So I just replaced my head gasket with a mechanic family member when we were done we had the car running for a an hr and a half no problems. I then drove the car home with no problems as I was about to pull into my driveway the car just shut off and wouldn’t restart. I started checking all the connectors and vacuum lines and found the connector to the distributor were ripped off. Found a new connector and rewired it. Now when I start the car it started for a couple seconds then dies it sounds like a vacuum leak but I can’t find anything wrong. Any suggestions would be great. Feel like I have look at everything twice over.

 

Did the engine run OK before shutting down?

Can you hear air being drawn in as in a hiss?

How much work did you do? As in how familiar are you with the engine items in taking the head off and putting it back on again?

Is this a California or Federal emissions car? There are differences in the head design and air hoses.

Is the fuel pump running?

Blown any fuses?

 

Car ran perfect before the shut down. Sounds like air is being drawn in after the engine shuts down. I have done a few head gaskets but on other engines never a Toyota. It’s California emissions. Fuel pump is running and there aren’t any blown fuses

 

The California head may have an auxiliary air injector hose fitting on the back mid center of it. A hose runs to this.
Check hose, hose connections. There may a VSV bolted to the back of the engine block. Check hoses.

See private message.

 

All those lines are good. The car backfires sometimes. I decided to check the distributor and there is no air gap. I didn’t think the distributor would have gone bad already because I just replaced it twice. Getting a new distributor right now. I’ll let you know if the car runs after the new one is in