Thanks cre and everyone else for all the replys.


Turns out Toyota Ireland call them Rocker Head Gaskets and there are 2 of them. €15 per gasket and will arrive the next day.


I'd have to use sealant and all if I decided to change it myself. Someone warned me not to use silicone based sealant - I wouldn't want to go mislaying threads of aluminium or stuff like that.


If it was a second car I would be more inclined to do some of the work myself because it does interest me but I don't have that luxury.

Right, left her into Toyota this morning and they just phoned me:

(1) There's no water getting to the engine (temperature guage always reads normal though), however this rings true with grey coolant, previous owner mixing red and blue has resulted in sludge which is probably blocking it,

(2) Rocker Gasket and seals need replacing (however we already knew this),

(3) All the plug leads need replacing as they are all different.

"and few other wee things" which is how he phrased it. So they are keeping her overnight to work on her tomorrow.

This is going to cost me a pretty packet but I'm glad to give her the allover that she badly needs.

Excellent! It doesn't matter who's doing the work as long as it gets done and is done properly. :D

Glad to hear nothing serious was wrong.

cheers. great to have your advice. wish I knew as much as you!

Toyota invoice
 

1 x GASKET, CYLINDER HEAD 89.92
1 x GASKET KIT, ENGINE OVERHAUL 408.13
14 x BOLT (FOR CYLINDER HEAD SET) 43.54
1 x CORD SET, COIL & SPARK, W/RESISTIVE 186.76
6 x PLUG, SPARK, PQ20R 78.84
1 x FILTER SUB-ASSY, OIL 10.57

SUB-SUB-SUB TOTAL €817.76

CODENT 5 LTRS 22.50
OIL 10W40 31.00

SUB-SUB TOTAL €871.26 + VAT

HEAD PRESSURE TESTED & SKIMMED 304.74

SUB-TOTAL €1176.00

LABOUR 1147

TOTAL €2323.00 + VAT

:eek2::eek2::eek2::eek2::eek2::eek2::eek2::eek2::e ek2::eek2::eek2::eek2::eek2::eek2::eek2::eek2::eek 2::eek2::eek2:

:werd:

And now you know why I do all my own work. ;)

My head is up my ass right now.

Point 1: first mechanic replaced coil and informed me Rocker Head Gasket needs replacing (however this mechanic hasn't even got a pit or hoist);

Point 2: Toyota have car for 2 days just to check it, no work has been done, first day they inform me of new set of plugs need replacing etc, second day head gasket needs replacing;

Point 3: local car part company put me in touch with local performance car mechanic, he says it doesn't sound like a blown head gasket but can't look at it until after Christmas.


Why would Toyota lie?

There is a Supra Specialist Company fairly close to me. Should I let they have a look? http://www.supraspecialists.moonfruit.com/#

Should I not get a new fecking engine instead? How much would a new engine be? I blelieve reconditioned maybe €4000, though not sure.

Something isn't right with the car like.

The car isn't worth that, however I would pay to have it done as I love her.

It doesn't seem to me that your head is up your rear at all... It does seem that maybe you're in over your head though.

I REALLY think you need to either come to terms with learning how and doing some of the work yourself or accept that the car is going to cost you an absolute fortune to send to the shop every time something goes wrong.

Do you know anyone who is mechanically inclined who could help you?

#1 if the spark plugs haven't been replaced yet, do them yourself. Go to the auto parts store, but the specified NGK Platinum spark plugs and follow the directions in the following link EXACTLY.

Disassembly to access the spark plugs: http://www.cygnusx1.net/Supra/Librar...ection=IG&P=10
Spark plug installation: http://www.cygnusx1.net/Supra/Librar....aspx?S=IG&P=7

Don't worry about inspecting the plugs yet, just replace them for now and we'll have a look at the old ones later to see if they have anything special to tell us.

Actually, once you move the piping out of the way from sitting over the engine, you're half way to replacing the valve cover gaskets.... I can lay out the proceedure for you, but I don't think I'm close enough that you want to just come over and let me show you how to do it.... ;)

Sorry, forgot about the rest of your query...

Point 1: Replacing the valve/rocker cover gasket doesn't require a pit or a hoist or anything other than hand tools... so unless he's talking about the head gasket I have no idea why he wouldn't be able to do it.

Point 2: Ask them how they diagnosed the bad head gasket... get it in writing or write it down and let me know. Ask if they did a compression test and if so what were the EXACT numbers, write them down and post them up. Ask if the coolant was contaminated with oil or if they did a pH test on the coolant and post the results back here. Did they replace the spark plugs and the valve/rocker cover gaskets?

Point 3: You don't need a performance shop to handle these issues.... just a competent mechanic, a Toyota specialist is definitely preferred.

The guys at the Toyota shop didn't necessarily lie.... you haven't got enough info to know what they went looked at or how they came to their prognosis. So, we can help you ask the questions you should be asking, but until we get the answers back, not one can tell you if they've made an error or are flat out lying.

You REALLY don't want to know what a new block would cost (if there was even one available). Even if you bought a fully rebuilt engine from a GOOD shop, the cost of having it installed would probably kill you. Prices vary from one market to the next so I can't say what it would cost there. I suppose I should ask though... what are you willing to spend? How much did the car cost you?

Right I'm off work on Sunday so I will change the plugs myself.

The stockroom lad in work is a motorbike enthusiast, he does minor work himself, he has replaced engine in a car with a qualified mechanic before.

Recently all we've done is talk about cars. He is a wealth of good information like yourself cre, he was very surprised that the HG had gone, he said it must have just gone.

Reading back on paperwork HG was last replaced in 99 when the car was 10 years old, since them a further 10 years have passed. poor women had only bought it 3 months from the dealer before she had to replace it, I laughed reading it, now I'm in the same pradictament, lol

I will call into car part shop in town to buy 6 plugs and cord set.

Guy in work was saying hardest part is making sure you don't mis-thread the plugs.

EDIT:

Toyota did no work on it.

Car cost 1250 STERLING. I had plans to make a lot of changes to her, this has just set them back a bit.

First was exterior styling, then mechanical working, then ICE and interior.

New wheels should arrive in 2 days 1200 STERLING, personalised number plate SUP 708 has been ordered 2500 STERLING(this was the best available as I can't change plates to make the car look younger, there was some wicked plates for new cars), travelled to Dublin last week to get Limo-black tints however the small rear triangular windows are bigger on the outside than on the inside and have rubbers-they couldn't get in under the rubbers so you would have seem were the tint started from the outside (I am going to get glass company to take rears out and bring them to get tinted with the rest of the car).

THIS WAS ONLY THE START.

http://www.modified.com/features/060.../photo_02.html