89 4runner with 175,000 or so miles. Engine ran good, decent power, but the camshaft was junk and the middle camshaft holder thingy got galled up. Should I drop the oil pan and make sure no metal is in the bottom of it floating around?

Will be getting a totally new head, camshaft, chain and tensioners, etc., from engrbldr.com shortly.

What would you do? Thanks.

vmax84

http://community.webshots.com/myphot...ecurity=xzfUYN

 

Is the oil full of metal? In the case if it is, Its not a bad idea at all especially if your cam lobes were rounded off and the bearings are trashed. Then I might consider taking a look at the oil pump to see if its full of metal.-That might be overkill, but I have seen a few cams go flat with some not so good results to crank bearings ect.Good luck!

 

I haven't drained the oil, but I am using a WIX oil filter. The back part of the cam is trashed, along with the center bearing carrier, or journal. The rest of the lobes and carriers looked good. So I'm thinking the oil isn't full of metal, but a case of abusing the truck and just having a ton of miles on it.

How hard would it be to drop the oil pan off it? I looked under the truck. Looks like a pretty tight fit.

Thanks again.

vmax84

 

pull the oil filter and cut the case open. Take a look at the filter material inside, see if it's full of metal

 

on a straight axle truck it should be a piece of cake. pull off the "skidpan", probably good idea to take off the swaybar as well. should be right there, just unbolt it and slide it off.

 

And what if a person has the IFS? Oh, oh time??!!

vmax84

 

then they are in the wrong section of this forum

 

My truck is a 89 4Runner with IFS.......why has it been moved to the solid axle forum?

vmax84

 

take the skid plate off, unbolt the idler arm at the frame, let it hang out of the way, then unbolt the engine mounts, then jack up the tranny to lift engine and trans to make room to pull out the oil pan from the front. That's what I did on mine and it was a piece of cake. Oh and mines a '94 4runner with IFS and a 22-re 5speed.

 

Thanks!! I'll give that a try!!

vmax84

 

No problem, good luck dude!

 

I still don't know why my IFS truck was moved to the solid axle forum?

vmax84

 

If you have the head off and the pan droped.. why not just replace rings and bearings with a stock set while youre in there..?
Just a suggestion.

 

dumb question... could one get a strong magnet and "collect" metal shavings from elsewhere in the pan and kind of direct them over toward the plug, so that when you empty it they would be flushed out?

 

It would have to be one hell of a strong magnet to pull all of the metal out. I think pan removal is the best bet. When I did my timing gear/chain, I had to take off the pan to remove all of the timing guide plastic pieces.

 

cool. good to know. thx