Hello folks. I have been reading several Toyota forums for the last month or so and this one seems to have the most members who have actually done what they talk about as opposed to theorizing about it. So, here we go. I am not totally ignorant to the 22RE and have had several Toyota pickups and have done more swaps than I care to mention and what not. However, I have not had to do a complete rebuild and I am at a stage where I am. I am down to one Yota now and I drive it every day. Its an 89 with 22re and an auto. Tranny is great and motor was but started pinging at idle about 3 weeks ago. Now, I am almost certain that its a wrist pin and I could probably just drive this thing for another 30,000 before I HAD to do anything but I am pretty particular about stuff like that and so here is the plan. I don't want to be without the truck for much more than a day so I bought a motor yesterday (complete but wore out at 160k/not spun-not blown) and the plan is to rebuild it and have a ready drop-in standing by.I am doing this on the cheap or I'd just go crazy with all the toys out there but I like the stock reliability and 96% of what I do is on the road so I don't need a hoss of a 4-banger. With the background info done here is my question: rebuild kit from Japan Engines or the LC basic rebuild kit. Just so you know I did look at the next step up in rebuild kits from LC and they seem to be the same thing except for a better oil pump, pistons and rings. The Japan kit is cheaper but if it would be fine for what I'm doing I don't see any point in spend an extra $75.00. Any thoughts on this or any ideas on what I might do during the rebuild are very welcome. Thanks guys.

 

http://www.engnbldr.com/

 

I keep hearing about egnbldr so I'll definetly take a look. Thank you for the link. Any thoughts on cams? I hadn't really planned on doing anything as far as a different cam goes but I'll be the first to admit that a little more a#s would be nice on these hills in east TN. My brother is telling me to go for it but I'df hate to buy a $170 cam and not really see any gains. I just havent ever driven a 22re with a aftermarket cam in it so I flat out don't know. Thanks again.

 

I got the mild RV cam. Ted (engnbldr) asked what I was looking for and recommended it. Hard to say, when you've just put in a rebuilt engine, what's the cam and what's just the freshly rebuilt engine, when it comes to power...

You can also email him these questions, he's very responsive and helpful. Definitely do not go cheap on the rebuild kit. Get something quality.

 

What ever you do, get a full gasket kit from the dealer. Much better quality gaskets and it will have all of them for the wird stuff too. Plus it will have a OEM head gasket, the most importiant one!

 

yep use a oem hg and go for the cam i love mine

 

First thing you need to do before spending any money is pull this engine apart and see what you need to just make things right.

Are the cylinder bores egg shaped or scored that it you will need to clean them up to .010 so they are round again.

Will the crank polish up so you can use standard size bearings or does that need to be turned to clean up.

I hear of so many people jumping the gun and ordering parts before they know what they have.

I also vote for engine builder. I can tell no difference in his Head gasket compared to the one from my dealer.

 

I would have to graciously disagree. The OEM head gasket has metal rings around each cylinder and water / oil passage. The engine builder one (ROCK) only has them around the cylinders. Also the OEM is thicker and it conforms to any inperfections the block may have, which is nice

 

Interesting either the dealer bought rock head gaskets or rock sourced some from Toyota.

It is no big deal but the two I had were identical because I also thought the Toyota one to be superior.

Just one of those strange things that happen I guess at times . I must of bought these about 5 years ago.

It is to bad I had to use one or I could take pictures and measurements.

I stand corrected as one would say it was just a fluke and a chance thing.

 

Yeah there is no way rock gasket is even similar to oem..

 

My Rock HG looks the same as the one from the dealer also... Wether the metal is as good of quality or whatever may be different. But, it LOOKS the same. metal rings everywhere and all... Design is the same. Hmm...