Darth Haul - Dark Yota build

starting a thread to track my build progress.
my profile shows the specs on the truck:

Just got a '05 Tacoma TRD Sport, 4x4 Manual w/ the 6 spd trans, Black. has a clean carfax, Clean title, but a Bad engine. It's dirty and starts but shakes violently making a lot of noise when running. sounds like it's gonna blow.

I am in the process of rebuilding and/or replacing the motor.

So far I have upper air intake manifold and air clearer assembly off. Removed the water pump, alternator, power steering assembly from the block. Took off valve covers
next is the harmonic balancer, so I can get the front timing chain cover off.

current thinking - timing chain is way out.
by looking at the timing chain window and the cams I can tell that the tensioner is all the way out.

new timing chain kit ordered today. Along with a new water pump, idle pulleys, camshaft position sensor, serpentine belt and valve cover gaskets.

I am still prepared to replace the engine entirely, but figure it's worth trying to replace the timing chain and see if it'll start back up and run right! worth about $300 to save $3K!?

Eventually I will be adding new exhaust, cold air intake, short throw shifter, URD Clutch/Flywheel combo and more.
thanks for your assistance in advance! cheers

 

Heck yeah, awesome to see elbow grease at its finest!

 

Thank you! Appreciate it.
Here’s some pics
Tensioner all the way out. From what I can tell, cams are off too.

Looked like the gasket was starting to leak @ the water pump.

 

Awesome truck dude welcome

 

Your in pretty far. Looks like you've got a good plan by the looks. That gasket is def torched. How does the oil look? Just thinking about the heads.

 

Thank you!

 

Yeah, for sure. Haha. Making good progress.
Thanks, I hope so.
Oil is dark black, & very thick. Guys at the shop said they must have put some motor honey in it to quiet er down.

Not sure about the heads.. I gues I’ve heard the early 2nd gen engines had issues w the head gaskets?

 

Yeah there is some from what I've read. Worth reading if you suspecting. I think once you go your attempt to fix if it shouldnt work before engine replacement though would be only when to consider it.

 

Yep, I got you.
Pulled the alternator & crankshaft bolt off today. Still working on the AC cooler. Got a stuck bolt there that’s stripped.
Hope we can get it out tomorrow. It’s the last one before we pull the timing chain cover off.

 

Got the stubborn bolt out of he AC cooler this am! Had to weld a nut on the end. Whew!
Still broke a couple bolts off in the belt tensioner assembly.

Got the chain cover off, got the old chain off and replaced the chains, tensioners, sprockets, and glides. All lines up with the links, TDC, etc.

Gotta get a torque wrench to make sure the cam bolts are on tight enough before I put the cover back on.

Anyone know what the torque spec is on the cam bolts?

Gonna get some new gaskets and another wrench tomorrow and will be back at it after X-mas.

 

Got the chain cover back on today!

Waiting on my water pump and some other items to come in the mail. Friday I get the VVT solenoids (both were frozen in the engine).
My chilton manual shows up Monday. Psh, I’ll have the thing back together by then!

Ill keep going tomorrow w the reinstall.
Have to get a couple new bolts for the AC Compressor, and see if I can get the old ones out...

And we’ll see if I can’t get the motor to start back up again this weekend!

 

Alright, another successful day.
Accomplished most of what I set out to do today. How often does that happen? Not very, that’s how.

• Successfully Removed (2) the stuck AC compressor bolts from the tensioner. Multiple soakings of liquid wrench + vice grips + muscle.
• Removed the stuck VVT sensors from the motor. These were almost impossible! Top broke off, had to hack away with whatever i could find to grab on to. Can’t believe I got em.
• Removed stuck bolt from the intake manifold!
• Mounted belt tensioner, new idler pulleys,
• Reinstalled valve covers, ignition coils,
• Mounted the oil pump.
• Ordered new bolts for the AC compressor. Picking em up tomorrow am

One piece I have been struggling with is getting the harmonic balancer / crank pulley back on. kits from Autozone nor Pep Boys have the right size bolts for it.
I am gonna go grab some from the hardware store and make my own SST like I’ve seen some guys on here do.
What are they 7 mm?
Frickin ridiculous.

Got all the last parts I need showing up in the mail tomorrow - water pump, new upper air intake manifold, VVT sensors and timing chain cover gasket showing up tomorrow.
Will try to get a new balancer gasket too while I’m at it locally, and some other O rings and things.

Neighbor is coming over tomorrow to help too. Hope this thin runs right when I get it back together. There were some metal flakes I discovered in the oil that came out of the oil pump...

 

Alright time for an update. I’ve been hard at work the last few days reassembling the motor.
Got new AC compressor bolts yesterday from the dealer, along with some other goodies; new crank pulley gasket, oil pan gasket.

Yesterday tried to crank down the crank bolt, and broke the timing mark off the block!
JB Weld to the rescue...

Got the new water pump on, alternator back on, lower air intake manifold, air cleaner assembly, wiring all hooked back up, brackets, etc.

Started her up today. Timing is fixed!
Started right up with a jump, 1st try.

But, still running rough. Seems like it’s not firing on all cylinders.
Checked the codes, and getting:

• P0300 - Random misfire
• P0304 - Cyl 4 misfire
• P0305 - cyl 5 misfire
• P0306 - cyl 6 misfire

So, it seems I may have two blown head gaskets.
The code reader’s recommended fix: replace head gasket.

So, I’m looking at diving back in to the block again. deeper this tim3.
Or I may try the Blue Devil..
we’ll see.

But at least I got Er started back up and she runs!

 

Love this stuff. You'll be an expert by the time you get those gaskets replaced. lol

 

Haha thx. For sure..
I hope so! Just hoping i don’t mess anything up!

 

New year update.

After asking the Tacamaworld gurus here, and consulting with the Mrs., ive decided to replace the headgaskets. Not going to try and use the Blue Devil or anything. Gonna do it the right way.

Started er up again yesterday. Shes belching white smoke pretty bad. Mover her to the other side of the garage, and she died 1/2 way in and wont start up again.
So, i guess im not closing myngarage again anytime soon... doors 1/2 way down over the bed w the cab inside. Good enough.

Started ripping er apart again. Got the upper intake manifold off and it looks like theres nasty grey sludge coming up from lower air intake. Consistency is grainy, like dirt! Gross.
Could see beads of moisture in there too.
There was also some nasty build up of coolant snot in the radiator hose..? No bueno.


Read the procedure in the chilton manual yesterday.
Today im going to

• Take the valve covers back off,
• Remove the lower intake manifold
• Try to find the coolant passage on the back of the engine, take off the engine coolant temp sensor (ECT)
• see if i can disconnect the front exhaust pipe from the exhaust manifold and get the exhaust manifold off..

Then its back to timing chain land, and removing the cams!
Wish me luck...

 

Motor is toast!
Should have dropped the lower oil pan 1st thing. I had read you have to drop the axle to get the oil pan out. But, I did notice at some point this week that you can get the lower oil pan out without doing so.
Took it off today and found some serious shrapnel in there.
Piston bearings were shredded. Ugh

Had already started ripping into to it to pull it out today after I couldn’t get the exhaust gasket bolts off.
Just wish I hadn’t spent so much time trying to fix it already.
oh well. Good experience I guess.

I’d already started shopping for used engines couples weeks ago when I originally thought it was rod knock.
Got a line on a good one in NH w 100k mi, and some refurbed like new ones on eBay for similar prices. $2,200 - $2,600.

 

Picked up an engine today in NJ!

Ready for a motor swap this weekend.

 

Got the drive shaft out today. Had to get some tools first. Was stuck on pretty good.
Got the bolts out of the frame crossmember.
Gotta take the exhaust Y-pie off tomorrow, and a couple more bolts out of the fly wheel housing and I can drop the trans and then pull the motor tomorrow hopefully.
Truck is all the way back in the garage again, thank goodness. It’s 38 degrees here during the day.
Want to get both engines sitting side by side once out to see if there’s anything that’s different / missing before I put the new one in.

 

Trans is out! Ready to pull the motor
Man that Was a B*tch!