97 Limited Puppy Hauler Build Thread

Only had an hour and a half to work on it today. Was going to check valve clearance but changed my mind.

Removed the nuts from the exhaust studs and started installing the studs in the heads. When exhaust manifolds are done I'll look at valves before too much gets put on the engine and things start getting in the way.

Glad I bought torques sockets long ago. They are needed for the exhaust studs.


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So I'm in the process of checking valve clearance and have a few exhaust valves at 016 and 017 thou. I'll reshim those.

The coolant pipe under the intake needs a o-ring of some sorts and it's not in my head gasket replacement kit from what I gather.

Having to work 7 12hr days in a row and only having 2 or 3 days off before I turn around and do it again is killing me trying to get this job done.


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Like I mentioned in my other post. I did the valve clearance check and pulled the shims to measure them. I'll be able to recycle the OEM 3.00 shims. However, I'll need to order some 3.05's and 3.10's tomorrow morning. I missed the dealer being open by 30 minutes.

I hope they can have everything Saturday. This project needs done.
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So, some shims for the valve adjustment are back ordered until Monday or Tuesday.

Ugg. I guess I'll continue doing what I can.

Edit. 10 shims cost 98 dollars at my local dealer. Two 3.10 shims and eight 3.05.

I got the 3.10's and three 3.05's.


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Also the amount of money I've been spending on brake cleaner and carb-choke cleaner I could have bought a TSC or Harbor Freight parts cleaner and 5 gallons of mineral spirits.

Carb and choke cleaner was the ticket to removing the oil coking under the valve covers. They were nasty.


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So I double checked exhaust cam valve clearance and some how screwed up one of the valves. I ended up robing a 3.10 from the right head. So I order another 3.10 tomorrow. I have 5 3.05 shims on back order so I got time.

I work 12hr shift starting tomorrow so I am not going to get much time until Friday at the earliest. Intake is ready to bolt on too. May be ill do that tomorrow before work.

The coolant pipe between the heads sure looks like I could put a o-ring in that groove that gets RTV. 75 inch pounds isn't much torque. I'd feel better with a o-ring.


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Also used the NAV part of the 2013 Corolla radio to look at a 2002 BMW. Did great, it's time to pay the 170 to update the maps.

I'm glad I did this upgrade.


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Finally got the back ordered 3.05mm shims in today. All valves that needed reshiming are done. Black dot is complete.
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It's starting to look like a real engine again.

May be first fire will be tomorrow. I hope it is, because I go back to work 6am to 6pm Sunday until next Sunday.

Which ever school official or Guidance Counselor back in the early 90's started steering students to collage instead of recommending the trades (I'm an industrial electrician) should be shot or brought to the present and see what mess they created.

Currently there are 4 of us doing the work of 8. The failure rate for people taking the written and hands on electrician test is over 90%. There so desperate that if a person passes the written test and key parts of the hands on test they will be hired as an apprentice. Which lowers my value. But in the eyes of corporate it's a body to fill a hole.


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So, I bagged work at 8hrs and worked on the Toy from 4-6:30.

Most all important stuff is done but the cooling system. (Rad, cooling fan, coolant) I also want to reroute the trans external cooler so it also uses the new radiators trans cooler.

I'm also debating on if I want to prelude the engine to get oil up to the cams or wait until I'm ready to start it.


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Bagged work again today at 2. Worked Toy doing finish work. (Cooling fan, alt, PS pump, all belts, throttle cable, TV cable, cruise cable, air box, ignition coils, etc....)

I prelubed the engine and it was turning over way too fast. And of coarse it didn't try and start. So I pulled timing cover off and sure enough I was off around 15 degrees on the cams with crank at TDC.

I'm telling you, I got so lucky. I was able to put the pin back in the tensioner. I removed the center cam belt bearing and put the cams back to strait up. Then put the belt back on the cams and was able to install the cam bearing. Rotated the engine 4 times by hand and cams were in the correct position at TDC.

It started and after purging the air out settled into a smooth idle.

I will install the Rad and coolant tomorrow after work and heat cycle it to look for leaks. Hopefully I'm driving it for work Wednesday night.
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I accidentally put the one throttle body coolant line on the vacuum nipple of the IAC. So filling it with coolant I accidentally flooded the IAC with antifreeze. And heard the coolant leak.

Fixed all that and flushed the IAC with cleaner. Fired up engine to warm it up and it high idled at 1300rpm. Sprayed the air passage again and it low idles 1 time and high idles the next or stalls or idles fine. I'll see if the IAC behaves tomorrow for work after it sits and dries out. Or I'll be changing the throttle body. With one I have as a spare. It only stalled once on me while test driving it. Engine sounds great.

I discovered the seal or seals for for the transfer case outputs are leaking. That will be next I guess.


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So the cold start and idle in gear coming to a stop was all but healed. Then I stopped for a new rad cap and battery post terminal and it wouldn't hot start at all without a little throttle.

So I stopped at the garage and back flushed the IAC from the lower vacuum port up into the throttle body and black stuff came out.

The hot start was perfect afterward. I'm driving it for work tomorrow and then handing it over.


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On This mornings drive to work idle behaved normally and a hot start test at work was a success. (Flare start to 900rpm then drop to 700-750 in park) The black crap that came out of the hole for the IAC when I back flushed the IAC through the lower vacuum nipple was the ticket.

Good to Go.


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It's handed off. Does its first Puppy Transport on Sunday. I took my temp gun home from work and hacking back roads for 18 miles bypassing road construction the oil pan temp was 157 at the gas station. Filled up and drove the rest of the way home, another 15 miles at 50-55mph in lockup. At home the trans oil pan temp was 132.

I have the TrueCool 4589 installed and trans cooler in Rad bypassed. I do intend on using the rads trans cooler in this new radiator.


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