As of now, I will try the following:

seafoam (GotToyota?)
Cylinder check by removing sparkplug wire (arlindsay1992)
Diagnostic (arlindsay1992)

When I try the diagnostics trick can I use a paper clip or does it have to be a special jumper wrie?

 

For diagnostic you can use a paperclip no problem.

 

I ran the seafoam. Think I'm gonna try again in the morning. I find that the screw for the o2 sensor screwed up the thread hole. Now it does not tighten all the way. I'll have to hit that with the ultra copper gasket stuff.

**** Diagnostics*****

Thank you for showing me this. So, I tried it and the check engine light flashed once every 5 seconds ...... what does that mean?

 

That would be a code 1. On my 87 4Runner that would indicate all systems are good. I'm not sure on your year, they changed the codes somewhere along the line.

 

Truck is an 87.

All systems are good?

 

**Cylinder check**

O.k

I started the truck and removed each of the spark plug wires. Each time I pulled off the wire the truck acted up and so I turned it off, plugged it back it and went to the next.

All showed the same results except the last one.

The one closest to the cab, is that #1 or #4? When I pulled that off, nothing happened. So only 3 cylinders are working. !!!!!

Whats the next step? Try new wires? New plugs? Drive it off a cliff?

 

New plugs first. New wires if that doesn't work.

 

New plugs, new wires. Same thing.

Battery light is on now. I changed that and the alternator in September.

While the truck was idling, it just died. Im done. Help me push it off a cliff.

 

Make sure the connectors to the injectors are securely plugged in and make sure the connections are clean/good. Did all the spark plugs look the same? If #4 is wet and smells like antifreeze you have a blown head gasket (like I did) or cracked head. When I first got my truck I found the PO had left the little metal clip off the last injector plug causing it to lose the connection randomly and randomly drop a cylinder,then start running fine again. It was dark back there so I didn't catch it the first time I looked. In the end the 20+ year old plugs weren't in the best shape so I replaced all of them. Worked great til the head gasket blew months later.

 

All the spark plugs looked the same before I changed them. I cant remember if they were all "wet" but the one discovered today in that chamber was definitely "wet".

So now I'm try to figure out the next step. I do not have a huge garage, I do not have a lot of tools and I am technically challenged.

 

Well, if its wet, that doesn't mean that your HG went. Could be unburned fuel. Probably is. At least some of it. Try a compression test. If it looks ok on #4 (the back one) it might not be HG. Is it possible to remove your sparkplug on #4, lay it against the block and crank? Or use a spark tester.

'89 22RE 4x4 longbed DLX
Sent from my LG-P505 using YotaTech

 

Tomorrow I will try the compression test. This is what the spark plug looked like. I don't really want to go through the trash but I'd say the other 3 were quite similar.

These were in since September

 

Is that gap huge, or just a funny looking tip on that plug? Off top of my head, isn't .045 correct?

'89 22RE 4x4 longbed DLX
Sent from my LG-P505 using YotaTech

 

These are NGKs, the same I had before. I never gaped them so since you asked the old ones are .035. I can only assume that the new ones I put in yesterday are .035 as well.

 

Ok. They're usually pretty close out of the box. I check n adjust before install, but I've seen them installed without. That one just looked weird. Try shooting carb cleaner across it, dry with a lighter, and see if it works momentarily.

'89 22RE 4x4 longbed DLX
Sent from my LG-P505 using YotaTech

 

For ˟˟˟˟s and giggles I decided to take the valve cover out. This is my very first time doing so ..

Um ???

 

Um??? I'm not sure what you're seeing? It looks ok at a glance, to me. Looks like #4 is on exhaust stroke?

'89 22RE 4x4 longbed DLX
Sent from my LG-P505 using YotaTech

 

I guess what caught my eye was how the spring was compressed compared to the others. I literally thought it was stuck. I took a good long look and realized that it's fine because of the position.

Will do a compression test tonight

 

I know this is a bit simple but have you tried a new air and fuel filter? Also Im my truck I run a stage hotter plug than from factory. All sparks plugs should have there gap checked before being installed into the engine. On your compression each cylinder should be with in 10-20 lbs of all the other cylinders. Have you tried unplugging each fuel injector while the engine was running?

 

I have also noticed that on those 22RE engines that leaking exhaust or cut-off exhaust will really screw up the engines. Depending on how long your exhaust has been leaking you may have a burnt valve. But basically your issue is that you have a dead cylinder. There's a couple things that causes this. Your cylinder is ither not firing or your not getting fuel into the chamber. What I'd do first is check and see if its firing through the plug ( you can use a old plug to do this. Just plug it in an start the engine. Check an see if its sparking. ) ok if that checks out fine then that sorta tells ya that its not in the firing part of the engine. Next step of course would be check your compression. If I was you I would check all four cylinders just to see how close each one is to the other. If there all reading about the same then your problem shouldn't be in the cylinders. Next thing on the list would be a faulty injector. Injectors are not too cheap and cause major problems if not working properly. In the past I have removed injectors and cleaned the tips am they work fine. One thing you can do to kinda check your injector is remove it and take a little gas and pour it into the tip (top of injector) part of the injector then take to little wires and touch your injector pronges to a battery if it clicks and sprays a nice wide spray then it's working properly. If it doesn't click nor spray then it's bad. Make sure that it sprays and not just dribble. If it just dribbles then its probably clogged. Those are just some tips so good luck