PitbullRescuer

Hey guys, looking for your input.

I currently have 3 3rd Gen 4Runners. The newest One being acquired today as a project. It's a '97 SR5 5Speed, 221K 4x4.

Owner (younger guy) over heated it he thinks. Upper radiator hose blew off, engine bay and everything under it looks like someone poured a bucket of drywall dust allover it. He was selling it to me because he was quoted a real high number to drop an engine in it. He told me the mechanic told him it has a cracked head. Although he didn't pull the heads.

Dip stick is clean, oil looks great. Radiator and overflow bottle are scary looking. No smoking though out of the exhaust.

After we sealed the deal I went to load it on the trailer. Hit the key, fired right up. Smooth idle, no loss of power, quiet engine. Drove it onto the trailer.

Got home (5.5 hour drive) and started it up to unload it. Decided to let it idle for about 15 minutes to see what happened. Nothing, temp gauge went about halfway up, little sputter here and there.

So, I took it out for a drive. Ran great, plenty of power, revved right up, idled well. Ran like a typical 5VZ. It was smoking a bit from the hood/fender gaps but I think that was all the crud from the loose hose burning off.

I've driven cars with blown head gaskets before, they barely run. I assume a cracked head would have similar symptoms, if not worse.

Have anyone of you had a cracked head before? Any ideas, input, advice?

Thanks,
PBR

DRCOFFEE

You can buy some test strips to dip into the coolant to check for combustion gases. If the head is cracked that would show it.

Texas_Ace

That is a good test, a leakdown test is another one along with a pressure test on the cooling system. If it passes all of those and runs fine, I would drive it until it pops then worry about it. If the head is actually messed up then it is new motor time anyways so you have nothing to loose by driving it till this one pops.

DRCOFFEE

I was thinking of a pressure test but if it were that bad, there would be coolant in the exhaust and coolant pushing out the reserve tank. At this point it doesn't sound too bad if it was a cracked head. I'd probably use some heads from a boneyard pull and run it. If you wait too long, the short block might not survive.

PitbullRescuer

Thanks guys. I didn't realize there was something out there that I could dip in the coolant to test it. Anyone happen to have a link to it?

I was going to compression test and leak down test it this weekend too. (Busy as can be this week with work.) Assuming these both check out okay, I think I'm just going to flush the living hell out of the cooling system, doing a TB/WP and radiator and just drive it. It's rough cosmetically but if you guys have seen my rigs on T4R, I can bring them back to life pretty nicely I think.

Thanks again for the input guys, much appreciated.

PitbullRescuer

Little update. It was getting hot and overheating. So, I flushed the coolig system, changed the thermostat, hasn't gotten hot since. Been driving it for a month now ith no problems. I'd say I lucked out. Needs some other things here and there but all in all it's good.