I took the most perfect video of it's first start. Funny story, even after draining all fuel/coolant/oil and replacing it all, it wouldn't start the whole 3 hours I spent trying to start it. It ended up sitting untouched for about a week, when I decided to randomly give it a go.
The SOB fired right up! In fact, now it fires right up every single time! Mind you, I didn't do one lick of work beyond fluid changes and reattaching the starter.
Video Time!! Haha... yeah, about that... just after I got finished with the most epic 2 minutes and 30 seconds of early 1st gen ownership, my iPhone decides that the days events actually never happened In fact, all of my pictures from that day just didn't happen. <-- just picture that, but iPhone 4.
TurboRunner LIVES. I promise you guys that you'll see a video of this beast running before I fix the head gasket. It's a spectacle to see a cob-webbed engine start up after sitting for 3 years. It doesn't stay alive lower than 1k RPM, compression isn't good enough. It doesn't drive either, thanks to the automatic transmission. If this thing was a stick, I'd have driven it by now.
Head gasket change will begin tomorrow, I will be updating with pictures and videos. Since I'm new to Toyota engine work and timing chains, I'm taking it back down to my buddy John's shop, Japanese Car Specialties, to hopefully leech off of John's 22RTE know-how. I'll still be performing the work myself, but with a helpful guiding hand. This is the same shop where I performed my 4WD 5-speed conversion, and where I'll likely be seeing FrankM23 come Wednesday for a good old fashioned 3RZ valve adjustment.
After TurboRunner works, Donor truck will meet it's demise.
Anyway, that's my rant, hope you didn't fall asleep reading with this lack of photos
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TurboRunner didn't want to start again today. This is a very bipolar truck. Oh well, I have AAA for a reason. 907504f8 by cobblewagen, on Flickr
Immediately got to work. For some reason, the truck would crank, fire a few times, and die again. 463907fe by cobblewagen, on Flickr 94cbfc2c by cobblewagen, on Flickr
The 22RTE motor uses a cold start injector with a coolant temperature sensor. I changed the sensor with a known good sensor to make sure it was correctly operating. No change. a39fbbcd by cobblewagen, on Flickr 892e25ad by cobblewagen, on Flickr
There are no ignition or fuse problems, either... so we moved onto electrical possibilities. We pulled a pinout for a turbo 4Runner off the internet. Using a Vantage diagnostic scanner (the same one I used to test continuity for wires during my 4WD conversion), we checked fuel injection signals from the ECU. Signals were fine at initial start and then stopped as the engine died.
Now, here's another reason why the perfect mechanic is really a godsend. This guy has a 1985 solid axle Toyota pickup that he's converted to a completely OEM 5-speed and turbo. This guy knows his stuff. It's about this time when John asks me for the part number of my ECU, 89661-35050. He never ceases to amaze me... he hands me the keys to his 85 and tells me to test my ECU in his truck. Sure enough, ECU 89661-35050 with the dismantler's vehicle details "1986 4Runner 4x4 Auto Turbo." 339bf1f7 by cobblewagen, on Flickr 2dffa75e by cobblewagen, on Flickr
If my phone didn't start acting up again, I'd have had a short video of it driving into the shop under it's own power. Too bad, my phone sucks. So, now I've just gotta find myself one of these ECU's. I may have found one for $100 in Maine at a dismantler.
The engines main problems: bad head gasket = low compression in cylinder one, rod knock, helicoiled spark plug hole cylinder 4. Engine hardly creates enough vacuum, often dies during automatic gear changes. Lots of white smoke.
I was hoping it would only be a head job, but now it would be more beneficial to pull the whole motor and rebuild it. It's a shame I won't be keeping this truck... John's got an LCE pro crankshaft and H-beam rods that use bigger rod bearings, CP forged pisons (.040 over) and new piston rings... all for a 22RE... omfg haha... that'd be NUTS with boost. (boring with an auto... and IFS). Truck will have to go to a good home, not selling it to just anyone.
Used an old fuel injector harness to test each injector. 1 injector is completely the wrong one, while one of the other 3 isn't working well. One of them is cutting in and out. 3b7397af by cobblewagen, on Flickr
Cylinder 1-3 spark plug holes have seen better days. The threads are mostly crossthreaded and jagged, it should not take excessive force to unscrew a spark plug. Another one of John's toys: Self tapping spark plug. All 3 non-helicoiled holes are smooth as butter now. As far as the helicoiled plug, lots and lots of loctite so I can remove the plug from the helicoil itself. Head is pretty screwed up lol. cae5a1ee by cobblewagen, on Flickr d1fbda6a by cobblewagen, on Flickr
Compression tests: Cylinder 1 and 3 have very low compression. The other two have good compression. 85ab084e by cobblewagen, on Flickr
2 out of 3 piston rings are fried on all 4 pistons. This truck is an oil burners cartel member. Hot side of the turbo was cracked and poorly welded by previous owner... this truck won't be making ANY boost...
... so what's good about this truck? It's actually running on all 4 cylinders again (barely). It runs without stalling. It actually drives, too. Went for a nice journey around the area, put a good 15 miles on it. Testament to Toyota... leave a horribly maintained engine sitting for 3 years and it will still run and drive. At least it doesn't burn too much oil.
This is where the decision gets difficult. This thing is totally worthy of a new engine and turbo. It deserves to run for another 264k, at least. This vehicle is still an investment, though. There are a few engine/turbo combos online that I may consider. $500-$1000 may net me something in running condition. I would hate to install a used motor without rebuild, but given the right motor, I'll just do a swap.
Truck is at home now while I decide what I want to do. ebd4448c by cobblewagen, on Flickr
If you keep tabs on my 99's build thread, you may remember a cop hassle I had in my 3rd gen. I was out, but the cops came over for a visit, this time with a tow truck. They had TurboRunner about halfway up the ramp. My dad stopped them and I spoke with the cop over the phone.
Cop: "Why is this truck parked on my street?" (D!ckhead, I've lived on this street for 15 years! It's MY street!)
Me: "I just brought the truck home from the shop yesterday, I just needed to clear some space out of the driveway. Pink slip is in the house."
Cop: "I'll give you one hour. If I ever see this truck in the street again, I'm taking it."
Thanks again, jerkoff. Someday, I'll be moving out of this area with such douchebag cops on power trips. If only they would actually protect and serve as their job entitles... not bring out the big guns after a vehicle with bad registration sits for one day in the street. Maybe it's the lack of action over here, they're forced to spend their time giving innocent people a hard time. If no one stopped him, TurboRunner would have been impounded and likely handed away with the title. Most of my life spent here, only time I ever see nice policemen are when they're consoling accident victims. I understand you're mister Johnny Law, but you don't have keep up the act in front of my elderly father. We're innocent people, talk to us like a human being should. After all, we pay your salary.
Drove home, got in the truck, started it right up and drove straight into my driveway. Of course, they were expecting me to push it
It appears this is the first time she's ever been topless. I also find it very cool that there's one bolt for the top that has a switch in the bolthole to toggle the back window power.
Quite the catch, COB! I can't imagine even a totally disinterested party being willing to crush ANY vehicle with an immaculate body like that, let alone something as useful as a 4Runner. Glad you saved her from that untimely death.
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Former owner of four Runners: three 2nd Gens and one 1st Gen. Idle for now, but will be back in one again before too long.
If you're planning on flipping it and you've got takers at $3500, I'd jump on that. You might get as high as $6000-$6500 or so with a good running engine, but you'll probably spend at least another thou and a lotta hours getting there.
Just a random update. I have been speaking with many junkyards trying to locate an ECU for this truck at a reasonable cost.
I found one in Ellsworth, ME, and if they can confirm it's the right part number, I'll be able to drive the truck again.
Also got it registered. No tags since 2009, $30 transfer and $80 in fees... boy howdy was I scared of what the cost would be, what a relief.
All you paid was $110?!?!?! Same with my 87runner turbo, its been sitting since 09 with no tags and I had to pay..$771!!!! it was worth it...beautiful truck by the way!!! Just actually found out my turbo might be blown cuz of it leaking oil. Any recommended turbos for my truck? Thanks
All you paid was $110?!?!?! Same with my 87runner turbo, its been sitting since 09 with no tags and I had to pay..$771!!!! it was worth it...beautiful truck by the way!!! Just actually found out my turbo might be blown cuz of it leaking oil. Any recommended turbos for my truck? Thanks
A .50 trim Garrett T3 builds boost really quick but peters out kind of fast on the high end. I consider them nearly perfect for these engines. There is also the CT26 turbo swap from a late 80's Supra that is quite popular.
That'd make a hell of a daily driver. Good luck with the flip!
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'My needle always settles between west and southwest. The future lies that way to me, and the earth seems more unexhausted and richer on that side.' - Thoreau, sort of.
In fact, all of my pictures from that day just didn't happen. 
<-- just picture that, but iPhone 4.
it was worth it...beautiful truck by the way!!! Just actually found out my turbo might be blown cuz of it leaking oil. Any recommended turbos for my truck? Thanks
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