Oil analysis results. What to do next?

[Rusty Cruiser]

I’ve had my 80 almost 2 years. It has 284k on it. It runs fine but does have a tick/knock sound at idle. I’ve had a slow but persistent coolant leak for the last year or so. I decided to send an oil sample to blackstone and here are the results. Not sure where to go from here. I’m guessing at a minimum the head needs to come off and be inspected and hopefully it’s the head gasket but could def be a cracked cylinder? Maybe easier to just find a used running motor and swap it? There is a local shop that is supposed to be really good with 80s. I am fairly mechanically inclined but I’ve never done any major engine work and not sure I have the time to take on such a project. Anyone who has had similar symptoms is love to hear the outcome!

 

[Rusty Cruiser]

Is it possible this is just a bad head gasket or likely something else? Is it strange that coolant is getting into the crankcase but exhaust and or oil isn’t getting into the cooling system?

 

[manofthewoods]

I’ve had my 80 almost 2 years. It has 284k on it. It runs fine but does have a tick/knock sound at idle. I’ve had a slow but persistent coolant leak for the last year or so. I decided to send an oil sample to blackstone and here are the results. Not sure where to go from here. I’m guessing at a minimum the head needs to come off and be inspected and hopefully it’s the head gasket but could def be a cracked cylinder? Maybe easier to just find a used running motor and swap it? There is a local shop that is supposed to be really good with 80s. I am fairly mechanically inclined but I’ve never done any major engine work and not sure I have the time to take on such a project. Anyone who has had similar symptoms is love to hear the outcome!

It's time to have a honest evaluation with yourself about...
1) your intended use case for the vehicle
2) what is the condition of the vehicle otherwise (from filthy rust bucket, to pristine)
3) your financial ability/tolerance to spend on it
4) short to medium term need for transportation, i.e., do you have something else to drive?
5) do you want to work extensively on the vehicle? (Can you?)

Note: their are no wrong answers, if you are really honest with yourself. And, regarding cost and time. It WILL cost more than you think AND take longer than you thought.
Best of luck. Happy trails

 

[COS80]

Is it possible this is just a bad head gasket or likely something else? Is it strange that coolant is getting into the crankcase but exhaust and or oil isn’t getting into the cooling system?

I'm not really qualified to answer what to do about your engine, based on that report, but as for your second question: no, that isn't strange. Head gaskets can fail between any combination of coolant passages, oil passages, and cylinders, and each leak path behaves differently. Sounds like yours is between oil and coolant jackets, and the coolant is able to pass to the oil but not vice versa, due to pressure, viscosity.

 

[Rusty Cruiser]

It's time to have a honest evaluation with yourself about...
1) your intended use case for the vehicle
2) what is the condition of the vehicle otherwise (from filthy rust bucket, to pristine)
3) your financial ability/tolerance to spend on it
4) short to medium term need for transportation, i.e., do you have something else to drive?
5) do you want to work extensively on the vehicle? (Can you?)

Note: their are no wrong answers, if you are really honest with yourself. And, regarding cost and time. It WILL cost more than you think AND take longer than you thought.
Best of luck. Happy trails

The good thing is, it's not my daily driver. It was for a while but I have a first gen tundra now that has become the daily. My intended use is for wheeling and a second fun truck. I don't trailer it and have to drive to the trail which the closest is about 3.5hrs away so I do need it to be reliable. At this point, I'm worried about driving it long distances after seeing the wear signs in the Blackstone report. The body and interior really aren't great but completely usable. The frame and the rest of the chassis are in pretty good shape. I've added mild lift with new springs and shocks all around, new steering linkages, new brakes, rebuilt the axles outside the diffs (it has factory lockers that work). It has an all new exhaust. I've added a winch. New radiator, starter, and a lot of the engine ancillary stuff has been replaced since I got it. I certainly have more time and money in it than it's worth but it seems like I still have something that isn't easily replaceable. I have about $6k in the "fun" fund which probably isn't enough to replace the motor with a refurbed one or have this one rebuilt. I am considering trying to find a used running motor I could swap in. I do have a friend with a shop and a lift that might be willing to help me do a swap but I don't want to tie him or his space up for a long period of time. I've also thought about finding another 80 in better shape without factory lockers and swapping my axles over but again, $6k isn't enough unless I find a great deal.

 

[Bigtoepfer]

Did that RM Garage guy from youtube sell his motor yet that he totally rebuilt?

He put a bunch of money into his motor and is now pulling it and swapping for V8.
Or perhaps you skip the putting a bunch of money into motor part and skip straight to V8?

I like the 1FZ but honestly what I put into mine after realizing it had a blown head gasket I definitely could have had a different motor. Or if I'd realized the headgasket was blown before purchase had a different, nicer vehicle to start.

 

[ceylonfj40nut]

IMO, based on how you describe your rig, hanging new parts to a rusty clothes line does not make sense. Pics would help say more. I would estimate the new parts you put in and sell it for recovery price of those parts or close to it. I would part out any good things it has next. Keep your fun money for another 80 in better rust condition. Market is low and you might be able to snag one for recovery+part out $.

 

[Rusty Cruiser]

I've been casually looking for a used running motor I can drop in. I got quoted $2800 for one recently which I think isn't too much to spend on it. Honestly I wish I hadn't gotten the oil analysis done and just kept driving it and added coolant when needed, haha. Ignorance is bliss! I've still been driving it a couple of times a week and nothing has changed with how it runs. I'm reticent to take it on longer drives now and haven't taken it wheeling since my local OHV area opened April 1st. My brother in law does have a trailer and a diesel truck. I may just leave it as is and try and trailer it to the trail just to keep it wheeling but have the insurance of another truck to pull it home if it decides to die on the trail. If I had a few spare thousands I'd love to 2UZ swap it, may just limp her along until I have more time and money to do something big.

 

[baldilocks]

Did that RM Garage guy from youtube sell his motor yet that he totally rebuilt?

He put a bunch of money into his motor and is now pulling it and swapping for V8.
Or perhaps you skip the putting a bunch of money into motor part and skip straight to V8?

I like the 1FZ but honestly what I put into mine after realizing it had a blown head gasket I definitely could have had a different motor. Or if I'd realized the headgasket was blown before purchase had a different, nicer vehicle to start.

His fault and the fix would have cost very little. This is why he does a swap? For much less than a fresh LS and trans he could boost that 1fz to 400hp/500ftlbs plus reliably.

@Rusty Cruiser be patient, you will find a good 1fz with less miles than yours as the swap madness is an epidemic.