Replacing head - - 1992 2TZ-FE - The Saga of Njordi

[Boerderij_Kabouter]

I have decided to replace my head. Ordered a remanufactured head from Cylinder Heads International for $425 shipping and including postage for returning the core. I am going to use the Samay Method for replacing the head without pulling the engine.

I am pulling together the list of parts I need and I think I have found everything except the water outlet gasket and the EGR inlet gasket. I think this is everything else:

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I would love to hear other parts people found important to replace.

I am not planning to redo the timing chain assembly. Njordi has 170k miles and I just don't think replacing is worth all the extra hassle right now. I am sure some will disagree.

[Boerderij_Kabouter]

Specific question, the manual says you only need to replace the head bolts if they are damaged or broken. I assume that means they are not torque to yield, but what are the communities thoughts? Do I need to spend $83 on bolts, or is it fine to reuse. Looking at vehicle history, I am about 98% positive this will be the first time the head comes off.

[man_btc]

Here's what one quite respected member has had to say on the subject,

https://www.toyotavantech.com/forum/...=3009#post3009

One final thing to consider is head-bolts. I've always re-used the old head bolts, but I've heard of others having trouble doing so (bolts broke during final torque). Perhaps they over-torqued or just weren't smart enough to know how to even use a torque wrench, but this is a commonly debated subject. Its a subject each mechanic should consider and many choose to purchase all new head bolts. Always lube the threads and contact areas of the head bolts (under the heads) with engine oil and follow correct torque values/tightening sequences outlined in the service manual.

And attached at the bottom is Toyota's prolly-you-shouldn't advice from back in the day (Service News - Toyota's Support To Automotive Repair, May/June 2003, Issue 100, p23)

Also, here's my collected notes from when I was trying to figure out what to do (sorry no original sources - was just copying and pasting - FWIW I used new bolts and did the little tighten-and-release bit described below, but more out of an abundance of I-hope-I-don't-f~ck-this-up caution than any strong belief or claimed expertise...

----------------- (my own notes collected from here and there, pardon the repetition from different sources)-----------------------------------------------
New head bolts


Usually breakage with bolts is due to the threads creating resistance, they stop turning. The same can happen with a stud if the nut end threads are not completely free and lubed. Once they stop slipping as they are torqued, you are now twisting the shaft of the piece. I have had a couple of cases of folks breaking brand new bolts, this is the cause of that.

If the shaft of the fastner is actually twisted rather than tightened into the block, it is not creating clamping force at all, even though the torque wrench may read accurate load.

Yep, it can break. So before we even think of going to maximum torque, we clean the threads in the block with a chaser, (NOT a tap)..Then we oil the threads and spin the bolt all the way in and out with our fingers. This assures they are clean and lubed.

Then we pull them to 50%, all of them. ... back off 1/4 turn and repeat, note each time it will turn a tad more before 50% is reached. This is because the threads are bedding in. We do this 5 times, then we go to 75%, then to 100%, all done. We do this with ALL new fastners...it assures a more even clamping force, inconsistant clamping force is the number 2 cause of early head gasket failure..(heat is number one)

It takes some time, sure, but it takes less time than pulling the head back off.

More on bolt torqueing


*Yes, very likely, but torque, which is a twisting force, means almost nothing when we are talking about clamping force.
Dirt or machinery debris in the bolt holes will throw the clamping force off as much as 50% and more, even though the torque wrench reads perfectly normal.
The same happens when installing new bolts. The very best bolts made will show a rough mating surface at the threads when inspected under a microscope.
When installing new or used fastners, first be sure the bolt will spin in and out ALL THE WAY freely with simple finger pressure. Be sure they are lightly oiled, not too much which can hydraulic lock at the bottom of any blind holes and spoil your day.
Use this simple breakin procedure for any new bolts: Tighten all of them to 50%, back off 1/4 turn, then to 75%, back off 1/4 turn. Then take them to 100%, back off 1/4 turn and repeat. Do a retorque after full warmup.
*This procedure simply assures that the imperfections of the threads seat to the bolt hole threads.
Yes, time consuming, but much faster and less costly than another set of gaskets, the actual clamping force will increase vastly, even though the torque load is exactly the same.
The alternative is you may be additional twisting at the top of the bolt after the threads have come to a stop from excess friction.
If any single one does that, head gasket failure prematurely is gauranteed, plus it weakens the bolt


(PS Ran this by the guys at the place where I had my head resurfaced. they didn't think much of it.)

--------------- (A Toyota Service Mag - see page 23) --------------------------------

[man_btc]

As for other parts, depends on what breaks when you look at it. My wiring loom cover would crumble if I so much as grazed it, so was busy fabbing aluminum brackets and wrapping wires in heat-resistant tape and loom cover.

[Boerderij_Kabouter]

Very helpful!

My wiring loom is already blasted. I have loom material to replace it. Not original, but I will try to make it look nice.

Fingers crossed I don't break other stuff.

[man_btc]

Fingers crossed I don't break other stuff.

As I recall, the end of my fuel pipe (for me, pn 23801-76020 "Pipe Sub-Assy, Fuel" - that crosses over the top from the driver's side) snapped off when handled. Also broke the stiff-plastic intake air plenum which, like the wire loom covers, lost the semblance of structural integrity as it moved.

Inexperienced as I was, I also decided to replace the valve seals AFTER I had reattached the head, so I got some hands-on with the "rope trick" of stuffing each cylinder through the spark plug hole and even used long tweezers clamped to the valve stems to keep them from falling in whilst I removed and replaced seals and hoped Murphy was taking a sick day.

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For me - unlike all the knowledgeable posters on the Yahoo board I frequented - completely inexperienced and doing the most involved engine work I had ever attempted - I also found it useful to write down EVERYTHING I did step-by-step. I have photos of two huge whiteboards I happened to have at the time including things like "place block of wood between such-and-such," so I had a very detailed trail of breadcrumbs to follow when reassembling (or remembering where I left off after being away). Also used a lot of different-colored tie-wraps to mark mating ends of anything I disconnected. For my '92 one of the most labor-intensive work was clearing carbon out of the EGR passage. Not sure I measured the valve shim clearances while I was in there, although I'd like to think I did - but at any rate I wasn't replacing the head, which I would think makes it a must-do.

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With the engine dropped onto the supports with the mounts removed, it was a super-tight fit sometimes to do anything along the top of the engine of course.

[Boerderij_Kabouter]

New head looks pretty great, but it does not have most of the studs. I reached out to Cylinder Heads International because I was not sure if they were supposed to be supplied or not. I am having a very hard time finding what I need to buy to put in new studs. Does anyone know?

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[Boerderij_Kabouter]

CHI with impressive responsiveness. They said they do not do anything with the studs. So they do not supply new studs, but I am free to remove and resuse my old studs. Initial research says that it should be OK to remove the studs from my old head and reuse them. Would love to hear any opinions about that from the group.

[Boerderij_Kabouter]

I ended up getting a seriously wicked stomach bug this week so I am not getting the head swapped this weekend. But I finally felt good enough today to at least do something. Sheesh, I hate sitting around.

Just got the exhaust manifold off, and... Took a bath in about a half pint of coolant. So, now I would say I have explicitly confirmed an issue, just need to cross the fingers that the head gasket is in fact the issue.

Kind of odd that this did not show up on the test I had run.

[Boerderij_Kabouter]

Seriously wicked stomach bug = emergency gallbladder removal surgery. I am laid up with lifting restrictions for 6 weeks. Total downer and all Njordi projects are put on hold. Updates hopefully sometime in July. Bummer

[Previologist]

Yikes! Get well soon. The head gasket can wait, and the suspense will only build