Head gasket trouble- time for a top-end rebuild

[MTL_4runner]

Brian, just reuse the head bolts and save some cash there. I changed mine out since my engine had overheated and I was worried the extreme heat might have changed the material properties in the stock ones. Yours should be fine to reuse on your rebuild.

The price tag sounds right about dead on for what I paid as well.

Also only use the premixed Toyota pink coolant when you refill the system.

[mastacox]

Brian, just reuse the head bolts and save some cash there. I changed mine out since my engine had overheated and I was worried the extreme heat might have changed the material properties in the stock ones. Yours should be fine to reuse on your rebuild.

Spending this much, I'm OK with a little more for some peace of mind... They aren't really that expensive.

The price tag sounds right about dead on for what I paid as well.

That's good to hear, I was happy with the individual prices on the parts, but there was a >tiny< bit of sticker shock when I added it all up. Still, definitely worth it.

[mastacox]

Just to document it, you DO NOT require a casting number to order heads for the 5VZ-FE. There is only one head configuration, so it's irrelevant (unlike heads on many domestic engines, especailly V-8's).

I got the pair of remanufactured heads for $620 shipped to me, and I have 30 days to ship my heads back to them as the core. Not a bad deal, considering the fact that they are DOHC which means the valve lash, cam adjustments, and everything are handled by the shop that rebuilds them (my friend with a domestic 383 stroker was very jealous, because I guess adjusting valves while the engine is in the engine bay is a PITA for him).

Thread: http://www.ultimateyota.com/index.ph...topic=8056.new

[mastacox]

I got some tools from Harbor Freight to help me out with the job. I'm planning on using air-tools as much as possible, to keep fatigue down and speed up!

46-Piece Pulley Puller Set


3/8" Air Ratchet, 45 ft-lbs (I've already got a 400 ft-lb Craftsman Impact Gun)


3/8" Click-Stop Torque Wrench (5-80 ft-lb), to compliment my 1/2" 25-250 ft-lb Craftsman Digi-Torque


13 Piece 1/2" Drive Deep Impact Socket Set, SAE


13 Piece 1/2" Drive Deep Impact Socket Set, Metric


7 Piece 1/2" Drive Swivel Impact Socket Set, Metric


4 Piece 1/2" Drive Impact Extension Set

[mastacox]

For my own reference, I scanned in all of the pages for a timing belt replacement in the FSM. Next step will be the head removal pages.

Here they are:

[mastacox]

Does anyone know what the length and screw pitch is for the head bolts? I bought them from Toyota, but I can't help but think you could get identical (or at least interchangeable) bolts from McMaster-Carr for significantly less...

[MTL_4runner]

Does anyone know what the length and screw pitch is for the head bolts? I bought them from Toyota, but I can't help but think you could get identical (or at least interchangeable) bolts from McMaster-Carr for significantly less...

I can tell you the length and screw pitch but the head bolts are not your average bolt by any means. They are torque-to-yield bolts which means they are meant to stretch a bit to provide the proper clamping pressure on the head. Either use your old ones or get new ones......not an area to be experimenting with.

On another note, I can tell you those tools you got will help you alot during the process.

[YotaFun]

Jamie, correct me if I am wrong, but I thought that torque-to-yield was a one time use bolt?
Due to the fact as you mention, that they stretch.

At least that's was something I read up online and later found out in one of my classes...

[mastacox]

I can tell you the length and screw pitch but the head bolts are not your average bolt by any means. They are torque-to-yield bolts which means they are meant to stretch a bit to provide the proper clamping pressure on the head. Either use your old ones or get new ones......not an area to be experimenting with.

On another note, I can tell you those tools you got will help you alot during the process.

Well, I'm still interested in knowing the thread pitch and length (I already bought Toyota factory bolts). Torque-to-yield is not a specialty kind of bolt, it's just a method of tightening the bolt. So if by looking at the head of the bolt you can tell what class it is (say for example a class 10.9) then any other class 10.9 bolt with the same length will have the same yielding characteristics when being torqued.

Jamie, correct me if I am wrong, but I thought that torque-to-yield was a one time use bolt?
Due to the fact as you mention, that they stretch.

At least that's was something I read up online and later found out in one of my classes...

It's common practice to re-use TTY head bolts, lots of people do it. The reason they're specced as being single use is because it's difficult to know what the exact preload is on the bolt when you retorque it after being yielded. I went ahead and bought new bolts, just to have the extra peace of mind that I did everything according to Toyota specifications.

[MTL_4runner]

Jamie, correct me if I am wrong, but I thought that torque-to-yield was a one time use bolt?
Due to the fact as you mention, that they stretch.

At least that's was something I read up online and later found out in one of my classes...

The answer is technically yes, they should be one time only use. The reality is that there is usually enough safety factor in the yielding (stretching) on the bolts to use them twice. I wouldn't go more than that though. After 2 uses I'd use brand new bolts and especially in my case where the bolts may have been overheated (thus potentially changing the material properties) or in Brian's case since I forgot he will be using a supercharger on his setup (which will up the cylinder pressures and thus the load on the head bolts considerably).