drews256

So after many months of work and down time my 3.4L swap is finally running and running really well in a 1991 Toyota Pickup! It was a JDM, post 2000 engine with about 65,000 miles on it. It came out of a Granvia so it doesn't have an oil cooler on it.

My thinking was I will save a little money and get an after market oil cooler. What a mistake. After driving for 15 minutes the first day it dumps oil everywhere, the hose slid off the fitting!

I put the lines back on and tighten the hose clamps way down, top off the oil and away we went.

This happens a few times, to the point that I am constantly worried finally put two hose clamps on each fitting and tighten them down as much as I can. I had also used 100 dollars worth of oil at that point.

Finally yesterday I put expensive oil in, ready to take care of my long running beautiful piece of art that is now in my truck. Bam, the hose falls off again as I am going down the highway with two hose clamps as tight as I could get them before I thought they break the clamp. I check the dipstick, no more oil, and no extra oil in my truck. I was about 2 miles from home so I stuck the hose up and crossed my fingers that there was enough oil in it to get home.

I get two blocks from my garage and the truck won't run anymore. I think it overheated, but I don't have my oil pressure gauge or temp gauge hooked up yet. So angry. I tow it in to the garage, let it cool down, put some oil in it, and turn it over.

It starts! But its a little rough, and the starter is super sluggish and sounds like the starter is pushing through a lot of ˟˟˟˟ to get it to turn over.

I don't think its knocking in any concerning fashion and it seems to not have lost any power, though I only drove it to work today and didn't get a great chance to see what kind of power I lost, its still so much more powerful than the 3.SLOW!!!

I know the damage is probably worn down or spun rod bearings and/or ruined cylinder walls.

I don't want to put a new block in it yet. Or rebuild the engine. But what other damage could I have done to it? I don't get why it doesn't sound like its knocking but the starter isn't turning very well?

I pulled the oil cooler out and wrote a scathing review on Amazon.

donomite49

Sad, but no way to tell without tearing it apart.

Make your hoses with steel braided hose and an fittings that screw on securely.

I'd take the plugs out and spin the motor over by hand to see how hard it is to turn over.

Another thought, you can remove valve covers and visual the cams, probably the most likely place for damage being the highest and farthest from the oil pump.

drews256

Its also vibrating quite a bit at idle. Could I have skipped a tooth on my timing belt? It hasn't backfired. Does the 3.4L run ok if it skipped a tooth?

The only think I can think is that the cams got gummed up, stuck and skipped a tooth when it got too hot. Now its cooled down, had a chance to oil back up and is running ok?

Does this logic make sense?

wyoming9

iTrader: (1)

Well at least you fess up to being an idiot!!!

I can`t see hose clamps holding with the oil pressure I wonder why it didn`t call for a flared fitting or threaded connection.

I would for sure check the cams running with low oil level.

Was there a reason you didn`t get hauled home??

Good Running engine to a possible block of scrap.

compared to a towing bill.

I have called my Towing company less then 2 miles from home a few times over the years.

drews256

Im not against getting towed home, but I was so close. It was less than two miles. Probably closer than that. But you live and you learn I guess. I won't be making that mistake again.

After further analysis, I pulled the timing belt cover and it looks like everything is timed correctly.

When I stick my head underneath the engine, while it is running and listen closely I think I am hearing a small knock.

The screw driver to the ear yielded nothing on the valve covers, I don't think I have tapping valves.

Would the crank bearings/pistons slap at a different rate than the valves? It sounds faster than tapping valves that I have heard before?