SOLVED! Post 2853 Leaking Injectors, Dealer Techs Rock! Extended Cranking after Engine Swap 3.4L 5vz

You can have mine. Only missing 3 shots. I think it might be better mixed. I like my booze neat.

 

Laughing my ass off!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! THIS is exactly what I had in mind Keakar, I knew you could do it!! You came up with the ultimate dramatic story line, and even included "teases" to keep the viewers coming back!! That is some seriously quality stuff Keakar, nice job. I couldn't top that if I tried!! Keep it coming, that's about the hardest I've laughed in a while!! This image of me standing out there totally shitfaced, with a roadside cookie stand in the front yard (I'm picturing an evil sign that says "buy my sad broken cookies to help fix my truck or face my wrath"), and a torch in hand ready to do the deed, and a big barrel of moonshine at my side..........good stuff. Dude, with the right connections, we could turn this thing into millions of $$$ of TV viewing guys! Who's with me????

Ha, that is so funny that Hetkind chimed in with the Buffalo comment when he did - just this morning, Koditten mentioned tracking down Buffalo finally to try, and I told him he should let Hetkind know on the thread, because he'd be excited for him. Ha!! Funny how that turned out. But bummer that you don't care for it Koditten!! At least give it a chance mixed with gingerale - that's how I drink mine, and it's probably my fave drink across the board. Yum. Don't even need much (I know you said you like your drinks neat) - just a little pour to give it that slightly sweet flavor. I'd drink Buffalo neat too though, so I don't know, maybe just not your thing........leaves more for me and Hetkind anyway!! I do love that J & B you turned us onto........guess I can see why you're happy with what you already know and like.

OK, here's the update:

Mechanic is thinking it COULD be the starter (donor arrived today!). I *think* (apologies for poor job of paraphrasing what he said, I will now butcher the shit out of it) he said he noticed it was drawing as much as 425 amps when it hesitates to start. Also, in a roundabout way, he hinted at coming to the end of his time that he is able/willing to "donate" to investigating the issue, AKA we gotta make some tough decisions soon I think. But the good (hopeful) news is he was planning to contact the angel mechanic, in hopes of them putting their heads together on it for a last ditch effort! Angel mechanic (the one that had to go to Florida when his brother was passing) used to work at this place, and I think they had a bit of a falling out or something, then angel began working from home. So for this mechanic to be willing to swallow his pride and attempt to "bury the hatchet" for the good of saving the Taco (just like Keakar said, all the townspeople are rallying together!), well, that would be pretty damn awesome. I just hope that call is well received also. I may make a call of my own in hopes of assuring that the call will be well received. Hmmm.

 

For some reason when I picture the "towns people rallying together", I flash on the Frankenstein movie scene storming the castle. I know if this was my truck, burning it to the ground would be going thru my mind. Fortunately I love a good challenge and this would not happen.

 

$runner would be nice,, but I think you need a easy access truck bed by the sounds of it,,for you new shop and all.

Dammit. I wish WTF truck would work for you. My official new title for it.


Not a painter by any means. I make a real good mess, but that's the extent. The shop out on hwy 217 slings some good paint from what I have seen. I'll Pm you that once i find it.

Doc Injector of Tacoma just got some money. There Gladstone shop was swamped. Replacing injectors on a old Subie legacy wagon AWD. Side feed injectors on those. Had a #2 misfire. Injector #2 was in need of attention and it showed on there comparitor before the rebuild. All are back to factory numbers + a bit better response time as there tweaks. Amazingly cheap and not to bad to work on. Stuff comes apart pretty easy. Option#2 for your Honda car would be a first gen Subaru AllWheelDrive wagon. 36mpg with shitty injectors. 2.2L only. Skip the 2.5 dual cam setup. Bad headaches with that one.

 

I just received exclusive shop video footage from the future, when Jen and Eric finally find out the taco is fixed

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bPmVhyHBRAM&list=PL859C112B5578DF45&index=4

 

and just for the hell of it, if you need to smile today watch this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6W49wkpKzgU

 

You could use a pic of me eating the cookie crumbles. "think of the children", "don't force your kids to eat broken cookies"

 

That booze won't go to waste. If you think I drink a lot, you should meet my friends. In most cases, OPB (other peoples booze), is the best. No one criticizes free likker.

 

This is stolen!

It just hit me, this is the opening from that old sit com "Soap". I love that show, the wife and I will crack out on "Soap" every couple years or so. Literally spend the whole weekend watching. Good Times.

 

Man, you guys really breathed some new life into this dying thread today!! Good stuff! Can't get entertainment this good on TV or a movie even!

Keakar, LOVE the Frankenstein video, and you hit the nail on the head - now if it ever gets fixed, I swear Eric & I will re-enact that scene in our driveway and post the video. Y'all deserve a laugh that good after sticking with us so long!

Koditten, I am totally looking up Soap - I vaguely remember that show, but Eric & I are totally into watching old TV series and this one sounds like a gem. Looking into it ASAP!

Good news! Current mechanic said he left a message for angel mechanic, and is hoping to hear back from him. And yes, I did do some meddling and made a quick call to angel mechanic and basically let him know he might receive this call and to please please please please please have mercy and put whatever differences aside and brainstorm with current mechanic. I think he's going to do it, which would be so cool! At least there'd be some good to come out of this disaster, if the two of them are able to bury the hatchet between them, all in the name of saving the Taco.

Dumb question, and pretty sure I know the answer, but wanna run it by you guys. The starter would have been removed to swap the engine, right? So it's possible it was damaged in that process, right? Just would be beyond a strange coincidence if our starter was doing great and fine then all of a sudden it's not. Or would better compression from a new engine cause the starter to fail intermittently when truck is hot? In any case, I talked more with current mechanic about it. He has two machines that check amps to starter. The digital fancy Snap On Tool thing was the one getting as much as 425 volts during bad start, whereas the old fashioned machine was getting only 200, I think at that same moment. So I just swung by the electrical place I'd gone to at least a month ago, who tested the amps to the starter. At that time, they only checked it when cold starting and it was fine. I remember asking the guy if we should check while hot, since that's when the problem occurs, and he said nah. Today, I told those same two guys that helped me back on that day what's going on with starter suspicions, to get their thoughts. They agreed it was weird that two machines were getting different readings. They said if truck was driveable, we could bring it back to them to test when hot, so that we'd have a 3rd machine checking amps before replacing the part. Ran back down to mechanic to let him know, and he was totally open to doing that, but wanted to wait a day or so, to see if angel mechanic calls him back, then if they put their heads together on the truck, he'd want to keep his fuel pressure gauge, etc hooked up. So if he doesn't hear back from angel mechanic in the next 24 hours or so, he's gonna button it up so it can be taken to that electrical place to see what their machine reads when truck is hot, then possibly replace starter pending that. Both he and angel mechanic said the starter is a pain to get to, and therefore would cost a fair amount to swap, so that's why we are splitting hairs over the decision. Anyone have thoughts/opinions?

 

I had that in mind when I did it lol.

here Jen this will give you a quick tease, it was a good show

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AmNstfqtJFA&list=PLxnJpxCzmV9heBIS7NVPW_ZvKGNnvmWk7

 

I actually think changing the starter is easier than other vehicles. You go in thru the fender well. Remove tire, remover rubber inner shield and the starter is right there. It does help if you have smaller hands. You have to twist and turn the starter a certain way to clear the brake line,if memory serves me correct. Pull starter out of fender well.

At least its not a first gen Tundra. Those starter were on top of the engine, under the intake manifold. Never had to change one, but it looked like a major pain.

I have had issues with other vehicles where we had troubles with a starter after an engine change. Maybe your mechanic is on to something. I dunno.

 

There is the possibility that you don't even have your original starter. A starter is a starter. No biggie.

Of course, if it has FAP written on it, you would know for sure

 

Does the 4wd stuff (the differential, right?) get in the way of getting to it? Those electrical dudes said there's a bunch of brake lines that go through that area, so they are a pain to work around or something. How long did it take you to get this one out, or was it already out?

EDIT: HA!! Yes, FAP for sure would be a solid clue! Wait, are you speculating that perhaps they put a different starter in when swapping the engine (either intentionally or by mistake)?

 

It has been known to happen, on occassion, that the parts put on YOUR truck were not the parts taken OFF of your truck...

Howard

 

I remember 1 brake line was kind of in the way, I carefully bent it by hand. I did it on a 10 year old , salt sprayed and rusted brake line and had no issue. I did not even bend the line back to the original position. Figured if I had to change another starter, that line was out of the way.

The four wheel stuff has no bearing on this job. Nothing like that is even close.

 

Excellent! Thank you so much for the input, this helps a lot!

Hetkind, what's up with the 4Runner?

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DrNVT7oBw5c

A fave Waylon song I wanted to share with you guys.........it's worth a listen.

You guys, I realize how idiotic I must sound to be hopeful AGAIN. But I'll admit it to you guys (and I suppose the entire world) - I am hopeful right now. About the starter thing. Very hopeful. It fits for a number of reasons.

First, failing when hot - then damn thing is located right by the hot ass exhaust pipe!! Of course it's subject to some nasty heat!

Second, the reading of 425 our mechanic was getting for amps. Granted, he was getting 200 on the other machine, so that doesn't make sense. But he started it a bunch of times in a row this morning when I stopped by, while I watched the Snap On screen that displayed the amps - and a few of those starts showed amps of 256, one of 257, etc. And when I went to the electrical dudes today, they showed me their little chart that breaks down the appropriate amps for each motor type. And on a 6 cylinder, it was supposed to be UP to 250. Not more than. Granted, they mentioned the good ol' gray area factor, but still - technically even on those starts right in a row when it SOUNDED pretty close to normal, it was a bit over the line on amps.

Third - about a month ago, I emailed the engine dudes and basically begged them to rack their brains to try to remember any little anything that could be a helpful clue for us. And one of my specific questions was whether they've ever seen this before - where a new problem develops AFTER they swap an engine. And he said he remembered one guy with a 3RZ that had a starting issue afterwards, and it wound up being the contacts in the starter.

Fourth - Koditten is saying he's seen starter prob's after an engines swap before.

Fifth - the starter had to be removed to swap the engine - and in my mind, anything that had to be tinkered with during the swap is a more likely culprit than things that were not tinkered with. And especially things that had to be completely REMOVED and REINSTALLED. Look at the photos of our cam sensor.

Sixth, and perhaps most importantly - we have a starting problem. We are considering the starter as the possible culprit. Nuff said.

I realize I am only torturing myself by allowing myself to get hopeful/excited about this, but I am anyway. This could be it guys. I haven't felt this hopeful in a long while. This really could be it.

 

I want to see some pics of these cabinets. Hopefully before and after.