Oily residue near valve cover and distrutor

[BorderJP]

I'm looking at purchasing a 1986 4Runner. Manual. 4 cylinder. The truck appears to be in great condition, but I noticed a lot of oily buildup around the valve cover and distributor. The guy who is selling suggested there was an AC refrigerant sight glass there and that the gasket around that sight glass often leaks. Does that sound legit?

here's a photo.



By the way, I'm also looking at a 2nd gen--manual, V6. I'm sure there are some classic discussions about the pros and cons. Anybody want to point me to them?

 

[4runnin83]

Some guys will bash the V6 and claim the 22RE is bullet proof. However KIDV learned a hard lesson in that department =P

The issue w/ the v6 is headgasket failure due to the exhaust manifold cooking it.

 

[RAD4Runner]

I'm looking at purchasing a 1986 4Runner. Manual. 4 cylinder. The truck appears to be in great condition, but I noticed a lot of oily buildup around the valve cover and distributor. The guy who is selling suggested there was an AC refrigerant sight glass there and that the gasket around that sight glass often leaks. Does that sound legit?

At least take her for a test drive and see how she sounds/feels.

Does oil build-up go all the way around the valve cover gasket? If it does, it's normal after 26 years. Expect oily deposits on spark plugs from oil seeping into into the threads.
Consider SparkplugsDotcom for replacement parts. Good brands, good prices, quick shipping

As for leaking sight glass, When was A/C last charged? Is it working OK?
Consider how much would it cost to have leaky sight glass fixed.

By the way, I'm also looking at a 2nd gen--manual, V6. I'm sure there are some classic discussions about the pros and cons. Anybody want to point me to them?

I'd vote for first-gen unless you need more power for towing, etc. So what if it's slow? We'll catch up when the road ends
Look at forums and compare complaints people have about their 22RE's compared to 3.Slows.

 

[KidVermicious]

I don't think I've ever seen a 22re with more than 10,000 miles on it that doesn't have that residue there between the valve cover and timing chain cover. If it's not thick and wet, I wouldn't worry about it.

We like to rib eachother about which engine is best, and I believe it's true that overall the 22RE will kick a 3.0's butt in terms of reliability, but it's also true that the 3.0 can only be considered "unreliable" when compared to the 22RE. It's still a Toyota motor that regularly achieves 200,000+ miles between rebuilds, and it's got half again the power of the 22RE to boot. Whichever you choose, don't go with the automatic trans - the chaindrive transfer case behind those is a major power drain, and will turn any motor into a dog.

 

[RAD4Runner]

... but it's also true that the 3.0 can only be considered "unreliable" when compared to the 22RE.

Excellent. Yep, gotta have a point of reference