2004 Tacoma Head Gasket 2.7 3rz

Well, it's head gasket time for me.

2004 Toyota Tacoma 2.7L
Extended cab 2 wheel drive Automatic
171,000 miles
X3Rz-N84E



Started off with a coolant leak (but no sign on a leak in the parking lot) and over heating. While doing a compression test had bubbles in the radiator matching the rotation of the engine. Also had a misfire in cylinder 1. Cylinder 1 happened to be the same one causing bubbles in the coolant.

I'm looking to pick up a service manual, there just seems to be a few different ones out there. Who makes a good service guide? Looking for a good step by step guide (if there is one).

Anything else I should be replacing since I have to go that far in?
I have found a good amount of info on the 2rz engine. Not so much on the 3rz.
I've rebuilt a late 60s big block Chevy in the past (many many moons ago). Just never anything with over head cams.

Any tips or tricks I should know about before I dive in.

Thank you.

 

I just ordered the FSM.

Regarding the gasket kits. Yotashop wants $325 for a gasket kit, that seems high. Local box store has Fel-Pro kit for about half? Is the yotashop kit somehow twice as good?

 

I got the dealer kit, which includes all the gaskets for the job:

0411275190 1 $ 233.05 Engine Cylinder Head Gasket Set
Gasket Kit, Engine Valve Grind.

I've heard mixed review on fel pro for this application.


FSM has good instructions for the job.

You'll also want new head bolts, since they are torque to yield.

Its also a good time to do the water pump and thermostat.

 

First got to find failure point, maybe gasket, maybe not.........could be a crack between adjacent valves....

IF your gonna keep for a long time, I'd replace everything thats replaceable...
Oil pump, inter pump seal, outer pump cookie gasket, front main eng seal, timing chain guides, water pump, all pulleys/belts.....
And all this is assuming it didnt burn oil.......cause then new block or cylinder honing......


And would seriously study up on and do a balance shaft delete.....you can buy kit from lc engineering....
or fudge it on your own from the videos............unless you love your balance shafts...or think toyota is only 2nd to God........dont mean to hate......

No 0 question is why these 2.7s over heat and leak, we get steady supply of victims ....3 or 4 a week.....
Thats first thing Id fix, and denso's barely do the job when they're new....
If you get a more heavy duty one.....then they crack when u off road em....

And thats what brought me here 3 yrs ago......yes i'm wounded taco veteran too....

IF you put same heads back on and over heat again....you'll get same results......
Reason I cant believe a bunch idiots gamble on the red stuff.....
At least its safe if your dog laps it up.....thanks toyota.....

 

Been looking at new head bolts as well.
I'll give the dealer a call on Monday. Water pump and thermostat doesn't sound like a bad idea.

I've noticed there's a post just half way down the page about the same topic. The engine really didn't use much oil at all. The truck has been passed down to the step daughter and she drives it more than I did. I only had to drive to work a few times a year. Been using full synthicic oil for a long time, hopefully the bottom end is in good shape. If I can get 5 more years out of it I'll be pretty happy. I'm sure she'll want her own car by then.

Either way I've found a shop that can check the head out and make sure it's in good shape.

 

So that same part today is $336 and a few weeks backorder. Spark plugs and head bolts were also a few weeks away. Yotashop ended up having everything in stock so I went with that.