[olePigeon]

My dad was a car buff when he was in college and he said that he replaced his head gasket over the weekend on his own pickup. He mentioned that I might not have to take the engine out in a pickup to replace the head gasket, and that it's something he could help me with over a weekend.

Problem is that he's never worked on a Toyota and he doesn't know if that's possible or not. Anyone else might know? A weekend (or two or even three) of work for me is worth it if I can save myself $2000.

I have a 1994 Totyota Pickup 4x4 3.2l 4 cylinder. I've tried Google with no luck. If anyone can point me to a repair manual, that'd be helpful. I have a used Chilton manual, but I've yet to find any information on the head gasket.

[RAzaRazor]

Shouldn't need to. They call it a head for a reason. It's right on top!

Edit: Oh Yeah, AllData should have what you need. $24.95 for the first year, but you can get manuals on everything, plus a lot more.
ALLDATA DIY-- Online Diagnostic and Repair information for Vehicle Owners

[olePigeon]

Originally Posted by RAzaRazor 

Shouldn't need to. They call it a head for a reason. It's right on top!

Well, every mechanic I've talked to says they take the engine out. Incidently, I did find the Head Gasket in the Engine Overhaul section. It looks pretty damn straight forward, they even have pictures.

I'll give my dad a call, see if he can come up and give me a hand. I'll need a torque wrench and socket, plus a new gasket set.

I just wanted to get confirmation from other people on the boards. If I don't have to take the engine out, then I've been lied to by every single mechanice I've been to. They can smell a car newbie a mile away. I don't like being taken advantage of.

[d4nth3m4n]

Originally Posted by RAzaRazor 

Shouldn't need to. They call it a head for a reason. It's right on top!

yeah, on inline engines.

you should be alright, just be sure to get some masking tape and a sharpie and mark/number BOTH SIDES of EVERYTHING YOU DISCONNECT.

go slow, rent a torque wrench and you'll be okay. there's a lot of room in taco engine bays if there's only an i4 in there.

take pics.

[cenutrio]

Easy stuff.

[d4nth3m4n]

damn! i want a toyota truck. check out this FAQ- http://www.toyotanation.com/forum/t158538.html

this is exactly what you're looking for- http://personal.utulsa.edu/~nathan-b.../7cylinder.pdf

[OldManMac]

I don't know about that particular engine, but it should be doable. There is also a way to know you've done the job correctly; if you have at least one nut or bolt leftover, you're good to go.

[RAzaRazor]

Rent a torque wrench? Every man MUST own a torque wrench.

Besides, they aren't that expensive. You can get one for $70 from Sears.

[RAzaRazor]

Oh der... Over Head Cams. You have to mess with the timing chain and everything.
Silly me is used to pushrod V-8s - Nice and simple!

[Rumor]

Originally Posted by olePigeon 

Well, every mechanic I've talked to says they take the engine out.

Price gouging.

[olePigeon]

I'm an idiot, goes to show. I was looking a the valve gasket, not the head gasket. The head gasket requires me to pretty much take everything except the engine out. Hmm.

This'll be tough, but I think I can do it with a LOT of electrical tape and a silver sharpie. I can probably borrow a torque wrench from the auto shop at work.

Thanks for the links and PDF Dan.

[anonymac]

If you have to ask this, you aren't skilled enough to work on your car. Good auto mechanics don't charge $2000. Where did you get a quote? Midas?

[CMYKid]

Originally Posted by anonymac 

If you have to ask this, you aren't skilled enough to work on your car. Good auto mechanics don't charge $2000. Where did you get a quote? Midas?

Pfffft. "Real" mechanics (regardless of how much they charge) werent "skilled enough to work on their cars" their first time around either. That's how you learn.

Thats the entire reason why I learned to do pretty much everything myself in the first place, because in high school I wasnt exactly rollin' in the dough and it was a lot cheaper to learn to do it myself. Heads arent so hard, especially on those.

[olePigeon]

Originally Posted by anonymac 

If you have to ask this, you aren't skilled enough to work on your car. Good auto mechanics don't charge $2000. Where did you get a quote? Midas?

I called about 6 or 7 different mechanics. All of them charge between $1700 to as much as $2300 to replace the head gasket.

I also don't have a choice in the matter because I'm broke.

[vmarks]

buy a shop manual. If you can't get the factory shop manual, get both the chilton and the haynes. I find the chilton to be better written, but occasionally the haynes has good tips.

get sockets and box end wrenches and a torque wrench. 25 dollars for torque wrenches at harbor freight.

you can do this. I should ask: how do you know it's a head gasket? Are you getting oil in the coolant? Coolant in the cylinders (coming out as white steam from the tailipipe) ? Low compression on adjacent cylinders (indicated the gasket split and is bridging between two cylinders) ?

Here's what you've got to deal with: the intake, the exhaust, timing chain, timing gear, cams.
It's do-able without removing the engine, but really do set aside the weekend, take your time.

If you have the cash, take the head to a machine shop. They can inspect the valves and replace or grind them if needed, and they can machine the face of the head that goes to the engine flat again, which will help it prevent leaks.

Use new head bolts when you put it back together - I've seen people re-use old ones and they shear off the next time you try and get them out.

[olePigeon]

Symptoms that lead me to believe it's the head gasket:

1. Overheating after running for a few hours. It has a new radiator, new belts, and new thermostat. Still over heating.
2. Severe loss of HP. I'm having to downshift more and more to make it up hills that I didn't have trouble with before.
3. Irregular idling. Engine will rev up and down when idle.
4. When it does heat up, it loses a lot of coolent/water through the overflow and just spills out.
5. On a cold start (and a hot shut off) the coolent/water gurgles out of the radiator into the overflow.
6. Mechanic did a pressure test on the radiator and it just builds up pressure, even after the thermostat opens.

[cashisback]

You'd only really need to do that on a boxer engine with no clearance.

[fritzair]

Originally Posted by olePigeon 

Symptoms that lead me to believe it's the head gasket:

1. Overheating after running for a few hours. It has a new radiator, new belts, and new thermostat. Still over heating.
2. Severe loss of HP. I'm having to downshift more and more to make it up hills that I didn't have trouble with before.
3. Irregular idling. Engine will rev up and down when idle.
4. When it does heat up, it loses a lot of coolent/water through the overflow and just spills out.
5. On a cold start (and a hot shut off) the coolent/water gurgles out of the radiator into the overflow.
6. Mechanic did a pressure test on the radiator and it just builds up pressure, even after the thermostat opens.

You should check the compression. Are you sure your water pump is okay and your thermostat is opening? BUt the drivability problems sound like head gasket. If you are leaking water into a cylinder it will cause you to lose the engine. Be careful not to drive it more until you do some more testing. That motor the 22R or cousin is built to last forever, I have never seen a head gasket go.
You will have to expose the front timing cover too, to get the chains off. But shouldn't have to pull the engine.
Leave the intake manifold on if you can still get to the exhaust header for removal. It will be one less part to remove. Buy all new gaskets for the head and intake/exhaust.
Don't remove the distributor unless you know how to re-time the engine. Change the fuel filter, sparkplugs etc while you are there.
Listen to your Dad.

I wish Firefly and Studio 60 would come back.