Not another 1FZFE head gasket thread... (1 Viewer)

[MrMoMo]

Ok, I lied.... It is another 1FZFE head gasket thread.

Backstory:
Had heat, lost heat, filled rad, had heat, lost heat, checked rad, low coolant, filled rad, changed rad cap, saw white smoke, parked truck and started ordering parts. Please note that I am by no means a pro, and this is my first 1FZFE head gasket job. (Though the two of us have built a number of Porsche race car engines)

Now that that's it of the way...

Pressure washed engine with Superclean degreaser and hot water, several times to get rid of the undercoating oil spray, oil leaked from the valve cover, and road sand/salt/dirt.

Marked and pulled hood, designated friend with a board for hard to reach places... Applied PB Blaster.

Did NOT separate the exhaust down pipes from the manifolds - did unbolt from the first bracket. Slid out of the way easily.

Accessed the two rear "hard to reach" upper to lower intake bolts through the wheel well, instead of from directly underneath, no need to snake 23 extensions between the starter and block. Just remove the rubber flap in the wheel well.

Accessed the two rear lower intake manifold to block bolts using an air ratchet, universal joint, 3" wobble extension, short socket, positioned with a magnet from above. Air ratchet down beside the brake booster, and between #5 and #4 intakes.

Tool board. Easier to access and find things than the tool box (especially for helpers who don't know which of the 34 drawers to look in)

 

[MrMoMo]

Valve cover removed, ready to carefully pull cams. Sorted out a little screw for the exhaust gear.

Carefully removed bearing caps according to Flying Spaghetti Monster directions... Success

Cams out, gently set aside and inspected.

Head bolt sequence carefully followed by yours truely...

And Lift off. VERY easy to control using the cherry picker. DONT remove the lifting lugs. As the head starts to come up, disconnected the last little heater bypass hose

(Spot the coolant yet?)

 

[MrMoMo]

#6, gasket shot in passenger side rear corner (upper right of photo) no idea what junk brand this gasket is but none of the cylinder holes are round, and the metal "bits" are all over the place, some, even over top of the Pistons. Never seen anything like it! Look at the gap behind #6, and the deformation between cylinders!

Bonus, got to retrieve my 3/8" 3" straight extension that rolled off the back of the valve cover 2 years ago when changing the spark plugs...

Don't buy the cheap gloves... Didn't even make it onto my hand...

First round clean up/wipe down.

 

[MrMoMo]

Unfortunately at this point I noticed that the timing chain slipper has no plastic on it... And Toyota decided to engineer the changing of it a nightmare, more than than the nightmare already 19 hours in progress (as above). Now need to remove the oil pans (yes, plural) water pump, crank pulley, AC compressor, rad.... Oh what fun...

But, thankfully I had somewhat thought of the tensioner before I dug into this, and thus had one. What I didn't do was look at the procedure to change it, and didn't order a water pump. Sometimes I'm smart and buy things when they are on sale, and remembered late last night that I had this.... Wala:

While picking up my new bearing for the alternator idler pulley today, spotted this beauty. Left my card with the garage working on it asking them to pass it to the owner.

Also picked up some #0 vacuum hose from Toyota, along with a new PCV valve, and distributor O-ring. Ordered a new timing chain cover crank seal, and 3 new O-rings for the water pump bypass pipe. I see now that I should also have ordered the O-rings for the timing cover. Will likely also order the oil pump, since it's relatively cheap, and you know, while I'm in there.

At this point I suppose since I'll have the pan off I might think about doing the con rod bearings... You know, while I'm in there...


Fan and water pump are now off, rad next, then AC compressor. After that the 42 bolts for the oil pans I guess...

Oh what fun...

Starting to fill up with bits, pieces, fluids and tools...

21 man hours in, plenty more to go.

 

[Red Merle]

Interesting method. Not sure how I feel about the way you are dealing with the hardware though. I used the bag method. I think I would screw it up if I did it your way.

I also ran the table program. I had all the take offs and all the tools set up on a nice plywood sheet set on saw horses. It kept things easier to grab, but by the end, the tool pile got a little out of control. I had to break out some big wrenches to get my EGR pipe set right and a bunch of big breaker bars due to the amount of rust I encountered.


Good pics though. Good luck!

 

[MrMoMo]

Interesting method. Not sure how I feel about the way you are dealing with the hardware though. I used the bag method.

All bolts are returned to the original holes, and nuts to the original studs, with the exception of the valve cover (bagged), lower intake manifold (bagged), fuel rail bolts (stored with the injectors), and head bolts (laid out with the head, in sequence - though they may all just get replaced, I have a full set.

 

[scottryana]

Neither here nor there but even the OEM stock head gasket is not round, there are bump outs for the valves. Not sure why Toyota did it that way since the valves are not near hitting but they did. Definitely not round.

#6, gasket shot in passenger side rear corner (upper right of photo) no idea what junk brand this gasket is but none of the cylinder holes are round, and the metal "bits" are all over the place, some, even over top of the Pistons. Never seen anything like it! Look at the gap behind #6, and the deformation between cylinders!

View attachment 1408931

Bonus, got to retrieve my 3/8" 3" straight extension that rolled off the back of the valve cover 2 years ago when changing the spark plugs...

View attachment 1408935

Don't buy the cheap gloves... Didn't even make it onto my hand...
View attachment 1408939


First round clean up/wipe down.

View attachment 1408940

 

[Rifleman]

If i missed it on your parts list, sorry, while your in there I'd replace all your heater hoses, some of the ones in your photos are the original hoses. Plus I'd replace the heater control valve too, since your there.

 

[Red Merle]

All bolts are returned to the original holes, and nuts to the original studs, with the exception of the valve cover (bagged), lower intake manifold (bagged), fuel rail bolts (stored with the injectors), and head bolts (laid out with the head, in sequence - though they may all just get replaced, I have a full set.

I would run with the new head bolts. I tried to make a goop remover out of one of the old ones by angle grinding a notch in one of them. That worked ok, but then I started cross threading one of them and decided that was dumb and stopped doing it.

Are you having the head serviced? If so, what are you having them do?


As for the hardware method. If you can keep track of things, more power to ya'. I found that with the time breaks for work and life that I forgot things and having them in the labeled bags helped a ton as far as dealing with making sure everything goes back together right. I also had to wire wheel every nut and bolt on my bench wheel before I would put it in the bag.

Looks real good though, you have it down.

 

[MrMoMo]

If i missed it on your parts list, sorry, while your in there I'd replace all your heater hoses, some of the ones in your photos are the original hoses. Plus I'd replace the heater control valve too, since your there.

Good call. Have the lower rad hose, did the upper when I did the PHH, but I should probably do the ones at the firewall - thanks!

 

[MrMoMo]

I would run with the new head bolts.

Are you having the head serviced? If so, what are you having them do?


Looks real good though, you have it down.

Yeah, I was thinking new head bolts....

Have not looked at the head closely yet, but hopefully not. I'd like to stay out of as much as possible! I have a feeling this head gasket was done not all that long before I got the truck, so it's possible the head was done recently. Closer inspection will tell hopefully.

Thanks!

 

[Mighty690]

Yeah, I believe you're looking at a Toyota OEM gasket there. Not junk, just old.

 

[MrMoMo]

Yeah, I believe you're looking at a Toyota OEM gasket there. Not junk, just old.

Wow - if it's OEM I think someone ran it over with a steam roller in a gravel parking lot before they put it in! it's in horrible shape! Also, the previous head gasket job looks like they cleaned the block with a wire cup brush on a grinder.... Sheesh. I believe they also only purchased the head gasket, not the valve grind kit - as there is FIPG and silicone everywhere.

But hey - I guess the gasket and job worked, I've been driving it for 3 years!

Onward!

 

[MrMoMo]

Well, them oil panz is one pain in thuh arse....

Tip 1: FSM misses 2 bolts into the upper back sides of the oil pan, from the tranny.

Tip 2: turn the steering to help clear the oil pickup on the steering.

So, think I need to replace this slipper? Found most of the plastic when we finally got the pan off.

Undo the LOWER side of the engine mounts (not the nuts on top!) to pick the engine up. I used a chain from the upper aft AC bracket mounting bolt hole, and one on the intake side.

Here is Paul, commenting on how much he loves my truck, and how wise the Toyota engineers are in their placement of all these components, specifically the split oil pans, steering, frame cross member, front driveshaft. And how fun it is having road salt and sand mixed with oil and coolant continually falling on oneself while dealing with all the above.

(I made a new shop rule, everything goes on the hoist whether the job needs it or not, too late to move it now...)

So this is as far as we made it this afternoon. Pans are now off, after way too much fighting. Hopefully tomorrow the front comes off quickly and I can spend the rest of the time cleaning parts to prep to reverse this whole process.

Tools, parts, and mess everywhere.... And I mean everywhere.

30 hours in now.... The half way point is in sight!!!

 

[MrMoMo]

Had to add this shot....

 

[MrMoMo]

Well, fought the battle today, pulling the crank bolt.

Impact wouldn't budge it. tried 2 more. Nada.

Broke out the plasma cutter and the welder and built a special service tool. Promptly bent the bar into a pretzel.

Re-rigged the setup with a chain, through my SST and around the frame on each side, pinched back to itself. 3' breaker bar.

Broke my adaptor.

Re-re-rigged with a torque multiplier.

Handle of the torque multiplier fits nicely through this handy hole in the frame!

 

[MrMoMo]

SHAZAM!!

Just about ran out of bananas on that one...

Now for the last piece of the puzzle. Just about twisted my impact bit off, but did manage to get all of the screws out.

Oil pump well within tolerances

Anyone have part numbers for these o-rings?

 

[MrMoMo]

Well, assembly is reverse of removal right?

Got started!

I'll edit this with part numbers used later...

Nice bead of FIPG.

Back together with new chain slipper, new chain damper, new o-rings on the back of the timing cover and oil pump cover, new crank seal, and water pump and water pump gasket.

 

[Red Merle]

Is there a reason you didn't change out the chain as long as you were this far into it?

 

[MrMoMo]

Is there a reason you didn't change out the chain as long as you were this far into it?

Chain and sprockets seemed fine, measured well within spec according to the FSM. I suspect they were changed at the last head gasket job.

Cleaned the big oil pan and bottom of the block tonight.

Should have bought a few cases of brake cleaner... I think I am on can #8...

Front to back

Pain in the butt picking all the FIPG out of the groove in the pan!