Head gasket

I have a 2005 Tacoma that is over 200 and thousand miles. About 205. Pretty sure my head gasket is going. I am losing coolant and also having the milky substance on my oil cap. I don’t have the ability to buy a new truck or a new motor Anybody have any suggestions on temporary fixes to allow me to limp this along until I can find a better solution

 

The head gasket problem is not a death notice as long as you don’t drive it if it starts to overheat. It is a very common repair for 05-06’s and your truck will run great after you replace it.

The milky substance under the oil cap is normal it is not always head gasket related. These motors do that.

Also check your coolant reservoir, the output bung gets brittle with age as well as the hoses and can also cause coolant loss.

Ultimately the way to know for sure if it is the head gasket is to get the coolant tested or look for bubbles flowing into the reservoir after you stop.

 

^^^what he said. Ask at your local napa or autozone or whathaveyou for a coolant test kit. Should be some strips to test for oil contamination.

 

And if your radiator cab is original, replace it. They do not last forever, and the radiator overflow can work poorly if it doesn’t seal well.

 

The milky substance under the oil cap could be caused by frequent short rips. The engine does not stay warm long enough to burn off any moisture in the oil.

 

Milky usually means PCV issue or frequent short trips causing condensation because the oil doesn’t get warm enough to burn off water.

Coolant low means leak or HG failure which you confirm by using $20-40 liquid Test Kit.

Theres not really a “magic bottle” that works for that, compared to similar stuff like a bit of StopLeak into power steering.

they do market stuff for it (headgasket) but typically those products simply clog the hell out of the whole cooling system and ruin it.

if it needs it, I’d probably DIY it. Only question is how much other shit is needed.
Like:

-can the heads be left alone and re used, or do they need rebuilding with new valve stem seals which I guess can still be DIYed with the right tools

-is machining work needed, if it’s never been significantly overheated to suggest high likelihood of warpage
ie block decked. Heads machined.

or can it maybe be measured. Like with a straightedge. Surfaces cleaned with a carbide scraper. And then slapped back on with new gaskets etc

I’ve put new gaskets in other vehicles without machining per manufacturer repair manual. But 1. They at no point overheated and 2. The MLS gaskets are considered forgiving. 3. Said vehicles had strong iron blocks, not aluminum.

I’ve generally heard that if no overheating has occurred, machining is not needed.

if you’ve got short trips one option is putting a cheap catch can in the hopes it would catch any of that and keep it out of the main oil circuit. I have one and simply have to remember to empty it out (proper disposal) when it starts to get full which is basically an oil changes worth of time.
The “kits” for $200 look exactly the same as $30 Amazon.

for $200+ I’d want a Mann ProVent with replaceable filter, drain line back to block with one way check valve - not just a hose running to a Pepsi can. That’s what I have now for $30. No draining every 5k needed with the ProVent. Just replace the filter every 40k. And looks a little more OEM so smog shops don’t shit their pants over you having a different wiper blade.

 

Especially in cold/damp winter weather conditions. I get mild accumulations of this 'cream' under the oil cap in the winter, but never in the summer.

 

I would agree with the others regarding the "milky cap". That was present on my 08 V6 when I bought it used with 206k miles. I cleaned it off of the cap and it never has come back and I now have around 313k miles. My truck also idles a lot during cold weather as I tend to run my engine while car camping to warm up the interior.

You may likely have a head gasket issue but I would confirm that you actually have one. Should be pretty easy to do with a borescope and a cooling system pressure tester. The latter can be rented.

If you DIY the head gaskets, then you should change the valve seals. If you are able to get the heads off, you should be able to change the valve seals. Hardest part is not loosing the valve keepers in my own opinion. Regarding resurfacing the head, I had mine done but I would probably not do it if they are still within spec. The spec is listed in the SM. I believe the maximum warpage is 0.0039 in for the V6. You can find out what the warpage is from a machine shop if you have the heads inspected. I suppose you can use a straight edge but you may spend as much in purchasing a high quality one as opposed to having the heads inspected. I only mention the spec because I am not sure how many machine shops know what the acceptable warpage for this specific cylinder head.

 

Thanks everybody this info is all really helpful. On to another 100 k hopefully