Hi all,
I've got a 97 taco with 182K and what I think is a head issue. I changed the head gasket myself after I bought the truck a couple of years ago (it had coolant in the oil). I used all Toyota parts from the dealer. The truck has run well until yesterday, when it started skipping bad and I could smell coolant from the exhaust. I got it home and it doesn't have any coolant in the oil yet but does have the white on the underside of the oil cap. I live in Juneau, AK and there isn't anyone to check or machine the head so it looks like I'm going to have to order a new one. Shipping is going to cost a small fortune so I want to order the right one the first time. Have any of you had experience buying new or remanufactured heads? If so I would love to hear the good and the bad.
Also, is there any chance that the block itself is warped or damaged? I hate to buy a new head and install it just to find out there are other issues.
Thanks