1992 Camry 3VZ-FE rebuild!
- irowiki
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1992 Camry 3VZ-FE rebuild!
I don't have pictures yet but we pulled the V6 motor out of the 1992 Camry Wagon we bought to rebuild the engine.
The 3VZ is basically similar to our 3A, cast iron block, aluminum head, so, head gaskets! Bought it with a blown head gasket due to a blown radiator.
Upon closer inspection, it seems the hydraulically powered cooling fan (power steering pump driven) might have failed, which then caused the radiator to blow up, so hard that it dented the hood crossmember!
Whoever was driving it at the time apparently kept driving...the engine got so hot the knock sensors on top of the block melted
The piston rings were fused into some of the pistons too! It is a miracle that car still ran.
Will give some pictures next time I'm up there.
The 3VZ is basically similar to our 3A, cast iron block, aluminum head, so, head gaskets! Bought it with a blown head gasket due to a blown radiator.
Upon closer inspection, it seems the hydraulically powered cooling fan (power steering pump driven) might have failed, which then caused the radiator to blow up, so hard that it dented the hood crossmember!
Whoever was driving it at the time apparently kept driving...the engine got so hot the knock sensors on top of the block melted
The piston rings were fused into some of the pistons too! It is a miracle that car still ran.
Will give some pictures next time I'm up there.
Former Tercel Enthusiast (not a practical family car anymore but they still have a place in my heart)
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87 Corolla FX16, 105k
94 Jamboree RV (Ford E-350), 90k
95 Camry Wagon, 170k
97 4runner, 275k
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87 Corolla FX16, 105k
94 Jamboree RV (Ford E-350), 90k
95 Camry Wagon, 170k
97 4runner, 275k
- irowiki
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Re: 1992 Camry 3VZ-FE rebuild!
The 3VZ is moving right along!
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Former Tercel Enthusiast (not a practical family car anymore but they still have a place in my heart)
Site administrator, if something is broken, PM me!
87 Corolla FX16, 105k
94 Jamboree RV (Ford E-350), 90k
95 Camry Wagon, 170k
97 4runner, 275k
Site administrator, if something is broken, PM me!
87 Corolla FX16, 105k
94 Jamboree RV (Ford E-350), 90k
95 Camry Wagon, 170k
97 4runner, 275k
- Petros
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Re: 1992 Camry 3VZ-FE rebuild!
compared to our 3ac engines, that looks massive and complicated. Was a full overhaul necessary? didn't it just need a head gasket? I would have prefered to just pull the heads and leave the engine in the car, modern cars are very complex to pull the whole engine (too many wires, sensors, etc to worry about). If it had a lot of miles and needed new rings, than I guess this would have been the way to go, but still seems like a big job. Used good running camry's are common and fairly cheap.
'87 Tercel 4wd SR5 (current engine swap project)
'84 Tercel 4wd (daily driver, with on going mods)
'92 Mazda MPV 4wd (wife's daily driver)
'85 Tercel 4wd DLX auto(daughter's daily driver)
'01 Honda Civic (other daughter's daily driver)
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'92 Mazda MPV 4wd (wife's daily driver)
'85 Tercel 4wd DLX auto(daughter's daily driver)
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- Gottolovem
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Re: 1992 Camry 3VZ-FE rebuild!
Petros wrote:compared to our 3ac engines, that looks massive and complicated. Was a full overhaul necessary?
I would say the full overhaul was in orderirowiki wrote:
Whoever was driving it at the time apparently kept driving...the engine got so hot the knock sensors on top of the block melted
The piston rings were fused into some of the pistons too! It is a miracle that car still ran.
-
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Re: 1992 Camry 3VZ-FE rebuild!
I have worked on a couple 3vz-e engines in 90's 4runners & pick ups, that looks like a very different engine. Hope they designed the exhaust better on those.
- irowiki
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Re: 1992 Camry 3VZ-FE rebuild!
Peter, the PO blew the headgasket and kept driving the car until the radiator blew (or some sequence of events, like drove after the radiator blew). The radiator blew so hard it dented the center beam it was attached to.
They then donated it to charity, and the guy who fixes them up did a compression test and it came out to 120, 110, 105, 110, 50, 50, which is very low! A headgasket on this car is a 20 hour job, as there's a lot to remove to even get to the heads, and the rear head is rotated 30 degrees down under the firewall. With all that we decided it wasn't much more work to just pull the engine and rebuild it so it'd last a long time.
I'm glad we did as the engine was close to seizing, and the heads were warped beyond the limits requiring new heads
Good running Camry Wagons are rare and can be expensive (even rarer than our tercels now).
They then donated it to charity, and the guy who fixes them up did a compression test and it came out to 120, 110, 105, 110, 50, 50, which is very low! A headgasket on this car is a 20 hour job, as there's a lot to remove to even get to the heads, and the rear head is rotated 30 degrees down under the firewall. With all that we decided it wasn't much more work to just pull the engine and rebuild it so it'd last a long time.
I'm glad we did as the engine was close to seizing, and the heads were warped beyond the limits requiring new heads
Good running Camry Wagons are rare and can be expensive (even rarer than our tercels now).
Former Tercel Enthusiast (not a practical family car anymore but they still have a place in my heart)
Site administrator, if something is broken, PM me!
87 Corolla FX16, 105k
94 Jamboree RV (Ford E-350), 90k
95 Camry Wagon, 170k
97 4runner, 275k
Site administrator, if something is broken, PM me!
87 Corolla FX16, 105k
94 Jamboree RV (Ford E-350), 90k
95 Camry Wagon, 170k
97 4runner, 275k
- dlb
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Re: 1992 Camry 3VZ-FE rebuild!
it looks awesome, paul. really curious to hear how you like driving it and what kind of mileage it gets. what is the displacement on that engine?
- irowiki
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Re: 1992 Camry 3VZ-FE rebuild!
3.0L, and around 180 HP!
Former Tercel Enthusiast (not a practical family car anymore but they still have a place in my heart)
Site administrator, if something is broken, PM me!
87 Corolla FX16, 105k
94 Jamboree RV (Ford E-350), 90k
95 Camry Wagon, 170k
97 4runner, 275k
Site administrator, if something is broken, PM me!
87 Corolla FX16, 105k
94 Jamboree RV (Ford E-350), 90k
95 Camry Wagon, 170k
97 4runner, 275k
- irowiki
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Re: 1992 Camry 3VZ-FE rebuild!
SHE LIVES
Got everything together, started right up first try! THEN GAS EVERYWHERE ON THE FRONT BANK! Holy crap. Turns out the #6 Fuel injector upper oring got smashed when I installed it. Glad I caught it, and it was an easy fix.
Got all the air bubbles worked out of the power steering and cooling system! NO LEAKS!
Timed to 12 degrees BTDC...that's just how it turned out! (stock is 10) Will set it to 15-17 later as that is what people over at TN like.
Cruise works! I am most looking forward to Cruise!
New struts/springs all around.
The oil is so clean we have a hard time seeing it on the dipstick.
Drove around for 18 miles, nary an issue so far.
Have a check engine light that goes away when she's cold, then came back on after she was warmed up and we accelerated down the street from the house. (She had been idling for 15 minutes at least, and no CEL) Coincidentally, the light came on after the alternator started squealing (need to tighten it). Would low voltage cause a check engine light? So odd, will have to do the jumper diagnostics tomorrow (OBD I)
Got everything together, started right up first try! THEN GAS EVERYWHERE ON THE FRONT BANK! Holy crap. Turns out the #6 Fuel injector upper oring got smashed when I installed it. Glad I caught it, and it was an easy fix.
Got all the air bubbles worked out of the power steering and cooling system! NO LEAKS!
Timed to 12 degrees BTDC...that's just how it turned out! (stock is 10) Will set it to 15-17 later as that is what people over at TN like.
Cruise works! I am most looking forward to Cruise!
New struts/springs all around.
The oil is so clean we have a hard time seeing it on the dipstick.
Drove around for 18 miles, nary an issue so far.
Have a check engine light that goes away when she's cold, then came back on after she was warmed up and we accelerated down the street from the house. (She had been idling for 15 minutes at least, and no CEL) Coincidentally, the light came on after the alternator started squealing (need to tighten it). Would low voltage cause a check engine light? So odd, will have to do the jumper diagnostics tomorrow (OBD I)
Former Tercel Enthusiast (not a practical family car anymore but they still have a place in my heart)
Site administrator, if something is broken, PM me!
87 Corolla FX16, 105k
94 Jamboree RV (Ford E-350), 90k
95 Camry Wagon, 170k
97 4runner, 275k
Site administrator, if something is broken, PM me!
87 Corolla FX16, 105k
94 Jamboree RV (Ford E-350), 90k
95 Camry Wagon, 170k
97 4runner, 275k
- Gottolovem
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Re: 1992 Camry 3VZ-FE rebuild!
Yoda man
Can you get the code read at autozone?
Can you get the code read at autozone?
- irowiki
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Re: 1992 Camry 3VZ-FE rebuild!
Not on ODB I
Former Tercel Enthusiast (not a practical family car anymore but they still have a place in my heart)
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87 Corolla FX16, 105k
94 Jamboree RV (Ford E-350), 90k
95 Camry Wagon, 170k
97 4runner, 275k
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87 Corolla FX16, 105k
94 Jamboree RV (Ford E-350), 90k
95 Camry Wagon, 170k
97 4runner, 275k
- dlb
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Re: 1992 Camry 3VZ-FE rebuild!
good for you, paul!
with OBD I, you usually just have to use a wire to jump two diagnostics terminals in the engine bay and then count the # of times the CEL light flashes.
http://www.troublecodes.net/Toyota/
with OBD I, you usually just have to use a wire to jump two diagnostics terminals in the engine bay and then count the # of times the CEL light flashes.
http://www.troublecodes.net/Toyota/
- marlinh
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Re: 1992 Camry 3VZ-FE rebuild!
Could be oxygen sensor. Didn't the head gasket go? Coolant in the exhaust kills O2 sensors.
- irowiki
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Re: 1992 Camry 3VZ-FE rebuild!
New o2 sensors. Fixed alternator, figured out light comes on at exactly 10mph. Will try the jumper later !
Marlene, I bet the Party wagon's o2 sensor might be cooked after the bed gasket went...
Marlene, I bet the Party wagon's o2 sensor might be cooked after the bed gasket went...
Former Tercel Enthusiast (not a practical family car anymore but they still have a place in my heart)
Site administrator, if something is broken, PM me!
87 Corolla FX16, 105k
94 Jamboree RV (Ford E-350), 90k
95 Camry Wagon, 170k
97 4runner, 275k
Site administrator, if something is broken, PM me!
87 Corolla FX16, 105k
94 Jamboree RV (Ford E-350), 90k
95 Camry Wagon, 170k
97 4runner, 275k
- irowiki
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- Joined: Tue Apr 02, 2013 10:02 am
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Re: 1992 Camry 3VZ-FE rebuild!
Ah code 55, rh knock sensor circuit
Former Tercel Enthusiast (not a practical family car anymore but they still have a place in my heart)
Site administrator, if something is broken, PM me!
87 Corolla FX16, 105k
94 Jamboree RV (Ford E-350), 90k
95 Camry Wagon, 170k
97 4runner, 275k
Site administrator, if something is broken, PM me!
87 Corolla FX16, 105k
94 Jamboree RV (Ford E-350), 90k
95 Camry Wagon, 170k
97 4runner, 275k