Questions: head gasket and cracked exhaust manifold- 97 3RZ

[sgtlethargic]

I just got a 97 4Runner with a 4Banger that has some problems and needs some work. I got it from my brother, so he has his take on it. The biggest thing is it looks like it needs the head gasket replaced. It leaks oil in the back and coolant seems to foul one of the spark plugs. He's got a check engine light, checked the code for it, and reset the check eng light. I think he said all he did otherwise was clean the offending cylinder's spark plug. He suspects the problem started after it was in a shop to adjust the valves.

Questions: Any thoughts on the head gasket problem? Is it common? Any better head gasket? How difficult of a job is it to change the head gasket? Autozone's online manual says the valve timing needs to be triple-checked, the distributor is removed, and the cams have to be removed and timed properly. Is this all pretty straightforward for a decent DIY mechanic?

The exhaust manifold is cracked and I'm thinking I'll replace it at the same time. My brother suspects the holes in the heat shield helped it crack. I saw a Dorman exh man available through Autozone.

Questions: Any thoughts on them cracking? Better replacement?

That's it for now.

Thanks,
Kurt

 

[CJ3Flyr]

I just got a 97 4Runner with a 4Banger that has some problems and needs some work. I got it from my brother, so he has his take on it. The biggest thing is it looks like it needs the head gasket replaced. It leaks oil in the back and coolant seems to foul one of the spark plugs. He's got a check engine light, checked the code for it, and reset the check eng light. I think he said all he did otherwise was clean the offending cylinder's spark plug. He suspects the problem started after it was in a shop to adjust the valves.

Questions: Any thoughts on the head gasket problem? Is it common? Any better head gasket? How difficult of a job is it to change the head gasket? Autozone's online manual says the valve timing needs to be triple-checked, the distributor is removed, and the cams have to be removed and timed properly. Is this all pretty straightforward for a decent DIY mechanic?

The exhaust manifold is cracked and I'm thinking I'll replace it at the same time. My brother suspects the holes in the heat shield helped it crack. I saw a Dorman exh man available through Autozone.

Questions: Any thoughts on them cracking? Better replacement?

That's it for now.

Thanks,
Kurt

I don't know much about this vintage 4cyl. I do know a lot of them sound like they need a manifold. If it were mine I might look for a bolt-on shorty header. It's clear the OEM manifold isn't the greatest:bash:

 

[sgtlethargic]

Re: Re: Questions: head gasket and cracked exhaust manifold- 97 3RZ

I don't know much about this vintage 4cyl. I do know a lot of them sound like they need a manifold. If it were mine I might look for a bolt-on shorty header. It's clear the OEM manifold isn't the greatest:bash:

I have an email sent to LC Engineering asking about a shorty header. Any other suggestions on where to find one and how much they cost?

And, any comments from anyone on my other questions?

Thanks,
Kurt

 

[CJ3Flyr]

No real suggestions other than to suggest poking around on the Taco message boards. There are huge numbers of 4cyl in Tacos and lots of guys who like to work on/mod thier rides...

There may be some stuff on the 3rd gen section of this site too but I'll bet the Tacoma folks know the answers to your questions.

3rd gen T4R and Tacoma have more in common the 4th gen. I haven't looked at Taco sites much but what little I have seen looks as good or better than this (for what you need).
:cheers: