My 91 4runner, 4wd, V6 3,0L that I have owned since new has developed a leak in the head gasket on drivers side. I have gone as far down as to do the valve cover gaskets but not the head gaskets. A recall was out in 1996 for head gaskets and they were done then. How long can I drive it with just a small leak and can someone rate the difficulty level of doing the heads? There is a valve grind gasket kit that Toyota sells that has everything needed but the knock sensor or knock sensor pigtail that is buried in there. Almost certain it has disengrated from the extreme heat due to poor design on this model. The crossover pipes are going to be a pain to unbolt as they are right against the firewall.
Anyone done a cylinder head gasket job
- Thread starter Burny
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It pays almost 12 hours and that is not including dealing with 23 year old rusted nuts and bolts.
I have not done any this age only the 4cyl but i wouldn't even attempt it without a torch and impact tools on hand and possibly some rethreading tools.
I think it could be a big PITA.
I have not done any this age only the 4cyl but i wouldn't even attempt it without a torch and impact tools on hand and possibly some rethreading tools.
I think it could be a big PITA.
its not an easy job.. I can't lie.. since I do this stuff on the side and I've turned down 2 of em.. haha. done 1.. I'll pass on em..
If it's the 3VZ-FE engine type, check with Toy TSB.
There was a recall on headgasket replacement....and I got my wifey's previous 4-runner done by dealership for free.
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There was a recall on headgasket replacement....and I got my wifey's previous 4-runner done by dealership for free.
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I have done many head gasket jobs, but not on your specific engine, that I can recall. For someone who has not done engine rebuilding work, replacing a cylinder head gasket can easily turn into an enormous headache and a job they can't do correctly and/or a job they just can't finish. I would urge you to use caution in deciding to do it yourself. The thing to keep in mind is that one small mistake, that you may not even realize you've made, can cause a lot of damage. Once you get the cylinder head off there are things that need to checked and decisions made that you don't have experience or knowledge to make, at this time.
With that said it may be a job that you can do. Only you can decide that. It isn't something that you can do in a weekend and have it ready to drive on Monday, not for your first one. I'm not trying to discourage you, it is doable, I'm just being realistic. The fact that you're even considering doing this yourself is a good sign. Gumption can take you far.
Factors that will stack the odds in your favor are:
- having another vehicle to drive for as long as it takes to finish the job - a week or more maybe
- having the extra funds to fix mistakes, and unforeseen problems
- having the right tools
- having someone you can get help from to do the actual removal and reinstall
- having someone with some experience with head gasket jobs available to consult with
- having patience
- having a factory service manual
- having a can-do, never-say-die attitude
As for how long you can drive it:
Where is it leaking and what is leaking ? I assume coolant, but where do you see the leak ?
Is the exhaust producing white smoke ?
How much coolant are you adding already ?
Does it have aluminum or cast-iron cylinder heads ?
With that said it may be a job that you can do. Only you can decide that. It isn't something that you can do in a weekend and have it ready to drive on Monday, not for your first one. I'm not trying to discourage you, it is doable, I'm just being realistic. The fact that you're even considering doing this yourself is a good sign. Gumption can take you far.
Factors that will stack the odds in your favor are:
- having another vehicle to drive for as long as it takes to finish the job - a week or more maybe
- having the extra funds to fix mistakes, and unforeseen problems
- having the right tools
- having someone you can get help from to do the actual removal and reinstall
- having someone with some experience with head gasket jobs available to consult with
- having patience
- having a factory service manual
- having a can-do, never-say-die attitude
As for how long you can drive it:
Where is it leaking and what is leaking ? I assume coolant, but where do you see the leak ?
Is the exhaust producing white smoke ?
How much coolant are you adding already ?
Does it have aluminum or cast-iron cylinder heads ?
Originally Posted By: Gabe
What about the v6 makes it so tough to work on??
It looks pretty tight in there. Timing belt has to come off and probably replaced if its not been done in a while and that goes for the rest of the components in there.
That is not included in the 12 hours.
Then you have to deal with very old parts and rusted nuts and bolts.
Once the heads are off you probably need them planing or at least checked for warpage.
On a V engine the intake needs to be planed or slightly thicker head gaskets used if available to compensate.
Broken bolts and rusted parts are par for the course on a job like this, you really need to be prepared to handle everything that comes with it.
What about the v6 makes it so tough to work on??
It looks pretty tight in there. Timing belt has to come off and probably replaced if its not been done in a while and that goes for the rest of the components in there.
That is not included in the 12 hours.
Then you have to deal with very old parts and rusted nuts and bolts.
Once the heads are off you probably need them planing or at least checked for warpage.
On a V engine the intake needs to be planed or slightly thicker head gaskets used if available to compensate.
Broken bolts and rusted parts are par for the course on a job like this, you really need to be prepared to handle everything that comes with it.
Yeah, but not on anything that sounds as daunting as this.
If book time is almost twelve hours, DIY time would consume an entire weekend if nothing goes wrong, like broken bolts/studs or some you spend a huge amount of time and effort loosening.
You might also find cracks in the heads and the block surfaces might require milling.
It has been my personal experience that head gaskets fail for a reason, with uneven block or head surfaces being a potential cause, along with overheating, which can also put cracks in a head.
If book time is almost twelve hours, DIY time would consume an entire weekend if nothing goes wrong, like broken bolts/studs or some you spend a huge amount of time and effort loosening.
You might also find cracks in the heads and the block surfaces might require milling.
It has been my personal experience that head gaskets fail for a reason, with uneven block or head surfaces being a potential cause, along with overheating, which can also put cracks in a head.
I did t-belt on this said engine (wifey's 4runner) before, and I gotta tell ya: very daunting job indeed. Missed one tooth on the twin cams and I ended up having to take things apart and re-adjust all over again (another 4+hrs).
Ordinary folks with insufficient hand tools (must be at least 1/2" drive tools for the big, heavy parts), do not anticipate such work. It will ended up costing more of your time + money and lots of swearing due to bruised knuckles...etc.
On the other hand: the venerable 22R is very easy to service...esp. carb'ed type.
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Ordinary folks with insufficient hand tools (must be at least 1/2" drive tools for the big, heavy parts), do not anticipate such work. It will ended up costing more of your time + money and lots of swearing due to bruised knuckles...etc.
On the other hand: the venerable 22R is very easy to service...esp. carb'ed type.
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If you want to keep the truck, remove the exhaust crossover and modify the manifold to a y pipe and custom exhaust.
Or screw the v6 and swap a V8 in it.
Or screw the v6 and swap a V8 in it.
They all leak at the same place. Some say that it's caused by the exhaust on that side. Everything must come apart, cant leave anything as a unit. Have the valve adjustment checked while it's apart.Buy new head bolts too
The timing belt is very easy on these compared to most other cars.
Get a bottle of Bar's Leaks Professional or Blue Devil Pour and go and see if that will stop it.
thanks for replies. I know it is going to be a job. The truck is dripping oil right now on the driver side cylinder head corner closest to the radiator. Very visible. I dye tested it and was hoping for cam seals, but very apparent it is the cylinder head dripping oil. no coolant lost, no white smoke, adding about a quart of oil every 3,000 miles. I have been driving it like this for 6 months maybe longer thinking it was cam seals. I have done TB, cranks seals, valve covers and almost everything to this truck since I have owned it. The head gasket job is probably more than I want to handle at this point.
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How many miles have you put on this T4R?
Have you tried running Synthetic Blend or dino HM oil to treat the seal?
Give us a few more pieces of information after all the vehicle is 23 years old/new.
Have you tried running Synthetic Blend or dino HM oil to treat the seal?
Give us a few more pieces of information after all the vehicle is 23 years old/new.
I have 260,000 on it. Been running castrol HM in the green jug for several years now. Do oil changes every 3-4k. Tranny fluid flushed every 30k through coolant lines. Differentials and transfer case done every 50k. Brake fluid flushed 30k. I am a nut when it comes to maintaining my rides. I have a couple Lexus sedans and have my eye on a GX 470 right now and may just let the 4runner go. After 23 years, it is tough to do though. lol
Step 1: Service Information. Alldata is $26.95 per year and will pay for itself by you doing your own labor.
The Toyota 3.0 was notorious for popping head gaskets. You might luck out and find a thread complete with photos on how to do this, the off-road guys love 4Runner's and most forums have guys who had to deal with this failure mode.
Might be easier to swap 3.0's, but finding a good condition 3.0 with a good headgasket...
I did see a thread about how to swap in the better 3.4, but that's no cakewalk either. Not impossible but a fair amount of work.
Might be easier to swap 3.0's, but finding a good condition 3.0 with a good headgasket...
I did see a thread about how to swap in the better 3.4, but that's no cakewalk either. Not impossible but a fair amount of work.
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