cx4wards

I hAVE A 1993 Toyota 4X4 pick up truck with a 4 cyl engine. Approx. two years ago I was loosing coolant and the truck ran rough at startup for a few minutes. The Truck had approx. 100K in mileage so I had the head gasket replaced along with having the head checked for cracks and machined for flatness. I also replaced the water pump, timing chain and guides. I had no problem for the next year and then I startede loosing coolant again and the exact same symptons. The problem is not constant but will come a go. Any thoughts short of replacing the head gasket again as that did not solve the problem completely the last time. I've consulted with a local mechanic who reccomends steal seal as a additive but i'm not crazy about additives.

93Toyota PU

I don't like stop leak or sealer additives either. If it's a head gasket you'll likely see oil in the coolant or vice versa. For instance, you can have your oil tested to determine if coolant is present. The coolant is going somewhere. What brand of head gasket was used? Many folks recommend only using Toyota OEM headgaskets due to the problems experienced with other OEM-like brands. Look carefully for leaks around the head. Pull your oil filler cap and look at it. If it has a milky like oily substance, sounds like another head gasket to me. Who did the work? A dealer or independant shop? Maybe your mechanic will warranty his work or parts...I had a water pump go bad on a Camry 20,000 miles after replacement. I reluctantly paid for labor again but the new pump was covered by warranty.