kcrunner

First off, new to YotaTech, want to say hi and glad to be here!!!!!

OK.
replacing timing chain and head, ordered new head from J&C Enterprises. Went to install new head and couldn't torque down, pistons hitting head. The pistons are dome-shaped, starting to sound like its an engine that was originally turbo. I don't know the history of this vehicle. But there is a bunch of s%$t in the engine compartment that isn't being used, and the manifold is not original.

Pretty sure the exhaust ports are pear-shaped on the old head (shipped the core out yesterday, don't have it for reference til next week).

So......pear-shaped exhaust ports and domed pistons.

Any thoughts.

CyMoN

heres a link that may help http://lcengineering.com/TechNotes/TechNote49.htm

kcrunner

Thanks for the link. I'm really starting to think its a 22RT-E, sans turbo. That could explain why the engine is so gutless. I'm probably running an engine that was designed to have turbo.....without turbo. I did some reading about the different 20R series engines and the only one with "dished" pistons is the turbo.

dcg9381

I don't think it's a turbo. The turbo block is easiliy ID'd by having an oil feed on the drivers side rear and an oil drain about mid way, bottom of the block, drivers side.

22RE with 22RTE pistons? Unlikely. The 22RTE pistons are designed to lower the compression over the 22RE pistons. That is, they're not going to have as much area.. Here's a photo of 22RTE pistons - they're basically flat. You'd be less likely to hit with 22RTE pistons.

http://lakebox.dnsalias.com/photos/1...n/DSC05243.JPG


If I recall right the 22R/22RE pistons have "crown" on them.
Can you post a photo of the pistons you've got? I assume they're sticking up from the block somewhat?

kcrunner

Those are the ones! Those are my pistons.

Thanks for the info. No pics, it's at my mechanics house and I'm hard at work here, obviously. But i'm pretty sure that's what my pistons look like.

All I know is that I ordered a 22RE head, and the pistons I have are hitting the head before it can be torqued down.

kcrunner

Correction:

My mechanic said the pistons are sort-of dome shaped and look like the bottom of a pop-can. WTF??

kcrunner

All right, I'm getting tired of adding to my own post but.....
mechanic said the pistons looked like they have a "pop-up ring" in the center of the piston. That tells me that it's a turbo, going off of the above pics.

dcg9381

The center of the turbo pistons isn't raised.
Have your mechanic check the deck height. I wonder if they screwed up and sent you the shorter block with early pistons...

kcrunner

I'll do that. Thanks for all the input guys, much appreciated!!

CyMoN

heres a pic of a 87 22re

Jay351

couldnt you check your vin to see if your truck came with the 22re turbo?

dcg9381

Neither turbo pistons nor a turbo block will cause this problem.
The 22RTE block and 22RE head can be used together.. Well, assuming you've got a turbo... :-)

stock87

Didn't the early 22Rs come with different pistons to accommodate the taller deck height?

Was your timing chain single or dual row? It's sounding like you have an early 22R block in there.

maxpower_hd

I don't know if it was to accomodate the deck height but yes, the pre laser blocks came with domed pistons. If the block is from a pre 1985 truck, then it is the wrong block. 85 and up had the non domed pistons, shorter deck height on the block and a different head. You can identify the laser block by looking for a bossed shape on the lower drivers side of the block. It looks sort of like a circle with two smaller circles attached to make an out of shape oval. Sort of like this oOo but all connected.

I took me a bit but here is a link to identify the blocks.

http://www.lcengineering.com/TechNotes/TechNote49.htm

kcrunner

Wouldn't help to check VIN number, I'm pretty sure this is not the original engine. There are things under the hood that just don't make sense, even to Toyota mechanics. I'm finding male and female plugs on the end of a few hoses that don't have mates. In other words, they used to have SOME purpose, but there not being used now. The manifold is not what you would typically find on a 22re, b/c I took it to the Toyota dealership and they couldn't tell where the manifold came from.

It looks like someone who owned the truck in the past installed a new engine, but thought there weren't any 22re's available (they must have lived in Afghanistan..no wait, the Hi-Lux is the official truck of the Taliban). So I'm thinking that there must have been a 22rte laying around w/o the turbo and they stuck it in.

kcrunner

Single row timing chain, so it's not an eearly 22R.

kcrunner

Well, I ordered a 22re head and it will not fit my block. So if that's the case, maybe the vendor screwed up?

dcg9381

Tell you what, post up some photos and we'll be able to tell you what's going on. You mentioined that you simply replaced the head, the lower end stayed the same - so I got off track there for a second by suggesting that it was a piston issue...

I'm wondering if you have a pre-1985 block....



Take a few photos of the block deck with pistons in it and the head.. Post 'em.. We'll have it figured out in no time. That's the easiest way to help you...


Here are a few more photos that might help if you don't want to post pictures.. notice the differences in combustion chamber:

1) 22R head - goes with an early block:








2) 22R Piston in the block.. ignore the ring debris:





3) 22RE head:

kcrunner

yeah, that's the same head the vendor sent me. So it may be a pre-1985 Block. I'll find out next week when the vendor receives my old head(core) that I sent to him. From there, he can take a look at it and tell me what I have.

Thanks guys.

I'll update after I get some info.

Yoda

We had a truck with one of those "low mile Japanese" engines in it. It was a 21R. Whole different puppy.