It's all in my head (gasket): Fix or swap? (1 Viewer)

[wildheffalump]

Hi guys,

It's me again. undereducated (yet still proud) FJ80 owner. I'm sad to say...she's dead. Again.
Took it to my mechanic. Compression test shows 60 PSI on cylinders 5&6.
I've come to a crossroads, and I'm here asking for advice. This motor was a donor from a wreck. I have no details on its origin.
The paths in front of me are :
1. pray it's a head gasket and proceed.
2. dump motor and try to source yet another 3FE at a reasonable price
3. start looking to the Diesel Gods, praying for a feasible swap?
My mechanic is partial to the idea of a diesel swap. But reading the forum has me thinking it's more trouble than it's worth unless you have one laying around.
What I don't want to do is get halfway into a teardown for head gasket, and discover we need to swap anyway.
What would you do? and if swap is your choice, what motor would you move to?
Thanks. I'm just trying to get more informed as time goes on.

 

[flintknapper]

Pull the head and inspect the gasket, then you'll have your answer. Sounds like you might have a gasket failure between cylinders 5&6.

 

[Rusty Marlin]

A little exploritry surgury is needed.
If you pull the head it will tell you everything you need to know.

 

[Rusty Marlin]

A little exploritry surgury is needed.
If you pull the head it will tell you everything you need to know.

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[zapatius]

Hi guys,

It's me again. undereducated (yet still proud) FJ80 owner. I'm sad to say...she's dead. Again.
Took it to my mechanic. Compression test shows 60 PSI on cylinders 5&6.
I've come to a crossroads, and I'm here asking for advice. This motor was a donor from a wreck. I have no details on its origin.
The paths in front of me are :
1. pray it's a head gasket and proceed.
2. dump motor and try to source yet another 3FE at a reasonable price
3. start looking to the Diesel Gods, praying for a feasible swap?
My mechanic is partial to the idea of a diesel swap. But reading the forum has me thinking it's more trouble than it's worth unless you have one laying around.
What I don't want to do is get halfway into a teardown for head gasket, and discover we need to swap anyway.
What would you do? and if swap is your choice, what motor would you move to?
Thanks. I'm just trying to get more informed as time goes on.

So did your mechanic just put the pulled engine straight in without changing the head gasket?

 

[wildheffalump]

So did your mechanic just put the pulled engine straight in without changing the head gasket?

After a quick compression test, yes. At the time, financially after being down for so long I just need my LC running.