My beloved FZJ80- Need a head gasket and some moral support (2 Viewers)

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Well, it looks like only 5 years after a total engine rebuild I need a head gasket. This is my favorite vehicle and my daily, but with 236k on the odometer a few folks are starting to look at me funny that I want to keep her alive.

Looking to hear please what the thoughts are in regards to redoing a gasket on a vehicle this old- what types of issues might I expect once the gasket has gone. Is it reasonable to expect there to have been no residual damage or fallout? Truck still runs but pretty rough at the moment. Prior to this was running the Best she ever has since I bought her in 2012.

I don’t think I am ready to give up on her, but am also open to a voice of reason here as well.

Thanks all...
 
As long as you didn't overheat it it should be fine. As far as replacing a head gasket on a vehicle with 236k miles is concerned....I would in a heartbeat given the construction of the 1FZ and 3FE engines and how long they can last before a complete rebuild is necessary. Some people get into the 400k miles range before having issues.. it's all in what you want out of it. My preventative head gasket lasted only 36k, but I'm sure that if I had used new head bolts instead of ARP studs for a 2JZ that it wouldn't have been an issue. Honestly though, the cost of doing it right is money toward a swap in my mind. Heck, at the time I did my headgasket I used all Toyota parts except head bolts; and I could have got a low miles 6.0 vortec and 2wd setup off Craigslist for less than what I paid. So, some adapters and wiring and you're LS swapped, if, of course you're mechanically inclined and have some fab skills and equipment. Anyway, make sure you do a cost analysis and see if you want to do the HG or go with a swap. If you go with HG you're doing the right thing, if you go with a swap, if you love the cruiser you're still doing the right thing. Albeit most people aren't going to call you financially responsible, but those people don't understand how some people get attached to vehicles in the first place. I likely won't ever give up my cruiser until I'm forced to convert it to electric lol.
 
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A replacement HG should have lasted more than 5 years (and more than 36K for @LandCruisinMy93 ) unless it was done improperly.

Not having the head and block checked fit flatness, using cheap gaskets, not torqued in the proper order.

The HG was done on my truck at 145K. I now have 264K. That's 119K so far.

Yes, you should have the HG replaced, but have the head rebuilt, the block checked (and milled if needed) clean it well and use Toyota gaskets and head bolts. Clean and flush the cooling system.
 
It's all good amigo... 236k ain't much on these.
 
New Land Cruiser starts at a little over $83,000. Spending approx. $2,400 for HG and head rebuild seems reasonable to me to keep the cruiser running another 50,000-150,000 miles. That's what, less than $100 a month over two years? Cheap car payments to me, at least that's how I look at it.
 
Has your cooling system been overhauled? Were the original head studs reused? With a moderately fresh motor I would be looking for what caused the gasket to fail.
 
The replacement HG itself should have been the update design.

Generally speaking this shouldn't have happened providing the install & head / block were true when serviced.

If you either can do this yourself correctly, or pay a 1st rate shop the $$$ to do it correctly (not the local dealer, or any place who can't recite your motor from memory) --- if done correct the HG is a 1 time replacement item.
 
Was your engine assembled using a Toyota gasket kit or aftermarket? I bought an 80 three years ago that had a complete engine rebuild by a very respectable shop 10k miles prior. 4K after I bought it the hg let loose. That’s only 14k post rebuild! They had used a felpro gasket kit because the PO was too cheap to pay the premium for Toyota stuff as per the shops records. This engine is now a spare though.

It’s your favorite car so fix it and show those nay sayers what Landcruiser’s are about but use an OEM gasket kit, rebuild the head, clean the block well and check for flatness with a machinist straight edge per the fsm, and replace the head bolts regardless.

My current 80 is a 93 with 280k. The hg was replaced at 265k and nothing was done to the head except to true it up. It runs like a Swiss watch and uses maybe one quart of oil in 5k miles. Just for the record, I was not the one who was over seeing this work, that’s why the head was not rebuilt.

As said earlier, I’m sure you would have no problem selling it here on Mud if you decide to bow out.
 
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I reused my head bolts, used Toyota gasket had the head shaved 10 thousandths' nothing to the block but cleaned with scotch brite pad and cleaned up. That was at 326,000 did over haul cooling system completely though. Truck has no issues since had 390,000 on it now in the 3 years I've had it. Maybe something was missed on your rebuild to have caused it to fail. Forgot to mention that the only reason I did the over haul on the cooling was doing some gravel road driving and the clutch fan was s*** and it ran so hot it quit in the road. Thought it was a goner for sure, nope. Fix the cruiser and drive it man
 
^^^^ per @cruiserdan when I was doing the black 80 HG (~2003?)

Headbolts were a 1 time reuse item **if** they passed the test in the FSM. I had ~2 bolts that were beyond spec despite my head/block not warped - did a cleanup pass to deck true the head & a fresh valve grind / new stem seals.

Uses no appreciable oil between changes, has the update Mr.T gasket.

If I were to do anything different I'd prob have used same HG & used the Cosworth application (???) ARP stud/nuts - mostly because I am very comfortable with the stud configuration since production fluids in most applications use that over a bolt & nut for fastener hardware.
 
Don't listen to these guys! Sell asap! Because an 80 is same as a boat, Break Out Another Thousand! It's an intergalactic black hole for your money so sell it before it consumes you whole.

For your reference, I still have a bad head gasket(2000), blown shock(1800 shocks on order), just changed our springs again(400), new stereo(300), crawler gear and realized I new a new TC(2000), need new U joints(400), spod and lights(~1000), new front calipers because mine are frozen(400).........all that is either current project or last 2 months!


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A replacement HG should have lasted more than 5 years (and more than 36K for @LandCruisinMy93 ) unless it was done improperly.

Not having the head and block checked fit flatness, using cheap gaskets, not torqued in the proper order.

The HG was done on my truck at 145K. I now have 264K. That's 119K so far.

Yes, you should have the HG replaced, but have the head rebuilt, the block checked (and milled if needed) clean it well and use Toyota gaskets and head bolts. Clean and flush the cooling system.

That's why I mentioned not using the 2jz head studs. My head gasket wasn't done properly in that I used the studs. I have done hundreds of head gaskets across numerous makes and models on a professional level as an owner operator of a small repair shop. This was the first one i had fail. I checked the block, I checked the head, I used toyota gaskets, I installed the head studs as per the instructions. I had heard of the 2jz studs having been used before with varying degrees of success and decided to give them a try. They were all a couple threads shy of the the top of the studs. I was hunting in the middle of nowhere, 130 miles from the nearest town with a parts store. The leak wasn't catastrophic, it took days to bleed the radiator nearly dry and I was able to finish out the last few days of the hunt...driving around and some moderate wheeling the last day and then drive into the nearest town with a parts store to buy Blue Devil. I put Blue Devil in and drove it for another year without a leak before I started my motor swap. It still didn't have a leak when I pulled it. The culprit was 3 studs whose nuts had loosened, apparently an issue with using those head studs (2JZ) not ARP. As @BILT4ME said though, a replacement head gasket should last more than 5 years if done properly with the proper parts.
 
I prefer blue devil, It works really well and if it doesn't work they will refund you the money you spent as long as you hold onto the bottle.


I used the bars and holding strong after 30k and 4 years. Both will work and both will give OP time to think about what to do.

Or heed my warnings and sell it fast and cheap here on mud. Hahahaha
 

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