Hi,

I've been browsing the threads here related to engine hesitation, sputtering, jerking, etc.

Specifically my '92 pickup hesitates upon acceleration and then jerks once I give it gas. It usually happens during uphill. The tach also jumps way ahead of the speedo and almost feels like the clutch is not fully engaged. Once I am up to speed or if I am on flat road the truck runs fine.

Well, I arrived home this morning and after getting out of the truck hear an oozing/steam escaping like sound coming from under the hood. I look and find coolant coming down the right side of the engine block. I did a quick search and found it could be just the water pump, but the problem is the water pump was just replaced about a year or two ago. Could it go bad after such a short while or am I definitely looking at a cracked head?

Thanks,
Lucas

 

Is the truck a 22RE or 3VZE?

If it's the water pump you'll see water leaking from around the water pump. See if you can trace the water leak back to its source. It could be a head gasket. If you're lucky it could be just the head gasket and the head is fine. There is no way to tell though without removing the head.

Also, I live in Sterling, VA. I've done a couple 22RE head gaskets and have plenty of spare parts and extra gaskets. I'll be home from college 11/16 and can help you out if you haven't got it figured out.

 

It's a 22RE. I don't see any water. In fact, it almost looks like the coolant is leaking from the bottom of the dipstick housing, or this is just where some of it collected. By the time I went back out to take a closer look at the leak, it was not leaking constantly like before. I drove around the block to warm up the engine but still did not see the constant leaking like I did earlier this morning.

A couple more notes:

1) Temp gauge reads normal
2) No check engine light
3) The idle is sometimes erratic, i.e. it will jump up to 1,500 then back down to 1,000. Idle sounds rough.

If it ends up being the head gasket, what is involved with replacing? I only know motorcycle engines, never dug into a truck or car before but wanted to learn eventually. If the head is OK and it's just the gasket, is it worth potentially rebuilding this engine if I did the labor?

Thanks,
Lucas

 

I just pulled the head on a friends 91 yesterday evening, it had many of the same symptoms, erratic idle, steam, coolant on the side of the block. The hg was leaking between 1&2 & between 3&4 and to the exhaust manifold in two spots, I think a new gasket will fix it. It's pretty much like a motorcycle with more bolts and wires and vac lines. Cell phone pics help with reassembly. Probably five hours. Check the timing chain while your there, his tc cover looked like this

 

It's all the same as a motorcycle. I work as a service tech at a motorcycle dealership. It's not any harder or easier than a motorcycle. A motorcycle has a lot more small parts. Cars and trucks are just 150% copys. All the bolts are going to be tigher and rusted. The hardest part with these trucks is getting the intake on and off. There are a million and one vacuum lines and even more hidden bolts. If you are not in a horrible rush, I would suggest getting metal backed timing chain guides and a genuine Toyota head gasket.

 

Thanks for the replies. The truck is not my main mode of transportation, I just use it for hauling so I am not in much of a rush. I was thinking of rebuilding the whole thing - I got an itch for a new project. I've seen the rebuild kits on Ebay for around $350. Is this the best way to go?

Lucas

 

If it's not burning oil or losing compression, I would leave the bottom end alone. I'd say if the head is good, clean it up, lap the valves and install new valve seals. New gaskets and slap her back together. Clean up the intake while it's off. The intake likes to gather a bunch of carbon. It's not exempt from emissions yet but you could block off the EGR and just remove it every two years to pass inspection.

As for those cheap kits, they are probably not the way to go. They are made of lesser quality metals and probably won't last as long as the parts that are currently in your motor. Most of the internal parts of these engines will last until they are nearly 300,000 miles old. The weak points are head gaskets, and timing chain guides. If you do one you should do the other whether it needs it or not because the process for each overlaps the other about 95%.