... I've about had it with this dang pile ....

so.. last night I'm driving home on the freeway and the 4runner starts stumbling and missing.... it feels like it's going to die... I had plenty of gas so I was thinking "oh it's a loose plug wire or bad air hose.." I drop it off at the repair shop... they call me back and tell me that I have lots of exhaust gas in my cooling system which is a big sign that the HG has gone bad.... they say it's going to cost like $1100 to replace it..

so is that for sure the head gasket? or is there something else it could be?

sucks.... I'm thinking of selling the truck now... I just can't keep dumping money into this thing...

 

How long have you had it? Have you ever replaced the HG before? If not, you should call your local dealer & see if your truck is eligible for the Toyota HG recall. Check your oil, if the inside of the filler cap looks like chocolate milk, it's your HG.

 

the HG recall was done before I bought the truck... the old owner said that his dealership replaced the whole engine...

the cap doesn't look bad.... maybe I cought it before it actually totally blew..

 

Well, once it blows, it's blown. It's not a question of how much it's blown. How handy are you? You should be able to replace your HG by yourself for around $200-$300. Do you have the 22r (4 cyl.), or the 3vz (V6)?

 

I'm pretty handy... but also very busy... I don't think it'd get done if I did it myself..

I have the 3vz

 

That sucks. Well, hopefully you can find a cheaper way. Let me know what you end up doing! Good luck!

 

thanks for you input man, I appreciate the help.

I'll let you know what I end up doing.

 

you might want to run it past the dealer that did the r & r and see if there is any way they would work a deal with you on it. im not too sure on how long the h/g should last but if they replaced the engine it could be suffering from the same malady as the original. just a thought.

lee

 

i feel your pain. i just blew my head gasket on my 93 runner a few weeks back and finally got her back today with a remanufactured engine placed in. The mechanic told me that in most cases, a blown head gasket is caused by a faulty cooling system. the engine has aluminum heads and if the engine isnt cooling properly then the aluminum heads can expand greatly causing the head gaskets to blow. he also mentioned that some coolants can actually do some harm to your aluminum heads since they are not aluminum compatible. so, check your cooling system, use aluminum compatible coolant or use the red coolant which is a little more expensive but can be more beneficial in the long run.

 

My brother has a brand new head that he was going to put on his runner but his engine has bigger problems. So I think he's trying to get rid of the new heads and just get a new engine. If you're interested I can talk to him or he posts on here every once in a while under the name DubJunkE.
Austin

 

damn joel, no good... sorry to hear that dude. if you need a hand with anything, you got my number. don't hesitate to give me a call bro.

 

Have a dealership check you VIN again. Toyota redesigned the HG and issued a new V06 campaign for some vehicles that have already had it done. The recall has been done twice on my rig.

That sucks man. It seems everyone has an issue with their 3.0. I hate this motor too...almost enough to get back into a payment for a 3rd gen.

 

Makes me glad I have a 22r now not a 3vze. I dealt with my headgaskets a couple times on my old 4 runner that 3vze engine cost me a bundle.

 

You should replace the HG yourself if there is anyway you can make the time. Besides saving some money you will probably learn alot and have a greater appreciation for your vehicle once you have your own two hands into it.

This forum is an excellent resource. You will find nearly step by step instructions if you do a little searching.

aNUT

 

yeah, I'm in SLO too, if you need a hand wrenching, let me know

 

thanks guys.. I'll hit you up if I end up doing it myself..