hoobie

I bought a super nice 1987 Toyota 4Runner a few months ago for a good
price. It hasn't had any probs until I blew a head gasket.

The guy I bought it from replaced the 22RE with a 20R + carb. Now that
I've blown the head gasket, I can't find the right one to use to put it back
together.

I bought a HG for a 1979 Toyota pickup that I thought would match up, but
it didn't. Some of the holes were covered.

I went ahead and installed it and it didn't work. It kept overheating (duh).

Here's a pic of my head gasket after I uninstalled it. You can see where the
ports are on my head and block, but they are different shapes, or they
don't exist on my gasket. Yeah, I gotta flush the rust out.

Click the image for a full screen image.


Here's my questions...

I've searched through Autozone's image database for different years and
models and couldn't find a match. Any idea how to find out which HG I
need? I even tried the Toyota dealership and they couln't (or wouldn't) help
me.

The HG and the Head almost match. Can I just drill the holes I need? How
exact do the holes need to match?

Thanks for the help. I love the truck, but this has been a headache.

Gaston

DeathCougar

iTrader: (23)

Are you sure he used a 20R engine? If you are 100% sure, they could have used a pre-79 head. 78 perhaps? That interchange is 78-79.

Its about the silliest thing I have ever heard though, dropping a 20R from a 78 into an 87 just to save some coin. I know you didn't do it, but the guy before you sounds like a real winner.

Btw, do not just "drill out the holes you need" that would be bad, M'Kay?

a4runnerfreak

Wow. Thats a swap! I wonder what the po was thinking?!!? Could've had dropped in a 22r...but take 'Cougs advise, don't drill to make it work.....

raydouble

Toyota head and block identification

abecedarian

I can't see swapping a 20r in place of a 22re as saving any coin.

There shouldn't be any difference between the head gaskets (that I know of) other than the difference between the cylinder bore diameters between compatible 20r heads and 22r(e) blocks. That's not to say there isn't a difference, but since 20r heads on early 22r(and re) blocks was a common practice among those in the know, I would think that there'd be little difference between the gaskets... but I do see an issue where there are no coolant passages on the intake side of the block into the head which would lead to overheating. So maybe there's more going on than you know?

Were it me, I'd get the correct block into the truck and go from there.

hoobie

Not sure, but I've tried nearly every car and truck between 75 and 80 in
autozone's database and none of the images match.

Yeah, no kidding.

M'kay, I see now that there's a difference in the 2 gaskets.

The only real difference that I can see is the elongated holes on the 22r
compared to the round holes in the 20r. Also their are 4 pinholes in the 22r
(1 at the bottom of each cylinder hole) on the 22r compared to just 2 (1
between the 1st and 2nd cyl, and 1 between the 3rd and 4th cyl hole) on
the 20r.

Here's a pic of the 22r head gasket.


I'd like to put it all back original with the 22r efi, but I don't know what it'd
take to make sure everyting else works or the reason this guy swapped the
22re to a 20r. Ya know?

Also, I didn't mention this above, but when I installed this head gasket, I could
squeese the upper radiator hose (without starting the engine) and it leaked
between the head and the block - looks like between the block and the head
gasket.

The head had been resurfaced, both surfaces were scraped clean, and the
gasket was seated properly - so why would it leak? So I thought that it had
to be the wrong head gasket causing it to run hot and also leak.

Any other suggestions? In the mean-time I guess I'll call fel-pro and see if they
can offer any advice on their gaskets.

stepside trd

Let me just throw in my 2 cents here and you can take it with a grain of salt or not. 1.) Swapping out a 22re head for a 20r was done back in the day to achieve better/higher compression, getting more top end power.(most 2 wheel drive truck owners did that for drag racing. It did nothing for four wheelers, 'cause we like torque, not top end). Most common swaps came from celicas, supras, and corolla's. (those were the sports cars of the day). 2.) If you plan on swapping back to a 22re, you will need the head, intake, possibly the exhaust mani., and of course the electronics involved to run the efi. If you don't have those things, it would probably be easier for you to swap back to a carbed 22r.