96 Taco 3RZ head gasket

Franklin

Franklin

Well-Known Member
Joined
Mar 21, 2005
Location
Hickory NC
Puffing white smoke at start up and losing coolant, figure HG. Already replaced radiator, water pump, hoses, tstat, belts. I get parts cheap so.... Keeps overheating but goes right back down, temp gauge up and down. So now I am thinking cracked head or gasket maybe sending unit. Anyone done one and if so how difficult. No way am i paying 8 hours labor to get done. Any help/advice will be appreciated.

Supposed to be leaving for Hatteras tomorrow so this brings the suck big time
 
If its 4wd you'll have to pull the motor to do a head gasket. If its 2wd you can leave it in. You need to be a pretty decent mechanic to take that one on.
 
why would you have to remove the engine to do a head gasket?
 
I believe the oil pickup bolts to the bottom of the front cover. You can either drop the front end out or pull the motor to get the oil pan off. Guessing that you probably don't have a lift I would pull the motor.
 
that is freakin crazy. and everyone thoght i was crazy for drivin a saab. at least i can change a head gasket with the engine still in the car.
 
CarolinaTruggies said:
I believe the oil pickup bolts to the bottom of the front cover. You can either drop the front end out or pull the motor to get the oil pan off. Guessing that you probably don't have a lift I would pull the motor.
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u dont have to pull the cover! all u need to do is fab a wedge out of wood to hold timing chain up. but if you are not skilled on yotas 8 hrs labor isnt bad as long as its a fair rate. but if u want to pull the cover it is faster to remove eng.
 
I agree, you don't HAVE to remove the front cover but those chains stretch just like all the others. We would have recommended a timing chain being that far into it at the dealer. The 8 hrs doesn't change to put a chain in it and its piece of mind having a new it. Me personally, I would change the chain, if you're in there just do it right.
 
I agree Alex, in that far might as well. Oh well worrying abiut it later, heading to the coast. In the diesel sucking excursion flying solo.
 
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