ChefYota4x4's 1987 4Runner Build-Up Thread
#1682
Thanks, Rob! lol. I know, it's been dormant, somewhat, for a while... but if one simply looks back through the 67 pages, ..... I've not TRIED to waste any time getting her back to where she once, was, eh? hahaha.
Ok, well, I know I need pics every page or few pages, right? So what the heck....
Below, the O-Rings that I removed are the Black, the OEM Replacements for R12, the "Orange" or "Brown'.........ish" lol.
This, I was happy to find at O'Rielly's(Thanks Ross, for actually taking extra time to find them in the back! )............Schraders, with Part Number, if you need them...They Are Available at O'Reilly's, probably many more, but this is the first store that actually found them! lol.....(NOTE: The Schrader in the Pic is the one I removed, not the new ones....)
Next, the Grill Clips, which should get my grill good and tight again! yay, lol.....
O'Reilly's also had the Schrader/Valve Stem tool. Walked outside, pulled em, walked back in, compared, walked back out, installed, walked back in, handed him the tool and drove off, 20 Minutes later! WOOT, lol.
Ok, well, I know I need pics every page or few pages, right? So what the heck....
Below, the O-Rings that I removed are the Black, the OEM Replacements for R12, the "Orange" or "Brown'.........ish" lol.
This, I was happy to find at O'Rielly's(Thanks Ross, for actually taking extra time to find them in the back! )............Schraders, with Part Number, if you need them...They Are Available at O'Reilly's, probably many more, but this is the first store that actually found them! lol.....(NOTE: The Schrader in the Pic is the one I removed, not the new ones....)
Next, the Grill Clips, which should get my grill good and tight again! yay, lol.....
O'Reilly's also had the Schrader/Valve Stem tool. Walked outside, pulled em, walked back in, compared, walked back out, installed, walked back in, handed him the tool and drove off, 20 Minutes later! WOOT, lol.
Last edited by ChefYota4x4; 03-14-2011 at 07:42 PM.
#1684
Yeah, I hear ya, Z! Well, now you know the part number, eh? I got them for 2.88$ each. Considering they last a couple decades, ...it's really not a bad deal. lol.
************************************************** ***
OK, update, w/more pics! lol.
Below, what you see is the 2 O-rings that go under each pressure valve(These are the High Pressure side/Left of the two on top of the compressor). I had no idea what was in there, nor I would be screwing something up(EEEK lol...Jk) But I knew there were some type of O-rings in there. ...This is them, below.....
I'm sure you can see, one of them is compromised. Not CERTAIN, but it just might have been where my leak was, since I've not yet, until this, found an O-ring with a blemish, let alone a chunk missing. I can't SEE if there is a piece still in the housing... but it's basically the type that fits into a recess on the Hose Side of the fitting(the surface it sits on is flat/polished, and there is a port into the Compressor under each o-ring.
ANYONE have any idea where I might get these? Because Toyota is seemingly telling me that you have to buy the whole compressor or hose to get these O-rings. WTH???? They're VERY soft, much more so than the rest of the o-rings. I'm not really comfortable with just 'finding ones that fit', as there seems to be different materials/densities/compatibility issues going on here. ............
>>>> ???? Anyone ???? <<<<
************************************************** ***
OK, update, w/more pics! lol.
Below, what you see is the 2 O-rings that go under each pressure valve(These are the High Pressure side/Left of the two on top of the compressor). I had no idea what was in there, nor I would be screwing something up(EEEK lol...Jk) But I knew there were some type of O-rings in there. ...This is them, below.....
I'm sure you can see, one of them is compromised. Not CERTAIN, but it just might have been where my leak was, since I've not yet, until this, found an O-ring with a blemish, let alone a chunk missing. I can't SEE if there is a piece still in the housing... but it's basically the type that fits into a recess on the Hose Side of the fitting(the surface it sits on is flat/polished, and there is a port into the Compressor under each o-ring.
ANYONE have any idea where I might get these? Because Toyota is seemingly telling me that you have to buy the whole compressor or hose to get these O-rings. WTH???? They're VERY soft, much more so than the rest of the o-rings. I'm not really comfortable with just 'finding ones that fit', as there seems to be different materials/densities/compatibility issues going on here. ............
>>>> ???? Anyone ???? <<<<
#1686
YotaTech Milestone-Two Millionth Post
Chef.....dang...i've missed alot......noticin you saying about a "tick". my exhaust leaks at the area where my manifold meets the down-pipe.....my fault too for re-using the 3 nuts that aren't meant to be re-used. no biggie....have 3 new ones sitting right here....have to get my lazy butt under the truck to put them on.
is it possible this is your issue?
is it possible this is your issue?
#1688
Registered User
And as far as the r-12 orings that have been compromised, get me some sizes and i'll see if i have any hanging around in my toolbox. there is a place in Bham here that specializes in Auto A/C. Bellingham Auto Air
http://maps.google.com/maps/place?hl...17583316143321
Don't know if you have anything like this in your area but they have always treated me right.
#1689
Chef.....dang...i've missed alot......noticin you saying about a "tick". my exhaust leaks at the area where my manifold meets the down-pipe.....my fault too for re-using the 3 nuts that aren't meant to be re-used. no biggie....have 3 new ones sitting right here....have to get my lazy butt under the truck to put them on.
is it possible this is your issue?
is it possible this is your issue?
Spot on!
And as far as the r-12 orings that have been compromised, get me some sizes and i'll see if i have any hanging around in my toolbox. there is a place in Bham here that specializes in Auto A/C. Bellingham Auto Air
http://maps.google.com/maps/place?hl...17583316143321
Don't know if you have anything like this in your area but they have always treated me right.
And as far as the r-12 orings that have been compromised, get me some sizes and i'll see if i have any hanging around in my toolbox. there is a place in Bham here that specializes in Auto A/C. Bellingham Auto Air
http://maps.google.com/maps/place?hl...17583316143321
Don't know if you have anything like this in your area but they have always treated me right.
Mike, thanks man... Yeah, I'm sure my neighbor will have me help him, showing me just what to do, how to be sure we start REALLY clean and fresh, etc. He has to charge up something and shoot the proper amount of oil in there, too, etc., so I'll be watching. I give him food all the time..... I doubt he'll want me cooking while he's working, but I'll ask, hehehe.
Thanks, guys... I'll check back in.
PS> Truckman, ...... if nothing is stuck on the actual recess, and that hose is just like that.... could that be why I was leaking? Not sure how that could happen, other than taking it off, it happened, ....OR, they torqued it down too tight and a chunk fell off/in. Hope it's not floating around in there!
#1690
NOT HAPPY, NOT.... sure?
I just got back from the exhaust shop. They fixed the collector issue. However, the owner got under there and said, "Look at this, Mark, ....this CAT is BLUE, it's way too hot! This means you're dumping WAY too much fuel, ..probably why the 'lousy mileage', but it will go through this CAT, QUICK, if you don't figure it out, ok?" GOOD GRIEF, man!.... I'm really getting to the point where I have nearly had enough chasing of my tail, ya know????
Secondly, I still had a tick, and he was backing out the truck and said, "Hmmm, that sounds like a lifter, something in the top end. See how it's staying the same loudness even on down travel of RPM's? .... Back to the drawing board, Mark, I'm sorry to say, that's my guess."
Ok, so as you can imagine, I'm not happy, but to avoid any wasting of time, WTH could possibly be going on here? Lifter? What? It's over head CAM, doesn't have lifters, does it? Not the traditional kind, anyway, ..RIGHT?????
I got home, got out the stethoscope and, putting the rod of the scope on the valve cover bolts, it REALLY sounds pretty loud on the driver's side(exhaust), rear. Doesn't sound exactly quiet on the front cover stud, either. I was JUST FRIGGEN IN THERE, .... (breathing deeply, lol), ..... And yes, this is a new 261 CAM, ...not sure if it's just needing some adjusting, but I've done it twice, since installing it 2000 Miles ago or so.
PLEASE, GUYS, can you answer some questions?
*** Are the noises I hear from the cover studs(through the nut) going to naturally be louder on the exhaust side? (larger gap, etc.)
*** Can an exhaust leak make noise on up and down travel of RPM's?(It only seems to be really noticeable from 1500-2500 or so at idle. When I'm accelerating, it's not as bad. But, it DOES make the ticking noise on up and down travel of RPM's)
*** Can someone help me figure out, once and for all, WHY IN THE HECK can't I get decent mileage/why is my CAT getting red/EVEN BLUE hot?
On a good note, I DID get the Large O-rings for the Top of the compressor(there are 4 of them, and toyota makes you buy the whole valves to get the o-rings. Went to Joey Cools" shop, in Torrance, ..... THE GUY IS A RIGHTEOUS DUDE! He dug around and found his LAST 4 Denso O-rings, upgrade #14 over the last 24 years since it rolled off the lot, from what he said. He gave em to me for 2$ a piece, and I WAS STOKED! Only to drive into the exhaust shop and find out what I have...
PLEASE HOOK A BRUVA UP? !!!! ? thanks, so much, for any help ANYONE can offer!
Mark
I just got back from the exhaust shop. They fixed the collector issue. However, the owner got under there and said, "Look at this, Mark, ....this CAT is BLUE, it's way too hot! This means you're dumping WAY too much fuel, ..probably why the 'lousy mileage', but it will go through this CAT, QUICK, if you don't figure it out, ok?" GOOD GRIEF, man!.... I'm really getting to the point where I have nearly had enough chasing of my tail, ya know????
Secondly, I still had a tick, and he was backing out the truck and said, "Hmmm, that sounds like a lifter, something in the top end. See how it's staying the same loudness even on down travel of RPM's? .... Back to the drawing board, Mark, I'm sorry to say, that's my guess."
Ok, so as you can imagine, I'm not happy, but to avoid any wasting of time, WTH could possibly be going on here? Lifter? What? It's over head CAM, doesn't have lifters, does it? Not the traditional kind, anyway, ..RIGHT?????
I got home, got out the stethoscope and, putting the rod of the scope on the valve cover bolts, it REALLY sounds pretty loud on the driver's side(exhaust), rear. Doesn't sound exactly quiet on the front cover stud, either. I was JUST FRIGGEN IN THERE, .... (breathing deeply, lol), ..... And yes, this is a new 261 CAM, ...not sure if it's just needing some adjusting, but I've done it twice, since installing it 2000 Miles ago or so.
PLEASE, GUYS, can you answer some questions?
*** Are the noises I hear from the cover studs(through the nut) going to naturally be louder on the exhaust side? (larger gap, etc.)
*** Can an exhaust leak make noise on up and down travel of RPM's?(It only seems to be really noticeable from 1500-2500 or so at idle. When I'm accelerating, it's not as bad. But, it DOES make the ticking noise on up and down travel of RPM's)
*** Can someone help me figure out, once and for all, WHY IN THE HECK can't I get decent mileage/why is my CAT getting red/EVEN BLUE hot?
On a good note, I DID get the Large O-rings for the Top of the compressor(there are 4 of them, and toyota makes you buy the whole valves to get the o-rings. Went to Joey Cools" shop, in Torrance, ..... THE GUY IS A RIGHTEOUS DUDE! He dug around and found his LAST 4 Denso O-rings, upgrade #14 over the last 24 years since it rolled off the lot, from what he said. He gave em to me for 2$ a piece, and I WAS STOKED! Only to drive into the exhaust shop and find out what I have...
PLEASE HOOK A BRUVA UP? !!!! ? thanks, so much, for any help ANYONE can offer!
Mark
Last edited by ChefYota4x4; 03-15-2011 at 01:21 PM.
#1691
Registered User
the cat is stainless steel right? if so, it's almost normal for it to turn colors, just like a header or muffler does.
Anyway, as far as the tick goes, you sure you didn't tighten that thing down too much? or have worn out valve cover grommets/cover gasket allowing the valves to hit the cover?
Anyway, as far as the tick goes, you sure you didn't tighten that thing down too much? or have worn out valve cover grommets/cover gasket allowing the valves to hit the cover?
#1692
the cat is stainless steel right? if so, it's almost normal for it to turn colors, just like a header or muffler does.
Anyway, as far as the tick goes, you sure you didn't tighten that thing down too much? or have worn out valve cover grommets/cover gasket allowing the valves to hit the cover?
Anyway, as far as the tick goes, you sure you didn't tighten that thing down too much? or have worn out valve cover grommets/cover gasket allowing the valves to hit the cover?
OK, so; The cat? Well, they're like 180$+ in CA, 3 Way CAT, not sure if they're stainless/think so/or why he tripped out, but he was under there and said, "See these spots, both before and after the center? They're both purple, and REALLY getting hot,.... I can feel it. Figure out why so much fuel is getting through or you'll go through this CAT in no time." Now, this is the shop that DID the exhaust. They did the gasket, etc., for free(used a type with eyelets AND the donut, made for 2.25"...not sure why they didn't in the first place). They don't do the work to figure out why this would have been happening, so I don't think he was trying to get one over on me, lol. It didn't seem to be 'glowing' or anything, ....just that it's discolored and kinda ....'iridescent'(rainbow colors) on both those spots? I'm getting a lil better mileage now that I've slowed down around town,(slow on the skinny pedal, shifting to 2nd at 15mph, 3rd at 25mph, 4th at 35mph and 5th at 45mph...never really over 2500 around town.).... I have a quarter tank left on the gauge(it goes way below that, ya know?) and I'm at 158Miles(around 170 accounting for tires and 410's, right?)... Where as, when I step on it a lot, I can barely get 180MAX miles out of 14Gal, total! I think on the Frwy, being mellow, I'm getting around 20mpg.... I can live with that, if you can? lol.
Far as the tick/valve cover;
When I listen across the cover with the stethoscope, it's REALLY quiet....and the grommets and v-cover gasket are all new. I never OVER tighten them.... I don't think it's that. Good pointing it out though, B, thanks!
HOWEVER; When I listen with the scope needle pushing on the actual nuts that hold the cover on? It's pretty loud on the driver/exhaust side. When I listen on the intake side, not AS loud. The engine is actually pretty quiet, minus the Cold Air set up(dang thing is so loud!). It's only ticking REALLY NOTICEABLY when I hold it at idle at around 1500 and up to 2500 or so. If I'm at 1500rpm or so, feather the pedal/linkage up to 2000-2500, SLOWLY, I can still hear it, whether the RPM's are on their way up or down. Around 750 it seems to get quiet again.
I'm not even sure the noise I hear through those studs on the cover are TOO loud or TOO ANYTHING, to be honest. I'm still learning, haven't listened to a lot of that. Seems a lil louder on the front exhaust side stud than the front, but JUST BARELY. Isn't it going to be louder there anyhow, considering it's a tiny explosion escaping through the header? It seems to run REALLY well, very strong, plenty of power(most who've driven in it say they've never felt a 22re so quick... NOT BRAGGING, just an example) It doesn't backfire, misfire, ....AND IF THIS GUY has me all freaked out over a mis-diagnosis, .....WELL, let's just say, it will be a GOOD LESSON for those DIY'ers like ourselves, who I'm sure I'm not alone in saying "I've been mislead by OTHERS, many times, into chasing my tail over something that was simply bad info!"
Not meaning to ramble, Brandon, ...just trying to be thorough! Sorry anyhow, if it's making your eyes, sore! lol
#1693
PS> When I listen through the stud on the cover...... It doesn't seem to go away or get louder when the noise outside does(outside, meaning, 'THE AUDIBLE TICK, WHEN AT 1500-2500') Rather, it seems constant, whether I'm at 2500 RPM, 1000RPM, WHATEVER. I guess what I'm saying is that it doesn't seem to be related to the tick..... Whether or not what I hear in the studs is bad or not, that's another question.
#1694
I'm also curious as to whether a bad "FUEL DAMPER" could cause too much fuel to constantly be shot to the injectors. I mean, I'm not sure how that all works, ... I think it dampers the pressure to the rail, before the FPR, right? What I mean is, if the Damper is bad, can it even CAUSE the injectors to push too much fuel? They only push what they're set to push, right? Just wondering, now, IF INDEED I have an issue with too much unburned fuel getting to my CAT, ..... could it be a vacuum leak?....Fuel Pressure not being Dampened?.... Bad valve adjustment?
DANGIT, ...I mean, I'm glad, IF IT'S A PROBLEM, that I'm hearing it now, before my CAT blows up or something. I guess we'll see. I really REALLY don't want to open the cover again, especially if it's not necessary!
Anyone know if what he said makes sense?("The tick doesn't go away when letting off the throttle, it actually makes just as much noise, ...that's in the top end of the motor, not exhaust").......eh?
DANGIT, ...I mean, I'm glad, IF IT'S A PROBLEM, that I'm hearing it now, before my CAT blows up or something. I guess we'll see. I really REALLY don't want to open the cover again, especially if it's not necessary!
Anyone know if what he said makes sense?("The tick doesn't go away when letting off the throttle, it actually makes just as much noise, ...that's in the top end of the motor, not exhaust").......eh?
Last edited by ChefYota4x4; 03-15-2011 at 02:42 PM.
#1695
NO ONE? Ok, ......
Well, my neighbor came by and took a listen. He also didn't think it was exhaust. He held the idle at 1500rpm for me, while I listened. As I go from one valve cover stud to another, I find that the loudest one in my ear, when using a stethoscope, is the driver-side/rear stud. As I listen from the other stud, driver-side/front stud, I can still hear a bit TOO MUCH noise, but not near as loud. As I go to the intake side, I can hear almost nothing from the passenger-side/front stud, but I can hear some noise from the Passenger-side/rear stud. I'm starting to think that whatever is going on is very close to the driver-side/rear stud, and anything else I'm hearing is just as a result of being near there. FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU MANCHU!
My neighbor said "a wrist pin can make that noise, too... Man, this guy really screwed you over, Mark!" I AGREE, but what the heck can I do?
I guess there's no way to tell if it's a valve needing adjustment as the CAM broke in some more......without tearing off the cover again. Good grief, man.
Well, my neighbor came by and took a listen. He also didn't think it was exhaust. He held the idle at 1500rpm for me, while I listened. As I go from one valve cover stud to another, I find that the loudest one in my ear, when using a stethoscope, is the driver-side/rear stud. As I listen from the other stud, driver-side/front stud, I can still hear a bit TOO MUCH noise, but not near as loud. As I go to the intake side, I can hear almost nothing from the passenger-side/front stud, but I can hear some noise from the Passenger-side/rear stud. I'm starting to think that whatever is going on is very close to the driver-side/rear stud, and anything else I'm hearing is just as a result of being near there. FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU MANCHU!
My neighbor said "a wrist pin can make that noise, too... Man, this guy really screwed you over, Mark!" I AGREE, but what the heck can I do?
I guess there's no way to tell if it's a valve needing adjustment as the CAM broke in some more......without tearing off the cover again. Good grief, man.
#1696
Here are the O-rings that Charlie Cool's gave me.............Think they'll work better than the Black ones, eh? lol.
Here is the CAT, after running for a bit(no flash, ...the flash made it look totally different than what I was seeing with my eye.) This is what it looks like to the eye....
And THIS, my good friends, is the nut on the valve cover where I was hearing BY FAR the most noise!...........
****************************
Seriously, I really appreciate any input that someone might have. I mean, I just swapped out the CAM not too long ago, ....adjusted the valves twice after, .....still have this pretty mean tick, also need to figure out why it's so rich! My tailpipe is black, and...... I guess that's a good sign of it being pretty rich, along with the fact that my CAT seems to be getting screamin hot.(according to the Exhaust shop).
THOUGHTS?
Here is the CAT, after running for a bit(no flash, ...the flash made it look totally different than what I was seeing with my eye.) This is what it looks like to the eye....
And THIS, my good friends, is the nut on the valve cover where I was hearing BY FAR the most noise!...........
****************************
Seriously, I really appreciate any input that someone might have. I mean, I just swapped out the CAM not too long ago, ....adjusted the valves twice after, .....still have this pretty mean tick, also need to figure out why it's so rich! My tailpipe is black, and...... I guess that's a good sign of it being pretty rich, along with the fact that my CAT seems to be getting screamin hot.(according to the Exhaust shop).
THOUGHTS?
Last edited by ChefYota4x4; 04-02-2012 at 11:41 AM.
#1698
Registered User
swimmerboy, just curious as to how you do that.......
chef, that looks like normal cat discoloration to me. cats operate at very high temps and discoloration is competely normal. to verify your supposed rich condition, i would get a digital multimeter and connect neg side to a good ground and put positive side into O2 sensor and watch sensor corrections/fluctuations after truck has been running for 5 or 10 min. you should see fluctuations between .01-.9VDC fluctuation is good, that means the oxygen sensor is getting a varied signal and able to transmit that signal to the PCM. if that is in spec, then you can rule out an incorrect mixture. if it is stuck at .9V or close to that, then you have a rich condition. of course, if you have .01 or somewhere thereabouts, then you have a lean condition. and for the record, excess fuel in the cat won't cause higher temps but more carboning. rich mixture will cause poor economy and slightly less power. a lean mixture will contain more oxygen and create a higher temp in the cat as well as lack of power and coolant temp too high.
chef, that looks like normal cat discoloration to me. cats operate at very high temps and discoloration is competely normal. to verify your supposed rich condition, i would get a digital multimeter and connect neg side to a good ground and put positive side into O2 sensor and watch sensor corrections/fluctuations after truck has been running for 5 or 10 min. you should see fluctuations between .01-.9VDC fluctuation is good, that means the oxygen sensor is getting a varied signal and able to transmit that signal to the PCM. if that is in spec, then you can rule out an incorrect mixture. if it is stuck at .9V or close to that, then you have a rich condition. of course, if you have .01 or somewhere thereabouts, then you have a lean condition. and for the record, excess fuel in the cat won't cause higher temps but more carboning. rich mixture will cause poor economy and slightly less power. a lean mixture will contain more oxygen and create a higher temp in the cat as well as lack of power and coolant temp too high.
#1699
Hey Brian, thanks for chiming in.
Well, I'm pretty sure this AFM was never opened, and I'm not sure I want to try to "dial it in", as it seems to have passed most of it's resistance measurements and such. This is a replacement AFM, through a guy on this site, and it seems to be working just fine.
I'm curious if you meant A/F-Idle Up Mixture Screw? Or are you talking about pulling the plug over the adjustment screw on the AFM and messing around with the factory-placed setting? I know you have a Supra AFM now, .....and I've thought about this mod, but.....to be honest, I have a feeling that my issues of "Unburned fuel, reaching the CAT and causing it to get TOO hot" are related to something else. I don't KNOW that my AFM is w/out flaw, ...but I think it's likely to be ok.
PS> I've been told not to mess with the adjustment screw under the plug in the AFM's. One thing is sure, .... I definitely should be getting better mileage. BTW, I also haven't checked into my EGR, it's one of the only things left on here that are original. However, I thought I'd tested it out many times and found no issues. Might look into it again for the heck of it. It is 260K old, after all, lol.
Well, I'm pretty sure this AFM was never opened, and I'm not sure I want to try to "dial it in", as it seems to have passed most of it's resistance measurements and such. This is a replacement AFM, through a guy on this site, and it seems to be working just fine.
I'm curious if you meant A/F-Idle Up Mixture Screw? Or are you talking about pulling the plug over the adjustment screw on the AFM and messing around with the factory-placed setting? I know you have a Supra AFM now, .....and I've thought about this mod, but.....to be honest, I have a feeling that my issues of "Unburned fuel, reaching the CAT and causing it to get TOO hot" are related to something else. I don't KNOW that my AFM is w/out flaw, ...but I think it's likely to be ok.
PS> I've been told not to mess with the adjustment screw under the plug in the AFM's. One thing is sure, .... I definitely should be getting better mileage. BTW, I also haven't checked into my EGR, it's one of the only things left on here that are original. However, I thought I'd tested it out many times and found no issues. Might look into it again for the heck of it. It is 260K old, after all, lol.
#1700
swimmerboy, just curious as to how you do that.......
chef, that looks like normal cat discoloration to me. cats operate at very high temps and discoloration is competely normal. to verify your supposed rich condition, i would get a digital multimeter and connect neg side to a good ground and put positive side into O2 sensor and watch sensor corrections/fluctuations after truck has been running for 5 or 10 min. you should see fluctuations between .01-.9VDC fluctuation is good, that means the oxygen sensor is getting a varied signal and able to transmit that signal to the PCM. if that is in spec, then you can rule out an incorrect mixture. if it is stuck at .9V or close to that, then you have a rich condition. of course, if you have .01 or somewhere thereabouts, then you have a lean condition. and for the record, excess fuel in the cat won't cause higher temps but more carboning. rich mixture will cause poor economy and slightly less power. a lean mixture will contain more oxygen and create a higher temp in the cat as well as lack of power and coolant temp too high.
chef, that looks like normal cat discoloration to me. cats operate at very high temps and discoloration is competely normal. to verify your supposed rich condition, i would get a digital multimeter and connect neg side to a good ground and put positive side into O2 sensor and watch sensor corrections/fluctuations after truck has been running for 5 or 10 min. you should see fluctuations between .01-.9VDC fluctuation is good, that means the oxygen sensor is getting a varied signal and able to transmit that signal to the PCM. if that is in spec, then you can rule out an incorrect mixture. if it is stuck at .9V or close to that, then you have a rich condition. of course, if you have .01 or somewhere thereabouts, then you have a lean condition. and for the record, excess fuel in the cat won't cause higher temps but more carboning. rich mixture will cause poor economy and slightly less power. a lean mixture will contain more oxygen and create a higher temp in the cat as well as lack of power and coolant temp too high.
I don't mean to be a pest, nor to appear as a dolt, lol... I KNOW this engine pretty well, and I've been through the ECU testing, most every facet, EFi system, ignition systems, even the emissions systems, to the point of MIGRAINE! lol. I just seem to keep having ticks, hiccups that are more difficult than others to diagnose.
One thing I can share, not sure if it's relevant..... THERE IS ALMOST NO SMELL from my tailpipe. It smells clean, most often. Little stinky when cold, but I'm pretty sure that's the system getting the CAT, etc., up to temp.
Something I've also tested, a couple times, was the Ox/TE1(can't remember) setting in the diagnostic port for 02 Operational Tests..... It seemed to fluctuate 8 times or so every 10 Seconds(as I remember the FSM saying was normal) and I THINK it read between near 0(maybe .69) and 8(can't remember, to be honest). The last time I checked that was AT THE DEALER, with the Foreman, as he liked me so much, we became friends, and he actually welcomed me back there to help him, well, GET MY TRUCK FIGURED OUT AND OUT OF THERE! lol. We never did, another mechanic did so, by running it on propane(he figured out it was mechanical/top end/CAM-Valves, etc). However, I do remember the Dealership Foreman showing me in the actual FSM, "See, it's doing what it's supposed to". I KNOW, ...... I had a donor ECU in there, and it was from a wrong year or something, so it kept throwing Knock sensor and 02 Codes..... Put the right ECU back in, and voila, no more codes, period.(I later had Japanese Auto Center in Torrance, CA check it... and that guy ran it on propane and found the main issue at the time).
Honestly Truckman? If you read up there in another recent post.... the noise I'm hearing from that rear/driver side stud on the valve cover......it's MUCH louder than the rest. Just a lil concerned that, after only 1200 miles of this CAM, 2 checks of the valve lash, .....I already have a bad valve tick again??????????? Keep in mind, this entire motor is a fresh rebuild, even a balanced/checked replacement crank, new Valves, keepers, Rockers, springs, etc..... Until a couple weeks ago, aside from the collector leak, .....it has NO ticking! WTH? lol.
EDIT: Are you saying to check the 02 .....at the 02? lol. I've always tested them at the diagnostic port. One thing I wanted to add was..... the 02 flange on this LCE header and Pipe-to-CAT is MUCH further back than the factory.... by much, I mean, "around a foot"? I could measure. Anyway, a couple Guru's told me it wouldn't hurt to get a heated 02, if I'm planning on running this exhaust set up.(Not sure why LCE doesn't just put the dang 02 bung on the freakin 4-into-1 portion) Regardless.... I seem to remember it fluctuating properly according to what I saw and what the foreman at the dealer was showing me. I'll GLADLY check it..... I really need to figure out why I'm not getting the best mileage. BUT, I did state, couple posts ago, "I have been babying the pedal, and subsequently, the mileage IS much better, ....but still lacking." I'm thinking I'll get around 220Miles out of this 14 Gallons....IF I'M LUCKY!" I did get around 21 MPG, HWY, at one check I made. SEEMS to be sucking down the Go-Go around city driving conditions. I DO live on a pretty good hill, and I'm in L.A., home of the "SEA OF RED LIGHTS, whether on a pole in front of you or car in front of you....... it's bad!" hahaha
Last edited by ChefYota4x4; 03-15-2011 at 08:31 PM.