Fluids:
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Introduction
Fluids
Motor Oil
Differentials
Manual Transmissions
Automatic Transmissions
Brake Fluids
Clutch Hydraulic Fluid
Cooling System
Power Steering
Transfer Cases

Introduction:

The vast majority of mechanical issues we see are all due to the same thing: lack of fluid changes. This applies to everything liquid in the truck from motor oil to brake fluid. Do it yourself or hire us to do it but change it all. You will be happier down the road.

Fluids:
There are a lot of fluids in your Land Cruiser. All of them need to be changed on a regular basis. Our first suggestion to a new cruiser owner is to change it all!

We use both normal and synthetic fluids. The synthetics are superior in most cases but ususlly cost 3-5 times as much as normal, dino, fluids. We also offer Red Line products for some applications. Red line is very expensive compared to conventional lubricants but can make an important difference in longevity.

Generally, we recommend dino oils for your motor and other components that are used or that might require additional service before long. We suggest synthetic lubricants for all rebuilt components such as differentials, transmissions or transfers and we like Red Line products for any truck that will see severe service.

Motor Oil:
Change it every 3,000 miles if using dino oil or every 5,000 miles if using synthetic. We use 10W-30 for cooler temperatures and 20W-50 for the hot Georgia summers. We charge $35.00 for dino oil and OEM/NAPA Gold filter and $100.00 for Mobil 1 Synthetic.

Differentials:
We drain and refill with a new gasket on the drain and fill plugs

Manual Transmission:
We drain and refill with a new gasket on the drain and fill plugs

 
Automatic Transmissions:
Toyota Land Cruiser automatic transmissions are very heavy duty and designed to work well for a long time. They do require regular changes of the fluid and cleaning of the filter. The cost to rebuild or replace an automatic tranny can often exceed the value of the truck. Take care of your auto tranny through regular fluid and filter changes. We suggest you change it once a year. We do not suggest using synthetic fluids in the auto tranny. It is just too expensive to do once a year. When we see fluid related issues we may suggest a synthetic lubricant in an effort to save the transmission.
 
Automatic transmission fluid change:

Basic:

1. Get it up to full temperature
2. Drain the pan
3. Remove pan and clean it
4. Remove and drain return lines and cooler lines
5. Remove filter and replace it
6. Install new gaskets
7. Replace filter and pan
8. Refill

This is the perfect fluid service for those who have taken care of normal changes.
We charge $160 for this service.
 
Advanced:

1. Get it up to full temperature
2. Drain the pan
3. Remove pan and clean it
4. Remove and drain return lines and cooler lines
5. Remove filter and replace it
6. Install new gaskets
7. Replace filter and pan
8. Refill
9. Road test back to full temp
10. Drain and refill
11. Road test
12. Drain and refill
13. Road test
14. Drain and refill

This change ensures that not only do we get all the old fluid out but the repeated flushes help clean the system and get it back to a safe condition. We suggest this for trucks that have an unknown maintenance history. The cost for this service is $245.

Brake Fluid:
Brake fluid absorbs water over time. The water can boil and cause a loss of breaking and will cause rust to form inside the system. The vast majority of brake failures are due to contaminated fluids.
 
Brake fluid should be changed every 2 years. We discount this service during any major brake job but we do require it so we can warrantee the work we perform.
 
We charge $210 to change all the brake fluid in your truck. This applies to all Land Cruisers

Clutch Hydraulic Fluid:
The clutch uses brake fluid to actuate the system. Just like brake fluid it will degrade over time. We recommend changing the clutch fluid every 2 years. We charge $80 for this service.

Cooling System:

A bad cooling system can ruin any trip. The system uses the anti freeze as both a protectant from low temperatures and also to lubricate the water pump. Contaminates build up in the system eventually filling your radiator with gunk and limiting your cooling. We recommend you change your coolant every 2 years.
 
We run a cooling system cleaner through your truck then flush the entire system. We vacuum test your system to find any leaks. We re fill with the correct mixture of antifreeze and water and then test your cap. We also perform a visual inspection of all hoses to check for leaks or bad hoses. This is a very good time to replace hoses as we have the system drained! We can replace all the hoses or just the main hoses. On the 80 Series Land Cruiser we also can change the insidious firewall hoses; we hate it but you need it! On a 40 series add around $104 for hoses, on a 60/62 add $225 for hoses and on a 80 Series add $340 for the hoses (including the bastard firewall hoses; trust us, they need to be replaced and you don’t want to do it!). We find bad radiator caps time after time. A new OEM cap is $29. There is no charge to tell you a new cap is needed. 1990 and older cruisers use the standard green anti freeze while newer Land Cruisers use the OEM red silicate free antifreeze (which is really expensive)!
 
The cost for 1990 and older trucks is $175. The cost for 1991 and newer is $210. We charge $80 for a simple drain and refill which is a good idea at the start of the warmer months. Add the cost of hoses if you decide they are needed.

Power Steering:
Toyota OEM power steering fluid is ATF (automatic transmission fluid) not standard power steering fluid!
Toyota OEM power steering fluid is ATF (automatic transmission fluid) not standard power steering fluid!
Toyota OEM power steering fluid is ATF (automatic transmission fluid) not standard power steering fluid!
Toyota OEM power steering fluid is ATF (automatic transmission fluid) not standard power steering fluid!
Toyota OEM power steering fluid is ATF (automatic transmission fluid) not standard power steering fluid!

Did we make out point? OEM PS pumps, hoses and gears are expensive and a PITA to install. The reason the majority of these units fail is old fluid or the wrong fluid. The fluid lubricates the box, bearings and seals. Using standard PS fluid will significantly shorten the life of the OEM system. We flush your system and get 100% of the old fluid out then refill with synthetic ATF. Spend a little money now to save a lot later! We charge $85 for this service.

Prices subject to change, please call or stop by for an exact estimate for your vehicle.