Pre 84 Trucks 1st gen pickups

78 hilux motor flush

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Old 06-13-2017, 08:22 AM
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78 hilux motor flush

Hello, am new to this forum and have yet to find a thread with my answer. I have a 78 Hilux (standard) With 88k miles (not sure if true or not) and I'd like to flush/change the motor, tranny, and radiator. I have performed a motor flush on my newer 1989 Mazda MX-6 that involves draining the old oil from oil pan and filter, plugging everything back in; pouring in 2quarts tranny fluid, 1quart brake fluid, and a can of seafoam, turned the car on and left it on idle for 45min, turned car off, drained and poured 1 quart of fresh oil while draining to further help the other fluids wash out. new filter, fresh oil .. solved my "ticking valves" problem and the car ran perfect afterwards. SO! My questions are...
Can I perform a similar cleanse on my 78hilux?
If so, how many i go about it this time around? And what should I look out for?
Has anyone done this before? What was the outcome?
I'm thinking of replacing the valve cover gasket and oil pan gasket, should I perform the cleanse before or after the change of gaskets?
Any other alternative solutions?

Oh, I also forgot to mention; I have another 1978 Toyota pickup SR5 model that I bought to use for parts, the truck is complete and actually runs and drives (super ˟˟˟˟ty). but also has good parts, let me know if y'all need parts!

thanks for the help!😁
Old 06-13-2017, 08:59 AM
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I dunno about sticking all those other fluids in the engine block, but I have heard of it being done since the ATF is full of detergents and brake fluid does have strong solvent properties too, but I'd think you should be fine with just seafoam treatment. if it's actually 88k, not 188k or 288k on this truck, I doubt there is a whole lot of gunk in there anyways except for maybe some varnishing from age.
Why do you want to replace the oil pan and valve cover gaskets - are they leaking? If not, I'd leave them alone until they do leak and not put all those fluids in the block as they may cause them to leak afterward (?). If you do open it up I'd personally take that opportunity to do whatever else you plan to do inside the engine at that time - like de-smog, swap out the carb, new parts, etc.

Parts truck will be handy, these trucks are becoming more and more rare.

Last edited by highonpottery; 06-13-2017 at 09:01 AM.
Old 06-13-2017, 09:23 AM
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I'd remove the valve cover and do a valve adjustment and assess what, if any, flushing really needs to be done.
Old 06-13-2017, 12:57 PM
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Originally Posted by highonpottery
I dunno about sticking all those other fluids in the engine block, but I have heard of it being done since the ATF is full of detergents and brake fluid does have strong solvent properties too, but I'd think you should be fine with just seafoam treatment. if it's actually 88k, not 188k or 288k on this truck, I doubt there is a whole lot of gunk in there anyways except for maybe some varnishing from age.
Why do you want to replace the oil pan and valve cover gaskets - are they leaking? If not, I'd leave them alone until they do leak and not put all those fluids in the block as they may cause them to leak afterward (?). If you do open it up I'd personally take that opportunity to do whatever else you plan to do inside the engine at that time - like de-smog, swap out the carb, new parts, etc.

Parts truck will be handy, these trucks are becoming more and more rare.
Yep, definitely has leaks which is why I wanna change em out. Will continue to look out for any other methods of flushing and consider the desmog, carb swap, etc... if necessary, thanks! Your response is much appreciated 👌
Old 06-13-2017, 02:59 PM
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where's it leaking from?
The Toyota head gasket is usually recommended over aftermarket brands. The valve cover gasket I figure you could use any since it doesn't really get clamped very tight otherwise your valves will hit the cover. The oil pan should get Permatex Ultra Gray or Toyota black FIPG instead of any other gasket material for the best seal, same with timing cover. Only other seals on there that are prone to leaking on Toyotas are the front crank seal and the rear main seal
Old 06-18-2017, 02:34 PM
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Originally Posted by highonpottery
where's it leaking from?
The Toyota head gasket is usually recommended over aftermarket brands. The valve cover gasket I figure you could use any since it doesn't really get clamped very tight otherwise your valves will hit the cover. The oil pan should get Permatex Ultra Gray or Toyota black FIPG instead of any other gasket material for the best seal, same with timing cover. Only other seals on there that are prone to leaking on Toyotas are the front crank seal and the rear main seal
Where would be a good place to get my seals, I've already purchased a set on ebay and now I'm afraid to use them 🙃
Old 06-18-2017, 02:50 PM
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Originally Posted by Toylux
Where would be a good place to get my seals, I've already purchased a set on ebay and now I'm afraid to use them ��
The place you get them is irrelevant, except as to pricing maybe. Its' their country of origin that you need to look at. Best to stay clear of Chinese slave labor goods, for sure.

It's hard to go wrong with Japanese made parts and gaskets.

If I don't buy from the dealer, I often buy Ishino-Stone Japanese made gasket sets. I have found them competatively priced on Ebay, in the past.

A side by side comparison of Stone gaskets to, say, "Evergreen" brand chinese made ones will open your eyes.

Last edited by millball; 06-18-2017 at 02:56 PM.
Old 06-18-2017, 04:25 PM
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Originally Posted by millball
The place you get them is irrelevant, except as to pricing maybe. Its' their country of origin that you need to look at. Best to stay clear of Chinese slave labor goods, for sure.

It's hard to go wrong with Japanese made parts and gaskets.

If I don't buy from the dealer, I often buy Ishino-Stone Japanese made gasket sets. I have found them competatively priced on Ebay, in the past.

A side by side comparison of Stone gaskets to, say, "Evergreen" brand chinese made ones will open your eyes.
+1 I just got an Ishino-Stone valve cover gasket kit for $19 on eBay and it looks good.

If the gasket surface of the timing cover looks good, use a paper or fiber gasket instead of fipg. Stone and others make them and are included in kits. It'll hold up as well or better and there's zero chance of rtv boogers clogging a passage.

Other common places a 22re can leak are the distributor shaft o-ring, the distributor hold-down bolt, one of the oil pump bolts and one of the egr valve bolts into the head. For some reason Toyota left them "open" into an oil passage so they need threadlocker sealant.
Old 07-14-2018, 12:52 PM
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I personally would NOT use the concoction of fluids you mentioned to do a motor flush. I have used GUNK Motor Medic on my '78 20R & it made a HUGE difference. Engine got a lot quieter & smoother afterwards. If your oil is full, you just drain out 1 quart, add the Motor Medic to the oil & follow the instructions on the bottle to the letter (do not deviate). Only $5 a bottle or so (you only need 1) at most parts shops. Here a video of me using it (with before & after sound plus observations):

I'd do it with your current gaskets then change them right after. Do a valve adjustment while you have the valve cover off, you'll thank yourself later! Don't be afraid to use the gaskets you bought; you have em, use em. If they are lower quality & start to leak later, you can always get better ones & you'll already have experience doing them, so it won't be as much of a headache on the second go round. Working on vehicles is always a learning experience & you get better at it as you go. Did you get the "half moon" plugs (2) & rubber backed grommets (4) with your valve cover gasket? FELPRO makes a decent complete set Part # VS50357R. I've used this set on my truck; 2 years later & no leaks. About $7 from Rock Auto, about $17 from a local parts house.

I would prefer to use the original style rubber oil pan gasket. Only 9 foot pounds torque on the oil pan bolts, don't overdo it or it will leak, even with a new gasket.

I agree with millball. If you can afford the Japanese made gaskets go for them. In my experience they aren't that expensive & do a great job. All a matter of what you have or are willing to spend.

My opinion that you don't really need to flush the trans of diff unless the oil is really gross & contaminated (like grey or black or cloudy & non-see-thru. Just drain & replace. My truck has over 500,000 on it & the oil in both the trans & diff was still clear, if a bit on the brown side. ***Make sure you remove the fill plug first!*** If you take the drain plug out first, then realize the fill plug has rounded corners & you can't get it out, you won't even be able to drive the truck. And you'll have no way to fill the trans and/or the diff. Get that fill plug first! Ask me how I know.

BTW, the easiest way to fill the trans (if manual) is to take out your shifter & fill it thru the shifter hole. Otherwise you'll need one of those pumps from the parts store.

Manual trans takes 2.5 quarts, diff takes 1.5 quarts, so a gallon bottle of 80W90 goes perfect. If you have auto trans you're on your own there.



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