Hello yotatech!

I'll start by saying It's a pleasure to meet/join you all. I recently picked up a 1988 2wd ute with 300k KM and a sweet as 22r under the hood. Managed to grab her up for a nice price, and the previous owner has kept her in what appears to be fairly good order in and out. Pics below




Mind the missing side light, both bulbs were blown and I had an absolute ball removing that without breaking anything (maybe 1 or 2 clips) overall not too shabby for a 32 year old. The last owner has had a lot of work done to it and to his credit from what I've seen he's done a good job, but it still has its issues. Hence why I have come to seek advice from the masters

when I inspected and test drove it, the owner pointed out a issue he had commonly while driving at cruise speed, and it occasionally happened whilst accelerating through the rpms. Upon light application of the throttle at highway speed, the engine would noticeably stutter for a split second before picking up. We both assume this issue to be carb related (probably just needs a clean... Right?) but any suggestions there are much appreciated. I picked this up as a project both to restore and hopefully get a nice it's but also to learn more about older vehicles and repairing/fixing things.

now onto the main reason I decided to consult you guys. I took out the spark plugs to get a better idea of how the engines been running, and it's a little concerning in the least. Plugs are 1-4 in order left to right


the owner did notify the engine overheated on him due to a cracked radiator leaking coolant at which point he had it replaced, which I'm assuming is what caused the white crust on the plug tips. As you can see cylinder 1-2 are taking on oil to some extent. The truck doesn't appear to blow any noticeable amount of smoke, and there weren't any major red flags when inspecting oil cap, dipstick or coolant too. Only eyebrow raisers were, that for oil that was replaced only 3000kms ago, it was completely black, and there was a small amount of smoke coming from the oil cap when I looked at it after the 20 odd minute test drive. I will say the engine did still feel like it was running fairly hot (contrary to the almost stagnate temp gauge) and the coolant reservoir is sitting almost bang on the 'low' mark. There is also a minor oil leak from the very front too, which goes hand in hand with the symptoms of the plugs. (pic related)


Well fellas, there you have it. Absolutely any and all advice/info is more than welcome. I've got more time than I know what to do with and a general mechanical knowledge. I want to fix this up nice and properly, and I've already browsed a plethora of videos and a couple other yotatech write-ups, but I figured it couldn't hurt to ask myself. From what I've already gathered I definitely intend to replace the timing chain + tensioners & gaskets etc as its likely due for that as is, but what else am I installed for? Have I actually bought a turd? I look forward to hearing it below. Hope you guys are all doing well in these troublesome times too

Cheers.

 

Its no TRD but its no turd either.

First thing Im unclear abt is if you see the engine overheating?
Do you know when the plugs were replaced?
For the 22r, my tune up program is as follows:
plugs, wires, distributor cap n rotor
valve adjustment
then you can start fiddling with the carb

If your temp gauge is going up abt half n staying there, cooling system is doing pretty good. If youre worried, get an ir thermometer. Point it at thermostat, should be 180 to 190 F.
oil gauge should be somewhere abt middle too when youre pumpin 2.5 to 3k rpms and abt a quarter up at idle. But if youre worried abt oil pressure, you need an aftermarket gauge with real numbers.

when you do the valves, peek down the timing chain cover and look for wear on the guides. This will tell you how long until you need a new chain.

The 22r is a great motor. Americans love to fantasize abt the diesels you folks have access to but the lil 4 cylinder gasser is hard to beat. Until you want more power n start thing abt a 3rz swap!

Welcome! And nice looking truck.

 

Gday mate, thanks for the reply,

A ballpark estimate I'd say the spark plugs would have been replaced around 10,000 Km roughly, with the overheat/new radiator allegedly 1500km ago. The previous owner was fairly thorough with time stamping what work had been done at different intervals, but had no idea the last time the chain had been done.

my main concern atm isn't with overheating, from the little it's been driven the temp gauge only really goes up a quarter of the way (it is winter here and I haven't driven it hard or for an extended time) What's worrying me is that oil leak at the front, and that that oil is getting into the first 2 cylinders. Valve cover seal was also done around 10k km ago too, if that factors into anything. I think 3 & 4 are OK, small carbon buildup but overall looking pretty good

if it was just the first cylinder I'd guess that it could just be a chain gasket at the front, but since it's the first 2 could it be head gasket related? I've got a decent toolkit and have replaced dud parts and done general servicing on my cars, but nothing the likes of pulling off a head or any major internal work. I'm doing alot of research online, thankfully there is heaps of good resources out there. It's a bit daunting, but with enough prep I think I can definitely get er done. If there's any goldmines out there please do share. So far I've been religiously reading through this yotatech write-up below, some of the online FSM's and many vids on youtube. From what I've gathered, the procedures are the same for 22r and re?

https://www.yotatech.com/forums/f116...88/index2.html

let me know what you think

 

Is there any sign of smoke when you first start it after it has been sitting? Even for a second or two?

 

Nope, didn't blow an ounce of smoke on startup and didn't notice any while driving or idling. It's a cold wet morning today so she'd definitely give a bit off now. Engine idles very well, doesn't surge at all. Only smoke I saw was from the valve cover when took off the cap after test drive

 

That's good. My #3 plug had some bad oil "coking" on it and I was getting a quick puff of smoke at startup. Had to replace the valve guides.

 

All R series engines are abt the same mechanically, except certain specs. Procedures will be the same although particular parts or torque numbers might be a little different.
To me, Id only be worried abt a head gasket if overheating was an issue. Coolant and oil mix is the first thing to check for. Unscrew your oil cap off the top of engine. It shouldnt have any water or weird milkshake residue. Same for coolant reservoir, no oil in there.
temp gauge should be resting halfway. If somethings not right in the gauge wiring, you can be seeing low results due to high resistance somewhere. You could run hot and not know it. There are procedures to test this circuit. Or run the engine until it should be at full temp. If it sticks at a quarter, time to get out the multimeter and test.

By the time you have noticeable HG failure, coolant and oil will have mixed. Its very unlikely only oil will have seeped all the way thru to the chambers. But maybe?

If youre getting oil in 2 chambers, more likely its valve seals or piston rings.

 

Thanks for the comments fellas!

Well this might not be as bad a scenario as I first thought. An engine this old naturally expect it to be burning some amount of oil, just a matter of pinpointing where and what I might have on the cards in terms of maintenance.

I think for the immediate future I'll comp test all 4 cylinders, chuck in new plugs and replace oil+ filter and coolant and just drive her for a bit. I'll keep a close eye on how she runs and fluid levels/condition etc.Eventually I'll Sus out how the plugs are travelling as well as the valve cover and give her a top end tune up, will hit the book on that over the next few weeks.

I just had one question in regards to timing chain replacement, in the FSM's and pretty well every resource I've found removing the head is pretty well step 1 since the timing cover is a wedge fit between that and the pan. Not sure if I sound like a clown asking this but could I get away with dropping the oil pan instead for clearance? If I end up suspecting the head gasket could be an issue then I'll go the full mile and bite the bullet but if I can get away without having to rip the cylinder head off I'd be a happy cobba

Look forward to getting to know this truck a bit better, she'll be officially on the road start of next week. If anyone's got good links to 22r engine assembly/dissasembly and torque specs or wiring diagrams (all that technical good stuff) I would shake your hand and buy ya a beer if we ever did meet. Cheers for all input gents

 

you can bypass pulling the head. Dont forget there is one bolt holding the head n TCover together.

the thing is, though, theres like 8 head bolts to take the head off. And seperating the exhaust n intake manifolds. Thats the only extra work. It may seem daunting but its really not.
you still have to find tdc and line everything back up even if you just pull the TC.
plus, a good Tcover job includes a couple dabs of liquid gasket at the top corners where it meets the HG so its harder to get a good seal if you dont remove the head.

Ive been in a similar position to you except my 20r turned into a very poweful milkshake machine and I had to pull the head. If I just was going to do the TC, idk. Maybe I wouldnt pull the head.
The main thing that might get you trouble is old exhaust bolts being stripped out.
And Id also buy a new TC if I could do it over.
When the time comes, youll make the best decision you can and probably learn a lot. These are great motors to work on IMHO. Until then drive and enjoy it! And post more pics.

Also, another thing i noticed, from the pic abt your oil leak, get a valve cover gasket set with the half moons. That will solve that problem.

Welcome to the forum!

 

Hey fellas, thought I'd post a cheeky update

So the other week when I changed the plugs I did a comp test on all four cylinders, wet and dry. Here's what I ended up with (1-4)
D: 170-170-130-150
W: 180-180-150-160

the wet test was a bit how ya going since I just used a syringe with a bit of cut spray bottle tubing (which nearly got stuck down in there) but anyways, based on the old plugs and how it's been driving thus far these results aren't too far off what could be expected. The engine is making a racket from the top end, more so towards the rear, best guess is the valves are certainly in need of a tune n tightening. Will pick myself up a set of feeler gauges and have a crack at adjusting the valves, best to do this while the engine is warm/operating temperature I heard?

speaking of operating temp, the gauge issue remains. I reckon this is an issue with the cluster itself since the needle will wake up after a couple minutes but never moves past a quarter of the way. Engine doesn't appear to be running hot per say but should be higher than this.



There is a very slight but noticeable rattle coming from the front end under the TC and Ill sus out wear on the chain+guides when I take the valve cover off as suggested before. I've been keeping a close eye on fluids daily and there doesnt appear to be any worrying signs yet but I'll continue to monitor. Any input on the comp test results or on valve adjustments I'd much appreciate it. I've been reading up online and picked myself up a Haynes too, hopefully I can get this thing running a little smoother

 

Hello again yotatech,

I hope everyone has been well as of late! It's been a while since I've been able to work on the lux. She started running poorly so I had to set her aside for a bit, but finally got back into 22r mode this weekend. There's a few bits and pieces I could really use help with.

Long story short, she was noisy, terrible gas mileage and leaking oil from what I suspect is the front main seal. Where I left off last, I attempted to adjust valves but crank pulley bolt was rounded by previous owner (I assume he had a crack at it and couldn't get it loose) which made a valve adjustment seemingly impossible. Anyways I'll cut to the chase, my questions to you great people are:

Took me yonks to find out what this actually was, but I've noticed the bvsv valve is missing, and some carby vac lines are blocked off/removed. Would this have any affect on operating temp/running performance?

Egr is still in tact, no idea if it's been blocked/tampered with in any other way.

next up was the removal of the crank pulley/bolt. I drained fluids, removed rad and fan and hammered on a socket (set my valve clearances cold while I was at it), found TDC and used the ol starter bump trick and the bolt came right loose. The manuals and videos online suggest using a puller tool to avoid damaged it upon removal, but mine slid right off by hand with little trouble, Idk if that's a good thing or a bad thing?? Here's a pic of the pulley and front of the engine


At any rate I'm looking to renew the oil pump, front main seal and pulley bolt. I'll likely also inspect the thermo and gauge temp sender as I was already having issues with those before this. Has the crank pulley seen her last revolutions? Unfortunately enough, covid has made acquiring parts from overseas a nightmare in terms of cost and time. If there any Aussie's on here privy to sourcing quality parts domestically, my goodness what I wouldn't do. I've already hit up a dealer and have oem front main, pump o ring and crank bolt on the way. Any advice is much appreciated gents.

Cheers

 

Not exactly sure if the special Type-T crank seal Toyota sells will fit the 22R, but it does fit the 22RE. The special seal is not as wide as the standard seal, and it will ride on a fresh spot on the crank pulley...not on the grooved area. Drive the Type-T seal all the way home. Pretty sure it fits the 22R...just make sure.



If you end up pulling cylinder head, it's easier to pull head and lower intake at the same time. Then remove timing cover to install a new timing set. You don't have to pull the oil pan doing it that way. There are a few bolts that hold the timing cover to the oil pan, and one bolt in the front of the cylinder head that is attached to the timing cover. More than likely it will be covered with oil, and you will not see it. Make sure to take it loose before you take off the timing cover.