[flabbergasted]

I have just had about 4500 dollars work done on my vehicle. Since I had my 2000 tundra,
I have had a constant but not irritating miss in the engine..usually when first starting it up and after warming up not so bad..It has great power and everything seems and also seemed to be fine. Every tune up the truck came back to me with the same miss..

After this last one ,the guy that worked on it said they couldn't find out what was causing the miss..He said they did a compression check on it,also visually inspected the cylinders and saw no damage.They checked everything that they could think of to get the miss out of it and found nothing.

The mechanic even said he had a guy that specialized in engines to listen and check the engine over for anything and nothing was found.The engine doesn't smoke ,seems to have plenty of get up and go.It has 100000 miles on it and everything seems to be in order.

Ok I ask him if the engine mounts could possible be causing this and he said no they check them and they were fine but there seemed to be an imbalance in the engine causing a slight to irritating shimmy at idle. Sometimes its not so bad other times sitting idling gets really irritating.It has just done this really bad after all the work..

The mechanic even idled it up a little to make sure the oil pressure is lubricating the engine. I haven't driven it much since I got it back and well hadn't really noticed till today ..I called the mechanic and ask him what he thought..He keeps referring back to the parts that were found in the oil pan but then he says the only way to find out what is wrong is pull the engine and tear it down..OK..I haven't rebuilt or worked on engines in years..

I talked to him about the engine and ask him what he thought about just getting another engine with 0 miles on it or rebuilt and put it in so that I didn't have to worry..Im wondering if any of you have an idea of why the engine feels this way .

Since I don't rebuild engines .1..Should I have them tear down the engine and inspect it and if so how much should that cost..

2 Should I have him try to find an engine rebuilt or new and put it in so I don't have to worry .. and if so how much..?

We are going to be moving about a 1000 miles away and don't want to worry about this,
Our truck has always been dependable and now Im feeling a little insecure about it. I don't want to get another truck and if it's necessary I don't mind spending but don't want to if this is all a waste of time and the truck is really ok..

Is there a possible list of things I should present to him to check out that would cause a miss ..? So far he has replaced spark plugs ,wires,belts and engine seal transmission outer seal and inner seal , shocks,rear drums ,shoes,rotors ,calipers,pads and tires..not that any of that would cause a miss but I have a lot in this truck so im trying to find out what I should do here..Can anyone think of anything that could cause this miss?

Recently I posted here photos of what he said came out of my oil pan..I was told by people here that it looks like crankshaft thruster bearings..Ok. Most people were in agreement that if this came out of my engine it wouldn't be running or would be running bad ,spittering and sputtering and or not running at all. Its not the case.. just the opposite.. Its running fine ,has plenty of power and doesn't smoke..sooooo

with all that being said ..am I just worrying over nothing or could the parts found in the engine be associated with the miss or ? I compared what he found to photos of tundra
crankshaft bearings.The number on the mangled parts was in the center of the bearings..so far I have been unable to locate any tundra crankshaft bearings with numbers in the center but on either side of the bearing.. also there is an issue of the mangled parts not having groves cut in them as tundra or all aftermarket bearings have
in them..

So in conclusion anyone have any idea what I should do..We will be leaving here in about a week and one half.. and im frustrated and confused as what to do..He keeps bugging me about getting a master cylinder on the brakes since I have just about replaced all the brakes but i talked to someone about this and they told me that the master cylinder if
set undone can cause bubbles in the lines..and it takes a lot of work to get them out.

They said they didn't replace the master cylinder because they didn't think it needed it now he is bugging me about replacing it ,I guess since he ordered it just in case..

All of this has me confused and upset and worried..please advise..thanks in advance..


PS is it hard to have the injectors replaced or should i have them replaced and is it expensive in case this might be the issue? he has put injector cleaner through it several times and it doesn't really help the miss .. Im so confused as what to do ..But I love my tundra..so please do not think im bashing anything here.. ok?

 

[bamafire]

Parts in the oil pan? That sounds troublesome! If it is determined that you have to replace the engine, I'd buy a low mileage used one. Engine problems are rare in these trucks and low mile engines are pretty darned cheap. I would, however, want to find out the exact cause of the miss first. It would be a gut wrenching feeling to throw an engine at it, only to fire it off and have the miss return to say hello. Not that there is anything wrong with your current mechanic, but I'd let another set of eyes look at it. Good luck.

 

[flabbergasted]

I found that all the symptoms here that we have experienced since the begining and have been driving with all this time .. add up to one thing.Excessive crankshaft wear causing engine seal to come a loose.The symptoms have been present since day one.. and well.. gotten worse and finding the parts confirms what I already suspected..The engine isn't going to stay stable for the length of the trip that we are about to take ,now comes the decision. Buy a new truck,put a low milage or rebuilt into it or just drive it till it explodes on us and then have it towed to destination..

 

[mytundrarocks]

I would be looking around for a used motor. Hopefully you find one before yours blows up. If not oh well you needed a motor anyway. I wouldn't throw any more money at this motor unless it was to rebuild it. Not much you can do but drive it I guess. just my 02.

 

[flabbergasted]

Ok..I was panicking about a move. I didn't want to try to have the motor rebuilt here nor replaced here.We are moving to Louisiana..and I have several cousins there that are top notch mechanics and raise stock cars for a living.. I found the solution for now..We are going to have our truck shipped there.. and we will take a rental..Simple as that..When I get there I not only have certified toyota techs I also have a family of mechanics.. Its almost like the the theory I forget now what the name exactly is but it goes like this. When a problem presents itself.. there are usually more than one solution and usually the simplest is the correct one.I think I found the most simple.. Thanks to you both and this will help me find the solution when I get to the destination.I mean the truck is running fine..its just im worried it will get worse and won't weather the trip well.

 

[SuckersWalk]

drive east a full day, pick this up, and drive down to cajun country with it. good luck!

 

[flabbergasted]

The theory I found out is called Occum's razorOccam's razor - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[tempetom]

I hate to be so jaded, but I don't trust your mechanic. Did you find the parts in the pan or did he claim to find them and told and showed them to you? Also with your problem, he's trying to replace your brake master cylinder? Maybe it's bad, but obviously not related to the main problem. When I first saw the thread I thought of spark plugs, coils, and injectors. Getting the engine replaced would be my last resort. I'd get a fresh set of eyes on the problem if I were you.

 

[nhdubfan]

If you have any kind of significant miss the "check engine" light show flash while the miss is active and remain lit after while storing a code for which cylinder/cylinders are the culprits .I would suspect a bad coil unit (one per cylinder) they run about $90 each on the 4.7l around here and are easy as pie to swap out (one wire connector and one M6-1.0 bolt 10MM wrench) I swapped the suspect coil pack with another cylinder and was able to "move the skip" so the diagnosis was very clear. I too would be leery of the mechanics honesty, these motors don't just puke out parts especially in the crank area, and to run fine after? Oh, and Occam's Razor , a very good concept to keep in mind and frequently correct, The simplest solution is usually correct. Scott

 

[vincas2005]

WTF?? the last thread of your's you were complaining that your monkey mechanic was messing with the truck. Now you are supposedly have the fixed truck back and complain again. Get your mechanic fix it or make him loose his license or smth, take him to small claim cort. This is BS the biggest i've seen in my life. You dumped 4500 into repairing and still have piece of shyt engine. Get used one for ~700$ and fugetaboutit Nobody rebuilds the engine - its not cost effective. Its not 50K dragster, its a 5K truck, get used one for pennies.

 

[flabbergasted]

I hate to be so jaded, but I don't trust your mechanic. Did you find the parts in the pan or did he claim to find them and told and showed them to you? Also with your problem, he's trying to replace your brake master cylinder? Maybe it's bad, but obviously not related to the main problem. When I first saw the thread I thought of spark plugs, coils, and injectors. Getting the engine replaced would be my last resort. I'd get a fresh set of eyes on the problem if I were you.

Well my mechanic will not be my mechanic no more and I will be home where I can trust the people I trust with my car..Its been a long haul of guessing here in this one horse town..with people and things..I will wave goodbye to my truck as it goes on its destination to my home where only people that know what they are doing can touch it and there is no guess work..You are correct in your thoughts..about getting another engine as last resort.When I get home..if it goes out.Im a phone call away from a fantastic mechanic and a member of the family that not dare double cross me and well..I can be there every moment they work on it with no issues..Thanks for your thoughts..

 

[flabbergasted]

WTF?? the last thread of your's you were complaining that your monkey mechanic was messing with the truck. Now you are supposedly have the fixed truck back and complain again. Get your mechanic fix it or make him loose his license or smth, take him to small claim cort. This is BS the biggest i've seen in my life. You dumped 4500 into repairing and still have piece of shyt engine. Get used one for ~700$ and fugetaboutit Nobody rebuilds the engine - its not cost effective. Its not 50K dragster, its a 5K truck, get used one for pennies.

why is everything complaining with certain people on here..You ever have a question you don't know the answer to and come to a place you think."wow these guys know their stuff and maybe I can pick up some answers" ? Just because I ask a question or interact with others about whats going on with my truck means every time I type a question here its a complaint? Come on man lighten up..I was saying thanks to all of you..I came to the conclusion rather than depend on people I don't know and don't trust ..I came to the solution that there is no place like home where your friends are your friend and you family your family and they take care of you because you have done the same for them in past..
Yeah I know its not a 50k dragster its only a 5k truck but its my 5k truck and i want it to run properly and was trying to hook up with people here to bounce ideas off of..Yeah I know that I probably got involved with the wrong mechanic or whatever.. but thats over and done with and if push comes to shove ...hey new engine..Thats not an issue.I came here to ask the experts..That would be you guys.. and well I come away with people say im complaining ? Im not complaining im asking your thoughts..that is all.I was looking for a friendly place to interact but then I guess its not here .forgive me for my complaining although it wasn't complaining.. good luck to you and your tundra advice..Ill keep quite from now on and just stay away .. Adios mehcachaos

 

[mytundrarocks]

why is everything complaining with certain people on here..You ever have a question you don't know the answer to and come to a place you think."wow these guys know their stuff and maybe I can pick up some answers" ? Just because I ask a question or interact with others about whats going on with my truck means every time I type a question here its a complaint? Come on man lighten up..I was saying thanks to all of you..I came to the conclusion rather than depend on people I don't know and don't trust ..I came to the solution that there is no place like home where your friends are your friend and you family your family and they take care of you because you have done the same for them in past..
Yeah I know its not a 50k dragster its only a 5k truck but its my 5k truck and i want it to run properly and was trying to hook up with people here to bounce ideas off of..Yeah I know that I probably got involved with the wrong mechanic or whatever.. but thats over and done with and if push comes to shove ...hey new engine..Thats not an issue.I came here to ask the experts..That would be you guys.. and well I come away with people say im complaining ? Im not complaining im asking your thoughts..that is all.I was looking for a friendly place to interact but then I guess its not here .forgive me for my complaining although it wasn't complaining.. good luck to you and your tundra advice..Ill keep quite from now on and just stay away .. Adios mehcachaos

You came to the right place. You know how some people are. Go ahead and wonder out loud. It makes us all think. Just look past the complainers, who ironicly are complaining about your supposed complaint... Shipping your truck is a good idea. Maybe a trailer off the back of the rental truck, trailering your other truck could be cheeper. Just another idea. Always remember, nothing beats a rental...:first:

 

[vincas2005]

Its kinda hard for me to understand in what bad condition the engine got to be not to make 1000 miles. For a piece of mind get 16' Uhaul trailer. Its gonna cost you. Might be cheaper to sell it (having in mind future need and concern about the engine) than move the truck 1000 miles and put another engine in it. Sorry you got scammed with this truck. Let the word out about that MASTER MECHANIC He'll get payback eventually.
Sorry if my words insulted you in any way or hurt your feelings. I hadn't had my McDonallds that evening
If you ever have any questions you are more then welcome to come here and ask questions (after some searching first of course )

 

[flabbergasted]

Its ok.I do understand that Mc Donalds does cause withdrawal symptoms..We have to drive over 20 miles for ours lol.. But its worth it.. I know I have sounded scatter brained and come up with some unusual thoughts and theories about what happened but none of this makes sense.. I want to pose a scenario and you think it over and also anyone that reads this and let me know your throughts exactly .Im not complaining about anything and well just want to put this out here for everyone to read to see what you think..

Here I am ..with my 2000 toyota tundra.I love my truck.I really do..Ok..We have driven it in the last few years all over the country.feeling safe and secure and comfortable. As a matter of fact four years ago when we came to Colorado we took off on a trip..At the time the check engine light had come on. We took the truck to four people and they put the code reader on and said it was nothing ,basically just the check engine light comes on every so many miles. We believed them and proceeded with our trip..

We had just moved up here from New Orleans and had been traveling quite bit here and there and back to New Orleans etc. Ok..Now..back to where I stared ...the check engine light..

We left here in Colorado..drove to Connecticut in some blinding snow storms .We got to Denver and the light came back on..We just forgot about it and just thought its just one of those things,because we had been told by three people here there was nothing wrong wtih the truck..

Its always had plenty of power and get up and go and no issues at all..Anyway getting back to Connecticut we decided to go ahead and go on up to Maine.. and went back in forth in Maine and then came back down drove around Boston and Salem and some other places, no issues.. then we proceeded down through D.C and then came on down through Tennessee and then on down to Houston and then drove to Tucson..Ok still no issues..all the time with the check engine light on.. We get to Tucson and get situated .Our son lives there and started driving around and the truck started spittering and sputtering.. Our hotel was right across from a midas shop.They not only do brakes but they work on vehicles .. So we went there and they put code reader on and checked everything.They said their code reader wasn't working correctly and not giving the right codes but proceed to replace all O2 sensors and I had a tune up done to replace everything and injector cleaner ,the works to make sure it ran correctly .. they also did a bunch of upgrading of the brakes..All total about 1500 worth of work. They finally said they found the problem and called us and said it was done..

It was late that evening and we went there and they said it was fixed and we got out on the road and it did it again. I had a sick feeling.After the work they had done and the amount I thought everything would be fixed..
The next morning we decided to find the toyota place and we went there and they had the truck 30 minutes and replaced a part..I have no idea..something about a O2 sensor booster ? Or something like that. The finished it was 200 dollars and we got it and it has run just like always .Its always shimmyed a little..ok..every since day one from the factory.. but always has had plenty of power and no problems..

About five months ago we noticed there was some kind of fluid on the mud flaps and the running boards.. But nothing in the engine or around the engine and we couldn't tell if it even came from the engine..
We took it to where we always deal with our truck and he said the main seal was leaking..So ..I thought ..Ok..Ill have that replaced ,we will check the brakes have all new tires and brakes all around and shocks..
put on..

This is when the whole thing with the transmisson thing came up Still not sure what happened although the only thing the guy fessed up to was that he was the one that had to rebuild it because he had my truck five days
and had replaced the main seal and also the transmisson seal but found out later the inner transmisson seal was bad to.He had told the transmisson guy to fix the seal since it was only 15 dollars but didn't realize that the transmisson guy had to tear the tranny apart to fix the seal.He took the tranny there and then called the guy and he said it would take him a week to put everything back together. He said he panicked and told the guy that if he would walk him through it he would pay him half price to watch him put everything back together..Who knows about this story..I hope its correct but I have lost all faith in people now..but in the meantime

before all of this came up about the tranny ..The guy i had working had called me about some other things.I was there looking the truck over from the underside and one of the guys that worked for him was cleaning the oil pan out and called to the guy that i had working on it and said come here..ok this sounds a little to perfect..I was there and they started showing me parts of what looked like crankshaft thrust washers..Ok..He said that
he called several people that said those could not have come from out of the engine with the engine running so perfect. I posted on here and showed the parts and the opinions have been mixed. Some say they could have
and others say they couldn't have .

My engine has plenty of power and plenty of get up and go and has never let me down except in tuscon and well .It doesn't smoke.. but it does miss a little.. kind of rough idle.but it has been known to do this off and on over the years since the very beginning.. At idle it acts like it has bad injector or dirty one or .. it has a bad spark plug or plug wire..Now I didn't know about the one coil per cylinder thing,that is something to think about.
Could some please explain about these and where they would be located..? Other than that. I have taken the truck out and run it hard and it doesn't spitter or sputter when it accelerates and it seems to have the power it always has.. so..

What my thoughts are on it..If the truck seems to be running fine other than a little miss at idle. and it doesn't smoke and it performs well with plenty of power and runs about like it always has..Is it normal for the age of the truck to bring on a leaky main seal and tranny seal or is that rough idle a cause of engine imbalance and maybe caused that or could this just be normal wear and tear and nothing to worry about?

The parts in the engine.. I just don't think it could be from my engine in the oil pan without some type of warning or engine problem or at least a noise of some kind. With my truck I have never experienced the issues
that other tundra drivers have.I have nothing really to complain about.. My thoughts are on the parts.. are.. maybe something went wrong in the factory and they got left in the oil pan.,or they could have come out
of the engine at 10 miles and have always been out and the truck has a slight imbalance from rough idle and has given way to the rear main seal..or could in fact the guy been setting me up for some major engine work and when he found the parts or so called found the parts it was a ploy to get me to spend money for work I didn't need..

I don't want to think this about him or anyone but if I was working on someones truck and I found something like that I would be so freaked out I would have come unglued telling them what I found and be in a very alert and frenzied mode.He was very calm about it and well matter of fact.. so..Im not sure what to believe..But with all that said..I have driven the truck 90000 miles even with the little rough idle .It feels good and strong and responds well and doesn't hesitate.. or nothing ..So should I believe in fact there is something terribly wrong with the truck when it doesn't seem to be anything wrong with it?

Bear in mind Im not complaining Im just wondering what I should do..We will be leaving here on the 29th and going down to Santa Fe and then to Albuquerque then over to Amarillo and then down to Wichita and then hit the 20 and go through Dallas and then Shreveport and then Monroe..Its all down hill from here.. No severe inclines. I have a real light duty trailer im going to pull with nothing in it..16ft..and I have pulled a trailer before , a uhaul and a lot heavier than this one is.. So Im wondering with light duty trailer will it put a strain on the engine? Is there anything I can do here locally to test the truck before doing that?

It seems ok and I spoke with the guy that worked on it today but he said if I transport it ill be wasting money because the truck is running fine with no issues..He also said that all the compression rates on the cylinders were within spec.. He said that with that good of compression and the truck running that well he would just drive it and save the money because I was wasting my money to transport it.He has faith in the truck and says its my choice but its a waste.

So im left with deciding to transport..or drive. We wont be alone on the road,we have two other guys we will be following in a 48ft semi and we will be in close contact with them via cell phone and also cb radio so im wondering ,am I worrying to much and if the truck seems ok and has good power should I really spend the money to transport it..?Could the truck engine just throw those parts out with no other issues than a slight miss?

Can you see where im going with all this..I have to either have faith and go with the truck or decide now to transport. With the truck not smoking with good power and no noticable sounds or problems is it safe to assume that it is trustworthy since it always has been or should I just have it shipped and worry about it in Louisiana..? The issue I have right now is there is no way for me to pull my trailer and my truck at the same time.

I could rent a uhaul trailer for a truck and then a truck to go with it and this would be a solution on the road..if that happened..so all is not lost..Im just wondering could all this mean I really do have a bad problem in my engine and I have just been lucky or its a case of mysterious issues with parts showing up from an oil pan when the pan has never been off yet there seems not to be engine trouble? We have never had a check engine light come on ever except the time we were on the road and the truck went thousands of miles on without having issues? Im trying to peace all of this together and make a judgment call.

I have had many people come forward and tell me their thoughts but they all have been different. Please read and re read carefully and give me your honest opinion..wouldn't the truck have a check engine light on if there was a major problem? The light does work so .. wouldn't that be logical? Please anyone that can offer the correct solution please let me know.I really don't want to transport if I don't have to and then I have the problem of the light duty trailer that I have to bring with me.. if I get a rental vehicle so .and rentals other than u haul aren't allowed to be used to tow..So what say everyone here after reading this..Once again im not whinning and not complaining and not bashing my truck as I love my truck and want to keep it always so other than that please think about it and give me your thoughts.. And I appreciate each and everyone's imput..You just don'w know how very much.

 

[mickw]

Not to simplify...but I'll give you my thoughts, short and sweet. Play it safe, trailer it, have it looked it at by the family when you get to LA. Just my .02

 

[flabbergasted]

UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE ....My Toyota Tundra made the 1200 mile trip ,no problems no bad incidents and since arriving in Louisiana is running like a top..Whatever this was in the oil pan doesn't seem to have affected my Toyota and I am no longer worried about the truck..Its solid as a rock. so whatever that was in my oil pan apparently isn't a major issue..I still have a little miss in the engine but have since I bought the truck new in 2000..

 

[silet]

If the miss is there from new and the coil packs are good, you can check the injectors to see, or hear, if they are working properly. A mechanics stethoscope can be used to listen for the injectors ticking. If one of them sounds different, it's probably the cause.

I had a Mazda B2600 which I got from a friend who bought it new. He had a vibration when accelerating since the truck was new. Dealer balanced and relocated the shaft bearing and it still was there. At 195 K miles, while leaving Home Depot, the drive shaft falls off and the U joint was in pieces. I get the truck home and bought a $12 U joint from advance auto. I take the truck out for a test and I have no vibration at all!!! I have my wife drive it and she can't believe how well it ran!!! My buddy stops by and I tell him to drive his old truck and tell me if notices anything different. Now, mind you, the truck is rusted, had worked hard as a commercial paint truck and a had a lot of miles. He couldn't believe that it ran better than when it was new!!!

A stupid defective $12 U joint had stomped many mechanics from when the truck was new. So check the injectors and check the electrical connectors to them. That may be it.