Hopefully some one can shed some light on this issue for me. A while back when my head gasket was starting to go, I noticed a rushing sound in the heater core area. Sure enough w/ your help - The headgasket was shot.
Just last night on the ride home - I heard the sound again coming through the heater core, Not only when I first started it but also when driving around randomly. Fluids full, No exhaust smell in the radiator fluid, and I don't smell like a burning candy shop. I am 100% Baffled on this whole ordeal.
My mechanic said sometimes these trucks do that if you have your heater on (say its a cold night, like it's quickly becoming) and when you start it the next morning it will do that.

I dunno, No one elses vehicles do this. Im gearing up to do a compression test on the engine, and ive checked all the fluids and smelled everything. What should I do next? Check spark plugs for build up?

Also, this truck has the OEM thermostat and it always temp spikes wether its the 1st time or 14th time ive started/driven the truck. Any advice at all is appreciated -Thx

I get that rushing fluid sound in the heater core and coolant lines all the time when I am using the heat. I've heard it in every toyota i've ever driven. It's not a HG problem for me.

I would reccomend that you not worry about it too much and keep a close eye on the coolant and oil (smell the oil as well).
If you are truly concerned get a leakdown test performed.

Sometimes they'll do that if the system needs to be "burped." Air can get trapped in the heater core and that causes the sloshing sound. When my Supra did that I parked it with the radiator cap higher than the heater core, waited for everything to cool, then openned the cap to let the air escape. Then add fluid to fill the radiator.

Hope this helps.

The temp spikes could be air, but I would check your radiator to make sure it is not clogged. Is is possble teh thermostat is bad? My temp spiked the fist time I ran with a new one, then never did again. I think it needed breaking in?

My 22RE always had the gurgling sound with the heater valve open whenever I had a HG problem. Would usually be the first thing I would notice followed by low heater output.

NOTE: Mine never makes any gurgling sound otherwise, that is why I always noticed that strange sound and subsequently would find that there was a HG leak.

Could also be trapped air in the system. But try a chemical test on the coolant to check for exhaust gas:
http://www.arrowheadradiator.com/head_gasket_or_combustion_leak_test.htm

Cause of the spiking temperature gauge could be the classic TSB: 029032787 22R-E Engine Temperature Overshoot problem.

Also, when the HG last failed and was repaired, did you find the cause and fix the underlying problem? If not, it has just come back. Typically the HG failing is a symptom of some other problem, such as a plugged radiator, bad t-stat or water pump, engine running too lean or something like that.

And in my case, when I first got the truck, it turned out to have a cracked head. Heads aslo don't normally crack all by themselves, that is also a symptom of some other problem. In my case it all came down to a radiator that was not up to the task of cooling the engine. Finally replaced that and have had no problems since.

my mechanic had determined the crack in the head on cylinder #3 and #4 caused the initial leaking, and Improper mixture of coolant/water. The water ratio to coolant he said was absurd. The head was rusted/clogged and tore it apart. So he had put on a Used 22RE Head and said it was O.K. As for the over shoot problem of the thermostat - I thought True OEM stats were Only notoroious for doing that Once a day (usually first start up).

Everything smells good still and coolants high and heat output it Still phenominal. Whats the trick again to burp a system, park it on an incline and heater on High while letting it idle and radiator cap off?

I've never done this before so this will be new to me lol.

And you say all of your toyotas make a rushing/squirting sound in the heater core area? hhmmm...so odd ya know.

When I burped the Supra I got the engine to normal temp and parked it on a slight hill with the front tires on ramps. I then ran the heater for a while to get the trapped air from the heater core to the highest point in the system, which was now the top of the radiator. After it all cooled down I openned the radiator, the air escaped, and I topped it off with coolant.

On that car the heater core was about the same elevation as the radiator so the air got trapped in a normal system flush and fill. I hope that you have the same problem because another head gasket would suck.

Mabye I think that the gurgling is normal because I ve been driving around with air in my heater core. I mean It dosent happen often, and just when the heat is on. But I do not experience any adverse effects like overheating or HG problems.

It is a bugger to fill my v6 up with coolant after I have drained it. I have a 3" body lift and that elevates the rear coolant lines and heater core higher than stock. I park it on a ditch incline and ilde it up with the heat on. The last year I put coolant in when changing my thermostat. It was only a half fill and it still took me a few hours to get her to accept coolant until she was full.

Anyway I hope that your problem is just an air bubble.