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First of all.... I have recently purchased a 92 4Runner with 160k miles with the intent of having it as a weekend vehicle so my son and I can go camping, canoeing, fishing, etc... Growing up, my dad had an 89 Toyota pickup truck so it is a bit nostalgic for me. Also, I have not really worked on cars before with the exception of I do all of my oil changes and brake jobs since, well, forever... This is my car to learn and also just to have fun in. It brings a smile to my face every time I drive it. Anyway!
I need to replace the valve cover gaskets along with some other maintenance that I am sure the vehicle needs. I wanted a sanity check to see if there is anything else I need to replace or do while I am elbow deep in this. Here is my weekend list of things to replace:
I also plan on replacing the fuel filter and running a good bit of seafoam through the crankcase. The oil cap has a good bit of gunk in the top of the cap so I assume it is going to be fairly nasty.
Again, looking for any advice on what else I need to maintenance while I am in there. I have a lot of videos and reference material from forums to help guide me through this but any other advice is appreciated!
Only buy the highest quality rubber gaskets.
Ishino/Stone and Genuine Toyota parts are good.
The elastomers used in lesser parts soon harden and begin to leak again.
Genuine Toyota spark plug wires can't be beat either.
Adjust the valves while you've got access.
Last edited by millball; Apr 26, 2023 at 07:44 PM.
Make sure you only use Denso plugs and wires. Gaskets, too. Genuine Toyota OEM parts only.
A hint that might help a little: Put a dab of silicone Dielectric Grease into the ends of the plug wires during installation. BOTH ends. It will help keep the crud and corruption that circulates in an engine compartment out.
A dab into every electrical connection is a magic secret that will help prevent corrosion in them. I use it everywhere.
My take on Seafoam...snakeoil, bs. If you must use it, do some good internet searches on it first. My opinion is leave sleeping dogs lie. If your engine is really gunked-up, how is loosening that stuff up and circulating it in your motor oil going to make your engine run better, last longer, and enrich your life. Careful with spark plugs, read up on that. They're dissimilar metals the plugs and cylinder heads.
I wouldn't do that. I have used Motor Medic Motor Flush in the past with very good results. Before the flush, brand new oil put into my 20R would immediately turn black. After using this for an oil system flush as directed, that doesn't happen any more. Now my oil stays clear right up until next oil change time.
I'm not sponsoring this nor do I work for the company that makes it. Just relating my experience.
As far as everything else I agree that OEM parts are always the way to go if you can afford them. Other than that I just shoot for the best quality I can get with the money I have, & will *never* go with the "ultra-cheap" or cheap parts.
Oh yeah, and make sure you check every rubber fuel line you have thoroughly & replace as needed.
Motor oil has decent detergents added. The best thing would do more frequent oil changes and let the fresh detergents slowly clean the crankcase. Maybe change every 2,500-3,000 instead of 5,000. That way you don’t overwhelm the oil pick up screen with a bunch of goo all at once.
Most do the cam seals at the same time as the timing belt. Along with the water pump and idler pulley.
watch eBay for the factory service manuals (FSM). I also highly recommend the Toyota EWD manual. If you ever see one the EWD for $50-$60 that’s a decent price. It’s got a ton of info besides diagrams.
Congrats on the buy!
Tip for valve cover gaskets, if your motor is a 3VZE there is a specific sequence for torquing the bolts which I attached below (Not sure if there is one for 22RE all my trucks are 3VZE).
Another thing I did with each new truck is replace all the vacuum lines with silicone ones. Just one of those items I think is good to have a fresh starting point with.
I have had good luck with motor flushes and injector cleaners when used properly. Seafoam seems more of a preventative maintenance on low mileage or already clean motors. I like Berryman products as they are solvent based but to each their own.
Last edited by MooseRunner; May 1, 2023 at 06:00 PM.
Last spring, I replaced the valve cover gaskets with Beck Arnley gaskets. The package says Made in Japan so I figured they were worth a try. They leaked just as bad as the 20-year-old Toyota gaskets from 2004. New O.E. gaskets are 8 mm-ish tall while the Fel-Pro blue gaskets are 8.4 mm-ish tall plus they have a wider sealing surface. I've made two sets of steel valve cover bolt sleeves to replace the O.E. 12.1 mm to 12.15 mm tall sleeves. One set is 11.85 mm tall and the other is 11.6 mm tall. I'll try the 11.85 mm tall sleeves. The 11.6 mm tall sleeve might squish the gaskets too much and put too much stress on the valve cover tabs. I checked the valve covers with a straight edge -- they're not warped.
Apr 26, 2023 | 07:13 PM
