Did my engine just blow up? help.

[xcmountain80]

Could you expand on this a bit? I am considering swapping mine out with a JDM down the road.

If I'm understanding this, when a shop installs the engine they can't use the JDM parts in the engine?

Thanks.

I went the rebuilt route once, had a bad experience. Went the JDM route the second time, works like a charm. You’ll have to strip, and swap parts from one to the other unless it’s a donor. For instance, motor mounts, ac or power steering bracket, I no longer have a oil cooler because the water pump on the jdm unit didn’t have an outlet and I was too lazy to swap the water pump over. So. Now I have 2 oil filters, same threaded portion on both.

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[koonendez]

Interested to hear more about the coolant leak as I'm now dealing with issues on my 98 SR5 3.4 too.

I've noticed white smoke but all the info I've found on here says that if it's a leak than we should be smelling a slightly sweet scent from the exhaust. I definitely don't think there's a sweet smell coming from mine, but there's a relatively good amount of white smoke coming from my tail pipe.

I took the truck to Advanced Auto Parts to get codes, but he just ran what seemed like an emissions test and didn't give me codes.

 

[Wedgy]

Interested to hear more about the coolant leak as I'm now dealing with issues on my 98 SR5 3.4 too.

I've noticed white smoke but all the info I've found on here says that if it's a leak than we should be smelling a slightly sweet scent from the exhaust. I definitely don't think there's a sweet smell coming from mine, but there's a relatively good amount of white smoke coming from my tail pipe.

I took the truck to Advanced Auto Parts to get codes, but he just ran what seemed like an emissions test and didn't give me codes.

thegipper (a few posts back) went thru your issue chasing a coolant leak into the head and finally did what is called a "leakdown test" which was the only thing that positively confirmed it.

 

[gamefreakgc]

Could you expand on this a bit? I am considering swapping mine out with a JDM down the road.

If I'm understanding this, when a shop installs the engine they can't use the JDM parts in the engine?

Thanks.

Someone else also explained this. Nothing wrong with JDM engines, they are solid. However, everything on the block: brackets, accessories, pulleys, oil pan, oil pickup, and many many more are not compatible with a USDM 4Runner. It's a lot of extra work removing all the JDM parts and putting on all the USDM parts.

 

[twitchee2]

The starter is turning the engine but it will not turn over at all. Thanks for the advice, will do.

Wait, what does this mean? Is the motor spinning freely with the starter but it just doesn't not catch and actually run?

I have a theory but it depends on your answer to this.

 

[thegipper]

Wait, what does this mean? Is the motor spinning freely with the starter but it just doesn't not catch and actually run?

I have a theory but it depends on your answer to this.

Broken flex plate theory?

 

[twitchee2]

Broken flex plate theory?

No, maybe the start motor seized with the bendix not retracted. As you turned the motor by hand, it would make strange noises and the starter wouldn't spin the motor to start it. Kind of a shot in the dark and at lot stars have to align for this theory to be possible.

 

[WWRD99]

Bendix on the starter will make a drill noise when the sprague goes bad.

 

[twitchee2]

Bendix on the starter will make a drill noise when the sprague goes bad.

Yes, you are correct and i know that sound very well unfortunately, but if the starter itself is seized, you would not hear the drill noise. Then when he turned it over by hand, it could very well have been the strange noise he was hearing.

Just a thought I had that sort of made sense in my head.

 

[nc-grayson]

I'm on the edge of my seat here - I'm emotionally invested! I need to know what happened!

 

[Wedgy]

I'm on the edge of my seat here - I'm emotionally invested! I need to know what happened!

LOL
#metoo

 

[Program7509]

About to conduct engine autopsy. Request advice.

Hello,

Would someone please help me with a comprehensive list of what I should need to take an engine apart to fix a blown head gasket?

I have a 2000 limited 3.4L 2wd w/ 190k. I keep the car in Arizona and use it sparingly when I am there for work. On December 3, radiator failed and the engine overheated.

I'm almost positive I have a blown head gasket. Symptoms were researched and checked and discussed with competent mechanic.

I will have an opportunity to work on the car on February 15th and I'd like to take the engine apart to survey the damage and (hopefully) discover that it is a blown HG that is fixable.

I have never done anything like this but I will have a good supply of tools and people to help me at the auto hobby shop at a local military base.

Can someone please help me with a (somewhat) comprehensive list of what I should need/need to know? I'm talking useful manuals, YouTube videos/channels, dos and don'ts, etc.

The engine is likely toast but I paid $3400 for the car then paid $1000 to get the radiator system fixed only to have the maintenance people run a test on it to tell me the engine was shot. In other words, the logical thing for me to do is sell the car for parts but I don't want to because he's my friend now.

Please help.

 

[gamefreakgc]

Hello,

Would someone please help me with a comprehensive list of what I should need to take an engine apart to fix a blown head gasket?

I have a 2000 limited 3.4L 2wd w/ 190k. I keep the car in Arizona and use it sparingly when I am there for work. On December 3, radiator failed and the engine overheated.

I'm almost positive I have a blown head gasket. Symptoms were researched and checked and discussed with competent mechanic.

I will have an opportunity to work on the car on February 15th and I'd like to take the engine apart to survey the damage and (hopefully) discover that it is a blown HG that is fixable.

I have never done anything like this but I will have a good supply of tools and people to help me at the auto hobby shop at a local military base.

Can someone please help me with a (somewhat) comprehensive list of what I should need/need to know? I'm talking useful manuals, YouTube videos/channels, dos and don'ts, etc.

The engine is likely toast but I paid $3400 for the car then paid $1000 to get the radiator system fixed only to have the maintenance people run a test on it to tell me the engine was shot. In other words, the logical thing for me to do is sell the car for parts but I don't want to because he's my friend now.

Please help.

This video series I've used several times. Great diagnosis as well as how to remove various components: YouTube. It's a 6 part video I think but also shows how to do a leak down test, which is what your mechanic SHOULD have done to confirm that is it indeed the issue. No leak down test means everything is just hear-say and opinions.

Head gasket repair is not for the faint of heart. It is one of the most complex repair jobs possible as far as how deep you have to go. I would not consider it a one day job, since if you have the head off you'll also need to take it to a machine shop to be pressure tested and machined, since the problem might be a warped or cracked head, meaning without that you'll just "blow" another gasket in a week's time.

 

[RuggedRunner]

Update

Yo fellas sorry to leave you hanging. I decided to attempt an engine replacement since the old engine is most likely hydrolocked. I had to work for a while to save up enough money and time and now i'm taking a week off work to complete it. I got an engine from a wrecked auto '00 4runner with 115k miles for $1100. Found it at a salvage yard that has really exceptional google reviews. I've already got the engine out and replaced the rear main seal, oil cooler hoses and pilot bearing. I'm also going to replace the oil cooler O ring and engine mounts. The valve cover gaskets aren't leaking at all so thats good. I'm just not very confident about the wiring since the new engine is from an auto and I have a manual. I know a lot of people have done 5 speed swaps so if any of you have any pointers it would be awesome because i'm pretty clueless. Will I have to put all the wiring from the manual onto the auto? or can I modify the wiring harnesses somehow?

 

[gamefreakgc]

Yo fellas sorry to leave you hanging. I decided to attempt an engine replacement since the old engine is most likely hydrolocked. I had to work for a while to save up enough money and time and now i'm taking a week off work to complete it. I got an engine from a wrecked auto '00 4runner with 115k miles for $1100. Found it at a salvage yard that has really exceptional google reviews. I've already got the engine out and replaced the rear main seal, oil cooler hoses and pilot bearing. I'm also going to replace the oil cooler O ring and engine mounts. The valve cover gaskets aren't leaking at all so thats good. I'm just not very confident about the wiring since the new engine is from an auto and I have a manual. I know a lot of people have done 5 speed swaps so if any of you have any pointers it would be awesome because i'm pretty clueless. Will I have to put all the wiring from the manual onto the auto? or can I modify the wiring harnesses somehow?

You are going to use the wiring harness from your manual. Whatever harness that came with the auto you'll need to completely disconnect and set aside, they are not the same so not interchangable. You'll also want to keep any parts that are different off your old engine, such as the throttle body and move them over to the donor engine. I can't think of any other differences off the top of my head but there might be more than that.

It's worth fitting up the entire engine harness before putting the new engine in just to make sure it all fits and matches. Then you just feed the engine harness through your firewall and hook it up to your ECU. Toyota was smart and if the connector doesn't fit, the part is not compatible with that harness.

 

[thegipper]

Pretty much what gamefreak said.

You'll just need to take the engine harness off your bad engine and swap it over to your new engine (plus the throttle body). Every connector on the engine side should be identical.

I swapped a 99 engine into my 97 so I've been down this road before. Granted it was an auto to auto swap but that shouldn't matter other than the throttle body (auto has a kick down cable for the tranny). It took maybe an hour to swap the harness over and wasn't difficult at all.

 

[RuggedRunner]

So the whole harness includes the transmission plugs and diagnostics port right? Will i have to take the intake manifold off? i don't see how i can get the whole harness off without taking it off

 

[thegipper]

Yes, the entire engine harness must come off, it goes through the firewall on the passenger side. I would unbolt the ECM first and unplug all of the connectors, especially if you are not sure which ones are for the engine harness. Then remove the two bolts that hold the engine harness grommet to the firewall. You can then gently pull the harness out through the firewall. Once that is done, you can start removing all of the plugs/connectors on the engine.

You'll need to remove the upper/lower intake manifolds to get the harness off. Just be careful that you have everything unplugged before you go yanking on it and break something. Trust me, it's not nearly as bad as it looks.

I had both engines on stands so it was super easy.

 

[thegipper]

It will look like this when it's out.

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[RuggedRunner]

Ok thanks, I think I get it now. I've never taken the manifold off so I guess it looks more intimidating than it is.