qdude79

Ok, so this is the eleventybillionth time I've tried to get someone to take my 22RE project and it hasn't worked out! One guy's a former Toyota mechanic, but apparently his phone only receives calls, as he has yet to be able to call me back. Found a shop to do the work, their machine shop guy no longer deals with lower ends, heads only. POOPY PANTS!! Really wanted to have this thing under the knife by now...

Ok, back to the drawing board...

zlathim

What do you mean by "take my 22RE project"? Are you trying to sell a project motor/truck, or are you trying to find someone to perform the labor on your project?

Just curious, I know it's a rant and all, but I wanted to clarify what you were ranting about...

qdude79

Good point! I'm so frustrated I can't even type correctly! I'm "wanting" to have my motor/tranny rebuilt, and I want to use Engnbldr parts. Just need someone with experience to do the wrenching...

zlathim

Oh, that makes sense. I should have known by the "under the knife" comment, but I've been accused of being a bit slow at times. I hope you find someone to help you out.

Jay351

I hear you, its really hard to find a honest, trustworthy, good mechanic now. I shy away from shops and if I ever feel the need to use a mechanic, I use my local shady tree guy. He gives me great deals

anotherjeff

In times of frustration, like this, men are oft driven to desperate measures! Break out those tools! Hone those skills! Girth thou body with greasy coveralls! Print those FSM pdf's! Take some speed! Do it yourself!

As far as paid machine work; I avoid it! A good OEM head from a donor 22R/E does not need an expensive vacation at the machine shop! Clean it up and install it with a new gasket! I rather not have my head surfaced, thank you!

Pistonman

Due to the amount of work involved, and then a guarantee, it is not worth it to most shops. When I build one most of the labor is in the details, like cleaning parts, checking every clearance, etc. Add to that parts running, machine shop delivery and pickup ( the last one went back because they did not deck the block as required). I would have to charge $4000(including parts) to make it worth my while- most don't want to pay that, even if it lasts 300,000 miles.

just a 22re

i rebuilt my motor for less then 2 grand and its a heartless honda eatting chevy pulling dodge slapin beast!!!!!!!

take the time have fun and do it yourself


p.s. whats a plastic gauge?

toytech76

Where in central cal are you from? If you live close enough to sacramento, I do quite a bit of side work

qdude79

Some "life circumstances" have changed and I'm living in an apartment. Most of my tools are in storage, and I don't have some of the specialized tools or a cherry picker. Believe me, I've contemplated tackling it myself. The purpose of putting together this thing is to get myself and my two kids out to remote locations out in the desert or high in the mountains for some dirtbike riding and a break from "life circumstances." This thing has to be reliable. I can't guarantee that if I experiment on trying my hand at a rebuild. Glad to try it some day, but not on this one. As it is, I've done just about done everything else, including researching and replacing almost everything else. I just need the lower end taken care of and someone to stab the drivetrain when it gets back from the shop....

anotherjeff

Consider redefining the job. It may be easier to find someone to "swap engines", rather than "engine & drivetrain rebuild". btw: what's the deal with the drivetrain that makes it needing stabbed?

Lots of good looking 22R/RE's in my local Pick-n-Pull! In your case, I'd be looking for a good, unmolested, used engine. I believe P-n-P gets something like $200 for a complete engine, with a 30 day exchange (for credit) if it turns out bad. Do a timing chain kit and head gasket replacement, and it should be good for another 100k+ miles for less than $300 in parts, and perhaps $100 in labor.

just a 22re

ok i see where your coming from now man i see how it can be kinda hard to do this then

qdude79

Ok, I've done a TERRIBLE job of explaining my situation... my bad.

Here goes:

My setup's in my sig. It's currently running, but it's tired. It sat for four years prior to me picking it up for a grand. Lady said it wasn't running, my hammer on the starter said otherwise when I got it home.

Anyhow... it's been many years since I've been able to go to remote places like the desert or high elevations. I want to freshen this thing so I can take my kids and our dirtbikes without fear of breakdown. Being that everything's already there and in working order, minus the seals on a leaky tranny, I just want to pull the engine and tranny to have them restored properly. Understand that I've researched this quite a bit and have already bought many parts.

My plan:

Have engine yanked, get Engnbldr Street RV head with 268 stick (per discussion with Ted). Take original head and put it in the corner until I can Craigslist it. Have lower end assessed for honing or boring, and order Engnbldr kit for it as appropriate. Already have tranny shop lined up for rebuild, just need to get it there. That's really all I need help with! I don't have the tools or space to tackle it myself and want an experienced wrench overseeing the job to be sure I don't get stuck 100 miles from civilization someday (barring the unforeseen). Oh, forgot, I plan to have the intake cleaned and the injectors sent off for rebuilding and calibration (already lined up).

What I've already purchased/replaced/modified:

*New three row radiator
*New suction/discharge AC hoses with 134A convert, *new expansion valve
*New tranny cooler (gets over 110 deg here, plan on towing bike trailer)
*New exhaust from the stock manifold back, per Engnbldr recommendations, including brand *new cat, *new O2 sensor, *new Flowmaster, all 2" to 2 .25" piping (stock routing)
*New steering (ball joints, tie rods, idler arm- all Moog greasable) Toyota tie rod recall to be performed and aligned after I pick up (today) my new...
*Black steelies (4wheelparts.com) and BFG Long Trail 235/75/15's from Costco
*New shocks (air in back)
*Raised rear diff breather (small tires could submerge diff in small water crossing) new synthetic oil added
*1.5" rear coil spacers with 4crawler LSPV kit to make braking right
*New brakes/rotors, lines bled with synth

What I've modified:

*Ditched the running boards, front mud guards on their way
*Cut lower front bumpstops
*4crawler rear seat lift
*Gutted entire interior, cleaned EVERYTHING with Simple Green and Fabreeze, replaced any/all parts that were broken, from door handles all the way down to the light in the ashtray.
*Mechanical tranny temp gauge and vac pressure gauge ready to be installed

For good measure:
*400 watt power inverter
*Rear DC outlet hardwired into rear storage compartment
*New marine battery (group 27) installed
*(4) 5.75" speakers installed in factory locations, powered by Kenwood deck
*(4) 6x9" speakers mounted behind the rear seat in a custom box, rear facing, powered by a Kicker 200.2 amp

PS- Other than the 4crawler stuff (reasonably priced), I have yet to pay retail price for ONE ITEM!! My goal is to have this thing ready for under $4K (for bragging/cheap ass rights only). If I make it, great, but I don't want to cut corners to do it.

With any leftover moneys: cheapy Maaco-type paint job and tinted windows.

I'll edit as I remember things...

(hardback version available at Amazon.com, next to War and Peace)

anotherjeff

OK! I'm ALL for frugal, too! But somebody needs to ring the reality bell.

You have a beater '90 2WD 4Rnr with a tired engine and a leaky automatic trans seal; which you picked up cheap, and don't have a lot of anything into it...

And you want to WHAT?

I'm sorry, but imho, you should save your money.

Evil.Dingo

You ride trials ey? Nice, me to.

SEAIRESCUE

Are you serious? When I was on So Cal many moons ago nearly every other house had a engine lift at the end of the driveway.

What you want is for someone to pull the engine and take it to a auto machine shop where they can rebuild your long block and return it to you or your mechanic ready to install. Few surprises if you go this route. A 4 cyl is easy to pull and replace.

What concerns most shops is all the unknowns that occur when you do this kind of work. If you are willing to understand that and work with the shop, when unknowns arise, should entice someone to take on the work. I do not recommend buying a rebuilt long block of unknown source. I have seen too many problems going that route. Rebuilding yours is the best. And remember that every job has its unique issues. You will likely be required to replace the radiator and other external parts to make sure they are not weak and contribute to a possible overheating of the new engine. During breakin, the engine generates a substantial amount of heat due to a high amount of friction.

My $0.02

qdude79

"OK! I'm ALL for frugal, too! But somebody needs to ring the reality bell."

Find me a Toyota that'll be better for getting family/riders to and from remote trails MORE RELIABLY for under $10 grand, much less under $5 grand...

I understand that many on this board use theirs as "beaters" on the trail, that's their intention. I've been there, I've done that. Not what I'm building this for. I'm gonna beat the hell outta my bike (and myself) and know that I'll be getting home reliably and safely (and, I'll admit, I'd like to have one of the nicer older runners around). I've been around too long to head out into the desert alone with a half-assed "beater." That's my reality.

dirtoyboy

How is that working out for ya?

Flash319

[QUOTE=qdude79;50866198]"OK! I'm ALL for frugal, too! But somebody needs to ring the reality bell."

Find me a Toyota that'll be better for getting family/riders to and from remote trails MORE RELIABLY for under $10 grand, much less under $5 grand...

QUOTE]

Your missing the point of TOYOTA TRUCK. 10 grand is a lot of money. All my toyota's that I have owned had more then 400k km on them (4 trucks, 1 runner, all 22re's) and none of them had left me stranded and I never payed more then $1800 for them.

If you want a brand new truck then 10 grand will do it, but for 10 grand you can buy one done alwready. Go buy something else if you do not trust what you have.

qdude79

With all due respect, I think it's YOU that's missing the point. My point was that for under $5k I'm building a Runner that you would have to pay much more for. I understand that some would question my choice of model, etc., but that's in the eye of the beholder. Why spend ~$5k on a 2wd 22RE 'Runner? Cause it gets me and mine to remote locations along with bikes and all our gear RELIABLY for cheap. No car payments, I have extra cash to spend on actually getting out there with my family/friends. WILL GET ME TO THE SAME DESTINATION AS RELIABLY AND FUNCTIONALLY AS A VEHICLE THAT SOME WOULD SPEND TWICE AS MUCH TO HAVE! Same way some would ask why a person would spend two to three TIMES the amount of dollars on dual transfer cases, lockers, lifts and tires than what the actual rig could be sold for. IT'S ALL IN HOW YOU WANT TO USE IT!

Does this mean that I wouldn't spend the money on a trail ready rig? Heck no!! I'd LOVE to! That's not where I'm at in life right now.

What I can tell you: If I did spend money on lockers, lifts, tires, winches, etc., I wouldn't do it if I hadn't already spent on the running gear. Kinda like those that choose to put 400 hp motors in these old classic cars but are still running on all drum brakes. Cart before the horse, in my opinion.

Am I gonna spend thousands of dollars on bikes and gear to get half way to the trail and spend the day figuring out why my tow rig won't move? Defeats the purpose. On a lighter note, yes, I AM the kinda geek that takes pride and pleasure in building a rig that gets the job done EVERY TIME. You read the grocery list, know anybody else with a '90 'Runner that'll be more bullet-proof, or would you wanna ride with me (personality not withstanding)?

To sum up: know how you all get a kick outta pulling full-sizes and Jeeps out of stucks with your "lowly Toyota's?" Same idea here, just on pavement.

See ya ON THE WAY to the trail, if ya need a hand I'd be glad to help...