PennSilverTaco's "Perfect 5-Lug Regular Cab" Build, Aspergers, and General BS MegaThread!

Toss 10W-40 in er an shell be good

 

I used 10W30 before the head gasket blew and my gas mileage really sucked; I am switching to Liquimolly at 200K...

 

Not recently, but the truck has been performing just fine. No warning lights, no overheating, no weird noises...

 

A oil pressure test on cold startup might be a good idea. He could try to recreate the circumstances when you see the flickering happen. Maybe leave it at the shop overnight with a pressure gauge installed and see what it shows first thing in the morning

 

Pete is the owner of the shop, and the guy who primarily works on my truck is a former Toyota tech named Joe, who works for Pete; Joe did not seem worried when I described the symptoms to him back in January, and I cannot afford to be without my truck unless there is something seriously wrong with it. How involved is it to replace an oil pump on a 2TR-FE?

 

So, you don't think it's something I should worry about?

 

It's probably getting a little tired, might just need an oil pump. But I've always thought that stock oil spec is too thin for what is essentially an old 3RZ bottom end.

 

The oil consumption will remain even if you fix the oil pump.
You could try a 40w oil. But you aren't fixing anything.

I'd run 40w, and add oil as needed.
Eventually, you'll need an engine. But that could a long time from now.
Adding oil is cheap and easy.

 

I'm worried that that the oil pump could totally fail and fuck up my engine; I'm concerned about the light staying illuminated on startup...

 

How hard is to replace the oil pump?

 

It's behind the timing cover.
So it's about the same time and labor as doing a timing chain.
There is also a relief valve in there too. If the pressure is too high, the relief valve opens and lets oil bypass.
Might as well replace that too.

 

Wow, Dealer book hours is 10 hrs for a timing cover R&R.
That's going to be expensive. Unless you have a local shop that that will do it "cheaper".

 

The timing chain was done when the head gasket was gone. Does the whole cylinder head have to come off for this? Either way, I think I'm just gonna run the engine until it's time for a new one...

 

No, the head can stay on. As can the chain.

 

So, at that hourly rate, I'm looking at probably $1,300-$1,500...

 

Unfortunately, Yes.

I'd go with adding oil.

 

I will put a whole new engine it if and when the time comes...

 

Meantime, $1300-1500 can buy a lot of oil.

Hell I remember one of my first cars. Quart every 200-300 miles.

 

Gerator pumps rarely totally fail, the gap between the inner and outer rotor get out of spec causing a lower pressure slowly over time. It’s somewhat predictive if you trend the pressure.