If you want to be pro-active, have the valve clearances measured?
manually by removing the two valve covers to gain access
to the mechanical valve lifters. Especially check
the six exhaust valve clearances. ?
I guess you’ll just have to call around different shops and
ask if they have anyone experienced and willing to
measure the clearances on a 30 year old Toyota 3VZ-E
V6 overhead cam engine.
Or if you can’t find anyone, call around and
ask if they have anyone that can do a cylinder compression
test on a 30 year old Toyota 3VZ-E V6 overhead cam engine.
If compression is high and even (around 170-190 psi) on all
six cylinders then you can be pretty certain the motor can be
driven another 15,000 - 30,000 miles without adjusting clearances.
But if some cylinders are trending lower psi, then it’s important
to get the exhaust valve clearances on the affected cylinders?
loosened?up by installing a thinner valve adjusting metal shim.
Here is a long video about checking and adjusting valve clearances
on a 24 valve version of your Toyhome V6 - in fact - it's the same
5VZ-FE engine that’s in your 2002 4Runner.? At the 1:10 mark they
talk about how the cylinder compression was restored on cylinders
that had their valve clearances adjusted.
?
Paul Cherubini
On Nov 26, 2023, at 8:53 AM, drscrowe via <
drscrowe@...> wrote:
Sorry to pester y'all about V6 valve adjustments, but here goes. The 1993 Warrior has 100K miles on it, and I doubt anyone has ever looked at the valves. My local old mechanic said they "sounded fine," the rig runs great, and to leave them alone. However, someone on Facebook (!) said that you couldn't hear the valves on these campers go bad, and to check the compression.
I have a new mechanic and sent the camper to him yesterday, to see if he could figure out why the check engine light was on (old mechanic couldn't, said to put tape across it -- as did everyone in my family -- but that bugs me). I added a note to the keys at the drop box asking if he could check the compression.
Assuming the compression is still good, should the valves be "adjusted?" I love the camper and am trying to be proactive -- put a new V6 engine in my 2002 Toyota 4Runner and it was a little over $6K and took nearly 5 months!
Thanks,
Sue Crowe
Talking Rock GA
