Head gasket on a 22re

[Project1500]

Im know this isnt really race-dezert oriented but most everyone here seems to really know what their talking about. I blew a head gasket on my 93 toyota pickup and am going to change it out myself. Ive never done this on a toyota before but it shouldn't be that bad, I wouldn't think.

I was wondering if anyone can give some extra tips, tools I might need that aren't common and maybe some help on things I might miss that need to be done? Is their anything else I should have done while Im at this? I have a book I just need some extra advice.

Any helps appreciated thanks.

[BlueCoyote]

Follow the book. Run a good head gasket - we run engbldr.com stuff - has worked very well on many motors.
The bolts may be able to be reused - but you will not know until you R&R them. Consider ARP head studs - IMHO it is $120 well spent.
Get the block mounting surface CLEAN - razor blades, brake spray, scotch brite clean.
Get the head checked out - the gasket blew for a reason. It is very common to have corrosion around the #2 - #3 combustion rings on the exhasut side. Consider having valves done. A good valve job is only about $100. If nothing else, at least get it checked for flatness.
You will need basic metric tools
Good torque wrench
Feeler gauges
Lots of brake cleaner
scotch brite
razor blades
Clean place to work.
Put the motor at TDC before you start. Ty wrap the timing chain links to the guiede so the chain does not slip or fall down. Do not forget the bolt below the cam gear. The front manifold bolt is a allen head and a bear to get out. Soak the exhaust nuts with WD40 the nite before.
Good luck

[mfs]

there is a bolt in the front of the head that gos into the front cover is easy to miss.seen alot of them welded because they pryed on it, and snap! i would do a timing chain set to.

[ChuckH]

I would buy a stock yota head gasket and reuse the bolts and timing chain, if it is past 200,000 i might buy a new chain, mark the timing chain and wheel so you can put the chain back on in the exact same place.

It should be cheap to fix that way, if it blows again your not out much, then you can get the head checked out or buy another one from the junk yard.

[ntsqd]

Second checking head flatness. The gasket popped for a reason and on 22R's its often that the head has warped.

I'd do the chain if it has more than 125K on it. Loosing the chain costs a lot more than the cost of doing the chain only. Consider it preventative Maint. HIGHLY recommend the metal backed guides if you're going to keep it.

[ZTFab]

Everybody else pretty much covered it......be careful when torquing the small bolt on the front of the head that mfs mentioned....it doesn't take much to strip the timing cover and not have the gasket seal and cause an oil leak.....the torque spec is only 9 ft-lb. so be careful...

Also check the timing cover on the driver's side of the engine......look down on the inside of the cover where the chain guide sits (it's probably broken off) and make sure that the chain hasn't worn into the cover.....on the other side of the cover is the water inlet to the water pump and if the cover is worn down enough it will cause coolant to dump down into the oil pan and contaminate your oil like a blown head gasket......

the cover can be welded and reused...no need to buy a new one for $300...any welding shop that can weld aluminum should be able to handle it....I've welded at least a dozen of them for customers and local shops....

[matt_helton]

replace the head bolts. its cheap insurance. besides, when i took my motor apart a few months back half the bolts were are eaten away from corrosion.

[Project1500]

I got the head off tonight and the front cylinder (opposite the firewall) was competely filled with coolant. The gasket looked fine so I'm not sure why coolant was able to get through, oh well.

Im thinking the engine has been torn apart and rebuilt once before. The top of the pistons were etched .50, like someones bored it out some and put in new pistons. Can anyone confirm this? The truck supposively has 180,000 miles on it according to the odometer but if the bottom end has been rebuilt I won't bother rebuilding it. I think I will just get the head shaved flat, do a valve job and put it back together. Also one of the intake valves was white and the rest are a brownish color, why is this?

That timing chain cover bolt below the cam pulley is easy to miss like you guys said. Its not visible because its in an oil puddle but I found it.

There are so many vacumm lines, wires and sensors for these little motors its crazy. I think Im going to need someones truck to compare when I put this thing back together haha.

[5racer]

I got the head off tonight and the front cylinder (opposite the firewall) was competely filled with coolant. The gasket looked fine so I'm not sure why coolant was able to get through, oh well.

Im thinking the engine has been torn apart and rebuilt once before. The top of the pistons were etched .50, like someones bored it out some and put in new pistons. Can anyone confirm this? The truck supposively has 180,000 miles on it according to the odometer but if the bottom end has been rebuilt I won't bother rebuilding it. I think I will just get the head shaved flat, do a valve job and put it back together. Also one of the intake valves was white and the rest are a brownish color, why is this?

That timing chain cover bolt below the cam pulley is easy to miss like you guys said. Its not visible because its in an oil puddle but I found it.

There are so many vacumm lines, wires and sensors for these little motors its crazy. I think Im going to need someones truck to compare when I put this thing back together haha.







buy a junk yard motor you will be money ahead with less head achs inless you know what the hell your doing you make shoot your self down the road .i weld these heads every week more than likely you have a bad water jacket from corosion

[ChuckH]

Yep that was my 1st thought, buy a junk yard motor, you don't know what kind of rebuild it got ( if it did, the etching or grooves on the tops of the piston could be normal) and i wouldn't trust it if you fixed it, no telling what else could be wrong with it at this point.

digital cameras are good for things like this, take pics of a engine at the junk yard to help you with all the lines, next time do it before you pull things apart unless your sure you can remember where things go back on.

[ZTFab]

If the pistons have .50 stamped on top....then the motor has been rebuilt. .050 is the first overbore size for Toyota, 1.00 would be the next. You can rebuild that engine if the cylinders are still concentric and there aren't any large gouges in the walls. You could probably get away with a hone job and rings and bearings.....

Not to be indifferent, but you don't know the history of a junk yard motor and the time you take to get a used engine, determine whether or not it's usable, rebuildable, or just a paper weight might not be worth the time. I'd check the classifieds on RDC...I've seen a coup[le of 22RE's on there in the last month or so...might be a better way to go.

was the intake valve that was white on the #1 cylinder?

[ChuckH]

Most junkyard parts are good, some junk yards will even give a garantee incase it blows up right away, somethings like auto transmissions the junk yard is the only way to go compaired to places like amco trans repair.

At least you know it was running when it crashed, and it probley had a smog check so things cant be too bad.

I have never bought or seen anyone get a bad part ( inculding motors and transmissions) fron a junkyard

[Dave_G]

First off, before performing ANY work on the head, get it pressure tested. If it fails a pressure test more than likely that's your problem and just get another head. If the gasket looks fine and the head pressure checks ok I'd suspect a cracked or corroded block and then it's time for a new motor. Do you have any experience looking at head gaskets to see if they are leaking? Most people don't. Most leaks are not that obvious to the untrained eye.

[5racer]

First off, before performing ANY work on the head, get it pressure tested. If it fails a pressure test more than likely that's your problem and just get another head. If the gasket looks fine and the head pressure checks ok I'd suspect a cracked or corroded block and then it's time for a new motor. Do you have any experience looking at head gaskets to see if they are leaking? Most people don't. Most leaks are not that obvious to the untrained eye.


so true i learned the hard way about 5 years ago 3 head gaskets latter and still water in pistons tried everything from shorter bolts to head spacers .head checked ok on presure check i rewelded all water jackets and resurfaced them .and the only thing i didint check was block surface i have never heard of a block warping but bingo that was it and it still sets in drive way lol.looking for cheap motor .

[partybarge_pilot]

If your head is very warped, through it away. The cam bearing journals will never line back up and it will give you problems down the road.

[Project1500]

Ok heres the deal, I am getting the head pressure checked, hot tanked, valve job, new cam old was worn (mild crane cam), port and polish, and replacing any valves that need replacing. Im still undecided on if I should change the head bolts. They look to be in really good shape and every shop I have talked to said reuse the stockers, we'll see.

Im not going to get a junkyard block since mine actually seems in good shape and their is no ridge in the cylinders.

Im going to replace the timing chain, sprocket, tensioner, guides and water pump while I am at it. Im surprised no one mentioned putting something down to hold the timing chain tensioner in since I've been told numerous times that it will pop out if I don't. Anyone ever run into this problem?

I've read somewhere that I can use a stock radiator from a bigger size Toyota motor to replace my small 1/2 quart stock one. Is this true??? I was going to get mine checked out and flushed out but won't to bother if I can get a bigger stock radiator. Mounting won't be an isse since I can fabricate some type of mounting system. Let me know whats involved if this is possible.

[partybarge_pilot]

You can use a V6 radiator. They bolt in. Cam chain tensoiner should not pop out, it runs off oil pressure. If your motor is not running, no pressure. Well, just a little, there is a small spring in there.

[Project1500]

What make and model do I get this radiator out of? Do I use the fan I have now or should I get the fan off the V6? What about radiator hoses?

[gary]

i just put the bigger radiator in mine (22R). it bolted right in, no issues. i went to http://radiator.com/ and ordered it. ask for the heavy duty upgrade. it's 3 row, warrantied, delivered in 4 hours to my doorstep, free shipping, all for only $119+tax. you can also look for a radiator from an 88 v6 auto 4runner, according to a toyota engine site (doaracing engines). i couldn't find that in stock at any of the local autozone/pep boys/etc stores, plus they listed it online for at least $50 more, so i went with the website one. i didn't try junkyard hunting. it does have a return line you have to plug, i guess for the auto trans? no biggie though. engine's running like 20 degrees cooler now, which i guess is attributed to the extra fluid circulating through it? since i happen to have the invoice right here, you want part # 1935CS, if you go through the website....

good luck!

[ChuckH]

. Im still undecided on if I should change the head bolts. They look to be in really good shape and every shop I have talked to said reuse the stockers, we'll see.

Now isnt that funny, all the pro's said the same thing i did ;) :D

no way would i waste 100+$ on a few bolts, now if you where racing the indy500 and had a few mil to blow sure thing :)

One word, Dampening ;) :p hahaha

[ZTFab]

One word, Dampening ;) :p hahaha

hahaha.....I thought we decided on damperening.... :D

I wouldn't replace the bolts unless they show signs of corrosion like Helton said...

[Project1500]

I got the head shaved and now I think I should shim it to get back what I lost from decking it. The head is approx* 3.7510 and is supposed to be around 3.7850. Do I need to shim the head with it only being that much under the recommended measurement? Where can I get the shims and what sizes do they come in?

Thanks Gary and partybarge on the advice about the radiator. I talked to a bunch of people about what I should do. I was told my options were picking up a stock one from another toyota w/ 3 core, buy a new one w/ 3 core, or I could cut mine apart and add a core to make it a 3 core. The prices ranged from $100-$200 with these options for the 3 core. I think I'm going to wait and see how the temp holds after I finish putting this engine back together since its my DD and don't want to spend the $$ if I dont have to.

[Project1500]

As far as getting the head back to where it was stock, should I use a shim (.020) or a thicker head gasket instead? Pro's/Con's of either?

I allready got the answer for my previous question too.