Questions on rebuilding a 22re
 

Those of you that have rebuilt a 22r series motor, has anything negative happened (gone wrong, didn't work, etc..) after the rebuild? If so, what?

Also, if you have rebuilt a motor and have any positive comments I would like to hear them as well.

If I do rebuild, I am getting the kit from Ted at Engnbuildr.com. From what Ted told me in an e-mail, it sounds as if my rings have gone bad and that is the reason for my oil consumption.

If I do rebuild, is there anything else I should do to make sure everything goes smoothly? I am going to replace the motor mounts because mine are shot and I am getting the Cam from ted as well. Anything else? Thanks!

My advice:
Getting the distributor/timing right. There isn't any reason to be 180 off on a 22R series.
Make sure that your oil galley plugs are reinstalled if you have the block tanked.
Pack your oil pump.

Don't bore/final hone your block until your machinist has the pistons in hand.
Machine work is critical to a long lasting rebuild. If you're skipping the machine work, you might as well skip the rebuild. Expect to spend $800 +/- $200 or so total.

Label everything. Take too many photos before you pull it out.
It's a good time to do a clutch, BTW.

I wasn't planning on doing any kind of machine work and my mechainic at toyota was going to do it for me. he was going to check the head and all that to see if it needed to be machined but other than that I was just going to install the new parts.

Has anybody done what I am planning on doing without any problems?

I put dual timing chain on my 87 4runner from LC engineering. They said it would last the life of my motor. Might want to look real close at the water pipes that hook up to the back of the block. They are a pain to change, while on the truck. robert

any other feedback?

If you want to do it right, plan on spending appox. $1200. Don't go the cheap route, you will be sorry in the long run. Plus if you are getting a hopped up cam, get an adjustable cam gear from LC Engineering. they come in dual runner (if going that route) and single. You will need this to get the right timing down right because of your cam. BTW what is your cam profile? If its above 272 your computer is going to have a serious issue. Check to see how your rocker arm assembly is. You don't want a brand new cam eaten up by a worn out rocker arm. Also you might want to have your injectors cleaned.
When you get your head redone, make sure they check the valves and seats (had issues when a shop didn't replace the seats). If they are worn out look into getting aftermarket valves. Another mod you can look into is having your head ported and polished.

Hope this helps. :D

label label label
-i used blue painters tape to label everything from vac hoses to wiring.
-tap out all threads
-i even used a big sheet of cardboard to lay out entire reassembly processes
-if you think you attached a gasket wrong, tear it apart and do it again(get good connections)
-get a good torque wrench
-don't drink too much while working at 3am under moon light;)
-don't let anyone bore it 40 over sized
-and yes, take lots of pictures
I had a lot of fun doing mine, but i did let the shop shortblock it for me.
Take your time, and good luck!----J-

Not the drinking part but had plenty of midnight madness "under a glow of a neon light" rebuilding mine. :lol: :shocked:

Not the drinking part but had plenty of midnight madness "under a glow of a neon light" rebuilding mine. :shocked:

i think ted told me to get the 261 cam. is that going to be alright? thanks for the comments.

HeliCoil the Exhaust Manifold Studs.

You can simply hone your cylinders as long as you, or someone else, have the tools and can measure everything properly to make sure everything is within spec. All honing does, or is supposed to do, is take the glaze off and put the cross hatch pattern back into the cylinder walls. The standard pistons and rings are made to fit the standard bore so there should not be an issue. The same goes with the head. It does not always have to be shaved. You can check it as well. You do need some machinest tools and a little knowledge on how to use them though. It is spelled out in the service manual exactly how to do it.

There are many "do it right" standards.
I'd say having the correct tools to verify the bore size across all 4 cylinders at several places in each bore is minimum. When you hone the cylinder, you're removing material. That removed material, assuming the bore was even to begin with, impacts piston to wall clearance. It still can be in spec.

When I rebuild a motor, I get the pistons in first. Pistons, especially inexpensive cast pistons tend to vary a little bit in size between one and the next. Because they vary, you really can't do an exact final hone until you know what that individual piston size is. Many machine shops just do a general bore without having the parts in. Some will bore and hone, never having measured the pistons.

Ring gap also has to be matched to bore size.

A good machinist is a lifesaver... These engines aren't difficult to rebuild, you just need some good advice like the guys above are giving you.

You said it, brother. You get what you pay for to a large extent.
I would very seriously avoid the hone+stock piston/ring path without checking the bores for round-ness. The bores tend to get oval and the 22R gets piston slap pretty commonly. The slugs need to travel through a round hole and you could certainly need an overbore to achieve it.

I would definitely get a machine shop involved and get some eyeballs on the insides before ordering anything. You really don't know how much you need until you start tearing it apart.

So would I just be better off getting a motor from Orientengine.com or that place in Oregon that many people are buying from? It seems that it would be about the same price as having the block macined and put back together to spec. They already have this stuff done and it is just a basic swap after that, right?

Oh, and I have an automatic so no clutch to worry about.

No, not necessarily. A good local machinist and some time on your part and I think you can do a fine job. My local shop quoted right at about $1000 for a completely rebuilt bottom end (tank the block, bore the cylinders, turn the crank and rods, line bore the mains, new bearings, wrist pin bushings, piston, rings and balance and assembled). That is all new except basically the block, crank and rods. If you redo your head, that's maybe another $600 total (clean the casting, new valves, seats, cam and rockers). Add in about $500 for timing parts, gaskets and misc hardware and you will have an engine that will go easily 200K mile more without much issue. You'd have the option to do as much or little as you want and have the satisfaction that you had done what you want and how you wanted it.

The upside of an Orient engine is that you're right, bolt out the old one and bolt in the new one. Nothing wrong with that.

I got my engine from orient. So far things are going well. I have the new motor in and it is running well.

Do as others have said and label even the simplest of things you remove, take pictures of each step(remove the plenum, take pics...remove the lower intake, take pics, and so on).

Do a really good job seating the gaskets right. My engine is leaking oil from either the RMS, or the oil pan. Frustrating because I just had it out and I thought I had done a really good job on the gaskets. Come to think of it, if it is my RMS leaking I am going to be bent, as it should be brand new from Orient. That said I do think it is the oil pan, something I can redo when I drop my front axel.

Finally you should really consider if you want to get into the bottom end, I guess weigh your experience and knowledge against time and cost. For me it made more sense to buy a longblock.

The only way you'll be better off is in terms of time. If time is a factor for you, go the reman'd route or buy a core motor (usally $100-$200) and rebuild it.

This isn't rocket science and the 22R is a great motor to start out rebuilding. You've got tons of support, inexpensive parts, and a great place to get help...

When you start buying older cars - you'll see a lot of people advertising "rebuilt motor". Then you'll find out that a rebuilt motor means they changed the bearings and put new rings in it. Seriously, a properly rebuilt motor is hard to find if you're going to your basic backyard mechanic (like me). Do it right and you'll get another 200k+ out of that motor and you'll know it backwards and forwards!