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Yeah, it'll be nice to have a clean engine, along with a rebuilt one!

Well, I went to the machine shop the Toyota dealership uses. They told me a few things..........first off they insisted that I want to bore the cylinders, not just hone them. Really? Without even looking first? They figured around $200 for the boring, checking the head & block for flatness, something about intake & exhause guides. Just curious if this is the shop for me.

If I can get everything figured out, I may rent an engine hoist this weekend. Oh yeah, is the block iron? Just the head's aluminum?

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Oh, and once I've got it up in the hoist....well how heavy is it? Will I be able to flip it over to get everything removed from it? Is it a two person job once it's up out of the engine bay, or is it pretty heavy even for that many people?

I want to get it to the machine shop this week, and I'd like to only rent the hoist for one day, so I'd like an idea of what I'm up against. Thanks.

Sked

I pulled my engine by myslef in like 20 mins when everything was already unbolted and unhooked. Pulling it isnt the hard part, its putting it back in and lining up the tranny. Make sure you take the rad and fan off.

__________________
81 shortbed 4-5" Lift, 4.37 welded front/rear, custom flatbed on 35x14 mudders

20r bored .060 w/ wiseco 9.9:1 forged pistons, Weber 38 outlaw
260 Comp Cam .440lift ,Crane Springs, 22r Valves, Pacesetter Header with a Flowmaster 40

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Well, there's nothing in my engine compartment but the exhaust and alternator right now, so that's not a problem. So it's only heavy enough that you need a hoist to get it out of the engine compartment, then I can move it myself? The head is also off of it.

The tranny is being replaced next anyway...easier to put the engine back in with the tranny out? Or is it better have it in so I have something to tell me when the engine is in right? Thanks a lot.

Red_Chili

The motor mounts should line it up pretty well without the tranny.

Lifting the empty block (pistons, crank removed) is on the heavy side of doable. Lifting a loaded shortblock, not so much. Two people can lift a shortblock.

You need an engine stand to keep your sanity. The final disassembly/ initial reassembly can be done on a bench but after that, it is much nicer to have the stand.

__________________
-Bill
Red Chili II: 1987 SASed 5VZ-FE 4Runner with more stuff than I can afford. Not that that makes me unique 'round here.
Shadowfax: 1993 minitruck. Getting the Engnbldr full meal deal. Hunting truck and DD!
Bio Page

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Ok. Maybe once I see what the engine looks like out of the truck I'll be able to figure out a cheap engine stand with some 2x4's.

Does somewhere around $200 sound reasonable for boring, skimming head & block, maybe crank and intake & exhaust somethings....man I can't remember all the things they mentioned now. Guess I should have written it down. I guess I'll get it to them and see what they say it needs. I just hate doing that when I don't know yet if I can trust them.

Thanks for all the help. Once I get the rebuild kit and start putting it back together I hope I don't have a rediculous amount of questions...and hopefully I won't make any stupid beginner mistakes.

I actually just got another quote for $450ish, worst case. Pricey...that'd be cleaning, boring, crank head and block resurfacing. I think it didn't include if parts needed to be replaced....yikes! Hopefully I won't need all that work.

Red_Chili

eek. Harbor Freight or Checkers/Schucks/Kragen sell some inexpensive ones. MUCH better than 2x4s.
I got my shortblock done, along with the new timing cover milled to match the block decking (this is important - and often missed - because the timing cover can actually keep the head from seating fully if the block is decked), with new pistons/rings/wristpins/all motor bearings/crank polish for around $430. Don't know how it broke down really, so I am not a good reference.
You will. It's how we all get smart.

What a stupid system.

That should include parts (at least for the short block). If not, it is too high unless they are really doing a full head overhaul, valve grind/new seats maybe, new guides & seals, maybe new springs... ???

__________________
-Bill
Red Chili II: 1987 SASed 5VZ-FE 4Runner with more stuff than I can afford. Not that that makes me unique 'round here.
Shadowfax: 1993 minitruck. Getting the Engnbldr full meal deal. Hunting truck and DD!
Bio Page

83

You don't like my ghetto engine stand idea? Ok.

I think the $450 may have been worst case. I like them (as far as the conversation I had) better than the first shop I was talking to so...

That's interesting about the timing cover....wasn't planning on having it until after the machining, since I was going to order everything at once and need to see what they do before I'll know what to order from engnbldr....wonder how I can work that one out. Thanks for that bit of knowledge, I'll bring it up with them. Depending on how much debt I want, I may have them put the lower part of the engine back together, then do the timiming stuff & head gasket myself. Depends on what it all costs. Only one way to get those stupid beginner mistakes out of the way, but....I don't know how many times I really plan on doing this. We shall see.

Thanks! If everything goes well (right) the engine will come out tonight.

Red_Chili

The lower part of the engine assembly (short block) is easy to do yourself - especially if the shop assembles the rods to the pistons in order to verify the wrist pin clearances etc.

The only tricky part is making sure your ring compressor is on all the way and fully tightened down before you tap the piston down the hole. Don't ask me how I learned that one... You'll break a ring if you don't. Then if your Maker smiles upon you, you will find a friend who did likewise and therefore has extra rings laying around.

The FSM also rightly mentions putting some tubing on the rod studs so you don't mar your branny new shiney crank surfaces.

Other than that, there is really no trick to it. Follow the FSM and you will be a happy boy.

Use 30W oil as an assembly lube, partially pack the oil pump - not too much - with something like white lithium grease (others use Vaseline, or so I hear) and plan on cranking the engine (coil disconnected) until your oil pressure comes up. Good idea to put moly grease on the cam surfaces. You have probably read the drill on clearing the head bolt threads, and making SURE there is no coolant nor oil in them, or you will hydrolock them when you torque things down, and your head won't be sealed to the HG and block.

BTW I looked up the invoice for my machine work. I paid $320 labor for block cleaning, bore, hone, deck, crank polish (my crank was, fortunately, good), fitment of wrist pin/piston/rod assemblies, and sizing all the bearings (stock in my case).

New head, so I didn't need any head work. Engnbldr performance head, oversize SS valves, RV cam. My rockers were pristine. I think the PO probably did something very bad and got new top end parts, they looked that new.

__________________
-Bill
Red Chili II: 1987 SASed 5VZ-FE 4Runner with more stuff than I can afford. Not that that makes me unique 'round here.
Shadowfax: 1993 minitruck. Getting the Engnbldr full meal deal. Hunting truck and DD!
Bio Page

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Great, thanks. If the block and head are going in to be machined, though, do I still need to worry about coolant in the threads?
That looks like a pretty similar price to what I'm hearing, so that's good. Alright, I'll see what it needs and what it costs and go from there. Thanks!

Red_Chili

Yeah, always. Make sure the threads are clean and the holes clear. Make no assumptions.

__________________
-Bill
Red Chili II: 1987 SASed 5VZ-FE 4Runner with more stuff than I can afford. Not that that makes me unique 'round here.
Shadowfax: 1993 minitruck. Getting the Engnbldr full meal deal. Hunting truck and DD!
Bio Page

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Engine came out pretty easy last night. Haven't had any luck getting the flywheel off yet, though..

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Ok, how do I get the rods & pistons out? I got everything else, crank and all that, but the rods don't look like they will come out still..
Everything else is starting to come together. The engine came out pretty nicely and I've got a good shop lined up.

Red_Chili

???
You have the rods disconnected from the crank, right?
Remove the crank, and push the pistons out the top.

__________________
-Bill
Red Chili II: 1987 SASed 5VZ-FE 4Runner with more stuff than I can afford. Not that that makes me unique 'round here.
Shadowfax: 1993 minitruck. Getting the Engnbldr full meal deal. Hunting truck and DD!
Bio Page

83

HA! Of course. Push em out the top. That should have made sense when then wouldn't pull out the bottom. You know I had someone helping me for the first time on this when I pulled the engine, and it's amazing the problem solving power of two people over one. Any of these little things I'd get hung up on, someone else has the answer for right away. Yup, everthing else is out.

That sure sounds simple but darned if I could have thought of it last night. Thanks! Off to the machine shop it goes this afternoon.

Does the block heater come out? I took the bolt in the middle out, which was apparantly a bad idea because it won't go back in and didn't help get the heater out. I notice that that bolt goes right into the engine, too, since coolant came out the hole when we flipped the engine over. Is it pressed in? Anyway, thanks a lot. I'm clearly a bit slow sometimes.

Red_Chili

Yep, BTDT.
Block heater... hmmm... ???
You have a block heater in one of your freeze plug holes, perhaps? I know not what means this thing, "block heater"...



If it is an aftermarket block heater installed in a freeze plug hole, yeah, a good idea to remove it. Most likely it is sealed with rubber in the hole and that will not do well when they dip the block.

__________________
-Bill
Red Chili II: 1987 SASed 5VZ-FE 4Runner with more stuff than I can afford. Not that that makes me unique 'round here.
Shadowfax: 1993 minitruck. Getting the Engnbldr full meal deal. Hunting truck and DD!
Bio Page

83

Yes, that must be what it is. They've got it now, they'll be able to get it out and that's fine with me.

Now...freeze plug? Heard of them, know where they are on the engine...what's the point? Exactly what mine's being used for, or are there other uses?

Red_Chili

You know those funny round depressions in the side of the block? Those are freeze plugs. The block has holes, and the freeze plugs, which look like bottle caps only with smooth edges, are pressed into the holes.

The theory is, if the block partially freezes, the ice will push out through the freeze plug rather than cracking the block. The reality is, this sometimes works.

It is probably a good idea on an older truck to replace them. Most engine kits come with them. They can begin to leak a bit, which is only an annoyance, but if you lose coolant pressure the coolant can boil here and there in the head causing hot spots. That is a big deal over time.

__________________
-Bill
Red Chili II: 1987 SASed 5VZ-FE 4Runner with more stuff than I can afford. Not that that makes me unique 'round here.
Shadowfax: 1993 minitruck. Getting the Engnbldr full meal deal. Hunting truck and DD!
Bio Page

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Ah, I see. I thought they were just depressions built into the engine, but they're actually holes with plugs, eh? Interesting. I'll ask the shop if the kit they ordered comes with them. When I finally tried to order from engnbldr.com he didn't have a lot of what I wanted in stock, and this shop has assured me that they use only high quality parts, so like you I let them order the kit. I do remember someone mentioning I didn't have to go so far as to take them out for them to do their part of the work, but I didn't really know what he meant until now. I'll ask.

Well, a couple weeks at most on the engine, a month or so on the transmission...I may drive my truck before fall!!

Thanks for all your help so far.

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Got the engine back today! A clean engine is sooo nice. They gave me a shim for the head to go with the gasket. Does this metal shim go on the block side of the gasket, or the head side? Top or bottom, I guess? Now is when an engine stand would really come in handy...I guess I'll be on the lookout.