Engine Head Gasket / Cracked Head Repair (Toyota 3.4L V6 5VZ-FE )
- Thread starter mtbtim
- Start date
brillo_76
Elite Member
Yes watched the video yesterday. I see higher resolution cameras in use with better sound in the last several videos. Excellent video covering the process.
The only bummer is that the higher quality sound is picking up all the background noises, too. Not a big deal. Just can hear the airplanes now..
Tim and Sean put out good videos. Along with a few other you tubers videos folks on here..
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The only bummer is that the higher quality sound is picking up all the background noises, too. Not a big deal. Just can hear the airplanes now..
Tim and Sean put out good videos. Along with a few other you tubers videos folks on here..
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mtbtim
Elite Member
Yes watched the video yesterday. I see higher resolution cameras in use with better sound in the last several videos. Excellent video covering the process.
The only bummer is that the higher quality sound is picking up all the background noises, too. Not a big deal. Just can hear the airplanes now..
Tim and Sean put out good videos. Along with a few other you tubers videos folks on here..
Sent from my SM-A536V using Tapatalk
My neighborhood is EXTREMELY noisy. Even though I'm in a residential neighborhood, there's always some background noise. Garbage trucks, landscapers running power equipment, cars with annoying loud exhaust or loud music and the list goes on.
I'm curious, who's the other YouTuber folks on here? Is there a Toyota channel I should be paying attention to?
brillo_76
Elite Member
Oh, it's ok, Tim. It's just an observation on the sound. You and Sean come through just fine. It's just a busy area. [ I thought I heard airplanes, too, but maybe it was something else] The background sounds actually make it more realistic for the DIY in town.
I do like the higher resolution, though. As your pointer is extra sharp. The bolts dots were super clear and could see the 180-degree rotation.
Anyways, to answer your question. Speedy garage has a YouTube channel. He documents his projects and explains why he does what he does. Has a 3rd gen like the rest of us. He also does other little projects.
The naturally clean chassis in certain environments. We only see when brand new in this area. I learned to embrace it, and it's probably why I have been through so many Toyotas over the years.
It's why I focus on rust prevention and metal preservation now. Granted, I am still experimenting with the coatings, and what will work for the rust belt to make vehicles last longer.
In my area, only a handful of 3 rd still exist. The rust got the rest. They had been scraped and crushed. Only 4 went through the last year in the largest pick and pull last year, and after a few months crushed. [ as the pick in pull is owed by the largest steel mfg in the US]
So it's another reason for less activity on the forum as the rust belt will soon be out of 3rd gens
as I am expecting it's like this throughout this environment.
I enjoyed this series. You and Sean did on the heads of the 5VZ-FE engines.
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I am REALLY glad that Oregon can do one thing right, at least: they use crushed lava rock on the roads. Especially at intersections. It gives great traction slowing into stops, and accelerating away from them.
In town they scrape the snow/ice off the streets that don't have geothermal melt-off systems. Outside town you just need to be carefull, although my wife found a place on the computer that plays the Police and Fire radios, in real time. Amazing to me how many people slide off the side of the road and flip over. Frequently into a tree. ALL winter long!! I feel for the poor firemen out in the cold and snow, every day, every night. Not to mention the poor trees! You'd think people would learn to drive in the snow by the end of the season, at least, ya know? Dern tourists!
Anywho, the crushed lava rock is a little hard on the very low portions of the paint, but I've got a pair of sliders on now, solid critters, so they should keep the worst of the flying lava rock under control.
Now, one last step, no pun intended: I need to relearn to drive a manual. With a fake right leg.
Have a great time, all!
Pat☺
In town they scrape the snow/ice off the streets that don't have geothermal melt-off systems. Outside town you just need to be carefull, although my wife found a place on the computer that plays the Police and Fire radios, in real time. Amazing to me how many people slide off the side of the road and flip over. Frequently into a tree. ALL winter long!! I feel for the poor firemen out in the cold and snow, every day, every night. Not to mention the poor trees! You'd think people would learn to drive in the snow by the end of the season, at least, ya know? Dern tourists!
Anywho, the crushed lava rock is a little hard on the very low portions of the paint, but I've got a pair of sliders on now, solid critters, so they should keep the worst of the flying lava rock under control.
Now, one last step, no pun intended: I need to relearn to drive a manual. With a fake right leg.
Have a great time, all!
Pat☺
Last edited:
19963.4lsr5
New member
Yes, I caught it on your YouTube channel. Good series and lots of work... i am sure you and Sean both were happy when the compression test was good, and it fired up running smooth...
I know those first fires can be nail bitting...:]
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When I put my rebuilt short block in my 97 I tried everything under the sun to prelube it before I tried starting it. But my starter wouldn’t turn over the engine fast enough to make the low oil pressure light go out. I even pulled the oil filter and pressureized the engine with compressed air to make sure the oil pump was primed.
End result is after much worrying I just let it fire up and 1/2 second after the new engine lit off the oil light went out.
I was so worried about wiping the cam bearings…….
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brillo_76
Elite Member
Yes I can understand that. It's always sweating it until you hear it run and listen for a min or so..
My uncle always Said get that stp think stuff. Coat the cam bearings and lubes good so when it fires up it's not a dry start.
I really think as long as you coat everything with oil good. It will be fine.
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Speedy
Member
Anyone else think Al from Yota1 sounded like Jeff Bridges lol.
I heard him say "detonation cracks" and the subject vehicle has a supercharger. Does it also have a 7th injector, piggyback ECU for timing control, or other supporting modifications? I'm curious what was causing the detonation that cracked the heads.
I heard him say "detonation cracks" and the subject vehicle has a supercharger. Does it also have a 7th injector, piggyback ECU for timing control, or other supporting modifications? I'm curious what was causing the detonation that cracked the heads.
brillo_76
Elite Member
I was wondering, too, if the super charger had any effect on the life of those heads. Yota1 probably would have a working theory being as many heads as they have seen...
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AntonioCm1983
New member
Very Thorough Series Timmy Did
Jose Rizal
New member
Currently doing this job with the help of this video.
Thank you! :biggrin1:
Thank you! :biggrin1:
mtbtim
Elite Member
You're welcome. I hope it goes smooth for you.
BigVulture1
New member
My HG blown twice in a year
out: I have a 96 Toyota 4Runner SR5 V6 5VZE engine RWD and the HG blew out on it. So I bought a used engine that was sitting for 2 years. Before installing the used engine I put a new water pump, timing belt assembly, O rings, hoses, spark plugs, wires, coils, serviced the injectors, and even put a new radiator and rear axles. No more than 10 days go by and the negative ground pins in the ECM that controls the injectors burnt out so I put a new ECM. Here I am 9 days later and after all the new parts and engine swap the damn HG blew out again. I totally at a loss, depressed, and pissed off all at once. Can you help me make it make sense as to how the head gasket can blow out on 2 different engines, in less than 6 months with no indicator lights warning me of a malfunction. My truck never overheated to cause a hg blow out. I kept up on the servicing scheduled maintenance. Please help me before I overreact and smash my mechanic.
I know buying a used engine has risks which is why I put all the new parts before installing. But I had 2 top knotch guys give the used engine a thorough inspection prior to installing and both gave me the thumbs up. I apologize if this isn't where I should post this. But I don't know what I'm doing
out: I have a 96 Toyota 4Runner SR5 V6 5VZE engine RWD and the HG blew out on it. So I bought a used engine that was sitting for 2 years. Before installing the used engine I put a new water pump, timing belt assembly, O rings, hoses, spark plugs, wires, coils, serviced the injectors, and even put a new radiator and rear axles. No more than 10 days go by and the negative ground pins in the ECM that controls the injectors burnt out so I put a new ECM. Here I am 9 days later and after all the new parts and engine swap the damn HG blew out again. I totally at a loss, depressed, and pissed off all at once. Can you help me make it make sense as to how the head gasket can blow out on 2 different engines, in less than 6 months with no indicator lights warning me of a malfunction. My truck never overheated to cause a hg blow out. I kept up on the servicing scheduled maintenance. Please help me before I overreact and smash my mechanic. I know buying a used engine has risks which is why I put all the new parts before installing. But I had 2 top knotch guys give the used engine a thorough inspection prior to installing and both gave me the thumbs up. I apologize if this isn't where I should post this. But I don't know what I'm doing
mtbtim
Elite Member
I know buying a used engine has risks which is why I put all the new parts before installing. But I had 2 top knotch guys give the used engine a thorough inspection prior to installing and both gave me the thumbs up. I apologize if this isn't where I should post this. But I don't know what I'm doing
There's too many variables for me to give you an answer. I wasn't looking over the shoulder of the mechanic doing the job. A lot can go wrong if the mechanic doesn't know what they are doing, they do sloppy work, or they use inferior parts, like the head gasket. If they used an MLS (Multi-layer steel) gaskets, they checked the block surface carefully to make sure it met the minimum spec for flatness, they inspected the heads for cracks and pressure tested them, and they installed the head properly with new head bolts, you shouldn't be having a problem.
BigVulture1
New member
No I did a full engine swap after the first blown HG and used nothing but OEM parts to replace since the engine I bought was used. And less than ten days into having the replacement engine in the HG blew out on the new engine so I'm thinking if there's a faulty component with the 3rd gen t4r and it's causing the HG to malfunction
phattyduck
Elite Member
Early 5VZ's had head gasket issues (including recalls where Toyota replaced head gaskets). Lack of maintenance (coolant service) also will ruin head gaskets, especially over 25+ years. Later engines (say '98+ or so) with decent maintenance histories have near perfect head gaskets - but nothing is bullet proof.
-Charlie
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