Hello new member from Slane

[jenky]

Hello all

Found this site while trawling the net trying to figure out how to sort out a cracked head, didn't know there was a club in Ireland.

Used to have a great BJ40 but sold it a few years ago and regretted it ever since, now have a swb LJ71 prado import with seats/windows but been off the road now for two months and am missing it badly !

Not sure if I should be asking this here or in the 70 section so apologies in advance if I'm breaking etiquette.

So the head is cracked (long story) and I'm skint so trying to do it with two friends who are (sort of) mechanics, between the three of us we might just add up to half of a mechanic. The engine is a 2.4 turbo (2L-TE), managed to get my hands on a good head and had it pressure tested and reconditioned and the rad is being reconditioned at the moment also recently done the timing belt and replaced all the other belts and a leaky crankshaft seal. Think we are going to tackle putting the head back on tomorrow, have a new gasket and the torques and sequence. My question is, what am I forgetting or what should I watch out for, is it really this straightforward ?

Thanks
Mark.

[Garfieldus]

hi jenky and welcome to the forum.

nailer will be along soon with any advice necessary.

take some photos of the job and post them in the 70 forum.

[ADAM J]

Welcome to the forum!

your on the right track anyway. make sure the bottom end were your head is going to be sitting on is clean. get a stanley blade and clean of the old gasket
make sure you tighten the head bolts in the right sequence or you could damage the head.
take your time check evreything twice :)

if your stuck on anything feel free to ask any of the lads on here will be of assitance.

[BOB]

Welcome jenky

[jenky]

Thanks for the replies everyone.

Today's surgery on the head was cancelled so probably next weekend now.

[Nailer]

Hi Jenky, as Adam said make sure all remains of old gaskets are fully removed.
If it got a good cooking it might be worth checking the block for any signs of warping.

[jenky]

Thanks Nailer.
How would I check the block for warping ? Don't know how badly it was cooked, think it happened before I bought it, have it almost two years and only recently spotted thermostat was missing. I did't realize the implications of this and all my problems started when I replaced it.

[Nailer]

A steel ruler the length of the block and a small torch.
Place the ruler diagonally and straight across the block on its edge, shine the torch on one side where the ruler meets the block and view the other side to see if the light can be see between the two
There may be a very very small amount of light visible that the gasket should make up

[jenky]

Funny,I said the exact same thing to one of the guys today and he rubbished it and reckoned would have to go to a workshop for checking..........im off to find a steel ruler and a torch !
tanx

[Nailer]

Funny,I said the exact same thing to one of the guys today and he rubbished it and reckoned would have to go to a workshop for checking..........im off to find a steel ruler and a torch !
tanx

A fancier method is if you have a feeler gauge you could try measure the gap if any.
Probably a little more trustworthy.

[jenky]

Thanks nailer, checked block with steel ruler and was fine, got the head on and rad is next, picking it up today.

[BJ74]

Check the water hoses for crackes and internal corrosion. Wet the induction manifold gasket with a very light smear of grease to get a air tight seal on head. Good luck .

[jenky]

All done and seems to be running fine....fingers crossed