nv4runner

Brings back memories of my head gasket job December of 2008. Took me 2 weeks cause I could only work on it maybe 3 or 4 hours a day after work. Didn't have anybody to help me either, but I did have the entire community college shop to myself (winter break). I replaced every darn coolant hose behind the intake plenum just because I could get to them.

LittleRedDevil

So when I got the heads back from the shop they told me that the valves were back in spec but I checked the clearances any way. They are all on the low number side of clearance between the shim and the cam. So while the cams were out ( I pulled the cams so I could put new head bolts in the heads) I took out all the shims and measured them. I put the heads back on the block and didn't put the cams back in thinking that it would be easier to change the shims because I thought that low numbers were a bad thing. Then last night I was thinking about it and somehow convinced myself that "no, you want the valve to open more, its a good thing". So then today I went about reassembling the rest of the engine. My brother helped and we are about 85 percent finished. After we were done in the garage I started thinking about the valve clearances again. Tighter isn't better. Loose is better. And that's what I thought yesterday but I don't know why I began to think differently. I think all the hours put into scraping RTV and gaskets and carbon are getting to me. All the hours alone in the garage, sleep deprived and hungry are finally taking their toll. I ˟˟˟˟˟˟ed up, now I have to fix it. Luckily I did get all of the clearances while the cams were out, but using those plier things to depress the buckets sucks. So I am trying to think now, I should be able to get the valve covers off by taking off the intake manifold only right??? *Sigh*. This sucks.


The heads back on the block


The new timing belt and bearings


And the covers and fan bracket


Oh yea! and then I was going to put the distributer back into the head and It slipped out of my hand and landed on the pavement and broke the pointer off!!!

TNRabbit

As long as the valve clearances were in spec, you'll be fine. Having them looser MIGHT give you longer time between required valve jobs, but I doubt it. I checked mine at 218,000 miles & they were still in spec despite having been untouched all their life.

FYI:3VZE valves get TIGHTER as parts wear. If worn sufficiently (can't imagine why that would happen), they would end up with ZERO clearance & eventually the valves would stick open. As I said, though; mine exhibited little to no wear. I attribute this to exclusive use of synthetic oil for years.

LittleRedDevil

TA DA!


TNRabbit, you were right, I overreacted. It's allowed given the circumstances though right?

I went through what I had written down as my valve clearances and decided that they were all ok. They were all on the tight side but within specs so i decided to throw it back together. I had to go buy a new rotor for my distributer and a bolt that I lost for the PS pump bracket but after that it was go time. Oh, actually not exactly. We got all of the hoses and wires hooked back up, all the spark plugs back in, and the belts hooked up. The only thing left to do was fill up the engine with coolant (I filled with deionized water first to try to clean out all the loose material and crap that would have been in there previously or gotten in when I cleaned the block). We started filling and it took about 4 1/2 litres before we heard liquid gushing onto the garage floor. We traced it back to the LH side at around the throttle body and could tell it was coming from around there, the water then proceeded on to the rear of the engine, and was falling onto the floor. Eventually we took off the throttle body and traced it back to a coolant hose we had forgotten to hook back up to the TB. Can anyone tell me why coolant goes through the TB? We figured it was to cool the air??? Just a guess though I haven't looked it up. Anyway when the engine stopped taking coolant it was time to fire her up. We hooked up the timing light and I flicked it to accessory a few times to let the fuel pressurize. Tried two times and she started!! WOO HOO!! Timing was only out about 4 or 5 degrees, we did the short circuit, timing advance and the truck is good to go. My first thought was, right on, all the vacuum hoses got put back in the right place All the hard work paid off and she purrs like a kitten. I can actually hear my injectors ticking away and the truck no longer sounds like a CHOO CHOO train!




(I realize my fan shroud isn't on, I put it back on after we took it for a rip)

So naturally we took it around the block. Before I fixed the burned valved my truck would almost shake from driving 60km in fourth gear like it didn't have enough power. Now it has plenty

I brought it back home and emptied the deionized water and filled it with coolant. There are still some air bubbles that I can hear flowing through the heater core, even though I filled it on a hill, but I think I got most of the air out. I'll have to try this:

"How to get the water noises out of a 3vze:
Jack up the front about a foot, foot and a half if you've got the jack for it.
Get yourself a soda bottle, cut the bottom off so you've got a high capacity funnel.
Wrap the threads of the bottle with some paper towel, and it will wedge in the radiator perfectly.
Fill radiator, and half way up funnel with coolant.
Run truck, heaters on full blast, at about 3k.
Squeeze the hoses and let them go quickly, you'll get a number of "glug"s, and it will pull coolant in from the funnel.
Keep the engine speed up (so the cold coolant doesn't shut the t-stat) and squeeze the hoses until all of the glugs go away.
Tah-dah!"
(Sorry to who ever wrote this, I didn't save your name)

Then I changed the oil and filter (for the same reasons as I changed the coolant).

And now I'm done, inside and drinking beer!

I hope you've enjoyed this, this is the first engine work I have ever done. Like I said before I did A LOT of research, printed out a lot of pages from the FSM, and photocopied pages from my haynes. Thanks to all those who have dedicated threads to rebuilds, posted pictures and answered questions, you guys rock!

Steveh29

"Can anyone tell me why coolant goes through the TB?"

It's to warm the throttle body to prevent icing.

coopster

Good job.

TNRabbit

There is actually an air valve in there that increases the idle when cold (IAC?) & when the coolant is warm it closes back up.

LittleRedDevil

Oh ok, good to know thanks.

By the way the truck has been running great since it was put back together. Love my Toyota.

LittleRedDevil

So just to finish this thing off right I will make one more post here. Not long after I finished doing the valve job I put in new oem rotor and cap, new NGK spark plugs, and a set of NGK spark plug cables. The rad had been leaking and developed a few cracks in the corners so I threw in a new one from a local shop.

My old rad




Before


After


Cheers

CoopDogg77

Wow, nice job! I've been dreading this job on my 94, but the time has come. Great photos/details. Do you still have the truck? How has it held up? I hate to put this much money/work into a 20 year old truck, but these darn trucks are great little beasts. Anyway, great thread.

sphealy

iTrader: (1)

Would love to know how it held up looking at a rebuild on a 92 4runner in the next few weeks.