opinions please......
 

the little red gutless wonder has blown a head gasket.... trying to decide to just replace the HG and buy a new head .. 250.00 if need be..or just go ahead and buy a rebuilt long block ... 950.00 + core, from a reputible engine builder here local... I'll be doing all the pulling and swapping. Truck has 188k on her. I've had the timing chain replaced 300 miles ago... I dont really have the funds for a complete motor, but i can scratch it up... if it helps... compression #1 150 #2 148 #3 152 #4 150

Replace all coolant hoses no matter what you do.
Buy a head gasket and new head bolts and have fun. Save up for a complete rebuilt engine.

with a blown head gasket wouldn't one cylinder have lower compression?

compression test was done before the HG gave up... probably 150-200 miles before

... new HG ....kinda what i've been thinking

Remove intake and exhaust, pull out of way, remove head.

Two bolts worthy of mention: one under the iolö lake at the front of the head - the other one is a long hex that goes through the intake plenum into the head from the co-drivers side.

These two bolts are important, otherwise it is straightforward, these two bolts are extremely hard to see, you will likely cuss the allen head in the intake, it is a 6mm, so you know you have the right size.

Good compression, already have a new timing chain. Unless you have dumped antifreeze in the oil I would say do the headgasket. Any reason you think you'll replace the head instead of having it shaved?

You didn't dump coolant in the oil and then drive it, did you? That is very hard on bearings but otherwise the bottom end in these things is tough and runs forever. So unless you are burning oil or have some other issue where you think there might be problems with your bottom end I would stick with the block I know, 180K isn't very much on these 22re's. I've only ever rebuilt one at under 300K (the one I'm currently driving) and I suspect a previous owner did something stupid. I spun a rod at 150K and while the truck looked like a brand new truck, other than the rearended bed, had obviously never been driven off road or on winter roads that had deicer/salt or anything, when I opened up the motor I could see form-a-gasket slopped around, so someone had already been into it previously to me.

Pulll head and lower intake as one piece, and then install as one. No fooling around with the lower intake bolts that way. It's heavy putting it back on. Make sure to put some zip ties around the cam gear and chain.

Pulling the top off as an assembly is something I've done before on the RET with the exhaust and turbo attached. It saves quite abit of labor but you need a friend or your hoist and engine leveler.

bearcat2, no, no oil or coolant mixing and nothing to make me think thats theres anything wrong in the bottom end... I was thinking of replacing the head as a worse case deal.....

on a second thought, would you bother changing cams.. i'd like to go alittle bigger, noting radical, just a step over stock.. then i wonder if the ECM will be able to compensate...

Oh you left that tidbit of info out ...
So what is it now?

Someone else will have to chime in on the cams, I've never ran anything but stock, although I've heard some good things about changing them, somebody else chime in here but do your research, from what I understand most of your other cams will give you extra power at certain rpms while not doing so good at others, so if you want more high end horses you can get it with one cam but at you will suffer at the low end where you would be lugging the motor such as trying to drive on top of deep snow or rock crawling. Or vice-versa, so if you change cams you need to know what you are looking to gain and what you are willing to lose to get it.

I have pulled a head with the intake attached, and may do it again that way now that I have an engine hoist, but without a hoist and/or a buddy to help it is less headache to seperate them on the truck. You're going to have to seperate them anyways if you are either having the head shaved or replacing it. If you have a hoist go ahead and pull them together if you want, it is easier to seperate them when you can roll them around to get at all the bolts.

There’s a mess of ways
 

If you are gonna go in that deep don’t half ass just tear it down and machine the heads and even leak down cause if it’s out and needs valve work done might as well! Then get new water pump and pulleys and tensionor, belts and just put it back together nice and clean a then you know what you have! But you really should always machine the heads if you blow a HG, that’s just common knowledge! But the other guys have good ideas if your in a hurry or tight on cash! But if it’s just to make it easier I have found out the hard way it never pays to be lazy or corner cutting with engine work! As far as cams someone said it right you gain in one spot and lose in others! If you want more power just swap a 3.4 cause the single overhead just isn’t built to pump power! But if you do EGR /PAIR and hardline delete when you put it back together she sparks up quite a bit plus you will get more overall life to you Yoter!

Ok I am pretty sure that's atleast twice someone has said something similar to "have it machined.." Or "Have it milled.." and not said anything about having it inspected..

Does it cost more to have it inspected and if needed machined yeah sure, but if it doesn't need it do not have it machined or you are shortening the life span of a presumably factory casting..

The original build tolerances on these are straight up mind boggling compared to what you're going to get from "random" machine shop personnel. Have a look at some of the professional write ups on the factory engines from way back when!

I agree with Co_94_PU in that having the head carefully inspected and measured is very important. It is difficult to tell of a head needs or is worth machining if it has not been thoroughly inspected! :)

:safari:

Get new rockers if you get a cam. The surfaces are worn to the current cam.
Lcengineering. 22reperformance, et cetera

just as an update... leaning toward a rebuilt motor, with the cam of my choice... https://www.redlineenginebuilders.co...ifter-camshaft ... I cant seem to convince myself to buy a new head or have it rebuilt, and new head gasket. If i was planning on getting rid of the truck in the near future, maybe, but thats not the plan. Hope to hang onto this one for a few years....

Definitely better to not have to take off material if possible. 50% of the time you will need it machined and always good to error on the side of couscous! I was pointing out that if you are gonna get into her elbow deep take the right steps and do it right! Sometimes time is a issue and I’ve seen people throw on heads that even the machine shop said would be ok without shaving and when they have to tear it down again after 5 or 10k it sucks!

would quinoa work?