NEW 85 T4R and LOTS of questions???

[easyrider470]

So i picked up a one owner 85 T4R for next to nothing.....the truck runs and all drivetrain works....here's the first of many questions...
I adjusted timing back to the stock 5 degrees....the truck starts really rough....barely catches...then for a while during warm up it sounds like it's running VERY rough...the slightest rev of the motor sounds as though it's running on 3 out of four cylinders...also A LOT of condensation from the exaust...so much that it sprays water onto the garage floor when you rev it up.....????? There is NO heat from the heater either...some when you first tunr it on then nothing but cool air.....i'm trying to figure out what can be done to fix BOTH these issuas...then we'll move on....Thanks!

 

[javendan]

first, congrats on the purchase.

i got my '88 in may '07.

i've had to put a lot of money into mine but love it!!!

i can't help with the first problem you write about but i can tell you that my heater core is shot... so, no heat for me.

i suspect that you have issues with your heater core.

if you're lucky it's "clogged" - worst case you'll have to do what i have yet to do --> tear the dash out and replace the unit.

good luck and happy trails.

joel

 

[Sidney]

My guess is your headgasket is blown,maybe warped head as well.Does the tailpipe have a sweet smell?,remove radiator cap when rad is cold and start the engine up and see if there are bubbles. Do a compression test and leak down test,also remove spark plug and examine them.Finally examine your thermostat as it may have caused your headgasket & head problems.

Once you decide to fix your problems you can download the free FSM below:

Free 1985 Toyota 4-Runner & pickup Factory Service Manual:

http://www.functionalfab.com/resources/toyota 4runner.pdf
http://www.ncttora.com/fsm/1985/1985FSM.pdf
http://www.muchadoproductions.com/info/xxx1985toyotatruckfsm.pdf
http://www.truckporn.com/tech/FSM/Toyota/1985fsm.zip
http://s3.uploadline.com/d/4831811/1168232885/1985fsm.zip
http://www.lukemiller.org/toys

http://www.subliminaltrips.com/1985toyotatruckfsm.pdf

Sidney

 

[fourwd1]

The front and rear heaters use separate cores.
Does the rear work? If so it may be a problem with the front core.

If neither it's a bigger problem.

Is the exhaust white? If so it's a sign your burning coolant, which can mean a blown head gasket, or even a cracked head.

 

[easyrider470]

Well thanks for the pointers.....not sure about the rear heat....where would it be coming from?
The original owners....( a reliable source, they are friends and neighbors of mine) siad that they had replaced the head gasket...the head was milled to make sure no warping...but they did the install themselves....???
The exhaust doesn't really smell like a had gasket...just a lot of condensation....originally I thought i had a bad head gasket because i couldn't get the coolant level to stabilize..... but now the truck is holding coolant just fine......well....for an hour or so at idle and driving....no real long distance as of yet. So...compression test is next...i hope for some decent numbers otherwise...a new head will be in my NEAR future...

 

[fourwd1]

Most 4Runners have a rear seat heater built into the center console.

What does the oil look like ? If it looks like a milkshake you probably have oil and coolant mixing, which means the Timing Chain is worn and wore a hole thru the TC cover (or head gasket again)

 

[easyrider470]

ok...the truck was sitting for about a year...so when i checked the oil it acrually looked like a Chocolate Milkshake....so since I wanted to make sure there was no issues since i had just aquired the truck I did an engine flush and oil change.....haven't driven it that much but so far so good on the oil....looks like new!
We'll just have to wait and see how it runs...and if the oild starts to turn colors then I'll know!

 

[the_dingman]

I would think that as you just adjusted the timing that it could be an issue with that...

If it's got EFI, I would check to see if all the injectors are good. I just fixed a dead cylinder that was from an injector not firing, and I had lots of condensation in my exhaust while it was running on only 3 cylinders.

 

[easyrider470]

well the truck drives just fine...as much power as can be expected from a tired old 210,000 mile motor. It was a little rich soo i just adjusted the timing back tot he 5 degree advance from about 8 where it was....runs fine......the only thing is that it runs very very cool if you go by the temp gauge on the dash...but there is ZERO heat....maybe just a clogged heater core...who knows?????

 

[myyota]

Have you checked the thermostat, it could be stuck open or it might not be there at all.