Is it my head gasket???? :( *pics* '93 FJZ80 (1 Viewer)

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wsdavies

wsdavies

Joined
Nov 24, 2004
Threads
28
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152
Location
Sheridan, Wy
It all started a few weeks ago...I was driving down from my parents place in the mountains and the C.E. light came on...I checked the Code and it was #28 which is the #2 o2 sensor...I reset the EFI fuse a couple times and then nothing...Then the truck started to idle rough and the A/C cut out when we were waiting at McDonalds...I check the coolant which is low and fill it back up...I'm thinking it is a bad vacuum hose or clogged injectors until I start searching old threads in this forum...I took it out on the freeway today to see whats up and the needle runs right below red and the a/c starts cutting out on and off..So I bring it back and check the coolant..low again(It took about 3/4 of a gallon) with no aparent external leaks...So to sum it up here are the symptoms

> Code # 28
> Rough Idle upon start up
> Low coolant
> Near overheating
> AC on and off

Here are some pics: (you can see the radiator lid is pretty wore out)

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yup, leak there. close to exhaust so pretty hot so might have evaporated much of it before you see any major flooding...
just tighten that clamp up and see what happens...
rad looks pretty clean
 
What about the rough idle? Could that have to do with something entirely different? 2 probs at the same time? What about the radiator cap, it's pretty wore out...how much would that leak?
 
Valve cover leaking, cam bore plug leaking, PCV leaking, coolant leaking from swolen heater hose, aftermarket fan belts, broken fan shroud, accelerator cable disintegrating, radiator cap toast, timing chain tensioner leaking.

You are behind on maintainence. If you do not need a head gasket at the moment you will soon.
 
I checked the bubble thing and there were def. bubbles..about the size of a dime..One every second or so...The res. was empy before I added the water to it and the radiator about an hour ago...Would that cause bubbles...I'm afraid to drive it around and risk further damage... :eek:
 
Bubbles in overflow usually = toasted head gasket. Pull the # 6 spark plug and take a picture of it.
 
cruiserdan said:
Valve cover leaking, cam bore plug leaking, PCV leaking, coolant leaking from swolen heater hose, aftermarket fan belts, broken fan shroud, accelerator cable disintegrating, radiator cap toast, timing chain tensioner leaking.

You are behind on maintainence. If you do not need a head gasket at the moment you will soon.
Click to expand...

I just bought a few months ago the same time I bought my '77 from the old man..so I was a bit tapped for $$$...So are you saying it is time to pay the piper?
 
Yes, it is.
 
Does anyone have some spare spark plug wire that I can hang myself with? I guess the big $$$ is ...Do I take it to the dealer or to a shop..and how much will it cost...Also while they have it open what else should I have done????
 
Buy a new rad cap, I bet that will fix the heat issue but make sure you do a through flush/fill.

Fix all the other crap first then determine if you have a bad head gasket; guessing will just cost you a lot of money.
 
wsdavies, you could try fixing that hose and replacing the t-stat, flushing etc.. but horse may have bolted judging by the bubbles. i doubt o2 sensor had anything to do with it. either that leaking hose overheated you or the blown h/g overheated the hose.

Dan, would you mind identifying what allows you to diagnose the chain tensioner and cam bore plug leaks. this is a good exercise in leak recognition.
 
At 182,000 miles you are close to 2/3 of the way through the suposed design life of the engine. You need to assess the overall condition of the engine. Does it leak out the bottom? (likely based on what the top loos like). How long do you intend to keep it? Do you have a place and the skills to attempt any repairs yourself? The variables need to be determined.

The "best shop" is one that is familiar with that engine and how it goes togther, that is not necessarily a Toyota dealer. I imagine a "head gasket job" at a shop will start out at about 1,500 bucks and go up from there.
 
I have a buddy who is one of the team capt. mecs. at the local Toyota dealer..I'll ask him what he thinks about where I should have it fixed...I'd like to keep this rig for quite some time...How much is a rebuild with new hoses,belts..parts and filters???
 
semlin said:
Dan, would you mind identifying what allows you to diagnose the chain tensioner and cam bore plug leaks. this is a good exercise in leak recognition.
Click to expand...

Note the "washed" area at the bottom of the RH bore plug (LH as we face it) and the chain tensioner is "wet". You can also see the coolant trail down the pipe and the swolen hose.
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Last edited:
thanks Dan, the hose I could see! but I am going to look at the other two tonight.
 
I did my HG as a PM item. But if you weren't inclined to do that I'd start by getting a handle on the coolant leaks.

The leaks will allow air into the system and it would take several to totally purge them out once the leaks were fixed. So seeing bubbles right now doesn't mean it's the HG.

Also with air in the system it will screw with the ECU because the temp sensor will not register correctly. This is a different sensor than the one that you see in the dash. I had real erratic idling and running issues and it wasn't til I found and fixed all my little leaks that it straightened out.

Also the O2 error would be related to the poor running as well.

If you have some time I'd focus on the leaks, also do a compression check on the engine. If the HG is blown that test along with a leak down would show the problem.

But as Dan has pointed out the vehicle is in a deplorable state and you need to decide on a battle plan for the truck.
 
Wow I feel like the kid that got lazy and wrote the crappy paper in his favorite teachers class and got called on it...So plan of attack...

How about this: If the rings, lifters, and pistons look good then have the HG redone...put all new rubber and belts...have the coolant system flushed...Throttle body and injectors cleaned...new plugs, wires, dist...New fuel and air filter...Service the tranny and front diff..and next year rebuild the front axle..Hows that sound? I already did the brakes..Now all I have to do is sell my 95 mercedes to pay for it..
 
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