Bigblock

Does the 3.4 normally crack the head or blow the HG?I have 16k on this engine and this should not have happened.I used new bolts and all.It will be torn down next month and I'll go from there.
Bigblock

Bigblock

Well the gaskets are toast.Heads are in the shop getting them crack checked.
Bigblock

97ltd4x4

Did you use Toyota headgasket set?

What did you use to clean head/block surfaces with?

How did you calculate the two 90* turns of the head bolts?

mt_goat

Sorry to hear that. subscribed

okie81

They had problems with HG's on the 3.0, you would think they would have considered that in designing the 3.4

97ltd4x4

Yea,they did...And Toyota had some problems on a small number of 95.5-early 96' 5Vz's...they had slight external coolant leaks from cylinder 2 or5...exactly opposite of the internal 1 or 6 coolant leaks on the 3.0 engines..

They redesighned the headgaskets,and issued a campain(recall) on these..mid 96' and later had the redesighned ones..which never had a problem.Since they started putting the redesighned gaskets on the production line mid 96'

The funny thing is they would leak really fast...under 20k miles..most customer compaints were of gurgulling sound from dash/weak heat...sure enough you could see the coolant leak as soon as you poped the hood...I remember doing a few of these way back when..

Bigblock

This one leaked a lil anti all along since I rebuilt it.Then developed a cold miss later.I used a torque angle meter and new head bolts. Anyway the guy at the shop called today and said the heads were warped and I don't know when they got warped.May have been warped before I built the engine.So he will resuface them and I'll try it again.Maybe the cams wont be bowed.I don't know if the heads are bowed warped or just spot warped.I'll ask tommorow and post back.
Bigblock

97ltd4x4

That stinks..Sounds like they had a warped spot before you assembled the engine.Surfacing will take care of that..Hope all turns out well.

Bigblock

Thanx I'll let you know.
Bigblock

Bigblock

Well they are resurfaced and look great.Now to save up $$$ for those high price gaskets!
Bigblock

Bigblock

It turns out they were warped a lil.It's all back together now except for the exhaust flange gaskets.BTW I used Felpro multi layer steel head gaskets this time so we'll see if they are any good.
Bigblock

Bigblock

Well it runs great.I've been using my spare 92 and what an improvemenet the 3.4 is!Two totally diff vehicles!Hopefully thousands of miles from now I'll let you know how the Felpros hang.Later
Bigblock

mt_goat

Great, happy trails to you

hross14

Just an FYI-- the heads and block need to have an Average roughness of either 30 or 50. While researching for my motor build i came accross this info. It caused HG to fail because folks were still using the Cast Iron head equipment to surface 3.4 heads.

Bigblock

So far so good.
Bigblock

mt_goat

That's good to hear.

Bigblock

Felpro MLS gaskets doing great.