89Toylet

First off, this is my first post but I've been checking out the site throughout my build. This is the first Toyota I have rebuilt and it has took some time to figure out things the hard way… like not marking before you take apart things Thank you to Bleeder and all that have helped me out without even knowing it

Now here's the deal. Basically truck sat for 3 years with blown engine. I pulled and rebuilt from ground up. Used ENgnbldr for my machine work and parts (I luckily live 10 miles away). Bored . 20, crank turned, have Engnbldr head with new valves, he did the head for me. Basically all new or at least cleaned up and pretty. With a lot of blood sweat and tears the engine is in.

Everything is hooked up and I was ready to fire it up at 2am. Battery was dead, my car battery didn't have the juice to turn it over for more than 10 seconds till click, click, click. I got out and saw a little smoke coming from the ground wire attached to the P/S bracket. Thought it may not be a ground and I really messed up, so I took it off and it looks like it burned a little. So I went to bed so I could get back up at 4am, work 8 hours drive 1 ˝ hours home and go for round 2 with a hot battery.

Pretty sure thatis a ground, but why/how would it short? I’ll take it apart tonight and trace it, I just really don’t want to mess it up before I even get it started.
2nd question is break-in for new cam? I think run for 20 mins at 2000+ rpm?
Anything I should know or do on first start up for this thing?

Hopefully i'm just overthinking and should have called in sick to just get it done.
Thanks in advance,

Here are a couple pics, hope this works. Last one is 2am with lousy phone

spacecadet

if your in doubt put a volt meter on it and see if its hot or not.

if it is a ground check that the connection surfaces are clean.

cam break in is 20 mins @ 2k rpm, when i did mine i moved it up and down about 500 rpm every 5 or so mins, was really nerve racking

good luck!

89Toylet

Will do when i get home, just wondering if anyone has had the same problem and has a quick answer... Fingers crossed, knuckles bleeding.

rokblok

iTrader: (1)

The ground will carry current just as most people think only the positive will carry current. I always make my ground cables as big as my starter feed cable. And I put a ground from engine block to battery neg post, and a ground from body to neg battery post.

I have 2gauge feeding my starter from battery positive. Equal size grounds.

Anything that uses power has to be grounded. In a vehicles case, the battery supplies power and ground, or positive/negative. So everything must be supplied an ample ground path back to the battery.

Whew, what a mouthful....

89Toylet

So, sounds like that ground wire was just overloaded. Possibly increase guage and solve the problem???

89Toylet

IN my perfect world, i get home and get a decent grounding, Install a new battery, unplug coil and turn over without spark to get oil and fuel pumping for a minute, then hopefully fire up and break in the Cam... Without a busted knuckle or curse word in sight!

rokblok

iTrader: (1)

If you're certain that it was a ground, then that's what it sounds like to me...

89Toylet

Pretty sure... I hope so, diagnosing that early in the morning was dumb in the first place. Should have just went to bed after the first battery was dead. I'll have a little more light and insight tonight.

Any insight on initial break in?

rokblok

iTrader: (1)

Follow Engnbldr recommendations for cam break-in. And just take it easy for the first couple hundred miles. Then change the oil. Then drive normally...

spacecadet

if it was not a ground you would have blown the fuse to what ever it was supposed to be really fast.

Bassmastry101

iTrader: (1)

No flow, no go! Increase the gauge of the ground wire and it wouldn't be a bad idea to double up on the number of grounds you have. Engine to body (both sides, starter is on one side and alternator is on other), engine to battery, battery to body. Also use a little sand paper on the connections never hurt.

89Toylet

Well here's the update: Got brand new battery, replaced the bad connector, and replaced the small guage ground (thankfully it was a ground) with an 8ga from P/S to body. THe wire was routed next to power to alt. which had been rubbed, and the ground was exposed... Sounds like a short to me.

SO all buttoned up and ready to crank. TUrned over maybe 2 revolutions then nothing. SOunded like it was just stuck, Scratched head then tried to turn by hand. COuldn't so i pulled plugs and still nothing... Using a 1/2 drive torque wrench for leverage and still nothing. Then i went to bed.

WHat is going on? LOcked up some how?

IDK????
I'm tired and need some help.

spacecadet

that sucks

no way you seized the engine cranking it twice.

Maybe you left something in the pistons? rag? socket extension?

89Toylet

Thought about that too, SHined light in cylinders and don't see anything. Made sure truck was out of gear and the t-case was in Neutral as well.

Side question, small pipe on pass side from timing cover. large one goes up to plenum and the smaller diameter goes up to throttle body???

rokblok

iTrader: (1)

Is it possible that the starter took a dive and seized? It would have to seize while it was engaged in order to affect the engine resistance, but hey, stranger things have happened...

Before I took the engine out or blamed the engine, I would eliminate anything that the engine was connected to first. Accessories via belts, trans via clutch, starter, etc.... That just me though.

89Toylet

Took your advice. Starter and everything in front is off the pulley and still no go. I can budge it about 5 degrees back & forth. Took valve cover off, took cam gear off too. I can turn the cam full revolution but it does feel a little tight. it's rebuilt by engnbldr tho, so I can assume it's okay.

The only thing I can think of is my cam was 180 out and I messed up , or the tranny is froze up somehow. It is disconnected at the rear and I can spin it just fine.

89Toylet

Sorry cut and pasted and meant to reply to different older thread.

Dirt Driver

Did you ever turn the engine over by hand with the head/cam installed?

PowerstrokeJoe

Are you for sure that the timing chain is tight. I have seen the tensioner not tighten the chain and the engine turn a few revs and lock solid. Worst comes to worst take the cam out and see if its the bottom end or the top. Did you plastigauge the bottom end when you assembled it?

89Toylet

Oh yeah. Did the valves cold at .070 & .11. Turned it about 10 revs. My boy is 40 lbs n he turned it with the torque wrench. Felt tight, but new tight nothing crazy.