I think i need a little help? Blown head gasket (1 Viewer)

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate
links, including eBay, Amazon, Skimlinks, and others.

Joined
Apr 20, 2019
Threads
8
Messages
66
Location
Oregon
Blown right / passenger head gasket, replaced gasket, now timing belt cam wheel will not turn at all!
 
Blown right / passenger head gasket, replaced gasket, now timing belt cam wheel will not turn at all!

Did you follow the FSM for setting the motor up before you pulled the head ? I'm guessing it calls for TDC before you start removing things.
 
Factory Service Manual and Top Dead Center, not trying to sound rude, but if you are unfamiliar with TDC you should probably get the truck to a real mechanic. Good luck!
 
Factory Service Manual and Top Dead Center, not trying to sound rude, but if you are unfamiliar with TDC you should probably get the truck to a real mechanic. Good luck!
Believe me I’m not a mechanic, I bought a 1999 LC for $100.00, with blown gasket the truck is in beautiful shape in and out I thought I would give it a try , and yes I’m trying to find a mechanic that works on the 4.7’s. The truck was running with blown head gasket when pulled into garage pulled heads replaced gaskets left side cam wheel moves side to side right cam wheel will not move. At this point I’ll get a reman’d head or a low mile engine. Just looking for some ideas, I wish I was a mechanic, maybe I’ll figure it out, if not a real mechanic will.
Thanks
 
Not sure what you mean by won't turn at all? You trying to turn it by hand? That won't work. Maybe a breaker bar on the end of the cam, but you'd better be careful that the valves don't extend down against the pistons as you crank it around - this is an interference engine. As mentioned before, you're supposed to put the engine at TDC, which references the position of the number 1 cylinder in the combustion cycle (very top of the exhaust/intake stroke I believe).

Replacing a head gasket is generally not something you take on unless you're very confident in your mechanical abilities and have the right tools. If the head gasket is blown then it likely overheated and could've warped the head, which requires machining to get it perfectly flat again. Gasket placement and torque pattern are super important, as is getting the timing belt back on in just the right position across all four cams and the crankshaft pulley.
 
Not sure what you mean by won't turn at all? You trying to turn it by hand? That won't work. Maybe a breaker bar on the end of the cam, but you'd better be careful that the valves don't extend down against the pistons as you crank it around - this is an interference engine. As mentioned before, you're supposed to put the engine at TDC, which references the position of the number 1 cylinder in the combustion cycle (very top of the exhaust/intake stroke I believe).

Replacing a head gasket is generally not something you take on unless you're very confident in your mechanical abilities and have the right tools. If the head gasket is blown then it likely overheated and could've warped the head, which requires machining to get it perfectly flat again. Gasket placement and torque pattern are super important, as is getting the timing belt back on in just the right position across all four cams and the crankshaft pulley.
Yes, I used a breaker bar just trying to rotate cam back and forth to make sure it moved I checked the cam in same manner on the left side with breaker bar and it rotates/ moves back and forth . Just checking cams to make sure not bound up
Thank you
 
I'm not sure how it could be bound up, honestly. If the valves are up against a piston, it won't move. You are definitely in an interesting position with regard to getting the engine timing back in the right place. Prior to getting the head off, you should have set it to TDC. Now, I'm not really sure what you can do to get it there - maybe you can get the cams to a position where all the valves are closed (IE non of the lobes are in a 'down' position). If you can do that, you can then turn the crank to get the number 1 piston to TDC without bending any valves. At that point, you'd need to get the cams also to their TDC position, where the number 1 intake cam lobes are about to push open their valves.

Unfortunately, I can't give you specific advice because I've never taken the 2UZ apart, nor have I tried to get two banks of cylinders and valves back in sync after failing to set TDC. Good luck!
 
BTW - 99 2UZ cam gear will turn 360 degrees without the TB on. It's not interference, there is nothing to stop it.

Interesting. Seems like there's a lot of confusion on whether it's interference or not - read some posts that agree with you, and others that say it's interference. I haven't had one apart, so I can't really weigh in either way. Short of a broken cam inside a journal, I'm not sure what could stop a cam from spinning besides valves touching pistons.

Edit: Ha! Just came across your post about this in another thread!
 
This has to be a joke. Four posts and starts off with "I put heads on my $100 LC"?
No one does heads on a Cruiser without the FSM. Pretty much impossible for a newbie.
No no joke , I trying to find reman cylinder heads or maybe a complete engine
 
Head gasket failure is pretty rare on these. Not impossible, but rare. I'm impressed you replaced a head gasket without knowing much. That's a serious job for an enthusiast DIY. Definitely not normal territory for someone that isn't familiar with it.

It'd be a small miracle if you took everything apart and got it all back together successfully without prior engine building knowledge or the FSM. It sounds like we're not witnessing a miracle, haha.
 
Interesting. Seems like there's a lot of confusion on whether it's interference or not - read some posts that agree with you, and others that say it's interference. I haven't had one apart, so I can't really weigh in either way. Short of a broken cam inside a journal, I'm not sure what could stop a cam from spinning besides valves touching pistons.

Edit: Ha! Just came across your post about this in another thread!
I have personally done it. Spins all the way around.
 
Interesting. Seems like there's a lot of confusion on whether it's interference or not - read some posts that agree with you, and others that say it's interference. I haven't had one apart, so I can't really weigh in either way. Short of a broken cam inside a journal, I'm not sure what could stop a cam from spinning besides valves touching pistons.

Edit: Ha! Just came across your post about this in another thread!
Ya I was told to tork cam caps to 14lbs cam wouldn’t move back and forth loosened cam caps to 10lbs still not rotating I’ll take it all apart again
 
Head gasket failure is pretty rare on these. Not impossible, but rare. I'm impressed you replaced a head gasket without knowing much. That's a serious job for an enthusiast DIY. Definitely not normal territory for someone that isn't familiar with it.

It'd be a small miracle if you took everything apart and got it all back together successfully without prior engine building knowledge or the FSM. It sounds like we're not witnessing a miracle, haha.
I’m still trying, you may be correct, I might need a miracle. Going to try this all over again
Thanks
 
No no joke , I trying to find reman cylinder heads or maybe a complete engine
My apology then. You were pretty adventurous to try it yourself with no manual and no prior experience. That said, there is a close to zero chance of a motor put together without rigorously following the torque specs and procedures in the manual from running very long, if at all.
 
I’m still trying, you may be correct, I might need a miracle. Going to try this all over again
Thanks
It overheated , it was running when pulled into shop to replace gaskets. Still in progress
 
My apology then. You were pretty adventurous to try it yourself with no manual and no prior experience. That said, there is a close to zero chance of a motor put together without rigorously following the torque specs and procedures in the manual from running very long, if at all.
No apology need I laugh at stuff I do all the time. One way or another it will run again.
 
Engines aren’t quite as mysterious as some would make them out to be. Something is stopping the cam from turning. What year engine are we talking about? I understand that the variable valve timing engines are interference engines. If you (carefully) move the crankshaft a bit does the cam free up?
 
Last edited:

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top Bottom