I realize I only have 5 posts on here but that is because I normally find what I need just by searching through the archives and google but I am stumped.

I have a 90 4runner 22re I hydrolocked. There were no holes in the block but I found an 84 celica 22re on craiglist for pretty cheap and just decided to do a swap. Everything went in fine except for all of the emissions stuff. I just completely removed and plated all of the egr stuff, and capped the vacuum connections. I used the long block from the celica and bolted on all of my extras--- intake manifold, starter, alternator, etc. Not all of the brackets fit well because of the difference in the height of the blocks but in the end I got it all on.

Now that it is all together and running I have a ton of pressure crankcase! When I remove the oil filler cap the idle drops and the engine begins to run rough. The power doesn't seem much worse than my old engine, except that it has a slight stutter until I get above about 2000 rpm. I probably went wrong buying an engine without being able to listen to it run but it is too late for that.

The first thing I tried was replacing the pcv, distributor cap, plugs and wires. Timed to 5 degress btdc with the diagnostic terminals jumped. Adjusted the valves to FSM ( didn't have the 84 book but adjusted the same as my 90) .008" intake and .012" exhaust. There is still some valve tick but I did not want to over tighten.

At this point the only thing I can think of to be causing this is bad rings but my compression numbers came back within spec.
compression numbers #1- 170 psi, #2- 170 psi, #3 160 psi, #4 172 psi. I added some oil in to number three and the pressure did not come up any noticable ammount. .

I have not done a leak down test because I don't have a reliable air compressor. Is there anything else I should check or just start tearing into it on the assumption of rings?

The other option is run this one until it dies and hope I can find the time and successfully rebuild the one I hydrolocked.

Sorry for the long winded post and any help or experience would be greatly appreciated.

 

#3 ring due to the 10psi difference or valve seals will also cause blowby into the head. Perfectly normal for the engine to run weird with oil cap removed. If you search for "engine run weird when oil cap removed" here you will see why. Also to a certain extent there will still be an amount of pressure build up in the crank case. This is what the PCV system is for.

 

i am inclined to think that because the differance in the block height, that is why your seeing too much pressure in the crank case. iirc, the block is actuall a little taller from the older style block to the newer style block, so there is less room when your cylinders come up thus causing a high crank case pressure reading. i could be completly out of my mind about this , so lets hear what others have to say...

1981 - 1984 22R Block
Deck Height 11.280\"
Stock Bore 92.0mm - 3.622\"
Maximum Over Bore (Cast Piston) 93.0mm - 3.662\" (+.040\" Over)
Big Bore Forged Piston Kit 94.0mm - 3.701\" (+.080\" Over)

1985 - 1995 22R-22RE \"Laser Block\"
Deck Height 11.090\"
Stock Bore 92.0mm - 3.622\"
Maximum Over Bore (Cast Piston) 93.0mm - 3.6662\" (+.040\")
Big Bore Forged Piston Kit 94.0mm - 3.701\" (+.080\" Over)


All Toyota 20R - 22R - 22RE engines use the same crankshaft and connecting rods. To accommodate the different deck heights, Toyota changed the compression height (piston pin location).

 

Thanks for the help xxxtreme22r. I know that it may run weird with the valve cap removed but I have never had one that blows oil out at me when I take it out. If it is the valve seals is there any danger in running it that way for a little while? The engine sat in my basement for six months until the school semester ended and I had some time to deal with it. This may have been bad on the seals?

OrRunner- From the reading I have done the height shouldn't make a difference in the crankcase pressure. I used the long block from the celica (head and block). I did not touch anything as far as the engine goes internally. The only thing I did was adjusted the valves so I don't think that's it. Then again I might also be crazy........

 

I think the blow by is caused by that 10psi drop in #3 as well.

Or runner has a point, but I think having a newer head on an older/taller block would only cause valve interference and possibly an off compression ratio.

Edit: He used the head/block from the celica. My moneys on rings

 

How/why do you think there is excess crankcase pressure? Because of the removing oil cap thing? That is perfectly normal. Does it run rough with oil cap on? The stutter could be a list of many things- dirty injectors, bad plug, wire, rotor, cap, coil, wire somewhere, dirty intake, exhaust leak, intake leak, etc.

Toyota calls for between 141 and 171 psi for the 22re with no more than 14 psi difference between cylinders. You are within spec. If the oil in the chamber while doing the pressure test didnt result in "better" numbers than your valve seat(s) could be not sealing.

Edit: You capped off all emissions stuff? That is probably why you have a stutter and "high" crank case pressure.

 

I agree that the compression numbers are in spec and that there are lots of other things that could cause the stutter. My main concern is still the blow by. My camera is not working or I would take a movie of it, but I don't think it is a normal amount. I took the cap off of my 98 4runner and put a piece of paper in front of it and did not have anywhere close to the same results. If I place a piece of paper in front of the 22re cap it sucks in and out and gets splattered with oil.

My first choice was not to cap the emissions stuff but I was forced to use the lower part of the intake manifold from the celica because it had the temperature sensor in it. On the 90 it is on the block. Because of this I lost the stuff needed to re-install the emissions stuff.

I guess I will continue driving it to see if the problem gets worse. In the mean time I will start to tear apart the engine I took through the water and see how bad the damage is. Maybe I will learn a thing or a thousand and attempt to rebuild that engine.