I have a Toyota T-100 1994 3litre engine During my latest registration attempt my truck failed smog so I did a few things to improve my engine and took it back and it failed again This time it was classsified as a gross polluter and i am entered into a data base ,so I needed to go to a Gold shield for diagnosing They discoved that my # 1 cylinder was weak so I need a new engine to be legal The CA DMV will not give me another temp registration They will only give one. so I am really screwed. I am unemployed so I can,t put a $10,000 engine in a truck thats worth about $1,400 I need more time to get a job andthen take care of this problem because I like my service truck I am concerned about the environment and I want to do my part. I just need more time I am driving with an expired registration because I just have to drive till the point where I am pulled over The smog referee is an stuffed shirt and can,t help I don,t want to retire the truck Is there anything I can do to buy some time
If “weak” means that the compression was really low or inability to hold pressure, then I have no ideas. The engine is likely just plain worn out. You could try some oil additive from the parts store in hopes of freeing up a gunked up oil ring, but it’s just a “why not”, just a wild try. Follow the directions on the bottle exactly.
NOTE: the oil ring is not the same as the compression rings, but it may reduce oil burning and help you pass. Like I said, it’s just a shot in the dark.
yes cylinder # 1 had only 40 lbs of pressure so at idle I failed the smog It could be in the upper end of the cylinder or the lower end or the typical 3litre head gasket problem At 230000 miles a new engine is the way to go I just need a break from the DMV and a job