One last gasp of difficulty from the Terc?

[4wdchico]

My own personal Tercel resurrection has been a real saga:

full suspension rebuild
new Kyb dampers: GR2 front strut carts & Gas-a-Just rear shocks
new valve stem seals
new EGR valve
new OEM air filter seals
all new brake hydraulics & friction
local rebuild of the original CV/half shafts
front wheel bearings
rebuilt PS rack & pump
all fluids changed & new 'yota T-stat
new rear drive shaft yolk to trans ext. housing oil seal
vac, EVAP & PCM systems tested and verified, hoses replaced as needed
new motor and trans mounts
tires and wheels swapped
tons more too small to list


Car runs great and drives even better. So, in prep for a smog check in the AM, I had just put the new Denso 02 sensor on and verified that it is in fuel control. Decided to pull the air filter assy. so that I could put my new factory PCV valve to carb hose on. One of the 6mm bolts that secures the A/F assy to the valve cover breaks off in the valve cover. AARRGH! It won't budge at all with vice grips on the exposed part. No point even trying to remove it. So I'm off to the JY in the AM to pull another valve cover. Guess I'll set the valves cold again while I'm at it, after all it has a whole 400 miles or so on it since I set them after changing the stem seals and putting it back on the road.

Just needed to vent a bit...

[Neu]

I did the same thing...I hate those stupid valve cover bolt things.

[ARCHINSTL]

Not to be snotty - but where is the problem here?
I presume I am missing something?
Like yours, the rear attachment bolt on Goldie's was broken off when I got her, and the front was missing. I used a 6mm Allen bolt from my odds and ends from the bike shop (actually a stem binder bolt, as I recall) for the front, and the original PCV gasket fit just fine to surround the bolt in the flange (with a bike axle washer under the bolt). This front-only bolt has held the cleaner cover just fine for 3 years.
I will drill out/use an EZ-out on the rear bolt when I remove the cam cover this Summer to adjust the valves.
I wouldn't think you would have to buy a JY cam cover; again - am I missing something here?
Tom M.
P.S. Use never-seize when you replace the bolts (again - don't take this the wrong way).

[83Red4WD]

Hi Chico,
While I certainly understand your desire to fix it right I have to agree with Tom. It's been a long time since I've seen one of these with the grommets, spacers and bolts all intact. Most of those grommets have long ago disintegrated. The truth is they don't really do that much. Not nearly as important as the a/f mounts on say a 22R engine. These don't vibrate nearly as much.

Also I hate to be captain obvious here but the valves on the 3A and 4A engines are adjusted hot. (As are most Toyotas). You can adjust them cold in a pinch but it's not ideal.

Cheers....................Todd

[4wdchico]

Not to be snotty - but where is the problem here?
I presume I am missing something?
Like yours, the rear attachment bolt on Goldie's was broken off when I got her, and the front was missing. I used a 6mm Allen bolt from my odds and ends from the bike shop (actually a stem binder bolt, as I recall) for the front, and the original PCV gasket fit just fine to surround the bolt in the flange (with a bike axle washer under the bolt). This front-only bolt has held the cleaner cover just fine for 3 years.
I will drill out/use an EZ-out on the rear bolt when I remove the cam cover this Summer to adjust the valves.
I wouldn't think you would have to buy a JY cam cover; again - am I missing something here?
Tom M.
P.S. Use never-seize when you replace the bolts (again - don't take this the wrong way).

No offense taken. Just kind of surprised that 'yota chose such soft bolts for that application. Their choices in fasteners is usually so spot on. I do remember tightening them and had that funny feeling that the one that failed stretched a bit too much at the very last.

If I can get the cover, it will be cheap and an easier fix than doing the EZ-out on a 6mm thread. Really hate the drilling and removal process on a 6mm. I'll put it together with some copper anti-seize for sure, along with some Japanese grade 11 bolts for good measure.

Sure I could run it w/o the failed bolt, but I'd really rather drive it and not mess with it for a good while when I'm thru with this process. I'm sooo close to being there and it will feel really good to drive it knowing it is up to my standards. Yes, I overkill things a bit, but I chose to do so as the results seem to justify the efforts required to get there, usually.

[takza]

No offense taken. Just kind of surprised that 'yota chose such soft bolts for that application. Their choices in fasteners is usually so spot on. I do remember tightening them and had that funny feeling that the one that failed stretched a bit too much at the very last.

Then you'll like the soft nuts that hold the swaybar in front. Don't overtighten these. I think I replaced the 2 bolts that hold the air cleaner quite a while ago.

[4wdchico]

Hi Chico,
While I certainly understand your desire to fix it right I have to agree with Tom. It's been a long time since I've seen one of these with the grommets, spacers and bolts all intact. Most of those grommets have long ago disintegrated. The truth is they don't really do that much. Not nearly as important as the a/f mounts on say a 22R engine. These don't vibrate nearly as much.

Also I hate to be captain obvious here but the valves on the 3A and 4A engines are adjusted hot. (As are most Toyotas). You can adjust them cold in a pinch but it's not ideal.

Cheers....................Todd

Hey there Todd,

I'm comfortable adjusting the valves cold using the spec. given in the EM section of the FSM. Pretty sure that 'yota suggests the hot adjust for at least these two reasons:

1) Spec'ing a hot valve adjust makes it much more likely that a fresh rebuilt engine will get it's valves adjusted a second time soon after it's initial fire up. A very good idea.

2) They can keep the instructions simple on the under the hood tune up instructions by stating "all adjustments done at operating temp". Keeping the instructions simple for the inevitable simpleton is a good idea as well.

Older engines, like the R series (OHC)and T series (OHV) engines, gave both the hot and cold spec's with no preference between the two. I have set both of these series engine's valves cold and then rechecked them hot, as a test, and never had to reset them. But they were both fully broken in engines. I did the tests as I prefer to set valves cold. No need to hurry to get it done while an engine cools off. More comfortable than working over a hot engine as well. Back when I made my living fixing motorcycles all the valves I adjusted were set cold. Unless I happened to be working on an American car engine with hydraulic lifters on the side, that is. Setting valves hot just seems wrong to me as the expansion of the parts involved is so well understood and reflected in the clearances given for a cold valve adjustment. Yes, if the manufacturer did not give a cold clearance spec. it would be a different story.

If you feel that the above is heresy to 'yota doctrine, so be it, I'm comfortable with that also. To each their own.

Cheers to you also.

Marshall

[4wdchico]

No offense taken. Just kind of surprised that 'yota chose such soft bolts for that application. Their choices in fasteners is usually so spot on. I do remember tightening them and had that funny feeling that the one that failed stretched a bit too much at the very last.

Then you'll like the soft nuts that hold the swaybar in front. Don't overtighten these. I think I replaced the 2 bolts that hold the air cleaner quite a while ago.

Hmmm... thanks for the tip. Are we talking about the fasteners that hold the brackets that secure the D bushings to the frame? Or the nuts on the threads on the very ends of the swaybar?

[SirNik83]

let me know if you can't fix your valve cover bolt issue. i have enough tercel parts to choke a horse. i just cleaned up a valve cover that I'm going to paint to match my new paint job. so i will actually have my old one on hand. if you have a Japanese Spec engine i have one of those valve covers also.

[4wdchico]

let me know if you can't fix your valve cover bolt issue. i have enough tercel parts to choke a horse. i just cleaned up a valve cover that I'm going to paint to match my new paint job. so i will actually have my old one on hand. if you have a Japanese Spec engine i have one of those valve covers also.

Got the valve cover this AM, thanks for the offer. What I could really use is a plastic splash guard from under the front of the engine. Any chance you have a spare?

[SirNik83]

i know i've seen one... LOL i think so. the first 2 cars i had didn't have them. i think the car i have now had one, but i took it off. I want to make an aluminum one. next time i'm up at my dads property (where i stashed the non running cars) i'm gonna find it for a template. i'll let you know.

[takza]

Hmmm... thanks for the tip. Are we talking about the fasteners that hold the brackets that secure the D bushings to the frame? Or the nuts on the threads on the very ends of the swaybar?

It is the nuts in the frame on the front...soft.