Review on FEL PRO HS 9227 PT 1 Gasket by Chris Brazington

Check this off my wish list! My 2001 Toyota Tacoma TRD Double Cab 4x4 V6 started smoking after the thermostat failed and the head gasket blew up. Lesson number one, change the thermostat! This $15 portion will save you heartache. On Tacomas it is located on the LOWER radiator hose between the hose and the water pump. Drain the water from the radiator, remove the lower hose, unscrew the three nuts from the bent water pump pipe to which the lower hose was screwed. The clogged thermostat falls into your hands. Install new one, screw on bent pipe, disconnect hose and fill radiator (then top up when hitting engine). Tacomas are designed to bleed air pockets through the radiator overflow, but you can also do this manually by disconnecting the UPPER hose on the radiator and adding fluid directly into the engine through the UPPER hose. Many forums claim that thermostats are always on the top hose of vehicles; You are wrong. Have, saw, changed twice. So back to my burned out engine. The mechanics charge $4,000 for repairs. A new motor in a box costs about $3,000. That's a lot of money! With this Fel-Pro kit and about 20 hours of my time over two weekends, I did it myself. I've never tried anything like this, but I saw six 30 minute YouTube videos from a guy who made the exact same Tacoma 5VZ FE V6 (yes it was 3 hours of video, pauses and transitions from computer to garage and back ). After disassembling my intake, valve cover, four cams, heads, etc. I became concerned. But I photographed everything as I went, used colored paint and markers to mark which hose went where, and bought a few extra tools (a 12mm long and a new torque wrench), I was able to change the headgaskets with this kit. I used almost all of the gaskets (head, manifold, intake, valve cover, etc) because you're going to remove them all on the way to the head gaskets anyway. It's not easy, but you can do it. I'm an old man, I have no real experience with engines other than spark plugs and oil. There were fewer small parts in the kit that I didn't use, such as: B. Round valve cover/plug gaskets. The inside of the engine was so clean and they are so difficult to replace that I will come back another time if needed as they are currently in the easy valve cover removal phase of this project. All Fel-Pro gaskets fit perfectly (apparently clean the block and head surfaces and check for cracks before installing new gaskets). When I finished after a two day break and filled up all the fluids (oil, radiator) I was stumped when the truck started with no smoke, no leaks, no smoke. It drives like new again without hesitation and the fuel economy is about 3mpg better. I recommend this kit for your 2001 Tacoma. And my 230,000-mile engine overhaul is on my one-time wish list. Total cost with kit, new tools, fluids, and some new parts (thermostat, plugs, filters, hoses, etc.) - $440.