96 4Runner 304,219 miles

One of these things is not like the other....
One of these things just doesn't belong!
There are words I am thinking that aren't nice to share.....
So I guess this had better be the
end of the song!



Started it up this afternoon and noticed a lot of smoke- and it didn't really quit. Smelling coolant. Started running rough. Coolant not bubbling in overflow. Smoke worse on start-up or taking off after idling.
Coolant level normal, but there's an obvious problem and you can see and feel the engine has a miss. Go ahead and drive it home, about 10 miles. It finally popped a code at about mile 7, misfire cyl 3. In the last half mile it started running pretty rough on take-off (stop and go traffic).

Above are the plugs for 1,3 and 5. #3 is the wet one- it's coolant. Slight gas smell in the coolant overflow tank. Very very slight evidence of coolant on oil cap and on dipstick. After sitting for a bit there is no more coolant in the reservoir, haven't opened the radiator. Can see top of piston- it's wet too, the others are dry.
It's parked, won't be driven again until it's fixed.

 

Getting started. We pulled upper and lower plenum, intake manifold w/fuel rail, upper timing belt cover, power steering pump, fan, air box to get it out of the way. Got cold and hungry, waiting for the oven to warm up to make food.
Any and all tips are surely appreciated.
Contemplating doing the injectors because right there and 304,xxx miles on them, probably would send mine out if I did. At least it's not very hard to get to them, if I choose to leave them alone for now.

I guess on the plus side I can say this is the first time for a head gasket according to the records and the 1996 & '97 3.4 were known to have issues.

 

Well, you're not wasting any time!!

 

Winter's coming millball!

I turned it over with the plugs out, #3 was sneezing coolant all over the '99 sitting next to it.

I'm thinking this go-round it's gonna get head gaskets. It's got some blow-by and is a little gutless compared to the '99 but still seems to be in overall decent shape. Assuming that head gasket is the issue, of course.


For anyone who cares- the rescue tape I used when I did the valve cover gaskets in place of the crumbly plastic wire harness cover that runs under the plenum is holding up great and the wires under it look fine.

 

Well........



x2!!

Over 300,000 miles is not to bad though!

 

Dang that sucks! Good luck with the work

 

Ah, that's a direct quote from me. Multiple times.

Yes it does and thanks! I've been looking up threads and videos to get some tips, plus have the FSM. I sure do hope it's not a cracked head...I've been seeing many posts about those, especially at #3. Crossing fingers just a head gasket, I do tend to overthink at times, and overworry.


Waiting for it to warm up a bit- it got down to 28 degrees this morning- before I start wrestling more stuff off. I am not looking forward to the exhaust manifolds at all.

 

That is a bummer. i did like old87's icon; "oh.... pooh!" (Right?) hahaha!

 

Right!
Oh, the thought definitely crossed my mind about that long trip out west. Totally agree with you on that one! Last weekend we were a couple of hours out of town, I'm even glad it behaved itself there, too, though it would have been way easier to deal with than if it had been on that long trip.

Pulled more stuff off it today, alternator, batteries, my electrical stuff tray, a little more of the stuff on the front of the engine, the exhaust manifold heat shields, the skid plate.....just.....stuff.




Made sure the timing marks were lined up in preparation for removing the upper pulleys and more antifreeze came pooping out of #3 when rotating the crank.

 

Looks like fun Habanero!
are you gonna do the timing belt/water pump etc while you have it gutted?

 

Hi dropzone!
Did it spring of 2017, I believe. Would have been nice if the TB/WP job and the valve cover gaskets and the alternator and the new maf/airbox all coincided with this work. On the plus side, there are a lot of bolts that have been loosened in more recent times so a lot of those are easier to remove.

I'm gonna have to wait to say it's fun- next up is to pull the exhaust manifolds after unbolting them from the cross-over pipe and the block. Cross fingers for me!
At least so far I am familiar with the parts I'm removing- the heads will be something new.

I'm still trying to decide whether to get the injectors tested and cleaned, or replacing them, or just leaving them alone- being it's in the neighborhood of what I have to do.

 

exhaust manifolds I don't enjoy..hard enough on a 22re, no room on the V-6. If I had to do I would probably suck it up and find a set of headers to throw on there
perfect time to do the injectors..

 

I picked up some used injectors at the junkyard on Saturday because why not. They looked nasty inside with carbon buildup. I think it had around 250k miles. If I have to have my engine apart that much again, I will definitely send them off to be cleaned. I bet we would have a lot more power.

 

Amazingly all the bolts (and three of the studs) came off the 'easy' side manifold and cross-over without too much trouble. Couldn't believe it. Will tackle the more crowded side this afternoon.

It would be nice to have a second set to send out- a lot less down time.
Hmmmmm....I'll look at them and then decide- send out or buy new toyota injectors? So long as the old injectors aren't too brittle it seems to make more sense to get them cleaned.

 

I did manage to snap a quick video of the '96 exhaust as it sat idling:



Hah, I can't say mich as I've blown more than my fair share of HG on my turbo Volvos. One time it was blowing neat steam rings out the exhaust, clear across the driveway, about 30 or 40 feet.

 

^ that and all of a sudden. It was good, it was not good.

I guess it either felt neglected or that I didn't already have enough on my overcrowded plate.

One exhaust crossover pipe nut left to do and I'll have all the exhaust manifold related bolts out. Okay, going to it now. I saved the most hardest to get to for laaaaaaassssst.

 

Very slow going, so many things to get done besides this.
Got down to the cam pulleys last night, got one bolt off with teamwork, the other was a nope nope nopity nope. Pulled the radiator and tried to get the corded impact to do the job. Also a nope but I did have to use a wobble to fit it in the space, that prolly didn't help.
Husband mentioned a really good cordless impact- today I got a Milwaukee 2767-22. Spouse price was.......less......than actual price.
Well, he would have eventually got it, it's been mentioned a number of times. I just beat him to it!
Anyway, it got that stupid bolt right off!

After those were off the cam sensor came off and so did the timing belt backing plate. Next up was aligning the cam gear dots and putting a bolt in the hole for doing that sort of thing. It will hold the gear/spring combo in place.
right side, two dots- of course they're on the back side of the cam. I used the pic to make sure I'd gotten them aligned.


left side, single dots


And the bolt goes in from the front and threads into the rear section of the 2 piece gear and will keep it aligned when the cams come out.


Tomorrow I hope to pull heads.

 

Here's where I've gotten:
Pulled both heads because obvious wrongness in #3 plus that smidge over 300,000 miles


Here's the issue at #3
top of gasket


and bottom of gasket


Everything else on the right head gasket looks alright

and for giggles - these were not showing obvious symptoms and the pistons are not clean- left head
top of gasket at #4


Top of gasket at #6


bottom of gasket at #6


None of the service receipts I got with the truck showed a head gasket was done and when I called Toyota to see what recalls had been done back then the only thing they said was rear springs. Original gasket? I know Toyota has 3 versions and this is definitely not the latest, the MLS version.

 

The time was sure right for a head gasket job. I'll run good as ever soon.

 

Good morning millball!

Indeed! Got out the handy-dandy precision straight-edge this morning, did a quick check and couldn't get the feeler gauge under anything.
I need to get everything cleaned up and my shopping done. Gonna use oem, if anyone has suggestions I'm all ears!
I'll also be replacing the oil cooler seals along with what-all else that makes sense.