The unpredictable weather became the perfect excuse to pivot from the finicky interior repaint of my 1982 Toyota Pickup to tackling the engine. Truthfully, the engine needed attention far more urgently. Oil leaks were rampant, and performance was sluggish at best. What started as a simple cleanup under the hood quickly escalated, mirroring the interior project, into a full-blown engine rebuild.
The first step was to get the core engine components to a professional. I entrusted the block, head, and flywheel to Parrish Automotive in Sacramento. Mike Parrish and his team were exceptional. They meticulously magnafluxed the block, performed honing and boring as needed, and thoroughly cleaned the head. It was during this process that we hit a snag – small cracks were discovered in the valve seats. Mike presented a practical solution: sourcing a refurbished head might be more cost-effective than repairing the existing cracks.
Following Mike’s advice, I connected with Nick at Yota1 in Modesto, another highly recommended shop specializing in Toyotas. Yota1 proved to be an invaluable resource. I not only found a quality refurbished head there but also decided to procure a significant number of genuine OEM parts. Initially, I had opted for an ENGNBLDR kit, but with the unexpected expenses at the machine shop and the new head, I reconsidered my approach to parts. To ensure longevity and reliability, I shifted to OEM bottom-end components, and top-tier brands like Aisin for the water pump and oil pump.
Refurbished cylinder head for 1982 Toyota Pickup sourced from Yota1 in Modesto, ready for installation.
Currently, the 1982 Toyota Pickup engine rebuild is in the assembly phase. ToyotaPartsDeal.com has become my go-to source for a variety of OEM parts. Their pricing is competitive for genuine Toyota components, and the shipping is reasonably fast. I’m currently awaiting the arrival of a few final parts from them to complete the engine rebuild. The goal is to have this classic 1982 Toyota Pickup back on the road, running smoothly and reliably, thanks to a fully rebuilt engine using quality parts.
