What cylinder heads to buy?

[DustyRoads]

Here are my options so far, please chime in if i need to know about a good cylinder head supplier. New castings or quality remanned. Just need the vehicle to be trust worthy.

Cylinder head international TOYOTA TACOMA 5VZFE 3.4 REBUILT CYLINDER HEAD

Japan Engines

Remanufactured Engines, Crate Engine, Rebuilt Engines | ATK Engines | Remanufactured Engines & Transmissions

Car-Part.com--Used Auto Parts Market

Junk yard heads are an option but mileage and knowledge of prior abuse is a concern.

Also tossing around the low(er) mileage engine option but i have a 5speed from 96 so I'm not sure how hard it would be to do a swap with that setup.

Any insights or hot tips are greatly appreciated. Can't wait to drive the truck instead of look at it and wrench on it.

 

[thatoneguygeoff]

Just an FYI on Cylinder Heads International, I bought a head from them for an engine build for my 89 pickup with a 22RE that was listed as new ($450). Well when I put it on the block, the head studs were hitting the inside of the valve cover. Once I did a little trimming of the oil baffle on the valve cover and got it all installed and running there was an almost immediate mixing of coolant into the oil. Upon pulling the head back off and taking a couple measurements, it ended up that the head was a used and rebuilt head that had been decked 0.020" beyond the limit and since I had had the head still in the box all sealed up that they shipped it to me in for over a year before installing it, which is their warranty period they basically told me that I was SOL.

 

[thatoneguygeoff]

I'd look into LC Engineering

 

[DustyRoads]

Just an FYI on Cylinder Heads International, I bought a head from them for an engine build for my 89 pickup with a 22RE that was listed as new ($450). Well when I put it on the block, the head studs were hitting the inside of the valve cover. Once I did a little trimming of the oil baffle on the valve cover and got it all installed and running there was an almost immediate mixing of coolant into the oil. Upon pulling the head back off and taking a couple measurements, it ended up that the head was a used and rebuilt head that had been decked 0.020" beyond the limit and since I had had the head still in the box all sealed up that they shipped it to me in for over a year before installing it, which is their warranty period they basically told me that I was SOL.

Wow! That sounds horrible. I've heard mixed reviews. I appreciate the insight.

 

[DustyRoads]

I'd look into LC Engineering

Will do. Thanks for the tip.

Edit: Looked up LCE and they stock OEM new castings for about 1400-1500 a side. Yikes!

 

[MONTYMTB]

Here are my options so far, please chime in if i need to know about a good cylinder head supplier. New castings or quality remanned. Just need the vehicle to be trust worthy.

Cylinder head international TOYOTA TACOMA 5VZFE 3.4 REBUILT CYLINDER HEAD

Japan Engines

Remanufactured Engines, Crate Engine, Rebuilt Engines | ATK Engines | Remanufactured Engines & Transmissions

Car-Part.com--Used Auto Parts Market

Junk yard heads are an option but mileage and knowledge of prior abuse is a concern.

Also tossing around the low(er) mileage engine option but i have a 5speed from 96 so I'm not sure how hard it would be to do a swap with that setup.

Any insights or hot tips are greatly appreciated. Can't wait to drive the truck instead of look at it and wrench on it.

Me and [MENTION=65101]BrianSD_42[/MENTION] went with heads from JE. He has a lot more miles on his, but mine are good so far.

 

[DustyRoads]

Me and [MENTION=65101]BrianSD_42[/MENTION] went with heads from JE. He has a lot more miles on his, but mine are good so far.

I appreciate the feedback. Good to know people are having decent results with that supplier.

 

[4everun22]

Cylinder head international isn't the best. I had two cracked heads and went with them. Ending up getting replacements and still had problems. Put them in anyway and so far it's okay but is only been a week.

 

[DustyRoads]

Cylinder head international isn't the best. I had two cracked heads and went with them. Ending up getting replacements and still had problems. Put them in anyway and so far it's okay but is only been a week.

What problems did you have after installing the CHI heads? Keep us posted on how the CHI heads work out on a more long term basis? I think with more of these trucks hitting 200k+miles all of this will be really helpful for people trying to keep these rigs running.

 

[BrianSD_42]

Yep I have the JE heads. Still going.

I'm hoping to make it to 300k on them. We'll see.

It was pricy to do both sides. If I had to do it again I would consider a 120k mile engine if I could find one. That is what [MENTION=114863]4RunningDaily[/MENTION] did after 2 head replacements went bad.

 

[Philbush1127]

i ended up cracking the drivers side cylinder head. ended up finding a motor with 105k miles for 700$ cash at a junk yard 10 miles from my house looks like i lucked out.

 

[KidVermicious]

Here are my options so far, please chime in if i need to know about a good cylinder head supplier. New castings or quality remanned. Just need the vehicle to be trust worthy.

Cylinder head international TOYOTA TACOMA 5VZFE 3.4 REBUILT CYLINDER HEAD

Japan Engines

Remanufactured Engines, Crate Engine, Rebuilt Engines | ATK Engines | Remanufactured Engines & Transmissions

Car-Part.com--Used Auto Parts Market

Junk yard heads are an option but mileage and knowledge of prior abuse is a concern.

Also tossing around the low(er) mileage engine option but i have a 5speed from 96 so I'm not sure how hard it would be to do a swap with that setup.

Any insights or hot tips are greatly appreciated. Can't wait to drive the truck instead of look at it and wrench on it.

Out of curiosity, what's wrong with the heads you've got? Are they cracked?

 

[DustyRoads]

Out of curiosity, what's wrong with the heads you've got? Are they cracked?

Yep, pulled them off after a head gasket issue and both sides had cracks. Cyl 3 AND cyl 4. cyl 4 wasn't leaking yet but it showed the start of a failure similar to cyl 3.

Pretty heart broken because it just got out of the body shop and not a day or two after it started blowing smoke.

Currently debating new/used engine or reman/new heads. With a used engine i guess/assume i'll be in for a top end rebuild anyways to make it trustworthy. Not a lot of low mile replacements out there these days.

Maybe just find another 4runner but this has the 5speed and locked diff. I'd really like to keep this model if possible.

 

[Philbush1127]

rebuilding the heads on these motors is a lot more difficult than you think. if i were you id buy a jdm motor off of eBay and use that.

 

[BrianSD_42]

rebuilding the heads on these motors is a lot more difficult than you think. if i were you id buy a jdm motor off of eBay and use that.

I'm not a technician but my understanding from all these threads over the last few years and my own experience in talking with the mechanic is exactly what he said above. These engines are precision engineered and the heads are not simple to rebuild.

Currently debating new/used engine or reman/new heads. With a used engine i guess/assume i'll be in for a top end rebuild anyways to make it trustworthy. Not a lot of low mile replacements out there these days.

Finding low mileage engine (< 120K miles is low to me) can be done and in fact it happens all the time but it really depends on where you live. If you live in Los Angeles or SF bay area it shouldn't be too hard at all to find an engine. I would go for an engine from any truck that was totaled due to a rear or side collision, has < 120K miles on it and appears to have been maintained.

Because of the low value of these trucks you can total out a 4Runner with just a simple rear collision that leaves the engine fully intact.

Plus despite the age of these vehicles there are literally millions of 5VZFE engines on the road right now because Toyota made so many vehicles with them.

Perhaps (?) look for other vehicles with this engine, beyond just 4Runners.
* Tacoma
* T100
* 4Runner
* Tundra

 

[DustyRoads]

I'm not a technician but my understanding from all these threads over the last few years and my own experience in talking with the mechanic is exactly what he said above. These engines are precision engineered and the heads are not simple to rebuild.





Finding low mileage engine (< 120K miles is low to me) can be done and in fact it happens all the time but it really depends on where you live. If you live in Los Angeles or SF bay area it shouldn't be too hard at all to find an engine. I would go for an engine from any truck that was totaled due to a rear or side collision, has < 120K miles on it and appears to have been maintained.

Because of the low value of these trucks you can total out a 4Runner with just a simple rear collision that leaves the engine fully intact.

Plus despite the age of these vehicles there are literally millions of 5VZFE engines on the road right now because Toyota made so many vehicles with them.

Perhaps (?) look for other vehicles with this engine, beyond just 4Runners.
* Tacoma
* T100
* 4Runner
* Tundra

I appreciate the insight. I have a friend who was a pro mechanic for 15 years and worked at Toyota. He has a 3.4 that he rebuilt last winter with 300k and a supercharger. He's overseeing the repair job and letting me turn some wrenches to learn.

My buddy will be in Vancouver WA all week and just sent me a link to 2 rebuilt heads and a gasket kit for 500obo. I'll see what the seller has to say. Maybe it's someone on the forum... Also found a 120k engine about 2 hours from me for 1200 which is funny because he would sell the whole wreck for 1200 or just the motor for....1200. ugh. I wasn't stoked on the price but he is firm. I might go either route at this point. Critical decisions in the near future....

We plan to drop the oil pan and pull a piston or two to inspect the bottom end. He feels pretty confident that a top end refresh will be ok with my truck. The factory honing and cross hatching, etc all looked pretty good so far.

 

[BrianSD_42]

Go buy the whole truck for $1200 and part out the rest. I'm sure you can make $300 - $400 from the other truck parks.

Then you can do the engine removal and handle everything yourself.

 

[02SE]

rebuilding the heads on these motors is a lot more difficult than you think. if i were you id buy a jdm motor off of eBay and use that.

What's so difficult about it?

Granted, they aren't a cast iron SBC head. But with the correct tools and experience, they aren't any more difficult than any Aluminum 4-valve cylinder head.

If a person doesn't have experience servicing cylinder heads, don't try to learn on your own set that needs to be fixed. I would suggest having a competent professional do the work.

 

[DustyRoads]

Go buy the whole truck for $1200 and part out the rest. I'm sure you can make $300 - $400 from the other truck parks.

Then you can do the engine removal and handle everything yourself.

Believe me if it was in town.... It's 2 hours away and it's one of the worst wrecks I've seen in awhile. The driver was the only person in the vehicle and it's the only spot where a person would have survived. Pretty crunched up hunk of metal. Not a fun one to part out.

I'd need to put it on a trailer; which I'd need to rent, find time to haul it, find time to part it out, and have a really ugly wrecked 4runner in my yard for awhile. Doesn't sound too savory at this point. I was hoping he'd pull the engine and give me a deal but he's holding out for the 1200. I could have picked up the engine with my other truck but I'm not going to haul that entire massive wreck. Too much work for the return.

 

[DustyRoads]

rebuilding the heads on these motors is a lot more difficult than you think. if i were you id buy a jdm motor off of eBay and use that.

Got a link to a good JDM motor that you would trust in your own truck?

Do you mean a 5vz head that has been rebuilt by a pro machine shop or by a hobby mechanic? Are you saying buying from a rebuild company is a bad idea in general?