As odds have it, Friday I pick up a brand new dirt bike, $6500 later.

Today I decide to go riding, and when I am leaving the track the Toyota starts to bite the dust.

First it starts with a loud ping/knock in the engine ( sounds intake side) and no power...I say screw it, I'm making this thing go home. All during this time I am blowing stop sings, red lights, only can do 20 mph max to get this thing home so I can beat it with a baseball bat. . It is shaking violently, gutless, and at one point the ping/knock went away, but only briefly to join me again. As soon as I pull into the driveway the thing goes up in white smoke. So I got it home, big whoop.

So I tow it up with the work truck and park it. But now I am stumped...what the hell happened? It has been running perfectly pretty much since now, except....4 weeks ago it was shaking funny at idle, and I pulled the plugs to find one of the porceleins broke on one of them, replaced and it seemed to be fine (although I have read this concludes a HG issue) . Yesterday I was thinking "this thing doesn't feel like it has any power". But thats about it.

The oil is perfect, and it hasn't cooled enough for me to check the coolant color. I would like to just suspect a faultly HG (replaced before with a Felpro ) but that doesn't explain the ping/knock.

Can anyone throw any ideas out there? When it rains it pours.



1993 Pickup 22RE 5 Speed, 158,000miles.

 

You may have the head gasket out or a blow motor.

 

Put the crank at TDC on the compression stroke and check the rotor position.

 

Sounds like it was out of coolant altogether. Did you notice your temp gauge during that "last drive"? I bet it wasn't even registering because there was no coolant for it to read.

 

The temp guage read normal...

 

I will try tommorrow...what will this conclude?

 

It will actually restart right now if I go out and try. I turned the key after it cooled down and it started quick but I turned it right off.

 

maybe a massively cracked head or gasket? were you towing at the time?

 

Nope,

Just a dirtbike, 225lbs maybe.

 

If the mechanical timing is off from the chain jumping a tooth or something. That would explain knocking....but, not the white smoke. Unless, the chain went through the cover. I'm just speculating, though.

 

I pulled all the plugs today, they all look fine. From what I can tell there is no more anitifreeze in the rad.

One thing that caught my eye was when I took off the distributor cap, around 2 of the 4 terminals (don't know exact term) on the inside of the caps itself , the plastic was burnt up around them.

I started it this morning quickly and there is no more ping/knock sound.

I might just spring for a new HG and TC... but what would cause the plastic in the cap to burn like that?

 

Head gasket. You may have destroyed the head by driving it home as it is aluminum and will melt. Don't ask me how I know.....

 

It will ping and knock when the engine is overheating. Its an ignition ping. Your engine was so hot it probably simply melted the distributer.

Your coolant may have sucked into your engine through a bad head gasket which would explain the white smoke.

You may have got lucky if the coolant simply leaked out a broken hose and the "smoke" may have just been steam. Although since you just kept driving it may have warped the head anyways from overheating. It may have just been an old heater hose or rad hose that started to leak, but since you kept driving, it may cost you a new head. Don't do that again!

 

Took it apart today. Going to bring the head to the machine shop tommorrow. I hope ENGNBLDR's HG's are as good as stock, cause thats what I got.

 

Looks to me like coolant was leaking into #4 cylinder- which is why it is nicely steam cleaned. Your HG seems to be nicely melted onto the block as well.

I've heard Engnbldr head gaskets are good. If you are looking to do a performance cam ever or port and polish the intakes and exhaust openenings, now's a good time.

 

X2 get that head pressure tested and surfaced if it tests ok. Dont forget to replace your tstat as well

 

Thanks for the feedback. I don't exactly think the HG was melted onto the block, that stuff just flakes right off.

I actually changed my mind on the EB HG. That's the one that failed in the truck right now, so why use it again? I am gonna order a Toyota OEM tommorrow. What do you guys suggest cleaning the 2 surfaces with before reassembly?

 

Let the machine shop clean and suface the head. Dont do it yourself or you will regret it