Cylinder Head Cracked

The head gasket is definitely blown. and on top of that the head is cracked. I need a new head, I found one on rockauto for $617, its called "famous brand" looks good, new head with cams, valves, and springs. anyone have luck with them before? Also I ordered a timing chain and water pump kit while im in it. the harmonic balancer slipped the bushing so the timing notch on that didn't line up however I have Cyl. 1 at TDC on compression stroke and the timing dots on the cam gears line up. the timing chain is marked, will it be difficult to replace and get the timing back correct? I just figured its cheaper to do it all now while im in it. should I go as far to pulling the pistons and inspecting/replacing rings. its and old truck 260K and this is my last OOOH-Rahhh before I pull the 4 banger gas and throw a 4bt in it. Also, should I switch to synthetic oil? if so, what kind? thanks for the help. Raise hell praise dale, 'Merica. *** pics to come

 

Whole lot to unpack here...

I'd consider having a reputable shop weld the head up if you have a place near you that is good with heads. Cheaper and you know you still have a good Toyota casting instead of Chineseum. I think new seats, guides and a couple of cracks welded up cost me about $500 from a great shop in Indianapolis.

Zip tie you timing chain to the timing gears so you don't lose track of your timing. Otherwise, its not that hard to line the marks back up and be good if you have #1 on TDC.

Check you ring ridge in the block...less than 5 or 6 thousandths, I wouldn't bother taking it apart. 7+, its probably ready to be taken 10 thou over and get new pistons and rings.

Oil, you can do whatever makes you sleep at night, they all work pretty well.

 

I’ve just heard things about trying to weld them up it’s just easier and better to get a new one. Plus it’s only around $100 more and I get new cams. How do I go about checking that clearance?

 

The right way is with a dial indicator. The way most can get by is running your fingernail over the ridge with light to moderate pressure and seeing if it catches on it.

 

Myself I would find a local used head and have it rebuilt .

Chinese quality is hit or miss then any warranty claim will most likely be denied as installer error .

 

I agree with @Wyoming09, toyota did their stuff right and if it was my truck I would get a reputable shop to weld and rebuild it.... that being said i totally understand being on a budget because a complete head rebuild with welding service could be 1k.

Try these guys before rock auto
https://www.toyotatruckengine.com/n...runner-2-7-2-4-dohc-cylinder-head-cam-shafts/

These guys are based out of CO and absolutely fantastic they use a chinesium casting but go over it when they build it, I bought one when I was younger and in a pinch with my daily driver and i got about 5k on the motor before I sold the 4runner.

Just be sure to FULLY inspect anything you buy before installing it!! The head i bought was 1 tooth out of time but the shims were set up right at least