org. Another good source is a UK site featuring a classically British “Body Of Knowledge”; information on the van, repair issues, solutions. Links to more information are listed.

I disclaim liability for errors and omissions. - Roy
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This is a medium light duty vehicle. The GVWR (Gross Vehicle Weight Rating) is 5000 lbs. That is the weight of the van plus the maximum weight it can carry on a specific set of tires: 205/75R/14 is the stock size. The van itself weighs 3200 to 3500 lbs in the US configuration with the 2.2L gas engine. That means the cargo capacity is around 1500 lbs in stock configuration. We may increase capacity by altering tires, wheels, suspension, but there will be ultimate limits on that capacity.

Towing capacity is limited to 2000 lbs. Don’t attempt to exceed that.

Because of the van’s light construction, the power from the engine is not expected to be very high. To get the best performance from your Spacie, keep everything as light in weight as possible, in keeping with Toyota’s original concept.

The van’s construction is Unibody, rather than having a Chassis frame. Body sheet metal is light gauge, not intended to take much abuse. Axles, transmission, engine, suspension, interior trim, all reflect a design intent to produce as economical a vehicle as possible and still yield high interior space.

The Van represents the last of the Forward Control vehicles in the entire passenger car arena. Big trucks still are made in 2003 where the occupants sit on top of or in front of the front wheels. The Volkswagen Buses were the same, among the first. The Toyota Van is unusual among this unusual group. It is a true Mid Engine design, differing from some other makes in that regard. It was designed for longevity and reliability. It is light, and light duty, and such vehicles cannot take the punishment that heavily built vehicles can. It is more costly to build light, strong vehicles than it is to build without regard to weight. Engineering must be taken to a more sophisticated level, and every item involved must be as efficient as possible. In essence, that expensive original construction is why the old Toyota Van is such a bargain today.
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If the Spacecruiser you own or are buying happens to have working A/C, you should feel pretty cool about it. Pun intended. The van A/C system is prone to problems, and if yours is operational, it would be wise to plan to keep it that way. Use it or loose it applies.
A/C systems naturally leak refrigerant over time. A low mileage rig will perhaps still have a charged system. Please, please, take it in for topping up. It will cost some money since they were originally on R12, costing some $60/lb. Not compensating for expansion ratio, the 4WD LE with dual (front/ rear) system takes 3.5 lbs of R12. But trust me, keeping your A/C charged is vastly cheaper (on the order of thousands of $) than trying to resurrect it after it has failed! You will thank me for this advice if you ever travel to hot places; the Spacecruiser is a warm car because of the engine being right under you. You will thank me again if you ever decide to sell (now what will you do for a car?) your precious van. Solidly working AC can bring an extra $500 in resale price in a region where AC is valued.

The entire AC system is quite finely tuned and all parts must be within pretty high tolerances to work correctly. Don’t over tighten the drive belt on the compressor; the compressor pulley bearings are not huge. On the other side of the same coin- too loose a belt will cause the clutch to overheat and burn out. If something goes wrong, the best thing to do is remove that belt till you can get it all fixed.

Drive with caution. The A/C condenser is mounted horizontally under the very front of the car in 4WD dual systems. Be sure to take a good long look at it, memorizing its position. There is a little nerf bar made of far too fragile tubing which is supposed to protect that critical part. Beware of very tall curbs when pulling into a parking space. Watch out for ditches and rocks when offroad. Damage to that condenser will kill your system, and will begin to make it very expensive to repair. If you do damage any part of a working system and want your AC to work, get it fixed immediately.

The AC system is entwined deeply with the electrical system, the heating system, and interfaces with engine vacuum as well, making it one of the most involved systems on the vehicle. It has several failsafes designed to shut it off to save various components. If it is working correctly, the relays clicking away under the dash are a bit noisy. Since the van has a relatively small engine, the AC compressor affects the horsepower output significantly. Overheating can be an issue if the rest of the engine is not well maintained.
Vans with non-functioning A/C may not want to fix the system. Move to a cold climate instead. It can run to several thousand dollars to do correctly. Some companies will install an aftermarket system for less than fixing the factory stock equipment, though a dual factory system is hard to beat. I cannot currently recommend any such aftermarket system.

Few owners will attempt to work on their AC system. Probably a good thing! Refrigeration isn’t too complex of a concept, but fitting it into the van made for cramped working conditions. The addition of the Ice Maker/ Cooler on the front floor makes access to the dash even worse than it was.

Tip: There is no protection or filter covering the air intake for the cabin air. This large opening is found above the passenger side headlight. Doesn’t even have so much as a screen over it! Bugs, airborne seeds, dust; everything the car encounters ends up clogging your AC evaporator core. It’s a job, but putting a foam screen filter over that opening from the outside of the car will help immensely. It is not out of the question for a mouse to enter the car this way. If you took it apart you would see! Covered in further detail under the heater section.
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Dents can’t usually be pounded out the old way due to the convoluted “semi unibody” construction of the Spacecruiser. A pin gun is normally needed to pull dents from the outside of the car. Some areas of LE Vans are insulated, such as the ‘hood’ area below the windshield and the entire roof. This jute insulation can catch fire if a pin gun is used, so the damaged area should be dismantled first. Bits and pieces are getting rare in junkyards as the van regains popularity; particularly the four wheels drive related parts. Keep those cornering lights in good shape; you will have a hard time finding a replacement. I’ve even found ‘fake’ cornering lights, lenses and backs in fine shape, but no hole for the lamp to fit into. The good news is that parts from the 2WD rigs fit. The 2WD’s are available and cheap, so are a great source for many parts. There are big differences between vans built before 1986 and those made afterwards. Take your time, look at details. For example, the ‘fenders’ from older vans are not the same as the newer ones, though they look (almost) identical.

If you find some rust, don’t waste time in taking care of it. The van commonly rusts around the rear window, due to some little drain holes in the corners of the rubber window gasket. These holes allow water and dirt to collect against the metal of the tailgate and the corners rust out. The rear window is easily removed and replaced using the original gasket. It is reasonably straightforward to repair the rusted corners with fiberglass and bondo after the window is out.

It’s common to find rust weeps under the slider door track along the passenger side of the body. The best fix for this is to remove interior paneling and the track from the inside and grind down to bare steel on the outside. Carefully use a rust proofing treatment, and paint. If your Van has serious rust along the lower edges of the body, rust-through at the wheel wells, and rusted fastenings throughout, it’s time to look for a better van. East Coast vehicles seem to suffer the worst from this due to salted winter roads and summer humidity. Once you obtain said better van, please keep up with the rust treatment. These have become rare vehicles (after all, we are talking about just three production years), and once they are all gone, there will be no more

Undercoat treatment is not on my list of favorite automotive ideas. The material used is a tar-like substance, usually sprayed on by some poor dude wearing a tar suit. The problem is that the undercoat doesn’t completely seal the seams of the body. Water can and does creep in somehow over time. Then, that precious undercoat serves the purpose of holding the water (and probably some dirt) against the metal of the car. Result: undercoat that encourages rust! This is a true story; I see examples of it all the time.

For yet another rust issue, the LE exterior trim- that 3 inch wide plastic molding that goes down the sides of the body- encourages rust formation. It has some steel backing inside it, plus being mounted through holes in the body of the van. My own opinion is that the van looks fine without it, maybe better. If you are hoping to preserve your van for the longest possible duration, remove the trim and permanently plug the holes.

There are body drains all around the lower edge of the car body, in the bottoms of the doors, slider and tailgate. They are usually small slots in the seam of the lower edge, intended to let water and much of the dirt out. It helps to keep them clear. If you want to keep your van indefinitely (what the hell will you get to replace this marvelous thing?), fanatics like me actually wash out the body (take out interior garnish) every few years. Then you lube all the door latches and service the electrics.

Tip: keep a sharp eye on the shop you use when they are jacking up your Spacie. It seems to be very common for stupid tire and mechanical shops to attempt to jack on the edge of the body, denting it badly. There are jacking points on the frame of the car designed to take its weight- find out where they are and make sure they are used every time. In front, use the square pad on the main cross member behind the wheels and in back use the swing arm support brackets in front of the rear wheels.
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The rear brakes can almost be ignored for the life of the van. Do check for wear on the shoes; it’s easy. I’ve replaced 3 sets of drums out of 35 rebuilds; they just don’t wear much. Check the rear drums at 250K- they might need to be turned. The only exception to this is use in off road type conditions. Dusty or muddy use will drastically accelerate wear on the rear brakes. Drum brakes like to hold dirt. If all you do is drive the freeway, you can just about expect the rear brakes to last longer than you do.

The front brakes are a different story. They are very well designed dual piston disc type. Unfortunately, the van has so much weight up front, plus the normal weight shift forwards when stopping, that the front brakes are under tremendous pressure. They wear fairly quickly. It’s a beautifully simple system, but finicky, like most of the van. It has to be working perfectly to work at all.

The front brakes came with some long ‘anti rattle’ springs under each shoe. These have been removed from production and smaller springs at the brake shoe tabs replace them. You need to buy the small parts kit from Toyota to update the front brakes to this standard. It’s cheap and not complicated. Don’t replace your front pads without understanding what the front brake system should look like. If you get it wrong, the pads are at an angle and wear dangerously. Some pad sets come with ‘alignment shims’. Don’t use them is my method.

A different problem is frozen wheel cylinders, common where salted roads are an issue. In these cases, water has gotten trapped inside the piston boot in the caliper and caused rust to form. The rust freezes the pistons. The result is that the brakes don’t retract at all. Disc brakes don’t have any springs to retract the pad from the rotor. The mechanism that ‘retracts’ the pad is rotor runout, that is, intentional unevenness, wobble, in the rotor, knocking the pads out of the way. It’s not much, just a few thousands of an inch. If runout exceeds this number, the rotor is considered warped and must be replaced. If your calipers stick long enough, they will overheat the rotors and warp them. The job now entails replacing almost everything in the front brake system.
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Specific instructions (not intended to be perfectly complete) for taking apart the dash are included here, partly due to the fact that so much is packed into that small space, partly due to the fact that no manual seems to include such instructions. If you are just installing a stereo (not including the dash speakers) skip the rest. The heater blower motor is a common replacement item, involving removal of much of the dash. In many cases, the sheet metal screws thread into a plastic part. These threads strip easily so be careful.

Here’s the stereo department. For some reason, Toyota had the foresight to make the center part of the dash come out without needing to remove anything else. It means you can install the head unit of your stereo without going into any more of the dash. Remove the two obvious screws at the top of the center section, above the heater controls. Pull out the ashtray and find four more screws in the metal part of the ashtray slider. Note the method of assembling the ashtray slide part along with the main center plastic. The metal part is installed over the plastic center piece, not under it. There are two more screws in the ash tray slide; hang upside down to see them. Depending on which model of van you have, there might be extra cover plates and stereo fasteners, but basically, the center plastic section pulls straight aft off of two clips on the lower side edges. You may need to remove the stereo head unit first, or may need to remove it’s face plate to pull the plastic off. Once this plastic piece is off, there are supposed to be 4 screws, two on each side, holding in the Toyota factory stereo brackets. They are separate pieces and are what you work with if installing a stereo. If you are headed further into the dash, this center piece must come out.

Here’s the rest of the dash.
First, remove the glove box. There should be a plastic cover hiding the hinges. Two screws hold the hinges. Once the glove box is off, hang upside down and find two shiny 10mm bolts pointing more or less downwards, away up under the dash. They hold on to the pad which forms the top right side of the dash. Remove these two bolts. Remove all the screws holding down the edge of the pad, including the latch loop for the glove box and a single screw above the heater controls (exposed when you took the center stereo console out). Don’t try to take that pad out yet.
Now head over to the drivers side and get the instrument cover out. There are 5 screws holding it down, all reasonably accessible. One is under the brake fluid fill, two are inside the black instrument area, two are in the switch section of the instruments. The manual may show you where the screws are, but not tell you anything about taking it all apart. The plastic instrument cover now pulls aft, towards the steering wheel, off of some little clips around it’s edges. Be gentle!! At this point, you should remove the instrument cluster. There are 4 obvious screws holding it in. Now, you will be able to pull the cluster aft perhaps ½ inch or an inch if you are lucky. What’s holding it now is the speedometer cable. There is a plastic clip holding the speedo cable onto the back of the cluster. I can just manage to get my hand behind the cluster and pinch the back of the clip. DON’T use too much force- it’s an easy pinch once you figure out what to do. And, don’t break the plastic because it isn’t replaceable as a separate part. Now, the cluster will lift out of the dash with the wiring on a service loop from the right side. Several electrical plugs must be removed from the back of it. The back is a flexible type of printed circuit foil; again, care is advised. The van may still be driven in this dismantled state for troubleshooting purposes.

You have now uncovered (1) a small screw up under the windshield, holding the right side pad down: remove that plus a screw which you open the passenger door to find. Now the pad comes out. Don’t force anything; if you have a clock in the pad, an electrical connection must be removed. As in the case of all Toyota electrical connectors, the manner of opening the little critter varies. Sometimes you lift the tab, sometimes you pinch it down. The worst ones must be pried open, no other method. Go slow, examine the parts closely and see how they work. This is done for coding’s sake, so you can’t connect the wrong wires.

Now, you are ready to dive into the switch section, which is the width of the whole car. If you intend to install speakers in the dash, this is usually necessary. (Don’t let the car stereo guys tell you that only 3” speakers can be installed- a little cutting and you can fit 4 x 6 inch ovals) There are bolts and a bracket at the lower edge of the glove box area, plus some small screws. There are several screws and parts along the entire lower edge of the dash. (The upper plastic housing on the steering column does not need to be removed, has lots of screws holding it together. Note that two are machine screws, and check their positions for later assembly. The steering column covers are often broken because some screws are forgotten, so go carefully.) Four screws hold on to the lower steering column cover; it must come out. The driver’s side speaker section comes out separately. Find two screws along its lower edge, and the single screw under the brake fluid fill. It has two fragile plastic clips at the edge under the switch section. It pulls straight aft, towards the back of the car. A pry helps avoid damage. Unplug all electrical connectors, unscrew the heater controls. (anything else I’ve forgotten, do it!!) Lower the tilt steering wheel and the main switch section comes out. Don’t loose any of the small metal clips which ride on it.

At this point, you have probably discovered that the rest of the dash is quite complex and you may want to decide if you have the ability to tackle it. You have now exposed the main internal cross member which has the electrical loom attached to it, plus the steering column, several brackets and lots of electrical components. Some common repairs which require digging deeper include replacement of the heater blower motor, the heater water core, A/C evaporator repair work. These instructions will continue as far as the removal of the cross member, if you can get that far, you can go on without further instruction.

Remove two bolts in the heater/AC plastic, threading up into the cross member. Remove the bracket holding the relay mount in the general vicinity of the digital clock. Remove the relay mount bolt, for a total of 4 fasteners. Now, push the wiring loom around in that same area to locate two screws attaching some air ducting to the cross member. Next remove the nut and bolt on the far right side holding down the cross member. Note the grounding wires.
From the drivers side, remove the brake reservoir so it hangs on it’s hoses. There is a big U shaped bracket holding on to the steering column: remove 6 bolts and one small ducting screw so it is free. Look further down the steering column; remove two large nuts. A clamp is around the steering column below them; you may need to loosen it later to reassemble the steering column, which will now drop an inch or so away from the dash. Remove two bolts and one nut holding the end of the cross member to the drivers side of the van. But, that cross member won’t come out yet!! This is all you need to do if heater blower access is the issue. It can be done in an afternoon if you are familiar with the dash. If not, go slowly so you see how it is all put together. The final item in these instructions is with regards to actually removing that cross member. The rest of the job is electrical. I’ve found that the best manner of dealing with the wiring loom is to cut the tape holding it to the plastic clips on the back of the cross member. Be very gentle, use a sharp knife and don’t cut too deep. Many vans use a blue tape so it is easy to see. To replace the wiring, I use plastic wire ties instead of tape. There are a large number of electronic items attached to this cross member; they all pull off of clips. Perhaps the easiest way to locate them is to get all you can see and tug gently on the cross member till you’ve found them all. The wiring has barely enough slack.

Almost no one will attempt entry into the wiring looms for modification. If you are headed for a heater core, you must be brave and continue onwards. The heater core is not accessible without discharging the AC system, an unfortunate design error on Toyota’s part. Thankfully, the heater core is pretty bombproof.
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The front and rear axles are not the same type. A glance under the car will demonstrate. Long ago, Ford and International in the US came up with one method of building an axle and GM came up with a completely different method. Comically, the van can't decide and uses both! The rear axle follows the Ford method, where a casting carries the pinion and the entire differential. You need only pull the axles, remove the driveshaft and several nuts, and the diff falls out. Changing gear ratios for the back axle can be accomplished by just buying a complete housing from a wrecking yard. The bearings in the differential are proprietary Toyota and cost around $300 to replace.

CAUTION: Don't attempt going any further into that differential unless you are very experienced. The ring and pinion gears are matched to each other during manufacture, and must be installed with precision instruments to get it right. Several factors are involved. DON'T TOUCH THOSE BIG SIDE ADJUSTER CUPS or their lock screws!!!

The system GM uses makes the front differential much harder to work with, but far stronger. It follows the GM pattern, where the diff housing is part of the axle casting. A cover is provided for access. You can open the cover and look, but if you want to alter the contents (change the ratio) a special shop is required. (OK, it is possible to do diff setup with bluing, a very old technique, but not for 99% of van owners) I'm sure that most parts are again proprietary Toyota. As noted elsewhere, the front is much smaller than the rear and is not involved in the suspension as the rear axle is. Half shafts using CV Joints run from the axle ends out to the wheels, through hollow spindles to the drive hubs.

There has been an increase in interest in Traction Enhancing Differentials (Posi-Traction) for the van in recent months. It is possible to add Limited Slip or Locking Differentials to the van, but quite expensive and not at all easy. Rather than cover this subject here, please email me for further details at roysail@glacierview.net or roysail@glacierview.net
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I include this section because the Spacecruiser is not exactly ‘normal’ to drive. Nor is it what it seems to be. The center of gravity turns out to be quite low, the power not what SUV drivers expect, but very adequate, the unparalleled visibility a joy to drive. One sits right on top of the front wheels, and turning radius is very tight. VW bus owners will feel right at home. If you’ve been driving a low, mid weight sedan, expect some acclimatization. One thing is certain: the Van is fun to drive.

Learn to read your gauges every 15 minutes. The engine on the Van is in a very odd situation with little air flow. It’s amazingly well cooled normally, but if just one thing goes wrong, it toasts quickly.

On the road, at highway speeds, the Spaceie appears to be a high narrow box. It is just 5 feet wide, light, and quite possibly a bit flip happy. The Center of Gravity is actually quite low, the box just empty air. The wrecking yards don’t have many rolled vans, so it must not happen very often. Still, I’m rather careful taking curves at any speed. (I’ve always driven high, narrow rigs, am licensed as a commercial driver and my snowcats are all 10 feet wide- OVERSIZE. You adapt.) Obviously, the driver of a Toy Van must be careful to not hit anything with the front of the van- one’s legs are the crumple zone. Plenty of following distance is advisable.

In the city, the Town Ace lives up to the Japanese name for the Van. The tall ride height is a great advantage in traffic. It is nimble, small, turns on a dime and gives 9 cents change, fits into parking spaces the envy of taxi cabs and couriers… It appears that drivers aren’t accustomed to sitting so far forward. That, combined with the very tight turn radius, and almost every single van has a dented sliding door. Remember to drive PAST the corner (due to sitting so far forward over the front wheels) before making the turn. And watch out for those low bollards at the bank drive through.
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Most owners reading this will never attempt the feats of off road driving that YoYo and I have successfully accomplished. The Van will do amazing things in the hands of good drivers, but were not intended to be used in offroad recreation. The following notes are offered with the caveat that you are on your own, taking any risks for yourself. Off road, the Spacecruiser is a little goat. No, it’s not my souped up 1949 Willys flatfender CJ3A Jeep, but it can surprise you. Some basic notes on use of the Toyota style of four wheel drive follow, then a discussion of particularly interesting driving techniques.

The van is a “four wheel drive” as opposed to the more modern but less versatile All Wheel Drive. The difference is that an AWD always has front and rear driveshafts connected to the drive train and engine; the Four Wheel Drive is normally a two wheel drive (in the case of the van, the rear axle) and the front axle is connected only when the user opts to shift into Four Wheel mode. This writer vastly prefers the latter style of vehicle because its control is in the hands of its operator to a greater extent. In an AWD vehicle, an extra “differential” must be built into the drive train to act as a buffer between the front and rear drive shafts. In a 4WD vehicle, there is no such differential and the vehicle must not be operated on highly tractive surfaces in 4WD mode. The most common such surface is bare dry pavement. The addition of rain is really not slippery enough. This also necessitates the use of exact same tires on all four corners of the car, since a difference in rolling radius will make one drive shaft turn at a different speed from the other. Negligence in this area is super expensive. The weakest link will go first, be it front axle, hubs, or perhaps transfer case.

The van came with two transmissions and two types of front locking hubs. These are each covered elsewhere, but their use is covered here. The Automatic is an electronically controlled vacuum operated 3 speed with an overdrive, effectively making it a 4 speed. Although it is coupled to an externally identical transfer case to the Manual transmission, it has no low range. Some parts are inside the transfer case, but no direct operator access to a low range is provided at the controls. One will drive as far as possible in L and that is all the poop the van will have. Later Japanese-market vans had Automatic transmissions with 2 speed transfer cases, but not the US. The manual transmission is harder to find, is a 5-speed syncromeshed gearbox, coupled to a two speed transfer case with a separate (hidden) neutral position. The result is a 10 speed vehicle, much more suited to overland travel and load carrying. The automatic locking hubs are notoriously weak: they can and will let you down. Do not attempt to shift the automatic hubs on-the-fly, that is, do not push the 4WD button in motion. In the case of manual transmission vans, come to a full stop before moving the transfer case lever from 2 HI to 4 HI.

In snow, the van is amazingly surefooted when in 4-wheel drive. The vans are rear wheel drive, which means that forward traction in 2 dig is lacking, but the car does stay in a straight line when you back off the gas (unlike front wheel drive’s potential to swap ends in slick conditions). Reminder: a rolling or coasting tire will find traction when a powered tire will slip. An illustration of this is driving across a frozen stream which has built up across the road, tending to slope the surface. If you can coast across, your tires will find traction, but if you try to power through you will probably end up over the edge. ‘Nother example is getting out of a minor stuck-in-the-ditch (not counting being high-centered). DON’T SPIN YOUR WHEELS. Dig out a trench for the low-side tires and a ramp up onto the road surface. Rock the car till you pack the ramp with the tires. Drive out and away. I can’t count the number of times I’ve gotten into someone’s “stuck” rig and literally driven it out of the ditch it was not stuck in.

I’ve never owned a set of studded tires and tend to feel that they inspire overconfidence in much the same way that 4WD can do. On the other hand, if you are not exactly expert in winter driving, the van is not a bad candidate for studs.

If you can get up any given hill (in 4WD) then you can get safely down it. Use the engine as a brake, choosing a low gear and limiting the amount of brake pedal you apply. This will keep the wheels rolling, not sliding. The brakes act on each wheel, unlike the drivetrain and differentials, which split the torque evenly between each wheel (means one wheel can spin).

CAVEATS: Driver beware: 4WD inspires overconfidence!! The vehicle’s forward traction (ability to climb a slick hill for example) is so good that one tends to forget that stopping distance and quick maneuvers are limited. Four Dig can get you into more trouble than 2 Dig if you misunderstand its use. Remember that your tires are the limits of your traction. Don’t take chances in transition conditions- that is, when the temperature is just at freezing. Nothing is slicker than water on ice. In such conditions I slow down like a grandma and keep things very safe. An excellent way to tell what the conditions are is to keep an eye on the stuff coming off of the tires of other cars. If you can’t see anything and the road surface looks snowy or icy, it’s probably very slick. If there is plenty of dusty snow coming off the tires (even in hard packed ice) it’s dry and cold and you can drive as you would in sand- go fairly fast, just no sudden maneuvers.

I’ve yet to attempt much (deep) mud driving with YoYo. I think the tires are pretty small for the weight of the van and suspect we would have a comical stuck on our hands, fast. Mud is hard on vehicles, and these vans are best at other things.

In rock and dirt, you can do amazing things with the Van. Before you try anything, lie down and look very carefully at the underside of the car. The transfer case is the most vulnerable thing and it hangs pretty low, midships, somewhat to the driver’s side. In front, the long overhang is also a liability, especially if you have the dual air conditioning condensers of the 4WD. Be very cautious dropping down into a ditch or starting up a steep bank. You’ll be surprised at what you can get away with, but slow, slow, slow is the method. Make a mental map of the underside of the car in your head. The van is light enough that you can drag the rear differential or transfer case over a rock to some extent, but you cannot risk coming down hard on those points. Did I mention that SLOW is the answer? Jeep drivers use spotters in tight places when they can’t see what each wheel is doing. Have your passenger watch under and around you as you negotiate the worst of the rocks. Don’t try to do any off roading under the influence of alcohol or drugs unless you particularly want to damage your precious Spacie.

CAVEAT: remember that original discussion about the light duty nature of the van? In offroad situations, a more heavily built vehicle can afford to use momentum and power to force up and over obstacles. I’m of the opinion that the van just isn’t built strongly enough to do that, plus the fact that if you try, your head is very apt to hit the ceiling. Keep what you do with your van down to crawl speeds if you want it to take you clear home.

Sand driving requires its own set of techniques. Soft sand can be quite a trap, but the Van seems to be up to the challenge. I’ve gotten very stuck in 2 dig, really wondering how the hell I was going to get out, looking at a seriously long walk, and had no problem just driving onwards in 4WD. The best tip is learning to air down the tires, mush is the word. Jeeps can go as low as 2 to 4 PSI; the van can take pressures down to perhaps 8 PSI without risking peeling a tire off its rim. (I carry a digital tire pressure gauge for accurate pressure management. The usual gas station ‘stick’ type is not accurate at low pressure.) Take a very gentle approach to the gas pedal, easing out of soft sand. Never, never spin your tires if you are seriously standing still. In soft sand, the only direction you’ll go is downwards. If sand driving is one of your main purposes for your van (love the desert!), carry some aluminum traction sections and a good jack so you can always be certain of getting back up on (well, near) the surface.

TRICK: Wish I’d had the digital camera long ago. One of the most fun things I’ve done with YoYo is take off the front doors in the desert! (Rascal E Jeep has no doors; I grew up without their encumbrance.) The wind blows through the front of the van and visibility is unbeatable. The front tire is right under you, dust all goes behind the van. Owners of LE vans will probably not want to try this due to all the electrical connections to the doors.

Offroaders well know a situation usually called “crossed up”, referring to a location in the trail which has your suspension travel used up on opposing corners of the car. It leaves one front and one rear wheel more or less paddling thin air or dust, while the other side is jammed up into the wheel well with most of the weight of the car on it, proving that your proud four wheel drive is actually a two wheel drive (don’t despair, a 2WD is actually a 1WD in this situation!). Since the vans front axle is rather heavily weighted, it actually works somewhat better than other vehicles in cross-up’s. Suspension travel is what is needed, and if you are engineering a serious go-anywhere machine, you try to design in as much as you can find room for. Some of the solution for van drivers is to get very scientific about reading the road, finding a more level route through obstacles so the suspension can handle the task. Sometimes the most unlikely looking route works the best. Be creative and you may find yourself camped in the most outrageous places. You will never look at those huge SUV things (pavement-trapped jokes) the same again, knowing that they could never have gotten there.

After nearly 6 months with YoYo’s new 15 inch wheel and tire combo (plus lifted rear springs, covered elsewhere), I must advise that those who are serious about offroading a Van will want the height, no questions asked. The 15 inch rims are so difficult to locate that this will be hard for most owners to do. The best, simplest solution is a second set of OEM Van rims with the new Super Swampers (see Tires section) mounted on them. These are huge 14 inch tires which will require significant trimming of sheet metal on both front and rear wheelwells, but by off road standards, not much. You won’t want to run these monsters all the time unless you truly live in the outback. They will be noisy (a low roar) and wear quickly on pavement.
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The OEM driveshafts on the van are unfortunately not the best of technology. They use staked Universal Joints, which are neither greaseable nor replaceable. It must be said of them that they seem to last for a couple hundred thousand miles, but replacing the entire driveshaft is silly. Toyota’s price for the rear shaft is right around $300 and there is a better alternative. I have driveshafts made up for me by a shop specializing in that work. The difference is amazing. The shaft on the right and bottom is the stock Toyota shaft; the custom shaft is much heavier duty. Still not convinced? The custom made driveshaft is cheaper by about $15! This isn’t rocket science; look locally for a driveline shop to have one made.

TIP: The 4WD will drive around just fine on only the front driveshaft! The rear one unbolts from both transfer case and axle. Now you know what it would be like to have a front wheel drive Toyota van. Remember that the front axle is undersized and treat it gently in this situation.
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The van is so reliable, so long running that the engine often gets ignored. The 4YE is 2.2 L displacement, and is a forklift motor, still currently (2003) used in Toyota’s forklifts but with a cast iron head and metering for propane. It is not the same as the Toyota pickup engine, the 22R. Vans built before 1986 used the 3YE, of 2.0 L displacement. The van uses multiport electronic fuel injection to produce 100 hp output. It has considerable low end torque, which makes it great off road and in city traffic, but the low power shows up on passes at highway speeds. Great gas mileage is the reward for not having a big power plant.

The one thing every van owner should learn to do is remove the passenger side engine cover. This relatively simple task will save money at the shop even if the owner of the van goes no further. Many shops have never seen these vans and must ask the embarrassing question: ‘where’s the engine?’ Once the cover is off, the inline 4 cylinder is not mysterious at all and is actually easier to work on than many ‘normal’ autos. To remove the cover, first lift the ‘hood’: Slide the drivers seat all the way back, lift the steering wheel all the way up, and on vans equipped with armrests, slide and tilt the passenger seat all the way forward. Next find the hood catches under the carpet below the front of the drivers seat and open them, then lift the hood up. A plastic strap-like catch hangs on the door post beside the driver’s seatbelt and hooks neatly onto the hook on the side of the hood. The next step is to remove the passenger’s seat. The outer rear corner is a stud with a nut to be found in the passengers wheelwell; the rest are bolts on the seat runners. The fasteners for the seat take a 14mm wrench. Access is gained by sliding the seat fore and aft. Lift the seat out of the van. Pull the carpets back. Flaps cover the passenger side. Either pull the carpet over the seatbelt buckle or unbolt the buckle, noting the order of the washers. Use a Phillips screwdriver to remove 5 screws from the shifter cover in the center. Those vans with manual transmissions will need to unscrew the shifter knobs. Now the shifter cover lifts off. The brake handle boot is extra fragile. Some very small plastic pins that are part of the cover hold it on. Once those pins break, the boot is history, so be super careful or just ditch the boot. On vans with electrical controls on the shifter cover, there will be some wiring attached: do not walk off with the cover until all connectors are unplugged. As usual for Toyota, each connector is different and must be opened carefully. Some are fairly difficult to unplug. Trust that they do and look closely.

Now you see a rough half circle of a dozen bolts holding down the passenger side engine cover. A 12mm socket will remove these bolts including two through the shifter bracket at the front edge of the cover. At this point, timid mechanics can simply put the hood back down and drive the van to a shop in this condition. The rest of the process is as follows. There are more wires to disconnect. All vans have at least one wire plugged into the brake indicator switch on the hand brake. OD equipped vans have a box on the front edge of the shifter; later automatic transmission vans have a solenoid on the selector; all must be disconnected. The cover is now free to move. The shifter and brake mechanisms are connected by cable to their various tasks. A cable clamp is on the underside of the cover and will not permit much movement of the cover. Once it is removed, the entire cover will swing into the back section of the van. At last the motor is in full view.

The repairs I’ve found to be common are the air intake boot, the exhaust manifold gasket/ broken
bolt issue, and water pump replacement at 250,000 miles. There is also an issue with hoses and belts deteriorating because of the rather higher heat in the engine compartment, but this too shows up at 200,000+ miles.

The entire fuel system plumbing on the engine is steel with banjo fittings, and is pretty bomb proof if kept tight. I have seen two junked cars (out of perhaps 100), which had engine fires. Neither had encroached on the passenger area at all, so you are pretty safe as far as I can tell. But a fire is a poor way to scrap a car. Keep up on the maintenance and if you smell gas stop and check it out. I recently heard a true story of a van going in for routine service. It came back running much better, but the owner phoned the shop the next day to report gas odor. The shop asked to have the van back. On the way to the shop the engine caught fire, probably from a leak at the fuel filter ignited by a stray spark at the distributor. The van pulled into the driveway of the shop- smoke pouring out- right next to a charged hose. The fire was extinguished as fast as could be possible, yet the damage to the right side of the engine compartment was extensive.

If the engine suddenly begins running roughly, check out that all-important boot which leads from the air intake filter box over to the engine. It breaks at the engine end due to rough handling when checking the air filter, but also due to age and engine movement. They are expensive ($80), but absolutely necessary. They can be patched with silicone, but it doesn’t last forever.

It is common among these vans to have a broken stud at the rear of the engine exhaust manifold. The resultant exhaust leak is plenty noisy and obnoxious, though it shows up slowly. It’s a major repair, involving removing the entire intake system first. Parts are just $30, labor often 8 hours. Because it goes so far into the hard-to-access regions of the motor area, it’s wise to replace hoses and other parts along the way. A particularly obnoxious item is a little 5/16 inch water hose behind the valve cover and intake plenum which is nearly impossible to reach without removing the engine! Removing the valve cover is the best alternative.

Keep the belts new. Keep spares in the car. They announce their failure by banging loudly on the underside of the engine compartment “hood”. You can manage without the power steering belt, but the alternator /water pump belt will stop you in your tracks. I’d say every 30,000 miles is a safe change interval. This is not the same as the timing belts found on many modern engines. The 4YE is chain timed, a system which will outlast most owners.

Lifters are hydraulic so no valve adjustment is needed. Tune ups should be entrusted to a shop with computer equipment; all an owner can really do is change the plugs, wires, and distributor parts. Change the oil frequently and the van will just keep going.

Most other issues with the engine really need a proper shop with modern computer testing equipment. A really interested home mechanic can diagnose some issues without such tools, but average owners will quickly become stumped. A great method of saving money and doing your own van repairs is to take the van to a shop for diagnoses but replace the parts yourself. www.yotavans.org now hosts the entire manual on the Tips & Tricks section. Mechanically experienced owners will find the procedures quite familiar.

Noticeable power loss is commonly caused by incorrect ignition timing. Did you just replace the distributor cap and rotor without resetting the timing? Don’t attempt the task without knowledge of the procedure and a proper timing light. There are plenty of other possible causes of power loss, including but not limited to: clogged fuel filter, weak fuel pump, injector failure, ECU problems and attendant sensor troubles, even the possibility of dragging brakes. This list goes on and of course no one can successfully diagnose your van from any distance. If you can’t identify the problem, break out the wallet and take it to a shop.

If your van is overheating, do not delay. Follow these repair instructions immediately. First, check your fan belt for correct tension! The alternator adjusts it; do not over tension. Next, replace 4 items: the pressure cap, the thermostat (under your power steering pump, not on the top of the engine), the fan belt, and lastly, the fan clutch. Just bite the bullet and do it. The fan clutch is the most expensive and is quite critical; if you are absolutely sure your old one is working correctly (very audible ROAR when you first start a cold van, then roars again when the system warms up), you might consider testing your repairs without replacing it. I have had poor performance with all but the OEM Aisin clutch specifically for the 4WD. Hayden or Napa branded clutches are one-size-fits-all units and do not keep the van cool. I test suspicious fans by holding to them lightly while I start the engine. I’m ready to let go at the least sign that the fan is engaged. If the clutch has lost it’s power, you won’t have any resistance at all. PLEASE USE CAUTION: I’m not responsible for your injuries.

The thermostat should be Toyota OEM (left one in photo). The differences are obvious; when closed, the Napa ‘stat on the right actually blocks a passage that needs to be partly open. Aftermarket t’stats tend to stick either open or closed as well.

Preventative maintenance: Don’t allow any problem to go unrepaired for long periods of time. To pick one example, that exhaust manifold leak can easily get so bad that it will melt wiring insulation and possibly hoses. If a hose goes and you loose all your coolant, will you be aware of it in time to stop and shut off the engine before the head gasket goes? Simply replace ALL of your hoses before they fail. There are plenty of them on the dual-heater equipped van, in some odd spots. The rubber components on vans tend to get cooked because of the odd engine location; when a hose blows suddenly, there isn’t much time to shut down before more damage occurs. Most importantly, get accustomed to glancing at your gauges very often. I strongly recommend following the suggested maintenance intervals given in the service and owners manuals. If you bought a van with around 200,000 miles on it, chances are very high that it didn’t see much of the standard servicing beyond about 120K. The 60K service interval includes quite a bit of major work, so the old van needs a catch-up at the shop.

Head gasket failure is killing a number of otherwise fine vans as they achieve riper age. I guess it must be that the motor seems difficult to access, but many people ignore the little Radiator light on the dash. The sensor for that lamp is in the expansion/ overflow bottle at the edge of the engine access hole. It’s easy to check and top up with coolant. If the light comes on often, wait till the motor is cool. Get a new ‘radiator’ cap (which is doesn’t have much to do with the radiator). It’s on top of the engine and usually is the original one. Fill the engine to the brim with coolant and replace the cap. The van’s cooling system is of Closed Circuit type. Here’s how it’s supposed to work. As the motor warms up, the coolant expands. Extra coolant flows past the pressure cap into the expansion bottle. The cap maintains pressure inside the engine at whatever it’s pressure rating is; say 13lbs. That pressure raises the boiling point (temperature) of the coolant to let it absorb more heat. When the engine cools down, the coolant contracts. That same cap now allows coolant to flow from the expansion bottle back into the motor, keeping it absolutely full. If the engine continues to loose coolant after this repair, look elsewhere for leaks. Want to avoid blowing head gaskets? Do not permit the motor to overheat! If you are fixing an engine that has suffered such damage, don’t scrimp on repairs. Do it right the first time. Do not attempt to salvage a marginal head, just get a good one. Toyota’s parts seem to be a cut above aftermarket items; the head gasket itself is an example. If a gasket goes a second time, it is highly likely that the head is cracked or the block has become involved and that the motor will not come back to life. Don’t attempt to DRIVE a van with known engine mechanical problems such as this one.

Oil Lamp On Delux models the oil lamp on the dash is indicating information from 3 sensors: Oil Pressure from a switch type sensor below the oil filter, and Oil Temperature and Oil Level from a dual output unit on the side of the pan. On LE units, Oil Pressure is monitored by a gauge on the instrument panel, so the pressure sensor is a variable output type and the lamp indicates only temp and level. If your Oil Lamp is on all the time, the most likely cause is the Level part of the sensor on the pan. It’s a small float and tends to malfunction in older vans. It’s wise to fix the problem especially on vans without the pressure gauge. The sensor is expensive, but easily replaced. Be aware that the wiring plug to the sensor gets clogged with dirt and becomes difficult to remove. Clean with solvent and blow dirt out with compressed air. The gasket is a flanged rubber washer; with great care the old one can be reused.
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Several electrical issues exist for the Van.

Just for review:
A corroded connection will develop RESISTANCE. That means electricity, both in terms of voltage and current, will not flow as easily as it should. Resistance becomes HEAT as electricity tries to flow through the bad connection. That heat can melt insulation, even melt solder on old style glass and metal fuses. A high resistance (like an open circuit) is not as potentially damaging as a very low resistance (close to a short). Two or three ohms will generate very high heat if much current is flowing.

A SHORT is a direct connection from any positive to any negative. DON’T try shorting your battery by putting a metal wrench across the terminals. The battery will try to give up all its power through your wrench and that wrench will get bright red for a short time. In van life, shorts blow fuses, but so do corroded, resistive connections.

An OPEN CIRCUIT is a no- connect. Something has come apart, and electricity cannot flow.

The alternator is often looked at as a weak, problem prone item in the van, but its frequent demise is actually caused by other problems. If you burn out an alternator, read through this section before you replace it. There is a reason it went out. If the failure is burned up bearings, belt tension could be the cause, or it might simply be worn out, no sooner than 200,000 miles. Keep reading…

There is a Fusible Link near the battery, in a suspicious plastic case with two heavy wires leading to it. Most of the vehicle’s electricity (70 amps when everything is on) flows through this fuse. Corrosion develops at the two connection screws and creates two or three ohms of resistance, which in turn creates lots of heat. The heat is enough to melt insulation on wiring, causing a massive short and subsequent alternator failure, not to mention stopping the car. Look very carefully at this fusible link on an unfamiliar Van and keep an eye on it. It’s purpose is to protect the entire wiring system from fires; if you don’t get any response from anything in the entire electric system, check the wire inside the plastic box- it may have blown. A major short someplace is usually the cause.
A second Fusible Link box is located in the engine compartment, at the rear above the engine. It is hard to see from the ‘hood’ but does not have the problems of the main FL.

The Main Fuse Block is located under the dash near the passenger’s feet, though there are fuses that are not in the main block. It appears to have a design problem at the heater connections on the back. A great deal of current flows through this post, especially in A/C equipped cars. As corrosion develops (in the form of rust on steel spade terminals) heat builds and the plastic body of the fuse block melts, burns, and creates problems further downstream. If any odd electrical problem develops such as the heater blower not working but also affecting several other electrical devices, look to the back of the fuse block. It can be repaired successfully, or replaced, but make sure that wiring connections to it are clean bright metal, greased with silicone dielectric grease.

Undersize batteries are the root of many common problems. Use at least a Group 24; YoYo carries a retired Sno-Cat battery, a huge group 31, which keeps me from worrying over leaving lights on in camper mode. I use the laptop off of the vehicle power and also charge a nearly limitless array of smaller batteries from it. There’s never been any problem starting the van even after long periods without charging. The battery tray had to be hammer modified to fit this large battery. A G27 fits perfectly and may be the best for most owners.

In terms of operation, the Van’s most common electrical operator error is neglecting to fully close the doors. A seat belt often gets caught in the door frame, keeping the door from closing properly. The dome light stays on, so does the dash “Door” light, and the always-too-small battery is dead in the morning. The owner then tries to jump the car, vastly increasing the risk of shorting the alternator, which blows diodes immediately- so begin the electrical problems. (When jumping a Spacie or using the van to jump start another car, be scrupulously aware of not shorting the positive and negative at any time. There’s an old time trick to test if the alternator is functioning or not which must NOT be used on the Van; mechanics once were able to simply pull a cable off of the battery while the engine was running to determine if the system was charging or not. Again, DON’T do it on the Van.) The best price I’ve found on a well-rebuilt alternator for the Spacie is $130 at Whatcom Auto Electric in Bellingham, WA; prices elsewhere range to $272 for the same part.
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Wear on the outside edges of the van’s front tires is the common sign that they need alignment work. It’s usually not a simple matter of taking it in for adjustment by the time tire wear shows up; parts are now needed.
Tips: Shucks Auto Parts lists outer tie rod ends for the 4WD while others do not, and when they come they are TRW, better than OEM!! Wonder how long that’ll last. Toyota front suspension design tends to allow four critical adjustment bolts to seize up (pickups and four runners do the same) and make shop mechanics curse and knuckles bleed. If they are still free, pull those bolts and get some anti-sieze on them.
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If your front heater blower doesn’t work except on the highest speeds, the fix is quite easy. The blower resistor is a small item accessed by removing the glove box. It is immediately below the blower, one screw holding it, plus an electrical connector. If the blower doesn’t work at all, you poor fool, you must tear apart the entire dash to replace it. See the Dash section. I’m making the assumption that you have checked the main relay and circuit breaker before tackling this large task.

Toyota really messed up on one small detail with regards to the front heat/air system. There is no filter for intake air!! Meaning that bugs, seeds and even mice can easily gain access to the interior of the car. Most of the junk in the air gets stopped by the A/C evaporator which is often wet from condensation, so smells can get going here. You can help by installing a filter in a relatively easy location to access. The quickest way to see what you are headed for is by removing the passenger cornering light; two screws and a very gentle pry outwards and forward off of a pin. Don’t rush; wiggle till that pin comes out of its socket. Now look just behind and above the headlights and you will see a large opening, leading into the blower shroud area of the heater. If you are very patient, you can glue a piece of filter foam over that opening, but you will need super small hands or very long tweezers to reach in there. Normal humans will need to remove the headlight door and headlight assembly to access the opening. I bolt a piece of window screen under the blower when I have that off.
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Tip: When replacing the headlight door (the big plastic frame around the headlights): several of the screws simply cannot be put back in their holes without falling down into the bumper area. Cut small squares of stiff plastic bag and screw through them to keep the screws in the door till you can get a driver on them. Put the door in position and start each of the screws before pushing the door on completely.

Tip: Most drivers find that the low beams on the US version of the van are pretty weak. The cheapest, quickest way to improve them is replacement with some form of Super Bright halogen lamp. About $12 each. The next jump takes the price up to about $150 per pair and replaces the entire sealed beam lamp with a replaceable-bulb halogen. If you find a source for these headlights for the van for less money and/or one with a bulb of greater than the legal 55 Watts, please let us know. I don’t wish to endorse illegal use of high wattage headlights, but in the face of the latest crop of vehicles which cannot seem to turn off the ‘extra’ driving lights, one needs all the visibility one can get.
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The front locking hubs were provided by Toyota in an automatic and manual version. The automatic hub coupled to the manual transmission is an awful combination, sure to lead to trouble. The automatic hubs are on the fragile side, using a tiny brake band for engagement, and should only be used according to the instructions below. Rebuilding should not be considered; replace broken ones with manual hubs, period. I recommend the use of Warn locking hubs over Toyota; most wrecking yards will charge $150 or more for a pair of 4 Runner hubs. You can find Warn Premiums for $130 on the Internet. Note that you must have the “conversion kit” which consists only of spindle nuts and washers to get an Auto hub car to accept manual hubs. Toyota charges me just $35 for this set of hardware; if you can’t find a decent deal I can supply.

Mechanical Tip: When reassembling the hubs, there appear to be any number of positions one can replace the final caps on the hubs. Splines seem to be splines, right? Not the case. There are just one or two correct positions for reassembling the hubs. Of course, the automatic hubs are even fussier than the manual ones. If you get it wrong, the wheel will always be connected to the drive axle, effectively locked permanently. Check and check again. I have found work done by commercial shops that got it together incorrectly.

Use of the various combinations of transmission and hub are as follows. These instructions assume identical tires on all four corners, with scrupulous attention paid to correct tire pressures. Correct tire pressures will result in the same rolling radius for each corner, regardless of load in the vehicle.

Auto trans/auto hub: Come to a full stop and press the 4WD dash button. To disengage, come to a full stop and push the 4WD dash button. Put the transmission in reverse and roll back perhaps as much as 10 feet. UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES SHOULD VEHICLES WITH AUTOMATIC LOCKING HUBS BE SHIFTED ‘ON THE FLY’ WHILE THE CAR IS IN MOTION.

Manual Trans/auto hub: Come to a full stop. Shift the transfer case lever into 4 HI or 4 LO as desired. You will always be in 4WD and must use extreme caution while driving to keep from damaging the front locking hubs. The worst thing you can do is have a wheel spinning and come to an abrupt tractive spot (e.g.: snowy shoulder to bare wet pavement). That wheel finds traction and the (weak link) hub yields. To disengage, come to a full stop and shift the transfer case lever into 2HI. Roll backwards as much as 10 feet to disengage the front hubs. UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES SHOULD VEHICLES WITH AUTOMATIC LOCKING HUBS BE SHIFTED ‘ON THE FLY’ WHILE THE CAR IS IN MOTION.

Automatic Trans/manual hub: Bring the vehicle to a full stop. Place the transmission shifter in Neutral or Park. The parking brake may be set as needed. Twist the hubs into the Lock position. If you find the knob difficult to turn, the splines within the hub are not aligned. You may roll the van 5” or reach underneath and turn the front driveshaft by hand. The front driveshaft is now engaged with the front wheels and will be turning at approximately the same rate as the rear driveshaft. The 4WD dash button may be pressed at any time, stopped or in motion. Your front drive is only actually engaged when the dash button AND the hubs are locked. To disengage the vehicle from 4WD mode, first press the dash button, either in motion or when stopped. Stop. Place the transmission in N or P and twist the front hubs to Free. Occasionally, some binding occurs between driveshafts due to differences in driveshaft rotation. If this has happened, the hubs may not turn. First, try reversing the vehicle, and as a last and always successful resort, jack up any one wheel. Don’t drive in 4WD on bare pavement.

Manual transmission/manual hubs: At any convenient time, twist the hubs to the Lock position. The vehicle may be driven in this manner (hubs engaged, transfer case in 2WD) without damage. When the front axle is desired, the transfer case lever may be moved between 2HI and 4HI on the fly without stopping, provided the hubs are engaged. The vehicle must be stopped to shift to 4 LO.

TRICK: The Manual/Manual system is the only one which provides a 2LO, albeit one which must be used with great caution. This is done by simply leaving the hubs disengaged and shifting the transfer case to 4LO position. No direct harm will be done, however, the potential load on the rear axle is quite high, it not being shared with the front axle. I use this setting for situations requiring slow speeds on a highly tractive surface. It is also worth remembering that this can be used to isolate the transfer case low range from the front differential and wheel bearings for troubleshooting purposes.

To disengage the manual/manual system, shift the transfer case to 2HI in motion or stopped. If binding has occurred, the transfer case lever may prove difficult to move. In this case, reverse the vehicle for 10 feet or so and try again. As with the Auto/ Manual combo, if this fails for some reason, jack up any one wheel. The hubs may be twisted to Free at any convenient time.
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Get the manual, use the manual!! There is no excuse now that www.yotavans.org has the OEM Toyota manual online for free. Find it in the Tips and Tricks section of this site. Just print what you need! If you must have a physical copy, Chiltons for the van is cheap at Shucks/Kragen’s, though it’s not all that complete. Probably good enough for average mechanics to tackle low complexity jobs, but not good enough to allow those same mechanics to take on harder tasks. The Spacie is a fun challenge to work on. If that’s what you want to do (I strongly advise the self-repair approach) perhaps you ought to spend the bucks on the manual from Toyota, plus the electrical supplement for your specific year. It adds up to nearly $150 so be sure you like your van!

What advice can I give to prepare you for the complexity of the Town Ace? Primarily, CONSULT THE MANUALS and be careful. These vans are constructed of somewhat fragile parts, much plastic, lots of funny proprietary clips holding things together where screws were once used. On the other hand, engineering has taken leaps and jumps, permitting odd configurations like the Spacie to happen and work well. They are actually very well designed, you just have to know what to take apart first so something else will come out. When you find the correct order of disassembly, they are simple to work on. If you attempt a shortcut, it will almost certainly not work out and probably damage things along the way.

Learn to use the discussion board on this site. It is for, of and by van owners, and remember that you must be prepared to take ‘advice’ with a grain of salt. Not all owners are qualified to give advice on your van; the problem you are experiencing might well be unique to your situation. Please, before you post, search the archives and the current postings. Many common issues have been dealt with already and yours is very likely one.

Many owners will not go too far beyond changing the oil and topping off the cooling system. Learn to remove the engine cover (see the Engine section and the How To on this site) and a shop can take over from there. You know if you are one of those owners; the problems crop up when you think you aren’t!
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I recently met a van owner who was complaining that his van was underpowered. His van was a pretty nice 4WD conversion with a great (though rather heavy) bunk in the back. But I could see right away why he was complaining. He was carrying far too much stuff on the outside of his van! Huge roof racks with gobs of stuff hanging from them. They were quite well designed, but aerodynamics had not been considered in the least. He also had running boards along the sides of the van (does no good at all on the driver’s side, other than to match the passengers side) which also cut into the power the van has left over for acceleration. Try hard to keep the exterior of your van streamlined. If you must use a rack to carry all of your toys, use an enclosed rack. Keep the profile as low to the roof as possible to minimize wind resistance. Trim cross bars as much as possible; use aerodynamic, wing-shaped bars instead of round or square. If the rack makes noise at freeway speeds, it is gobbling up gas; do some more tweaking.

The rain gutters make excellent attachment points for a rack, but are body seams. If you damage your gutters, expect to do some extra work sealing the leaks! Watch those low clearance overhead objects!
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Everyone wishes that the 4WD Van suspension could be lifted. The good news is that it can and that it doesn’t really need any more than is readily possible. The bad news is that you can’t easily lift it very far. First define what is being accomplished by a lift. Just want ½ inch more clearance? Or are you expecting to recreate the van at its maximum offroad capability?

The front end is on Torsion Bar springs and can be adjusted to provide 1” of lift. Don’t try for more- it won’t allow wheel drop, and might break your springs. (I re-write this on 12/03 with YoYo lifted nearly 2” via the torsion bars. It works, but the limits are becoming evident. Others have followed suit and so far no breakage. Wear will accelerate. I don’t feel a need for more lift.) Adjustment for the front is a pair of studs at the rear of the torsion bars in the vicinity of the battery and fuel tank. Before you attempt this modification to your van, inspect the entire suspension system for wear and/or broken parts. Identify the bump stops: rubber blocks on the lower A arms, and note the space between them and the arms. This represents your suspension travel. With the van on jacks, use a pry bar to lever the suspension in all directions. If in doubt, take the vehicle to a front end specialty shop and ask them to check for slop and wear. To lift the front of the van, jack it up so the suspension hangs (tires off the ground) loosen the locknut and turn the adjuster nut. It requires large wrenches and work in tight spaces, but is not really difficult to do. Go for ¼ inch change at the adjuster and set the van back on the ground. Most 4WD’s will look level instead of nose down after that much change. If you’re really looking for lift, you can move the adjustment ½ inch (or even more at your own risk). That translates to lots of change out at the wheels.

The only good option for the rear that I’m aware of is custom coil springs. YoYo got a set- $300. I specified 1.5 to 2” of lift and 500 lbs added capacity. There are other options out there, but my opinion of them is low. There are very cheap ‘coil-over-shock springs: a set of springs that clamp around your shock absorbers. They don’t really work and damage your shocks in the bargain. There are air bag springs, inflatable tubes that are intended to be installed inside of the OEM coils. I know of none specifically designed for the Toyota 4WD van. It’s possible that some might be adapted (I hear that Jeep Cherokee sort of fit), might not be a bad option to compensate for heavy loads. It won’t lift the van beyond original height and they would be worthless if punctured. Nor will these air springs increase your range of suspension travel, the real requirement of an off road suspension.

I’m now manufacturing and selling Custom built rear coil springs at $275/ set of 2. Different shocks are required for this very dramatic lift. We now have more than 9 inches of vertical travel at each wheel instead of the OEM system’s 6 inches. I’ve added a slight amount of extra capacity to these springs since most of us are loaded down for camping and off road driving. It’s the way to go.

The manual shows that some vans came with rear leaf springs. I have never seen leaf springs in the 4WD version. That system would be very easy to lift and modify. Get lucky and buy one! If you do find one, please let me know at roysail@glacierview.net.

As you can see, I tend to be conservative towards lifting the van. I think 99% of van owners aren’t afraid of hiking that last mile or so rather than bashing a vehicle through it. After all, if you really wanted an all out wheelin’ machine, you would pick something much closer to Rascal E Jeep, small, extremely tough, nimble and simple. The van is not that vehicle. Sure, if I had an extra van to experiment with, I’d recreate the rig with a 4 inch lift and some 33” tall all terrain tires, but there goes the fuel mileage. Plus the drive train and sheet metal. Not worth it unless you’re rich and have nothing better to do. Toyota never intended that the van be used as an all out offroad rig. The front differential/ axle is weak and small. The most striking limitation is the front wheelwells. They simply do not have the front-to-back space to run anything bigger than 28 inch tires and still steer, and you can’t cut because the front edge is your door. If you absolutely must run big rubber, you will either lift your van very high or modify sheet metal extensively.

Shock absorbers are a big issue for any vehicle that positions so much weight over the front set of wheels. I put the heaviest duty Gabriels on YoYo’s front end, a great shock but apparently now obsoleted. Les Schwab Tires carried them, and at this point they look like a bargain at $35 each. The part number was G60109, if you can locate a set. They’ve been fine, especially considering the use I put the van to- off roading, hard competitive city driving, and carrying some pretty good loads. But… they do make the little van ride like a truck- the more so for sitting right over the front set of wheels. It helps to have some weight in the back. I’m reluctant to suggest lighter duty shocks. Since Gabriel seems to have deleted the van front shock, I’ve switched to a custom Munroe Light truck shock, lifetime warranty, just as big and beefy as the Gabriel. Again, not cheap. The Munroe is not listed by application; one must go by size. Some prefer KYB units, even more money.

If the van is mainly a city vehicle and 4WD is only used in winter conditions, Best Grade of any shock will be good enough. I’ve found surprising life from the OEM shocks. Often the rubber bushings wear out first while the gas charge is still OK. Get that lower attachment bolt very tight, so that the steel bushing inside the rubber is essentially clamped and can’t move.
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The best size of stock tire for real all round road/ offroad use for the 4WD Spacecruiser is the 27/8.50 x 14. We are putting tires on the OEM stock 14 inch 4WD rim here. I personally like Les Schwab’s All Season tread pattern, which has an overall diameter of 26.6 inches in that size. Goodrich’s All Terrain TA comes in the same size and is a bit more aggressive, but is quite square and will be noisy on the highway. No modifications of any kind are required to your van to run these 26.6 inch diameter tires, but it’s very close, particularly at the lower front corner of the front wheelwells. A suspension lift is not required, but is helpful.

If you are just looking for highway tires, a smaller size down to a 195/75R 14 will be fine. 205’s are a bit better since small tires sacrifice ground clearance.

Now there is yet another size of tire which will run on the OEM Toyota Van rims. Interco has a new series of tire, a derivative of the extremely aggressive Super Swamper series, the SSR/TSL Radial. Their site lists a 27 x 9.50R14LT as having a diameter of 27.8" and a width of 7.9 inches across the tread. Their web page shows the tire and dimensions. This is an extremely aggressive tire. It will fit onto the OEM Van 14" rim, but require serious trimming of body metal. Quite probably, the turning radius of the Van would need to be altered so the tire would not hit metal inside the wheelwell. My Jeep uses the standard version of Super Swamper, a huge, serious off road monster. Anyone currently running this tire please contact me at roysail@glacierview.net and post photos on this site. I'll take the earliest opportunity to put one on a rim and see if they will run on the Van.
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Check that fluid level!
The automatic transmission has a dip stick found by opening the Power Steering access plate behind the passenger’s seat. Yes, it’s down there, but not easy to see. You fill the trani by funnel inserted in the same tube. No, not easy, very sloppy and hard to see what you are doing. Pour very small quantities of fluid at a time- it fills up fast if the dip stick shows fluid at all.

The manual transmission is more typical: a plug on the side of the transmission controls the level of 90 weight oil. Check it carefully; there’s a number of vans out there with damaged transmissions because the owner neglected to check the oil after buying the van.
Oil does not flow between the transmission and transfer case. You must check them separately.

With either transmission, auto or manual, the trani should be absolutely silent in operation. Noises or rough shifts should be examined immediately.

A word on the control cables is in order here. The automatic has a very important shift control cable linked at the engine throttle. It is adjustable, and affects the moment at which the auto trani shifts. If it is sticking, the transmission won’t go into the next gear. The main shift cable also has adjustments. Before you leap to the assumption that something is wrong with the transmission, make sure the control cables are correct. The manual transmission uses two cables to control shifting. There is a trick (shown in the shop manual) for synchronizing these cables. Push a long pin through four holes up at the shifter lever. At that point, the transmission should be in Neutral. If you are experiencing difficult shifts, the clutch pedal master cylinder is often the real issue, not the trani or cable linkage.

YoYo has the only conversion I’m aware of from Automatic to Manual gearbox. It’s worked out very well, though the axle ratio from the Auto trani is lower geared (4.77:1) than the manual axle (4.30:1), by some 9%. That means that the speedometer was completely wrong, and that The Up/Down Van is slower on the freeway. It was a task to hang the clutch pedal, involving tearing the whole dash apart. The transmission and transfer case could have been tossed in from across the room. Plenty of space under the car! I can’t imagine many typical Van owners going in for this sort of switch, but it can be done. Don’t even ask Toyota; the cost of the parts will be several times the value of the van. Just about the only way to do it is to find a junked Manual van complete with all parts and swap over. It’s about a 3 day, bolt-in, task (for a good mechanic) once all parts are in hand.

I’ve now finished the first of two conversions based on the Automatic’s transfer case. Those with automatics can now have the manual transmission’s 2 speed gear box. The dash button that controls the engagement of 4WD can be left alone, or moved to the shift lever. Amazing results, very nice system, though the manual trani is still the ultimate offroad unit.
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There are no wheels for the Four Wheel Drive version of Toyota Van other than the ones they came with. They are unusual, 14” diameter by 5.5” wide, using a 5 on 5.5 bolt circle (real big center hole, 5.5” bolt circle, only 5 bolts) and have a front wheel drive offset (the wheel sits back on the hub, not out past the side of the car. That’s it, just the OEM wheels. A few were chromed for the LE’s; most were painted. White paint looks very good on them, or perhaps paint them to match the van. The wheels from the 2WD van don’t fit.
Some of my posts mention that old Jeep wheels will bolt up; some old Ford trucks used the same bolt pattern: 5 on 5.5. Just because you can bolt them on the van does not mean that they will run well. This is exactly the case with the old Jeep wheel; it has a Rear Wheel Drive offset and will not run on the Van.

Now that I’ve written that, and discouraged you from dressing up your Spacie with fancy mags, I do have some news. You actually can get mags for the 4WD van. I found some 15 inch OEM wheels for the van. Don’t confuse these with aftermarket mags, which will be center offset wheels and will mess up your van’s steering geometry and hit the front wheel wells. Everything besides diameter: width, offset, and bolt pattern match up. So what’s the penalty? Nothing really. You will be in a totally different tire, which we will find next.

Now to the 15 inch wheel size. Because you jumped to a larger rim, the tire sizes are measured differently. For example, a 205 for a 14 inch rim is much smaller diameter than the 205 for a 15 inch rim. I’ve tried a 235/70R 15 and it would require vast body trimming and still might not run. That sets the upper limit. Furthermore, big rubber cuts into your gas mileage. YoYo now runs 215’s on the new mags. They have required more body trimming than I originally expected, but still not enough to damage either cosmetics or structure. If you are serious about maximizing the offroad potential of your van, these are a must-have modification. YoYo now sits a solid 4 inches higher than stock equipped identical vans. No sacrifices were made in suspension travel, and the new sneaks are a dream on the highway. Yes, I can tell we sit higher. The losses I created in the act of changing to the low geared axles has exactly been offset by the new tires. Now, the speedometer reads correctly, tested by GPS!
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Since there are so many bearings involved in the front axle drive system of the 4WD van, a separate paragraph is needed. The wheel bearings proper are the bearings that carry the weight of the van, are inside the wheel hubs (not the locking hub mechanism) and are indeed critical. They are covered fully in the manuals for the van, and I do not intend to describe their repair here. My intent is to aid in troubleshooting front bearing problems.

Wheel bearings will make noises, from soft rumbles to crunching grinding noises in various stages of decay. Looseness at the wheel is a good indication that they at least need service and possible replacement. They support the van and it’s entire load, and failure can spell a bad accident.

There are several other bearings involved in the front drive system. The 4WD hubs have a bearing that turns when the hub is FREE. That means most of the time for most vans. If your noises go away when you LOCK the hubs, this is normally the culprit. It’s got to be fixed so you can go down the freeway in 2WD. The bearing carries the axle shaft and isn’t under much load. When the hubs are engaged, the axle turns at the same speed as the wheel and the bearing is inactive.

There are bearings at the outer end of the differential housing and a bushing at the inner side of the wheel spindle. These carry the loads of the half shafts and are only turning when the 4WD is engaged. Engagement can be from either the wheel ‘end’ or the transfer case ‘end’; either will turn the half shafts. Loads on these bearings are fairly high, though they aren’t carrying the vehicle. If your van only makes noises when IN 4WD, suspect these bearings. A bad CV half shaft will also make noise in the same conditions, so check those before tearing into everything.

That’s a total of 5 bearing sets per side in the front drive system, not to mention CV joints and U Joints on the drive shafts. It’s all got to be in good working order or the system is bound for failure.

The rear wheel bearings are of a different type than the front units. They are a permanently greased type, with a seal to prevent differential 90 oil from getting past them and into the brakes. They seem to be million mile bearings and seldom need attention. If you do find yourself replacing them, be sure to follow the instructions in the repair manual so your new ones will in fact yield a million miles.
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Yeah, I know it seems like a silly subject, but a note is in order. Think about the way wipers operate. A very short lever (inside, under that dash) is connected by linkage to a very long lever (the wiper) whose job it is to scrape across a large smooth surface. It all translates to FRAGILE, not just on the van, but on all cars with large wipers. The most urgent caution pertains to freezing weather: DON’T TURN ON YOUR WIPERS TILL YOU HAVE MADE SURE THEY AREN’T FROZEN TO THE WINDOW!!!!

The back wiper is nice to have. It gets neglected. It gets used and probably left running when there is a ton of dirt on the back window. I’ve had to toss out several rear windows because they were wiper- scraped so badly you could no longer see through them. If the back window is dirty, wash it before using that wiper.
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