Move from NJ to FL screwed my truck?

[cyclops13]

Before you pull things apart, try blue-devil head gasket sealer. About $30 a bottle. It becomes solid only after meeting air.
Let the blue-devil to circulate the engine for good few minutes and shut the engine off (floow the directions printed on the bottle). Let it sit for few days to form the solid material in the cracks in the HG.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XpXPOWMJ4lY

Thanks for the tip man. Do you or anyone on the forum has any first hand reviews on this?

 

[4eigner]

Thanks for the tip man. Do you or anyone on the forum has any first hand reviews on this?

I've used the large bottle on a gm 5.7L moderately high compression motor. It mostly sealed the leak, but not completely. I've heard others give positive reviews but my experience wasn't entirely satisfactory. For me, it's a quick cheap temporary fix to hopefully buy you time to get the job properly done. Otherwise, it's an expensive learning experience.

 

[krenaud33]

Get the block test kit for verification.

I believe also known as a combustion chamber leak test. I went to O'Reilly auto parts and got one on there loan a tool program when I was having issue with our Camry.

 

[cyclops13]

Thanks for all your inputs guys. I am thinking of taking the truck to a mechanic in the evening. If it is the head gasket, then whats the consensus - should it be fixed or I should get a new engine?

:wacko:

 

[cyclops13]

I've used the large bottle on a gm 5.7L moderately high compression motor. It mostly sealed the leak, but not completely. I've heard others give positive reviews but my experience wasn't entirely satisfactory. For me, it's a quick cheap temporary fix to hopefully buy you time to get the job properly done. Otherwise, it's an expensive learning experience.

Thanks man. But I am thinking of getting it fixed for good rather than temporary.

I believe also known as a combustion chamber leak test. I went to O'Reilly auto parts and got one on there loan a tool program when I was having issue with our Camry.

I called the mechanic here and he mentioned the same test to be done to confirm the head gasket issue. So I will rather get it tested there.

 

[gamefreakgc]

Oh gosh, yeah that's not condensation.

Sorry to hear that bro, hope you can find a place that can tackle the job at a decent price. Both and engine swap and head gasket will be expensive, but just repairing the gaskets would be cheaper.

Any sort of leak down or compression test at this point would do you no good, that's a head gasket all the way.

 

[nissanh]

How many miles you got in the truck?
Usally to do a complete head job (re-surface, valve guides, etc.,) should be about $170 per side.
Get TOYOTA head gasket and head bolts from the dealer. Mechanics will get cheap auto parts, so you buy the parts to make sure you get good stuff in the engine. Good time to get 6 spark plugs too. Also think about getting fuel injectors cleaned from a shop.

 

[cyclops13]

Oh gosh, yeah that's not condensation.

Sorry to hear that bro, hope you can find a place that can tackle the job at a decent price. Both and engine swap and head gasket will be expensive, but just repairing the gaskets would be cheaper.

Any sort of leak down or compression test at this point would do you no good, that's a head gasket all the way.

I called around a few places and getting rough quotes of 1700-2000 for the head gasket job. They all obviously cant confirm till they checkout the truck.

There is a place called as BJ's Wrench Connection which I would be mostly finalizing. Anyone in the the Palm Beach County got any recommendations?

How many miles you got in the truck?
Usally to do a complete head job (re-surface, valve guides, etc.,) should be about $170 per side.
Get TOYOTA head gasket and head bolts from the dealer. Mechanics will get cheap auto parts, so you buy the parts to make sure you get good stuff in the engine. Good time to get 6 spark plugs too. Also think about getting fuel injectors cleaned from a shop.

The truck has got 178K miles. What all parts should I order, I assume from camelbacktoyota?

What do you guys think about the engine swap?

Also, what might have suddenly caused this? I never had overheating problem, I did replace the radiator around a year back but that was a preventive maintenance done by me considering the pink milkshake issue.

 

[LittleCaesar]

No Blue Devil. It isn't worth the time and money.

Ask the mechanic if there are any junkyards with low mileage ones around and do an engine swap. Who knows how long you drove with the gasket cracked on I-95.

Fellow member 4runningDaily attempted head gasket replacement twice, finally swapped in a used low mileage engine, and has been good since.

 

[LittleCaesar]

Bill Tyson's auto repair, (561)-753-6122 in Royal Palm FYI.

 

[cyclops13]

No Blue Devil. It isn't worth the time and money.

Ask the mechanic if there are any junkyards with low mileage ones around and do an engine swap. Who knows how long you drove with the gasket cracked on I-95.

Fellow member 4runningDaily attempted head gasket replacement twice, finally swapped in a used low mileage engine, and has been good since.

Even I am not too keen on the Blue devil treatment. The car was not driven, it was transported.

Do you think swapping the engine is a better option than getting the head gasket job done? Wont it cost a lot more?

Bill Tyson's auto repair, (561)-753-6122 in Royal Palm FYI.

Thanks. Any experience with this place?

 

[shootmymime]

Even I am not too keen on the Blue devil treatment. The car was not driven, it was transported.

Do you think swapping the engine is a better option than getting the head gasket job done? Wont it cost a lot more?



Thanks. Any experience with this place?

what year truck do you have? 96 are notorious for having a bad HG out of any other years.

but yes man it looks like it.

start saving...

 

[cyclops13]

what year truck do you have? 96 are notorious for having a bad HG out of any other years.

but yes man it looks like it.

start saving...

Mine is a 97 model but manufactured in 96.

I just moved here man, difficult to manage a big expense now... :violin:

What puzzles me is I got no warning signs, like overheating or whatever..!

 

[Grenvilleter]

99% sure bubbles in the rad is a blown HG. Coupled with the other signs, raise that to 99.9% chance.
Maybe you will get lucky like I did and just swap out the gasket. You won't know if you have to go further until the damaged bank is disassembled and inspected.

Sorry... just refreshed my browser and see I am about 2 pages behind the convo.
Tough time to have lightning strike your rig.

 

[LittleCaesar]

You have to ask concerning an engine swap quote. They can be all over the board from different shops. But if push came to shove, I'd chose a swap with a decent used one over a head gasket.

See page 1 for my experience with the shop.

 

[awthorn]

@op where are you at? I didn't see it mentioned yet. I am in Plant City and have been in the Tampa area for about 23 years. We also have a decent number of members scattered around other areas of FL. Let me know, I know of a couple good shops!

 

[HammerHead]

Here is a jdm in Orlando

JDM 5VZ FE V6 Toyota Tacoma 4Runner T100 Tundra 3 4L 4 Cam 24 Valve 1996 2002 | eBay

 

[cyclops13]

99% sure bubbles in the rad is a blown HG. Coupled with the other signs, raise that to 99.9% chance.
Maybe you will get lucky like I did and just swap out the gasket. You won't know if you have to go further until the damaged bank is disassembled and inspected.

Sorry... just refreshed my browser and see I am about 2 pages behind the convo.
Tough time to have lightning strike your rig.

I just hope even I get lucky!

You have to ask concerning an engine swap quote. They can be all over the board from different shops. But if push came to shove, I'd chose a swap with a decent used one over a head gasket.

See page 1 for my experience with the shop.

I think the engine swap would be more expensive. Sorry I realized you already mentioned your friends experience.

@op where are you at? I didn't see it mentioned yet. I am in Plant City and have been in the Tampa area for about 23 years. We also have a decent number of members scattered around other areas of FL. Let me know, I know of a couple good shops!

I am located at palm beach gardens. South Florida.

Here is a jdm in Orlando

JDM 5VZ FE V6 Toyota Tacoma 4Runner T100 Tundra 3 4L 4 Cam 24 Valve 1996 2002 | eBay

Thanks for looking it up. Its a bit far from here so I'll have to ship it, the whole swap seems expensive.

 

[cyclops13]

Okay, some update. I called around a few places, all were suspecting a head gasket failure and roughly estimated 2000 bucks.

I shortlisted two. 1.Bill Tyson's Auto Repair - Royal Palm Beach, FL and 2.BJ's Wrench Connection, Lake Park, FL

I reached home after work and checked the coolant level I topped in morning, it did drop down. I started the car and it started smoking a lot and it stayed for probably 5 mins and it faded away once I started driving. I was heading slowly towards the first option Tysons which is around 15 miles from my place. I somehow dint feel comfortable driving it and changed the plans to head towards option 2 BJ's as its just 5 miles. Was about to reach there and the CEL came on.

Once I reached there, he put the compression test tool on the radiator and said its not showing any loss and it might not be the head gasket but the valves. He noticed the radiator cap was shot. Dint do a lot today as it closes at 6.

Currently the truck is parked at the shop and he will check it tomorrow morning for the smoke and then call me.

Will keep you all posted. Thanks.

 

[LittleCaesar]

In order for the pressure tester to work, the 4runner has to be cold, then the mechanic would add water/antifreeze enough to top it off, then put the tester on it and pump it up to the reading in bars (I think on the 4runner) on the radiator cap and wait for at least ten minutes to see if the needle drops:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K5p-G3UDi-A

Or did he use a hydrocarbon tester (compression gases), which is fine on a hot engine:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ON_RtokUohI

Valves, probably not IMHO.

Keep us posted.