Topic: FOUND HOLE IN TOP OF #1 CYLINDER

[dwad777]

My son has a 1983 flatbed, 8" lift with 35's, lockrite lockers front & rear and just bought it last summer. This truck has 44K on a re-manufactured engine. It drove fine for several months, we even did coyote and it ran like a champ. We put in a Weber carb for more power to push those tires and could really feel a difference. About 5 weeks ago, he took it to an oil change drive thru shop and got his fluids changed. After a few days he complained about the motor not running right. I pulled the dipstick and discovered the oil level to be 1.2" above the full line mark. He took it back to the shop and they immediately drained and corrected. Nevertheless, coincidence or not, he developed a knock. I towed it to my buddies shop for a leak down test. He discovered when pulling the plug in #1 that a hole was evident in the top of the cylinder. We further discovered excessive blow by. Mind you, this truck passed smog PRIOR to our purchase. Anyway, my buddy thinks that a piece of an old spark plug mustve found it's way into the cylinder since the plugs look fairly new. (mustve been changed prior to us buying truck). So my question is 2 fold...Is this oil issue related in anyway? And if not, I need to buy a new motor...I live in Fresno and All Engine Distributing has re-manufactured ones for $1596. I have found Oregon Engines and other companies that sell a "Performance Engine" from between $2500-$3500. He is a 16 year old kid and I want him to have enough power to push those tires..maybe more so than the stock 22r with the Weber..can you dudes turn me on to a reputable builder that can stand by their product!? Oregon had some negative comments and want someone kindof closer to home.

[tgmaul88]

I recomend 22reperformance.com

[tgmaul88]

but if it were me, I would pull the head and get a new set of pistons and rings off a trusted ebay vendor and rebuild the bottom end topping it off with a custom ground cam new rod and mains with thrust washers. and new oem toyota gasket kit, but thats me


oem gasket kit 75 - 125
piston set rings bearings 69-120
cam 125

less than 500. and if the crank was toast, there not hard to find any 20r 22r or 22re cranks all interchange

[Cheesemaker]

I agree with Tyler.  But stay away from Oregon Engine Builders.  They suck Johnson!!   

Read the warranty info on alot of those companies.  Most will require you to have motor installed by a certified technician.  In order to guarantee their build. 

[Cheesemaker]

Sirdeuce on here is selling a 83 22R out of a Celica on here.  For a good price.  http://board.marlincrawler.com/index.php?topic=96016.0

[dwad777 [OP]]

Thanks guys! I really appreciate the feedback. I think I will have Clovis Machine Shop do my rebuild. He's charging me $1500 to go thru and do a complete ground up job. What specific cam should I use to help push those tires? P.S. Does anyone have any leads on some ARB air lockers?

[Cheesemaker]

Give Engnblder a call or look into LCEngineering for cams.  If you have to smog, it might be a little tricky to get a cam to work.  But call. 

[Snowtoy]

What specific cam should I use to help push those tires?

If the diffs are still geared with the stock gears, no amount of power adders you install will do much.  The 35's are 20% bigger than the 28's, this results in a 20% reduction in performance.  If the PO regeared to 5.29's, a crawler cam from enginebuilder.com would likely be the better overall choice, a header might also be worth it, just make sure to go with one for lower rpm performance.

If you do rebuild the current 22r, I would go with a performance rebuild, it wont cost you much more than a stock rebuild.  Take a look at the enginebuilder.com site, using their components you can build the 22r to about 145 reliable/everyday usable HP.

[79coyotefrg]

If the diffs are still geared with the stock gears, no amount of power adders you install will do much.  The 35's are 20% bigger than the 28's, this results in a 20% reduction in performance.

   
you started off with a great bit of advice.  no amount of anything will make the truck work better than 5.29's.   then you go off the deep end.
 I would insert that gif of the guy smashing his head into his keyboard till all the keys and his eyes pop out.

If the PO regeared to 5.29's, a crawler cam from enginebuilder.com would likely be the better overall choice, a header might also be worth it, just make sure to go with one for lower rpm performance.

If you do rebuild the current 22r, I would go with a performance rebuild, it wont cost you much more than a stock rebuild.  Take a look at the enginebuilder.com site, using their components you can build the 22r to about 145 reliable/everyday usable HP.

making sure the truck has 5.29's is the first step i would take.  THEN a header and a 2 1/4 inch exhaust all the way to the back bumper.   
cam??  don't even get me started on how stupid it is to do a header, bigger carb, and big exhaust and then use a stock or "crawler" cam because "it needs better low end torque"   
the 20/22r and 22re have no need for a "low end cam"  they come stock with them.
the stock cams and these crawler cams are good to about 4000rpm then they fall on their face leaving you gasping for air trying to make it rev faster at the end of that freeway on ramp.
they NEED a cam thats going to take them up to 5500 without running short of air.   I STRONGLY suggest a
.440 lift cam from LCengineering.  i think they call it the street performer. I can get you a link if you want 

[79coyotefrg]

I dont see how a sparkplug could have gotten in there but filling it that much over full could have caused the piston to crack.  I bet it blew both front and rear main seals too.

[dwad777 [OP]]

This saga just got crazier. (Btw..."He has 5:29 gears & 4:70 on the dual case") So the machine shop has been rebuilding this engine and he called me this morning and stated that "The main caps, more specifically the thrust main threw me for a loop because they are for a 1983 BUT THE BLOCK IS AN 85!?, so we need to find a block from an 85".
Also upon tear down, the hole on top of piston 1 according to him "was caused by something being dropped down plug hole or maybe changing an air filter but not from excessive overfilling of oil, which is why all the blow by". So the only thing we had done to the truck was installing a new Weber as well as some hydro power steering assist device that california crawlers did. I also took your advice and bought the Pro Torquer Camshaft from LCE Performance for the 22R. (http://www.lceperformance.com/Pro-Torquer-Camshaft-20R-22R-RE-RET-p/1022024.htm) I'm getting frustrated because I've heard people telling me that excessive oil CAN cause this issue and I've had the same amount telling me no it can't. Anyway, I'm just posting everything I've been told thus far in hopes that some of you can make better sense of it all if at all possible. Thanks guys!

[79coyotefrg]

  he's saying the crank is an 85 so you need a 85 block??  he hasnt done many 22R's then.   tell him to match the thrust bearings to the block, the cranks are the same.
no matter how the hole got there its there. so you will need new pistons just make sure what block you have.  its easy the older blocks are 11.280 inches tall from oil pan to head,  the August of 84 and newer blocks are 11.080.  the timing chains and covers have to match the block and the heads are different also.

somebody post a picture of the thing on the side of the newer blocks

[dwad777 [OP]]

Thanks coyote, he actually does Marlin's machine work (as I was told). He's telling me the existing thrust main in my son's truck is an 1983 yet the block is an 1985. He also stated he is unsure as to how the heck the engine was even running? The oil overfill is important in determining if it could have caused this failure and if it did (which I don't think so) then the company who changed it would be held accountable. I found what you were talking about at partsdinosaur.com page 9.

[79coyotefrg]

look on the drivers side just behind the motor mount and see if your block has that thing circled here

[jimbo74]

who says this place does marlin's engine work?


the ONLY people I would trust over the internet on that would be marlin, or big mike

[1985CRAWLER]

the 83 and 85 cranks are the same. even if the block was different it wouldnt have anything to do with the thrust washers or mains. they were most likely installed wrong to begin with.
re-manufactured engines are most of time just garbage. they build them as cheap and as fast as they can to make a profit.

22reperformance is the only way to go or rebuild it yourself with oem toyota parts.

[jimbo74]

or www.engnbldr.com

I have also heard good things about DOA, but have heard that their guy is not always the best with his customer skills

[Nation]

I had a 22R.. I put an Offenhauser dual plane intake manifold on it, weber 32/36, 5:29s. Im not trying to be negative here. I wouldnt spend the money on aftermarket parts unless you really "build"/ p&p the head. Getting these motors to boogie isnt very cost effective. IMHOP. That being said... the biggest difference i noticed was the intake manifold. It gave the motor usable power closer to 6,000 rpm. It did pull longer but not necessarily harder....better throttle response. Also. I have a 22R layin around. $100 takes it. It runs. Pulled it for a 3RZ swap. Good luck!!