OVERheated! Would like info on head interchanges

[Rebound91]

I've got a SEVERLY-overheated 3SFE in the driveway right now with a very bad head gasket. I haven't pulled the head yet, (doing that this afternoon) but I'm pretty sure that I'll be making a trip to the junkyard for another top end. I don't know how much it would be to have a machine shop resurface mine.

I'm almost sure I read somewhere on here a while ago that some of the early 5SFE heads would fit the 3SFE. My favorite junkyard has quite a few Camrys in the 1992-94 range. The early Gen 3's are much easier to find in my area than pretty much any Gen 2. Does anybody have any more info on that head interchange?

Also, would the 3SFE in the Rav4 have the same head as my car?

Just exploring options. Very short on money right now and I've only got 8000 miles until I hit 200k! I want to fix it! Thanks all.

[atobe]

i think the 5sfe would bolt up fine BUT the coolant passages don't match up is what i heard or else there'd be frankinstien 3/5sfe around... that's just what i read i could be wrong though.. u got a better change with the rav 3sfe

[Doctor J]

the head from 3sfe off RAV-4 [96] should fit [saw few cars like this]

[Bdub215]

Originally Posted by Rebound91

I've got a SEVERLY-overheated 3SFE in the driveway right now with a very bad head gasket. I haven't pulled the head yet, (doing that this afternoon) but I'm pretty sure that I'll be making a trip to the junkyard for another top end. I don't know how much it would be to have a machine shop resurface mine.

I'm almost sure I read somewhere on here a while ago that some of the early 5SFE heads would fit the 3SFE. My favorite junkyard has quite a few Camrys in the 1992-94 range. The early Gen 3's are much easier to find in my area than pretty much any Gen 2. Does anybody have any more info on that head interchange?

Also, would the 3SFE in the Rav4 have the same head as my car?

Just exploring options. Very short on money right now and I've only got 8000 miles until I hit 200k! I want to fix it! Thanks all.

see if you can find a gen1 5sfe out of a 90-91 celica gt/s if you think that will work. im pretty sure the GE head from the 3s should fit that block.

[Rebound91]

Thanks everyone for the replies.

Good news: The machine shop said that although the head was warped pretty good, it wasn't cracked! He dye-tested it and found nothing. So he machined the head gasket surface and cleaned it up so it looked like new. All in all, I spent about $350 on parts, including $100 for the machine shop time, and the car is back together.

Bad news: As I was putting fluids back in, I hear dripping on the floor. I though, man, stupid me, I didn't put the oil drain plug back on. Nope... it's coolant. Great. Even better, it's coming from the back of the engine. Dammit. Shimmy under the car to see where it was coming from, and I find a badly-leaking freeze plug. Well, I guess that's where all the coolant went in the first place! Gotta pick up a rubber freeze plug and hope that's all it will need.

Thanks again. I'm glad I didn't have to go hunting for another head. It's damn cold in Mass right now!

[disregard]

How the heck does a freeze plug go bad??

[Rebound91]

Too much water content in the coolant with freezing temperatures outside (main reason they're there, hence the name "freeze plug"), or apparently corrosion I guess. This is the first time I've ever had one go bad. A few people recommended to me to use the rubber one as a replacement, so I guess it's a more common occurence than I've run across so far.

[Doctor J]

When the head was done , was it milled or belt sanded?? Millng or wet grinding is acceptable with surface finish of 50 microinches is acceptable method.

[fredk]

the freeze plugs rust through

[Rebound91]

Originally Posted by Doctor J

When the head was done , was it milled or belt sanded?? Millng or wet grinding is acceptable with surface finish of 50 microinches is acceptable method.

It was milled... and beautifully. It was clean to the point that I thought it was a different head altogether. I'll have to get pics up.

Originally Posted by fredk

the freeze plugs rust through

Yep, that's what happened to mine. It weakened so much at one small point that it put a pinhole in it. Small enough where I couldn't see it until I took the plug out, but large enough to allow coolant to leak without any pressure in the cooling system. The rubber replacement sealed up nice though.