Pull the engine, or no...? (8 Viewers)

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VAcruiser

VAcruiser

225 RPM
Joined
Oct 29, 2005
Threads
2
Messages
41
Location
Tidewater VA
I have a new to me FZJ80 (with 336,741 miles on the clock) that I'm beginning to get familiar with as I begin my baseline. Here's what I know thus far.... I have....all the oil leaks and then some. The oil light is on, good pressure so I'm assuming the sensor or wiring. I got the P0401 code yesterday on a relatively short drive and the head gasket is currently unknown. I was down about 1/3gal of antifreeze however. Oh, and the A/C compressor locked up yesterday. So...........with that said, I'm going to run a compression test to see how healthy the internals are and continue driving it for a while to get familiar with it and figure out what else needs attention before I take it down for a while to fix everything but I'm curious....... with all the current issues, would it be easier/worth it to just go ahead and pull the whole engine and clean, re-seal etc. or no?
 
So I just recently pulled my 1fz-fe for an engine swap, and it really wasn't that bad. This was the first engine I've ever pulled, and did it with basic hand tools and a cherry picker. I think if you're seriously looking at re-sealing and possibly a head gasket, I'd pull the whole engine. you could do it in a weekend if you set aside the time.

Also be sure and get the service manual, and follow all the steps. I've heard people are able to pull just the engine and leave the trans and xfer case in, but it looked nearly impossible to access the upper bell housing bolts. there's a lot of you tube videos out there as well that can help.
 
Mag71k5 said:
So I just recently pulled my 1fz-fe for an engine swap, and it really wasn't that bad. This was the first engine I've ever pulled, and did it with basic hand tools and a cherry picker. I think if you're seriously looking at re-sealing and possibly a head gasket, I'd pull the whole engine. you could do it in a weekend if you set aside the time.

Also be sure and get the service manual, and follow all the steps. I've heard people are able to pull just the engine and leave the trans and xfer case in, but it looked nearly impossible to access the upper bell housing bolts. there's a lot of you tube videos out there as well that can help.
Click to expand...
I read the same stuff but i swapped out my engine with leaving the Trans in the 80. The top bolts really were not that bad once you pull the motor mounts and lower the engine down a little as long as you have a lot of extensions for your ratchet.
 
Pz10420 said:
I read the same stuff but i swapped out my engine with leaving the Trans in the 80. The top bolts really were not that bad once you pull the motor mounts and lower the engine down a little as long as you have a lot of extensions for your ratchet.
Click to expand...
Yeah I'm not really sure which is "harder" to do. I think the main steps you skip is, not pulling the drive shafts, unhooking a few plugs around the transmission, and then shifter linkages and xfer case shifter.
 
VAcruiser said:
I have a new to me FZJ80 (with 336,741 miles on the clock) that I'm beginning to get familiar with as I begin my baseline. Here's what I know thus far.... I have....all the oil leaks and then some. The oil light is on, good pressure so I'm assuming the sensor or wiring. I got the P0401 code yesterday on a relatively short drive and the head gasket is currently unknown. I was down about 1/3gal of antifreeze however. Oh, and the A/C compressor locked up yesterday. So...........with that said, I'm going to run a compression test to see how healthy the internals are and continue driving it for a while to get familiar with it and figure out what else needs attention before I take it down for a while to fix everything but I'm curious....... with all the current issues, would it be easier/worth it to just go ahead and pull the whole engine and clean, re-seal etc. or no?
Click to expand...
As mentioned above (and by me on other threads), pulling the engine, transmission and TC all at once per the FSM is not that difficult. On a stand, everything is super easy to work on, and do "right."

I wrote a pay it forward thread about when I did mine; easy recommended reading. Let me know if you can't get it, I'll attach a link.

Full disclosure, no matter how hard you try to resist "while I'm in there" you WILL spend more than you thought you would.
That's not a bad thing actually; but keep it in mind.
 
There is one reason (IMHO) to pull the engine to resolve oil leaks: a leaking upper pan seal. Everything else can be fixed, without pulling the engine. While it may be possible to pull the engine without the transmission and transfer case, if you have the ability to pull the engine, pulling the entire drivetrain is just as easy and it is far easier to get everything reassembled on a bench (or on the ground, if that's your choice), than it is to do that while under the frame.

It's also much easier to pull a head when the engine is out, but I'd have to think about that if it was me. If nothing had ever been replaced in the engine compartment, I'd pull the engine. It's far esier to get to everything else in there, with the engine out, and at over 300,000 miles, you, at the very least, need new rubber everywhere.

If everthying else was OK, or at least newer than 100,000 miles, I'd leave it in and pull the head in place. I would pull the front end off, either way, though.
 
I have done 2 in car head gasket jobs, and they kind of sucked. I agree with the others here, just pull it when the time comes. That said, I wouldn't rush it as long as your HG is intact now. Just be certain every heater and radiator hose is tip top. When the day comes to do the refresh, you can do all the little accessories and make it pretty too when you are ready and not rushed. If if doesn't ever get hot, it will run forever anyway.
 
If I bought a 80 series with 336k, oil everywhere, and unknown history I would pull the engine for sure.
 
One thought: if you decide to do this, you'll need a new dryer.
 
To answer the engine pulling question: If you are replacing the head gasket, yes. Don't even think about it, just do it. Pull engine and transmission together. I am so glad I did.

Okay, the while you are in there stuff will add up quickly. There are some items, such as mentioned above, that are necessity to pull the engine anyway. One item is the rear heater lines can't be accessed without pulling the engine. If you are contemplating this, just start buying the parts now and have them on hand. I tried to replace almost everything under the hood. Just made sense as you can get to everything without killing yourself.

If I were to rebuild mine again, I would just buy a new short block and heads. If I were to have the engine done, reach out to @Fj80oregon for a rebuild, he has done quite a few. There are quite a few engine rebuild threads you will want to read if you do it yourself. You will want to review those as they give options and note items that are frequently missing from re-build kits or are NLA.
 
Malleus said:
One thought: if you decide to do this, you'll need a new dryer.
Click to expand...
Maybe not.
I was stupid and opened up my system; can you say yellow dyed oil everywhere?
When I got everything together, I drove to a trusted shop for a alignment and AC service. A few new O rings was all he needed. The thing blows ice, even 4 years later
 
I've always been told that anytime a sealed, pressurized system is opened to air, it absorbs water. Since water is compressible, its presence degrades the ability of a pressurized system's operation. That's the school solution anyway. It doesn't surprise me that it can work otherwise. I'd guess the circumstances of the environment have a lot to do with it.
 
If you're going to end up doing a HG you might as well pull the engine/trans and reseal everything. At first I started my HG job with the engine in the vehicle. Such a pain and I got through a lot of the work when I decided to just pull it out anyways. Its definitely worth it to pull and go through the engine. At least the top end and headgasket. Reseal everything and replace as much as possible or needed. Depending on your budget. The peace of mind it gives you is worth it!
 
manofthewoods said:
As mentioned above (and by me on other threads), pulling the engine, transmission and TC all at once per the FSM is not that difficult. On a stand, everything is super easy to work on, and do "right."

I wrote a pay it forward thread about when I did mine; easy recommended reading. Let me know if you can't get it, I'll attach a link.

Full disclosure, no matter how hard you try to resist "while I'm in there" you WILL spend more than you thought you would.
That's not a bad thing actually; but keep it in mind.
Click to expand...
If you don’t mind posting the link here, it may help others….again. 😊
 
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