A few weeks ago my 22r blew a head gasket, and I was able to replace it, the head didnt seem warped when I held it to a strait edge any kind of way, and since I have not been burning oil or coolant, nor is there peanut butter under my oil cap, or anything weird in my radiator.

The problem now is it is a bitch to get it started! Sometimes it will fire right up (rarely) but usually I have to give it a few squirts of starter fluid, or if im lucky enough to be on a hill, bump starting it (in reverse usually... thats fun).

It runs fine though, idles at about 1k +- 200rpms sometimes, but the tach is solid where it idles at, no wiggle or anything, and it feels nice and consistent. On the highway it runs fine, and local roads. But if I have any distance to go, and if it gets hot (Im in Texas so lately its always hot...) after maybe an hour of driving, it will start to chugg or shudder on any kind of incline (it may just be at speed, its hard to tell whats level out here) and really scares me, and sometimes after doing that if I let my foot off the gas it will simply die. Not struggle and die, just peter right out to 0rpm.

I want to say that it SOUNDS worse when accelerating (since I dont always know if im really on an incline), normal running is pretty quiet and smooth droning, but when I give it some gas (Im guessing like to maintain speed on a hill) it sounds like its revving hard (tach isnt moving more than a few hundred rpms) or otherwise making a very hard working noise.

I have to drive it about 3 hours one way every now and then between home, and where im moving to. This is without any cargo, just me and the truck. It only seems to happen after its been driven for a while.

Sometimes the thermostat is creeping up close to the high mark, whereas it usually points at the E or M in TEMP.

The only way I feel like I can keep it going is to shift up and down to trya nd kepe the RPM's at about 2k, when it creeps up closer to 2.5k is when the chugging starts and I get to worrying.

I replaced the fuel filter and oil recently and carb-cleanered the carb, but have not rebuilt it.

What do you all think it could be? Im running out of money and am getting scared, I should be moved into my new house in a few weeks and cant have my wheels cut out in the meantime, my budget is pretty thin.

The hard starting is getting to be a real concern, at some places im afraid to shut it down because even the starting fluid takes a few rounds with the starter to fire up.

The Alt is running strong, and the battery checked out fine. Ive run two tanks of gas through it like this from different stations and I dont think I have bad gas, and didnt notice any weird crud in the fuel filter.

When I compression tested it after my head job I got a consistent 120-125psi which may be a little low, but the truck seems to run happy most of the time, it just doesent like to start and does that scary chugging thing after a bit of driving.

Halp?

 

hmmmmm your cooling problem could be the theromstat itself or you need to flush the system out for your running problems it seems that its not getting enough fuel... and im saying this because you have to get starting fluid in order to start the car...i would check your fuel pump or check your fuel/air mixture it might be too lean hope this works out for ya

 

Oh right, I replaced the fuel filter to begin with, the one on the block was leaking out the lever side. Found that out when it stalled out at a light and I had to push it across a few lanes of traffic and leave it overnight at a church until AAA could tow it home for me.

So its a new fuel pump as well.

I have been meaning to check the timing as well, but the timing mark is all crudded up so I cant really read it. I was told the timing might be my starting problem.

Its confusing because it typically runs so smooth after my head job.

lol thanks a bunch Mike, you always chime in on my recent woes

 

Timming

Starting problem could be timming.Recheck your timming.Cam sprocket is probably off a notch or two.

 

Sounds like a timing issue to me also... Check it before you burn up the valves and such... Might wanna check your cat also if it's clogging up when hot...

 

So I was watching it run, and it looks like I get a sort of smokey thing coming out of the valve cover vent up front, would that be like blow-by because my timing is off? something is open at the wrong time? or is that normal?

 

So I was shooting the **** at the parts store, didnt notice any rattling in the cat so that should be alright, but the guy behind the counter described my chugging and stalling exactly, and said the problem could be the ignition module overheating under the hood, he showed me one and pointed out all the amps would be shooting through that $300 part and it would probably be way to hot to even touch. He said he had the same problem on his pickup for a while and eventually replaced it.

I have a spare coil in my parts truck, and then there is the GM Ignition mod on Pirate as well for a bit less money.

Could there be something causing the ignitor to overheat like that, or is it just on its last legs?

 

Looks like my starting problem was the igniter module, I replaced it and the coil and it fires right up with the key

 

Good to hear! Hows it running now as well?

 

good job bro

 

Again!

So I was driving back home (from Fort Worth to College Station) and about 2/3 of the way there it all of a sudden overheated, I pulled over and let it cool, topped off the coolant with the water I had and it wouldnt start, there was some water in my oil at this point.

I was not initially concerned about the water because the engine seems to suck some up every time I go to the carwash or overheat a little, and I always assumed it was because of the steam in the engine bay getting sucked in the crankcase vent or something (dumb).

Some guys from Texas Pneumatic Tool saw me stranded and towed me back to the plant with a strap, where I was able to bump sart it and make it about 10 miles up the highway to a walmart where it overheated. I bought more water and added a quart of oil (it was low) and it didnt want to start. Eventually with some starter fluid and tenacity I started it and made it another 10ish miles, where it overheated again. Same game there, starter fluid and vigorous cranking gets it to life.

Now we made it back to Waco again overheating where I got some coolant and a new radiator cap and talked to the guy at Oreileys with the 22-re celica in the parking lot, and he warned me about a cracked head.

After Waco though with a new radiator cap and some fresh coolant it was running OK, warmer than usual but not overheating, and we made it a good distance before there was a new problem... loss of power, stalling if I let off the gas and chugging under load, all the same symptoms from when my ignition module crapped out before, only we were a good 40 miles form home still, so we just limped it along with my blinkers on, sometimes driving in the shoulder.

Made it almost to Alvarado when it got really bad and eventually just stalled out on the highway going up a hill, thankfully I was on the shoulder and out of the flow of traffic. With no real option, I put it in reverse, let off the brake and bump stared it in reverse on the shoulder of north bound I-35w, played the three foot game to get it into 1st and hit the brake while still keeping my revs up, over compensated and peeled out in front of some dude in an F-150 who looked at me like I was insane when he passed me. But after that, it ran like a dream, eager to get home, I was able to get it into 5th doing about 70 with no hesitation or anything and the temp gauge at the 1/2 way mark (normal for me is about 1/4 temp gauge) until I got to the other side of Alvarado when the igntion module was back to its usual nasty self, and I limped to my in-laws house in Burleson where she now sits.

Because the module was giving me so much crap I went to the store and grabbed the GM igniter and coil for that swap and built up a harness for it. Turned the key, and no dice, checked for spark and it was throwing a nice fat spark from the screwdriver I jammed into the plug wire, I could see it just fine in full daylight. Got the fiance out there to turn the ignition while I played with the distributor, and managed to get it to start not just once, but 3 times, and the 3rd I was able to tune in the distributor to a nice sound, walk inside to get my timing light, hook it up, figure out how to use it (never had before) and zap the crank pulley to see the timing mark WAY advanced like at 25 degrees or more, but it was idling nice and smooth, and not giving me any hickups. I tried retarding the timing only to have it stall for the last time. I can no longer get it to start, it sounds like I get a cylinder or two to actually fire sometimes but it just wont take off, and now there is sludge under my oil cap.

So Im pretty sure I cracked the head, or at least warped it a little, but I still dont know what ate my ignition coil. This is my 3rd toyota coil so far, the first came with the truck but was from a scrap yard and crapped out after my headgasket blew. The second came out of my parts truck, and started giving me problems after all the crap I dumped in to limp home finally clogged up the radiator but lasted a while before eventually acting up on the highway again, and was replaced by one from the Waco Pick-N-Pull on my way back to Fort Worth, which gave me all the **** I just documented for you.

My assumptions:

1) I cracked the head
2) The ignition modules are getting toasted when I overheat
3) This sucks.

 

Yeah if you over heated the head that much i would do headgasket again, deck the head to make sure its straight and not cracked.
The ignition modules, not sure, could have burned out, or could have been because they were used, try buy a new one and see.