hale

Well I finally got to take the 4 over to a mechanics to get checked out and he's recommanding some work...but the desk guy wasn't there so I haven't got their prices for parts or labor yet...

both outer tierod ends (saw em on oreilly's website 15 each)
clutch soon (i still feel a grip but it does feel like its starting to get weak and will run it by a transmission shop tomorrow to get a 2nd opinion)
front pads are about 40% he said
motor vac (can anybody tell me what exactly this is and if its worth it?)
oil flush (what the hell is an oil flush and how is it different than an oil change or motor vac?)
and the headgasket has a leak on passenger side, previous owner said he changed it about 18 months ago, could he have not torqued it enough?

also he said it was running on stock plug wires, cap and rotor (165k miles baby!)...so he recommanded a full tuneup...what plug does toyota call for in 4runners? And just from looking in the engine bay, it looks like a lot of work, is that really the case or is it pretty easy?

what of this work is easily done so save myself some labor, and which should i let a mechanic do? my uncles a mechanic and could probably get him to do some of it really cheap or free...and my friend took 2 full years of mechanics at the votech and has been working on cars forever and has helped me out before...

until i see these prices not real sure if i think its a good deal on buying it anymore or not lol...at least the prices for everything seem cheaper than my old 87 supra was ($250 bucks for a tierod end installed, $125 for plugs and wires, $1500 for a clutch and hydraulic parts and thats when i decided to sell it because no clutch should cost as much as the car).

thanks guys

Flamedx4

All of it but the headgasket is easy, you can do it! You can buy a tie rod end puller at Harbor Freight for 6 bucks. Tie rod end $15. Brake pads have year on em yet, but when the time comes they're real easy. Plug wires, pull em off one at a time and plug em in. Invest in a plug wire puller (kind of like pliars,) it's worth it. Plugs are simple too, do em at the same time. Get a Clymer's manual for $12 and it'll take you through it. The head gasket is a pain to do at home, if you really aren't a good mechanic you'll want to have it done. (I'd pay to have it done - I've done a couple and I'd rather not do any more.) That's the expensive part too. Oil change is easy, never heard of a motor vac before.

hale

well he didn't say oil change (although it needs one) he said oil flush..i don't know if thats something else or he uses the term flush instead of change?
i think he said the motorvac and oil flush were good prevenitive maintanence so I guess when they call with the quotes I'll be sure to ask what they are and how exactly they help.

so if the headgasket didn't blow again (not losing coolent, no smoke, and no overheating, which are the signs for a BHG, right?) would retorquing the head bolts down to the correct spec be easy?

Flamedx4

Srure, that would be pretty easy. Back em all off and re-torque em properly. Ask them how they know the head gasket has a problem. (Be cool, ask how they can tell without any obvious signs) They probably saw something with a vacuum gauge and compression test that suggests the head gasket isn't up to snuff. Does your oil look good? Coolant look good too? No white smoke? Hmmm. I once blew a head gasket - oddest thing. For about 2 months my engine ran better than it ever had, and it had like 140k on it then. I started getting 23 -24 mpg when I had gotten 19-20 for years. It was great! Then it started to overheat occasionally, then I started seeing white smoke out the exhaust, then finally it went. From first notice to blown was about 2 months. Head gaskets can be funny that way.

hale

he said its just a minor oil leak, thats why he suggested trying to retorque it first. nothing major I guess, just mechanics always trying to fix every little detail to make a buck and get your car to not drip oil on the driveway :-D
oil looked good when I checked it, just not full, and I don't see smoke or smell smoke so I don't think its burning oil..and in the week I've had it nothing has dripped onto the driveway except water off the a/c compressor so if its a minor leak and its staying pretty much on the engine I guess it makes sense why the oil wasn't completely full. And the coolent looked good as well.

tomorrow i'll go outside in the sun and try to see where the oil leak is.

Maddog

Why not get you uncle to have a go at the head gasget,& while he,s doing that YOU could replace the plugs & stuff really easily,since he will probable take off a few things to get at the Head gasget anyway.That way you get to learn what your engine bay is about,as well as spending some good guy time with the uncle.

HondaTec521

A MotorVac connects to the fuel system to clean the Intake & injectors.
Engine flush(bilstien?) connects to the oil filter mount & oil drain and cleans the oil passages.
You don't "NEED" either.I would just fix the problems you know you have.

Flamedx4

A leaking head gasket doesn't usually mean an oil leak. It usually means poor compression on one or more cylinders, or a cylinder pressurizing the cooling system or crankcase or adjacent cylinder on each stroke, or maybe some oil getting in the antifreeze or antifreeze getting in the oil. That sort of thing. Not often it shows as an external leak unless it's just plain blown. The guy who did it before may not have checked to see if the block and head surfaces were flat.

hale

well he lives about 30-45 minutes away out in the middle of no where, and he works about 30 minutes away and I don't really like driving up to OKC or driving around the place (lots of ghetto areas that scare me lol ).

but thats what the mechanic said, oil leak on the passenger side from the headgasket.