Fault Finders Update-Total Nightmare!!!

[whitespider]

Hi everyone.

After eight weeks in the garage, the problem with the loud knock was finally diagnosed. It was two blocked injector nozzles. Put new nozzles in all four and the knock disappeared. I was delighted any one interested please read Major Head Story then Fault Finders needed.

The garage bolted her back together and she was purring like a kitten, off for test drive of about a mile. Pulled over and there was water pouring out of the expansion tank. The pressure in the rad cap was immense.

I showed up a few hours later. Mechanic started her up to show me and straight from cold the pressure build up was huge.
No sign of water in oil or vice versa. Rad was filled at rad cap, even with no thermostat fitted it pressurised everything.

Garage are saying it must be the head or the gasket, if not then its a porous block.
This nightmare began in January with the cracked head, then a new one was fitted that warped and had faulty injector chambers(loose).
The Head Centre then fitted new oversize chambers and skimmed.

The first road test after 8 weeks sat in garage looking for the injector problem was today and this is what happened.

Now, either UK Cylinder heads are seriously dodgy (anyone know why they ask for heads as exchange items-what are they doing with them?)
The head gasket from Roughtrax is dodgy or my block is U/S.

Does anyone have any suggestions, like airlocks or whatever before I rip head out again and get pressure tested?

Please help me out as this is a total and utter nightmare.

[wasp132]

i suggest you get the 3 litre matey....the 2.4 is a time-bomb, as i have found out to my cost!

[JimL]

this isnt funny and my sympathies go out to you. Foresight would be a great thing but with fellas like yourself and SmithG and one or two others its seems to have gone for a Hilux engine with warranty (past posts have said they are readily available for £1,000 or so) would have been a better move and I say that because if u had the same subsequent probs you would at least not have the 'whats up with these import 2.4s' inuendo to answer to every Tom Dick and Harry and would have the support and help of local Toyota experience.

If mine went (and it did b4 I got the surf) I'd cut my losses and look at whats available to put in there.

[Dazza]

Bit worrying as I'm in the middle of a complete rebuild, brought a surf with a knocking engine, I was going to buy an import engine but decided to rebuild so I know what I've got. I do wonder wether they just run em into the ground in Japan as they have the 3 year law where they have to change the engine for a new one, I know if I had to change my engine I wouldn't bother looking after it. I have stripped every nut and bolt in my engine and there's one thing wrong with it, neglect. It has been run on the wrong oil, fully synthetic is reconmended and doesn't clog and block oilways, mine are all clogged. All four injectors were faulty, causing overheated and valve damage. The turbo was worn and drinking engine oil also causing overheating. My personal view is the engine is like a human body it has to be fed properly to work properly. If the previous owner of my surf had bothered changing the oil, servicing the injectors (£115 rebuild all four) and had the turbo serviced (£250 new bearings and seals) when it started smoking I wouldn't be replacing pistons, cam, valves and turbo now.

[gemini]

Now, either UK Cylinder heads are seriously dodgy (anyone know why they ask for heads as exchange items-what are they doing with them?)

i wondered that myself, usually when the item you are buying is new you dont need to hand the old one back

[andy]

Not sure on this but dont they use the old cam and valves.

[speedymacfish]

melt

Been told they melt down the old heads to re-make new ones?
Not sure how much truth there is in it but it sounds good






G

[Guest]

Been told they melt down the old heads to re-make new ones?
Not sure how much truth there is in it but it sounds good






G

I think that they will sell the heads for scrap. There is a significant amount of iron in those heads which would either be returned to the manufacturer for recycling or sold to a scrap dealer who would melt them down.

The Head I got from UK cylinder heads was a Genuine Toyota one and a new Toyota box. Had a brand new cam and valves in it too.

They do sell remanufactured heads as well (rebuilt units) however they are honest about this and tell you what you are getting. The rebuilt ones are cheaper than the new ones and don't come with a cam or valves.

Cheers

[Koi]

I think that they will sell the heads for scrap. There is a significant amount of iron in those heads which would either be returned to the manufacturer for recycling or sold to a scrap dealer who would melt them down.

The Head I got from UK cylinder heads was a Genuine Toyota one and a new Toyota box. Had a brand new cam and valves in it too.

They do sell remanufactured heads as well (rebuilt units) however they are honest about this and tell you what you are getting. The rebuilt ones are cheaper than the new ones and don't come with a cam or valves.

Cheers

Got my head from Uk cylinder heads, fitted last september by myself and Andy (Lucky) and its as sweet as a nut. Same as Andy, genuine Toyota new head and cams & valves, genuine Toyota Gaskets all boxed in Toyota packaging. Who purchased your head ?????????????? I would say maybe the monkeys who fitted your head could be at fault ever thought of that. Did they ever fill it up properly, they can be a bit of a pig to get all the air out.
Was still topping mine up for three days after I refilled it, it just seemed to move the air locks as I drove it round.

[Koi]

i suggest you get the 3 litre matey....the 2.4 is a time-bomb, as i have found out to my cost!

Totally unfair quote, they are not time bombs as many on here will testify to, they are 12 year old plus motors with no service history come over on a boat. If this were a Ford Escort, Cavalier, Mazda or the like you wouldn't have touched it with a barge pole if it was 12 years old with no history etc etc.

[whitespider]

Have had the head tested on friday- its not cracked, needed skimmed though. Funny as this head has not been driven a foot since coming back from UKCylinderheads.
I purchased this head from them myself, brand new, it came in a toyota box etc. But ran it for 2000 miles and had to send it back with injection combustion chambers loose. Wouldn't replace on warranty despite replacing thermo and rad at time of fitting.
Maybe its just bad luck, but they were not very helpful.

This friday the engineering company who pressure checked the head reckon the gasket from Roughtrax is not even, and they are going to replace it with a thicker and even gasket. Again could be just bad luck, but getting tedious all this bad luck.

I now don't trust anyone, nor any bit of kit.

Example: The garage said they marked the new head before sending it back to head centre with loose injector chambers, it returned with no mark.
The mechs working on the surf have been pretty helpful, they are not going to charge for all of the original labour as they believe they should have picked up the injector problem quicker. Still going to be a fair amount for other labour though. So you see I can only judge people on their treatment to me, the garage has been helpful and have stuck with it and are desperate to get to the bottom of the riddle, the head centre were just unapologetic and unhelpful, who do you believe?

Still hopefully I am close to a result, who knows, hope so its costing me afortune in head gaskets!
cheers
Ronnie

[whitespider]

Latest news on surf is the head has been tested at independent engineers. The head is not cracked, although they strongly believe its not a brand new head, I need to pick it up from them tomorrow so I will get the low down on this. If they convince me I will have to set up a challenge to UKcylinderhead about it.
The engineer tested the head gasket and found it to be 8 1000th out. He believes this is the source of the 'cracked head' symptoms of high pressure and coolant expulsion. We'll see.
The gasket was from Roughtrax and was suppose to be genuine.

This problem is like a living nightmare. The car has been off the road for 10 weeks and has driven a total of 2000 miles since November, when I bought it. The head went in January and its been pretty much one thing after another since then.

I have learnt some real truths during this time. The main one being don't trust anyone or anything unless it proves itself.

Still at least I know now why my surf looks so good for its age- it doesn't like moving.

Tired
Ronnie

[muncher]

I've read a lot about this head prob on this forum. Mine is fine at the mo, is this a comon fault with the Surfs? I thought the engines were bullet proof. Is there a particular year/cc this prob effects. I'm a worried man ........muncher

[NiftyNev]

I've read a lot about this head prob on this forum. Mine is fine at the mo, is this a comon fault with the Surfs? I thought the engines were bullet proof. Is there a particular year/cc this prob effects. I'm a worried man ........muncher

There is some info here -

http://www.showmesome.info/hilux/info/recall.htm

Mine falls within this group but have never had a poblem.Maybe the gasket was changed.Just keep up the maintenance on the cooling system and if you suspect anything is wrong have it tested.

Neville

[muncher]

Bl**dy Hell pass me ganja that makes for difficult reading!