Damaged Head Gasket?

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I'd be hard pressed to put a new gasket on there and run it knowing the condition if this is a rig that you want to keep (and put more money into mods too). As others mentioned, you'll have lower compression and probably some smoking at a minimum. Time would tell on the rings if they would go on you can cause a total failure.

Worst case, put it together now, get a few miles on it, and see what it does. That said, I'd hold off on big money mods for now until you feel confident that it's worth the $$ on what you have.
 
FelipeGP said:
@jpoole and @BILT4ME, thanks for your input.

I am fortunate to have a new and reliable daily. I got the LX 450 to be my off-road and overland rig. I was planning on installing mods to tackle trails around the Tahoe area and eventually longer-distance overland trips around the country. I am estimating at most 6000 miles per year.

I also got the LX as a project to learn about cars in general. Prior to starting the head gasket job, I had never worked on an engine other than oil changes. As much as I enjoy working on it, I am conscious of the funds it takes to rebuild it in detail and would like to manage my expenses. I also have a crazy itch to get it running and off-road as soon as possible.

Given my plans for the car, what would you do?

@jpoole the pictures above were taken after cleaning the cylinder thoroughly.
@BILT4ME out of curiosity, can you share how you arrived at $6000?
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A new Toyota short block is about $4500 if I recall correctly. Additional gasket set is about $250.
Other parts you'll want to replace while you're in there will quickly fill the gap to $6K.
That is with entirely your labor at $0.

I figure you're taking on the HG, so your skills are in the ball park.

Typical engine swap with no labor is in the $6K to $10K range depending on where in the world and what parts you replace and if you go new or swap in a used engine with minimal rework.
 
I'm talking with a local machine shop hopefully later this week about some block and head work on mine. I called yesterday and he's game to discuss my project with me. I'll post back with input on that cost for a re-fresh from the machine shop end. That said, I'd still be in for new pistons, etc., so not a cheap venture to take on. While diagnosing a running issue, I found low compression on mine on #6 (a common failure). That's why I'm being proactive now as it is a project that I'll need to do at some point soon. I don't have any signs of a HG issue yet, but I drive with one eye on the temp all the time.

For the OP, what's your new rig's condition other than the HG? There may be other issues lurking such as front axle service and other things that can draw the bank account down too. That's why I was thinking to get it running now and if it does ok, to get a few miles so you can see if there are other projects to put on the list. If the truck sat with water in the cylinder for long enough to cause the damage that it has, other things were probably neglected too.

You may want to reach out to @Fj80oregon too, he does full rebuilds and can give some insight on your condition, pricing, or maybe even taking on your project for you if needed. If I didn't need to ship mine cross country and back, I'd seriously consider having him do mine for overall convenience. He may chime in here since I put a tag on him... ;)
 
FelipeGP said:
@jpoole and @BILT4ME, thanks for your input.

I am fortunate to have a new and reliable daily. I got the LX 450 to be my off-road and overland rig. I was planning on installing mods to tackle trails around the Tahoe area and eventually longer-distance overland trips around the country. I am estimating at most 6000 miles per year.

I also got the LX as a project to learn about cars in general. Prior to starting the head gasket job, I had never worked on an engine other than oil changes. As much as I enjoy working on it, I am conscious of the funds it takes to rebuild it in detail and would like to manage my expenses. I also have a crazy itch to get it running and off-road as soon as possible.

Given my plans for the car, what would you do?

@jpoole the pictures above were taken after cleaning the cylinder thoroughly.
@BILT4ME out of curiosity, can you share how you arrived at $6000?
Click to expand...

Button it up as is, enjoy it for a while.
Test compression, monitor oil use, do a used oil analysis, and start putting away $$ and plan for a rebuild in the future.

How long in the future? You could get 10k miles, could get 200k miles out of it a is
 
Too bad that cylinder #6 was cleaned before that photo but thanks for the clarification.

Good advice above but I'll throw my take in since you asked for it. Ultimately you will get an array of opinions and will be able to feel out the path forward that seems right to you. We all do what we think is best with our rigs and then get lucky or live with the consequences and adapt.

I'm making some assumptions about your situation but from what I know I'd probably put the current engine together with what you have so that you can start using the 80 and I'd also start shopping for a used motor or get an order in for a new short block and parts/pieces. If the engine in your 80 is good enough for months or maybe a few years then that gives you plenty of time build/source a replacement 1FZ on your own schedule, while still enjoying the 80. A big goal with this type of work for me these days is doing it on my own schedule so that I have a chance to enjoy the work vs. feeling rushed. This approach would let you get into some wheeling and proceed with your build on all fronts while you build the new engine and then when you do the engine swap in a year or two (or whenever) you'd be ready for any trip/use.

If you go the used 1FZ route then when you pull the head off the used engine you can inspect and assess the lower end. If it ends up being really clean you may choose to only replace the HG on it, reseal it and then run it as you got it. You could save the full rebuild for the engine in your 80 now, once it's out, and then have it as a backup if desired. I'd probably reseal the pans and check some lower end bearings before making a final decision on running a used 1FZ but I'd be open to it for blocks around the 200k or lower mark.

If you get a new short block you may want to get all new peripherals (head, etc.) but I'd be open to really clean, used heads, personally. QC is good with OE Toyota parts but for some other vehicles I've had better luck using older heads that hadn't cracked and that had proven themselves stable vs. new which could be less consistent. Again, that doesn't seem to apply in this case but generally speaking these types of experiences have left me open to good used parts in some cases vs. wanting new always.

I'll add that I'd give the options a good thought before I totally decided and I might even chart them out on paper to help me assess time/costs/etc. That cylinder does look bad and the "right" approach is clearly to deal with it before reassembly / use but there's also a decent chance that it will run ok for a while yet, though it's a roll of the dice.

Good luck with whatever path you take on this and keep us posted.
 
Thanks again for the incredibly valuable input, everyone.

@CrabCake - here is a list of issues I have noticed on the LX during week I ran it.
1. Crusty dirt underneath the knuckle, indicative of a leak. Rebuild needed.
2. Power steering leak on the rear seal of the pump - parts already ordered.
3. Exhaust leak between manifold and Y-pipe - needs new donut gasket, parts already ordered.
4. Front seats do not move - fixed passenger side and have parts for driver side.
5. No tread left on tires.
6. Radio antenna does not extend/return - don't care about this at all.
7. Really old window tint- no concern there either.
8. Previous owner installed a flow master exhaust (not my taste but the exhaust leak was definitely messing with the acoustics lol)

Now here is a list of things I think make this rig worth it to build on.
1. Absolutely no rust.
2. Paint in good condition. A buff and polish would make it look very good.
3. Interior is extremely well kept. Carpets in good shape, buttons not very worn and all working, rear seats are intact.
4. Other than knuckle leak, suspension components in great shape.
5. During my drive from Bay Area to Reno it felt good. I never drove any LC (or 30 yo car) but I did not really feel it was lacking power. I did a steady 60-65 mph up and down i80 through Lake Tahoe, passing big rigs with relative ease. The only complaint I had was the noise due to the exhaust leak. Temps and oil pressure were steady at the middle of the gauge and the engine, power delivery, shifting and ride were smooth.

Sometimes I think it would have ran fine for a long time if I had not noticed (or ignored) the sweet-smelling white smoke in the exhaust LOL.

@jpoole I will definitely tally up the funds and time needed for each option and give it some real thought. A YouTube channel called RM garage has a playlist on a rebuild and an in-depth video of costs associated - I will reference that.
 
FelipeGP said:
Now here is a list of things I think make this rig worth it to build on.

5. During my drive from Bay Area to Reno it felt good. I never drove any LC (or 30 yo car) but I did not really feel it was lacking power. I did a steady 60-65 mph up and down i80 through Lake Tahoe, passing big rigs with relative ease. The only complaint I had was the noise due to the exhaust leak. Temps and oil pressure were steady at the middle of the gauge and the engine, power delivery, shifting and ride …
Click to expand...
Encouraging, but a word of caution, do not rely on the stock temp gauge as it has a massive dead spot in the middle. Once it moves off to the high side it may be too late. Get yourself a Scan Gauge or Bluetooth chip of your choice to connect your phone to your truck’s OBDII port so you can see real-time temps (and a lot more).

Good luck!
 
Don't tear down that engine. Keep your eyes peeled for a good used engine, and buy one when you find a good deal. Keep your 80 on the road. Keep it driving. If you're going to do an engine rebuild, always rebuild a spare while a running motor is in your rig. Swap in your spare and rebuild the original, or rebuild the spare, whatever you prefer, but keep the car running. Life and money gets in the way. Motor rebuilds are a big rabbit hole. You don't want to do it on a clock. I'm speaking from experience here. Never again.
 
I agree with above. BTDT too.

Engine rebuild is a long process if you're doing it at home.

I agonised over repairing my 80s original engine and it sat for way too long unused.

Eventually I bought a used engine, which turned out to need a head gasket, but otherwise seems solid. Swapped in a head gasket and some new sensors and seals.

The money spent on getting a used engine in place was worth it to get it back up and running. Wish I'd bit the bullet sooner.

I'll rebuild my engine eventually, or put in a new short block.
 
I am tallying up the price of parts for a new short block assembly and I have come across two part numbers: 11400-66040 and 11400-66041.
Will either fit on my 96 LX450, and does anyone know the difference between them? The latest model is almost $1000 more expensive. Cheers.
 
11400-66041 is the only short block still available AFAIK, same engine in both the FZJ80 and LX450.
 
The earlier number is not available even if web sites like Toyotapartsnow or Lexuspartsnow show it as such. Those sites are just resellers,
they don't have any stock on hand AFAIK.
 
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