1985 FJ60 - bad compression on one cylinder - rebuilt the head - still bad - what are my options? (1 Viewer)

[Dave L]

The compression values for cylinders 1-5 were between 100 and 125. But Cylinder 6 was 40. So I took the head off and had it reconditioned by a shop and put it back on - hoping it just needed a valve and seal job/new gasket. Put it all back together and compression values for 1-5 are somewhat better, but 6 is still 40. Big disappointment.

I'm a guy with very little mechanical experience. Friends ask me "what's the compression ratio?" or "what is the order the cylinders fire?" and I'm like - that's a thing?

I know I could drop the oil pan and get at those pistons from underneath to change the rings myself - probable culprit at this stage - but that's a major PITA.

Also suggested was getting a new block - anyone selling one?

Also giving up and taking it to a mechanic/shop. any idea on cost?

Knowing myself I'll prob try to rebuild it anyway but if there are any other options out there that I haven't considered then please help me out.

Many thanks,

Dave

 

[OSS]

Bummer-
Yeah, engine block needs to be rebuilt - and that’s done by a professional shop.

The ‘easy’ way to do it is for you to pull the engine yourself with the help of a friend on engine pull day. Just rent an engine hoist. They’re cheap.
But before you do that - get lined up with a machine shop that can rebuild the engine and ask them what’s up.

Then you (or sometimes they) transport the engine to the shop (having a friend with a pickup truck comes in handy) and you drop it off. Then pick it up when the shop tells you it’s ready.
Then install it.

Yanking and installing the engine isn’t rocket science, it’s just really heavy. If you can remove the cylinder head and reinstall it, you can pull an engine and put it back in too.

Really the hardest part of the whole project is paying the invoice. Man that hurts.

 

[SteveH]

Did you look at cylinder #6 while the head was off? Is it massively scored from a broken ring? Since #6 is so much lower than the rest, I suspect it's not just worn rings.

 

[Dave L]

Did you look at cylinder #6 while the head was off? Is it massively scored from a broken ring? Since #6 is so much lower than the rest, I suspect it's not just worn rings.

It looked OK, no scrapes or rings that I could see

 

[Tennessee80]

Could you have installed the head and head gasket wrong? What torque specs did you use and did you clean the block thoroughly prior to head install???

Ask me why I ask this.

Lol

 

[Dave L]

Could you have installed the head and head gasket wrong? What torque specs did you use and did you clean the block thoroughly prior to head install???

Ask me why I ask this.

Lol

I read about how you had a gasket blow after you changed it and made sure to torque it to 98. I cleaned the block pretty thoroughly with a razor blade and wire brush. The compression readings were almost exactly the same before the job as after... So I guess that means it must be the rings.

I had a feeling it was rings anyway - don't know why - just ended up hoping it was valve seals and gasket instead.

But now I know more that when I started and when I'm done I'll have a whole new engine

 

[OSS]

Just to highlight the sturdiness of the 2F— I helped a friend pull and install his 2F engine many years ago. He had a deep gouge in one of the cylinder walls and zero compression in that cylinder. He said the engine didn’t feel too peppy.

When we got the newly rebuilt engine all installed and took it for a test drive..... he said it didn’t really have much more power compared to before but felt a little smoother. He was a bit disappointed.

I think most people can’t tell the difference if the engine is running on 5 or 6 cylinders. I couldn’t. I purchased my 60 in ‘88 after a test drive and it drove good (for a FJ60 ). After I bought it home, I discovered a few weeks later that it had zero compression in #4 cylinder. Burnt valve. Oy!

 

[Dave L]

Just to highlight the sturdiness of the 2F— I helped a friend pull and install his 2F engine many years ago. He had a deep gouge in one of the cylinder walls and zero compression in that cylinder. He said the engine didn’t feel too peppy.

When we got the newly rebuilt engine all installed and took it for a test drive..... he said it didn’t really have much more power compared to before but felt a little smoother. He was a bit disappointed.

I think most people can’t tell the difference if the engine is running on 5 or 6 cylinders. I couldn’t. I purchased my 60 in ‘88 after a test drive and it drove good (for a FJ60 ). After I bought it home, I discovered a few weeks later that it had zero compression in #4 cylinder. Burnt valve. Oy!

I think I must have been driving it around with it like this for a while. Have had a feeling for some time that it was sick.

 

[Snicklephritz87]

Sounds like piston ring failure to me.

 

[Dave L]

Just to highlight the sturdiness of the 2F— I helped a friend pull and install his 2F engine many years ago. He had a deep gouge in one of the cylinder walls and zero compression in that cylinder. He said the engine didn’t feel too peppy.

When we got the newly rebuilt engine all installed and took it for a test drive..... he said it didn’t really have much more power compared to before but felt a little smoother. He was a bit disappointed.

I think most people can’t tell the difference if the engine is running on 5 or 6 cylinders. I couldn’t. I purchased my 60 in ‘88 after a test drive and it drove good (for a FJ60 ). After I bought it home, I discovered a few weeks later that it had zero compression in #4 cylinder. Burnt valve. Oy!

Anything wrong with this rebuild kit?

ENGINE REBUILD KIT TOYOTA 2F 4.2 LTR – Mag Engines - https://magengines.com/product/engine-rebuild-kit-toyota-2f-4-2-ltr-2/

got a quote from one shop to do it for $4-5K, said that parts were very expensive

getting more quotes

 

[OSS]

Anything wrong with this rebuild kit?

Usually the shop that’s doing the rebuild likes to source it’s own parts from a source they are familiar with.

As the manager of a transmission shop once told me: “You can’t bring a hamburger patty into McDonald’s and expect them to make you a burger with it.”

 

[tmxmotorsports]

Usually the shop that’s doing the rebuild likes to source it’s own parts from a source they are familiar with.

As the manager of a transmission shop once told me: “You can’t bring a hamburger patty into McDonald’s and expect them to make you a burger with it.”

True

 

[Dave L]

Usually the shop that’s doing the rebuild likes to source it’s own parts from a source they are familiar with.

As the manager of a transmission shop once told me: “You can’t bring a hamburger patty into McDonald’s and expect them to make you a burger with it.”

is that price excessive for rebuilding the block?

 

[CruiserTrash]

Usually the shop that’s doing the rebuild likes to source it’s own parts from a source they are familiar with.

As the manager of a transmission shop once told me: “You can’t bring a hamburger patty into McDonald’s and expect them to make you a burger with it.”

This 100% makes sense, except ... my local shop is having trouble sourcing a few things for 2F motors, namely pistons and main bearings. This is a place that has worked on F-family motors for 40+ years - well respected and trusted by the local Land Cruiser community. I have heard the same from two other people who recently did rebuilds at other shops in other locations. I was talking to the shop about my upcoming rebuild and they encouraged me to find my own parts. Of course that depends on what they find when they get their hands on my block - there may be a need for oversized rings or bearings. I guess everyone's mileage may vary on this.