Potential Gas Tank Sabotage - 2002 Prerunner Turns Over but Won't Start

This is starting to sound like one of my projects -- Last year I ended up $1000 deep in a bargain $100 mower.

Keep at it, success is close at hand!

 

Ha ha! I have a few "lawn mower" projects myself. Well, doing the work myself, opposed to taking it to a shop, or claiming it on my insurance for the gift that keeps giving, I'm okay with dropping a little less than a grand to get it going again. We got the truck for a steal, as part if an inheritance, and it is a great truck, so I'd like to see it back on the road!

 

Well, looks like this may be my next "lawn mower" project. I have been learning a lot, and looks like I'm about to learn some more. I doubt I'm going to keep this repair under a grand now. I was replacing the fuel injectors, and everything was going smooth as silk, until I got to the removing the old injectors part. The video I saw had the fuel injector come out when the fuel rails were removed, with them still attached to the fuel rail. I took the passenger side off first, and all 3 injectors stayed in the intake. The driver side fuel rail came off without the injectors too, but I was able to extract each injector without the tip breaking off. They would not come out, and I tried turning them a bit, and pulling straight up, and 2 of the 3 had the tip/filter break off into the intake. I looked that one up, and a lot of people had luck using a pick. Between a pick and needle nose pliers I broke up the plastic pretty good. Upon more research I saw someone suggest screwing in a wood screw, slightly larger than the hole in the fuel injector, and then use pliers or the claws of a hammer and see if can pull the stuck piece straight out. That probably wasn't a great idea, but I figured I'd give it a try, which may have been my first mistake. My second mistake was I used a 3" stainless steel screw. There goes any hope of using a magnet. Well, as I was screwing the screw into the injector the broken piece of the tip of the fuel injector, and the 3" stainless screw, fell into the intake. Now I am thoroughly screwed! I tried hooking up a shop vac to a rubber hose, as I saw others had success with, but I didn't have much luck. If the screw wasn't a bad enough idea in the first pace, at least I should have had the brains and foresight that something like that could happen, and tie a string or piece of dental floss to the screw in case it fell in, but nooooooo, that would be too smart. My neighbor has a scope that will fit in the hole, so tomorrow I'll see what I can see. I think it's close to impossible that I'll be able to fish the screw back through the hole, as its diameter isn't much smaller than the hole it fell in. So, looks like I'll be ripping the engine apart to get my screw. I left the other broken injector in it's hole since it looks like I need to take the intake off. I am so screwed... literally!

So, other than thinking I'm an idiot, any suggestions? Do I have a 1 in 6 chance that I can remove the spark plug and get the screw out that way? I don't think so, but now I need to what is involved taking the intake off. Looks like I have to take the heads off too, but I've never looked into it. I don't know what the inside of the engine looks like, and what's under the holes the injectors plug into. I have painter's tape over the intake holes, but don't think I can access it that way. I really have no clue... but the research starts after I hit send on this post. Damn it! It was all going so well!

 

Not ideal of course but we learn from mistakes. Keep plugging away man

 

I don't even know the proper terminology. The fuel injectors have one end plug into the fuel rail, and the other end plugs into the engine. What is the part of the engine called that they plug into, the intake manifold? Or are those what I removed to get to and remove the fuel rails? What do I need to rip apart to get to what is under the fuel injectors (the hole I dropped the screw into)? If I knew the right words to search I might have better luck. I'll be curious as to what I will see with my neighbor's scope, but I highly doubt I'll be able to get the screw back through the hole it fell in.

 

Okay, this might not be as bad as I thought. Looks like the intake manifold does sit between the valve covers and can be removed. I feared that I would have to remove both heads to gat at it. So, I think I get a couple 17177-62060 intake manifold gaskets and I'm back in business. One more extra step, but now I can see what's under the intake manifold and learn something. After I get some buy in on that, and confirm it's all I need, I order the gaskets and get 'er done!

 

DO NOT CRANK THE ENGINE OVER! -- I know you know that but my OCD tendencies require I say it.


Man, I can't "like" the lawn mower post but I sure can identify with it.
I also admire the lighthearted attitude you have taken toward this project along your journey.

On the positive, situations like that have helped me develop an extensive vocabulary over the years...

Disclaimer: I have never even seen a Toyota 3.4 much less work on one, perhaps another reader with better experience will come along and help out here.

The injectors go into the intake manifold, not the combustion chamber so removing the spark plugs isn't the right course. The intake should be reasonably straight forward to remove, you will probably need to drain the cooling system first.

Found a write up, again this engine isn't in my area of experience so precede with caution. If you don't have a manual to help you along it would really be a great investment, a factory service manual is best naturally however the good old Haynes manuals have been helping guys out for a lot of years and contain all the torque specifications you need. Your local Auto Zone usually has them in stock.
Part #92076
SKU #156241 About $24.

https://haynes.com/en-us/toyota/tacoma/1995-2004

 

Yeah, lighthearted is all I've got, or I'd go crazy! I will not turn over the engine until I get the screw out. At least now I can extract the other broken piece, after I take the intake manifold off, and I'll be able to vac out any broken pieces, and the O-ring, of the one that fell through along with the screw. I found a video that showed how to remove the intake manifold, and yes, I need to drain some of the radiator fluid. Not really a silver lining, but I have the 50/50 pink and was planning of replacing the radiator hoses and flushing the cooling system anyway, so looks like I'll bundle that in as part of this project. I have this really cool funnel kit, with attachments for various size radiator caps, which make flushing the cooling loop a breeze! With this extra work I've created I'd hate to make more work, by having water seep through the intake manifold gasket, so I also need to get some seal packing, incase the surface isn't completely flat and smooth where the water flows throw the intake manifold gaskets. The truck is also close to 100K miles, so I am contemplating doing the timing belt, water pump, tensioner and thermostat now too, since I'll be draining the radiator. With new radiator hoses, a flushed cooling loop, new belt, spark plugs, and wires (and maybe the timing belt) the truck will be ready for its move to SoCal.

Regarding the FSM, I do have one for my 3rd Gen 4Runner with the same engine, and also have an electronic version for the 1st Gen Tacoma. The videos I watch from Timmy the Toolman always include the OEM part numbers for any parts needed in the particular repair, as well as the torque spec for each fastener removed. They can get a little long at times, but they are very thorough and good instructional videos!

Not that it matters, but if anyone is curious, it was the fuel injector for the #3 cylinder that fell through with the screw, and the #1 cylinder still has the broken part of the fuel injector stuck in it, which I'll remove properly when I remove the intake manifold. The driver side bank of cylinders 2, 4 and 6 had all fuel injectors come out with no problem. I wonder if there is a reason why all 3 of the passenger side injectors were stuck, while the driver side injectors were not? As always, thanks for the tips and advice. Keep 'em coming!

 

Servicing the timing belt and cooling system is always a good idea, then you should be GTG for another 100k.

 

Yup, I did the timing belt on my 4Runner with the same engine, so I'm almost a pro at it! I figure if it's due soon anyway, I may as well knock it out now.

 

I still have one trick up my sleeve, and may try to get one of those 4-prong claw dealies small enough to fit through the intake manifold hole. I used my neighbor's scope and the screw is upright, and the broken piece of the injector appears to still be threaded on the screw, so I may get lucky and fish it out. If so, I won't need to remove the intake manifold. That is probably very optimistic, but worth the last ditch effort to try to get the screw out without removing the intake manifold.

 

For those whom enjoy a good trainwreck...

 

The broken piece of fuel injector is threaded on the screw, so if I can fish it out I'll be golden! Screw is stainless, so no magnet.

 

If the 4-prong grabber is too thick maybe you can use something thinner like a disposable coffee stirrer. You can put some sticky tape on the end to hopefully snag the screw and bring it topside (or a dab of glue...just touch the end to the screw and let the stirrer sit there while the glue dries.) A second option is to run some dental floss or fishing wire through the stirrer to make a kind of noose. Use the end of the stirrer to [GENTLY!] manipulate the screw so that you can slip the noose around the screw head.

 

Good suggestions, thank you! A friend and I talked about using a wooden skewer and some crazy glue. The screw appears to be upright, and not that deep, so if I can get the skewer and the probe in the hole at the same time it might be doable. Otherwise, I'm going in blind, and would hate to think of what additional problems I could create by introducing glue in there. The 4-claw grabber is what I'm hoping will work. I just need to find one that will fit through the hole. If I can get a grabber and the scope in there I am very confident I can get the screw out. We'll see. It doesn't look like removing the intake manifold is that big of a deal, but the coolant and making sure the new gasket doesn't let water get by is a concern. Learning is fun! Lol!

 

That dental floss trick is good! I'll remember that one.

 

Yes, I think so... unfortunately I didn't think about it until after I dropped the screw in the intake. Doh! Hindsight!

 

My life story is filled with "I could have/should have/would have" --
when asked why I always say "usual reason, didn't think of it..."

 

Okay, a glimmer of hope. I bought one of those little claw grabbers, and have definitely grabbed the screw, but when I try to get it out of the hole it loses grip. I can't get the scope and claw grabber in at the same time, so going in blind makes it challenging. The only way I think the claw will work is if I nail it and catch the screw at the head. So, I tried plan B. I could get a small skewer in the hole with the scope, and got pretty good at sticking the skewer smack dab in the middle of the square hole in the screw (not a flat head or philips head, but a square hole, for lack of a better term). So, I put a small dab of Gorilla Glue's version of Crazy Glue on the tip of the skewer, and nailed it right in the hole of the screw. Letting it dry for a little bit before I try to pull it out. I think this might work!

 

Damn, for an idiot I'm a genius?