Crap!! Replaced Knock Sensors & Valve Cover Gaskets - Truck won't start!!!

[denvermaxd]

I was getting a P0325 error, so I ordered Toyota knock sensors and harness, plus a Valve Cover Gasket kit from Rock Auto, and tore down the top end of the engine.

My truck has a TRD supercharger, for the record.

I'd never done this job, so I carefully followed a great forum DIY here, as well as a Timmy the Toolman video. I did everything by the book, and took my time.

Put it all back together, re-filled coolant, checked everything was shipshape and cranked her up.

She turned over twice then stopped. Wouldn't even turn over after that immediately. If I let it sit for a minute it will crank once then stop.

It feels like the starter wants to turn but there's too much resistance, like somehow the engine timing is completely off or there's something jammed in the crank or something.

Scangauge is showing the original P0325 plus two new codes: P0100 and P0110. UPDATE: I think the P0100 and P0110 were because the MAF harness wasn't back on. :\

Any help is much appreciated. I really, really don't want to have to tear this back down.

 

[denvermaxd]

UPDATE #2: So, after several tries of just cranking once then stopping, I posted my original thread. Then, I went back out and tried it again, and it actually starting cranking like normal, but never firing up. It doesn't even sound like there's ignition at all.

I'm wondering if somehow I didn't get the fuel rail right? Or maybe the coil packs? I've checked them all and they appear to be solidly plugged in.

 

[AntleredRuin]

I remember a while back, someone removed/reinstalled their TB and got the vacuum and coolant lines on it reversed and hydrolocked their engine so it couldn't start.
I'd pull the spark plugs to check. It shouldn't have hurt anything; the starter isn't strong enough to cause damage if hydrolocked, it just won't start. You need to evacuate the water for the engine to turn over.

Youd definity feel that 'resistance when starting'.

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[LittleCaesar]

Go back and carefully look for something you left unplugged, such as a vacuum line, or a ground.

Smell fuel?

 

[denvermaxd]

At first there wasn't much fuel smell, but after I plugged in the MAF harness and cranked for a while, pumping the gas pedal a bit (I grew up with carburetors... hard habit to break) there was a pretty strong fuel smell. I think maybe it flooded.

I've been letting it sit for a while. I'll go try it again and if it still won't start I'll pull a plug and see what it looks like.

 

[sleepydad]

At first there wasn't much fuel smell, but after I plugged in the MAF harness and cranked for a while, pumping the gas pedal a bit (I grew up with carburetors... hard habit to break) there was a pretty strong fuel smell. I think maybe it flooded.

I've been letting it sit for a while. I'll go try it again and if it still won't start I'll pull a plug and see what it looks like.

Not long ago I replaced knock sensors. I bone headed the injector connections and swapped 1 and 3. Super easy to do it actually, like others have said check thos connections... injectors are really the only things on the truck that can get swapped accidentally. All others have unique plugs.

 

[denvermaxd]

Not sure how that could have happened... the injector plugs kind of line up straight in a row with a fairly short leash from the main line. How do you swap 1 and 3? I'm not saying you're wrong, I just need more info to figure out if that's what I did?

 

[spartacus]

for me when i get into a situation like this i take a break have a drink and then double check everything throughly and it almost always is something I missed or hooked up incorrectly.

 

[denvermaxd]

Well, I'm on track for the "have a drink" (or two)!

I just pulled the EFI and pulled all the plugs out. They were all soaked with fuel, so I guess that eliminates gas as the problem... at least the complete lack of fuel is not the problem. Still possible I somehow screwed up the positions.

In any event... Not even sure how to check for spark with coil packs? Can you do the old plug to conductor test and look for a spark?

 

[denvermaxd]

Well damn...

So, let everything dry out over night, then put the plugs back in, reconnected all the coils and plug wires, reattached the intake, and tried again.

This time it seemed to want to start, would actually turn over occasionally. Kept cranking and finally it started up! Ran super rough for a couple seconds and then smoothed out a mostly, however... White smoke pouring out of the exhaust, like thick, thick white smoke. And it doesn't stop.

So, what did I do wrong? I used brand new Toyota manifold gaskets. I doubt my head cracked while I was doing the job??

Help?

 

[denvermaxd]

Also, now I see coolant dripping off the bell housing of the transmission.

What could I have done wrong here?

When I first pulled the supercharger off I had not drained the coolant and I heard it suddenly pouring out somewhere in the back of the engine... So, I quickly drained it. I figured it was coming out of a hose I disconnected, but maybe not. I'm at a total loss. I guess I'll just have it towed to my mechanic and see what he says.

 

[TheDurk]

This is really easy to screw up. Re-check carefully.

But the white smoke suggests coolant in cylinders. I'd pull and recheck every hose going to Throttle Body and Plenum. Trace each one so you are sure its what it is supposed to be.

 

[thegipper]

I remember a while back, someone removed/reinstalled their TB and got the vacuum and coolant lines on it reversed and hydrolocked their engine so it couldn't start.
I'd pull the spark plugs to check. It shouldn't have hurt anything; the starter isn't strong enough to cause damage if hydrolocked, it just won't start. You need to evacuate the water for the engine to turn over.

Youd definity feel that 'resistance when starting'.

Sent from my VS986 using Tapatalk

It sounds like you may have done this ^

 

[denvermaxd]

^^I'm hoping I accidentally swapped the hoses at the throttle body. I could really use a good schematic of which hoses go where.

If that is indeed the case, I just blew a bunch of antifreeze through my supercharger. What are the implications of that?

 

[mtbtim]

It sounds like you may have done this ^

I was thinking the same damn thing.

 

[AntleredRuin]

It sounds like you may have done this ^

Ha no it actually wasn't me, though that did sound like a 'friend of mine had a dream' type story, didn't it?

I think the thread was from about a year ago. I'll try to locate it.

This is one of the cases where an older hose might actually be a good thing, as it'd be a bit hard and have some 'memory' to it, and would pretty much return to the proper port by itself.

 

[19963.4lsr5]

Crap!! Replaced Knock Sensors & Valve Cover Gaskets - Truck won't start!!!

I did the coolant hose that goes to IAC accidentally on the vacuum But didn't flood the engine with coolant on the puppy hauler because I never put anything on he actual coolant nipple. Heard the trickle of coolant and figured it out.

It is in my 97 puppy hauler thread. This only happened to me around 6 weeks ago.

Edit: I'll also add that on the 96-98 for sure that vacuum hose that connects to the IAC goes to each injector cavity. If you had the coolant and vacuum hose swapped on the firewall side of the throttle body it may take a while to get all that antifreeze out. It has to pull the antifreeze through two small holes in the side of the 4 hole injector hat.


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[DeathCougar]

When you pulled the intake without draining the engine you let a TON of coolant down into the cylinders. That is why the truck wouldn't turn over, it was hydrolocking the engine.

You may still have the vacuum lines hooked up incorrectly, but my guess is there is a lot of coolant down in the cylinders/exhaust which is causing this issue.

Double check your coolant lanes, make sure you're not hooked up backwards, and let it run. It will take a while to burn all the excess coolant out. Keep an eye on your coolant level, see if the engine is "drinking" it, which would indicate a bad intake gasket.

 

[denvermaxd]

Wow. I sure screwed this job up nine ways from Sunday! So much for my shade tree mechanic status.

1. Failed to drain coolant before pulling supercharger. I had no idea this would dump coolant into the chamber. Still don't really understand the mechanics of this.
2. Crossed up my hoses at the throttle body, accidentally putting vacuum on coolant and coolant on vacuum.
3. Tried to start it multiple times in hydrolock.

So at this point I have pulled all the plugs out, adjusted all the hoses so they are (hopefully) routing to the correct nipples/junctions, and am letting it sit and dry.

A few questions:

1. What are the chances I have done serious and lasting damage to my engine? It started this morning and ran, a little rough but really not terrible... Just clouds of white smoke.
2. What strategies are available to me to avoid doing more damage, or to limit the impact of what I've done? Should I let it sit and dry for a day or two?
3. What's the best way to monitor coolant level going forward? Is it standard practice to fill the radiator and then put some in the overflow tank so you can see if it starts to drink coolant?

 

[Cree]

Change the oil. You'll be fine.