Whelp, finally blew the head gasket....what's on my todo list? (3 Viewers)

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Unfortunately it was a lovely Cappuccino color.

I went ahead and picked up a 2k lb engine stand and new load balancer today assuming the worst.

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false alarm. I re-injured a dislocated rib and wont be able to start today. I will at least give the truck a good wash today and pre-game for a future weekend.
 
In the interim I realized I don't have am air compressor anymore and would like to use my impacts if needed. I used to have a 60 gallon one on a pallet, but I gave it to my FIL when I moved. I would love something a little more portable this time around since I don't plan to do any painting.

I have my eye on the Stealth 20gallon, but curious if anyone has recommendations on what they like?
 
I finally was able to get a few hours in. Of course broke the first harness clip I touched.

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I’ll try to differing around the forums to see what fixes are available.

As a bonus I learned a 58” TV box leftovers work great for storing the hood.
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Fluids, battery, intake, and radiator out.
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Whelp started again today and made it to the fuel lines only to discover the truck has a full tank. I don’t have a realistic way to store 15+ gallons of gasoline.

Does anyone know if there is a way to keep the fuel from leaking out the lines at the engine so I can disconnect them?
 
For you harness connecters sumitomo connectors are what you are after. Ballenger motor sports has everything you need. On your connector there is a part number believe it’s 6 digits you enter that into their search bar and they sell pigtails or connectors you can repine. It’s extremely difficult to de-pin a connector I suggest the pigtail variant.
 
ok everything is ready for me to pull the engine tomorrow except for the ac condenser coils. Trying to debate if I want to remove it and not deal with raising over it.
 
ok everything is ready for me to pull the engine tomorrow except for the ac condenser coils. Trying to debate if I want to remove it and not deal with raising over it.
2 things...
Re: fuel lines, take the gas cap off (ask me how I know)
I know the FSM has the engine and transmission and TC coming out with only the radiator removed; pull the AC condenser and thank me later.
3rd thing (never said I could count), you MUST have a load leveler. Have lube handy to lube the threads - several times!
Have fun
 
ok everything is ready for me to pull the engine tomorrow except for the ac condenser coils. Trying to debate if I want to remove it and not deal with raising over it.

I've lifted the engine in/ out of mine a few times with radiator and condenser in place, fan removed.
With the hood off, you should have enough room.
 
it can be done with condenser in but now your lifting 1500lbs another 2 feet higher. Much easier to remove with this out of the way!
 
I would just like to throw this in for anyone doing anything with the cooling system on their 80.

All mechanics know you always put the heater controls to HOT before refilling the cooling system, you often see this advice on many forums, including this one for DIY'ers. I have seen advice on here about jacking the rear of the 80 when refilling, parking it on the side of a kerb, placing a can of coke on the roof, pretty much every ridiculous kind of advice you can think of, and yet none of this is necessary.

The reason is the 80 system is a little different. Just because it is a very visible cable going to the heater valve on the bulkhead, it is NOT a direct connection to the slider at the heater controls.

So moving the heater control to HOT before filling will NOT open the valve, the ignition MUST be on, this allows the cable to move via an electric motor to the open position. Without power to the heater controls you can move the slider all you wish, it has no effect on the position of the cable, this I believe is why there are so many issues with overheating after work on the 80 cooling system.

A small caveat, some early 'base' 80's did have direct cable/slider action, but these were soon phased out as AC became standard.

Regards

Dave.
 
Reviving this old thread. Life got in the way, and sadly my LX has sat for nearly 2 years but I'm finally taking some time off to finish this project.

Since I'm pulling the block I've decided to go ahead and take the head and block to a machine shop. assuming I can get away with just honing the cylinders, do I stick the with the standard ring set? I was also going to go ahead and replace all the bearings while the block is apart.

i was curious if there is anything else I should replace while I have the block apart?
 
@dranobob :

So the engine has been sitting for two years with a blown head gasket?
Did you find coolant in the oil back then?
Did you remove the head, find coolant in the cylinders?

Point is, if coolant has been sitting in a cylinder or two, those cylinders might be corroded/eroded from rust which means at a minimum
the cylinders would need to be bored out (larger). And if you do that you would need new larger pistons, new rings, etc.

And if coolant was left in the oiling system that could also damage the bearings, which also means the engine has to come apart
new bearings, etc, etc.

So you may end up with a money decision, either rebuild the entire engine or buy a new short block and maybe just rebuild the head.

One less painful route may end being to buy a new Toyota short block (11400-66041) ie: new block with pistons and crankshaft already installed
by Toyota in Japan. If you plan on keeping the vehicle a long time consider replacing the valves and springs and if the head is warped, get a new head also. Some of the above (quality, cost, etc) depends on who's rebuilding the engine/head and their experience level, attention to detail, etc,etc.

You also may want to replace the timing chain slippers, timing chain, timing chain sprockets, oil pump rotor, oil pump bushing, harmonic balancer, rebuild the power steering pump, replace every vacuum hose under the intake, every water hose, clean (hot tank) the intake manifold (inside the runners and EGR port/tunnel) and valve cover, send the fuel injectors off to be cleaned (most of those connectors may crumble), clean the throttle body completely, ---- (and about 47 other items while you're in there).

Expect/plan on more harness connectors to break; most are still available but one other consideration is to buy a complete new main engine harness
while they're still available and while everything is apart. Besides the connectors crumbling the insulation of all the wires eventually develop cracks after 30 years in the hot engine bay.

FWIW
 
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thank you for the info. the good news is the fluids were drained 2 years ago. I had prepped the block and transmission with everything already removed, but had to stop short of pulling it out.

it sounds like my next best steps are to go ahead and pull it out and inspect the block to see what condition it is in before I spend any significant money on it.
 

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