VermGho5t

Hello, this is only my second post but I've been on reading a lot since my last one.

I had a new head installed on my '89 4Runner EFI back in February? since then I've put a little over 3,000 miles on it, as it's my DD. Well on Sunday I let my sister borrow it to take to Clam Beach. She drove through a water hazard, but found it was deeper than she thought and it ended up stalling out. I got the call and half hour later I was there with the winch vehicle to winch it out.

From what she told me, the water was about 1-2 inches above the front floorboards. Also she tried to start it again while in the water and it didn't turn over. We tried to pull start it with the winch and pull vehicle in reverse, and then push start it with the push bumper on the winch rig, but it wouldn't even turn over, so we towed it back to the house.

I pull the plugs, turn it over to clear the cylinder heads. by then it's getting gas in the heads so we put the plugs in and fire her up and she runs a bit ragged with large amounts of water spilling out of the muffler (its full of holes) and a large amount of steam from the tailpipe, but no worse for wear.

I check the oil and it's about the color of chocolate milk, so we drain it, new oil filter, 4.5 quarts of oil in and start it up and it runs a little rough but not bad. I charge the AC Compressor with an R-12 kit I purchased a while ago before I take it out on the highway to test the oil change and the new AC. It runs fine until I get to my turn around of about 7 miles, as I pull up to a stop to get back on the highway, I put the clutch in and the engine dies. I start it up about 3 times giving it the usual rpm for a start from 1st and it dies. I up the rpm on the 4th time and then when accelerating through 2-4th I get a stuttering from the engine. This only stops when I give it higher rpms, but whenever I put the clutch in and its slowing down for a stop or sharper turn it will stall out.

I've checked the oil and it's clear but it looks a bit black/sooty. Also after the incident at the highway turn-around it has had a very rough idle, and will almost die after high revs. It smells a little rich, as I can also see there is a bit of a black tint to the exhaust, and I assume also in the discoloration of the oil.

Today I put in a water absorber liquid for the fuel, an injector cleaner, let it idle roughly for about a half hour hoping that might clear it up, but it didn't. I drained the gas tank in case there was water in there, but I don't believe there was any.

Also, my air filter was soaked, so I replaced that as well. I have also purchased some 75-90w gear oil to change the transmission oil since those parts were submerged for at least 30 minutes on that sunday.

I'm not sure what to do now, I would just like to get it running the way it used to. I'm beginning to think maybe I messed some of the vaccuum hoses up when I installed the R-12 refrigerant as I put the hose from the can to the compressor low pressure valve between the Intake manifold (I guess) and the right side of the cylinder head.

I'm about to take it to my mechanic who did the cylinder head when the HG was blown back in Feb.

any ideas?

ozziesironmanoffroad

maybe check the ecu... maybe it got splashed and its sending out incorrect info?

CyMoN

you never crank over a motor that has stalled out in water until you have pulled the plugs and made sure theres no water in the cylinders and if you loan a truck out make sure to tell who ever borrowed it the same.

lets hope it did not get damaged from hydro locking.

how far was the front of the truck under water?

also check your Intake hose in between the TB and AFM it you have a leak in between those it can confuse the ECU is you check engine light on?

VermGho5t

thank you for the help, did a little more today with no luck.

@ozzie, where is the ecu and how do I check it? with the paper clip trick in the diagnosis port?

@cymon, I asked her if she did try to turn it over in the water and she said yes, immediately after it died, but that was it, until we tried to pull/push start it. I didn't see in the hood as I was driving the winch rig, but there is sand on the top of the shock tower bracket thing or bottom of the wheel well, so I think it maybe went about halfway up the block. When they initially went in, I'm sure there was water at least up to the headlights because my air filter(standard not a K&N) was completely soaked. TB is Throttle Body? I'm not sure what AFM is, air flow meter? I can't find my Haynes manual, darn thing disappeared.

I did find the middle 2 spark plug wires were not seated on the plugs all of the way. and connected those hoping that might of been the problem. yesterday evening I removed the tank skid plate and drained the tank, and then put about half a gallon in today and tried it after checking those plug wires. Also before I drained the gas my fuel pump would make a very audible sound, like that from a 90's ford. When I tried to start it today it didn't make that sound at all, so I'm wondering if that might be another part of my problem. It turned over but it didn't start at all. So I pulled the #4 spark plug and this is what it looked like -

CyMoN

yes air flow meter is correct it is on the air filter box if you have a leak in between that and the TB it will make the truck run funny.

VermGho5t

thanks cymon, I tried some more stuff today also.

I took apart the large air connector that goes from the AFM to the TB, broke the smaller plastic tube on the inside.

this is what I found in the larger tube-




interior of the AFM-


I also took off the distributor cap to see if there was any water in there, but it was pretty clean-

I am not sure about the gap on the upper right hand corner of the black rubber seal though.



I also took the boot off of the throttle body- but it looked pretty clean




I am beginning to think that the reason why it wouldn't fire today was that after the whole fiasco with the water hazard, somehow it did something to the fuel pump, hence the whining sound I heard yesterday while the ignition was on but the engine was off. Like I said in my earlier post I drained the tank, but I remember that I turned the power on for about 10-20 seconds to see if the pump would make the noise - it did. I turned it off, and then today filled it and tried to start, but I am assuming that I got air into the line from the tank/pump up to the filter.

In the motor well on the passenger side there is a black canister with what looks like fuel lines leading to it, and on the top it says "To Tank" and "Purge". I removed the "To Tank" line where it goes into the canister and smelled fuel and also heard a gurgling sound like liquid was moving in it. *after looking at my manual it looks like this is part of the emissions system, as they call it a charcoal canister*

Also, I checked the ecu on the passenger side behind the kick panel and it was above the water level in the cab, but a relay that went along the floor to the back of the truck between the seat and door was under water.

I called the shop who replaced the head a couple months ago and told them the whole deal and he said, I could have bent a valve from the hydro shock, remove the plugs and turn it over (I did and no fuel or water came out at all), to check the sensor on the TB and AFM, but I'm not sure what I am looking for on either.

I about to call it quits and just tow it to the shop on Monday as it's pretty frustrating.