Cageless in California

[3Phase]

I finally got the SST (Special Service Tool) from Toyota and I removed the cylinder head this afternoon!

The original reason for the R&R job on the head is the #3 spark plug threads are stripped. Someone crossthreaded the spark plug and it shot out of the head, taking the threads with it.

But wait! There's more!

The #3 combustion chamber and the piston were ruined by something that got sucked into the cylinder while the engine was running. That may be the reason the spark plug shot out of the head, not crossthreading.

Planning to do a quick cylinder head exchange and get the 'Hawk on the road (two months ago now), last week I changed my '86 Toyota Camry's registration to non-op instead of registering it for another year. So, I am now officially completely cageless for the foreseeable future with the trusty and reliable old Columbo as my only means of transportation.

I'm doomed... DOOMED!


Some pictures just because I'm depressed and trying to find something relatively benign to do instead looking up the P.O. that sold me the 'Hawk and using my long-awaited and spendy new Toyota SST for something besides head bolts:

1997 Toyota White Hawk / Tercel

The #3 combustion chamber was damaged by a foreign object.




The top of the #3 piston was damaged by a foreign object. The piece of spark plug boot rubber and the peppercorns were in the cylinder when the head was removed.

There are no pepper trees (or spark plug boot trees) anywhere near the area where the car has been stored for ten years after it shot the number 3 spark plug out of the cylinder head and stripped the plug threads.




Toyota SST 09043-50080 1/2" drive #8 Bi-Hex/Double-Hex double-length driver bit and a cylinder head bolt.



So, everything on the schedule has been pushed back until I get the 'Hawk running and get some space in the work area. I was going to cut the engine out of the frame and start stripping the wrecked XJ but I can't do that while it's in the front driveway. Oh well, can't dance and it's too windy to stack BBs so back to thumb-twiddling and tiddly-winks!

[latexeses]

Hey Scott,
When I read the part about "trusty and reliable old Columbo as my only means of transportation". I started reaching for my wallet to see if I could get you some cab fare. The next line told me you weren't really delusional.

That looks like popcorn in the cylinder! Man you do party! I never thought about poping corn like that.

Have you figured out what that part is from in that cylinder? Almost looks like part of an injector or something like that.

If you are looking for transportation I still have the Lincoln.....

Good luck bud.
Rodger

[3Phase]

Thanks, Rodger, call me a cab! <gd&r> Lincoln would be nice but I couldn't afford to feed it.

Popcorn... I should be so lucky. It's peppercorns. Whole kernels of pepper.

I guess I was still in shock thinking about all the work this is going to require instead of just changing out a cylinder head as I have just been informed that the tree out on the parking strip is some kind of pepper tree and suddenly it all came back to me. The P.O. did leave the hood open for a while after discovering the spark plug problem while it was parked out on the street under the tree so the stuff fell into the engine through the maimed spark plug hole. The squirrel gets to live another year!

The black rubber bit in the picture of the pepper, hammered piston and scored cylinder wall is part of a spark plug boot. Maybe I can buff it out.

[natemoen]

That sst kinda looks like a regular spine bit, could be wrong can't tell how many ridges are on it.

[latexeses]

Are you looking for a motor at this point? I could check some of the Russian mob up in Sac to see if they can ste... I mean find you one cheap.
There are about a hundred chopsh...I mean wrecking yards up there.
First place I went looking when the Toyota 4x4 went missing.

Give me a yell. I'll make the calls.

[3Phase]

That sst kinda looks like a regular spine bit, could be wrong can't tell how many ridges are on it.

Nate, it kind of looks like several types of metric bits but it's not, trust me!

Bi or Double (two) Hex (six) is a mostly Asian 12-point bit.
Tri (three) Square (four) is a mostly European/American 12-point bit.
Torx is a 6-point bit made from undernourished Allen wrenches that couldn't pass the 12-point PT test.

The closest 12-point metric Allen/Tri-Square bit would be 11mm. It's not easy to find because they're sized from 4mm to 12mm and most sets skip the odd sizes, all of them skipped 11mm. The Toyota SST is a #8 bit, not an 8mm bit.

Torx is for pikey people that will have to buy another cylinder head after trying to save money by using the wrong tools.

I managed to remove exactly one head bolt with an 11mm 12-point bit and almost stripped the bolt so I decided to stop right there until I had the correct tool. I believe it's a Toyota tax and IQ test rolled into one.

The head bolts are difficult to break loose even with a 1/2" breaker bar. They are also hardened and they're almost impossible to drill so if a bolt strips there will be hours of entertainment with a cold chisel trying to cut the head off the bolt; slip and the chisel or the hammer may hit one of the thin cast aluminum valve bucket pockets that shroud most of the head bolts.

[3Phase]

Are you looking for a motor at this point?

There was a brief ray of light but my hopes were dashed: the valves are the shim-and-bucket type just like the XS/XJ! Toyota used 25mm shims in this engine, not 29mm. Bummer.

The 'Hawk only has ~100K miles on it so it's barely broken in. Unless I get really lucky and find an engine from a car that was crashed and not junked almost anything from a wrecking yard is going to have a lot more miles on it. If I can't find a good, correct, engine I'll find another head and a master kit then have the machine work done and put it back together myself.

I might try another Pick-A-Part engine but there are several variations on the 1.5 liter engine themes played in the Tercels. Wrong theme = automatic fail on the visual part of the smog inspection without even turning the key. No smog certificate means I start over again with the correct engine and Columbo hauls the beer and the parts.

[GARTHXS]

To bad you can't just drop a hayabusa motor in that puppy

[3Phase]

... drop a hayabusa motor in that puppy

Hmm. I do have a couple of XS engines and some Tercels do have turbos... nah!

I'd have to kill myself for caging an XS and burning up 30 years worth of parts every weekend like those lowest of low-life scum: mini-car racers!
<shiver>

[latexeses]

Do you think that whatever peened the piston and head got out the spark plug hole or past the valves into the exhaust? Was all of the spark plug there when it got punched out.

I know that would be from the POs memory but it might be one more clue.

Looking at the photo it looks like you might get by with just honing the cylinder. That was sort of a question. I know it won't be "just" honing but I get optimistic. I would think that if it was anything more than either of the contacts on the plug in there, there would have been more damage...

Just thinking.

[3Phase]

Rodger, the camera and flash 'enhances' marks and scratches and makes them clearly visible in a picture. That's one reason why I use a camera with flash but the actual damage to the cylinder wall doesn't look or feel too bad.

I'm going to pull the engine and hone the cylinders. If they're still within spec after I get rid of the scratches I'll have the block cleaned and machined, buy another head and a master kit, then put everything back together. A master kit is only ~$225 bucks including new pistons:-
Master Kit

The P.O. is a friend that's been renting a room here for the last ten years and I made the initial diagnosis six or seven years ago when it happened: R&R the cylinder head.

When the engine spit the plug there was a broken insulator in the end of the #3 plug wire. There was no sign of the rest of the plug or anything else and the threads in the spark plug hole were gone, ripped out.

The car was registered non-op and has been sitting along the side of the house ever since. We traded rent for the car so no one is out any money and new parts and machine work are both pretty cheap for this engine. When it's put back together the engine should get close to 50 MPG with a 500 mile range or better on one tank of gas. I think I can live with that!

[XS1100 Newbie]

That is not good news Scott. Guess that tool i have would not have worked either. I think you have the right idea about tearing it down and putting a master kit in it. I have only once purchased a good wrecking yard motor, many other times they were only slightly better than the one i was replacing. At least you know what you have if you do the work yourself. Get off the couch and get started man.
Bob

[3Phase]

Bob, nope, as it turned out the 12-point bit you had wouldn't have worked. Blech.

I was waiting for the rental yard and machine chops to open today before I finished pulling the engine so of course it's raining and the drip line from the roof is almost dead-center over the car and the engine compartment.

It's time to swing by ye olde head shoppe, then go pick up an engine hoist from the celestial brethren at Harbor Freight. I don't have a truck with a hitch and the rental yard has lost its mind. It would cost more to rent, deliver and return an engine hoist than to just buy one.

[XS1100 Newbie]

Sure wish you were around here with that. It would be quick and easy.

[3Phase]

Sure wish you were around here with that. It would be quick and easy.

Me too. As it turned out the local Harbor Freight is completely out of engine hoists but they will have more in a few days so I got, wait for it! a rain check!

I should just move the stupid car into the garage and work on it but I'd have to rearrange a lot of stuff and move my bike outside.