brunner628

So heres the deal. I replaced the heads on my 3vz. Before i did this i had a slight knock, thought it was a lifter. Well when i replaced the HG's i had the heads machined and a valved adj came with. Well, its still there. Anybody done rod bearings WITHOUT pulling the engine. Or is there some other magical yotatech mod magician out there for an easier fix (if at all)

Cyberman

Rod bearings can be replaced without pulling the engine. But, only if you're lucky enough to have oil clearance within spec. If the clearance is out enough, the crank may have to be machined. If it's a slight knock, you might be able to get away with standard size bearings. The hardest part with replacing the bearings with the engine in place is dropping the oil pan.

brunner628

i have already replaced the oil pan gasket. i was able to remove the oil pan w/o dropping the front diff. did however have to remove the steering stabilizer and relay rod. i think i would have enough clearance to get my torque wrench in there

HAWK4295

I had a 22re that sounded like a rod knock!!! real bad knock!!! ended up being the THROW OUT BEARING!!!...oh well, I neede a new/rebuilt motor anyways. ;-)

TOYOTA 1

i have done it several times on 22re's but never a v6.

like said above if its a slight knock that only sounds when shifting(motor in slack mode) then you might get lucky. but if it blaintintly knocks while just sitting there idling, then it might be to late. however bearings are cheap, so i would try it out anyway.

thook

And, the fun part is trying to hold that crankshaft up in there when reassembling. Don't let those thrust washers fall out!

TOYOTA 1

thook... isn't the crank held in by the tranny? not to mention the main caps. i have never seen the crank removed just to roll in some bearings. though i have never done it on a v6 either.

thook

Um, yeah. I was just thinking about if he got in there and found the crankshaft had to be pulled then he'd have to either pull the engine anyway or try and do everything underneath. Which then there would be the pistons and rings, but I was joking about envisioning being under there and doing all that. Seems like a pain. Yeah, I was typing in a hurry so I see how the post doesn't make sense. That's okay.......I'm not making a lot of sense this afternoon, anyway. Up too late...

TOYOTA 1

copy.. i wasnt trying to call you out.

PETE_YK

All that is required to do rod bearings is pull the pan, and take off the rod caps (NOT main caps).
As stated above, if a knock is suspected deal with it ASAP.
I had a rod knock on my old 22r and by the time i pulled the pan to find witch rod was makin the racket and plastigauge it, it was too late. I ended up with a spun bearing and the crank journal was toast.

thook

Didn't feel like you were doing that at all. So, no worries.

Pete......that's a bummer. Spun a bearing on the rebuilt that came with my wife's '92 V6 4rnr. Only 21k miles on it, too. That was interesting. Not sure why it failed, but I can tell you I'll never go to the shop that did that rebuild. Well, I've learned to do all my own work since then, anyway. But, still....

brunner628

the knock is more like a tick. its real faint and goes away at higher rpm. at idle you cant hear it, but at the decel you can. hopefully im in good shape. Where can i find plastigage??? Do i plastigage in between the cap and the old bearing, cap and the new bearing or cap and bearing removed. Thanks

TNRabbit

A tick would not likely be a rod. Ticking is usually valvetrain or injector related.

thook

Before you go pulling the motor apart, consider getting a stethoscope (they're pretty cheap at Auto Zone) and see if you can actually locate the origin of the ticking. Might save you some trouble.

Kiroshu

Check cams!!!!!!!!!!!!!! If theres and scaring chips in the cam it may do this.... sure its not something loose in the motor or something loose mounted to the motor? High RPMs it goes away thats odd that sounds like valves... but if you said they were redone.... where they adjusted correctly.... injector ticking would not have a knock sound in it.... cam bearings.... low oil?

Nogarage

About using Plastigauge with engine still in truck and going from underneath: do you measure the connecting rod bearing clearance on both sides of the crank, or just the underside one?

dntsdad

I changed my rod bearing without pulling the motor a month or so ago. Pull steering stabilizer and relay rod. No need to pull diff but I have a lift so not sure any stock.

I was a rather easy job. Bearings were $40 or so and a rebuilt motor was about $1200 so i thought I would give it a shot. I had HORRIBLE knock and the bearing was totally spun and just about worn to nothing. The journals was scarred up as well.

Its still going a month later but granted I am only driving it when I have to, not when I want to, so it is a temp fix till I can find a another motor.........still hunting craigslist everyday all over california. It knocks for about 2-3 seconds at startup fairly loud, then almost goes away. I also unplugged the wire and am running it on 5cyl to keep the downward force on the rod/bearing to a minimum.

Not really a hard job at all.

HAWK4295

I had an '87 2wd toyota 22re that I fell asleep at the wheel at 330 in the A.M.(the life of a Tattoo artist is always intense) and drove off the Highway and got stuck in some Mud, well, I over reved it and got a bad knock in it.
But I finaly got out, and still drove a long ways home. The knock got worse as I went, by the time I got home it was really bad, so I put it to the floor in my driveway to see what was left, and in short time a wrist pin rolled across my drvway!! I popped the hood and took a look, reached down and pulled #1 rod out the side of the block!!! then I wanted to see if it would start, so I hit the clutch release button from outside the truck and reached in and turned the key......IT STARTED RIGHT UP!!!!
What a GREAT MOTOR!!!

Now I have an 86 Xtra cab 22re FI Bored Ported and Stroked 94mm bore 94mm stroke, it RUNS GREAT, Chromoly H-Beam Rods Forged Pistons Big bore TBody 455 lift cam KnN FIPK Long Tube LCE Header Flowmaster exhaust electric fan remote oilfilter, oil cooler, power steering cooler, rebuilt W56 new synchros and such, 35" mud kings on 15X12 steel wagon wheels, 5.29 RnP's W/Loc-Rights, Grant Steering wheel....only thing I would do differently is that I need dual valve springs, my cam is too steep for these old ones!!! this block had 1,174,457miles on it,out of my '85 4X4 std cab, it had a blown head gasket and still ran pretty good for as used as it was.....the axle is going to go under my '86.

Hawk4295

SpdBump

HAWK4295 "...I put it to the floor in my driveway to see what was left, and in short time a wrist pin rolled across my drvway!!"

That's fabulous, I wish I had the guts to troubleshoot my 4Runner like that!!!!!!!