My 92 4x4 22re just bit it.
Gotta start somewhere.

Stand-by....this is a little story leading up to making this thread.

193,000 miles.......head gasket at about 100k by the Toyota dealer.
Neglected and abused for years, it 1st taught me a lesson a year ago (July) when I 1st noticed a problem. Prior to that had always just been start it up and drive away. The truck has always been good.......in 18 years have a VERY short list of repairs....overall a very good truck.....never gonna get rid of it.

So in January of this year (actually New Year's eve) just doing some searching while sitting with the kids waiting for midnight, I started searching about head gasket repair advice / voodoo potions etc....... came across 2 significant things that night....YOTATECH and Thermagasket. Joined up with YOTATECH (what an AWESOME site and format guys!!!!) and started searching more about the thermagasket stuff. saw pro's and con's about he stuff and figured it was worth the $$ since as with everyone else, that's in short supply.

started doing prep work.....bought a radiator / hoses / thermostat. Never had really done anything myself on this truck, but thought that it was time I helped myself a little while getting some good "bonding time" with my 2 sons ages 13 and 7.

Proudy I changed the radiator etc....broke a bolt when taking the thermostat housing off and had a neighbor who works on CATs come over and helicoil it for me and everything else went smooth.

Changed the oil myself (a 1st form me) back around that time in February and then had enough money to buy the Thermagasket stuff......got up the nerve to do it, and it really did work. Didn't clog the heater core as alot suspected it would. But when i did it, my truck was not exactly legal because it was not inspected and while it was sitting so long I thought I'd try my hand at body work (again a 1st for me) and think I did a fairly good job at it.

After I did the Thermagaset stuff, I was now able to get a new tailpipe and got it inspected and ran the truck. My baby was back on the road.

Changed tires.......had 31x10.5-15's FUTURA a/t's on it that were really run down and put my 31'' BFG's back on with my American Racing type 8 rims.........ran it this way until I got yanked by a state trooper because my tires stuck out too much....so it sat again.......about a month until i put my ORIGINAL 18 ear old tires on with the original rims...except since i hate them i figured i'd at least paint them black....they do look good.

Had been n YOTATECH a few nights ago when the suggestion was made to me that it may not have been the headgasket but maybe the timing chain etc....., right aftr that went out i the garage with my son, looking at the engine, admiring the radiator (took the cap pff......if i had not done that I would have doubted later if there was water in the radiator).......went for a pizza.......the truck stalled out on the way home(it's an automatic, so that puzzled me)......after about a total of 6 miles or so....had to have my WIFE tow me home ( i broke down about 1/10th of a mile away / how embarrassing)...and taking off the radiator cap saw it looked dy, took off the oil cap and it looked like a capuccino.......and there it sat for the last 3 days..until this morning I figured I'd drain the OIL/WATER concoction that now was in my engine...


So here I is......and here it starts.....gona do this the right way, myself (with the help of a few hundred friends on YOTATECH)

Gotta say, whoever started this YOTATECH, I luv ya....in a manly way! This site has been a massive resource and inspiration to me and my boys and should serve me well in the future as well. KUDO's to you all as well as all the members and their input....hopefully I've helped out some members as well with some of my postings.

I'm no mechanic, but much more of a mechanic in the last 8 months than in all my previous years combined. So hen I ask a question, it's becase this is all a 1st for me.

Now, if anybody knows where there is buried treasure, I'd like to start digging. Which translates into, don't expect and substantial progress from me. Going to do what I can with what I have and maybe buy a thing or 2 here and there until I'm ready to dig in.

Pictures to follow..........

 

The day after......


TODAY......




Coffee Anyone????


oh yeah.....here's all that was left in my radiator too (plus about the same amount spilled)


So that's what I'm starting with........going o change the filter and put fresh oil in it today and park it back in the yard, ya know, just to juke-up the neighborhood a little.....and start a list of things to do....

 

Also, just wanted to give crdit to some members who have provided me with advice and inspiration recently....Superbleeder / Olharleyman and Lumpy.
The likes of you guys along with encouragement from the Wabbit prove that I could do this the right way.
Thanks YOTATECH!!!!!!!

 

New oil in, runs good....no new noises, thank goodness. So at least I don't think I screwed myself worse with what happened.

Probably gonna pull off the radiator and clean the engine etc....

 

Dang, a HG at 100K miles then again 93K miles later? I think something must have been messed up or they didnt do something right when they put it back together.

Nice looking truck! I have the same wheels painted black on my '95 4runner

 

yeh....the originals......since i had to put them back on, they had to be black......

 

that's some fine look'n oil and antifreeze there, lol

question for you though...

how's your timing chain look, or more importantly, the driver's side guide?

I wander if the chain just wore through the cover and into the water pump cavity, like you suggested in your first post

that's also very common, and will give the same oil-water mixing issue

done a compression test yet?




Thanks for the 'cred! We all apreciate it!

 

no view of the timing chain yet.......
but i did wash the engine.....you and Olharley made me feel like a slob...LOL
i'm gonna hit you 2 guys up for advice as well as the rest of yotatech.......
i've said it on other threads...i'm about a 2 outta 5 on the skills / knowledge part......but unfortunately a 0/5 on the money part right now......so it's gonna be a bit before any real progress is made.
but tearing stuff down won't cost me right now.....not today though....i'm about out of free time.


since it's just sitting there , thought i'd start with a clean engine 1st



and after.....not MUCH different.....but hey it still started right back up.



i think i'd be willing to put money on the timing chain theory.......sounds like a likely culprit.

 

ooooo, pretty

hey out of curiousity, did you put those hood struts on yourself, or were they on there when you picked the truck up?

I noticed it appears they dont work anymore, cause you're still using the prop-rod at the front but I would like to throw a set of strut on mine, so that I don't have to bother with the prop any more

 

1st of all I am the original owner of this truck......so yes I put them on myself.

years ago (probably about 16yrs ago) when I was ...yeah..3...., no anyway...they were called "baby" Ranchos or "mini"rancho's...im not sure.......was searching for them agian a short time ago, didn't find em anywhere.

bought them from Performance Products all those years ago befor the internet when yu had to find catalogs and cal places and talk to people.

take a close look at the one picture of the pushbar....."HOOKER", same manufacturer from many years ago from "SEARS" automotive catalog of all places.

The K&N came from Perf Products many years ago too..........i've been running that for probably well over 10 years (I think.....it was right after it came out).

I was aso one of the 1st trucks I had everseen with black wheels.......got black "appliance" rims from American racing about 16yrs ago also....still have them.....rusted to though.

 

Well....put new plugs and wires on it....that outta take care of everything right?????

Took off the same plugs and wires that i put on about 10 years ago. LOL! How's that for routine maintenance. Just for the record they were Bosch....replaced with Autolite (autozone special) and Autolite wires.

All the plugs looked in the same BLACK condition when i took them out , but i did keep them in order in case someone on YOTATECH requires a visual of them. Have to say that the one plug's ceramic broke (thankfully inside the socket) but was able to be easily removed.

I can still remember that day 10 years ago when i felt that was an easy enough job to do until i sliced myself taking out the rear-most plug and had a little bloodbath ensue....still have the scar...a trpohy of a scar from the heat shield.

oh well......that's about all the free stuff i can do right now.....today........hey that's funny,i like that, that's actually my name too.

 

sweat deal, yeah ide def take off the valve cover and have a looksy with a flashlight down there, im in the process of putting my head back on right now, as soon as i can get the guy to answer his phone so i can go get it!!, im SOOO glad i have a 22r not that many hoses n such, but theres plenty of info here on yotatech so if you do get lost just search and if that dont work ask and we'll get some pics in there for ya!! lol good luck!

 

Thanks.....YOTERR....why does everybody in Florida have a YOTA???? there's no snow there.....hahahaha!

yeah soon to come i will look at the timing chain.........if i'm right, is the OEM is the kind with plastic guides....is that waht everybody talks about breaking....and if so, the only one i've come across with a metal guide is from engnbldr.......

anyway,yeah,by far this is the best place for answers.....i think it's funny that when you GOOGLE something, usually the 1st few results are YOTATECH....that says alot right there.

 

Yeah I know, this looks more like a journal than anything, but consider it foreplay leading up to me doing this jos myself.......and kinda keeping everything in one place......

searching around about timing stuff i found.....

http://www.4crawler.com/4x4/CheapTri...mingChain.shtm
and
http://www.4crawler.com/4x4/CheapTri...ds/index.shtml

read through both....i'm friggin obsessed with doing this right and trying to do it for myself.

 

No, but everybody in Florida wishes the had one! lol

 

read through both....i'm friggin obsessed with doing this right and trying to do it for myself.

Well get to getin lol if you need any help I will do the best I can to help you out and from one first timer to another just take lots of pics , label everything well , take your time and if you are unsure of anything , search button and ask questions all my info came from here so I know it can be done.

I just got my injectors back from Witch Hunter so tonight after the sunset's it's 100 degree's and about 90% humidity right now I will be getting back to finishing mine up so if you got question's I have answer's.

 

thanks olharleyman......just got home from work....again 12hrs tomorrow....nothing's going to happen fast....paydays are toooooooo far apart and goes in toooo many places.

 

OK........
Got semi in the mood today and did some shuffling around in our garage to make room for my truck.....thank heavens she still starts right up after what happened......so i'm still impressed.

First off.....if this is going to be a HOW-TO thread it's going to be an EXTREMELY slow one. One for newbies (like me) who have never done anything like this before.

Step one.....open the hood (haha)......



My 13yr old son (owner of the black '88 4Runner) will be assisting me as well as my 7yr old son.....this is going to be a learning experience for all of us.

Loosening up the air tube connections......and the fan shroud


Loosening the 4 bolts holding the radiator in.....hoses disconnected and removed and transmission lines plugged with golf tees (its an auto transmision)


Radiator and shroud and air tubes out of the way....



that's it for now.....put PB Blaster on alot of bolts.....gonna try to figure out what to do next.....probably take the fan off and out of the way.

But it's suppertime now...c-ya.

And just because I think this is a really cool picture.....since this is MY thread.

 

OK.......

Just came in after getting the valve cover off. Let me start by saying that wasn't as easy as I thought it would be. Some cursing and struggling and it finally came off. I didn't realize those litle rubber grommet things actually threaded on somewhat......I guess I will be needing new ones??? or can they be re-used?

Anyway, only took off what was attached to the cover itself........just wanted to take a look to see if it really was the timing chain digging in or what. Inconclusive is what I would say to that. I don't see any driver's side guide and there IS scoring along the cover but not deep gouges I had hoped to see. Still, I would lean towards that being the culprit.

Let me say that the valve cover was on there good. Pounding on it with a hammer against a block of wood didn't do squat!! Had to put plastic spackling knives wedged in and pry it off.

Some pics........
throttle body in
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gratuitous YOTATECH pic
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YUCK!!
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What the.....
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Scoring that I could see.
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This doesn't look right......I'll bet this is part of the plastic guide....doesn't feel like metal
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Crap inside....
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Ok....that's enough for a while......gotta figure out what's next.

 

a bath!