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Sorry to say it but if you have a lot of blow by you have a broke ring or a burnt piston either case the motor has to come apart. Sorry for your luck.

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1978 pro street step/side 455Buick, 4sp,4.11s, 31/18.5s

I got a flashlight out when I put the non-fouler in, and looked down into the plug hole. The top of the piston is caked with a lot of crap, about the consistency of chunky peanut butter, I couldn't see any defintion on the top of the cylinder at all.

This engine needs an oil pan gasket, and being in the 4x4 I had plans to pull it anyway, eventually. The entire front suspension really needs refreshed too, so I may try to start collecting parts to do that when I pull the engine.

In the meantime, I think I'm going to put the new ball joints in the '78 and just drive it until something else breaks. On the way to work last night, I was amazed at how powerful it is. Oh wait, it's just running on all four cylinders is all...hahaha..

tumwater - for some reason I thought you were in Toppenish? No idea how I got those confused. My town is 900 people, and my next door neighbors are the city clerk and the chief of police, so it's a pretty quiet little place. Raising a ruckus might involve letting the air out of someone's tractor tires, flirting with the clerk at the post office, or trying to catch a nutria. Can't fart sideways without everyone knowing your business...

So I'm sure one or two of you put it together already, I bought the '79 when I thought the '78 had a bad head gasket. It's looking now like I should have spent that money on the '78 instead. I was a bit disgusted with myself when a $4 expansion plug had the '78 back up and running. Especially after all the time I've invested in the '79. Plus a new windshield, plus I traded my backup car for it...grrrr...

More to come as I make decisions where to point my money. Any interest out there in the 4x4? I've got more in it than I could hope to get back, but I'm considering just passing it on rather than mess with it, I've got other things I'd like to do with my summer...

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"If we did the things we are capable of, we would astound ourselves" - Thomas Edison

Id say every valve will be bent.


Would be on a 2.3L anyway. Thats from personal experience. Bought one with a broken timing belt, took the head off and every valve was bent and each piston had two little dings in it. Had a cracked head put those valves in place of the bent ones hand lapped them.
I did have to go thru the rocker gear. Two of the rockers were broken and another was cracked.

I imagine a G180Z would have similar piston to vavle clearance seeing as the camshaft is the same grind. (going on duration in the factory manual dont recall it mentioning lift.)


Compression test. A simple hand held tester woudnt be any more than $20.


Cheers, Bob.

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Current project, 1979 KB Isuzu Ute.

Daily driver, '86 Rodeo Spacecab.
Chasing parts for Isuzu Impulse.

Okie, got the replacement engine today, from a 2x4. Not sure how long it's been outside, but I'll check with luvprojects on that. Any prep work I should do before bolting the manifolds on? The engine is basically complete minus the intake and exhaust. Do I need to clean up the valves or something if they've been out in the weather? I don't want to pull the head, but I'm thinking the engine might go in easier if I do. The head usually has the lift points for the engine, right? I need to take another look at how I'd drop it in without the head. Even has the motor mounts, are they same between the 2x4 and the 4x4?

Really like some input here, as I'm not heavily experienced in the engine guts department. It's been almost exactly 20 years since my last engine swap. Wow, am I that old already? hahahaha...

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"If we did the things we are capable of, we would astound ourselves" - Thomas Edison

Squirting some WD40 or something similar in the plug holes and then turning it over by hand to take care not to screw up the rings (plus it helps to re-seat them) is something I always do on an engine that has been sitting very long, especially if it's had the intake and exhaust manifold off.

And if it were me, I'd spring for a complete gasket set too. That way it's easier to have less problems later by taking the time while the engine is still out to clean off the tops of the pistons and the valves, to replace the timimg cover seal, to replace the front and rear seals, to replace the head gasket, to replace the pan gasket, to replace the valve cover gasket and seals, etc. It's a pretty cheap investment in having some peace of mind and staying worry-free.

You could also take a lot of extra time and money to paint it all up real nice and purty, plus bling it all up by adding tons of neat little stainless steel and chrome goodies to it too, but that doesn't make it run any better, and IMHO engines are supposed to run well - not be a fashion statement...lol

Just my $.02 worth.

Thanks Taz. Is there seal kit you'd recommend? I've already got a new intake and exhaust gasket set. Can I buy the rest individually? Or make them with my handy dandy ball peen (not the head gasket of course)? Any issue with putting in a new head gasket without having the head machined? The engine came out of a running truck. I'll need to swap the oil pans and clutch (2x to 4x). Anything to note there? How do I get the flywheel off to put the engine on a stand when the engine is already loose? Will I need a harmonic balancer/crank pulley puller to get the timing cover off? Don't I need like 8 zillion ft lbs of torque to get the flywheel/crank pulley off? I need to look the manual over, I guess. Ack..Obviously, I'm a bit rusty at this level of tinkering...hahaha...

I had considered painting the block, prolly gray. I will gunk and simple green the intake too. Trying to keep both the time and dollar investment at a minimum. Isn't that what we all say? I'm trying to take the little bit of extra coin I have and pick up a pop-up trailer. I almost bought a 7 ft import camper, but after reading a couple of threads here, decided against it. According to the wife, CAMPING is the priority this summer. *grin*

When I have the engine out, what front end work should I do? Seems like it would be a lot easier to get at stuff...I have upper and lower ball joints, but no tie rods or shims or CV boots. The inside 4" of both front tires are bald.

I probably won't get started until next week, the immediate problem is getting the engine out of the truck. Well, two immediate problems really. I don't currently even have a way to move the one I picked up today. One of my co-workers has a lift and a stand he'll loan me, but I still have to go get them. Guess the engine might go to work with me this week, think I'll throw some blue tape over the ports, or maybe just a garbage bag and some bungees.

Really curious to see just how inexpensively I can get this done, but I only want to do it once.

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"If we did the things we are capable of, we would astound ourselves" - Thomas Edison

Fullaluv--sorry, been gone for a week. About the fuel filter inside the pump. Stock pump is of course located on the crossmember under the rear cab area. It is round kinda like a pop can. One end has a large nut to put a wrench on and the end screws off. Out pops a pleated paper filter.
When you go to the auto parts store they might say none is listed for the Luv. You ask for one for a Datson 240Z. Same thing.
Many pumps are replaced when only the filter is plugged.

The cheapest way I've found to get a complete gasket set is on ebay, some are in the auction and some are in the buy-it-now-priced stuff in the ebay online stores

But at a local parts store around here, they're a little over $120.00...but I guess it all depends upon how much of a hurry you're in...lol

I would be fitting new freeze/welch plugs to the motor. Easy to do out of the vehicle and with no manifolds fitted.

Id fit brass ones. If they are brass already chances are they will be OK.




If it has been out in the weather i would be pulling the head off.
It doesnt take long for moisture to ruin a bore and you cant see that if the head is on.

Get it mounts up on an engine stand and pull the head off. Swap the sumps and change the gaskets etc. Id do the rear main seal on the crank too while its appart.


Bob.

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Current project, 1979 KB Isuzu Ute.

Daily driver, '86 Rodeo Spacecab.
Chasing parts for Isuzu Impulse.

Sumps? Is that the oil pump in American?

The only freeze plugs I've seen for this truck are steel, but I haven't looked very hard.

Could you explain water damage to the 'bore' a bit more?

I've become slightly concerned about the bottom end too, as the dizzy hole was left open to the rain. Can water damage main/rod bearings? It's not all water of course, but I'm sure there is some in the oil pan. The pan will need to be swapped anyway, but if I have to do rod/main bearings I'll be really bummed. I was sort of hoping this wouldn't turn into a total rebuild...

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"If we did the things we are capable of, we would astound ourselves" - Thomas Edison

Sump is the oil pan.

You should be able to find brass ones. If you use coolant and put new steel (coated) ones in they will last for years and years.

Water damage is rust. The rings wont seal properly. Bores rust easy, with the fuel and the scraping of the rings theres no oil coating and bare metal exposed to moisture (even moist air) will rust.

From what you said, if you want it to be worth putting in, pull it down and have a look. Might cost you $100 in gaskets and seals and take you some time but its better to be safe than sorry.


Lesson learned would be if you cant hear it running, consider it a strip down and rebuild proposition.

If you hunt around on eBay you could rebuild a motor for well under $300.


Cheers, Bob.

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Current project, 1979 KB Isuzu Ute.

Daily driver, '86 Rodeo Spacecab.
Chasing parts for Isuzu Impulse.

Thanks rodeobob I only want to do this one time, so I have to get my head around what SHOULD be done at this stage. I appreciate your taking some time to clarify this stuff for me. The farthest I've ever personally been into an engine is a head swap, I've always had the block done professionally. From an inspection standpoint, I think I'll be able to learn quite a bit when I remove the head and pan. Not sure what the mileage is on this engine.

How hard are these blocks? AMC/Rambler blocks are something like 5% nickel and ruin or wear out lots of machine shop equipment. I'm guessing Isuzu didn't overbuild these trucks that much?

Is there a way to tell if the engine has been rebuilt in the past without actually disassembling the rotating assembly? Are the pistons usually marked somehow? Or do I just have to measure very accurately to get the ring size?

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"If we did the things we are capable of, we would astound ourselves" - Thomas Edison

No worries. If you only want to do it one time pull stuff off it. Id start with the pan and rocker cover then go up or down based on what you see there.



They arent real hard. Ive been told never to use chrome rings.



Internal micrometer in the bore. Thats if you cant see the markings in the top of the piston after youve cleaned it up with a bit of emery cloth or wet dry sand paper (and oil or dispersant spray WD40 etc)


Alternantly you could get the motor to the rotating stage after the pan swap. I would put a bit of diesel down the bores via the plug hole and get it cranking up with a starter motor. Do a compression and leakdown test. That will tell you a bit. As well as the visual inspection that will get you (both inside the bottoms of the bores and the distributor hole at the oil pump end) with the pan off it should be all you need to know.


Cheers, Bob.

_________________
Current project, 1979 KB Isuzu Ute.

Daily driver, '86 Rodeo Spacecab.
Chasing parts for Isuzu Impulse.