Need advice about current situation

[T4R2014]

I inquired about fixing the steering and or replacing the engine and he pretty much told me he doesn't want anything to do with it and that it is time to "close the hood on it" because putting an engine in it is just going to lead to a whole bunch of other problems.

Basically he's saying that he doesn't see himself making more money from you so he would rather work on other peoples' cars. LOL what a dick.

 

[Doc3g]

Or just do a v8 swap and call it a mod! :naughty:

I've seen some videos of them, but it's out of my league skill-wise even if I had the time, though if I could find a reputable person to do it I would definitely consider it.

A friend of mine just had his engine replaced by Yota1 in California and it was close to $7 grand. Now he also replaced all the hoses, alternator, and a lot of other stuff.

That seems really steep. I see crate motors for a couple of grand and I can't believe that there is $5k in labor involved? I guess I was expecting to pay around $5K with the motor and labor.

A bad steering rack means it's "time to close the hood on it"??
What a crock of shit :lalala:
I'd take it to someone else. The steering racks on these rigs do tend to leak with age (like the majority of cars) but it's NOT the end of the world, provided it isn't something else, like your valve covers which are much more common. My rack was replaced around the 200k mark, personally. Though the knocking is interesting - you should take a video and post it here when you get the car back
Even if it IS your engine knocking, and it was at the end of it's life, 5VZ crate motors were pretty cheap last I checked

I'll try to make a video and post it tomorrow, thanks for the idea.

RIGHT!
i have 577k miles on mine and it runnnnns im telling you like a top.
The knocking could be the lifters out of spec or like it was mentioned, flex plate. They are self adjusting lifters if i remember correctly so manually doing it would be $$$. just change your oil and go with with SHELL T series 10W30 Syn blend and let it ride!

Someone else has mentioned changing the oil weight as well. Does someone mind giving me the cliff notes version of what changing the oil weight would have to do with a knock?

I appreciate the replies from everyone, I'm going to try to call Duggy's on Monday and see if they will have a look at it.

Also, I'm not sure if these symptoms will hint at anything but every once in a great while (I think it has happened twice in 4 years), if I really get on the gas and run through the gears and then pull up to a stop, the truck will stall. It starts back up but runs like an old carbureted car that is flooded for 20-30 seconds and then it is fine again.

The other thing is that if you are on really on the gas accelerating (like when merging on the highway) there is a bit of a cyclical surge in power that comes and goes in 2-4 seconds intervals. It feels like hitting the power band on a dirt bike, where you have a little extra "boost" for about 3 seconds and then it goes away for about the same duration and then repeats this cycle.

 

[ambush]

Someone else has mentioned changing the oil weight as well. Does someone mind giving me the cliff notes version of what changing the oil weight would have to do with a knock?

So the weight change helps coat the lifters/cams/pistons etc. When an engine wears, it rubs cylinder walls and is just out of spec than what it was from when it was new from the factory. There could be different reasons (location of vehicle, ownership maint., etc.). Anyone please jump in to add or subtract.
Now your knock as mentioned before could be the FLEXPLATE. Please check that. If it is not, then as mentioned change the weight of the oil.

Again, I literally changed my oil last week using SHELL Rotella 10W30 in my high high mileage truck + FRAM oil filter. It DOES NOT KNOCK or smoke. It was maint. well by the previous owner. I crank and now I go! No lie.

As far as your acceleration, it may be the same as mine. Check your CAT. It could be clogged with NO check engine light. Mine had zero lights. You saw my pics of the CAT??? it was 100% clogged and I had zero acceleration as I tried to change lanes or pass up hill. A clogged cat can RUIN and engine in the long run.

I hope this helps!

 

[Doc3g]

OK, thanks for the tips. I'll have to find a post on how to check the flex plate and let you know what I find out. Here is a video I just made of the sound. It is actually more audible in the cab than it comes off as in the video, so you need to listen rather intently to hear it. I then put the parking brake on and recorded underneath and on both sides of the engine from the top. Definitely seems to be more from the passenger side. Afterwards, I put it in neutral and recorded again and you can see the knock goes away.

Another interesting thing is that the knock is RPM-dependent, as it definitely speeds up when you increase the RPMs.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5tJa1i4SHjM&feature=youtu.be

 

[AvatarT4R]

Basically he's saying that he doesn't see himself making more money from you so he would rather work on other peoples' cars. LOL what a dick.

Pretty sure the guy is saying he doesn't want to swap a motor out, which a fair amount of mechanics don't do these days. Kind of like finding a paint shop to do an entire repaint....many wont do it. Both claim there isn't enough money in it for the effort.

 

[T4R2014]

Pretty sure the guy is saying he doesn't want to swap a motor out, which a fair amount of mechanics don't do these days. Kind of like finding a paint shop to do an entire repaint....many wont do it. Both claim there isn't enough money in it for the effort.

Sure, but at least quote what you think would make the job worth it. If he walks away then fine. Everyone has a price. Saying "I don't want anything to do with it" over a motor swap on a relatively simple vehicle points me to two thoughts: 1. he knows OP won't spend what he wants to get for that job, or 2. He is a jiffy lube monkey at best.

 

[Doc3g]

Does anyone have any thoughts on the sound in the video? Does this sound like what a flexplate typically does?

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/5tJa1i4SHjM" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen>

 

[thegipper]

OK, thanks for the tips. I'll have to find a post on how to check the flex plate and let you know what I find out. Here is a video I just made of the sound. It is actually more audible in the cab than it comes off as in the video, so you need to listen rather intently to hear it. I then put the parking brake on and recorded underneath and on both sides of the engine from the top. Definitely seems to be more from the passenger side. Afterwards, I put it in neutral and recorded again and you can see the knock goes away.

Another interesting thing is that the knock is RPM-dependent, as it definitely speeds up when you increase the RPMs.

4runner.noise - YouTube

I watched the video and I don't hear what I would consider a "knock" like the sound a bad main bearing or rod bearing makes.

What I do hear is more of a "clicking/ticking" noise which lead me to believe that you should inspect your flexplate next as others have mentioned. They are somewhat common to fail over time and they don't always out right break (sometimes they can last for years just being cracked but not broken).

There is in inspection plate you can remove (4 bolts) to somewhat inspect the flex plate. You'll need a helper to turn the engine over by hand, slowly as you inspect it (19mm socket with a breaker bar or long ratchet on crank pulley nut).

Inspect closely for any cracks but also listen for any metal to metal noise that may occur while its turning. It's not going to be super loud but any noise would indicate there is a crack somewhere (even though you may not see it). The inspection "window" is pretty small.

If it is a cracked flex plate, make sure you get an OEM replacement. My buddy went through 2 after market flex plates on his Taco with the same 5VZFE engine before I gave him my spare OEM flex plate. It lasted over a year before he sold the truck without any issues.

Replacing the flex plate is not hard but there is a good amount of labor involved since the transmission needs to be removed.

If you don't have any major mechanical engine issues, I would get the rack fixed, fix the flex plate (assuming it is the issue) and drive on.

 

[pelantire]

Engine knocking can be caused by a variety of things. I would start with trying out Lucas oil stabilizer and see if the knocking changes even a little. If it does, its more likely to be an internal engine problem such as a lack of lubrication. I'll list what I would try in order.
1. Lucas oil stabilizer
2. Test electrical continuity of the knock sensor
3. Clean the MAF (an improper air/fuel mixture can cause knocking)
4. Fuel filter
5. Check for vacuum leaks