Engine Rebuilding options for S/C

[NLXTACY]

Well at the end of the day, is this a machine for offroading, to go out of the country, like mexico and middle america? Or a road type machine to pound the pavement?
If it is more a machine to pound the pavement. Then do the extreme stuff. If you want a reliable build that works well in Mexico or middle america or travel up north. Stick with the less extreme mods.

I have ZERO interest in ever going to Mexico or any South American country. So that narrows down things for me

Of course Canada and Alaska is definitely in my sites!

Forged pistons do not mean that much even when the engine detonates at the wrong time, they still will get hurt. So if you want to play with higher boost pressures and aftermarket fuel management systems. go for it, but remember, horse power costs money.

The forged pistons issue is something that has stuck with me back in the days when I was building road rockets out of a SBC. Forged was the way to go. I don't want to make a 1/4 mile tractor. I do want something reliable but with plenty of oomph when I want/need it. I can easily be talked out of forged if all the motors you have been building all use the stock pistons. I just saved a grand right there.

A close friend here in the front range has a 1fz with stock 1mm over pistons(pistons, rings, crank, rods, block all cryo treated). He typically runs 10-12psi boost in his 80 series(has a few different pulleys). Stock fuel system, stock fuel pump. Plays with a O2 sensor enrichment(If I remember right). Has a copper gasket(back before we new about cometic). He built the engine him self, maintains and play with it. He is an old motor head and tinkers a lot. Problems I hear from time to time, predetonation or a miss. Keeping cats that will work with local emissions is a major pain(burns them out every other year). He takes this truck hunting every winter in the high moutains, flogs it, and makes it work hard. It really has not missed a beat.

This is 100% NOT me.

Stock pistons are not a problem, neither are the rings(top is stainless, great for forced induction engines). All of the OBDII engines with superchargers I have put together are working well still. a couple of guys with stock engine componets with Turbos are doing great as well. I do not see needing the extra cost of forged pistons unless you are going the route of messing with some aftermarket fuel management system(a major cost).

The only items I am playing with is upgrading the fuel pump, modifying the throttle body (ok its not really fuel side), staying stock flow injectors for the time being but may go with an adjustable fuel pressure regulator. If I need to bump up the injectors I can do that relatively easily.

If you are planning on traveling out of california, keep it mostly stock and simpler. Other wise invest some major time in learning all you can, so when the truck has a bad day. You are able to take care of it. Because unless you are close to the builder or tuner to have him figure it out. You will be up sh*t creek with out a paddle. Keeping it simple for traveling is a better idea in my mind.

Good advice which is why I didn't want to go completely nuts with this.

Either way, I need to find a good LOCAL tuner to help me dial this beast in. Thanks for the input Robbie.

 

[Wheelingnoob]

From a tuning stand point you need to have something adjustable to the tuner to do anything with. A tuner can not crack the Toyota ECU and make magic so all he is going to be able to do is check AF's and adjust timing.

Once you get this done it would be a good idea to get it on a dyno or hook up a wide band O2 to make sure it safe.

I would not install a Rising rate regulator on any car of mine. The stock one is a 1:1 and that will be suficant for anything you are going to do. I have found in the past that Rising rate regulators are inconsistent and more trouble than they are worth.

 

[NLXTACY]

From a tuning stand point you need to have something adjustable to the tuner to do anything with. A tuner can not crack the Toyota ECU and make magic so all he is going to be able to do is check AF's and adjust timing.

I just need someone that knows what to look for to give the truck their stamp of approval.

Once you get this done it would be a good idea to get it on a dyno or hook up a wide band O2 to make sure it safe.

Dunno if I will bother with a Dyno but I have a set of modified exhaust manifolds that have been drilled and threaded for the wide band sensor.

I would not install a Rising rate regulator on any car of mine. The stock one is a 1:1 and that will be suficant for anything you are going to do. I have found in the past that Rising rate regulators are inconsistent and more trouble than they are worth.

Interesting. Advice noted.

 

[Wheelingnoob]

I just need someone that knows what to look for to give the truck their stamp of approval.

Dunno if I will bother with a Dyno but I have a set of modified exhaust manifolds that have been drilled and threaded for the wide band sensor.

The first two would be one and the same, at a very minimum you would want a Wideband installed and test runs made to ensure you are not running lean (unlikely). I would also highly recommend a tuner with knock ears to listen to the engine and make sure its not detonating (this is best done on the dyno). A dyno is a tool like another its used to monitor diagnose and improve. To many people use them as a device to increase there internet cred.

Interesting. Advice noted.

They are old school technology that is not needed on the 80 and its already over fuelling WOT OBDII fuel maps.

 

[NLXTACY]

Ok so I've now heard back from my racing buddy in Vegas, Robbie, LANDTANK and others and so far everyone seems to be on the same page, forged pistons are just not needed for what I am trying to accomplish. I contacted Martin and told him to stay Toyota. I will find out on Wednesday what the new bore is going to be and will order from American Toyota. Toyota only has .5mm and 1mm oversize. Making my list and checking it twice...

 

[NLXTACY]

The first two would be one and the same, at a very minimum you would want a Wideband installed and test runs made to ensure you are not running lean (unlikely). I would also highly recommend a tuner with knock ears to listen to the engine and make sure its not detonating (this is best done on the dyno). A dyno is a tool like another its used to monitor diagnose and improve. To many people use them as a device to increase there internet cred.

Admittedly this is an area I never messed with. Thanks for the info.

 

[NLXTACY]

The throttle body is going out to be bored tomorrow. Either tomorrow or Thursday the exhaust and intakes will go to get ceramic coated. Ive decided to use these guys: automotive ceramic coatings los angeles high performance heat for exhaust header systems manifolds after a recommendation from a hot rod shop located directly behind us.

 

[NLXTACY]

Time to update with a few more pics. Stopped off at K&H to pick up a few items and do take some more pics. Here are a few engine bay shots. I am thinking about getting the second skin peanut butter to apply to the firewall. You can see how dirty things are. Blech. Getting the engine bay and undercarriage steam cleaned.

 

[NLXTACY]

Few more of the engine bay shots

 

[OGBeno]

Recommendation:

Change out the tranny input seal while accessible.

Also, check the metal lines going over the tranny hump to see if there is corrosion, if so replace or s***can the rear heater system.

 

[NLXTACY]

Also just stopped by Martin Davidson Machine Shop about an hour ago to see how things are looking up. He only got to tearing down the engine today so I am falling a few days behind. I could see he was really busy so I understand.

So #6 definitely failed as it was burning off coolant. Coolant was definitely leaking into the cylinder but neither of us can see any evidence of where the head gasket actually failed. Nothing catastrophic. Its bizarre!

 

[NLXTACY]

The head had no damage, the timing gears were fine, no chunks taken out of the timing guides. The piston heads looked dirty but ok except for #6. Its clean. Like steam cleaned clean. You will be able to see that in one of the photos coming up. Crank and cams are almost perfect. No journal damage, no spun bearings. In fact there is no streaking that we could see. In other words I could have done fine with just changing the head gasket and called it a day. But it is what it is. I am looking at this as a good thing.

 

[NLXTACY]

For anyone that wants to fully understand what Bar's Stop Leak does, well you can see it in these pictures of the headgasket. The Stop Leak finds a place to stop moving and it basically forms into a paper-like material that helps to fill in a crack or hole. If you touch it, it basically falls away like you are touching ash. No damage to the engine whatsoever but as evidenced by my motor, it repaired the headgasket just fine to buy me another two years.

 

[NLXTACY]

Here you can see the clean #6 piston. All the other pistons looked the same.

 

[NLXTACY]

288k (minus 61k for the first motor replacement ala Toyota) and you can still see the cross hatching just fine.

 

[yotakrawler]

Also just stopped by Martin Davidson Machine Shop about an hour ago to see how things are looking up. He only got to tearing down the engine today so I am falling a few days behind. I could see he was really busy so I understand.

So #6 definitely failed as it was burning off coolant. Coolant was definitely leaking into the cylinder but neither of us can see any evidence of where the head gasket actually failed. Nothing catastrophic. Its bizarre!

Exactly how mine looked. Definitely blown on the #6 cylinder and no sign of head gasket failure. My block was warped and I am sure the head is too, I am thinking that herein is the reason for failure.

 

[NLXTACY]

Exactly how mine looked. Definitely blown on the #6 cylinder and no sign of head gasket failure. My block was warped and I am sure the head is too, I am thinking that herein is the reason for failure.

When Martin and I were talking about it he mentioned that warpage was the most likely culprit.

 

[OGBeno]

Robbie has mentioned many times that many of the 1FZ's he works on, at high mileages, end up needing a slight clean up of the top of the block due to a slight warpage.

 

[NLXTACY]

Robbie has mentioned many times that many of the 1FZ's he works on, at high mileages, end up needing a slight clean up of the top of the block due to a slight warpage.

Well I am going to find out when Martin is going to deck the block and surface the head. I want to take a picture of the first pass of both so that folks can see what the warpage really looks like.

 

[Wheelingnoob]

Interesting it looks like you have the newer HG in that motor. When I did mine this spring at 150k miles it had the old one with the large coolant passage at the back of the head gasket, the fire ring had been pushed back into it. Funny I had no coolant in combustion chamber signs. I had the HG leaking externally along the exhaust side and around the back of the head. The head bolt on the very back pass side of the head was heavily rust pitted and stretched. I wish I had upgraded to ARP head studs at that time (I just replaced the 4 bad head bolts I found).

Toyota blocks are amazing, every time I have rebuilt one its amazed me how good a condition its in. I rebuilt a 7m with 500k kms on it and it looks just like yours. a good ball hone and a new set of rings and it was good to go, guy as another 250k kms on it now and still going strong.

Enjoying watching this thread, keep the updates coming.