I'd suggest carb cleaner if you want to get that carbon off easier. It is probably more flammable, so be more careful.
Head Gasket job (total noob) (2 Viewers)
- Thread starter Jorgito
- Start date
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Leave the carbon unless the piston is coming out for the cleaning. I think everything I've ever heard from engine guys and possibly a Hot Rod article or two mentions that the carbon can slip down between the cylinder wall and the piston. This can cause scoring of the cylinder wall.
- Thread starter
- #165
@half k cruiser - I saw you writing that in couple of threads already. There are couple of reasons why I do that :
While it might be difficult to duplicate Robbies work I think that it doesn't hurt to do so. This is what I am doing:
I saw a lot of people are using grease to put on the piston to make sure carbon doesn't fall down, I don't have any grease with me so using the engine oil.
I am very very careful cleaning the piston and must admit that it is major PITA, for two days and probably four hours of cleaning I could get only two pistons cleaned this way.
Thanks,
Jorge
- Following Robbie is not bad idea
- There is really a lot of carbon on pistons, some of it is really chunked and I am afraid that it could loosen and get into cylinder walls by itself
- I have a lot of time , just called the machine shop and they will have the head early next week
While it might be difficult to duplicate Robbies work I think that it doesn't hurt to do so. This is what I am doing:
- I put a lot of engine oil on the piston where it meets cylinder wall to make sure the carbon doesn't fall down between piston and wall
- Clean the piston with scraper and scotch pad using brake cleaner. I am using also shop vacuum to vac all the carbon while I am doing so
- When the piston is clean I move the piston down and clean the walls with oily rag (using the blue paper towels)
- I put the piston to TDC and repeat the step 3 until towel is not dirty
I saw a lot of people are using grease to put on the piston to make sure carbon doesn't fall down, I don't have any grease with me so using the engine oil.
I am very very careful cleaning the piston and must admit that it is major PITA, for two days and probably four hours of cleaning I could get only two pistons cleaned this way.
Thanks,
Jorge
Try a die grinder with a small cup type wire wheel on it. Blow and brake clean it out. Most will stop at the first ring. YOu can drop the piston down an inch and do it again.
I recall years ago watching a friend do this on a 22R (same as mentioned above): he first put some grease around the circumference of the piston and cylinder wall and worked on each of the pistons only when they were at the top. After removing the carbon from the piston tops he cleaned up all the visible chunks then rotated the crank and cleaned out any debris left over when the piston dropped.
- Thread starter
- #168
Yes, I am doing the same but with the oil. I don't know what grease people are using ..
- Thread starter
- #169
A short question to all cruiserheads , I have read that some people had issues with oil galley. I did search all the pdf's I have and also searched this forum but can not find where this oil galley is. Shall this be also inspected ?
I believe it is a plug that goes into the front of the block to plug where the factory drilled through for the oil passage. You would need the front timing chain cover off to do that, so you shouldn't worry about it.
Drop the two sumps pull the Pistons do big ends and mains. Clean pistons and hone sleeves. Replace water pump, thermostat and Oring seal. Do oil pump while down there. Ready for the next 300 000 miles.
2fpower
SILVER Star
... Is it even possible to roll the upper main bearing halves out (and back in) their journals with the cs in place.. or do you need to pull the engine for this? curious...
2fpower
SILVER Star
I recall doing one, so yes. they have a divot on one side, so you can roll them around from one direction.
You can do it in place. But it is a PITA especially to drop the 2nd sump.
- Thread starter
- #178
Just my little give back to community , here is the FSM in pdf. The files are on russian yandex server. The link is following:
(The FSM is for 1997 Land Cruiser 80, there is one PDF for every section )
Land Cruiser 80
Regards,
Jorge
(The FSM is for 1997 Land Cruiser 80, there is one PDF for every section )
Land Cruiser 80
Regards,
Jorge
Terrific!!! If a guy had a copy of that on a "stick" - he wouldn't have to worry about carrying his hard copy around !!!
BTW -- how come in the "CO" file it shows the Radiator drain on the front of the rad and not tucked up and away in an impossible place to reach -- like mine is on the backside?!?!
BTW -- how come in the "CO" file it shows the Radiator drain on the front of the rad and not tucked up and away in an impossible place to reach -- like mine is on the backside?!?!
- Thread starter
- #180
I didn't update the thread for a longer time. The head is still in the shop and now it is already three weeks there. This is what I was doing recently:
Couple of questions as always.
- Cleaned all the pistons tops. After cleaning of the pistons I was rotating the crankshaft and cleaning with oily rag until the rag was really clean. It is not perfect but I will leave it as it is. This was the biggest PITA job so far on the project. I spent maybe 6 to 8 hours cleaning the block which I think is too much. The reason is that I am not using any power tools just my hands.
- I unwrapped the engine wire, this was the second worst PITA job on the project so far . Fortunately the wires are fine and not damaged. I bought some heat tape and will put it on the wire tomorrow.
- I completed all the vacuum hoses from intake and throttle body. I had to order couple of bigger hoses from CDAN. Other then that I used five sets of the small hose's sets.
- The brake booster vacuum hose was replaced. At the first sight I was thinking that it was overkill to replace it but under closer inspection the hose is really hard as rock on the intake side. Good idea to replace that.
- Today I took of the engine oil cooler and replaced the gaskets. Unfortunately I don't have the pictures as my iphone died but there was some serious slug there. The cooler housing on the block was so dirty that it really surprised me. Not a big job and actually I used the torque wrench for the first time to put the cooler back. I replace all three gaskets.
Couple of questions as always.
- The power steering pump was leaking before so I ordered the hoses from phhkit web site and the gasket kit from CDAN. I don't have proper stands right now to properly bleed the system (AFAIK the bleeding is just turning the wheels left to right). What do you suggest - shall I do it right now when everything is nice open or do it later ?
- The A/F cooler - I have 1997 Land Cruiser with A/F cooler. When I look into the manual the connection of the hoses is directly from the transmission to the cooler. My is different - first the hose is going to the radiator then from radiator to the A/F cooler. I don't know if this is something special or not.
- I just realized that I am missing the idler pulley on the alternator side - what do you suggest ? Shall I buy it or run without it. I have seen some people going without the idler and without having any issues.
