Recent content by The Simple Engnr

Replacing the left bank HG, so technically both gaskets were blown. I was aware there was a slow oil leak coming from that side of the engine for a while. It was slow enough I never really took the time to diagnose it. I was surprised when I took the left head off to find the oil leaking from...

I get it, it's no fun to see a reliable vehicle that you've babied start to show it's age. That combined with a allure of a newer vehicle can be pretty compelling, but I'll say these things. How valuable is your money to you, and how do you like spending it? It's so tempting to go for that...

You get what you pay for right, so there are definitely better options out there than this, but I decided on Bilstein 5100's. Super popular and really hard to beat for the money IMO. I don't regularly get off road so I didn't need anything high performance. Amazon.com: Bilstein 5100 Series...

Yeah they don't ride like a caddy, but they are good for a BOF SUV with a solid rear axle. New shocks all around will be a huge improvement. That's probably the best money I've spent on mine. Beyond that, a nice HU with a backup camera and you're golden. It's like owning a new(er) vehicle for...

Oh man, an 07 with 141k is just starting to be being broken in! Congrats on the new ride. I think it's definitely reasonable to plan on keeping it running for 10+ more years. Any plans to install a new suspension or other upgrades? As reliable as these things are, I know my '03 won't last...

Has there ever been a larger gap of time between two posts on a forum in the history of the internet? Shaq was a Laker. Ronald Reagan was still alive, and Facebook debuted. #thanksgoogle I'm sorry I don't have any information to help, I'm sure some of the knowledgeable people here can though...

Welcome! Glad you're now in the best mid-sized SUV out there. Sounds like you got a good one given the new HGs and the maintenance history. Generally speaking, if you take care of these things they take care of your bank account. Unless you open the door to the aftermarket and then it's too...

This just comes down to how you want to spend your money. You're currently driving one of only a handful of vehicles with a engine/powertrain that generally requires very little beyond regular maintenance even well beyond 250k miles. Personally I like spending car loan money elsewhere :biggrin1...

Definitely can't make that assumption. As someone else mentioned, getting to the HGs is significantly more work than the timing chain. It's not something you'd do while you're at it. I would tread carefully with a purchase like this on an '03. That's fairly typical mileage for leaking HG...

Hey Cougy. I'm no expert when it comes to this engine, but I have done a decent amount of work on mine. IMO the answer to a lot of your questions is "it depends". I think sometimes people go overboard replacing components that are functioning just fine, but I do get the argument of replacing...

I hate to not have better news, but the combination of a rough idle, losing coolant at that rate with your mileage on a 1GR-FE is not looking great. Is the rough idle only on a cold start, particularly if it's been sitting cold for a while? Since you're already getting some diagnostics work...

Given your mileage and symptoms, it sounds likely. To get a definitive answer before you commit to a job like that, you could pressure test your cylinders. Along with G-Man, I also just replaced the 1GR-FE HG on my '03 at 263k miles, so if you have any questions I'd be happy to help. EDIT...

This may not be your problem as I'm not familiar with the Toyota design, but what you've described sounds similar to what was happening to the AUX port on my wife's Sonata. Especially if it's intermittently working. Broken ground on the PCB at the AUX connector. Probably a combination of a...

Not sure if this thread is frequented much anymore, but I figured contributing with my experience may help someone out there. I just replaced both of my head gaskets over the last two weeks and it's fresh on my mind. I'm no expert, but I would be more than happy to answer any questions anyone...