The Plan
In Part 1, we got the under-hood electrical panel, Switch Pros, and Midland radio installed. This time we tackled two more of the smaller items on the list before Indy's first guided trip: a Goose Gear seat delete and an ARB snorkel.
These two projects could not be more different. The seat delete is about as beginner-friendly as it gets. The snorkel means cutting a big hole in the fender of a truck we just bought, which is a little nerve-wracking for anyone. Rachael put it best: "it's stressful drilling holes in the truck, because these are not easily fixable." She's right, and that's exactly why we did the easy one first.
The Goose Gear Seat Delete
We put a seat delete in the Tacoma, mostly to give the dogs more room, and we wanted to do the same thing here. The back of a CrewMax Tundra is huge, so with the 60% side out, the pups are going to have so much space. We went with the Goose Gear 60% seat delete.
This was the perfect first project for Rachael. On a difficulty scale, she called it a 2 out of 10, but it was a good, low-stakes way to learn some basic tools and build confidence before the harder (and more permanent) stuff.
Pulling the Seats
There's a back panel in the Tundra that gives you access to service the power rear window. We needed to drill some holes into that panel for the seat delete, and to get it fully out, all of the rear seats had to come out first.
The seat bolts are 17mm. Rachael broke each one loose with the breaker bar first, then switched to the ratchet to zip them out. Once the bolts were out, we checked for anything connected underneath (nothing on our truck), and the seats lifted right out. There was dog hair everywhere, so we cleaned up the 60% side before it went into storage in the garage.
It started raining partway through, so we ended up assembling the bottom piece of the Goose Gear inside the truck. If you've ever wondered whether there's enough room in the back of a CrewMax, I was sitting back there with my legs stretched all the way out.
Marking and Drilling the Back Panel
Bolt the rear panel in at the bottom (don't tighten anything down yet). This lines everything up so you can mark where the holes go.
Mark the holes. You'll be marking spots both in the Thinsulate insulation and on the back panel itself.
Remove the back panel. Unplug the power window cable, then take out the 12 screws and the one nut. The screws go into plastic, so be careful not to strip them when they go back in.
Center punch and drill. I drilled the first hole and Rachael drilled the rest.
Install the mounting hardware in the new holes, including the corner.
Reinstall the back panel. Make sure the little notch seats properly, then plug the power window back in and reinstall the nut and 12 screws.
Cut out the Thinsulate where you marked it, then push the insulation back into place.
Set the Goose Gear in and bolt it down.
Torque Your Seat Bolts
Since the seat delete bolts into the same points as the seats, we wanted to make sure it was torqued properly. I had Rachael look up the Tundra seat bolt torque spec, and I walked her through using the torque wrench: you set it to the spec, and it clicks when you hit the right tension. Ours clicked at 31. This matters because you don't want to over-tighten and weaken the bolts or the mounting points, and you definitely want it to be safe for anyone sitting back there.
The ARB Snorkel
This one was personal. The Tacoma was hydro-locked, which is how it ended up totaled, so a snorkel was at the top of the list for Indy. No more hydro-locked engines, and no more totaling Tacos.
We went with the ARB snorkel, plus a pre-cleaner from a company called Snorkel Upgrade. It looks a little different from the standard ARB head, and it pre-cleans the air before it gets to the filter, so we get even cleaner air into the engine. Fair warning: on an unlifted truck on stock tires, a snorkel looks a little goofy. It'll look right once the suspension and tires go on.
Of course, this started with trip number three to the auto parts store, this time for zinc paint. We came home with more than we planned (as you do), and the dogs supervised from the windows.
I'll be honest, the instructions looked intimidating. There's a lot to it, and after what happened to the Tacoma, it felt really important to get it right. I was glad we were doing it together.
Tearing Down
Remove the mud flap and the fender liner. That was a nightmare. There are probably 10 clips holding the liner in, and each one requires you to reach underneath and press in a little tensioner. I came out of it cut up and filthy.
Remove the airbox. Undo the clips, take off the mass airflow (MAF) sensor, loosen the clamp, and lift the airbox out.
Cutting the Fender
Tape up the template. Remove the perforated cutout section from the paper template and tape it to the fender.
Drill the holes and cut the big one. There are a bunch of small holes for mounting and one big hole for the snorkel body itself.
Clean up the edges. I used a sanding bit on the Dremel to smooth out the big hole, and a deburring tool on the smaller ones (Rachael thought the deburring tool was the coolest thing).
Mark and drill the A-pillar holes for the snorkel's upper mounts.
Paint all of the bare metal. We used a Toyota OEM touch-up paint pen in Super White with the brush attachment and painted the inside of every hole so nothing rusts.
And yes, we kept the circle we cut out. A piece of the Tundra. I'm thinking we frame it.
Modifying the Airbox
While Rachael was painting, I modified the airbox so the snorkel's rubber sleeve would fit over the airbox inlet. That meant squaring off the inlet and cutting off two tabs. The oscillating tool made this super easy, and then I filed everything smooth.
Sealing and Final Install
Waterproof the A-pillar. We put the plastic inserts in each hole, added a little silicone in each one, and ran a small bead of silicone around everything. That keeps water from getting into the A-pillar.
Put the hose clamps on and reinstall the airbox.
Feed the snorkel through the fender, mate the snorkel body to the rubber connector, and tighten the hose clamp.
Snug everything up. Rachael guessed one of the bolts needed a 10mm, and she was right.
Reinstall the clips, and start her up.
It fired right up. We have a snorkel!
Rachael's Takeaways
Rachael said this was the best learning day of the build so far. She got a lot more comfortable drilling holes in the truck (a big one for her), learned a bunch of new tools, including the Dremel and its sanding bit, and started to understand what's actually under the hood. The Goose Gear was easy, but it was a good entry point that made the snorkel feel a lot less scary.
Tips, Tricks, and Resources
Do the easy project first. If you're learning, a seat delete is a great way to get comfortable with tools before you cut into anything permanent.
Break bolts loose with a breaker bar, then switch to a ratchet to spin them out.
Torque your seat bolts (and anything that's holding people or cargo in place). Look up the spec for your truck.
Be careful with the back panel screws. They thread into plastic and strip easily.
Center punch every hole before you drill so the bit doesn't wander.
Paint every bit of bare metal after you cut or drill. An OEM touch-up pen in your truck's color is perfect for this.
Deburr and sand your cut edges before painting.
Silicone the A-pillar mounting holes so water can't get in.
Budget extra time for the fender liner clips. They're a pain.
Parts List:
Seat Delete
Goose Gear 60% seat delete (Tundra CrewMax)
Snorkel
ARB snorkel (2nd gen Tundra)
Snorkel Upgrade pre-cleaner
Toyota OEM touch-up paint pen (Super White)
Zinc paint
Silicone sealant
Tools
17mm socket
Breaker bar and ratchet
Torque wrench
Center punch
Drill and bits
Hole saw (for the snorkel body)
Dremel with sanding bit
Deburring tool
Oscillating multi-tool
File
10mm socket
Trim/clip removal tool
Up Next
We were planning to do the diff breathers too, but we were losing light, we were tired, and we wanted dinner. So that's next, and it's really the last small item before the tires, suspension, and Victory 4x4 parts arrive.
You can watch this whole episode, and the rest of the 10-part series, on the Mountain State Overland YouTube channel. The series is free to watch thanks to OK4WD, with additional support from Bilstein, Toyo Tires, Blue Ridge Overland Gear, GP Factor, and Midland. And if you want to see a build like this out on the trail, come join us on a Mountain State Overland guided trip!