**HELP!!** 1997 80 in serious need of some engine help (possible swap or rebuild?!) (1 Viewer)

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Joined
Sep 17, 2016
Threads
2
Messages
15
Location
Green River Wyoming
So Friday night on my weekly trip home (a 350 mile journey that I've been doing for the past ~6 months and will continue to do until I can sell my house) I had just topped a large hill when I swear i heard a clunk (was listening to some talk radio via headphones so it's hard to say where it came from) and then lost all power. I literally watched the tach drop. I coasted to the edge of the road, shifted to park, checked the oil (Maybe a quart low...I know, I know...) then hopped back in and restarted it with no problem...then I heard it - Lifter noise! (or at least I think so). It seemed to be running fine and the next and only stop (for literally the next 80 miles and the only place with a phone since there's NO cell service along this stretch of road) was in my sites so i headed out with my hazard lights on. i noticed that if i got over ~2500 rpm the noise got MUCH worse and that my oil pressure gauge wasn't responding (and I know for a fact that it had been earlier that morning). Long story short, my AMAZING wife drove over 130 miles to come get me and TOWED me home!! Now I need options...what do I do? Has anyone else had this problem and if so how do I tell what's wrong? Who's a great Toyota mechanic in Wyoming (or near by) that I can trust and who son't charge me an arm and a leg? I've literally only had this rig for ~2 months and knew it would need work since it has 276k miles on it but I wasn't ready for this yet! :-9 Any help would be MUCH appreciated!!!
 
Sorry to hear about your 80. Mine is of similar mileage, but no dramatic noises so far. I'm sure the real experts will be along shortly...

I have picked up a spare 1FZ-FE long-block and I'm trying to decide if I should rebuild it or do a diesel swap or an LS swap. Decisiveness is not a strength.
 
Sorry to hear about your 80. Mine is of similar mileage, but no dramatic noises so far. I'm sure the real experts will be along shortly...

I have picked up a spare 1FZ-FE long-block and I'm trying to decide if I should rebuild it or do a diesel swap or an LS swap. Decisiveness is not a strength.


I hear ya! ESPECIALLY when you're talking $5k-$15k depending on your decision...
 
No oil pressure means that it is very likely your motor is dead. Engine noises suggest there is likely severe internal damage. No matter what it is, the fix is likely to be costly!

You aren't that far from Robbie or Slee, and either could help you with an accurate diagnosis.
 
Do you know if the head gasket was ever replaced?

If you had oil pressure earlier in the day, and not now, the prognosis is not good.

Are there any external oil leaks that are severe , indicating a sensor failure (by blowing out the center) or an oil filter gasket failure?

Unfortunately, diagnosis can do further damage unless you get the right folks.

I would recommend a cylinder leak-down test because that can be done without the engine running and it can be easy to diagnose in the event that there is a hole in a piston or head gasket blown.

Change the oil. Use a coffee filter to catch debris. Clean the bottom of the pan FIRST so you don't have random contamination.

Pressure test your cooling system.

I'm sorry for your loss.........
 
Serious internal damage? Head gasket? Sounds like you spun a rod bearing to me. Not as serious as the "serious internal damage" if you spun the bearing your engine is more than likely rebuildable. Depending on journal damage on the crank you may even be able to just replace the lower end bearings oil change and then another oil change in a few miles...to clean out particulate left behind and siphon another several thousand miles form her. Or have the whole thing rebuilt. Personally I'd swap the engine and trans for something with better fuel mileage.
 
Serious internal damage? Head gasket? Sounds like you spun a rod bearing to me. Not as serious as the "serious internal damage" if you spun the bearing your engine is more than likely rebuildable. Depending on journal damage on the crank you may even be able to just replace the lower end bearings oil change and then another oil change in a few miles...to clean out particulate left behind and siphon another several thousand miles form her. Or have the whole thing rebuilt. Personally I'd swap the engine and trans for something with better fuel mileage.
I really like the idea of replacing it with something more fuel efficient with more power but then there'$ always the co$t to con$ider....
 
Yeah, I hear you on the cost. It isn't cheap, but can be done reasonably cheap if you shop wisely and do your own work. I just saw an abandoned 5.3 vortec swap a couple weeks ago on Craigslist. Had salvage yard receipt and clean bill of health from a shop. Whole setup, 5.3 with accessories, wiring harness, ECU, TCU, and 4wd auto trans with 21k miles all for $900...not a typo, if I hadn't just bought an engine I would have picked it up, but I literally just bought an engine and didn't have the cash on hand.
 
Yeah, I hear you on the cost. It isn't cheap, but can be done reasonably cheap if you shop wisely and do your own work. I just saw an abandoned 5.3 vortec swap a couple weeks ago on Craigslist. Had salvage yard receipt and clean bill of health from a shop. Whole setup, 5.3 with accessories, wiring harness, ECU, TCU, and 4wd auto trans with 21k miles all for $900...not a typo, if I hadn't just bought an engine I would have picked it up, but I literally just bought an engine and didn't have the cash on hand.
That would be awesome!...did it come with a mechanic or "how to replace an engine for dummies" book? :)
 
That would be awesome!...did it come with a mechanic or "how to replace an engine for dummies" book? :)
Not that I'm aware of. If it had I would have definitely found the money though.
 
Whats the approximate cost for mechanical work if you already have an engine on hand?
 
People will tell you various prices for completting a LS swap but it ranges from $7 to 18k to complete it. It depends on how much work you do yourself, how clean you want the installation and how turn key it is. I think buying the engine is the cheap part, but I could be wrong. Also depends on how soon you need it completed.

The quickest way to get back on the road, if your engine is shot, would be to pull it and either replace with a used engine, have yours repaired/rebuilt or buy a longblock and use your jewelry on it.

You should try to get a good diagnosis first. These things hold 8 quarts of oil, so being a quart low doesn't necessarily imply damage from that.
 
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Expectations v. Reality

You are driving hella far

Get a commuter beater / Honda Civic or etc..if you need 4 wheel drive at either destination get a lesbaru or equivalent..park your 80, get a manual and start tearing it down..once you know what the issues are, then make some decisions...by simply removing the oil pan you will know enough to make an educated decision..spun bearing would be my guess

There should be a few posts after this about how bubba got a long block from Clem for $85, then went over to vern's shop and stabbed it in one afternoon while BBQ ing, drinking beer, and watching sportsball on the side. Now bubba drives it 100 miles a day with zero issues and it only cost about 100 bucks in parts and beer

It's a common trap. Also avoid reading other threads on this site. As a matter of fact go lock yourself in a closet I can tell already that you are getting the sickness!
 
Dirtyboots hit the nail on the head. This last spring/summer I did some major work to my LX450 - basically replaced the head gasket, had the head rebuilt and installed a TRD supercharger. All in probably cost me close to $6k and I did all the wrenching my self (not the head machine work). I fashion myself a fair hand with a wrench but it still took quite a few weeks to get it all done, as I have a job and a family. I could have probably done it all in two weeks if I had been dedicated to getting it done. (two weeks to allow for machine shop turnaround and injector service). Three full days would probably get it done if you didn't have to wait for parts, etc and didn't find any surprises while you have it apart.

That being said, most engine swaps I see on the forum are a longer endeavor. Most of them seem to take months to get the wiring and control system bugs worked out. When they are done, they are super sweet, but for a short term repair it's not realistic. Most rapid turn around would be to have it towed to Slee off road, leave them with a $25k check and have them put in a Toyota V8.

I would love to have an V8 swap but I couldn't justify the $$ at the end of the day.
 
Expectations v. Reality

You are driving hella far

Get a commuter beater / Honda Civic or etc..if you need 4 wheel drive at either destination get a lesbaru or equivalent..park your 80, get a manual and start tearing it down..once you know what the issues are, then make some decisions...by simply removing the oil pan you will know enough to make an educated decision..spun bearing would be my guess

There should be a few posts after this about how bubba got a long block from Clem for $85, then went over to vern's shop and stabbed it in one afternoon while BBQ ing, drinking beer, and watching sportsball on the side. Now bubba drives it 100 miles a day with zero issues and it only cost about 100 bucks in parts and beer

It's a common trap. Also avoid reading other threads on this site. As a matter of fact go lock yourself in a closet I can tell already that you are getting the sickness!

Ha ha ha! Thanks @dirtyboots I really like your harsh reality mixed with sarcastic humor - it's completely my style! I do already have a beater (2004 Toyota Solara) that I typically commute with (650 miles/week) but thought this past storm would hinder my arrival at home in a timely manner without 4WD...boy was I wrong! As for a lesbaru, I have one of those also but it's the wife's commuter since she drives the 70+ miles round trip everyday to school for the kids. So now, yes, I must face reality. I really hope Clem and Vern are reading this because I have an ice cold case of Keystone and some 80% lean burgers ready for them! If they need to get a hold of me I'll be locked in a closet somewhere (but probably just so I can watch move V8 swap videos on youtube and cry without anyone seeing me...)
 
Dirtyboots hit the nail on the head. This last spring/summer I did some major work to my LX450 - basically replaced the head gasket, had the head rebuilt and installed a TRD supercharger. All in probably cost me close to $6k and I did all the wrenching my self (not the head machine work). I fashion myself a fair hand with a wrench but it still took quite a few weeks to get it all done, as I have a job and a family. I could have probably done it all in two weeks if I had been dedicated to getting it done. (two weeks to allow for machine shop turnaround and injector service). Three full days would probably get it done if you didn't have to wait for parts, etc and didn't find any surprises while you have it apart.

That being said, most engine swaps I see on the forum are a longer endeavor. Most of them seem to take months to get the wiring and control system bugs worked out. When they are done, they are super sweet, but for a short term repair it's not realistic. Most rapid turn around would be to have it towed to Slee off road, leave them with a $25k check and have them put in a Toyota V8.

I would love to have an V8 swap but I couldn't justify the $$ at the end of the day.

@tominboise I couldn't justify it either (well I could but then I probably would have a hard time falling asleep at night - that is, IF the dog would let me sleep with him... Someone really ought to come up with a swap DIY kit or something since everyone wants a V8...after all, what's not to love about MORE power, MORE torque and LESS emissions!? For now I think I'll find a local mechanic (probably Clem and/or Vern) and see if they can give me a reliable prognosis... :-(
 
In 2010, I did a full rebuild on my 1FZ-FE after a head gasket issue. I took it down to the block and did a major rebuild eventually coming out with a 'pretty much new' 4.6 liter engine. That was all of 5K.

Last year, I had a very impressive 6.0 LS2 V8 swap done that set me back 15K all in. I supplied the parts, mechanic did the labor.

You can spend from 1K to 25K to solve your problem. You gotta decide how much you wanna throw at it and how long you wanna wait.

Its really that simple....
 
throw rocks at me now... sell the 80 for whatever you can get for it and get a 200k 100 series... with basic maint. it will go 400k and be far better on the road for your long commute. you will get a V8 factory installed, a great ride, and you can put 100k on it and sell it for what you paid... you can pick one up for 6k about what most here say you would spend rebuilding your under powered stock engine...
 

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