PART 1
In this story, I am not going to talk about, what I spent; However, I could have bought a used nice car for the same money spent. Would I do it over again, NO.
I would have don it differently, the minimum, then bought a newer car.  My buddy, my mentor, Jeff (not the Jeff from the previous page), said he wouldn't, if he was I; I said, no problem %=) ....  Jeff said, that it would, no mater what, go over budget. (Jeff was right, I won't tell him so, It WILL go to his head!!!!)

I decided to rebuild my Toyota 22RET engine.  I had approximately 265K miles on it (my last car had ~400K) .  It was using oil, fouling most of the plugs, getting noisy, and had a cracked excost manifold...  It was time. At first, I was just going to have my regular mechanic do a basic in vehicle rebuild. Then my naber, Ray, He convinced me to do it "right".  He offered to help to do the work (removal/instalation). So,  I decide to do it right. Thanks Ray for your help!
  *  Though several sources, I got recommendation's, to have it rebuilt, at well known local machine shop, "Carr Parts". They tell me 1 to 2 weeks, it takes almost a month. Meanwhile I'm renting a car.
  *  I'm a profectionist, so I (mail) order many "Toyota" parts.  Also, I order sum extras from LC Engineering and Downy parts (New cam, valve train, hi-volume oil pump, Non-Toyota (295 cc) OEM type fuel injectors (20/20 hind sight, I wish I'd bought the Bosh 320 cc injectors, instead - later u'll c), a 100 amp alternator (remember, I'M a HAM), and a Centerforce One, clutch kit.
  *  During dismantling of the exterior parts of the engine, I find that the 1.5 year old Turbo (~30k miles) housing (case) is CRACKED %=(
(a known defect in Toyota cast iron parts).  At the time of the (turbo) rebuild the rebuilder was planing to have a *NEW* housing made.  But hadn't found a source to do the casting or machine work, yet; So, I didn't get a new casting, instead a rebuilt one.  The new turbo has the new casting (he replaced everything)...
Do I have bad luck?

A month lator I get the rebuilt engine back from Carr Parts.  At that time I got the real written warranty...

So, Meticulously, We reinstalled the engine, into the truck.  This all went ok.  Start up, also went ok. Initial brake-in, went ok; except first oil change...
  *  The 100 mile; oil consumption was a little hi, and the oil was vary dirty for 120 miles and there was a slight miss.
  *  The 500 mile; oil consumption was a little hier, and the oil was vary, vary, dirty for 530 miles and there was a  miss, and I found that the #2 spark plug was fouled.
  * The 1000 mile; oil consumption was hi, 1qrt per 100 to 200 mile, and the oil was vary, vary, dirty for ~500 miles and there was a miss, and I found the #2 spark plug fouled. It would only make it a week or so before needing the spark plug to be replaced, and it needed a quart of oil!

By now, I knew I had a problem!!!

So, I called the Machine shop, they didn't really think there is a problem, "...Just need to let it brake in, more, ... just drive it more... Really drive it (hard)
(No, I'm not going to say it, this is a rated, PG, web page ;=) ... Get to 3 to 4,000 miles, then lets see..."
Well... There the experts, maybe (no, I'm not that gullible).
 

PART 2
So I spend many days after work and weekends, trying to find, the miss/fould plug problem.  I assumed, that the shop did not mess up, that maybe, we missed sum thing. The first thing I thought, maybe it's an ignition problem; I did lots of debugging, I replaced the, spark plugs again, cap& rotor (PS. Borg Worner, are good (all brass) but seems to radiate more EMI/RFI (radio static; there gray in color) than others. I like what Napa Auto sells (It's also, all brass, but it's black). New, NGK Spark plug wires, etc...  Better, but still there.

So, maybe it's fuel injection, so I debug the full EFI/ECU, etc. system, I replace, almost all the sensors, except the TPS, AFM, and the ECU (I do this to be sure it not our problem, sum thing we didn't do). (Remember, if I take it a mechanic, he'll shot gun, just like me, for $60-80, per hour, but wont do any debug. And will extra mark up the price of the parts.)  Still there.  Well maybe its' the non-Toyota injectors? Maybe the #2 injector is leaking? Well, they (the injectors) help me (decide) to replace them, one started leaking externally, the #4 (I find a small crack on its' case). Before It started leaking, I decided to send my original Toyota injectors to be "Re-built" (supper cleaned, tested (at room temperature) characterized,  and balanced).  When I got them back I installed them, they did work better, but the miss was still there (yes, I replaced the #2 Spark Plug, again).  It still fouled the plug, and still missed?  Well maybe, its the "cold start injector" leaking; I replaced it and its controller.  Still bad.  OK; I replaced almost everything - I give up.
 

Time to give it to a professional %=(

PART 3
By now, I had a good idea, that I had a engine problem, but I need it to be proven.  So, I ask around, who is really good at EFI/ECU troubleshooting; The answer I get is, "Car Car".  The other thing there know for is, there more expensive than the Dealer.  $450 later, they find that its running real rich, they can't find anything, really wrong, so it 'must' be the computer (the ECU) at $500 (my cost) - $1000 (there cost), part. And they won't guarantee that this will fix it. (no, shit sherloc, it is sucking oil into the cylinder (And gas) and can't bern it!, du...)
Meanwhile, its pinging, really sucking oil at 1qrt per 100-200 miles, other noise' at start from a stop sign, in first gear (light, rod knock, like noise).

OK. Im going to give it to my regular mechanic, "Santa Cruz Import Truck" (I highly recommend them!).  They do (again, I already did, one, and it passed) a "compression check" and a "leak down cylinder test" both look, ok? Then they do a "fuel rail, leak down test", and they think they find sum thing. They, think, maybe the #2 injector is leaking?
(agents my better judgment, I order 4 new Toyota injectors (u don't wana know what they cost) (Remember, if in the end, the machine shop tears down my engine and gas (or whatever) has caused that cylinder to not seat, then, all this, is my fault!) Guess what!!!  NOT!!!
So, Marty, the owner (of SCIT) shows me how easy it is to miss install the "oil control ring" and how easy it is to screw up during installation into the cylinder.
I'm starting to think its either a "valve guide seal" or what Marty sez (remember, it pass, leak down!?).

I have now eliminated, EVERY POSSIBLE THING!!! Except the ENGINE (rebuild)!  Well, by know,  I'm to ~3,000 miles.
Now I can take to the machine shop, now they agreed to look at it at 3k - finally...
 

What they find...

PART 4...
I drop it off. They remove the head, and check it out, and supposedly rebuild it.  When the head is off they report they think they have found what's wrong, there is a ~inch wide roundish gash in the #2 cylinder wall, they think its a wrist pin come lose, but need to remove the engine to inspect. They remove the engine, and find that the oil control rings were miss installed. It made a 30 thou.'s gauge in the cylinder.  They decide to sleeve the one bad cylinder and rebore all to 30 thousands over, and use new pistons.  Apon one of my inspections, I find that the heater valve switch pip is crunched (it was returned repaired looking, and it seems to work.  This all, took about 3 weeks...
They do all this no charge but refuse to pay for all the other expenses, previous debug and repair and the several car rentals...
 

When I get my truck back...

PART 5...
I'm handed an extra 14 mm bolt, it appears to be a engine hardware bolt, they cant find were it goes... Otherwise, all seems ok. But by the time I get home it's got a miss.  By the morning it ok, but not when I get to work. I leave work a little early to check out what's going on.   I check out every thing I can't find any thing.  So I decide to read out the code out the ECU, which usually is useless.  However, this time I get a a code 7 and 11, both point to the TPS (throttle position sensor).  So I go look at the TPS and find that It's almost unplugged.  I find that the metal clip is missing, this is why it fell out.  Actually, the plastic housing of the connector is broken.  I do a temporary fix.  It turns out you can't replace this part (no dealer parts available).  Luckily my mechanic has one from a scavenged wiring harness.  I haven't installed it yet...  Also the hose to my exillary oil cooler and remote filter has a gash and oil is seeping out.  Luckily, it close to the nipple, and I cut an inch of hose and reinstall...
Then I notice that the rear engine ground isn't connected, instead of going to the firewall it goes down to the starter?  I had to reposition this back to where it belongs...
 

What I find...

PART 6a...
I still have a slight miss and serge, that I cant find... (but also did both the car rentals, bad california gas, I guess?)
Up-date (1/01, 03/25/01, 01/01/02, 03/09/02), seem to mostly be the center electrode inside the cap is gone?  I replaced the cap and rotor, new spark plugs, seem mostly ok.  I think it's partially, the bad california gas...

• I replaced the old (original) distributor (1/02), this seemed to help, but...
• Not. Still there, #2, vary slightly, fouls (2-3K miles, black and mostly white crud), faster the rest (2/25/02)???
• I can't really be sure the outcome.  I bought the Platinum plugs b4 the distributor replacement. I usually swap the slightly fouled plug to another cycilinger for cleaning (this douse really work).  I put a clean one from from the #1 cyc. in the #2 hole, well c.
• I need to re-check this (or have SCIT, re-check it, too)...
• (IS this plug crude, coolant, maybe??? If so, this has been gong on senesce the second rebuild (3-9-02) - why me...

• Blown front main seal, 12/15/01.
• Caused by, not using a sleeve, during re-build, on the front main seal (this is a well known problem). Repaired.
• Blown head gasket, 3/1/02?
• Unknown cause, yet.
• Symptoms:
• Coolant (water) usage, approx. 1 qrt per day or two,
• Not overheating,
• No, frothy white ick, in the oil cap,
• Coolant found drewlling down the exost side of the block.
• My mechanic has had similar problem with Felpro Per-a-tork gaskets, symptoms vary similar to myn, I have had problem with OEM stile head gaskets, TBD...
• I used a sealer (I forgot the brand, its (liquid) in a clear glass bottle, has copper, bronze, lead, etc., in it. Somewhat like alumasil, but liquid),
Seems to work, just a patch, but I drove over the hill to San Jose during the day and was ok (This drive can over heat a normally function vehicle), I used no water, yet (sense?).
• Head cracked between the number one and two cylinders - Unknown cause...
• To be replaced with a, Pro Street, LC Engineering head, and new OEM (Toyota) head bolts and gaskets. Repaired.
• 4-14-02.  Sill there is sum light surging, and vary light missing, LCE thinks the AFM needs sum attention (4 click rich). The LCE head should have resulted in more HP, but I don't really notice it, except maybe in the higher RPM range (more than 4, 000).  Runs good otherwise.
• Hopefully no more problems....

• I have no time...

PART 7...
I send a letter spelling out why they need to pay my expenses.  I get no response...
I send a second letter spelling out why they should pay my expenses.  I get no response...
I send a third letter...  I get no response...

Any one, know a good attorney (ya, i know, none are good, ha-ha) ???

Anyway, I obviously, I do not recommend, Carr Parts (in Santa Cruz, Ca.)
 
 

Rev. 3-09-02a