22RE overheating after main seal and belt replacement

[mechagouki]

I replaced the very leaky main seal and the v-belts on my 1989 SR5 last weekend. The truck had be idling high (2K - 3K) and pissing oil. The first 3 days after I did the repairs the truck ran like a dream, then it started to high idle again, and starting became really rough, the engine seeming like it was missing a cylinder for the first couple of minutes. Friday night after a 20 minute drive the egine was smoking hot, radiator boiling (I think I have a stickt temp gauge) I checked coolant the next day and it was low, so I topped it up, let it idle for 20 minutes and it seemed fine, then last night it was hard to start again and boilied the rad after 10 minutes driving and threw a brief check engine light at me (less than a minute).

My initial thought is to replace the thermostat, but that doesn't really explain the rough starting does it?

 

[KidVermicious]

Before you replace anything, test the thermostat and temp sensors (see the 22RE sensors thread I just started for a couple nifty links). Then pull your plugs and see what they're telling you. Check the compression. Make sure the water pump, oil pump, and fan clutch are spinning free. Make sure the radiator hoses that are supposed to get hot get hot, and make sure the ones that aren't supposed to get hot don't.

I don't know of any way that a front main leak or a bad belt can cause a high idle. I think the high idle and rough start and overheating are a different issue, and if you try and fix it by throwing parts at the motor you're likely to spend a lot of money and get frustrated before you find it. Isolate the problem first, then repair it.

 

[mechagouki]

Hey, thanks for the fast reply, I've continued to google around and it sounds like the poor old truck is displaying some blown head gasket symptoms, hard start, lots of white smoke at start, bubbling in expansion tank. I'll work through your list, but it's not looking good.

Of course it being -15 in my garage isn't going to make diagnosis any easier.

 

[4runnerBrett]

Invest in a space heater!

 

[KidVermicious]

Hey, thanks for the fast reply, I've continued to google around and it sounds like the poor old truck is displaying some blown head gasket symptoms, hard start, lots of white smoke at start, bubbling in expansion tank. I'll work through your list, but it's not looking good.

That does sound like a gasket. See if your local parts store has a block tester kit - it'll look for exhaust particles in your coolant, and is pretty much definitive.

Of course it being -15 in my garage isn't going to make diagnosis any easier.