I'm hosed, broken spark plug!

Timing cover removed, I can see/hear play in the #1conrod so that's not good.

 

i am curious what a compression test of that cylinder would have been. i am thinking maybe the rings were letting a little oil into that cylinder or maybe a valve seal issue was responsible for the difference in color. maybe the plug wasn't firing effectively. the egr issue may also be the cause of the discoloration. i am curious what others think it tells us. have you checked on a new or used engine? sometimes it is easier to swap the whole engine than overhaul the one you have. all kinds of variables and options when you get this deep in an engine. keep us up to date on what you find. i love this stuff.

 

I was thinking EXACTLY along these lines.

 

Now is time to cam and stroke that bad boy!

 

i am not familiar with that engine, is it used in other applications? are there hop up parts for it?

 

It's the next gen 22re afaik.

 

All (4) con rods have the same amount of front/rear play.

 

That play front to rear is normal. Applies the piston to travel freely. Up and down id not normal.

 

I wonder if that cylinder was misfiring for awhile before the OP decided to change the plugs? Usually coolant will burn whiter. Fuel will be black. I also wonder about valve lash and if it's adjustable in this engine?

 

to me it looks like the one cylinder is "wet" looking. i agree , either oil or gas rich. what did the business end of the offending plug look like? was there a reason you thought it needed plugs? like a miss or shake,down on power? inquiring minds want to know!

 

Newer to me Tacoma with no service records, so I wanted to change out the plugs.

 

Thats tough, at least when its done you'll know its right and have a good long road ahead.

 

you are in this job pretty deep. i always look to find the cause of the problem so it can be fixed too. sorry to see this happen, you were just trying to change plugs and ended up here! you'll get this and it will run forever, think positive. do you do this kind of work often?

 

I try never to do this level of work.

 

Its a simple motor, use your manual and you should be fine, I would recommend that you take the block out at this point though, looking at the bearings, crank, and pistons is a good idea while you have it this far down.

 

Don't sweat the oil use, provided it's not excessive. Many brand new bmw's and other euro cars ( typically turbo ones) use a quart per 1000 miles. I know BMW calls that normal. I sure don't.

 

i know that you didn't ask my opinion but i do a fair number of engine swaps a year on the side and you should run the numbers on rebuild vs replace. there are a lot of parts you need to replace the head and related hardware. now is the time to look at thermostat,water pump etc. if you can find a low mile engine it can sometimes be cheaper. replacing an engine is also easier than overhauling in that is not as technical or precise. the timing set up can make or break a whole bunch of other parts quickly. i am not trying to stop you at all, i actually think this stuff is rewarding as a hobby. i am just offering something to think about. let us know how this goes.

 

experienced this with our VW that just got scrapped. Burnt a quart or so every 1200-1800 miles.

 

Any new news on this tacoma?