2tr-fe 2.7L dirty coils

I agree about replacing the upper chain and tensioners. Yes they are designed to last the life of the engine, and yes they look serviceable... but it's got 200k and it's already opened up.
Thanks for all the pics, good job so far. You are giving me confidence to do this kind of work in the future. My next project is the coolant bypass hose

 

We need a coolant bypass pipe replacement party. That is on my list as well but i keep putting it off since there isn't any sign of leak

 

Me too, exactly. No problems yet. I have researched the process and all the part numbers so I'm ready when it starts to leak, which could be tomorrow or 10 years from tomorrow. Also I understand the pipe will not fail completely... it will crack and leak first, providing advance warning. Not meaning to jack this thread, but thanks for your comment

 

I want to thank everyone who is giving me advice regardless of whether I am wise enough to follow it. I may not reply to everyone but all these data point are being factored into my final decision.

The timing chain comes down to a combination of adding another $200 to the cost of the project and my cowardice in being scared of tackling all of those moving parts. I am leaning towards doing it.

 

Ok I have to tell my coolant bypass replacement horror story. The job itself was not that bad but what I did in the week leading up to the replacement while I was nursing along a truck slowly but constantly leaking coolant is truly idiotic.

In my defense (queue the excuses), it was fall and I was leaving the house in the dark and getting home in the dark due to the short days. On of the days leading up to the replacement the coolant bottle I had been carrying around in the back of the truck to top of the radiator was empty. "Oh crap" I say to myself at 530 am when I am hopping into the truck to drive to work. Let me check the shed of the house I am renting. Bingo! A half full bottle of coolant. Great! Who cares how old it is I’m going to be draining the system this weekend anyway.

As I am finishing emptying the bottle into the radiator a glimmer lights up the liquid... red? Well there is some red antifreeze right? Wrong! I just put half a gallon or so of ATF into my radiator!! F@$&

So in addition to replacing the coolant bypass that weekend I did the thermostat and water pump as well as flushed the entire system approximately 10x.

Moral of the story. Don't do that. I still see small amounts of ATF in the coolant.

After I finish this job I am going to do a detergent flush on the whole cooling system... again.

 

Oh man...thats great...hahahaha. Not in a good way... But in a simpsons way.

Wonder if that could have had an impact on the head gasket.

 

Ok so here is a small update and of course as always a request for advice. I got the head back from the machine shop. I have not done anything with it as of yet.

I have been starting on my campaign against rust focusing on the front end and engine compartment while I have extra room up there with everything taken apart. So far I am still working on needle scaling and wire wheeling everything rusty and degreasing with engine degreaser and brake cleaner. Trying to get everything prepped as well as possible before putting on the POR-15.

I did prep and paint the skid plates, sway bar, and steering rack. The steering rack was looking pretty beat and likely to fail. The replacement that came in was not painted at all. I figured it was best to just paint it before installation. Before picture below. No after pictures yet.

I made the mistake of buying the high gloss POR-15 instead of semi-gloss. I wish they had a flat black product. I think they have a flat black top coat but from all the reviews I have read it is not resistant to oil or fuel. If anyone has a suggestion for something I could overcoat the POR-15 with that would be cool, at least for visible areas subjected to UV damage.

So now I need some advice re: the rear main seal. See the below picture. Clearly I have a problem there.


Can I pull the engine to do the RMS without dropping the transmission? Pulling the engine at this point seems like it would be relatively easy but if I have to drop the transmission maybe I will just wait until spring and tackle it then. I am experiencing significant “mission creep” on this project.

Pulling the engine would have the added benefit of allowing me to paint the block which is in bad need of it... but at that point why don’t I just rebuild the lower end... see how this goes...

 

How about Rust-Oleum Tractor paint, over the POR?

 

My life is like the Simpson’s lately. I am Barney. Sideshow Bob is also present.

I wondered the same thing. Not sure how it could have impacted the HG unless due to decreased cooling efficiency the engine overheated which never registered on the temp gauge.

 

Good idea. I can only seem to find it in high gloss sheen though.

 

It's probably easier to pull the trans than the engine, but I've never pulled an engine. Simply based on less hardware and electrical connector concerns.
Either get help, or a trans jack. Definitely remove the t-case to lighten the load. I learned these things when I did my clutch.

Once the trans is out, and flywheel removed, the RMS is staring you right in the face. Again, at this point, doing a clutch/flywheel job only makes sense. And I see that your block could definitely use some aesthetic lovins!

Your options:
1) Pull the engine completely which could be more time consuming but allows the block to be painted. Replace the main seal. Sit in the engine bay to replace the TOB and have a possibly harder time lining up the "stubby" engine to the trans. For me, it was easy to line the transmission up to the engine. Really wish I would've just taken the damn t-case off, too!

2) Don't pull the engine, don't paint the engine, replace the main seal and clutch job. Under the truck.

 

I pulled a 5spd MT last summer and it's not that bad- I posted some tips about it if you search. Leave the transfer case on as this greatly helps balance the transmission if you're using a floor jack. Also, if you pull the transfer case without having the transmission vertical, this greatly increases chances that you'll damage the seal. If you are going to pull the engine, and do a clutch, then you can pull the engine and transmission as one unit. I haven't done this in a Tacoma, but have done this in multiple vehicles. Mission creep indeed.

On the transmission fluid in the radiator, a friend told me a story recently about him accidentally putting used ATF in during an oil change. It was in a Mobil 1 five quart jug, and...

 

Pull the trans, itll be easier imo to get to the rear seal. I've gotten to where i can have the trans out of my truck in about 45 minutes. Granted mine is 2wd, but mostly everything is the same minus the extra driveshaft and transfer case. I used a harbor freight trans jack, and it was a life saver.

 

Uh....idk what kinda floor jack you used, but a normal floor jack with about a 4-6" round plate didn't balance shit with the t-case on the trans, I made it work though. Took one person on the jack moving it while another was balancing the transmission. The whole process isn't that bad, yes. But a trans jack and removing the t-case will be what I do next time.
I learned, after the fact, that removing the t-case wouldn't require more than a new gasket anyway.
Pulling the engine and trans as one, would very likely require a lot to be removed from in front of the engine. It doesn't sound like he has a vehicle lift either, and that assembly would be pretty long to make that pivot in/out.

 

Normal floor jack at the transmission mount location. Made a 2x4 adapter for the jack with a hole for the mount. With the transfer case in place the transmission is almost balanced. The front is slightly heavy, maybe 20 lbs, but it's very easy to manage with one hand.

Toyota tells you to leave the transfer attached and then put the transmission vertical on the bellhousing and then remove it so as to not damage the seal. I thought about removing the xfer case first but was glad I didn't.

 

Yeah I definitely don't have a vehicle lift or a transmission jack. I am going to ignore the ugliness of the block for now and just tackle the RMS in the spring. I need to get back on the road. I will be happy just to have the new header and all the rust treatment stuff performed. Not sure what type of performance changes I should expect from having the valves resurfaced.

In comparison to this thread I feel like I am basically slapping the thing back together but it is what it is. I am borrowing a vehicle at the moment and I am renovating my house at the same time. I will post some pictures of my house project so you can see what else I am up to. I really know how to make work for myself.
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/2tr-fe-rebuild-refresh.540748/

Just doing what I have so far has given me a lot more confidence to tackle future projects. This truck is a great shell with the new frame and clean(for the most part) body. I do need to do some spot paint touch ups but that is the only real cosmetic issue aside from faded plastic bumper/fenders. Has anyone had luck permanently restoring the plastic without replacing? I see there are paint products out there for painting plastic auto trim but I'm not convinced it will look that great. Currently I just put a restoring product on the plastic when it starts to look faded but that is only temporary.

 

I love the sound of an open header

 

Frame restoration update. Using approximately 2/3 of a quart of POR-15 I painted the frame, crossmembers, engine mounts, control arms, etc in the engine compartment and the front wheel wells. It looks a lot better. Hopefully it lasts.

Before applying the POR-15 I needle scaled and wire wheeled all the loose rust off. I then degreased with brake cleaner and engine degreaser. Then I applied the POR-15 metal prep, let it sit overnight, and wiped it clean. The directions said to wash it all off with water but I don’t really have that luxury with the car in my garage the way it is. I think this will work fine. We will see.

Before and after picture below. Getting closer to engine reassembly.

 

Turned out great from my screen.

Now for the rest of the truck, and somehow inside the frame.....