Need some ideas here. Finally got my rebuilt 22re installed and running great in my 87 4Runner. Only issue Im having is that it seems like engine is getting really hot!! 15min of idle and you can barely touch valve cover kind of hot.

Temp gauge is perfect right where it should be, no over heating. Oil pressure is good as well. Haven't ran it much because I've been so concerned about this. I need some ideas.

-new fan clutch, radiator, thermostat

 

If your cooling system is truly full and you are not boiling coolant out of the system,, it is unlikely that you can over heat the engine to a point where any damage can occur.

Temp estimation by laying on of hands is subjective at best, and temp measurements of various points with an infrared gun should satisfy your mind. These instruments can be got cheap at harbor freight and similar stores, although I would spend a few more $$ for a Fluke, or similar respected brand instrument, if it were me.
Measure radiator inlet and outlet temps for a true idea of whats really going on.
But , as I said first, if you're not boiling coolant out of the system, you're most likely OK.

 

Yeah will be getting some kind of infrared temp reader. And that's my exact thoughts...
But how about for you? When yours is at normal operating temp is your valve cover too hot to touch?

Edit: just realized you don't have 22re mentioned in your sig

 

After being run up to temp, yes.

 

Anyone else

 

What was your temp reading?

 

Slowly climbs to about halfway and doesn't go any higher.

 

Didn't you get a inferred temp gun?

 

Yeah she's right where she should be. 182. Looks like I need to quit over thinking lol

 

I've been trying to get my temp gauge to work better, using tips on this forum. It is better, but I don't believe it or trust it. The gauge used to go almost half way up and stay there. Today climbing mountains the gauge went up to the red mark, came down after it was done climbing. Popped the hood after I got home after 1 1/2 hours of driving and everything was fine, and I thought of this post, it was definitely too hot to touch the valve cover, but as I said after 1 1/2 hours of driving, not after 15 mins of idle. Kind of a long winded way of saying I wouldn't put a lot of stock in the factory gauge. I decided today to install an aftermarket gauge.

 

Thanks for reply!! Yeah I'm gonna get an after market as well. But for now I have an infrared gun I carry in the runner to be safe. I may have exaggerated on 15 min idle lol just wanted to get my point across about how hot it can get sometimes

 

you need to follow a break-in procedure for your motor. bearing tolerances are tight and the rings need to seat. as the parts wear and surfaces mate, heat is created. start with short drives, low max rpm, and light throttle. let motor completely cool afterwards. gradually increase the max rpm and throttle use. heat-cool cycles are important. overheating oil was glaze cylinders.

the advice i found online varies from "take it easy for the first 500 miles" to "drive it like you stole it!" probably the truth lies somewhere in between -- you must load the motor a bit, but do so in increments, with cooling afterwards.

when i replaced my motor, after the motor warmed up, it'd give it some throttle and accelerate in 2nd up to the max i was using that day, then coast in gear back down to 2000 rpm. i'd try to do this about half a dozen times during my 5 mile cross-town commute. I used break-in oil from Summit and changed the oil at 50 miles to clean out the worn metal bits that must be there. And again at 500.

 

I don't trust the stock gauge. Doesn't give actual temp reading. I'm also working on finding aftermarket. I want:
1) Electrical with a sender.
2) To Mount sender directly on the engine block so it will always read liquid even when coolant goes low. (When my HG finally blew, I was reading lower than normal on the freeway; probably because temp sender ontop of thermostat was not touching the liquid coolant anymore).
3) To read actual temp in degrees F.
4) Option, if I can find it, is one with contacts that close at certain temp to trigger a buzzer and a light to catch the attention.

Potential location of aftermarket tmep sender, courtesy of Chefyota:

 

I installed an Equus 8242 mechanical water temp gauge today. I put it in the gauge sender location. I put the gauge sender where the FPU switch was for a "back up". I also got a 9852 adapter from Equus to put in the sender location. I am pleased with the gauge and adapter. $33 for the gauge and $6.49 for the adapter. I'll put some pictures in the post I started titled Aftermarket temp. gauge.