do you ever wonder...

[billybek]

I have torn machines back to the bearings to find that the locking collar that I couldn't remember tightening was tight.
If ya can't remember, ya better look!

[M.D. Holloway]

Multi-colored smoke...thats not good.

[notfarnow]

so....

As soon as the head came off, I knew it was bad:

[porsche4life]

Did it shove a valve through the head? Yikes!


This thread is not confidence inspiring... I'm about to have all the suspension of the 944....

[aigel]

Thanks for that great write up! I read the text thinking this was hypothetical and scrolled down to your picture only when I had read all the writing. Sorry, but I had to LOL. I appreciate you sharing - a lot of people would put a bag over their head and not mention a thing.

Is this the 4Runner that got a diesel conversion from a half cut car? You better keep fixing it up, after all the effort you have in it. Just don't sweat it and give yourself time.

And yes, I have wondered about stuff like this before. But every time I went back to check, everything was okay. I have become more confident in myself over the years and also like to work with manuals, even though I do not need them to do the job. I like them because they go step by step and I do not skip any of them. If I do not have manuals, I write up a list of things to do - a short self guide so to speak. It helps your sanity.

George

[notfarnow]

good news is the cylinder wall doesn't have a mark. I'm dropping the oil pan now, will push the piston up.

I have a spare head that I will have vacuum checked tomorrow. If it checks out, I will forge ahead. I've tracked down a good used set of pistons & rods for $75, and dad can pick them up next week on his way down from Montreal.

upwards & onwards

[aigel]

That's great. Make sure you take apart and check the bottom end. The engine (piston) locking up may have taken it's toll on rods, bearings, caps etc.

George

[crustychief]

Cropcircles on the piston top! You might be ok, the cylinder walls lucked out maybe the crank did as well.

[notfarnow]

just needs a bit of JB weld, and a few minutes with a rasp



330am... going to bed now

[GH85Carrera]

Be sure to keep that piston and a "trophy" to hang on the wall.

[Rot 911]

Your wife has the patience of Job!

[aigel]

Fantastic! What a picture!

George

[notfarnow]

Good news: The old head was magnafluxed & vacuum tested, checked out fine. Had it planed and cleaned up, it's ready to go

Have some pistons being sent from Quebec, a Headgasket set from Ohio, and some glow plugs from Australia.

still need to find stretch bolts for the head.

Originally Posted by GH85Carrera

Be sure to keep that piston and a "trophy" to hang on the wall.

Might even use it as a pen holder!

Originally Posted by Rot 911

Your wife has the patience of Job!

Not really, this stuff makes her *crazy*. I can usually get away with it in the winter when work is slower, but it rattles her when I get into this stuff in the summer. Problem is I use the truck regularly for real estate signs, and for lugging my vegetable oil. I can borrow my FIL's truck, but it's REALLY inconvenient

Originally Posted by aigel

Fantastic! What a picture!
George

Thanks! I am putting it on my wall of shame, along with this one:

[aigel]

Originally Posted by notfarnow

Good news: The old head was magnafluxed & vacuum tested, checked out fine.

How about the big hole the broken off valve punched in there?

George

[notfarnow]

Originally Posted by aigel

How about the big hole the broken off valve punched in there?

George

Sorry, should have clarified. I put an $800, low-mile, rebuilt head from SC on it this winter. That's the one that got destroyed by the valve.

I dropped off the OLD head at the machine shop this week, and much to my relief it checked out AOK. The truck used to pressurize the cooling system and blow hoses, and they are prone to cracking so I was expecting it to be cracked. It was just warped.

[aigel]

Sweet - glad you kept it and now it is flat and good to go! Looks like you got the offending cylinder's connecting rod off already anyway. How did you do that all in the car? Wouldn't it have been easier to pull the engine?

Cheers,

George

[TimT]

Thats just a flesh wound

This is car-nage

[notfarnow]

Originally Posted by aigel

Sweet - glad you kept it and now it is flat and good to go! Looks like you got the offending cylinder's connecting rod off already anyway. How did you do that all in the car? Wouldn't it have been easier to pull the engine?

Cheers,

George

Unbolted the engine mounts, and lifted the engine a couple inches. I wasn't able to take the oil pan out, but I got it down with enough clearance to get at the #1 piston connecting rod. Pupped it up through.

My preference would have been to pull the engine and have the block bored, but a) This is really a beater, and rust will have it killed in a couple years and b) I just don't have time to pull the engine this time of year. Too busy with work

Originally Posted by TimT

Thats just a flesh wound

This is car-nage

That's disgusting!

[notfarnow]

Set to work last night, with a squeaky clean machined head, a new(to me) piston & rod, and a gasket set ($250 %&@%@) that took 3 weeks to get here.

Got everything nice & clean, oiled the cylinder wall, piston & bearings. Slid the new piston in. Went underneath, lined up the conrod on the crank, put the cap on and bolted it up to torque.

Checked it for side to side play... clackety clackety clackety. Huh. Pulled it out again, and checked closer. Conrods not *quite* the same, larger bearings.

Game over for the Frankendiesel 4runner. I don't have the garage space, time, or mental bandwidth for this project anymore. Pulled the valuable bits off and will have it towed out tomorrow.

Need a replacement vehicle, 2-3k ish. Seems to be some nice ford & chev 4x4 trucks in that range, but there are also a few of these around locally: