'93 1fz-fe engine knock. Main bearings = toast = cracked crank

[mudgudgeon]

#2 Phillips with about 2-3mm ground of the tip.

This fits TIGHT in the oil pump housing screws, no slop, no slip.
Used with ¼drive cordles impact driver, works a treat for undoing these screws.

Unmolested Phillips bit on the right

 

[DivByZero]

Well, I figured out my oil pressure problem. At least in part.
Still need to check if any galleries are blocked with debris.

I pulled apart the oil pump. Everything looked OK.
Then I noticed the oil pressure relief valve was partly open.
I used a thin pin punch to try and slide it closed, but it was jammed.
I removed the threaded plug and spring, and pushed a pin punch into the hole to try to move the valve. Still no budge.
Then I tried to push the valve out of its bore, but it was tightly wedged.
I used a long punch to punch it out. It took a couple of decent taps to get it to move.

The valve body/ thimble thingy ?? Looked OK, but had a couple of rub marks in the outer diameter which I think are from being punched out.
I sprayed a bit of brake clean in the bore to clean oil residue out so I could inspect it. The bore in the timing case looked OK.

I tried reinserting the valve, but it jammed before it was all the way in.

About this point it occurred to me that when I rebuilt my power steering pump, the nut on the end of the shaft had worked loose, and rubbed a groove in the back of the timing case. I flipped the case over, and sure enough, that groove coincides with the pressure relief valve. The wall of the relief valve bore seems to have deformed just enough to jam the valve if it ever opened.

It seems that for what ever reason, the relief valve opened on initial start up, and jammed in the bore. From that point on, oil was not being pumped

So, I add timing case assembly to the parts list!
Actually not as expensive as I thought it might be, and the assembly includes oil pump, relief valve, all the studs etc

View attachment 3364276
Groove from power steering shaft nut

View attachment 3364277

View attachment 3364278
oil pressure relief valve stuck open

View attachment 3364279
Aisin timing case assembly $148USD

Oh damn, never would have guessed that!

 

[ppc]

Great job with the post mortem. Good finish to the thread we usually don't get.

 

[mudgudgeon]

Most of the crank journals look perfect. Some still had a film of red assembly lube on them

damaged journal

Crud in the sump

One of the worst main bearings. This was #3. #4 bearing was spun and shredded, but this journal appears to be worse.

The head was dry. No oil pools anywhere!

 

[mudgudgeon]

Great job with the post mortem. Good finish to the thread we usually don't get.

Not finished yet. This engine will live again.

I'm a problem solver. Kills me not knowing what went wrong, so I like to understand the causes.

I'm still learning. Over the landcruisers I've owned, there's almost no major part I haven't dug into.

I make mistakes. I roll the dice occasionally. I let shìt ride that maybe I shouldn't.

I learn from my mistakes, and learn from others mistakes. Hopefully my mistake will help someone else.

I knew the timing case was damaged, but figured it was inconsequential. It seems that judgement was wrong.
I think in normal running, the oil pressure relief valve may never have gotten stuck, but at initial start up, for some reason pressure spiked.

 

[mudgudgeon]

@AussieHJCruza sucks to see that nice shiny crank you got me looking worse for wear

 

[AussieHJCruza]

@AussieHJCruza sucks to see that nice shiny crank you got me looking worse for wear

I'm sorry to see you having to deal with all this again!

 

[mudgudgeon]

I'm sorry to see you having to deal with all this again!

It's frustrating. Hard to find the time to tinker.

 

[TYM4FUN]

View attachment 3364284

#2 Phillips with about 2-3mm ground of the tip.

This fits TIGHT in the oil pump housing screws, no slop, no slip.
Used with ¼drive cordles impact driver, works a treat for undoing these screws.

Unmolested Phillips bit on the right

Great info on the Phillips mod, and thank you for sharing your findings in detail.

 

[DivByZero]

@AussieHJCruza sucks to see that nice shiny crank you got me looking worse for wear

Not sure who you went with before, but if you're interested in a name, I'd recommend Spirro from St George Crankshafts if you're looking to get that crank polished and crack tested. I was impressed with him when he did work for my 3L engine.

 

[AussieHJCruza]

Not sure who you went with before, but if you're interested in a name, I'd recommend Spirro from St George Crankshafts if you're looking to get that crank polished and crack tested. I was impressed with him when he did work for my 3L engine.

It was a new Toyota crank.

 

[mudgudgeon]

Yep, 'was' being the key word

Will be having it checked to see if it can be linished.
And will be crack tested.

 

[Kernal]

"when I rebuilt my power steering pump, the nut on the end of the shaft had worked loose, and rubbed a groove in the back of the timing case."

Any idea why the power steering pump gear nut came loose?

 

[mudgudgeon]

"when I rebuilt my power steering pump, the nut on the end of the shaft had worked loose, and rubbed a groove in the back of the timing case."

Any idea why the power steering pump gear nut came loose?

Pretty sure because I bought a landcruiser and hate money!

Not sure. I believe I torqued to spec. found it when I tore down the engine after the original crank failed.
I wondered if the gear didn't seat properly, or had a vibration. Don't really know.

The nut and shaft where not reusable after this. I replaced both.

 

[mudgudgeon]

Just reread this entire thread. What a rollercoaster!

Took the engine to a machine so shop. The shiny new crankshaft was cracked
Dropping it in a skip at work the next day really stung!

The cruiser and the bits and pieces of this engine all made a long boat ride to USA early this year.
Engine will sit as is for a while. Hopefully I'll rebuild it in the not too distant future.

The used engine I dropped in it is running strong for now

 

[Snowy105]

Far out, roller coaster indeed!

Glad you got a running and driving cruiser again though, even if it isn't with the engine that you put so much money and parts into.

30,000km's or so on from my rebuild, my head has just gone again.
First time ever, even with the previous head gasket leak, I have seen the temperature gauge get over half way.

Comp tested the engine warm and all cylinders were in the 185 to 190psi range so, all healthy there.
Camera inspected each cylinder and no green liquid present.
I checked all spark plugs Cyl 4 and Cyl6 looked to perhaps be wet with water but all were free of wet oil and fuel.

So all I can assume at this point until I tear it down further is that the machine shop I got to deck and pressure test the head missed a crack in an exhaust valve area and or the head material was soft from a past overheat and it's just warped again.

Either way, I'm getting a whole new head built at a local shop, and this current one is going in the bin.
It's the one corner I cut on my rebuild, not fully rebuilding the head. It has done 400,000km's now and who know's how much of that on LPG.
So time for a completely fresh one.

Then in 2025 when it's time for club reg, I've decided it's time to go for the LS conversion.
If i'm gona be sucking down 18l/100km it may as well sound epic while I do it haha.