Engine woes - Reseal or rebuild?

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R

Rkroelin

Joined
Apr 8, 2007
Threads
37
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Location
Gilbert, Arizona
Hsiaoer's thread about rod bearings is making me want to pull my motor and clean up all the leaks. However if I'm going to do that I might as well replace the short block. :D

What is everyone's opinion? I have a motor with 206k on it, makes a tapping sound while running, and the rear main leaks. Oh, it burns/leaks (mostly burns I fear) about a quart every thousand.

Should I pull it and reseal it or do I pull and replace with a new OEM short block? The reseal would be a few hundred bucks by the time I do OEM hoses and gaskets. Somewhere around $3k for a new short block on top those other things.

By the way, I'm the type that spends $700+ to completely refurbish the sun roof with new rails/seals. So I’m particularly susceptible to while-I’m-in-here-itis.
 
It depends on the shape of the engine. If it is not bad, and all you gotta do is hone your cylinders, replace your bearings, put on new rings, lap the valves, replace the oil pump (I ALWAYS do that, but that's just me) get all new gaskets and seals, rebuild is the way to go!!
 
Well, the motor currently runs fine save for the tapping and the oil burning. But my biggest complaint is the leaking. I don't want to do the rear main while lying on my back. That combined with a burning desire to make everything on the motor clean, shiney and leak free created the desire to just pull the motor and reseal it.

However I would hate to go through all the work and have the thing wear out on me a year later. So that is why I was considering a new short block.

I've done the engine rebuild thing before on other Toyotas. And while fun, I don't know that I want to have the truck down that long.

If I keep going down this path I'm going to end up doing a frame off restoration. :hhmm:
 
If you are that concerned about down time, just buy a motor out of a truck being parted, rebuild that one and then you can just swap them out in a weekend.
 
That is a good idea. I'll have to get an estimate of cost for a rebuild together and decide if a new short block is worth the extra cost.

Does anyone else get giddy when holding new OEM toyota parts in their hands? I think I need help. How sad is it that a grown man gets excited about a box arriving that contains a new side view mirror or sun visor?
 
if i were you, i would go to the salvage yard and get another engine and rebuild the one from the yard. take your time and do it right. then when yours finally gives up the ghost you just swap in the fresh one sitting in the garage.
 
Rkroelin said:
Well, the motor currently runs fine save for the tapping and the oil burning.
Click to expand...

Keep in mind, the condition of the internals can not be determined by "how it runs". It is all about clearances. If the clearances are bad, the motor can still appear to run well, but it burns oil, and has less power than it's supposed to. There are several tests that you can perform to better determine how well your engine would fair after a rebuild. Compression test would be the first one I'd do, leak down test would probably be next.
But, it sounds to me like you REALLY want to do it, but are looking for our approval...well GO FOR IT!!!!!! :bounce::grinpimp::clap:
 
I think rebuilding is money well spent. A new short block only if you are super anal, have money to burn, and are too busy to do it yourself.
I am sourcing a engine lift, and I'm going to pull it all out and fix a power steering leak while am at it. I do like the suggestions to rebuild a salvage engine to keep you on the road longer. I will do that if I can find one for the right price. I think Beno said he has a engine ready to go at any time. I can just see him going out every week and turning the crank 100 times to keep things lubricated.
 
I'm not sure if the motor in the 80 is the same way, but my old Ford that I rebuilt had the oil pump driven off the bottom of the distributor. So just before I cranked it up, I pulled the distributor back out, got a 1/4 drive socket that fit the oil pump shaft, put it on an extension with the little pin (like for air tools) and hooked it up to my cordless drill. With oil in the pan, I sat there with the drill going until I saw oil coming up out of the heads!! I popped the distributor back in the hole, double checked the timing, put the valve covers back on, and fired it up.
I agree with the above post, no need to go short block unless yours is too bad off to repair. The expense is probably only minimally more, but the satisfaction, and comfort level of knowing that YOU did it is worth 10X what you save on the short block.
I guess that rebuilding a used motor wouldn't be a "bad" way to go, but I will probably just do the one out of my truck...of course I have the bike to ride while the truck is down!! ;)
 
What motor is in your truck?

3FE...or 1FZ?

Or said another way...what is your truck?
 
HarleyHetz said:
Keep in mind, the condition of the internals can not be determined by "how it runs". It is all about clearances. If the clearances are bad, the motor can still appear to run well, but it burns oil, and has less power than it's supposed to. There are several tests that you can perform to better determine how well your engine would fair after a rebuild. Compression test would be the first one I'd do, leak down test would probably be next.
But, it sounds to me like you REALLY want to do it, but are looking for our approval...well GO FOR IT!!!!!! :bounce::grinpimp::clap:
Click to expand...

The motor is definately coming out, just looking for some piece of reasoning to push me in one direction or the next.

I suppose I could break down and do some actual diagnostic work on the engine, but that won't fix the leaks. Besides, why repair when I could blindly replace! :hillbilly:

Actually, that is a good idea, doing some of the basic tests will help me with a timeline.
 
HarleyHetz said:
I agree with the above post, no need to go short block unless yours is too bad off to repair. The expense is probably only minimally more, but the satisfaction, and comfort level of knowing that YOU did it is worth 10X what you save on the short block.
I guess that rebuilding a used motor wouldn't be a "bad" way to go, but I will probably just do the one out of my truck...of course I have the bike to ride while the truck is down!! ;)
Click to expand...

I have done the rebuild thing before. It is always fun and educational but leaves me with a lingering sense of dread for the first several thousand miles. I also think that whoever is assembling blocks for Toyota has a leg up on me.

Now if we we're talking refurb motors from the local NAPA it would be a different story.

Your post simultaneously pushed me both directions. Thanks for the input. This one may require a heated internal argument over a beer.
 
s***...piece-o-cake rebuild.

I'd be a little concerned about the noise (top end?) however. And really the short block is the easiest part of this job man. Bearings and rings are so, so simple!
 
The noise has been present for the 50,000 miles I have owned it (well, about 49,992 of them). It doesn't seem to be coming from the top end, but it also doesn't sound like any rod knock I have heard. There a few threads about a similar noise, for some it got worse and some have had no problems.
 
hsiaoer said:
I think Beno said he has a engine ready to go at any time. I can just see him going out every week and turning the crank 100 times to keep things lubricated.
Click to expand...


:lol:

I used to have all of the parts to put together a 1FZ pretty quickly if I had to.

But a friend needed a head so I sold that to him.

I have a block (sans upper oil pan) that would need some work sitting in my barn. I will eventually take that apart and build a 4.6L a la Robbie. We just got a beautiful set of 1.00mm over pistons in today for Robbie and that got me thinking real hard.....:idea:

It'll be a nice project to keep me out of strip clubs and bars.

:hillbilly:
Piston_2.webp
Piston_3.webp
Piston_4.webp
 
Dude-You keep opening the boxes and the boss man is going to chop you down.....:flipoff2:
 
You know how well he listens Andy.........:doh:
 
I think I am $1k just into parts for a '93 1FZ rebuild, I talked to the machinist today and said everything is ready except for the head which should be done this weekend. (note I haven't paid the machinist yet nor have a purchased a gasket/seal kit from CDan, nor buy a replacement EGR modulator valve as I yanked it off for my truck) So if you remove, disassemble/reassemble, and reinstall.... maybe your looking at say a min of $1600 or so? Probably alot more if you use Toyota OEM parts, I chose to use Clevite 77 rod bearings and felpro valve seals.... But did buy oversize Toyota pistons, rings, and main bearings (minus two!); or so I think I purchased.
 
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