I miss my baby...

[RiggerRob]

I have been without a car for about 10 days now, after I took my beloved '84 T4WD to my mechanic for a head gasket job. He pulled the head with no problems at all and sent it off for resurfacing and a valve job and the shop called the next day and said the crank had galled the bearing cradles in the head and it was shot. My mechanic, being the clever, resourceful fellow he is, was able to find a used head, which is presently at the shop being restored. I should have the car back on the road by Friday, but, man, I sure do miss driving that little thing around! I borrowed my housemate's Kia Spectra yesterday to do laundry - everything is powered, everything works, no road noise, no rattles, no shifting gears, even - but where the hell is the fun in that?!?

Anyway, I'm just posting this because I know that there are sympathetic ears out there. Can't wait to get my baby back on the road!

[Petros]

Do you mean the cam shaft galled the bearings? This happens when the engine was run dry of oil, it can be repaired but if you can find a good used head cheap it is usually not worth it. The bearing caps are ground down on the flat face to reduce the size of the bearing dia and than the cam shaft bore is reamed back up to size. Tyically it cost about $40-50, it will also make sure the cam bore is straight and true (which can get distorted if the engine was overheated). Some shops will do this as a routine when rebuilding the head. I have found that on the 3a it usually is not necessary unless it was badly overheated, or in your case when the bearing surface gets galled or otherwise damaged.

Make sure your mechanic uses my procedure and head gasket mods as I outlined in the repair guilds section. It will make the engine run better, cooler and smoother, and result in a more durable head installation.

[RiggerRob]

Thanks, Petros! The original head was galled beyond repair but we did use the original cam and some of the fittings. All new valves, springs and valve guides. She's back up and running, I made sure he set the timing to 10 degrees TDC - we didn't get into the head gasket mods (he's a really busy mechanic), I may try them out on a future Tercel. The car is running very strong with the 'new' head (salvaged from a junkyard) and I'm going to do a new oil and filter change after 500 miles to flush the rest of the goop out. my mechanic said the engine was FULL of coolant when he drained it so I'm really lucky not to have destroyed anything else in it. Any other suggestions you might have for getting all the old crud out of the engine would be welcome. Your advice is always appreciated and respected.

I have another slight idling problem with it now but I'm posting that to the repair section (https://tercel4wd.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=6957). Thanks again

[Petros]

A can of Seafoam added to the oil should clean it out good, some recommend using one can of ATF. Either way I would not leave it in too long. Like a few days before you change the oil, put in the additive and drive normally, making sure you drive it long enough to get it good and warm each day, and than change it warmed up. There are lots of places where significant of motor oil is trapped that does not drain out, in the pain, the oil galleys and small dykes in the head to hold lubricant under the cam shaft, if you want to really make sure you get all you could change it again after another 500 miles. But that is likely overkill, the engine will last for many 100s of thousands of miles with just routine care.

I do not think the small amount of coolant left in the oil pan after an oil change will harm much, when it get hot most of it will just evaporate out, the rest will go with the next oil change.