FJ62 3F-E 1989 Land Cruiser - Knocking, loss of power post rebuild (1 Viewer)

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That’s a real bummer. I am surprised that the rebuilt head did not have the galley plug fix - it is a very simple step that SOP on 2F and 3FE head rebuilds.

The galley plug, when it blows, is quick and catastrophic if you’re running under load. I just wonder if you were having head gasket issues as well leading up to this - it’s possible to have a blown HG that will only present itself under a real load, like going up a grade. You can run around town for quite a while and never run hot. That was my blown HG experience.

Whatever the deal, good luck.
 
So "He" is the guy who rebuilt it? Is he going to honor the warranty? I mean it could be argued that a knowledgeable land cruiser engine rebuilder would have removed the plug and tapped and threaded a new allen set screw so it wouldn't blow out.
 
So "He" is the guy who rebuilt it? Is he going to honor the warranty? I mean it could be argued that a knowledgeable land cruiser engine rebuilder would have removed the plug and tapped and threaded a new allen set screw so it wouldn't blow out.
Yes, the re-build guy. This was his message earlier, “Oil galley plug on cylinder head. Was 6 qts low. Head should be under warranty through Cruiser Parts. [PO] is on his way here and I’ll have him call them on Monday.
There is a possibility that I can tap that hole and put a pipe plug in it. But don’t want to do that without approval from CP.
Will recheck for noise when/if I do that.
If noise is still there, the failure is going to be on them.”

The last two lines are definitely bothersome. I’m going to wait and see what Cruiser Parts says regarding the galley plug but my guess is it’s not their problem.
 
Seems like BS to me. If they warrantied the engine that means they pay to fix it when it breaks. period. Demand that the warranty pays to completely go through the engine.

Why would YOU repair the galley plug now? Don't touch that motor and let CP figure out who's going to go back thru it and let them tap and plug the hole. I mean the warranty is like insurance that someone (you or the PO) paid for. Now is the time for them to make good. You messing with the engine only muddies the water and may give them an out.

Anddddddddddddd, do you really think just plugging the galley hole and putting oil back in the engine if going to fix anything? Because it won't.
 
Seems like BS to me. If they warrantied the engine that means they pay to fix it when it breaks. period. Demand that the warranty pays to completely go through the engine.

Why would YOU repair the galley plug now? Don't touch that motor and let CP figure out who's going to go back thru it and let them tap and plug the hole. I mean the warranty is like insurance that someone (you or the PO) paid for. Now is the time for them to make good. You messing with the engine only muddies the water and may give them an out.

Anddddddddddddd, do you really think just plugging the galley hole and putting oil back in the engine if going to fix anything? Because it won't.
The car is at the rebuilders shop in Sacramento. He is the one who was talking about plugging the galley hole, not me. The question still stands though - why now and not during the rebuild? That would have been the time.

I can’t even believe he would suggest plugging it, filling oil back in, and thinking it *wouldn’t* knock. The entire engine needs to be gone back through again. Even if it’s not knocking due to the oil dump, the engine needs to be rebuilt because the odds of it having problems now are astronomical.

I’ll talk to the rebuilder on Monday.
 
The car is at the rebuilders shop in Sacramento. He is the one who was talking about plugging the galley hole, not me. The question still stands though - why now and not during the rebuild? That would have been the time.

I can’t even believe he would suggest plugging it, filling oil back in, and thinking it *wouldn’t* knock. The entire engine needs to be gone back through again. Even if it’s not knocking due to the oil dump, the engine needs to be rebuilt because the odds of it having problems now are astronomical.

I’ll talk to the rebuilder on Monday.
Good luck with cruiser parts any any type of warranty.... I couldn’t even get them to send me the right slave cylinder then when they send me the wrong one charge me for it anyways.
Then tell me it’s my fault they couldn’t measure before sending. It was all in writing as well 🙄

Pretty sure when they did my 2f head back in nam the galley plug was already done. Surprising they didn’t do it with their “new” head they sent

buut either way good luck, keep us posted
 
Covering the head under warranty for a failed galley plug is like replacing a faulty bulletproof vest. Sure you now have a new vest but the real issue is there’s a hole in your heart.
 
So Cruiser Parts sent you a rebuilt head with a warranty? But you said that you got a 12mo, 12k mile warranty from the PO?? Who bought the warranty? What did it cover?
Not sure about the Cruiser Parts warranty. Based on other people’s responses seems like that is an uphill battle.

I may, however, have something interesting that I will, of course, verify with an independent mechanic familiar with Cruisers. Just tossing it out there for ideas though -

I’m not convinced the head gasket was in good shape prior to the galley plug failure. According to Hayes, if the head gasket fails between the cylinder and an oil gallery, it could cause overpressure in the oil system. This overpressure could be responsible for an oil galley plug popping out. Thoughts?

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So Cruiser Parts sent you a rebuilt head with a warranty? But you said that you got a 12mo, 12k mile warranty from the PO?? Who bought the warranty? What did it cover?
Sorry, the 12 month / 12k warranty is for the engine rebuild directly from the engine rebuilder - not from the PO.
 
Well, I had hoped to post more fun stuff like a head unit install and sound deadening but looks like I’m in trouble mechanically.

the Story:

PO said the engine would peg into the red on highway trips / on grades. Engine had 312,000 miles so he opted for a top and bottom end engine rebuild - new OEM gaskets all the way around (head, rear main seal, side, and oil) new cylinder machined head (old one was cracked) new cooler thermostat (not sure if this was the way to go but hey, it’s there), new aluminum radiator, new electric fan, new temp sender, new green coolant, and a new starter.

Test drove on some little hills and held temp fine. Sold it me a few days later (I insisted on a warranty for the work completed from the shop and got it for 12k/12 months).

I drive 360 miles home and engine runs fine and cool the whole way except over the Grapevine on I5 (5-6% grade for miles). When it got hot (top line, not red) I pulled over to let it cool before starting up again. No other issues before making it home except some excess pressure at the fuel tank during the first fill up. Been fine since then on subsequent fill ups.

One day after getting home I go on a short errand trip with the a/c on and the engine pegs almost to the red. I’m stumped.

I spend the next few days burping the system of what seems like a lot of air. I wonder if the overheating could be caused by a crusty heater core (one of my trips revealed when the engine was at its hottest it would only blow lukewarm air via defrost even though when everything is normal I get nice hot air).

Continuous burping seems to be helping and I no longer run hot around town - just up a steep grade. I make a plan to have the water pump (only thing in the cooling system not new) replaced, new Toyota red coolant, and swap the “cooler” thermostat with an OEM 190 degree one. I’m also going to get the valves adjusted at or before the 1,000 post-rebuild mileage

I replace the muffler since the old one was rotted. The head pipes look good. I make a note to check the catalytic converts and o2 sensors soon. I notice a small oil leak near the rear main seal. I'm annoyed since it's a recent rebuild (maybe a week old at this point) but plan to clean the engine and see if maybe the slow leak was residual oil and not a new leak. I'll check again in a week.

I ordered some windshield wipers, a couple bushings, a hood rod clip holder, and four new OEM oil filters from Cruiser Corps. It would be a few days before I get the oil filters but I wanted to get some fresh oil in the Cruiser post-rebuild since I was at about 600-650 miles in.

I usually change my own oil but figure I'll have a shop do it now rather than wait for the oil filters to arrive in the mail. Covid's been delaying the post and I'm impatient. I go to a name brand shop and they do an oil change, top off fluid, check tire pressure, etc. They mention the oil leak and say to come back in a week and see how much oil I burn off in that time. They say I was a little low when I came in but not crazy. Odd.

I go home and park the car. Thirty minutes later I go back out to the car for some reason and hear a strange...gurgling sound? From the rear of the car.

Over the next day, I keep burping the system and add about a half gallon of distilled water to the system since I plan on getting red soon anyway. I just want to see if I can get the temp down via burping before the new parts and fluid.

Using an overfill funnel I see the fluid looks a little...brown. I was only using distilled water and the coolant looks green in the tank so this light brown color is off and unsettling.

I notice white smoke the first five minutes after I start the engine and then as it gets warmer, the white smoke disappears. Could be normal.

I turn the engine off after 20-30 minutes and let the it cool. While waiting, I replace the shift gear bushings. The old ones look like they completely disintegrated. I replace, button everything up and shifter is nice and tight. I take it for a short test drive and everything checks out.

Then I think, why not see if the latest burp session cleared the suspected air bubble? I decide to take up a steep grade and the temperature holds. I then experience a loss on power and the engine starts violently knocking. I immediately pull over and I start to put the car in park it shuts off and the CEL pops up.

I hop out and see oil dripping from under the car, what looks like oil on the rear drivetrain and inside of the rear passenger tire. I check the oil dip stick and it seems...dry? Not sure - it was dark and I was distracted. I didn't pay attention to the oil pressure gauge on the drive. I was more focused on seeing if the engine temp would stay low post-the-final-burp.

Long story but the night had suspicions cops, road closures and freak snowstorms about to roll in. In the end I got a flat bed row to a near-by shop who I'm hoping can take a look at it. It's not a Cruiser specific shop but I know them a little and they have an open parking lot that I knew I could park the Cruiser and leave the key in a drop box.

So, friends, any ideas? Those are the facts and I have some ideas but hoping for your thoughts. I'm posting some videos over the last few days - you can see them here (pardon the language in a couple...) There are a handful of vids but they're pretty short.

 
Well, I had hoped to post more fun stuff like a head unit install and sound deadening but looks like I’m in trouble mechanically.

the Story:

PO said the engine would peg into the red on highway trips / on grades. Engine had 312,000 miles so he opted for a top and bottom end engine rebuild - new OEM gaskets all the way around (head, rear main seal, side, and oil) new cylinder machined head (old one was cracked) new cooler thermostat (not sure if this was the way to go but hey, it’s there), new aluminum radiator, new electric fan, new temp sender, new green coolant, and a new starter.

Test drove on some little hills and held temp fine. Sold it me a few days later (I insisted on a warranty for the work completed from the shop and got it for 12k/12 months).

I drive 360 miles home and engine runs fine and cool the whole way except over the Grapevine on I5 (5-6% grade for miles). When it got hot (top line, not red) I pulled over to let it cool before starting up again. No other issues before making it home except some excess pressure at the fuel tank during the first fill up. Been fine since then on subsequent fill ups.

One day after getting home I go on a short errand trip with the a/c on and the engine pegs almost to the red. I’m stumped.

I spend the next few days burping the system of what seems like a lot of air. I wonder if the overheating could be caused by a crusty heater core (one of my trips revealed when the engine was at its hottest it would only blow lukewarm air via defrost even though when everything is normal I get nice hot air).

Continuous burping seems to be helping and I no longer run hot around town - just up a steep grade. I make a plan to have the water pump (only thing in the cooling system not new) replaced, new Toyota red coolant, and swap the “cooler” thermostat with an OEM 190 degree one. I’m also going to get the valves adjusted at or before the 1,000 post-rebuild mileage

I replace the muffler since the old one was rotted. The head pipes look good. I make a note to check the catalytic converts and o2 sensors soon. I notice a small oil leak near the rear main seal. I'm annoyed since it's a recent rebuild (maybe a week old at this point) but plan to clean the engine and see if maybe the slow leak was residual oil and not a new leak. I'll check again in a week.

I ordered some windshield wipers, a couple bushings, a hood rod clip holder, and four new OEM oil filters from Cruiser Corps. It would be a few days before I get the oil filters but I wanted to get some fresh oil in the Cruiser post-rebuild since I was at about 600-650 miles in.

I usually change my own oil but figure I'll have a shop do it now rather than wait for the oil filters to arrive in the mail. Covid's been delaying the post and I'm impatient. I go to a name brand shop and they do an oil change, top off fluid, check tire pressure, etc. They mention the oil leak and say to come back in a week and see how much oil I burn off in that time. They say I was a little low when I came in but not crazy. Odd.

I go home and park the car. Thirty minutes later I go back out to the car for some reason and hear a strange...gurgling sound? From the rear of the car.

Over the next day, I keep burping the system and add about a half gallon of distilled water to the system since I plan on getting red soon anyway. I just want to see if I can get the temp down via burping before the new parts and fluid.

Using an overfill funnel I see the fluid looks a little...brown. I was only using distilled water and the coolant looks green in the tank so this light brown color is off and unsettling.

I notice white smoke the first five minutes after I start the engine and then as it gets warmer, the white smoke disappears. Could be normal.

I turn the engine off after 20-30 minutes and let the it cool. While waiting, I replace the shift gear bushings. The old ones look like they completely disintegrated. I replace, button everything up and shifter is nice and tight. I take it for a short test drive and everything checks out.

Then I think, why not see if the latest burp session cleared the suspected air bubble? I decide to take up a steep grade and the temperature holds. I then experience a loss on power and the engine starts violently knocking. I immediately pull over and I start to put the car in park it shuts off and the CEL pops up.

I hop out and see oil dripping from under the car, what looks like oil on the rear drivetrain and inside of the rear passenger tire. I check the oil dip stick and it seems...dry? Not sure - it was dark and I was distracted. I didn't pay attention to the oil pressure gauge on the drive. I was more focused on seeing if the engine temp would stay low post-the-final-burp.

Long story but the night had suspicions cops, road closures and freak snowstorms about to roll in. In the end I got a flat bed row to a near-by shop who I'm hoping can take a look at it. It's not a Cruiser specific shop but I know them a little and they have an open parking lot that I knew I could park the Cruiser and leave the key in a drop box.

So, friends, any ideas? Those are the facts and I have some ideas but hoping for your thoughts. I'm posting some videos over the last few days - you can see them here (pardon the language in a couple...) There are a handful of vids but they're pretty short.

Invest in a good coolant pressure tester kit. One very easy way to check to make sure that there's proper coolant flow in the radiator is the put your hand on the radiator and feel the temperature. If you have uneven hot spots or cold spots on the face of the radio then you have some areas that are plugged. Also a good measure of coolant flow is put your hand over the radiator hose that both Inlet and Outlet of the radiator Keurig you will feel the temperature difference has obviously the inlet is hotter than the outlet.
 
I owe you all an update.

I found out that the work was done under the table at a Sacramento shop Made in America Made in Japan. They allow one of their mechanics to take on work outside of normal business hours. The mechanic, Aaron N., did, of course, not accept any responsibility and tried to shove it all off on CruiserParts. CruiserParts did actually respond to the PO via email and said they'd have to look at the head to make an assessment but we'd need to ship it to them. I decided, based in part off this community, to make sure Aaron didn't mess it up any further and had it towed back down to SoCal. I sourced a used 3FE from Corsetti who verbally verified the engine was fine at 156k but the owner of of the FJ62 it came out of wanted an engine swap. K&H in Chatsworth performed the work and after a few months of back and forth I now had a running FJ62.

The entire episode with the tow up to NorCal and another back down, buying the Corsetti engine and the work to get it in the Cruiser was about $6500 which was excruciating painful right after the major purchase. I specifically bought the Cruiser because it had just undergone a rebuild and I didn't anticipate any major expenses so quickly after purchase.

note: I'm naming and shaming because I don't want anyone else to experience this pain. I want people to know things like this can happen and I want to share everything I've learned.

Build thread here - nothing new since this all happened but I’ll try to update it more in the future. New Build Thread (1989 FJ62) - Meet Wyatt - https://forum.ih8mud.com/threads/new-build-thread-1989-fj62-meet-wyatt.1240030/
 

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