FZJ80 blown head gasket in Boston...now what?

[lostadventurer]

My 1994 Land Cruiser blew the head gasket today. It didn't overheat, and no water in the oil, but water coming out of the exhaust with some white fog....

It is a great car, and my wife and kids love it, but I'm unsure what to do now. My rough guess is that this is a 30+ hour fix with visits to the machine shop.... so maybe....$3000 at a shop and 3 weeks of time? I've worked on a lot of race cars and have the FSM, but this job looks big and not for the latest mechanics who can read codes and replace computers so I'm worried.

So...
1. Is there someone in the Boston area that could handle a fix like this?
2. Am I way off at $3000?
3. As-is (new Mickey Thompsons, ran great this morning, 185K, etc) it is worth...$1000?

Very curious what you think and thank you for reading.
Lee

 

[jfz80]

Sorry to hear man.

1) @landtank on here may be able to help or point you in the right direction

2) no. Not far off but depends on what else you do while in there. Could maybe be done for half or 2/3 that perhaps without touching anything else along the way. But thats a good estimate to update and preserve other systems along the way.

3)maybe. Depends on rust/accessories/lockers. Id pay $1000 for a clean truck with blown HG and hopefully locked.

 

[86tuning]

Phone your local Lexus and Toyota dealerships and get a price quote before towing the car. With $3k budget you should have plenty of room to fix it up.

 

[tominboise]

I agree with 86 tuning. Order the parts kit from Beno and pull the head. $750-1000 for rebuilding the head, valve job, etc and then put it back together. I think you could do it for $1500 all in turning the wrenches yourself.

Mine cost $5k but that included $4k for a new TRD supercharger.....

 

[ColoradoFJ40]

Mine went out earlier this year. It's my DD so I didn't have the time to DIY. I was going out of town for the week and Lexus had it done when I returned. Cost 3k. Had them replace the phh while they were in there and replace several of the other heater hoses. Also put in a new fuel filter.

I've got almost 10k on it since the work. Runs great and haven't added a drop of oil in 4200 miles vs a quart every 1000 miles before.

 

[BILT4ME]

My 1994 Land Cruiser blew the head gasket today. It didn't overheat, and no water in the oil, but water coming out of the exhaust with some white fog....

It is a great car, and my wife and kids love it, but I'm unsure what to do now. My rough guess is that this is a 30+ hour fix with visits to the machine shop.... so maybe....$3000 at a shop and 3 weeks of time? I've worked on a lot of race cars and have the FSM, but this job looks big and not for the latest mechanics who can read codes and replace computers so I'm worried.

So...
1. Is there someone in the Boston area that could handle a fix like this?
2. Am I way off at $3000?
3. As-is (new Mickey Thompsons, ran great this morning, 185K, etc) it is worth...$1000?

Very curious what you think and thank you for reading.
Lee

When the white fog came out of your engine, please tell me every step you took, and when it occurred. Was the first thing in the morning on a cold start-up? Was it late in the afternoon? Was it after a long drive?

What is your automotive level?

What was the weather in your area when this occurred?

 

[LINUS]

$3K should get you a top-flite, 5-star fix.

But are you 100% sure you blew?

Is the oil milky, is the exhaust taken on a sweet smell, and as the final check - are you getting hydrocarbon smell in the overflow tank/maybe some grey sediment too?

-If so, go grab a 'final answer' tester - the local NAPA will have a deal you hold over the radiator in place of the cap, and if the purple fluid turns yellow (or vice-versa, I've got early onset senility) --- then yep, you are part of the club.

I'd contact @landtank myself if I was in your ZIP, he would be on my top 2 list of guys to swap gaskets & make sure the head was kosher, maybe drop in some fresh stem seals & cure any oil you're burning/losing between changes.

Also: unless it's rusted to a point it just seems easier to buy a new 80 & start over (did it spend its' whole life in the NE) - then it def should be worth a grand, maybe more if there's mods to be salvaged for another 80.

Heck, cloth seats alone command $$, and those ever elusive tan sunvisors that aren't saggy.

 

[lostadventurer]

Hi @BILT4ME,

Here is the play-by-play.

We were cruising about 65mph for about 30 mins and everything was smooth. I took the exit, and when I hit the Yield sign the idle stumbled but then smoothed out. I drove the next 1/2 mile, and parked it at the bmx track. As soon as I got out of the car I could smell hot antifreeze (the gauge never moved), and then saw that the overflow tank had overflowed. It sat for about 90 minutes, I popped the cap on the radiator and the level was below what I could see. There was also a trace of cork on the rubber gasket of the radiator cap. Curious how the antifreeze actually was, I poured the overflow tank bank into the radiator and this took it up to the top.

I also checked the oil, but did see any foaming on the dipstick. I started it up, and it stumbled a bit and smoothed out. Changing the fuel filter has been on my 'to do' list for a while, but the cork worried me. I drove it to the first stop sign, and when I accelerated away I could see the white smoke, so I pulled off into a parking lot about 20 seconds later and that was it. The weather was about 75F, and not super humid.

Regarding my skills. If this was a small block chevy, I could do this job in my sleep (although I'm new to the Boston area and don't have a machine shop contact). I've never tackled a job this size on the Land Cruiser, and the amount of wiring, emissions, and generally the ability of even lifting off the head myself worries me. Could I do it, yes. How confident am I that the LC would purr to its ultimate ability when I was done: 7 of 10.

Curious what you think, as I just talked with the Toyota dealer and have some $$$s.

Thanks for your interest,
Lee

 

[lostadventurer]

These are the #s I was just quoted from Toyota of Watertown.

Tear down: $1000
Approx. cost with parts: $1800-2500, could run to $4000 or more
Time: 7-10 days
etc... They seemed very hesitant of machine work on the head, which I get, but I also couldn't get a straight answer about whether this would include a valve job. I also understand that if the head is cracked, then the money really starts to roll out. The conversation took place on Sunday, so not sure who I was really talking to, but I didn't leave the conversation doing Toyota jumps against a mountain backdrop

 

[LINUS]

As someone who has SBC/BBC & did my 1FZ-FE HG job myself, the 1FZ is singularly the most well indexed motor I've experienced. It was almost a joy, esp compared to Euro motors.

You can do this with a FSM, even if it was your 1st motor job.

I do recommend a cherry picker to precisely lower your freshened head onto the gasket, just because it's so ackward being an I6. Not needed if you have a buddy to help, but nice if you have one or a loaner from a buddy / rental joint is close.

Eff the dealerships. They aren't out to fix & fix proper a limited production, 20y.o. Cruiser. They do Corollas, and Camrys - you want a good specialist mech like Rick / @landtank . Somehow any dealer is going to end up costing you double what Rick would, and this is his wheelhouse, rusty hardware and all.

One good trip with him & you'll know who you're going to call if FAS, or some other bad actor pops up.

 

[ppc]

Did you actually check the output of the tail pipe when you stopped? Just seeing white smoke from the mirror seems inconclusive of a head gasket and could be a failure somewhere else in the cooling system such as the PHH.

 

[TheAmerican]

Did mine myself for around 1500 with a gasket set from beno and that price includes a used head from torfab. All you need is the fsm and the few tricks mentioned on this site such as not pulling the harness and just tug the lower manifold to the side. 10k miles ago and running tits

 

[lostadventurer]

Did you actually check the output of the tail pipe when you stopped? Just seeing white smoke from the mirror seems inconclusive of a head gasket and could be a failure somewhere else in the cooling system such as the PHH.

Honestly, I'm not sure how to tell conclusively without pulling the head, but I'm open to hear from someone with more experience. To follow on to the white smoke when I pulled over, there was water dripping from the exhaust when I checked it after turning it off. I had my 3 & 5 year old with me, so there was a bit of that parking lot frenzy to keep them safe, but in my opinion, cooling water is definitely making its way into the exhaust. Combined with the cork on the radiator cap gasket (never saw a cork thermostat gasket, but I guess I've seen a few cork water pump gaskets... very green with Toyotas though) I thought this was a kill-stroke of sorts?

 

[landtank]

Thanks to those who think well enough of me to suggest the he contact me. But as of this year im no longer working on other people's trucks.

However when I was my base price was 2500.00 plus whatever. Whatever was usually some half assed repairs, additional leaks and broken harness connectors.

Since I've always have done my own work i haven't had the need to find a good shop.

Good luck with the repair.

 

[lostadventurer]

I also sent a PM to @landtank yesterday... hope he has some ideas.

I learned most of what I know from George... a then 65 year old foul mouthed angry genius who could tune a car so that all it could do was win... who to this day still has random bras (I think he gets them from the thrift store) hanging from the antlers of mounted deer heads above the lift. George is about 80 now, a Ford man who races Chevys, and about 6 hours from Boston, but I miss him.

 

[BILT4ME]

Hi @BILT4ME,

Here is the play-by-play.

We were cruising about 65mph for about 30 mins and everything was smooth. I took the exit, and when I hit the Yield sign the idle stumbled but then smoothed out. I drove the next 1/2 mile, and parked it at the bmx track. As soon as I got out of the car I could smell hot antifreeze (the gauge never moved), and then saw that the overflow tank had overflowed. It sat for about 90 minutes, I popped the cap on the radiator and the level was below what I could see. There was also a trace of cork on the rubber gasket of the radiator cap. Curious how the antifreeze actually was, I poured the overflow tank bank into the radiator and this took it up to the top.

I also checked the oil, but did see any foaming on the dipstick. I started it up, and it stumbled a bit and smoothed out. Changing the fuel filter has been on my 'to do' list for a while, but the cork worried me. I drove it to the first stop sign, and when I accelerated away I could see the white smoke, so I pulled off into a parking lot about 20 seconds later and that was it. The weather was about 75F, and not super humid.

Regarding my skills. If this was a small block chevy, I could do this job in my sleep (although I'm new to the Boston area and don't have a machine shop contact). I've never tackled a job this size on the Land Cruiser, and the amount of wiring, emissions, and generally the ability of even lifting off the head myself worries me. Could I do it, yes. How confident am I that the LC would purr to its ultimate ability when I was done: 7 of 10.

Curious what you think, as I just talked with the Toyota dealer and have some $$$s.

Thanks for your interest,
Lee

I'm sorry for you loss. I was hoping you had just started it and were experiencing condensation in the exhaust, but obviously not.

Do a compression test on each cylinder and compare. Odds are it's #5 and/or #6.

DO like @LINUS said and do the radiator test as well.

If you've done a SBC, then you can do this. Get an FSM and go through it. FInd a good machine shop and have the head gone through because that will save you with burning oil later on.

The PO of mine had the head on mine redone at A Toyota dealer about 6 years ago for about $2500 at 145K miles. My engine uses and burn NO oil and runs very smooth.

I also recommend you have your injectors rebuilt by WitchHunter or similar while you have it all apart.

Let us know the compression test results, as we are all here to help, especially on the off-chance it's something else, like a stuck injector.

Good Luck!

 

[lostadventurer]

I did the radiator test (thanks @LINUS) and it is definitely have a blown head gasket (blue turns green within about 45s). With this being our only car and my days being over the top crazy at the moment (engineering student), I don't have the time to devote the 30 or so hours this needs in the next few weeks.

Had it towed to the local Toyota dealer this morning and just heard back: $5300 to fix the blown head gasket. This is more than double what my stack of quarters and dimes can offset. The technician is going to look into some used engine options, but I'm not holding my breath.

My sincere thanks to everyone that offered ideas or advice.

 

[Fletcher34]

I did the radiator test (thanks @LINUS) and it is definitely have a blown head gasket (blue turns green within about 45s). With this being our only car and my days being over the top crazy at the moment (engineering student), I don't have the time to devote the 30 or so hours this needs in the next few weeks.

Had it towed to the local Toyota dealer this morning and just heard back: $5300 to fix the blown head gasket. This is more than double what my stack of quarters and dimes can offset. The technician is going to look into some used engine options, but I'm not holding my breath.

My sincere thanks to everyone that offered ideas or advice.

You can get a refurbed 4.5 on ebay for $3400 and OEM parts have been used per contacting the seller.

 

[ElJayBird]

A shop did mine in a pinch, including minimal head work and pressure testing, for about $1750 in Utah. Not sure if that's helpful for you but the prices I'm seeing thrown around in this thread seem a little high to me.

 

[Cass007]

Suddenly today this thread became super relevant to me ... ugh.

Spending $5300 on a head gasket for a truck I paid $2500 for and maybe have another $2500 into it seems crazy. I'm thinking $2k max for repair if I can't do it myself and I'm on the east coast too.