Truck Maintenance

[QuarterMillionMan]

Consumer reports listed the top 5 air compressors with the Airmoto being #1 which I have trouble believing. My Viair came at #2.

Top 5 Air Pumps 2025

[myrdale]

For air compressors, I had a similar one for years that plugged into the cigarette lighter port. Last year I picked up a Rigid battery powered compressor/blower for about $90. The battery was separate, and that was the $$ part at $180 iirc. I purchased a similar one for my Mother for Christmas.

[QuarterMillionMan]

Received today my Walmart $8 tire chuck valve and replaced the broken tire chuck valve, works good as new. Walmart sent 2 tire chuck valves. This is V-air 12 volt compressor I bought from 4 Wheel Parts for about $100 about a decade ago and still works good. It can inflate a completely flat truck tire 31 x 10.5 x 15 to 35 lbs in about 3 minutes.

[myrdale]

Well Saturday started off easy. I demolished my back deck, ran to town to pick up lunch, parked in the drive way to wash the truck. Walking into the garage, there on the ground was a little pink, quarter-sized puddle.

I didn't drive at all Sunday, and had the Tacoma at the dealership at 8am. Two hours later the let me know they believe it is my Coolant Bypass Valve has started to leak.

Roughly $2800 to do the repair. They also stated there is a pipe that is occasisonaly a problem. The pipe runs through the engine, and that would be $7,000 if it was it. A new engine would be $10,000. Fingers crossed for now it is just the the valve.

[QuarterMillionMan]

This is the broken tire chuck. Looks like I wouldn't need the open ended wrenches but may need it in the future. Always nice to have tools when it is needed.

[QuarterMillionMan]

I thought that I would have to find a specialty air compressor website such as ingersoll rand compressors in order to find a tire chuck but what surprised me was that good ole Walmart has it and free shipping. The barbed end is fastened by radiator hose clamps. Alright placed the order and should be good as new.

[QuarterMillionMan]

Just ordered a 6 mm, 7 mm, 8 mm, 9 mm, 10 mm, and a 6" crescent wrench on Temu for a total of $22. Each open-ended wrench was about $2.50, quite a bargain on Temu.

[QuarterMillionMan]

The air compressor above was delivered today, 2 days after ordering it which is fast. Topped off all of my tires. Works good. Came with this extra hose and tire chuck connector which may fit on my old Vair air compressor with the broken tire chuck. The threaded end may need a 10 mm open end wrench which I will have to order seperately. The smallest I have is an 11 mm open end wrench.

[QuarterMillionMan]

I was topping off air in my tires w/a portable 12V Vair air compressor (I paid $100 years ago for it so now must be $175) and the tire chuck connector broke. So I just ordered this Temu cheapo one which should arrive in 2 days. I will also be looking to buy another tire chuck connector for $10 to replace the broken chuck but finding the correct size to fit the hose will be a challenge or a hose with chuck but getting the correct fine threaded adapter to fit into the machine will also be a challenge.

[ua_guy]

Ok, funny thing about the Toyota Tacoma. It's supposedly named after the large city south of Seattle, WA.

It would be like naming it the Toyota Compton (California). Toyota Monroe (Louisiana). Toyota Baltimore (Maryland) Now I'm sure there are redeeming things to be found in those cities, but they rank high in violent crime and pollution and elicit a general "ugh..." from people who don't live there but know what kind of headlines often originate from those places.

I think Toyota's vision was to make a connection with Mount Rainier. However, Buick already has trademark on the Rainier name for use on a vehicle. Tacoma is an anglicized spelling/pronunciation of a Native American name for "Tahoma", or the large snowy mountain that pioneers renamed Mount Rainier. Tahoma is the mountain, Tacoma is the stinky, industrial city that is big on crime, traffic, and casinos. One wonders why Toyota preferred Tacoma over Tahoma, but that's the connection with the name.

[QuarterMillionMan]

In the 1980's, I used to hot rod classic cars installing Holley carbs, Webber carbs, Mikuni carbs on mopeds, etc. Running it without an air filter had a noticeable difference with free flowing air into the intake sort of like a supercharger which forces the air down for higher performance but I've never installed a supercharger. I could overhaul engines changing piston rings, connecting rod bearings, valves, water pumps, alternators, starters, etc. But those days are over for me. Today the most complicated job that I might tackle is a serpentine belt.

[myrdale]

Anyone know if K & N is worth the price.

I used to have one in the Frontier. Honestly I got it just because I thought it was "cool". Every 10,000 miles I would wash and re-oil it. Having to wait for it to dry before oiling was always a pain though.

I have not purchased one for the Tacoma.

[ua_guy]

In modern vehicles, K&N filters, I don't see the benefit. Fuel efficiency requirements have basically ensured that intake efficiency is as optimized as it needs to be to achieve maximum fuel economy and power. More flow = less filtration efficiency and that just dirties up the throttle body and intake plenum which can reduce efficiency, rob power, and cause other problems.

I think a lot of people still remember when you could take a car from the 70's or early 80's and delete the smog pump and put a less restrictive air filter on it, and you'd get noticeable power increases. With newer direct injection and completely electronically controlled engines those gains just don't really exist anymore.

I don't think OE parts are needed for everything...in the example above I'd still trust a Wix filter or a Mahle. Even Rockauto puts the other brands in the "cheap" category. I've seen enough of the cheap stuff that I just don't bother.

[bjl584]

Anyone know if K & N is worth the price. I've heard it is good but not sure if 3x the price good. Ever run a car without an air filter, it has a noticeable increase in horse power but very bad for the engine. K & N must allow freer flowing air flow.

I had a K&N on my last truck and didn't notice any increase in power or MPG.
The reuseable element was nice, but regular air filters don't cost that much and have a fairly long change interval.
You'd have to have your vehicle a really long time to recoup the money

[QuarterMillionMan]

Anyone know if K & N is worth the price. I've heard it is good but not sure if 3x the price good. Ever run a car without an air filter, it has a noticeable increase in horse power but very bad for the engine. K & N must allow freer flowing air flow.