Forrun4fun

After discovering that my timing guide was broken again, and struggling with a pesky head gasket oil leak, I knew it was time to take action. Calling multiple local shops and hearing they wanted in excess of $1400 for a head gasket and timing chain job, I decided to put my skills to the test and try this repair myself. I have never attempted this particular task before, but if the toothless guy at the shop can do it, I feel confident I can as well.

It is my understanding that the Toyota factory procedure for replacing the timing chain requires pulling the head anyway, but most repair shops sidestep this and pull the oil pan instead. Since my truck is 4WD, I thought it easier to follow the factory procedure instead of dropping the front diff to get to the oil pan. Plus, after 25 years, and a pesky oil leak, the head had to come off anyway for a new gasket.

My query to anyone who has tried this is for any tips or shortcuts. I plan to have the head out by tomorrow and to a machine shop to check, clean, and refurb.

After about 3 hours last night, I am into it pretty deep. I am to the point where I am ready to remove the intake. I was hoping to remove the plenum and mainfold as one piece, but as far as I can tell, that pesky allen bolt will require me to split the two before I can access it. Has anyone successfully pulled the two without un-mating them? If so, how?

Also, I read a lot about everyone having an issue with the wiring harness, as it relates to the intake mainfold, but I have not yet encountered any problem, as I am unplugging as little as possible. Do I have a nasty surprise waiting?

Again, any tips from anyone who has tackled this in the past would be great. And wish me luck! (no seized parts).

Thanks,

Rowdydudeman

I've never done it on such a new yota, but when I put new bearings in my '82 I didn't need to remove the diff to get the oil pan off. There was a fair amount of wiggle room.

wait a tick... your's has the IFS... disregard. lol
As for the wiring, just mark the connections and clean them before you put everything back together. Silicone paste is your friend.

Ty

I just finished replacing my head gasket on my 22RE about a month ago. I found it easier to split the intake manifold. It is a pain in the ass to keep it in one piece because of the wire harness that needs to thread through it, and everything else that needs to be disconnected in that area. You should get a new gasket in your kit so might as well replace it while you have your truck taken apart. I disconnected the wire harness all the way to the differential and zip tied it out of the way. When taking apart the exhaust manifold, spray the bolts/nuts a lot with PB blaster and take your time with those. Having a snapped or stripped stud really blows. When i had my head looked at by a local machine shop, it was warped and had to be replaced. They installed new valve seals in the new head for me(they came in the gasket kit). I have taken my motor apart at least three or four times and it is easy as long as you take your time and have a good manual.

Forrun4fun

I actually had already installed a NWOR exhaust header about 10 years ago, so that side came off no problem. The intake side is what scares me. I'd like to just unbolt it and move it to the side to get the head off, but I see absolutely no possible way of removing the whole thing without splitting the two halves. There is simply no access to the 6mm allen bolt unless you split the intake. I still am at a loss about the wiring harness. Are you guys saying that there is so little play in the harness that I cannot move the intake without disconnecting the harness? I'd like to leave everything connected and just slide it sideways about an inch to pull the head, but everyone seems adamant that the harness must be unplugged.

dark_fairytales

I have taken the head and manifold off at as a unit. Doing so helped me get better access to the nuts and bolts that hold the manifold to the head.

My tip is to torque the head bolts down at 5lb at a time. Doing so helps with getting a proper finished torque value, and good insurance from future blown head gaskets.

Be sure to replace the injector O-rings, and remember to grease the the O-rings before installing the fuel rail. If you do not replace the O-rings, I can guarantee you will get fuel leaks. I leaned the hard way, and so have many others.

Do not forget too take lots of pictures or video, so you can get everything back together correctly.

Forrun4fun

Again, I may be a little naive, but I was hoping to separate the intake then take the lower half off without removing the fuel rail or injectors, just set it aside as an assembly. If this is not possible, please let me know.

dark_fairytales

I do not think it is truly feasible, as doing it that way leaves you with nearly no room to remove the nuts and bolt. I would imagine that trying to put the manifold back on would be a headache, due to the limited space to get a proper torque to the same nuts and bolts.

I could also suggest changing out the allen-head bolt with a hex for future ease of removal.

Forrun4fun

Just successfully removed the head. Toyota engineers got the last laugh, as the allen bolt STRIPPED, like I knew it would. Had to drill a cross-section hole in the head of it and insert a super tough center-punch sideways to get it to turn, but I got it. The two heat pipe bolts on the EGR plate on the back of the head were also a nasty surprise. I may conveniently 'neglect' to put those back...LOL.


Now that I have the head removed, I am slightly concerned with the condition of the pistons tops. The cylinder walls look like they were honed yesterday with a beautiful crisscross pattern, but the piston tops have a frightening grey-brown rough texture, almost like rust, but not. The top 1/8" of the cylinder walls are the same way, but more black than grey-brown. What should I do (if anything) to try to clean them up?


Is this a sign I should send the whole truck out on a roll-back for a rebuild? Before you answer, remember I took this on myself to avoid $1400 in repair cost for a head gasket/timing chain job.


What do you guys use to remove the mess from the deck and intake manifold surfaces (like old gasket parts, etc)? Wire brush on a drill? Dremel? Nuclear acid...LOL? Those things are ugly, they look like a days work to get them ready to accept new gaskets. The head shop is supposed to prepare all the head surfaces, so I am not worrying about those myself.


Thanks for all the help and advice...

Terrys87

iTrader: (1)

I was going thru your post and was going to warn you about the Allen Bolt. It will strip but to late for you. I always use a pair of vise grips to get it out. You have to clamp it with enough force to turn it but not so hard to distort it. Once it is broke free, then you can use an allen wrench to get it out.

I use a scraper and a wire brush on a drill for cleaning surfaces.

Post some pictures of you cylinders. If this motor has been run for a while, the criss cross pattern should be gone.

Grego92

iTrader: (4)

One tip I have for you is to think how many miles your clutch has on it. Since the head is removed it is that much easier to get to the transmission bolts. And if you rather lift the engine up than move the transmission then you're more than half way there already.

Forrun4fun

Did not think to photograph the cylinder walls, but it did take this low quality phone pic of the cylinder top. Is this normal?

dark_fairytales

your pistons look normal. What you see is carbon build up. Lots of acetone is your friend.

Forrun4fun

Acetone? you mean like nail polish remover?

Also, this is kind of a theory question, but if I rotate the engine to get cylinders 2 and three to the top so I can clean them, and then again to move 1 and 4 back to the top, do I need to do that again to account for ignition and exhaust stroke? It would seem to me that the motor's bottom end does not distinguish between the two strokes, and that it makes the same motion regardless of stroke, so with the head an timing chain gone, there really is no difference between the two (intake vs exhaust) strokes. Correct?

dark_fairytales

Yes, Acetone, its a very hot solvent.


Yes, your theory is correct, you can rotate the engine with no issues.

Terrys87

iTrader: (1)

Your pistons look normal to me, blackness is from combustion. When you go to reassemble the motor, you will set the crankshaft to the 12 oclock position and the camshaft sprocket will have a dot that you will set to the 12 oclock position and will get everything back in time to the way it should be.

Forrun4fun

Ok cool, thats what I thought, I just wanted to be sure that rotating the crank while disassembled would not screw anything up.

Now that I am almost ready to reassemble everything (the head will be back from the machine shop in a say or two), I noticed that the factory head gasket was coated (at least on the block side) with something that seems almost like a metallic paste. This has all now been removed, but should I apply something to the block before replacing the gasket? Everything I read says no, but I can't afford to skip an important step like that if its needed. I know that RTV has to be applied to the top of the timing cover where the gasket sits on top of it, but is there anything that goes on the actual engine block, under the new head gasket?

Ty

Do not put any sealant or RTV on the head or block, except for where the timing cover meets the block. All you need is a small dab on each side. The metallic sealant type substance that you scraped off is actually the head gasket material.

dark_fairytales

times 2.

Forrun4fun

Head is back from the machine shop, and I am beginning the re-assembly tonight.

I noticed that when removing the head bolts during dis-assembly, about half of them came out completely coated with oil. Is this normal, or does it indicate a problem?

Naturally, I will be going back with brand new head bolts.

boxer.fan

Subscribing as I am in the same boat.
So were you able to get away with removing the intake as a whole or did you have to separate the upper and the lower?