Ok, I've just about had it with my 86 4runner, it's been misfiring on cylinder 2 which makes it shake at idle and stops making power at 3000RPMs since the day I bought it two years ago. When I first bought it, it had a check engine light for the coolant temp sensor and the O2 sensor and was having charging problems. I replace both sensors and the alternator and it fixed both of those issues but not the misfire.

In the past two years I have...
-gave it a tune up (plugs, wires, cap and rotor)
-replaced the MAF Sensor
-sent my injectors to witchhunter to have them cleaned and flow tested
-replaced the fuel filter
-blew up the first engine and replaced it with a used 22re
-New catalytic converter

But nothing seemed to help. I've also taken it to two shops, the first told me nothing and managed to break my TPS sensor. The second thought it was a bad injector, but after swapping the injectors in cylinder 1 and 2, nothing changed.

So what I know...
-the second shop said the ECU checked out
-compression is good
-no CEL
-after swapping out my MAF sensor for another I ruled that out
-checking the plug wires with a timing light, all 4 get spark
-the second shop checked cylinder 2's injectors plug and that has voltage
-engine compression is good, but I ruled out a mechanical problem with the engine since this new engine has the same symptoms the last one did
-there's nothing blocking the intake runner for cylinder 2
-I've taken in on 200 mile drives. It always starts and runs, but never runs well
-won't pass California's emissions


Anyone have any ideas? I've dumped hundreds of dollars into trying to find this problem with no luck . I'm getting to the point where I'm somewhere between just selling it or swapping in a Supra 6 cylinder. Thanks for any help!

 

EGR and/or vacuum leaks

 

So with two different motors it's doing the same thing on cylinder #2???

 

Vacuum leak, it's possible but the idle is pretty stable. I just pulled the intake manifold and throttle body to change the gaskets, so when I re-install it I'll keep an eye out for one.

EGR, also possible. The EGR valve itself works, but it only drops the idle, it doesn't cause the engine to die.


Yeah, same symptoms on both engines, that's why I've ruled out mechanical engine problems.

 

Man, sounds like a wiring issue then. Have you gone thru the wiring harness for the injectors? Have you checked over the cap and rotor on the dizzy?

 

I've pulled the wiring harness apart twice and tested it for continuity with my multimeter, all the injector wires tested fine. Thinking about it the last mechanic to work on it said that cylinder 4 wasn't running as well as 1 and 3. Looking at the wiring for the injector box, the two pairs are cylinder 1/3 and 2/4. If I don't find anything I'll probably swap in another injector box and see if that changes anything.

I've inspected the cap and rotor, they look normal.

I'm about to drive this thing off a cliff...

 

Did you find anything?

 

mine is doing the same thing if u find out what it is please tell me. i have changed the spark plug wires and spark plugs if they are messed the slittiest bit they can have the same problem as ur having. the next thing to check for me is the TPS and EGR. if youve put that much money in it and u fix it its worth while to keep it you know get youre moneys worth.

 

No sure answer yet. I've spent the last few days cleaning out my intake manifold with a toilet bowl brush, a water bottle brush, a old tooth brush, an old throttle cable, engine degreaser and a lot of time. What I did discover was that one of my vacuum ports was clogged (the top left one) and while cleaning it out that chunk you see sitting on the intake manifold fell out...

 

ewwwww, gross

 

Cleaning out the intake and throttle body will help alot, but your problem has to be something electrical, especially if you have had two engines with the same problem. You said number two and number four injectors arn`t working properly and you had them cleaned and the problem is still there, so all thats left is the electrical side of things, there has to be a problem with the wiring to those two injectors, because all of the injectors fire at once on a 22RE, and if number one and number three injectors are working properly the the only thing left is the wiring to the other injectors.

 

I finally found the problem! Turns out it was the engine! While checking the valve lash I bumped into the exhaust valve springs and was able to compress the valve spring with my fingers. Turns out the exhaust valves on cylinder 2 and 4 were bad, 2 more so then 4 though. It was so bad that cylinder 2 never saw any compression when the engine was running. I guess compression tests won't tell you everything about an engine, at the 100RPMs the starter turns the engine over at the valve spring is fine but at idle it just couldn't keep up.

Anyone have any extra valve springs for a 22re laying around? Or know any place I could buy them at? I'm not finding them at the local autozone or kragen and engnbldr only sells sets.

Now what to do about the shop I paid $600 to for this engine...

 

engnbldr.com is a good source for 22re parts and a good price.

As for the mechanic, all I see you can do is talk to him. Then possibly small claims court but that will probably cost more than you lost.

dude this may just have to be chalked up to lesson learned. I've been burnt myself and now try to do all my own mechanical work.

Good luck

 

why does my truck rev up and down by itself it is really bugging me!!! and back fires when y acelerate!! videos at youtube "rafaek 33"