1992 4x4 pickup 22re (original owner)
A) original rebuild thread
B) new and improved rebuild thread

 

i got the spark plug hole chased with a tap from the inside... only 3 threads deep were mangled, so i was lucky. but because of the old plug sitting so far back into the head, there was a lot of carbon buildup on the threads so i was very nervous about getting the tap in cross-threaded and making a mess out of the whole thing. luck was on my side, because the plug now floats in and out by hand like butter. the real test will be snugging it down after install, but i'm sure it will be fine.

the fel-pro headset and oil pan gasket kits came in last night. this weekend should be good if all goes as planned. im also going to pick up some engine paint tonight, might as well make her pretty while i'm in there. i think i'm going with red to contrast the blue truck.

Al

 

small update.... (i gotta get out of 50+ hour workweeks or i'll never get this done)

i got everything degreased and pressure washed in prep for some paint this weekend. while i'll admit this was a silly step, in the end, i'm VERY glad i did.

when i hit the timing cover with a coat of primer, i could see a crack around that damn hidden bolt piece! and sure enough, it went all the way though. so now i will have to use the extra timing cover i picked up. now to clean it, paint it... and then we'll be on with the rest of the regularly scheduled installation.....

pics to follow later.

Al

 

did you get new head bolts? mine were still good but i got some new ones at napa for about 15 bucks. also tighten them down a little more than the manual says. I think it specs 58lbs. I did mine to 65lbs. superbleeder got a small coolant leak between the head and block, but tightend more and solved it. or you could go arp studs and i think those torque down to like 90lbs or something like that. looks good, i think i would just change the timing set while your in there.

 

one other thing to do is chase all the head bolt holes with a tap to clean them out, mine had lots of that black gunk in there and that can cause a false torque on the head bolts.

 

i did not get new head studs, and don't know why i'd need them. i have seen other people get new ones, but i have not read why.

no need for a new timing set, this one was already done 30k ago and looks in good shape so i'm not going to mess with it.


i pulled the oil pan last night, and found out why it was leaking so bad. all the bolt holes were crumpled from being over tightened.... because about 3" of original cork gasket material was left on the block side before a newer rubber gasket was put over the top.

if i ever find the old mechanic 'dave', i just might kill him.

i got the new pan almost ready to mount, but found out the plug sizes were different! so i need to chase down an oil plug, then the pan will be ready to install.

do you use any kind of silicone sealant on cork gaskets? i got fel-pros, but haven't done a pan gasket before. they didn't come with instructions.

Al

 

oil pan and gasket removed, you can see the old gasket they never pulled off. no wonder it leaked! not to mention the orange rtv in the oil pickup. is that why its supposed to dry before you fill it up with oil? how stupid can one be?




head flipped over... it was all stock after all. so much for a rebuild. it was only a new timing chain and lots of broken parts.



#2 plug tapped to fix the boogered up threads.




i couldn't believe all the metal that came out. but in the end it was salvaged, no heli-coil needed!




and a little bit of paint to make things look sharp....



still have to clean/paint the new timing cover, that's next.

Al

 

A couple things...Engnbldr always tells people to change the head bolts, since they stretch out and torque down the first time you tighten them. I've always heard to never reuse head bolts.

Our trucks are meant to have the cork gasket on the oil pan but all later models use rtv or FIPG. I think you'd have better luck if you did a good job with rtv or FIPG than a cork gasket.

The rtv that's been floating around in your engine is more likely from someone using too much, rather than not waiting for it to dry. Most inexperienced wrenchers use way too much rtv, and the excess squeezes out, both on the outside and on the inside of the engine. That excess eventually starts floating around.

That's my 2 cents...

 

i am currently using a later model pan, and i don't remember if the pan lip is the same on both or not. that might be a reason not to use the cork. i'd rather not use only rtv. it had a rubber pan gasket on it previously and that didn't work so well. of course, over lapping a section of old cork and a mangled pan from over-tightening didn't help any.

i think i will just use the cork and see what happens if the pan isn't any different. in theory, a cork gasket should work just fine... you don't see any leaks from wine bottles.


i will pick up new head bolts this weekend and a tap just to be safe. thanks for the tip.

Al

 

Cork is terrible stuff. That garbage leaks in a few months!

Al, do yourself a favor and get the 85+ plan with the recessed ridges. Then use toyota FIPG ONLY. No additional gaskets. No rubber, no cork, none of that crap. As long as the pan surface is flat, it will seal and last 10x longer than any gasket.

 

ok, i'll get the FIPG gasket instead, already using a newer pan.

i did some digging and found that the stock head bolts are not torque-to-yield meaning they do not stretch. aftermarket head bolts may. because this is the first time the head has been removed and every thing is staying stock, i feel fairly confident i can reuse the old head bolts without any ill effects.

the only thing that i can't find an answer to.... why are some of the head bolts gummy and covered in gunk, and others just oily? anyone know?

Al

 

jb weld is my friend. it was cracked after all... it showed with the first coat of primer. i filled in the entire void in the back for strength, plus the front shown here.




timing cover painted....




water and oil pump installed:




timing cover installed:




oil pan installed:




head cleaned up:




looks like some cylinder damage... you can see the dings from debris in the chamber. must have made its way out at some point, nothing on the piston....





more progress to come in the next few days... been 100 degrees this weekend, and it made for 90 degrees inside the shop. a little on the warm side for productivity!


Al

 

ahhh !!!! so I was correct


glad you found the problem ..


.

 

yep! i couldn't see it til the paint went on. i'm glad i took the extra time to paint it or i wouldn't have known!

Al

 

very clean engine, great job, Al, and good luck!!

 

well pictures can be deceiving, everything that hasn't been taken apart is still covered in grime and oil! but once its back together i'll hit everything with more degreaser and power wash it one final time... then maybe it will look a little better on all those other parts!

Al

 

Sure looks better than the last time I saw under the hood on your '81...Now all you need to do is rebuild that front axle that looks like a BP gulf practice run

 

thanks robb!

yeah, its a far cry from what it was. knuckle rebuild is next on the list, along with figuring out that transmission clang. you're good at those axle rebuilds, right??

Al

 

are the locating pins supposed to be on the block side, or the head side? i have one in each. tried to pull out the one in the head to no avail. i think it would be easier if they were both in the block.

short of getting the stud kit, this is going to be the biggest PITA of the project. might have to get the old man to lend a hand so i can get the head on straight on the first shot, especially with the timing chain still hanging.

Al

 

it doesn't really matter where the pins are as long as you have both! granted it is easier to put the head on when they are in the block. Good Job doing it the right way! It is so easy on these motors to pull the oil pan and head and just do it right. i'm glad to see it!