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Old 07-14-2018, 06:49 PM #16
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You're welcome man! I can't wait to see the outcome.
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Old 07-16-2018, 09:49 AM #17
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Team_Jake View Post
Just a couple little updates, some good news and some bad news.

First, the bad news:

I'm pretty sure I have a head gasket leak. All the symptoms are pointing towards it (my symptoms are identical to what @thegipper was experiencing):
  • My 4Runner will run rough and misfire a little during cold starts for about 5 seconds then run perfect
  • I'm loosing coolant at a very slow rate (have to top off my reservoir about once every 2 months) and can't find evidence of an external leak anywhere
  • And a couple weeks ago I left my 4Runner parked for over 48 hours and when I started it it blew whitish smoke.

If there is any light to the situation I still have good compression and I can't find any trace of coolant leaking into my oil, and my engine still runs consistently between 190°F and 194°F. I have yet to confirm, I'll need to perform a leak-down test just to be sure but the symptoms started around 10 months ago and seems to be getting slightly worse.

If my head gasket is leaking, I'll likely just take it in and have a local shop fix it or do a swap. I'd fix it myself but time is a bigger enemy for me than money at the moment. I just want to get it fixed the right way before it leads to any major complications, especially since this is my DD.
Definitely do the leak down test next. That is your 100% guaranteed way to know if you HG is indeed leaking.

Unfortunately, it does sound like your HG is leaking based on your symptoms.

Mine never got hot, ran perfectly fine except for that 5 seconds on start up, lost hardly any coolant and rarely produced any white smoke.

Who knows, I could have driven it for thousands of miles before it totally went out but I had a good engine already and decided to just swap it in.

Swapping engines is a TON of work, especially in your garage with no lift.

Hopefully its a simple head gasket repair and won't cost too much.

Good luck
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Old 07-17-2018, 03:28 PM #18
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Quote:
Originally Posted by thegipper View Post
Definitely do the leak down test next. That is your 100% guaranteed way to know if you HG is indeed leaking.
Well, the verdict is in from my local shop, head gasket leak on cylinder 3, just what I expected. The shop will be replacing both head gaskets, resurface the heads and check for cracks, and replace all other easy-to-replace items along the way (valve stem seals, valve cover gaskets, half moons, all intake gaskets, etc.).

It’ll set me back about $2k, but honestly I’m not bummed. In a few weeks I’ll have an engine running perfectly and worry-free which to me is totally worth the money. I’m actually pretty stoked to finally pin-point and fix this issue that’s been going on with my engine for nearly a year.
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Old 07-17-2018, 03:44 PM #19
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Even though my 4Runner will be in the shop for the next couple of weeks, there is some exciting news for today, my tires arrived and are now mounted and balanced!

295/75R16 BFGoodrich KO2s on 16x8 VTX Rebels.





Unfortunately, they will have to stay in the garage for the time being. Soon though...

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Last edited by Team_Jake; 07-17-2018 at 04:06 PM.
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Old 07-18-2018, 03:48 PM #20
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Shop just called, the cylinder head on the passenger side was cracked. That surprises me honestly. I’ve never overheated or can think of any situation where the head would crack.

So question: should I replace both the heads or only the cracked one?? I obviously don’t want to repeat this process in the future, but does it make sense to replace a perfectly good cylinder head with 178k miles or is it something I shouldn’t worry about? Thought??
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Old 07-18-2018, 04:29 PM #21
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I personally believe in fixing things and making it right the first time. Personally if you do it half-way you risk repeating the process. I did my transmission by-pass shortly after I got my vehicle. Did I need to, probably not but I believe if I can do something BEFORE I have a problem it's better.

From my own experience I usually do it all. I've seen people skimp out on getting the head machined and just do a gasket and be back to pulling it apart .

It's a bummer they found more. Maybe get a second opinion if you don't trust the shop?
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Old 07-21-2018, 10:50 AM #22
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My baby is back!!



...and it drives, really well. Actually I can tell there’s a noticeable difference, the engine feels just a little more solid now. I was driving so long with a cracked head (around 11 months) I forgot what a good running engine felt like.

Here’s my old head:



And notice the two cracks between the intake/exhaust valves:



What surprises me the most in all of this was how well my 4Runner ran WITH those cracks, I would think it would run very poorly (it did for the first few seconds when starting cold) but it ran like this for about 11 months and rarely (only twice) threw a CEL on cylinder 3. Not sure if this is a testament to how resilient these engines are or how bad the internal diagnosis systems are. But during those 11 months it got me everywhere I needed to go without overheating or any other big issues, including a big road trip to Mexico two month ago.


I decided to replace only the cracked head, yet both heads were removed and inspected and the head on the driver’s side did get re-surfaced. The new head came off a 2004 Tacoma engine with just over 100k miles that was scrapped for parts due to a knocking rod.

Now I’m ready to go drive another 100,000 miles!!
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Last edited by Team_Jake; 08-22-2018 at 01:03 AM.
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Old 07-22-2018, 12:46 PM #23
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I had a little window yesterday to install the Energy Suspension sway bar bushings and the sway bar links (quick disconnects) by @MStudt . Only had enough time to do the front, I’ll do the rear soon, likely tomorrow.

The discos made by @MStudt are top notch and go together easily. I highly recommend reaching out to him if you’re looking for a pair.

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Old 07-26-2018, 09:25 PM #24
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Wheels and tires are finally installed! I did a little trimming on the pinchweld, and the fender flare on the front bumper, no trimming on the rear. I’ll likely have to trim a little more, if anything to make the pinchweld area a little prettier. I’m not a metal worker so it could use a little work from someone who is.

I love the stance! So much meaner looking than those wimpy stock tires.

I also installed the Energy Suspension rear sway bar bushings, and @MStudt ’s rear sway bar links.

And at last, some photos:







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Old 07-28-2018, 10:13 AM #25
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love the rig!
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Old 07-28-2018, 03:21 PM #26
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4runner

Loving all the pics. Good luck with the rebuild
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Old 08-05-2018, 03:33 PM #27
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Quote:
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love the rig!
Thanks! I’m loving it too!

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Loving all the pics. Good luck with the rebuild
Thanks! So far after the engine partial-rebuild it’s running great, hoping to double the miles on it!
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Old 08-05-2018, 03:47 PM #28
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I was planning to get rock sliders and fab together a custom front plate bumper next, but I’m going to take a little detour from that at the moment because I came across a deal I didn’t want to pass up.



Manual locking hubs!

I had always wanted to get some but they don’t pop up for sale often and they normally need to be rebuilt with new bearings and seals. Plus I want to keep my ABS functioning, so sourcing all the parts seemed a little daunting and I wasn’t ready to dive into that. But I came across these a few days ago, with the ABS spindles, new bearings and seals, all ready to go, so I decided to jump on it. It’s plug and play really. I’ll be installing these in the next couple of weeks when I have time.
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Old 08-18-2018, 07:50 PM #29
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Installed the manual hubs yesterday. It took a good chunk of the day, but I can’t complain since I didn’t have to press bearings or anything like that.



My old spindles and CVs are up for grabs for anyone who wants them, just DM me, I’ll take any reasonable offer.
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Old 09-04-2018, 12:51 AM #30
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Spent the weekend up in Big Bear camping and wheeling. There were a few spots that really pushed me passed my comfort level and find the limits of my 4Runner, but it felt so good to tackle and conquer them. I’m grateful for the people I met on the trail who gave tips and helped spot on some obstacles I didn’t think I would be able to do.

I did the following trails: White Mountain (3N17), Gold Mountain (3N69), Clark’s Grade (1N54), plus a bunch of other minor trails. Gold Mountain was by far my favorite, it had handful of very challenging lines and really pushed me.

Found a mud puddle and couldn’t resist.


Our campsite, quiet and out of the way.


The first challenging obstacle on Gold Mountain. I felt a little un-easy when I approached.


Made it up. Felt awesome!


Second challenging section right after. This one was a little tougher, had to move a couple rocks to make it up the first ledge. Took a couple tries to get up this one.


The top of White Mountain about 1 hour before sunset. Needless to say the view was spectacular.


Also hit 180,000 miles during the trip.
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