hey everyone im new here, i tried searching for something like this but there was nothing similar to my question. anyways i bought a 1992 4runner 3.0 about 2 years ago and of course my headgasket went out.

so i replaced it all my self and the help of a friend. took heads to machine shop and had them resurfaced and pressure checked. i got everything back on and (btw this was my first time doing this) so anyways i keep hearing mixed answers that the right side of the engine is the drivers side but others say its the passengers. i just based it by looking at the engine.

so my question is i put the right headgasket on the driver side and left headgasket on the passenger side. please tell me that is correct??? i really dont wana go back through all of that work. i feel like an idiot already.

 

If you are going by the manual, the Right-Hand side refers to the passenger's side of the engine and the Left-Hand side refers to the driver's side, as though you were looking at the engine from the cab.

More importantly, the top surface of a gasket is usually different that the bottom. I believe the bottom surface should be smooth and the top is less, sometimes softer or has rounded edges. I'm yet to do a HG job so don't quote me on that!

Edit: After thinking about it more, I believe even a few of the OEM parts are labeled LH and RH (valve covers?) so you can look around to confirm it.

 

Sorry to say, but you installed the gaskets on the wrong sides per Toyota FSM.
Passenger = right
Driver = left

 

awesome. i just wasted hours of my life. haha.

 

should i sell it or fix it? if i sell it how much could i get for it? has brand new 31x10.50 tires. as i said earlier all new tune up gaskets and heads are machined. the interior looks almost new. and it has 200k on it.

 

It happens to all of us. I had to take my air chamber off like 4 times when I did a valve adjustment because I kept forgetting to attach parts before I covered them up.

 

how long would it make it with the headgaskets on the wrong side??

 

It's really hard to say, but safe to assume it'll let go at the least opertune time, like half way across death valley for example. Just repair it now while it is all fresh in your mind and it'll go much faster this second time.

If you sell it like it is undisclosed and w/o a discount, karma will bite you in the butt again at the worst possible time most likely.

Not sure off hand what the gaskets look like fresh, but usualy a head gasket will have a metal side these always go to the block side. And unless you specificly read "while looking at the engine on your right side" the "right side" will always refer to the passenger side.

Sorry man and good luck, stick with it!