Yotamog's 4y engine swap

[timsrv]

To be honest I don't use a torque wrench nearly as much as I should . After years of turning wrenches I like to think I have a "calibrated wrist" . If you're not sure how tight to make them just follow the sequence and guess at the less accessible ones. Once you achieve final torque on one of the more accessible ones, feel how tight it is (using whatever combination of tools you need to use on the unaccessible spots). Once you have a feel for it try to approximate the same tightness using feel or touch.

NOTE: Be sure to follow torque sequence and keep all nuts evenly torqued (as much as possible) before applying final torque to any of the nuts. Tim

[djshimon]

did you make the same mistake as I did with the injector connectors and remove them when you didn't need to? i'd like to see your remedy to this if that was what you did. i'm slightly stuck at this point although I haven't really had much time lately too.
well, good luck, aaron

[YOTAMOG]

All I can say is that if (when) I do this again, I would split the air chamber from the intake manifold early in the game, maybe even before removing the engine. Yes, it takes a few more minutes and buys another gasket (at least one) but saves headache and stress (super easy to unclip injector wires and unbolt manifolds).

While preparing to separate, I broke the EGR from the base. Bummer! Thinking about JB Weld, I turned around and saw the OLD 4y manifold and realized I have a replacement!

Hoping this information is not too repetitive, I also found there to be a heat shield on the old engine that blocks the two upper, center nuts. While nothing is impossible, the screws that attach the shield to the manifold are REALLY HARD TO GET TO. But remember: these are Vanwagons.

Shown is the old 4y with "bugger" heat shield.


Here's the transplant 4y with the manifolds bolted (and torqued!), tons of carbon removed and ready for Toyota to call me with that parts order! *note the "clipped" wires to #3 & 4... ugghh.

[YOTAMOG]

Van is up and running, sounds pretty smooth. Didn't want to start on the "mid" range of the distributor, so played with it for a minute and found the only way it will run is turned all the way clockwise (retarded) as far is it will go, maxed in the range of the adjustment. Timing, with the terminals jumpered, sits at about 40 degrees, barely on the scale. I can understand being off by 180, done that before but ?? Sniffed around for vacuum leaks, so far nothing. It's so nice and quiet now with those wicked exhaust leaks fixed, I can actually hear the air sucking inside the chamber as I rev it a bit.

No codes on the dash, compared the dist. from the donor, same lineup of the shaft and rotor. The only thing I can think of to do is move #1 wire on the cap to #4 positon, and so on, then advance it as far as it will go.

Hoping it's something simple- any suggestions, ideas?

[timsrv]

It sounds like the distributor is a tooth off. it should be at 12 deg BTDC with the distributer close to the center of adjustment (with the check engine connector jumpered). Glad you're making good progress. It's always nice to fire it up for the 1st time and not hear knocks . Tim

[YOTAMOG]

Well, it knocked and rattled like a German tank until everything pumped up. Took a few minutes to tighten up a couple fuel leaks, top off the coolant, etc.

I will try to adjust again- I thought of that and tried it, maybe those gears are harder to move than what I gave them. Just gotta lift the distributor out a bit for clearance on the end of the shaft (oil pump?) and then reef on the rotor?

I must have been tired! I'll try again today fresh...

[timsrv]

The distributor gear uses a helical type screw gear with the oil pump drive (like a slot tip screwdriver) right below it. This can make it a little tricky to line-up but it's pretty easy once you're familiar with what's required. As you remove the distributor this will cause the rotor to turn, so it's a good idea to line up the rotor in an easy to remember position (for reference) before you start (like straight forward or straight back). Then grab the rotor and "feel" the gear engagement by gently rocking it back and forth as you lift. You will know when the gears are clear when the resistance to rotation is gone. I usually find (by feel) the edge of the gears in this fashion, then rotate the rotor just a couple degrees in the desired direction, then drop the distributor back down with gears misaligned. Once it's resting on the misaligned gears, slowly continue rotating until the gears line-up and the distributor drops down.

This should do the trick for gear alignment but the oil pump drive may not drop into place (leaving the distributor slightly elevated off it's mount base). If that happens don't force it down! Just let gravity hold it there and crank the starter until the distributor drops the rest of the way down. At that point you can put the mount screw back in, reinstall the cap, and adjust your timing. Tim

[YOTAMOG]

Tim,

Running like new, thanks so much for the help and encouragement.

That technique worked perfectly, except I used a long flat screwdriver to adjust the oil pump slot-gear. Took a couple tries to line it up exactly but idling like a dream now and drove it up Hurricane Ridge Road to the campground in 4th gear! Time for that trip to Baja!

Found one custom mod that you might like, check out the lower radiator hose sheath over the power steering pump line: Was looking for something to protect it and almost cut it up, now I carry a spare everyplace I go!


And a shot of the happy van:

[YOTAMOG]

did you make the same mistake as I did with the injector connectors and remove them when you didn't need to? i'd like to see your remedy to this if that was what you did. i'm slightly stuck at this point although I haven't really had much time lately too.
well, good luck, aaron

Aaron, what do you mean by not needing to? Doesn't appear that there is a main connector to the injectors, the only other way seems to be disconnect (long way) or cut. Very curious...

[timsrv]

Nice! Success at last! I used to run up Race Street towards the ridge while test driving rigs sometimes. That was way back when I worked at Wilder Toyota as a tech.............many many years ago. Tim

PS: Your van looks sharp! I like your rims.

[YOTAMOG]

Oh yeah, it feels good to have checked that one off the list.

My neighbor gave me those wheels from his Rocky and the deer buster up front, dressed it up in a hurry. Nice to put the summer wheels on again, gives me hopeful feelings that it might warm up soon.

Anybody need '89 components? I'm looking for a gray console...

Advice I would give to somebody looking make this swap is to just get your parts list ordered and go for it. It honestly wasn't anywhere as difficult as I thought it could be. Like the guy at the radiator shop said a few days ago, "Just because you don't know how to do something today doesn't mean you can't learn how to do it tomorrow."

Plus there are amazing resources like this that make it more do-able. I learned a ton.

Maybe this is the end of the engine swap dialogue? Hopefully won't be needing to do another one for 10 more years! Maybe just a different fuel burner, methane, moon dust or something, who knows?

[timsrv]

Yeah, I noticed today fuel prices were over $4 per gal??? WTF? I'm still burning gas I paid $2.69 per gal for. I got about another 6 months worth then I'll need to fill my storage tanks again. Hopefully it will drop down again by then???

[YOTAMOG]

You just noticed the price was over $4? Where have you been, under a van?

[djshimon]

I think we may be talking about a different clip. When I was removing the injectors and fuel rail as one I removed my injector electrical connectors and they were very brittle(It was unnecessary what I did anyway). Three of them chipped on a corner and it seems I need to splice them with a new clip/connector or replace the connectors with new ones. Either way I just need to get to it and do it. But i'm at the beach right now so it's outta sight, outta mind.
You had to switch flywheels too right? Because you took a newer automatic engine and put it in your manual?
Glad you got it up and running!
-aaron

[timsrv]

You just noticed the price was over $4? Where have you been, under a van?

I typically only purchase fuel once a year (to have my big storage tanks filled), then I fill up here instead of gas stations. So typically gas prices are not an issue except late summer/early fall (when I have my tanks filled) .

[YOTAMOG]

Tim, van ran perfectly for the first week. Then, while driving to Neah Bay, it started to sputter and miss off and on. Still runs okay, just really rough now. Took the plugs out today to have a look and they are all quite oily but not fouled- oil all up the threads.



Removed cap and rotor, cleaned them up too, ran a bit better after this operation. The cap, rotor and wires are not new but were replaced last summer so I ran them anyway. AAARRRRGGGHHHH!!!!

Maybe needs hotter plugs or ignition issue? It ran similar to this before the swap, spent much $ trying to smooth it out, then determined the head gasket to be kaput. Nearly back where I started last fall, except this motor is really smooth despite the chronic miss.

Think I will just get the new cap, rotor, plugs, wires and some good injector cleaner. Dislike throwing money at problems, would rather go to the casino and try my luck.

[timsrv]

Have you checked codes?

[YOTAMOG]

No codes come up.

New plugs today, checked distributor out and found a pretty sloppy shaft. Luckily I have a few spares these days. Swapped the best distributor and coil, which is low in primary resistance (0.6) according to the tech book (1.2-1.5). Upon test driving, code #6 came up, (distributor) so pulled the EFI fuse and now it's all clear. Probably gonna go for the new coil if you don't have any other tricks up your sleeve.

Checked compression today- 167, 174, 179, 178. Definitely feel the power difference, the old motor was in the high 120's to low130's.

[YOTAMOG]

Okay Tim, just reading your dialogue with EZHIKER on the Sick Van thread. Seems like it could go either way- coil or igniter. Unfortunately I don't have a test igniter, is there another way to test it? Book says just to try another one. As far as coils go, I have always thought they were of the "go or no go" sort.

[timsrv]

Coils are a pretty common failed item on these vans. Igniters can fail but not nearly as frequently as coils. Coils can outright fail, they can "sort of fail", they can make the van run sick, and they can fail intermittently. Intermittent failure is usually moisture or heat related. Tim