Blew the rear main oil seal! [Engine Overhaul]

So I was driving my van up a long hill and I had it floored. Was doing around 75 mph in 3rd gear (about 4,500 RPMs) when I noticed in my rear view mirror a bunch of blue smoke behind me. When I pulled over I found oil dripping all over from between the engine and transmission. It was also covering the entire undercarriage and caked on the sides and back of my van! Well, looks like I won't be making it to my job so I call my customer & tell him what's going on. He's a nice guy and offers to come give me a ride home! So he picks me up and takes me home. Once home I hook-up my truck to my flat-bed and go get the van.

I decide to pull my engine. I could have got to this a bit easier by pulling the transmission, but this engine has over 200k miles on it, has a mild knock, and burns a lot of oil. I decided to pull the engine instead and swap it out. Here's the engine on it's way out & here's the blown seal:

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Due to the higher mileage on this engine and due to the fact it was developing a knock, I decide to pull the engine from one of my "Chia" vans:

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A little back-ground on this Chia parts van. I purchased this for $350 from a college kid back in 2004. It only had around 150k miles on it but had been neglected and he was running it with water in the cooling system :dizzy:. It ran good, had great power, but it would get hot. It also had a mysterious coolant leak. I would fill it up, drive it, and it would not leak. The next day I would check it again & the cooling system would be empty. I messed with it for a while (back then) but got frustrated with the leak and the hot running issue. Since it had some chassis rust problems (suspect it had been driven in salt water), I decided it wasn't worth messing with & parked it for parts. Fast forward 10 years.............

Here's the donor engine coming out:

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Looks like I got my work cut-out for me.

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Aha! Looks like I found my mysterious leak!

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I knock out the freeze plugs and here's what I find behind the rear side plug:

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Looks like I found my mysterious overheating issue!

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Here's what I dug out, but there is a lot more in there.

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a23...ps45a85d5d.jpg

I decide to tear this engine down & have a look at everything before trying to run it. I'll post more later. Tim

Incredible... i wonder of my 86 is leaking coolant from the freezeplug. I see drips of coolant coming from around that area and thought maybe the gasket on the thermo went bad... Oh well. Its not a bad leak and i have a back up van in great condition now so its no biggie.


Will you do a partial rebuild on this engine?

Everything is in pretty good shape. Bores, pistons, valve guides, etc. I'm just going to overhaul it (new rings, bearings, seals, etc). I'll post details of the project here in this thread. Tim

Wow

So, as ugly as this engine is on the outside, aside from all the crud inside the cooling system, it's in really nice shape inside. My goal with this thread is to show an alternative to rebuild. Since the machine surfaces are still in decent shape, I'm going to rework everything here in my garage (no outside machine work). This is the least expensive way to rework an engine, and in some instances (like this one), it is appropriate.

Disassembling is pretty basic, so I'm skipping most of that. I'll just touch on some things I consider important. I've been told keeping parts in order is not important, but I beg to differ. This may be true when replacing with new (new parts are identical). This is not necessarily true though with used & slightly worn parts. When you have 2 moving parts that contact each other, When new you will get extreme wear for a short period of time. This is called the "break-in" period. Since nothing is perfect, when 2 parts mesh, certain wear patterns emerge. These patterns form quickly as high spots wear off of each part until there is 100% intimate contact between them. Once the parts are mated & "broken in" the wear slows way, way down and becomes almost non-existent. If you take one broken in/slightly worn part, and mate it with another used part (that was originally mated with a different part), depending on several variables, this may or may not create an issue. This will depend on how similar the wear patterns are, if patterns are dissimilar, the result could be premature failure of both parts. This is particularly true for camshaft lobes & lifters. Camshafts & lifters are case hardened. This is a hardening process where mild steel is packed in carbon & exposed to extreme heat. If done right, the case hardening only affects the exterior of the part (perhaps a few thousandths deep). If you subject your cam & lifters to more than 1 break-in period, this thin surface could be compromised. Once the case hardening is gone, the 2 parts will wear extremely fast. I've hear stories of camshaft lobes being worn flat in as little as a few hundred miles. Since I will be re-using most everything here, I feel it's important to keep parts mated with each other. Here's some tricks I use to ensure things will go back together the same way they came apart.

After removing the rocker arm assembly, I use a small drill bit to scratch identification into each push rod. I always mark near the top (position and orientation of number is how I identify top & bottom). Of course the number I write is each push-rod's position from front to back.

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There are different types of valve spring compressor tools. For the 4y I like the small overhead style as shown below.
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After a head has been run for a while, valve keepers can get stuck (really stuck) in place. If you apply force in the right spot, you can make short work of removing a stuck valve keeper. If you need to break loose a stuck keeper, it's important that you spread the impact over a large surface & keep the force centered & straight. I found an old bolt that does a nice job. A hammer is then used to strike the bolt (never hammer directly on valves). After removal, I have a plastic tray to keep things in order. If you don't have such a tray, sandwich bags or other such means can be used. If using bags, mark each one with the position of the parts inside.
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I have a miniature flat bar that works good for removing the old valve seals.
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That's it for the head, here's my tray loaded up with all the valve components:
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a23...ps08f24bea.jpg


For connecting rods, I mark each side with an automatic center punch. I like to keep the punch marks at least 1/8" away from the mating surfaces.
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Here's my engine in pieces. Now the fun begins :clap:. Tim
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That is a VERY good write up

Thanks Ninz! So now that the head is stripped down I'm going to clean it. The easy way is to take all your parts down to an automotive machine shop and have them put them into a parts washer (sort of like a dishwasher for engine parts). If you have access to a pressure washer, the cheaper & much dirtier/messier way is to clean yourself. My goal is to do this project with minimal outside help so I decide to do it myself. Here is the head ready to be cleaned (this is after pressure washing the exterior of the engine before tear-down).

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a23...ps6dbe9228.jpg

I've got a pretty awesome Honda pressure washer I picked up on eBay a few years ago. This thing does a nice job.
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a23...psb579258c.jpg

You can use lots of things to loosen up the crud, but I found some old engine degreaser laying around, so I'm going to use this. Note: Safety glasses are a must before running a pressure washer!
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Okay, so now I've successfully transferred the crud from my cylinder head to myself :wnk:. The head looks much better but I'm dirty as hell :doh:.
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I have 2 broken exhaust studs. I'm going to remove these next.
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1st step is to use a center punch on the broken stud. This will help keep your drill bit in the center of the stud.
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Next I drill out the center of the studs with a 1/8" drill bit. Cutting oil on the bit helps to keep it sharp.
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I drill all the way through the stud.
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Here is my Snap-on Easy-Out kit.
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This kit is very helpful when removing broken studs. The reverse ground drill bits can be very helpful too. Sometimes studs will come right out while drilling.
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Here's my one-handed technique for drilling and using easy-outs :)>:. Camera was in my left hand drill was in my right. Sorry in advance for breathing in the camera :redface::
http://youtu.be/QxemmCudtZw

Tim, have you rebuilt an engine or done a head gasket replacement without machining the head? Also will you be replacing the head bolts?

Great thread btw! I'm already subscribed to it and can't wait to see the end product.

Yes, when I was younger this type of overhaul (what I'm doing here) was all I could afford. I'll be re-using the old head bolts on this and will not be having any machine work done. Of course, the condition of this engine allows me to skip this stuff. If I had found worn valve guides, a warped head, burned valves, scored pistons/bores, or any number of other things I would have needed to bite the bullet and pay for new parts & machine work. Of course internal engine work is only a small part of the expense when doing a job like this. I'll be needing to replace a whole slew of parts external to the engine. I'll document here as I purchase/install new parts. In case you're not aware, I have previously documented a thorough rebuild HERE in my blogs. Tim

I'll be reading the blog tonight! I clicked over to take a look and saw your cargo van has a window on the sliding door... Is this a modification you did or is that oem??? I have a cargo myself and was just saying the other day how awesome it would be to have a window there.

Sam

I much prefer the look of the windowless cargo door, but since this is a daily driver safety takes priority. I took this door from an 85 passenger van back in 2002 (it came with the window). Of the possible window options, I like this one the best as it's solid & does not open (no window tracks or latches to get messed up). Now that driving camera systems are readily available and inexpensive, I'm looking for a straight cargo door. I'll probably block off my rear window as well and rig up a monitor to view these areas while driving. Tim

Next I use a wire wheel on my bench grinder to remove the carbon & other junk from all the valves & I wash all the valve parts in solvent (not shown). After cleaning I cover these parts in plastic to keep them clean until they are needed. I put a wire wheel in my drill and use that to clean the combustion chambers & valve seal area.

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A high RPM die grinder with some 2" Scotch Brite pads make gasket surfaces shine like new (must be careful to not linger in an area too long as this method can remove aluminum).
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Here's some pics of the head after mechanical clean-up:
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Next I check for excessive play in valve guides and hand lap the valves.
http://youtu.be/ldLoR0pUsEw

After lapping is complete I pressure wash the head again (to remove all the grit). Next I use compressed air to dry it off & I install new valve seals, lube valve stems, reassemble, spray with WD-40, and put it inside a plastic garbage bag until the block work is completed (sorry, no pics of these steps). Tim

That is a very simple and effective way to check the valves and head. The head looks great btw.

So now it's time to address block issues. As shown in my 1st post here, this cooling system was contaminated. It was a messy job, but I took the stripped block outside & gave it a thorough pressure washing. I spent a good bit of time forcing the spray in each port, this way & that, block right side-up, sideways, & upside down, etc. I kept spraying until only clean water drained back out. This was productive as I got A LOT more crud out of the block. With the block in this state there are no places for the crud & sediments to hide. Other than a little surface rust (normal) all sediments inside the block are successfully removed.


Next I select an appropriately sized sanding wheel, put it in my drill and use this to clean up the freeze plug bores

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Here is a snap shot of one of my cylinder bores. As you can see there is very little wear. Original cross-hatching is still visible. I have found this to be common on most Toyota engines.........even high mileage ones.
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In order for new rings to break-in properly we need to rough things up a bit. To achieve this I'm going to use a flex hone. Flex hones are selected by cylinder size & grit count on the cutting stones. When selecting a hone size, we need to know cylinder bore size then select the next bigger hone size. STD bore diameter on the 4y is 3.5827 - 3.5839" so I select a 3 3/4" hone. Grit is selected based on piston ring manufacturer recommendations. In my case I'm using Sealed Power E-611X cast iron rings. Recommended grit for these rings is 240, so I select a BRM part #GB33424 3 3/4" 240 grit Silicone Carbide flex-hone. When honing it's important to lubricate. You can use different things for this. In the past I've used ATF (Automatic Transmission Fluid). This time I purchased the fancy special stuff. I'm using BRM Premium Honing Oil. When honing it's recommended to select a drill that turns approx 600 RPM. The hone should be at RPM before entering the cylinder & a constant velocity needs to be maintained when pushing/pulling the hone through. When I say "through", I mean all the way through. Do not slow down, stop, or reverse arm motion until hone has completely passed through cylinder. The idea is to make a uniform hatch & this requires a constant RPM and a complete pass-through using a uniform pushing/pulling motion. Here's a video I made while honing the cylinder walls.
http://youtu.be/VGRXlUq_QzQ

Here's a picture of a cylinder after honing (before rinsing).
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After block is honed I use a kitchen brush and a mild soap solution in warm water to thoroughly scrub each cylinder (important to get all the grit particles removed). Next I pressure wash the block again & dry with compressed air. I should mention it's important to move fast as bare metal surfaces rust quickly. As soon as I'm confident these surfaces and all passages are reasonably dry I move it into the garage and turn on the heat (help to dry it more and stop formation of rust). Here is a picture of a cylinder wall after cleaning & drying.
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I install new freeze plugs (sorry, no pics). I put a little bit of Aviation Form-A-Gasket in the bores & drive them in with a special driving tool. Assuming you don't have the driver, a large socket can be used. If using the socket method, it's important to select a socket that fits on the outer edge of the plug, yet small enough to slip into the bore (side of block). If the socket slips into the inner or lower surface of the plug, you need a bigger socket. Now for the fun part. I mask & paint the block. I choose a color similar to the original paint (Rust-oleum #7786 Smoke Gray). Here are some pics of the results:
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This is all info that can only come from experience... Great job tim

Tim what will you be doing with the fuel injectors? Will there be a write up for that? Thanks

I took the fuel injectors down to DR. Injector of Gladstone, OR. They tested them and all failed miserably. After cleaning and retesting only one came back within specs. 2 were very marginal, one failed miserably. I ended up purchasing 4 of his rebuilt injectors for $45 each. This is the 1st time I've had to replace injectors on a 4y, but this thing did sit for 10 years with bad gas in it. Here's a picture of what the fuel pump looked like...........Inside of the tank wasn't much better:

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Wow... Do you know if dr injector does business through mail? Iam no where near OR.

Dr Injector is a chain. They have them in lots of major cities. You might check your local area to see if one is nearby. I like my local store, but they are around 40 miles away from me (I don't always have time to drive down there). As a result I often do business with them through the mail. I plug their business and give out their information in this thread: https://www.toyotavantech.com/forum/...ng-Head-Gasket

Tim, What van did that engine you built up nicely go in and blogged about go in?

That's in my 89 Cargo van.

The next part to reworking this engine is removing the old piston rings & cleaning up the pistons. I find all the old rings in decent shape, but every single oil ring is collapsed & stuck to the piston (one more reason why it's good I'm reworking this engine). When it comes to cleaning the piston ring grooves, I have a tool for this purpose, but sadly it does not have the correct attachment for my size ring groove, so instead I break one of the old rings & use the broken piece to run around the grooves for cleaning. All pistons pass the visual test and all move freely on their wrist pins.

There are specs for pistons, but I have decided not to measure them. My logic is this engine ran good and didn't make any bad noises. I had pre-decided not to replace pistons & I'm not willing to spend money on this. For these reasons I decided not to waste time measuring as it would accomplish nothing. For anybody wanting to know how to measure, I have covered that HERE in my blog. Just keep in mind those pistons are bigger as the engine featured there is bored out .020" oversized. Specs for a standard engine are in the 87 Factory service manual (available for free download HERE).

Next I measure the new piston rings. All compression rings measure within specs, but most of the oil ring rails have a larger gap then what's specified. This is something I've ran into before and seems to be a common theme with aftermarket rings. I decide to ignore it and move on. Here's links to my blog showing how to measure piston rings: http://www.toyotavantech.com/forum/e...Rebuild-part-4 & http://www.toyotavantech.com/forum/e...rt-4&goto=next. After cleaning pistons/rods are put in a plastic bag to keep them clean and I move on to the crank shaft.

Crankshaft is cleaned and measured. I use precision micrometers to measure all machined surfaces and everything is within specifications. For more information on how to measure CLICK HERE. Because this is just a quickie overhaul, I decide to skip measuring each individual bearing half, and simply use Plasigauge to check clearance on one main bearing and one rod bearing. In my experience, I have found that bearings have always been extremely tight and precise. I'm not worried so much about having a bearing with poor tolerance, I'm more worried about having the set mislabeled. Since I measured the crank already, I figure if one bearing clearance is correct, they all will be. To check with Plastigauge I insert main bearing halves into the block and set the crank in place. Note: we want the bearings to be dry (no oil) when we check with Plastigauge, so no oil is put on the bearings and I'm careful not to rotate the crank.

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I lay a fresh piece of green Plastigauge on a journal, then install the main bearing cap with a bearing half installed into it. I put some oil on the threads and head of the bolts & torque them to spec (58 ft lbs).
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Being careful not to rotate the crank, bearing cap is removed and I use the paper sleeve of the Plastigauge to confirm correct clearance. :dance2: If this one's good, I'm going to assume they're all good :yes:.
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Next I clean the Plastigauge off the journal/bearing & remove the crank. I put a few drops of assembly lube on each main bearing surface.
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Crank is set on the bearings and more lube is applied. All main bearings are installed with main bearings & thrust bearings. All bearing bolts are lubed (threads & underside of heads) & torqued to 58 ft lbs. After torquing, I give the crank a spin to verify there is no binding. Cranks spins freely. For more detailed information on crank installation CLICK HERE.
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Next I drop a piston into it's hole and repeat the Plastigauge test on a rod bearing.
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I remove piston & clean Plastigauge residue from the crank & bearing. I install piston rings on all the pistons and put some assembly lube in the bore & on the rod journal.
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Piston is dipped into engine oil (weight & type doesn't really matter, but I'm using Mobile 1 synthetic 10w30). While dipped I work rod back & forth to lube wrist pin.
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Using piston ring compression pliers, piston is lowered into cylinder (note the protective rubber on the rod studs). I use the handle end of a hammer to tap the piston down into the cylinder. Care is taken to keep the piston ring compressor sleeve flat on the deck. If a ring slips between the sleeve & the deck, piston will stop moving & you'll need to start over. After piston is in place, rod caps/bearings are installed and torqued to 36 ft lbs. More detailed information on this process can be found HERE.
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a23...ps28e67376.jpg

So, the purpose of this thread was to show an alternative to complete rebuild. Since we're to the assembly stage that part is finished. I had planned to end the thread here & refer you to my blog for the rest of the assembly process, but of course there were problems, so I thought I'd share them with you.

ANYONE PLANNING TO REPLACE YOUR TIMING SET TAKE NOTE:

This is the 2nd time I've used an aftermarket timing set on a 4y engine and the 2nd time I've had interference problems. As a result I have to assume this is a common issue with aftermarket timing sets. The 1st time I used the brand name "Engine Pro" part #C4057S & documented these problems HERE (in my blog). The Engine Pro timing set interfered with the washers on the camshaft thrust plate bolts so I made it a point to never use that brand again. This time I used Beck Arnley #029-0119 (I had previously purchased 3 of these sets for $29 each on a www.rockauto.com closeout sale).

Before installing I checked the area that had been a problem on the Engine Pro gear & found it to also be a problem on 2 of the 3 Beck Arnley sets. That area was good though on the 3rd set so I went ahead & assembled it. Once assembled I checked for end play and just like before there was none. So I took it back apart to investigate & here is what I found:

Damage on the edges of these 2 bolts.
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This one was the worst.
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http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a23...psdefd2ed9.jpg

Here's the other one
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On inspection of the cam gear, I found scuffing to the inner edge here:
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Here's the new & old gears sitting side by side (new on left, old on right)
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Old gear measures .273" from minor diameter to recessed area.
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a23...psd22fefcb.jpg

New gear measures .386" in the same spot........this explains my current problem.
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a23...ps32a4644c.jpg


I measure the other 2 new gears I have & find they both have the same issue. This annoys me immensely & I decide to find another timing set. I call around & surprisingly found one in stock at Discount Auto Parts in Vancouver, WA. I ask the brand & part number........guess what? You guessed it, Engine Pro #C4057S :doh:. So here's the thing, I really don't want to spend a lot of money on this (futile, I know) and I don't want to delay this project, so I grind down the high spots on both bolts & install them back in the same spots as before :dizzy:. It's not the high road, but it does the job. Once back together I check for end play and it falls into an acceptable range. I rotate a full revolution and verify there is no more rubbing/grinding on the bolts. When I have time I'm taking the other 2 gears to my local machinist and having this material removed. Next engine I do WILL NOT have this issue!

Here's my engine with the camshaft, timing set, timing cover, crankshaft pulley, & water pump installedhttp://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a23...pscbc98c5d.jpg

For more detailed information on camshaft & timing set installation CLICK HERE and HERE.


Update: I took my other 2 camshaft timing gears to my machinist and had some material removed. Here's a picture of one of the gears after modification:
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a23...ps57b612d6.jpg

Note: Machinist charged me $40 per gear, so that means my $30 timing sets actually cost me $70 + a lot of wasted time. Hopefully this post will help save the next guy some time/money. Tim

I'm guessing these timing sets aren't available from
toyota anymore?

I'm guessing they are actually (although Toyota doesn't sell in kit form.......all parts sold separately). On my other engine the rebuild kit came with the timing set. It looked like good quality (and other than this flaw I believe it is). The problem was I didn't figure out the flaw until I needed it and since I was able to fix, and wasn't willing to wait, I went with it. With the Beck Arnley timing sets it was something I had on hand & I didn't want to spend any more money unless absolutely necessary. Of course when it came down to the wire I would have, but Toyota never has anything locally & I didn't want to wait for it.

Other than this flaw, I believe all of these timing sets to be of good quality. It's just a shame that final fit was never checked and verified by manufacturer. In the manufacturing world it's very important to check these things on the 1st set (before making 10,000 of them). Only after you have a verified fit & function do you go into mass production (I guess they forgot that). Just one more simple machine process would have eliminated this problem. I'm guessing hundreds of these things have been installed like this without the installer having a clue. Just running the engine for a few minutes would have cured this, but metal shavings may have been produced and maybe ended up in the wrong place. One more reason to check clearances when assembling an engine. I wouldn't have known if not for checking camshaft end play. Tim

I'm going to skip past most of the assembling here as most of this is covered in my blog entries. I'll just brush on a few things, list some parts I recommend to replace, and elaborate a bit on problems encountered. For the bottom end gaskets & seals I used Enginetech #T02.2CS. For the top end I used a genuine Toyota Valve Grind Gasket kit part #04112-73035. One thing worth noting, although the van has an electric fuel pump (in the tank), the 4y has provisions for a mechanical fuel pump. The port (on the right side of the block) is simply blocked off & serves as a mount for the fuel filter. Since the port is still there, you still need the fuel pump gasket (2 of them.......one for each side of the spacer). For reasons unknown, most 4y gasket kits don't include this gasket. I got my 2 fuel pump gaskets (Fel-Pro 70627) off of Amazon.

Next thing I did was installed a new Aisin oil pump, installed the rear main seal housing, and the oil pan. I found the good Toyota FIPG on Amazon, so I used that to seal the pan. For more information on these steps, CLICK HERE. Note: due to the way my old engine blew the oil seal, I put FIPG around the periphery of this one (no taking chances).

Okay, so one thing I always do when I have a head off is use a dial indicator on the #1 piston to find true TDC (Top Dead Center). Once I'm satisfied #1 is at TDC I check the timing mark on the front pulley to verify it's in the right place. This procedure is outlined in detail at the bottom of the page HERE in my blogs. Usually these come out pretty close, but I was in for a bit of a surprise on this one. After finding TDC I checked the pulley and found it to be almost 8 deg off! I made a new notch in the pulley and filled it with yellow paint.
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a23...psbfb7fca7.jpg

Now is a good time to mark 12 deg BTDC spot on my timing cover. This will make timing the ignition easy when I start it up.
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a23...psf9bc26b9.jpg

Next I proceed with installing the head & general engine assembly. Nothing special or unique here so I'll simply refer you to Part 13 of my blog for detailed information. The only thing different with this project is I'm using my old push rods & head bolts (and yes, old push rods are put back in exact position as before). Due to age and condition, I opt to replace some parts with new during assembly. One such part is the exhaust manifold Toyota part #17141-72010. I was lucky enough to buy this off the site classified section a couple years ago. The poster had sold his van before doing this job & I got a great price on this. It had sat in a humid environment and had some surface rust, but not bad (had no effect on anything other than cosmetics). One thing that happens with any high mileage engine is the degradation of fasteners attached to the exhaust manifold. When replacing the van manifold, you can count on replacing all these studs. Here's a list of them along with their part numbers:

Studs 90116-10058 (qty:3)
Studs 92122-40610 (qty:6)
Studs 90116-08128 (qty:2)
Nuts 90179-06194 (qty:6)
Nuts 90179-08059 (qty:2)
Nuts 90179-10070 (qty:3)

Any time an engine is out and getting this type of service, I consider it a must to replace certain parts. The fuel pulsation damper & fuel regulator are 2 such parts. I use Standard/Intermotor part #FPD4 for the damper and Toyota #23280-73040 Fuel Pressure Regulator. Note: I have tried aftermarket pressure regulators on 2 previous occasions and the results were less than satisfactory, so as much as it pains me to pay Toyota's prices, I consider this one important enough to only use OEM. I've been generally happy with the Standard #FPD4 dampers, but have noticed the threads to be a bit rough. As a result, I chase them with an M12 X 1.25 die & then they thread onto the fuel rail easily.

Injectors.............any time you have these out on a high mileage engine, it's just a good idea to have them cleaned & tested. I've done this with dozens of 20+ year old Toyota injectors and never had one that didn't come back after cleaning............until this project. I took these down to DR Injector in Gladstone Oregon to be cleaned & tested. All failed the initial test miserably. After cleaning they were tested again. One came back within specs, 2 performed marginally, and the 3rd failed miserably. I went ahead and tossed them all and replaced with rebuilt injectors from DR Injector. He charged me $45 each. For more information on testing & cleaning injectors CLICK HERE.

Engine mounts.........I've found the driver's side mount is usually broken on vans with over 150k miles. For this reason I replace the motor mounts with DEA #A7229 (note: 2 of these are required).

Power steering pump...........I disassemble this and replace seals & o-rings. I use Edelmann #8598 Power steering pump seal kit

Throttle body...............I clean & rework it using the techniques described HERE and install/calibrate a new Beck Arnly #158-0503 throttle position sensor. Note: ignore that picture in the Amazon listing, it's incorrect. I assure you the TPS you get will be the correct one.

Alternator...........I install a Denso part #210-0272. This is a remanufactured alternator, but it's remanufactured by Denso. Denso knows their products the best & these are quality units (much better than your average rebuild sold by most auto parts stores.

Rubber hoses.........CLICK HERE for a list of what to buy.

BVSV (Bi-metal Vacuum Switching Valve). Very rare you can remove this and put it back without breaking. It's Toyota part #90925-05017

One thing that always annoyed me with the van is the requirement to remove the top half of the intake manifold just to connect/disconnect the engine wire harness to the fuel injectors. The last time I did this I cut the injector part of the harness off & built a removable injector harness (it worked great). This makes it possible to completely assemble the engine before installation. I liked it so much I built a removable harness for this one too (old connectors were shot anyhow). I'm using Standard part #S697 Bosch style injector connectors w/wire and 4 PIN SQ 16-14 AWG Weatherpack connectors. I use 16 AWG automotive primary stranded wire to go from the injector connectors to the Weatherpack connectors. I solder & shrink tube the connections to each injector connector wire, then cover the assembled harness with more shrink tubing. Note: Special crimpers are required for the Weatherpack connectors. If you work with these type connectors (also used on GM) I highly recommend having a Delphi Packard Weatherpack Terminal Release Tool in case you need to pull pins back out. Here is the finished harness:
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a23...ps9957cd3a.jpg

Male connector positions A&B power injector #1 & positions C&D power injector #2. Female connector positions D&C power injector #3 & positions B&A power injector #4.
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a23...ps1f053fea.jpg

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a23...ps9fc359ba.jpg

Upper intake...........This thing was filthy & stained. I decided to polish it. I didn't go hog wild, just a rough polish using my die grinder & some Scotch Brite surface conditioning pads. This took me about 2 hrs to do. By no means was this necessary, it just made me feel better :).
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a23...psf8290e61.jpg

Here's a few pics of the engine after assembly. Next post will be installation :dance2:
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a23...ps5c9b116d.jpg

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a23...ps11824bf3.jpg

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a23...ps8c376928.jpg

Amazing.... Drool. :)>:

Everything upto spec including the oil filter!

Your builds amaze me. Make sure to take a video once the engine is installed and running.

If I ever needed a rebuilt engine again I would without a doubt send you the funds and have you do it if you were willing to.

When my mechanic did mine this is the timeline of how long I had to wait.

Friend Blew HG on July 4th 2010

Mechanic gave me an opening to start working on my van 2 months later around Sept 10th

Mechanic took apart the engine only to find out that the head was bad after it came back from the machine shop Sept 30th

I purchase new cylinder head within a week from clearwater, fl and for whatever reason he finally finishes putting everything back together end of November. (He was working on my van on the weekends, and taking other easy side jobs as priorities.)

Finally when it is all back together engine is running on 3 cylinders and the ignition coil fails after only 10 minutes of driving it for the first time.

Sits all of december, we both were busy. Me for christmas flower deliveries.

Finally does a compression test second week of January to show me that he knows what hes doing, and traces the problem to the #1 fuel injector.

I order a fuel injector and wait the rest of Jan for him to give me an opening, and feb im busy for valentines day so for the first 2 weeks I dont bother. Finally March comes around and Im sick and tired of waiting so I go to another mechanic, have him change the fuel injector out (pay shop price not fun) only to find out its still running on 3, until he fondles with the connectors and bam now its running on 4.


So I waited 8 months almost, but 79,000 miles later engine is running pretty good not burning any oil and no leaks, so I guess I cant complain. But we never did the timing chain or the oil pump. Thats still original so who knows when I will be surpised. I kinda want to see how far it will go.

Now it has been sitting since March as well since my transmission got messed up and I have already put 10,000 miles since then on my new 89 Van. Im just waiting for an opening for him to put the re manufactured transmission I bought from ebay and will report how that works in my transmission thread.

:wrthy::wrthy:

So I decide to do some work on the van before dropping the engine into it. I like things clean & since the engine isn't there it's a great time to use the pressure washer on it. 1st I spray some mineral spirits paint thinner in there to loosen up the crud, then I hit it hard with the pressure washer. Here's what it looked like before cleaning.
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a23...ps04d4f8c3.jpg

Here's the same area afterwards.
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a23...psf174e3de.jpg

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a23...ps47fbd999.jpg

Next I jack it up and change out all the old front heater hoses. I don't use the rear heater (never have). I don't want to invest time or money in something I don't use, nor do I want to risk overheating my new engine due to a 25+ year old heater hose failure, so I decide to eliminate the rear heater system. All I care about is taking it off-line, so I simply cut the metal pipe here & plumb my front engine heater hose outlet directly to the metal pipe (left arrow). I simply ignore the open hose on the back. This will no longer carry coolant.
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a23...ps486823fd.jpg

On the driver's side I use my mini pipe cutter here (same thing as I did on the passenger's side)
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a23...ps1f0cadd3.jpg

I cut out & remove the stuff aft of this cut point.
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a23...pse191fe4e.jpg

I attach a 5/8" ID heater hose here. Since there is no barb or flare on the tip of the pipe, I slide it on further than normal and use 2 hose clamps. I like the small ones as they put more even pressure on hose (small flat spot). I use 2 clamps & alternate flat spots to minimize the chance of a future leak. Same thing is done on Passenger's side.
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a23...pse2aa9340.jpg

Ready for engine installation! Here's where the other end of the driver's side heater hose goes.
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a23...ps22fc3c6c.jpg

Engine going in.
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a23...pscdaeddcf.jpg

Here's the parts I removed from the system.
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a23...ps00543b85.jpg

The radiator is origninal, but has never given me any grief. I took it down to Wilson Radiator in Vancouver to get their professional opinion. It was a bit crusty inside so they tanked it and boiled it out. After the tank they pressure tested. Great news! They say it holds pressure & can go back in the van :dance2:. After a coat of new paint I pick it up and bring it home. Cost for this service is $125 (worth every penny). Van is put back together with a new clutch fan, all new hoses, new belts, and other misc parts. I install a 220 deg F N/O thermal switch in the extra unused head port and run wire from it to my dash area. I hook up a bright LED light & a loud chime device to alert me in the event of an engine overheat condition (the LED will illuminate & the chime will sound if engine temp exceeds 220 deg F). To see the chime & LED in action CLICK HERE (post #17). I also rig up my electric radiator fan on a timer to run 15 minutes after each hot shut-down (this is to eliminate hot soak issues). To see schematic of this timing device & For more on this subject CLICK HERE & see post #34, 38, & 39.

Here's the engine after installation.
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a23...ps271a24de.jpg

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a23...ps329f4f0a.jpg

I got it started and it runs awesome! There's no leaks, no smoke, and no knocks. :dance1:

that looks amazing! i love how you clean everything. i wish i could get my engine that clean without taking it out. it would take forever though.

thanks for the great pics and info

Great job Tim... It looks awesome.

Update: Made it 4,500 miles since the overhaul & just added oil for the 1st time today. It wasn't to the "add" line yet, but it was low enough to accept about 3/4 of a quart. The oil still looks clean. I rotate my tires and change oil in 5,000 mile intervals. It could have made it there without adding oil, but I like to see it topped off. No noticeable amount of coolant was used since the overhaul so that's good too.

Van has run excellent & I'm very happy with it. It gets run hard (mostly freeway miles) and I tow a trailer about 1/4 of the time. It's been a hot summer & the AC runs almost non-stop. Even with all this heat and hard work the van stays cool. As I mentioned earlier I rigged up an alarm system (chime and LED light) to alert me if engine temps exceed 220 F. I found this to only occur when I run AC for extended periods while van is at idle (stuck in traffic or while sitting in a parking lot). To remedy this I rigged up my AC compressor to a relay that prevents compressor operation whenever engine temp exceeds 220 F. This way I don't need to worry about it if the van is left running with AC on with me not in it, and the interior still stays reasonably cool. Tim

Great thread Tim! Thanks for all the part numbers and explanations. I bought the FPD new from rockauto for my rebuild but it wouldn't go in easy so I used the old one(Toyota). Now I see you have chased it with M12x1.25 so I'll do that.
And the wiring harness is brilliant because it is such a pain to install the intake manifold and hoses when the engine is in the van due to no access at all-even with 2 access holes!

Thanks for the kudos! Another side benefit to having a harness set-up like this is being able to check injectors without disassembling. I can check resistance and test fire each injector by disconnecting the harness & getting access to them electrically. This can be helpful when troubleshooting and can possibly save you the labor of pulling the upper intake. Tim

220 degrees isn't too bad, actually, for running it hard. I had my Cobalt running at 246 degrees climbing hills at 80 MPH on our way out of Phoenix to Las Vegas. You can never be too safe though.

I guess I posted too soon that everything was great because it started running bad yesterday. After troubleshooting I determined the trouble was with #3 injector........AGAIN!!!. Damn-it this is the 4th time for this van plugging up #3 injector screen.............and these are fresh rebuilt injectors (although not the injectors fault). So today I ripped the top intake off and cleaned injector screens..........AGAIN! Man I'm getting sick of this. It's due to the contamination of the fuel system (talked about earlier in this thread). I figured cleaning the tank and and regular filter replacements would be adequate, but evidently not. So I just got back from my test drive and it's all good again, but I need to do something about this.

I'm speculating that it's crud on the inside walls of the fuel lines dissolving, breaking loose, and somehow making through the fuel filter to the injectors. Evidently the micron size of the injector screens is smaller than the micron size of the fuel filter.......REALLY? (I can't find any specs on the filter or the injector screens). There really aren't any noticeable debris inside the injector screens, but during close inspection with a magnifying glass I can see the mesh mostly plugged on #3. The others were starting to plug but not nearly as bad. I guess my choices are 1. keep doing this every 5k miles (not gunna happen) 2.replace all the fuel lines, 3. install an aftermarket filter or 4. poke hoes in my injector screens :doh:. I'm sort of kidding on that last one, but I'm wondering if these particles are big enough to foul up the injector nozzles (if allowed to travel through). Same difference really because fouling the nozzles isn't any extra labor to clean. Even if I only get an extra 5k miles it would be worth it.

So I'm going to research this and decide what to do............and it's not going to be option #1. I'd just assume pull the engine back out and junk the thing if I'm going to need to pull the injectors every 5k miles (like I have been). Looks like cleaning the tank wasn't good enough. Tim

Might need a screen right before the fuel rail. I don't know how though.:wave2:
I had the same problem with the #1 injector with my rebuild. I put in a used hard line from the filter to the Damper and it clogged right away-I cleaned it first but not enough I guess. It took me forever to figure it out.
I practiced cleaning out the injectors on a junk yard set so I wouldn't mess up my newly reconditioned ones from Dr. Injector. Getting to my point-When I looked at the screens from the junk yard injectors they had more area(screen size) than the ones from Dr. Injector. I love the work he did to clean and rehab my old injectors but I hesitate to say, his screens looked smaller to the naked eye-It may well have clogged anyway I don't know. Maybe it's worth it to check out the OEM injector screens?

I ended up ordering a 10 micron fuel filter with replaceable paper elements and I also ordered new screens for my injectors. I had noticed the exact thing you did when comparing to my old injectors & believe the screens DR injector used are of a finer mesh & less surface area (bad combination for my particular situation). Anyhow, here's the filter & the screens I ordered:

http://www.jegs.com/i/Aeromotive/027/12308/10002/-1

http://www.jegs.com/i/Aeromotive/027...oductId=754043

http://www.hyperracing.com/pages/hom...oduct=602-6049

I'm going to eliminate the factory fuel filter and use only this one. I got some extra paper elements & these will be easier to replace & cost less than the factory ones. I'll post updates when I install these. Tim

Not a bad idea. Gordan Ramsay would blush if he ever witnessed me trying to replace the stock fuel filter. Those injectors wouldn't be clogging up if it wasn't for that damn ethanol. I remember getting 26-29 MPG before that roflroflroflrofl was added in.

Looking forward to seeing this mod.:clap: