Headgasket suspect.

I've got a suspicion that I've got a leaking headgasket on my 2005 Tacoma;



Since August it has been filling the overflow bottle of coolant during highway driving, to the point of spraying out coolant under the hood. When it's turned off after a trip it continues to bubble air out of the radiator into the overflow tank. Scangauge reads a steady ~90C so it's not overheating. I've replaced the radiator cap hoping it was the culprit but the symptoms are still there..

Reading the 1Gr Headgasket thread on T4R I see some of the other signs; seemingly random hard start once a month, waterfall wooshing sound of air in the heater core behind the dash.

Around town it drives fine, and has never had a code or misfire.

 

Did you have a question about it?

 

Haha, just hoping to see if that's a likely scenario.

Headgasket search here on TW gives 5 threads in the 2nd gen forum, but then there are 514 posts in the 4th gen 4runner headgasket thread alone, the Service Manager at my local Toyota says headgaskets are not an issue on 2nd gen Tacomas at all -and they've never seen one.

I'd expected it from my EJ25 Subaru, or my Wasserboxer - not from the Toyota.

 

2005 so yeah, head gasket. Fix it before your engine goes

 

Recently did mine. Symptoms were constant misfire on cylinder 4 (drivers middle) and having to top off the coolant bottle every 3 weeks or so. I put a camera in the cylinder and you could see it was damp on the piston too vs cylinders 2 and 6. Basically when started it would idle rough for 10-15 seconds, sometimes it would trip the engine light which was a misfire code. After replacing gasket, coolant level stays the same and no more misfires. Toyota changed the headgasket design midway through 06 so if you have an 05 or 06 (especially 05) its most likely the culprite

 

I can’t wait for mine to go. It’s going to be so fun doing all of that work for something that shouldn’t have happened in the first place.

130k+ miles...

 

Had to do 4 HG on soobys over the years. Over it.

 

I’ve done my fair share of Honda HG’s. They don’t like boost or detonation very much.

Did them on my old high mileage 3.0 4Runner. That was an awesome experience.

 

Toyota Service managers know darn well they screwed up the headgaskets on 05-06 Tacomas,nothing like outright lying too customers.

 

Anything else I should be doing besides the waterpump while it's apart?

 

You still could have an intermittent misfire and the check engine light won't come on, hook up a scanner just to make sure. Also definitive test is carbon monoxide in coolant. Most places won't do that test unless you ask for it. More than likely cylinder would still pass on a cylinder pressure test.

 

Maybe timing chain cover gasket, also had an issue from factory with some not having enough rtv and they leak after 100k miles.

 

04111-0P071 Overhaul Gasket Set

$14 00295-00103 Formed-in-Place Oil Pan Gasket - 3 oz. Tube

00295-00103 Sealer
Water Pump of your choice (

$122 AISIN WPT802 AISIN WPT-802 New Engine Water Pump with Gaskets - Compatible with Select Toyota 4Runner, FJ Cruiser, Tacoma, Tundra

AISIN WPT802)
timing chain guides
headbolts
ContiTech ADK0033P Accessory Drive Belt Kit

i also had my injectors cleaned/balanced, rad hoses, thermostat, radiator and rad cap (i went above and beyond while apart because i didnt want to have to touch it for awhile)

 

I'm at 202000mi on my 06. If I ever have to do a head gasket I'm gonna do all that. Still runs like a top though. I've replaced a starter and an alternator battery and pulleys but that's probably because of my application. Haha

 

from the looks of you license plate, you're a ham. Nice to meet you - KH6DC. Did you check the oil fill cap to see any evidence of milkshake?

 

When I first got it 6 years ago it was gummed up a bit up under the cap. Nothing since though.

And 73 to you too.

 

Don't want to hijack someone else's thread, but I think mine are going too. It's a 03/2006 so before the mid year change.

I'm planning on changing hoses and water pump. I have a bad idler anyway, should I do them all and the tensioner while it's off? Also doing the job would also cure the timing cover seal leak anyway, correct?

 

UPDATE
Dealership has the truck today, diagnosed that exhaust is getting into the coolant.
Inconclusive to whether it's due to a headgasket failure. Apparently they've only had one 1GR-FE come in with these symptoms and it had 400K+km and a cracked block.

Quote for Headgaskets incl machining and pressure testing heads; $4500
Quote for used engine $4000 plus install.

Looking at my options, including a 2017.

 

It turns out that my thermostat housing is leaking, so I have to fix that first and then pressure test the cooling system again. Fingers crossed

 

Normally head gasket fails between cylinder 4 and 6. I replace mine at around 160,000 miles, also had to replace both cats because of all the missfire it was having damaged them.
Good luck.