Video of Van Running After Engine Rebuilt HG Replaced.

[mahleek87]

Hey Everyone. I was finally able to figure out how to upload video using my MACBOOK PRO and ofcourse thanks to VERIZON FIOS my video was uploaded in a matter of 5 minutes opposed to the other computer I was trying to upload it on that is a "windows" computer with DSL.

For those of you who don't know my vans HG blew July 4th 2010. Since then and even now I am without a van. I finally got my buddies who have over 15 years of experience working on cars to start working on my van on Sept 12. Since they both have full time jobs they do alot of side jobs and finally finished it around the beg of November. They told me to put the seats back in when it was ready to go and to drive it off and give some time for the valves to adjust. I had some issues from there. Once I left there house with my van it was running like crap. A block later it shut off. I called them up and they checked it out the next day saying it had no spark. So my ignition coil had gone bad just for driving it for a block. I guess its probably because of the heat that day from the HG blowing weakened the coil. Once I replaced the coil with a new one from Toyota this is how she runs. I gave it back to my mechanic friend who is currently out of the country for 3 weeks. He will fix it eventually but he thinks it is a lifter because cylinder #4 is weak. We confirmed this after using one of those stethoscopes listening to the motor. When they rebuilt they said that the crankshaft and camshaft were good. They also said with those many miles I did a really good job maintaining it. They had never seen something with so many miles to be in such decent condition. :clap:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yY7Ob8eOyzc

[timsrv]

You definitely have a miss. It's only running on 3 cylinders. To find out which one is dead, start the van and remove and re-hook each spark plug wire (one at a time). Each time you remove a wire, if the engine stumbles and falls then that cylinder was okay. When you find the one that doesn't effect things (whether connected or disconnected), then you just found the bad cylinder. I have a special pair of insulated pliers for doing this, but if you don't, you may wish to shut the van off between each test so you don't get shocked.

The next thing I'd do is a compression test. While removing plugs for the compression test, keep track of what holes they came out of and carefully inspect the one that came out of the dead cylinder. Make sure it doesn't have any physical damage and make sure the spark gap is okay. If the compression test shows the dead cylinder to have no or poor compression, then pull the valve cover, disable the ignition (unplugging the igniter is a good way), crank the starter and check to make sure both valves are opening & closing properly on the that cylinder. It's probably safe to say that one valve somewhere is loose (because of the noise), but the noise alone wouldn't make it miss. If you have a valve that's not functioning correctly, and the top end looks okay, then it's most likely a bad lifter, worn cam lobe, or both.

If the compression tested okay, then it's got to be a spark issue or a fuel issue. You can check spark for each cylinder by hooking up a loose plug to the wire, then cranking the engine again with the plugs metal body grounded to the engine block (don't forget to hook the igniter back up). You should see a nice blue spark there on the electrode. If it doesn't spark, then swap another plug to that wire and check again. If you still don't get spark, then it's got to be in the wire or the distributor cap. If you do get spart, then you'll need to check the injector connector for the dead cylinder. If your bad cylinder is #3 or #4, then the only way to check is to pull the top half of the intake manifold back off :cry:. Hopefully it won't come to that and will end up being something easy. Please report back your findings and we'll go from there. Good luck. Tim

[mahleek87]

If the lifter is bad and is replaced by one from a local auto store opposed to one from toyota will it be reliable? The guy said that the camshaft was good when he looked at it.


Also what kind of extraction tool is needed to remove the lifter?

[timsrv]

Who knows. Camshafts and lifters are case hardened. That means they are made from mild steel then the exteriors are hardened. The hardened surface wears well, but it's thin. Once you wear through that surface the mild steel will be ground away very quickly.

When it comes to camshafts and lifters, the most wear occurs when the parts are new. Once the parts are "broke-in" the mating surfaces match and wear slows way, way down. Wear patterns are unique on every lifter / cam lobe combination so each combination becomes a matched set. This is the reason why you are supposed to keep the lifters organized if you remove them. If you mix them up, or if you put a new lifter against a previously broken in lobe, the fast wear of break-in starts again. It all depends on how thin the hardened surface has become and how close the new part will match existing wear patterns. Due to irregularities, one lifter might break-in just fine, yet another may wear through the hardened surface (it's a roll of the dice regardless of the brand name of part used).

That being said, it's generally considered an acceptable risk to put a new lifter on an old lobe, but only time will tell if it will hold up. If it goes 500 miles with no problems, then you're probably okay. It's a good idea to put a dab of molly grease on the bottom of the lifter before dropping it in.

There is a special tool for removing lifters. If the lifter isn't stuck too bad you might be able to fish it out with a long 90 deg scribe, but lifters can get hopelessly stuck in their bores, so the special tool is often required. Some of the bigger auto parts chains have a tool rental section and I'm guessing they have a lifter removal tool. It's got a long shaft and a special end that interlocks into the top of the lifter. The top part of the tool is a slide hammer. Good luck. Tim

[mahleek87]

Ran some more tests today. Tested fine on the compression test for all 4 cylinders which rules out any valve or lifter problem.

Started her up and by pulling the plug wires traced the problem to cylinder 1. Spark plugs/ wires are new and it is getting spark from the wires so I tested the injector connector with a little tester my mechanic had. It lit up when we cranked it so he told me that the injector connector was fine. The injector connectors were also on properly. (White/Black on 1 and green yellow on 2) So now the only thing it can be is the fuel injector on cylinder 1. Thoughts?

Do you think it is possible to have it smoothen out if I put some fuel injector cleaner in my gas tank? Like BG 44K?

Its crazy to know that since the day my HG blew that episode ruined my ignition coil and potentially fuel injector at the spot. The morning before I let my friend drive who blew my van up, the van was running smooth and normal.

[timsrv]

If you verified compression / spark and and the injector connector, then it's got to be the #1 injector itself. These injectors are pretty tough and rarely fail, but it can happen. Did you do a continuity test on the injector? There should be 1.5 - 3.0 ohms at the terminals. If you get a reading outside that range then it's bad and no amount of cleaner will help.

IMO, even if resistance is correct and the injector really is clogged, it's pretty unlikely injector cleaner will help. I could see it maybe helping if the injector was partially clogged, but if it's plugged up solid the cleaner won't get to the spot it's needed. IMO, even in the best case scenario using injector cleaner in your gas is questionable and a "hail Mary" attempt at best.

Based on what you said, in all likelyhood that injector is toast and will need to be replaced. I'm still thinking you may have another issue with your valve train due to the ticking noise, but since it's got good compression the noise is probably unrelated to the miss.

You might also check the rocker arm assembly because it's actually possible to put it on with the shaft upside-down. There's a small flat spot machined into one end of the shaft, and that needs to be facing down against the head. If that surface isn't seated correctly the engine will still run but will make a valve train noise. Tim

PS: How did you verify #1 cylinder had spark?

[mahleek87]

My mechanic verified that cylinder #1 had spark by taking the plug wire and holding it against the head while the engine was running. Also the spark plug and wires/ dist cap, rotor and coil are all brandnew.

1 thing I forgot to do was disconnect the injector connector on #1 and see if that makes any difference when the van is running.

This job of getting to the fuel injectors doesnt look easy. Any advice here?

[timsrv]

Compared to most vehicles, replacing an injector in the van is a PITA. Even though it's #1 you'll still need to pull the top half of the intake manifold to get the access you need. It's certainly easier than changing the head gasket, just a bit time consuming. Take your time and label wires / vacuum lines during disassembly and you'll be fine.

Aside from a good injector (new or used), you're going to need the gasket that goes between the 2 halves of the intake manifold and the o-rings/insulators for the injectors. If I were doing the job, I'd take all your injectors (including the replacement one) in for cleaning and testing before re-assembly.

One word of warning, it's a common mistake to mess things up on reassembly by leaving old o-rings/rubber parts in your manifold and/or fuel rail. If that happens, the combination of new & old parts will cause leaks and/or other problems............so just make sure all the old parts came out before putting the new stuff back in. Lubing up the new o-rings with a dab of Vaseline or silicone spray is a good idea and will make assembly/alignment easier.

Here's a list of the parts you'll need:

90301-07001 QTY: 4 O-ring for between fuel rail and injector
90301-23004 QTY: 4 O-ring for between manifold and injector
23291-73010 QTY: 4 Insulator for manifold side of injector
90480-13005 QTY: 4 Grommet for rail side of injector
17176-73011 QTY: 1 Intake manifold gasket (between top and bottom halves)

Good luck & have fun :wnk:. Tim

[mahleek87]

Tim,

How much do these small parts roughly cost?
Didnt you make a post on tvp on how to change the injectors or clean them? I remember reading it a while back, cannot find it now.

[timsrv]

mahleek, cost of parts will depend on where you purchase. If you get genuine Toyota cost will be about $60 (from a discount Internet place not including shipping). An average dealership would charge about $85.

I think the TVP post you're talking about was me demonstrating a crude way to test injectors. I used my intake manifold and some of my fuel system parts to build a temporary test bench. In hindsight I suspect doing this may have damaged my Fuel Pressure Regulator (it failed shortly after). So unless you can figure out a way to do that without a the FPR installed I wouldn't recommend it.

Just take the injectors you plan on using (new or used) down to a shop and have them ultrasonically cleaned and tested. Modern test machines will test patterns and volumes. They will even give you a computer print out showing the performance of each injector. Having this done to all 4 (cleaning and testing) will cost around $50 - $100.

Most major cities will have at least one place that can do this. Just call any reputable auto repair shop and ask them who they take their injectors to for cleaning and testing. Good luck. Tim

[mahleek87]

Thanks for listing those fuel parts for me Tim, had it not been for you I would have just gotten the fuel injector. I ordered all of the stuff and am waiting for it to come in so I can start my final destination to get this van up and running once and for all. I got the fuel injector from a junk yard. I need to fix my van because the clutch in my other car is about to go.

Quick question. There is a leak where the top PW steering hose connects to the PWR steering motor. Is there an o-ring that needs to be replaced under those two/three bolts?

[timsrv]

No problem. I answered your power steering question HERE (http://www.toyotavantech.com/forum/showthread.php?317-Power-Steering-Leak)

[mahleek87]

I ordered my fuel injector from a salvage yard in Arizona. I received it and noticed its a bit different. It was pulled from an 89 Toyota Van according to them. It looks like the connector is different. If I call them and get the injector connector and splice and connect the wires will it work? Or is it advisable to get one from an 86 -88 Van?

[timsrv]

Your van takes the Bosch style injector. They sent you the inverted Denso type (used only in 88 & 89). It could be made to fit, but there's too many variables to know how it would perform next to the others. Why complicate your life? If it were me I'd insist on the right one.

The Bosch injectors were used from 84-87, but in 84 it could be 2 different ones. To minimize the chance of another wrong one, I'd specify 85-87 ONLY. Tim

[mahleek87]

I called up the salvage yard I got this 89 injector from and unfortunately they don't have any 85-87. They said that if I splice the injector connector it should work but anyhow. I want to follow your advice and get 1 that fits. 85-87 I called a couple of yards today no luck. Any reliable recommendations?

[timsrv]

Post it in the wanted section of this site and TVP. I'm sure somebody out there has one they'll send you. If I had a loose one laying around I'd send it to you for free. Unfortunately I don't have one handy. Good luck. Tim

PS: I can't speak for quality of these, but I see www.rockauto.com has remanufactured injectors for as low as $27 each.

[mahleek87]

So I returned my injector that belonged to an 89 and they sent me 1 that looks like this and smells awful lol.

273

and it is Part # 23250-45011

It does not match up with the one that is on my van. So what do I do? Would this one work well?

[timsrv]

Who knows. The Toyota part number for the injector you need is 23209-45011. I have no idea what differences there might be with the one you got. Sounds like these guys are just wasting your time. If these were easy to change I'd probably try it, but considering what a PITA they are to change on a van I'd insist on the correct one.

Regardless, you will want to have all the injectors cleaned and tested prior to putting them back in. Since you'll be doing that anyhow it might be worth having the injector shop look at it to see what they think. As long as it's interchangeable, has the same resistance, and flows the same rate, then you could use it. I'd trust whatever they tell you as they are the experts. You sure are going through the ringer on this one. I hope you get it figured out. Tim

[mahleek87]

I called a place called Redneck auto parts and I gave them that # 23209-45011.
I initially wanted them to pull one out of a van if they had it but
They said they had a new one. Bosch style injector for 67.00 shipped matching that part #. What do you think Tim?

[timsrv]

Sounds like a good deal. Did you ask if it was genuine Bosch or Toyota? I'm not aware of Chinese reproductions of these but I'd at least ask. Tim

[mahleek87]

Your van takes the Bosch style injector. They sent you the inverted Denso type (used only in 88 & 89). It could be made to fit, but there's too many variables to know how it would perform next to the others. Why complicate your life? If it were me I'd insist on the right one.

The Bosch injectors were used from 84-87, but in 84 it could be 2 different ones. To minimize the chance of another wrong one, I'd specify 85-87 ONLY. Tim


I went to a junkyard 70 miles away from my house yesterday. I called in and they said they had one 85 van that was still in tact. When I got there I was amazed on what great condition it was in. There were plenty of parts engine was still in tact etc... I got some stuff of of her but the fuel injectors were different. They were the same ones "Denso" that the other junkyard had sent me. So for the record it seems like 86 and 87 are the only ones that use a Bosch connector. I mean on this 85 van the door tag said Nov of 1984 so production may be a factor.

[timsrv]

I stand by what I said before. Perhaps that van had an engine swap sometime in the past??? A lot can happen in 25+ years. Bummer about finding your injector though. Tim

[mahleek87]

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Python-Fuel-Injector-Rebuilt-_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQhashZitem4cf5917f23QQitemZ33053 7467683QQptZMotorsQ5fCarQ5fTruckQ5fPartsQ5fAccesso ries


What do you think? Worth it?

[timsrv]

I have no idea what gets done to these and what their quality standards are. There's the old adage "you get what you pay for", so if you go by that alone these sound pretty good :)>:. Wish I could be of more help :dizzy:. Tim

[mahleek87]

UPDATES: PROBLEM SOLVED

Got another mechanic to take out the Fuel Injector on Cyl 1.
Turns out the part # was actually 23250-45011

I still had the spare 23250-45011 part from the junkyard so I had them put that in. Once they put it in and connected everything back together the van was still running on 3. They played around with it more and found out that the connector on #1 was messed up. The two wires were not connected like they should have been. It sucks because the other mechanic tested this with an injector connector kit and completely ruled it out. This other mechanic had no kits but just moved the wires around and found out that while moving them the RPM was jumping up and down. I wish I had known this before because it turned out that my injector was fine after all!

My injector came out looking nice and clean but the one I put in there looks like crap. Probably has been sitting for a while. The van now runs on 4 cylinders but backfires a little bit. Im suspicious about this new "used injector" I put in. I hope when I add a bottle of BG44K stuff it smooths it out.

[timsrv]

If you re-read the 1st post I made in this thread you will see I said to check the injector connectors :doh:. I know you're not the one doing the work but any competent self respecting mechanic would check these before going to all the trouble of splitting the intake manifold and changing out an injector. If it were #3 or #4, then fine...........but it was #1!........come on, that's the easiest and most accessible connector of them all! I'm sorry you had to go through all of that but I'm happy it's running again. If it's back-firing that indicates a timing issue............or God forbid a leaky injector. Did you have them cleaned and tested prior to reassembly? Make sure the timing is set correctly and verify the electronic advance is working. Tim

PS: Thanks for the update.

[mahleek87]

I did not get them cleaned and tested because I have practically run out of money. Since my HG blew, I have spent around 2500+ in parts / labor on my van. (New Head, HG kit, Thermostat, plugs, wires, cap, ignition coil, rotor, water pump, bvsv valve, alternator, vacuum hoses, radiator hoses etc. and now fuel injector!

Yeah I understand the injector connector!!! He tested it with his test kit and it had a blinking light and I asked him, is that light supposed to be blinking or is it supposed to be smooth? He said the injector connector is working. He was the kind of mechanic you didn't want to argue with but he was wrong twice. I mean it did make sense for the injector to go bad as well, I mean who really could tell. If a mechanic tells me that my connector is fine then I'm going to believe him. Sucks I had to go through the trouble but alteast its working again.

Where can the injector leak from? I noticed a very small crack in the plastic part at the tip of the injector where it goes into the head.

[timsrv]

Injectors are basically little on/off valves that open/close when voltage is applied/removed. Sometimes they don't shut off all the way and can dribble gas into the cylinder. Unburned gas can build up and ignite (back-fire). I don't know how much your "mechanic" charged you to swap it out, but if he charges going rates, having these cleaned and tested would only be a small pittance in comparison (and certainly cheaper than having the job done twice). It's also important to be able to rule things out when problems persist or change. Check the timing and let us know what you find. Tim

[mahleek87]

OMG... Here we go again.

So I picked up my van from my other mechanic today which is about 2 miles away from where I work. I drove it and was excited and said what the hell lets fill her up with some gas. Spent 40+ Anyways. It was running on 4 and everything but the power just wasnt the same as it used to be. I got to work and lifted up the seat and started checkin her out. I was excited to have my van back/running etc. I looked at everything and then I checked the dipstick. When I looked at the dipstick I saw white cream all over it and the oil wasnt as thick. This to me immediately looked like a BHG. But how? We used a genuine TOYOTA one. Please tell me that this is some weird effect of the van now running on 4 Cyl and cleaning everything out. I mean there isnt any white smoke at all through the tail pipe but I can hear the motor does not sound right. I then drove it home which was 4-5 miles away. It didnt overheat but when I got home looked at the dipstick its def mixing with water. The oil is not oil.

Could this be a partially blown hg? It never overheated after that and before I took it to my mechanic who changed the fuel injector the oil looked fine and brand new.

I will take pictures tomorrow.

[timsrv]

mahleek, I'm very sorry to hear that. Coolant in your oil is always a very bad sign and unfortunately having a blown head gasket would be the best case scenario (cracked head or cracked block being worst case). I have no way of knowing how the work was performed, but there are several precautions to take when replacing a head gasket. Simply failing to clean mating surfaces or not following torque values/sequences can cause premature failure. In your case the thing I'd be most worried about is the fact your engine was severely overheated when the gasket blew. Aside from the normal concerns of cylinder scoring and severely worn pistons, this could also mean a warped deck or possibly a crack somewhere in you water jacket. I'm assuming the head was decked, but did your mechanic check it and the block deck surface with a straight edge?

As for your symptoms, Head gaskets can blow in different ways. It all depends on what part of the gasket or mating surface is damaged. There are several ports where oil and coolant travel between the head and the block. Then theres the cylinders and they contain high pressure combustion gases. The head gasket's job is to seal all these areas and keep them separated from each other. If the gasket and/or the mating surfaces become damaged between an oil and a coolant port, then these two fluids can mix creating a milky brown foam in the oil pan. Oil can also enter your cooling system and should be evident when you look into the radiator fill port (oil will float on top of the coolant).

Sometimes the leak can occur between a cylinder and a coolant port. When this happens combustion gases can pass into the cooling system and depending on the severity of the leak, the combustion pressure can force coolant out of the cooling system overflow (this leads to overheating). Sometimes coolant leaks into a cylinder and is expelled through the exhaust in the form of steam. In severe cases coolant can leak into a cylinder after shut-down and hydro-lock the engine.

Sometimes the gasket can blow between cylinders. When that happens the end result is 2 cylinders next to each other that have low or non-existent compression. If the van runs at all it will have severe performance problems and/or exhibit a very bad miss.

Sometimes the gasket can blow allowing coolant to leak externally. This type of blown gasket simply causes your van to lose coolant and depending on the severity it can still be used like this for extended periods (assuming you keep the coolant levels topped off). I have been experiencing this type of head gasket failure (for over a year now) but the severity of the breach isn't terrible, so I continue to top off the coolant every couple of weeks. I also get to look at a small puddle of coolant on my garage floor every morning when I leave for work (I need to fix this one of these days).

So, to sum things up, your head gasket can fail in any one of these ways or a combination of 2 or more ways at the same time. Based on the fact you are getting coolant in your oil I'd say your problem is the 1st one type outlined. Of course it could also be a crack in your head or block, but by far having the head gasket fail is most common. I'm sorry to be to bearer of bad news :cry:. Tim

[mahleek87]

Well Tim I sincerely appreciate all of your help and your excellent write ups. I have tried everything I can to get this van up and running but have not been able to. I went through alot these past 5-6 months trying to figure out what was going on etc... Too much time and headaches beating a dead horse. 2500+ later I am no where. I was really down and depressed earlier today but now I'm over it. I do not have anymore time or energy or money to go ahead and do something about it. I'm giving up for now and am going to park my van.

I never really realized how much I loved my van until it died. As my first car it set the bar of expectations really high for me. All of those countless miles of reliability etc.

Moral of story: Never let anyone drive your van, and appreciate the hell out of it while its there.

[timsrv]

I know this doesn't help much now, but for older vehicles that have experienced a severe overheating it often makes more sense to find a good used engine. I know they are not easy to find in your area but if you keep your eyes open and you're patient one will eventually come along. I just had a 4y shipped to me from a salvage yard. The yard claimed it has 80k miles on it (but who knows). When the parts request was made several quotes came in for available 4y engines with similar miles. These used engines can be had for about $1,000 + about $200 shipping (just do a search on one of those salvage yard parts locator sites).

Another option is to purchase through a used Jap engine importer. According to what I understand the 4y was never used in Japan but the 3y was. If you don't mind the power loss (2.0 liters instead of 2.2) it will drop right into your van. These go for about $600 and there should be an importer somewhere in your area that might even have one in stock. It's not guaranteed, but these importers usually claim their engines have less than 60k miles on them. If you end up keeping and eventually repairing, one of the above might be a better choice. Tim

[mahleek87]

Yeah I know initially though this process I bought a used motor for 500 bucks but then returned it because just by looking at it, it made me depressed. It also had a crack near the water pump assembly and the dipstick had grime on it. I wanted to do whatever I could to get my original one running because my heart was with it and since I wasn't the last one in the driver seat I wasnt ready to say goodbye. It hurt way too much.

Its going to be very hard for me to trust anyone now that this has happened. With used engines who knows. I do not know if I am willing to go down that route right now. I am not mentally ready because I have already gone through alot and its just a scary road. Who knows how long a used motor could last? I mean my mechanic before he fled he told me he did his job by doing a compression test on my van getting 170psi+ on 4 cylinders. Now I talked to him and he was like damnit, so he says hes going to give me a Toyota tundra to borrow for a few months and then ofcourse hes getting deported so oh well and I have to return that to him. I spent 1,000 on labor with him through this whole process and he doesnt have any money right now nor do I want it back.

I am not sure right now what I am going to do with my van. I want to one day get it back on the street for sure but do not know right now.

What do you think about these?
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/TOYOTA-86-89-VAN-4YEC-2-2L-ENGINE-LONG-BLOCK-TLB4Y-_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQhashZitem5629f3f9faQQitemZ37007 1042554QQptZMotorsQ5fCarQ5fTruckQ5fPartsQ5fAccesso ries

[timsrv]

I don't know anything about that rebuilder by I personally wouldn't trust them. IMO the job cannot be done correctly for $1,000 so I am assuming short-cuts were made or questionable parts were used. I'd trust an original Toyota motor with 100k miles on it more than I'd trust one of those............but that's just me. Tim

[zeratool]

I second that. I spent 450$ on machine shop work on my block (clean check, bore, new cam bearings and freeze plugs), 200$ for toyota gaskets, 450$ for bottom end rebuild kit (japanese kit--pistons, pins, bearings, cam, lifters, oil pump). This is just for the short block--the head will be about 250-300$ for reconditioning. With me doing the assembly I have ~$1400 in parts. Will probably spend another $300 on misc on install. I find it pretty hard to trust someone to do a rebuild too. I am not willing to put a 2.0L in an already underpowered van so there is not a real option but to rebuild for me. Sooner or later I will attempt a 2.7L swap like Josh's "Death Metal" van.
Rob

[Dogfish]

What do you think about these?
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/TOYOTA-86-89-VAN-4YEC-2-2L-ENGINE-LONG-BLOCK-TLB4Y-_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQhashZitem5629f3f9faQQitemZ37007 1042554QQptZMotorsQ5fCarQ5fTruckQ5fPartsQ5fAccesso ries

I have never used them or know anyone who has, but I have heard good things about JIS. I would consider them and do more research, of course if /when I need an engine. I heard that they consider the work they do of such top quality that their warranty exceeds a new block from Toyota.
I don't know who the ebay reseller is though... I thought one could deal direct with JIS.

[mahleek87]

Could a leaky fuel injector cause the oil to look funny? Loose lubrication? A little white creamish? Im starting to think this may be the problem. Before I gave my van to the guy who changed the fuel injector there was fresh clean oil on the dipstick. Also I had to transport my van running on 3 cylinders 4-5 miles and would occasionally start it up for the past 2-3 months and the oil was always fresh and clean. It was until I put that fuel injector in where all the problems started happening. The engine does backfire and runs rough/crappy.

Today I drove my van to homedepot 2 miles away from my house and back and looked at the dipstick its starting to look kinda normal but still does not have its texture.

[Dogfish]

So... change the oil already.

What do you have to lose if you are driving it anyway?

[mahleek87]

Some updates.

Since last Sunday I have driven my van every day and have done flower deliveries in it as well. I have put 600 miles on it since then and Im happy to say seems like everything is fine. The white cream/condensation on my dipstick was most likely due to a bad pcv valve.

Sometimes when I checked my dipstick it looked normal and sometimes there was white cream on it. I went to the store today after 1 week of driving the van and bought new oil and a new pcv valve. Im going to do those soon but I also made some video of a problem that I am having.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0h9nN0DOPV4

The engine is backfiring. I moved the distrbutor very slowly from advance > retard while the engine was running and did not notice this backfiring go away. Then I set it back to where it was for a long time because I could still see the shadow of the bolt engraved so I lined it up with that.

I had the same problem a long time ago and it turned out to be a bad set of wires and cap. (That time the wires and cap were not OEM)

I ruled out my wires and cap because I put the old ones that were on before my HG blew which were good . Now I put my new ones back on with the cap. The spark plugs are new.

Could it be the ignition coil? Its brandnew from Toyota. The one I had on there before went bad to due excess heat when my HG blew. Could it possibly be my distributor? The engine chokes randomly when Im in drive. To me this looks like some kind of spark issue because Ive had this problem before.

[timsrv]

Well I'm thoroughly confused. Maybe somebody else here can help you. Good luck

[mahleek87]

Tim was it you that once said you received a bad ignition coil from Toyota out of the box?

[timsrv]

Wasn't me. As for your current problems, there's only so much anybody can do without hands on. Sorry. Tim

[mahleek87]

The weather was beautiful here today in Maryland so I thought i'd make a video on how my van is running. I have been driving it for the past month doing flower deliveries every day just like ol times and its safe to say that Im a Vanner again. Have already put 1800 miles on it and changed the oil this past weekend at the 1500 mark. 1st time since the motor was rebuilt. Im at 296,000 miles and at this rate should hit 300K within the next two months. Video will follow.

Only problem Im having now is a bad fuel injector. Van runs a little rough / uses gas, failed emissions but Im working on saving up for some new ones. Once I put them in, it will be running like new.

Here is the video, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yYb5hrngfI8
it was such a nice day today that I even spotted a cargo van. I need to hunt down the owner and make friends with him. There are almost no vans in my area except for 1. My other friend lives in D.C but drove his van to Central america so Im lonely here.

[theojo]

First post here. Great site Tim. I've been lurking for a while soaking up your valuable info.

Hey Mahleek, Long time no see. I've been off the sites for a few years, because my 84 with 276K miles has been running fine. And if its 2.0 is underpowered I never have noticed it. It does everything I ask it. Will only top out at 85 on the freeway though. So maybe that's not enough???But's its good to know about those 3Y engines.

But in the last week I've been replacing the engine in a friend's 87 automatic who let it overheat and blew the headgasket, with an 88 I got at the wreckers 4 years ago, so have got the trouble shooting urge going on and have been scrounging the forums for Tim's advice

Mahleek, What were the emission readings? CO2, O2, HC, CO and NO2? That might help us analyze the backfire issue. I don't think the fuel pressure regulator has been mentioned yet. Your pressure could be excessive. What I did once was hook up a pressure gauge off of the line to the cold start valve and watched it as I drove. You can do a lot of things with that other than just checking the pressure. and most importantly without removing the top intake.

Like checking the Pressure Regulator ISV in real time. I got 40 PSI under full throttle from 0-60. Once I closed the accelerator I got 28psi. At half throttle I got 35 PSI.

Also there were no leaking injectors when I shut off the engine.

3rd I saw a 2psi drop in pressure when I grounded each pair of injectors at the factory splice in the wiring harness near the intake. So I knew they were balanced.

Mahleek I know you're not a mechanic and there's no way in hell you're going to do this but I just wanted to show you that there are mechanics and there are problem solvers. So keep searching.
But congrats on getting it back on the road.

[timsrv]

Hey Theojo! Glad you found us. All good advice. Thanks for posting.........I hope you'll stick around as you're a great asset to the forum. Tim