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  April 19, 2010 10:44 p.m. benzbaron HalfDork

  I have a 1994 toyota pickup with the 22re engine. The truck runs really good but just ate an exhaust manifold gasket. There is a water passage through the manifold that apparently likes to pop if you rev the engine with the engine cold. I replaced the gasket about 2 months ago and have done around 1000miles then it blew again. It seem that if I don't let the engine warp up before driving and hit the gas the gasket will blow. Last time I changed it I took the exhaust manifold to the machine shop and had it surfaced.

  I am trying to figure out what to do, having to warm up the car is turning into a pain. I even thought about pulling the dead gasket and cutting my own out of copper stock so I don't have to worry about popping the gasket again. It always goes when least suspected.

  I'm thinking about pulling the exhaust studs out of the head to measure if the head is warped. The head is a week link on the 22r motors because they have thin passages and if the coolant gets weak you can find a porosity in the aluminum. Luckily ours was mild and JB weld seems to be holding up.
  

  Any suggestions are appreciated.

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  April 19, 2010 10:56 p.m. zipty842 Reader

  My dad (a Toyota master tech for over 30 years), typically suggests using 2 gaskets.

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  April 20, 2010 5:35 a.m. foxtrapper SuperDork

  Eh? There's no water passage to the exhaust manifold. Are you working on the intake actually? They ain't noted for blowing those gaskets (exhaust or intake) regardless, and don't need to be warmed up prior to reving. Not that it's an impressive revving engine.

  The head on the 22R is different than on the 22RE. Don't mix them up. And if you've globbed JB Weld on a head to fix a non-problem because you think they have a porosity problem... lets just say that says a whole lot about what you're doing.

  Whichever manifold (exhaust or intake), make sure it's flat, and torque it correctly. Ultracopper sealant on the exhaust side masks many a problem, particularly with poorly formed header flanges (a common problem with headers).

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  April 20, 2010 9:59 p.m. benzbaron HalfDork

  The pickup blew a hole through the head through the weak cylinder head. It was a small porosity in the casting which was exacerbated by weak coolant. The toyota's have weak cylinder heads as some of the passages are thin and if you get a porosity and the coolant is weak, the aluminum will crap out. The coolant passage above cylinder 1 is a known problem. Since it was a small cavity in the head JB weld worked fine. I'm not going out trying to find a "non-problem," I just want the truck to hit 300k before it dies.
  

  If I wasn't in California I'd just buy a header and be done with it.

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  April 21, 2010 9:50 a.m. Dr. Hess SuperDork

  You mean where the timing chain will rub against the head, causing a hole in the water passage? They do that.
  

  Brand new heads are like three bills, ready to install, with thicker casting and slightly larger ports. Just add your cam and rockers. Mine went 290K when the timing chain went (again) and this time ate 4 exhaust valves.

  And, like FT sez, there's no water passage in the exhaust manifold. There are EGR passages, though.

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  April 21, 2010 6:05 p.m. foxtrapper SuperDork

  Been around these engines for many years. There ain't no #1 cylinder known problem. Just as their ain't no water passage to the exhaust manifold. Is a known problem with the timing chain tensioner failing letting the timing chain rub through the cover, right where a water passage goes.
  

  Suggest you learn something before trying to pose as knowledgeable.

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  April 21, 2010 9:29 p.m. benzbaron HalfDork

  I have done a timing chain job on the pickup truck 50k miles ago and it still runs despite my best efforts. I don't need anyone to talk down to me and if you don't have anything positive to contribute hold your tongue.
  

  When I had the time cover off there was a groove but I don't think that is what is causing my problem because if it eats through the cover I'm pretty sure you drop the coolant into the engine oil.

  I guess the question is where is the water coming from? I'll have to pull it apart and see what the issue is. Maybe a cylinder head is in order, I've seen them on CL pretty cheap like the Doc said. The hole in the cylinder head is between the 1st and 2nd cylinder, there is a crotch bordering the exhaust manifold gasket. I read about other people having issues but maybe it was a fluke. If I could post a pic I would.

  I drove back from San Luis Obispo and the car ran fine but when I got home was down 1gallon+ of coolant. I filled it up with water and it seem to have resealed itself.

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  April 22, 2010 9:11 a.m. Dr. Hess SuperDork

  One of mine had a BHG. It sucked water into #3 cylinder. It probably did it for 100K miles, as I always added maybe a pint of water with an oil change, then it got real bad and started fogging water and sucking down a gallon in no time and I did the head gasket.
  

  I bought the $300 or $350ish complete head from engnbldr. I think it was from Brazil. My machine shop said he couldn't rebuild the old one for that much in labor.

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  April 22, 2010 5:31 p.m. SupraWes Dork

  Do you mean the passage from the thermostat housing in the intake manifold to the head? They do tend to rot out from electrolysis if the coolant is not changed often enough. Get another head or have that one welded up and re-machined.

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  April 23, 2010 5:37 a.m. foxtrapper SuperDork

  I don't need anyone to talk down to me and if you don't have anything positive to contribute hold your tongue.
  

  Going on about water passages in exhaust manifolds means you've got a whole lot of learning to do. And if pointing that out to you gets you bent out of shape, then you've got a whole lot of growing up to do as well.

  I guess the question is where is the water coming from?
  

  Now that, would be a good idea. It's always best to know what you're fixing, instead of just making wild guesses.

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  April 24, 2010 10:33 p.m. benzbaron HalfDork

  Thanks for the info folks.

  Does anyone know if there is a water passage through the cylinder head that terminates at the exhaust manifold gasket? I guess everyone is correct that there isn't a water jacket through the exhaust manifold and I mistakenly keep thinking the air injection into the manifold is water, don't know why but it just happens that way. Even after replacing the two air injection gaskets at the manifold and one from the back. Sorry if I sounded foolish.
  

  I'll keep you folks posted as to what happens, thanks again and hopefully no offense was taken or received!

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