going in for the headgasket replacement !

[joegri]

hi gang i made the decission yesterday to go ahead and replace the head gasket! seems recently when i start the van i wants to run on 3 cylinders then a few seconds later its fine. also i,m tired of having to add coolant everyday(a cup or so). i,ve done this repair on a previos van with success and quite confident it,ll be fine. just time and money! which i dont have alot of both but there is no other option! but best of all i have experience at this task/ some o.k. weather and TVT to help me along! ther just 1 more decision to make. that is if the head is cracked what is next? i have a motor in the basement and another in my previous van that ran beatiful. so i wont know till monday or tuesday what my tact will be. if i have to swap motors will the motor come out through the passenger door without removing the door? or will it come out through the cargo door? that is the question for me at this time. so leave a light for me and i,ll post some pics as i go along. " cover me i,m goin in" !!!

[timsrv]

I've always pulled them out through the passenger door but I've also heard of them being pulled out the cargo door. Theojo (a member here) prefers to drop them out from underneath. I've never tried to pull them out the passenger door without 1st removing the door, but I cannot imagine that being any fun. I briefly considered pulling out the cargo door, but considering the rear AC unit and the height of the "hump" I thought that would be a PITA. If your van doesn't have the rear AC unit on the ceiling it might be worth a shot. Here's a couple of threads where I'm pulling engines:

https://www.toyotavantech.com/forum/showthread.php?149-Yotamog-s-4y-engine-swap

https://www.toyotavantech.com/forum/showthread.php?634-Some-pictures-of-my-weekend-project

I'll be pulling another engine this way (above) in the next week or so.

Here's a thread where Theojo describes dropping one out from underneath:

https://www.toyotavantech.com/forum/showthread.php?392-Still-another-way-to-swap-an-engine&p=2338#post2338

As for the head, if it ends up being cracked, I know there are places that weld them, but I would avoid a welded head. I like your plan of swapping in a known good one.

Good luck with your project. Regardless of how you do it, please take some pics and share the experience with us! Tim

PS: Here is an article that may help you with your project: https://www.toyotavantech.com/forum/content.php?216-Other-parts-to-replace-while-replacing-Head-Gasket

[joegri]

thanx for that tim. well i started the headgasket job and i,m here to say... what a pain in the butt!! the nearest i can figure is cuz this van sat for so many years many of the nuts/bolts were just rusted on there pretty good man. i had to use a tourch on some and i even managed to snap a few also, but after allday saturday and most of easter sunday i got that baby off. and after close inspection of the gasket i really could,nt tell whwere it was cracked. but i,m leaning on the back cylinder. and after seeing that sounds wierd but i,m hoping the head is cracked! just so i can put the motor that has been liveing in my basement for 6 years could finnaly find a good resting place.the head was dropped off at the machine shop this morning and i should get a call if it,s cracked. anyway here are a few pics... there is a headgasket here somewhere!!! i,ll tell you what we gotta be crazy to do this stuff! i did ths repair 6 years ago and i,m thinkin i must have lost a step or 2 cuz man i was real sore from climbing under then stretchin over the top and getting in positoins that a 56 year old body just cant go where it used to go lol.

[timsrv]

i was real sore from climbing under then stretchin over the top and getting in positoins that a 56 year old body just cant go where it used to go lol.

Lol, I hear you man. I'm not THAT old yet, but not far behind. It's amazing how some jobs will make you aware of muscles you didn't even know you had. The day you stop is the day you are truly old :wnk:. So keep on turn'n them wrenches :thmbup:. Tim

[joegri]

i recieved my head for the shop n all seems to be ready for reassembly. i,m kinda bummed that they did,nt really make it shiney so, i,ll go ahead n clean it. i also have many parts that need cleaning and saw that timsrv has used mineral spirits...think i,ll try that along with some carb cleaner and a selection of brushes.i also think i,m gonna cut an access door too(rear hump) for future use if i need it lol.cuz i have my lil beater honda to get to work think i,ll take my time and check n clean stuff while it,s open.i guess you could say "its all down hill from here" when yer van is "down" ye realize how much you need it! now is the time to be careful and deliberant. more to come.

[timsrv]

I'm really missing mine too. I've almost got my core engine ready to assemble so I'm pulling my broken engine out today. I'll sure be glad to have my van back. I'm slowly documenting my work here in my blogs: https://www.toyotavantech.com/forum/blog.php?2-timsrv

[joegri]

well after 3 weekends i finnaly got the van running again! everything seems to be fine but, i,ve only put a few miles on it. i spect it,s me but, the motor feels tight. i cant explain what i mean but it feels/sounds different.now that the job is done i can remember sayin to myself"i,ll never get this back together" but i did . just a few pics for ya,ll. note the access hatch i cut in the rear firewall.the only concern i have now is a moan sound thats comming from the either the belt tentioner or the power steering pump. i,ll have to isolate that today or in the next few days.

[timsrv]

Nice! Good luck troubleshooting that noise. After a long series of delays I got my short block assembled yesterday. I also got my auto transmission rebuilt. I'm going through everything and my busy season is upon me now. I also got the dash out to troubleshoot some annoying electrical problems. On Saturday I picked up an extra rear end at the salvage yard and think I'm going to put a posi-track unit in it. New drive line is also on the way. I'm obsessed........something is definitely wrong with me :dizzy:. Tim

[djshimon]

Doing the headgasket...trying to take off the intake manifold but there are a couple bolts on the back of the engine I just cant seem to reach-how the heck do you get to those? The ones right above the the hose of death. I'm thinking I may have to cut an access hole. Any suggestions? The manifold is loose but those bolts are just inaccessible.

[timsrv]

I've done it without an access hole before, but the access hole makes it a lot easier. These little bolts have 10mm heads and they hold the metal tubes (for vacuum and the bypass hose) to the intake manifold. An alternate way is to remove or cut the hoses, then remove the intake with the metal tubes still attached. If you don't cut the access hole, these can be removed by using a 10mm wrench and feel. There is also the bracket that holds the 2 manifold halves together. This can also be done without the hole, but it's a PITA. After doing it once without the hole, I quit wasting time & just start out by cutting the hole. With the access hole it's easier as you can see these and get to them much easier.

For situations when I'm removing the engine, I will usually unbolt everything, remove the motor mounts, then use my cherry picker to move the engine forward a few inches. At this point it's much easier to get these out without an access hole. Of course this wouldn't help as you're not removing the engine (at least not this time). I'd recommend cutting the hole. Tim

[djshimon]

thanks Tim for confirming my suspicions. the Hg removal seemed to be going a little too quickly. How would they do this at the dealer without cutting into a customers van? they sure didn't think we'd be taking the manifold off did they:no:?
I think i'll cut the hoses and then cut the access hole when i have, uh, access.

[timsrv]

Being able to remove the manifold without an access hole separates the real mechanics from the back-yard variety :LOL2:. To make things worse they made the injector harness impossible to remove without cutting it off (and this prevents you from removing the manifolds and head as an assembly). You could however pull the head and manifolds together, move it all forward (for access), then split the manifold and remove the injector harness. I know we complain a lot about the hose of death (by-pass hose), but these aren't really all that terrible to deal with once the valve cover is off (which it will be for access to head bolts). Reaching back there with a pair of dykes to snip the hose is actually pretty easy. I'd still cut the hole though, because you still have to put everything back together :wnk:. Tim

PS: On the van I rebuilt the engine for, I built my own removable injector harness. I did this simply because I wanted to completely assemble the engine in the garage, then drop it in as an assembly.

[joegri]

dj...go ahead and don't be scared just get a drill and make a few holes to make the rough outline of the shape of yer new acess port. in my case I cut 3 sides of the square and bent it over.when the job is done just just bend it back and duct tape that mess over.only you and us know you did it. you,ll be glad you did! best of luck to ya. joe g

[timsrv]

Here's a picture of the back of the engine. It may help for reference if you're using the braille method for identifying and removing bolts. Tim

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a23/timsrv/TVT%20pics/Engine/IMG_2277_zps1f55cfbb.jpg

[djshimon]

thanks Tim and Joe. That helps. I was trying to use the braille method, and going from underneath but no luck-was gonna cut the hole after I got the head out but it seems there's no way to get those bolts(for me) holding the intake onto the head without a hole. I'll let you know when I succeed. Thanks again folks.

[djshimon]

well got it off, thanks to my new hole:LOL2:. what a pain in the everything-I still don't think it's possible to take that intake off without a hole. Those toyota mechanics must know some serious secrets or magic and I'm sure the right tools help too-or they cut a hole and keep that a secret?
now for the exhaust manifold, and head.

[djshimon]

Got the head off, phew that took some work. How's my head look? The valves on the right look real dirty compared to the others. I was going through A Lot of oil, guessing this is a symptom of that. The gasket didn't really look too bad and my cylinder didn't have that "clean" look I've seen others have when the cylinder has been burning coolant. Oh well I'll be taking the head in to be checked. Anyone know a good head resurfacer in Portland?
Thanks again.
844 k845

[timsrv]

It's a bit disappointing to not see any sure sign of a bad head gasket after removing the head. Based on the way things look in that photo & what you said before, I'm guessing you have a problem with the oil control rings in #4.......possibly #3. Still, as you said, the next thing to do is take the head to a machine shop and have it checked over. If the valve guides are worse in #3 & #4 it might explain the difference in build-up/oil consumption, but I'm guessing it's stuck or damaged oil rings. Can you see visible scoring on any of the cylinder walls?

When it comes to machine shops I'm sure there are lots of good ones out there, but unfortunately there are also ones that aren't so good. A general rule of thumb is you get what you pay for. Based on personal experience I lean towards the shops that specialize in racing and/or high performance engines. These shops tend to have more attentive machinists and usually do better quality work. They usually charge a bit more, but the difference isn't drastic. I use Nutter Racing Engines in Vancouver, WA but I'm sure there's others in Portland. Just Google "racing engines portland oregon". If you use a racing engine shop, just be prepared to take a little crap about it being a "lowly import rice burner" :wnk:. Compared to the stuff they normally work on these things are "wimpy" but the principals are the same and the machining practices don't change.

Regardless of who you take it to, be sure to tell them the valves are non-adjustable so they need to compensate for the machine work by grinding the valve stems. They will probably already know that, but it doesn't hurt to remind them. If you purchased your own gasket set, bring them the valve guide seals or they will likely use aftermarket (may or may not make a difference depending on what they use). For all I know, they may have something better, in which case I'd probably go with whatever they recommend. Tim

[djshimon]

Thanks Tim, you are the best.
So, rings means a disassemble huh? Oh man, no time for that. I didn't see any scoring on the cylinder walls of #4, actually that #4 looked smooth as glass but I'll take a second look.
And no signs of a busted Hg, but it was doing all the tell-tale signs: Coolant out the overflow after driving on the highway for more than a half hour, and tiny bubbles(isn't that a song?) you could see under the radiator cap. Maybe I didn't burp it enough but I burped it a bunch...
Oh well, we'll see what the head shop says.

[1966novacoupe]

question, when removing the cylinder from this van, is it necessary to remove the manifolds with the head? if not where do i access the lower intake to cylinder head bolts? thanks steve

[timsrv]

Unless you cut the injector harness (not recommended), you will at least need to remove the upper half of the intake manifold. If you try the search feature on the upper right corner I'm sure you'll find the answers you seek. Here's a few that come up, and there are many more. Tim

https://www.toyotavantech.com/forum/showthread.php?1107-three-y-head-four-y-block

https://www.toyotavantech.com/forum/showthread.php?1094-Replacement-head-bolts-studs&highlight=head+gasket+manifold

https://www.toyotavantech.com/forum/showthread.php?1011-Exhaust-repair-dilemmas&highlight=head+gasket+manifold

[joegri]

hey 66 nova i have done 2 of the head gasket jobs and on the second one i did cut a access port in the rear bulkhead. i cant tell you how much easier it made this task. there are a few pics in here somewhere just gotta look a bit. good luck to ya it,s not as hard as it looks but it,s hard! you got this all day!

[1966novacoupe]

hey 66 nova i have done 2 of the head gasket jobs and on the second one i did cut a access port in the rear bulkhead. i cant tell you how much easier it made this task. there are a few pics in here somewhere just gotta look a bit. good luck to ya it,s not as hard as it looks but it,s hard! you got this all day!


thanks joe, i already cut the hole in the rear deck couple years ago to change the hoses back there. the water outlet was rotted beyond use so a friend of mine manufactured one out of aluminum. right now im changing the head gasket [ probably going to send the head out for a rebuild while its off]. i was not sure where the hidden bolts were for the lower intake. i got a photo showing where to gain access to them so tomorrow its back to work. thanks for your reply.

[1966novacoupe]

Unless you cut the injector harness (not recommended), you will at least need to remove the upper half of the intake manifold. If you try the search feature on the upper right corner I'm sure you'll find the answers you seek. Here's a few that come up, and there are many more. Tim

https://www.toyotavantech.com/forum/showthread.php?1107-three-y-head-four-y-block

https://www.toyotavantech.com/forum/showthread.php?1094-Replacement-head-bolts-studs&highlight=head+gasket+manifold

https://www.toyotavantech.com/forum/showthread.php?1011-Exhaust-repair-dilemmas&highlight=head+gasket+manifold


thanks tim, i already had the upper intake off. just couldnt find the lower bolts on the lower manifold. the pics in the links showed the access points.....back to work tomorrow. thanks

[F22hb]

I remember doing my headgasket and having to jump on here to find out where the nuts I was missing were. The moment you realize where they are is such a nice feeling lol. :thmbup:

[joegri]

just wondering what the status of this repair is? i,m guessin 66 is waiting for the head to come back from the machine shop or parts. so nova when you get a minute let us know howz it goin! and heres a lil tip that works well for me.cuz i have a short attention span i make sure nobody is around so i can concentrate and when reassembling i use plenty of never sieze. just so in the future everything comes apart easily.just thought i,d throw that in. best of luck to ya:thmbup:

[trestlehed]

Well, 1966novacoupe says I also need a new exhaust manifold. 1st Toyota Parts has 1 listed for $141. (I don't have the part # and it wasn't listed on the website.)
Is the exhaust manifold the same for 2wd and 4wd. My van is a 1987 4wd Automatic.

Thanks.

[timsrv]

At the end of THIS POST (https://www.toyotavantech.com/forum/showthread.php?5-A-few-tricks-for-removing-broken-exhaust-studs) I give a list of parts and part numbers (including the manifold). All years and flavors of vans (84-89) use the same one. Tim

[trestlehed]

Thanks for the parts numbers Tim.

The machine shop notified my mechanic: "The cylinder head cannot be rebuilt because its already under minimum thickness by .033. Sometime in the past its been surfaced way more than it should have been."

So I need a new cylinder head as well. I looked at your blog and the eBay link. There is another head available here in So Cal in El Monte from CNS Motors for $325. Here is the link:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Complete-Cylinder-Head-84-95-Toyota-Van-Forklift-2-0L-2-2L-OHV-8V-3YEC-4YEC-4Y-/321003017279?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&fits=Year%3A1987|Make%3AToyota|Model%3AVan&hash=item4abd45543f&vxp=mtr

1st Toyota Parts .com has a head listed for $612.11, but it might be a ghost part, as Steve (my mechanic) called Toyota yesterday and was told cylinder heads are NLA from Toyota.

We are thinking about one of these other outfits, probably CNS since they are here in So Cal.

Any thoughts or ideas are welcome...

Thanks!

[timsrv]

Other than having the rocker assembly installed, it looks exactly like the head I got. I see it lists it as a "new aftermarket" head, so it's probably safe to assume it was manufactured in China. According to the pics it doesn't have the OD temp sensor port drilled, but the boss is there so If need be you could always drill & tap like I did. I would also check closely for assembly errors (refer to my blog (http://www.toyotavantech.com/forum/entry.php?38-4yec-Engine-Rebuild-part-2)). Overall I was impressed with my new aftermarket head. Machine work was beautiful but it did annoy me having to drill & tap the OD sensor port. The ports that were there were plugged and a permanent glue/sealer was used (had to drill them out). The use of old valve spring seats that were improperly installed was also annoying, but that was easily remedied.

Finding a quality rebuild is also an option, but there's such a huge variable in the quality of parts. Rebuilders typically won't disclose if the head has been cracked & welded & I would never want to install one of those. Then there's the ones rebuilt by ignorant & or uncaring shops (I've seen those too). Overall, I think I'd rather take my chances with new aftermarket. Another option might be finding a salvage yard head & have the machine shop rebuild it. Just my $.02. Tim

PS: If you go new aftermarket, assuming you have a machine shop you trust, you may want to have them evaluate it before assembling your engine. IE: verify valve seals, guides, spring seats, spring tension, stem seals & other machined surfaces. While its there you may also want them to add a sensor port or 2 (you never know when you might want to add a temperature gauge or a thermostat for your aftermarket fans).

[trestlehed]

Thanks for all the great advice Tim. looks like we are going to go with CNS in El Monte.
Will keep you updated as things progress.:thmbup:

[1966novacoupe]

Thanks for all the great advice Tim. looks like we are going to go with CNS in El Monte.
Will keep you updated as things progress.:thmbup:
thanks tim for the info. ill be doing the work myself, which means checking the cyl.head assy before installing. also ill drill and tap the head for the electric fan switch so i dont see a problem there either. the el monte head comes with a new rocker assy....another bonus...i did find a used head complete for $100. but there is no guarantee it will be rebuildable or that it hasnt been rebuilt in the past....any way ill probably go with the el monty head....ill keep everyone posted as to the outcome.....

[1966novacoupe]

just wondering what the status of this repair is? i,m guessin 66 is waiting for the head to come back from the machine shop or parts. so nova when you get a minute let us know howz it goin! and heres a lil tip that works well for me.cuz i have a short attention span i make sure nobody is around so i can concentrate and when reassembling i use plenty of never sieze. just so in the future everything comes apart easily.just thought i,d throw that in. best of luck to ya:thmbup:


ya im a big fan of anti seize compound, especially where alloys are mixed iron/aluminum etc... also when im working on a vehicle im not completely familiar with i take pics, lots of pics....right now im up to around 150....just so i know where all the brackets, vacuum lines wires etc. go while im reassembling the vehicle.....ill be ordering the new head in the morning....ill keep everyone posted

[timsrv]

The new head will not come with exhaust studs. Rather than swapping them over from the old head, I would recommend putting new ones in. The original ones can still be ordered from Toyota, but it bothers me to see the stud in the back breaking all the time. As a result I decided to try some tougher studs that Toyota uses on some of their more modern vehicles. Here's a quote from another thread (http://www.toyotavantech.com/forum/showthread.php?1011-Exhaust-repair-dilemmas) where this has been discussed:


One thing worth noting, I have never removed an exhaust manifold from a van with over 150k miles on it that didn't have a crack like you describe or didn't have that rear stud broken off. Toyota makes hardened exhaust manifold studs that are supposed to be better than the ones they used on our vans (they are black instead of shiny silver color). This last time around when I rebuilt my engine I used these studs (Toyota part #90116-10150) as they are supposed to hold up better. Of course it will only take about 20 years and/or ~200k miles before I know for sure :wnk:. At any rate, I figured they couldn't be any worse. I've often wondered if the manifold only cracks AFTER it loses that stud, or if it will break regardless. If I'm still alive in 20 years and if that stud holds up......... I guess I'll know then :)>:. Tim

Since you're getting new studs, might as well top them off with all new nuts. They are Toyota #90116-10063. Tim

[Remington]

I've started moving forward with solving my van overheating issues.

Discovered that one of my cylinders has broken pushrods!

(or is it a broken valve lifter?)

7810

Could this be causing my..

air/exhaust gasses in cooling system
loss of power on startup
rough idle without revving engine
ticking/sputtering/shaking


I have access to a shop with a lift. Would it be best to just try and pull the engine out?

At this point I'm going to assume I'll need to replace the HG + push rods, and everything else in Tim's guide.

[Burntboot]

There should be a pushrod sitting on top of that lifter and if it is missing then yes, it would have a pretty significant effect on how the engine runs.

But before jumping the gun and tearing the whole thing apart.
I'd be tempted to pull the rocker cover and if nothing further appears damaged, fish out any broken parts, install a new pushrod(s), valve cover gasket and do an oil change and see if it will live for another day.
For what it's worth, I have seen this exact scenario transpire on a 4Y delivery van, so miracles do happen.

Worst case scenario, you waste a day and <$100
Best case scenario, you're back up and running.
You will also have a much better chance of properly diagnosing any issues that do remain.

[MyToy]

Replacing head gasket. Any suggestion as to what we should be using for sealent like Permatex or should we using nothing?


Thanks guys

MyToy

[timsrv]

Headgaskets should be installed dry. Both surfaces should be smooth and clean. I like to use a die grinder with surface conditioning pads to make things shiny, then wipe with lacquer thinner and paper towels until the paper towels remain clean https://www.toyotavantech.com/forum/showthread.php?2041-Blew-the-rear-main-oil-seal!-Engine-Overhaul&p=12219#post12219. Also a good idea to check the mating surfaces with a straight edge and to check the area between valves for cracks.

Other gaskets can be installed dry too, but I like to use a very thin coat of Toyota FIPG on the ones that seal coolant. Tim

[MyToy]

Thanks Tim!!

[Mfry]

Hello everyone. I'm doing a head gasket job ('89 Toyota Van). I'm at the point of placing the head on top of the new gasket, but I'm having problems aligning the three stud bolts on the bottom of the intake with the corresponding holes on the downpipe. I don't want to mess with this too much, because I'll end up damaging the new head gasket. Should I remove the downpipe (remove bracket and unbolt pipe from cat), attach the head, and then reattach the pipe?

[timsrv]

Are you trying to install a head with the intake and exhaust manifolds already installed on it? It never occurred to me to do it that way so it's hard to comment on how that would work. Personally I like to assemble one piece at a time (put a bare head on the block, then install manifolds, etc). The head would be rather heavy and hard to align with manifolds on it. Perhaps if you had a helper or maybe you could hang the head from a rafter using a pulley or something, then drop into place after everything is aligned??? Good luck. Tim

[Mfry]

I'm dealing with the head connected to the lower half of the clamshell, the exhaust manifold. Came off just fine, but it's difficult to align with the three exhaust holes during reassembly. Yes, very heavy! My plan is to remove the exhaust downpipe, carefully place and secure the head, and then link the exhaust back up. Hope it works!

[originalkwyjibo]

You should get enough movement on the exhaust pipe just by removing the bracket at the bellhousing. It's the only rigid mount for the exhaust so once it's loose or removed the entire exhaust will move around quite a bit on the rubber hangers.

[Mfry]

Excellent, thanks. I just removed that whole section, because it was easy and I wanted as much clearance as possible. Just waiting on my Toyota HG (have a Wix, but I'm taking Tim's advice and sticking to OEM). Truly a back breaking job, so I'm taking my time. I will no doubt require more advice. Stay tuned and thanks again.

[MyToy]

Yep, best datching bracket. I have done this 4 times. The only real hard part for me was getting the manifold lower bolts back in and torqued.

Good luck, will be watching for you.

MT

[Mfry]

Happy to report that I successfully completed the head gasket job, and I also fixed a number of other things during the project. The van is running cool and like a Swiss watch!! Here are some of my takeaways. Take care everyone!



I really took my time on this project, because I needed to go easy on my body, and I knew that being methodical would improve my chances of success. I worked over the course of a month and took days off after rigorous parts of the process. It’s a really big job, and you will want to make room for other repairs you encounter. If possible, take it slow.
The 1989 Toyota repair manual was very helpful, as it includes the broad strokes of the project. I used color-coded stickers for all my hoses and numbered stickers (matched to the steps in the manual) for other connections, which was very helpful during reassembly. I also kept track of the head bolts and pushrods by drawing a diagram on a piece of cardboard and inserting the parts into their numbered holes. Make sure you connect your spark plug wires in the right order.
I damaged the power steering pulley while trying to remove it. Fortunately, I was able to find a whole new power steering pump from a same year van in a California junkyard. Be very careful with the pulley.
I did not cut a hole in the firewall, rather I used telescoping mirrors and thin profile flex-head ratchets to disconnect/connect the bolts and hoses at the back of the engine. My hose of death was in great shape, but I replaced it anyway with Toyota HVAC heater hose 99556-10300, cut to size and fastened with small worm gear clamps. Taking/keeping the valve cover off gives you a bit more room to access those hard-to-reach bolts on the back of the head, the intake manifold, and the exhaust manifold.
I did not detach the exhaust manifold (lower clamshell) from the head, which means I lifted the joined piece out of the van and installed that same piece once the new head gasket was in place. This is a hard way to do this, because it’s really heavy and alignment is difficult. If you go this route, you want to make sure you don’t ruin your new head gasket while trying to line things up. In order to make this possible, I removed the side exhaust manifold bracket and the exhaust from the downpipe to the catalytic converter. Once the head was on and tightened down, I reattached the bracket and the downpipe. Also be careful not to bend/break the fuel line that runs along the firewall. During installation/alignment, I straddled the engine and lowered the head/exhaust manifold into place.
Here are some tools and parts that came in handy:

Tungsten carbide gasket scraper
Hose remover tool
24mm six point flare nut crowfoot wrench (for hard to reach EGR pipe bottom nut)
Wix gasket set (for everything but the head gasket)
Genuine Toyota head gasket (11115-73030)
Toyota HVAC heater hose, cut to size, for the hose of death (99556-10300)
Beck Arnley throttle position sensor (158-0503)
Toyota Landcruiser EGR modulator (25870-66010). The diaphragm on my modulator was compromised, and any of the Landcruiser modulators from the period works well.
CLR Pro Radiator Flush & Cleaner (item #56DY61 at Grainger). It’s expensive, but works really well. I flushed four times (CLR + distilled water, drove w. heater on, let cool down, drain, then run just distilled water until completely free of debris).
Genuine Toyota red coolant (002721LLAC01) mixed 50/50 with distilled water. Good stuff.
Nippon Denso type fuel injector connector kit(s) with special low keyways from Ballenger Motorsports (CONN-75745).

[timsrv]

:clap: Great job! These kind of projects can be tough, but I find them very rewarding when finished. :dance2:

[Mfry]

Really rewarding. Thanks Tim. This site and the nice people on it were my biggest resource, by the way. Such great technical information that I've been storing up for a while now. Take care.