You'll want new head bolts as they are made to be used only once, might as well do the timing belt and water pump while you're in there and adust the valves and new valve seals

 

Thanks!

 

sucks, dude

but it does make me a little happier i didn't choose a 3.0 pickup i was looking at, with 177k original miles, when i decided instead to buy this one (22re)

 

The latest . . .
Head gasket done, replaced thermostat and fan clutch. Runs good, but won't get up to operating temperature, only about halfway between cold and normal. So, of course, I am without overdrive.

What gives?

Taking it back to them Monday.

 

Thermostat stuck open?

 

I sure hope that's all it is.

 

What else did you replace with the head gasket? Did they use new headbolts?

 

They said that they did. They also replaced the thermostat and fan clutch. The water pump and timing belt were replaced within the last 40K miles.

New development: Now I smell gasoline whenever I first start it up. The smell goes away after a couple minutes. Geeeezzzz . . .

 

A gas smell is maybe a bad injector; Are you sure they knew what they doing? Were they a Toyota mechnanic? I had my engine torn down and the headgaskets replaced recently by a guy who works at a Toyota dealership and now it runs better than it did when I bought it last year. It sounds like maybe you rmechanic is a little sloppy. BTW mine truck's the same as yours except red.

 

At this point I'm not certain that they know what they're doing. But I'm getting ready to take it back to them -- leave it today so they can start first thing tomorrow. (sigh)

 

Gee guy, were I in your situation I would try to find a another mechanic that I had greater confidence in. If nothing else than to ease your doubtful mind.

Thing about these diag. codes is that just because it says "oxygen sensor" doesn't mean that it's bad. And just because it won't reach oper. temp. doesn't mean it's the thermo. There are other components, i.e. the engine coolant temp. sensor, that go bad and start to cause similar symptoms and effect the above components. When the ECT sensor went out on my wife's
'92 I had looked at and replaced a few other parts until I found what the apex of the problem was. In the end, all actually needed replacing (including the top end rebuild), but the final end to the viscious cycle was the ECT. You might look there, as well.

 

Actually, I don't know if the O2 sensor code had anything at all to do with the ultimate head gasket demise. As far as finding another mechanic, I've now got a significant investment in their head gasket repair job, so I really have to give them a shot at making this right. It IS under their 90 day labor warranty, after all. And you can be sure that once I get it back this time I'm going to drive, drive, drive all I can in that 90 day period. If anything is going to happen I want it to happen as soon as possible.

 

UPDATE:
I am driving my 4Runner again, and darn pleased to say so.

The gasoline smell was a bad fuel line connection, so that's no longer an issue. And driving it home it did get up to temperature enough that it kicked into OD. Still, it seemed to take longer than before to get to op temp, and actually the gauge stayed to the left of the center, whereas it has been at dead center for the past 12 years. But at least we're back on the road again. Thanks to everyone who helped me through this.

 

or maybe its improperly installed?? they only have one way to go in....