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Part 2.
I am baffled by this. The inside of the passenger side valve train looks brand new compared to the driver side (much less oil staining) . It looks like the passenger side head was replaced at some point ?!? There is absolutely no record of this in my car's service history, and the previous owner didn't mention it. He was an older doctor and I have no reason to think he would have hid anything from me.
Maybe you are having more blowby or crankcase gasses coming thru the driver's side bank and little or none on the passenger side? Just a guess, could be off the wall too.
PCV is on the drivers side, replace the line and valve and that head will clean itself up in short order if you use good oil. Nothing to be concerned about at all
weldthedif, could you do me a favor if your not finished and your hood is still up? Unrelated to valve covers tho. Passenger side horn wire on mine is not hooked up but I have a wire tucked under radiator support. What color is the wire leading to yours? Thanks
take your time, learn some stuff, know when to walk away, save some money and feel accomplished in the end.
I'm not ase certified, but I'm not scared of anything. Just had my transmission out for the 3rd time in my 2000 trans am. Did a rear end in that car, intake manifold gaskets, camshaft, entire rear end, everything but remove the engine. I set aside a week for jobs or a whole weekend. I did the timing belt and water pump on the ls430 in 3 evenings, total of maybe 9 hours. But like I said...best tool in the garage is a 2nd car, when your fed up or not feeling it just shut the hood and walk away. I'm 32, and the last time a dealership or shop had a car of mine was 12 years ago. Learned a lot that week.
that drivers side looks tight but I wouldn't sweat it. It'll go quicker next time 😁. Keep on wrenching, that's how you get better at it.
Ok so last night I pulled the PCV valve and it was not clogged. I did clean it out with some brake cleaner. I need to get this car back together soon, I miss driving it!!
this might be late for some, but make sure you use new bolts with rubber washers as the old washers tend to compress and the nuts might stretch if they've been over tightened. the torque values are really low, like 7 lb/ft low.
Very common occurrence in the land cruiser community where people over tighten the bolts and stretch/snap them.
also, get yourself a new PCV valve, they're cheap and easier to replace once you have the covers off. I just did mine for the first time at 233k and the gaskets were literally plastic that shattered upon removal.
I believe replacing the dipstick o ring (which came off in pieces and was covered in black RTV) has been the worst job I've tackled on this car right next to the cam seals. I thought I was going to break or round off that 12mm bolt that holds the dipstick tube to the head. First time I replaced the drivers side valve cover gasket it came out of the groove of the valve cover and got pinched leaking oil all over the exhaust causing a huge mess and a lot of smoke.
Weldthediff what is that tag on the passenger side head? I noticed there was one on mine just like it and I believe my passenger head is a reman, in the lexus service history it mentions my car may have blown a headgasket in the past.
Interesting thread. I am doing a major service now and part of it are the valve covers. Passenger side was a nightmare to get out. I broke the connectors to the oil control solenoid and one fuel injectors so I am stuck waiting on parts. I think the valve covers have never been off the car.
How do you get the half moons out?
The service manual and several forums say to just pull up with use pliers if need be. I put a shop paper towel over the half moon and gave it a try with pliers. It scarred the metal a little and it did not budge. I am considering leaving them as is and hoping they do not leak after I have applied force to them. It is too risky to go wild with force on them. I could heat them a little with MAPP gas and try but it they do not come out, I will probably cause a massive leak.
My method to remove the half moons was by using a pair of pliers I own that have a rubber jaw covers, then to just grab them and wiggle back and fourth while pulling up. Even if you mar the inner and outer surfaces up a bit, it won't hurt since they are not mating to anything. I wonder if someone before you used a glue of some sort instead of silicone or FIPG.
While addressing numerous oil leaks many years ago, I too witnessed my Indy dealing with the notorious dip stick o ring. If not mistaken, I believe the tech had to lift the engine after removing an engine mount as well as dropping part of the exhaust. It was a royal pain. The original o ring was returned... it was hard as a rock and barely in one piece. Turned out the oil level switch was also leaking and replaced. FYI...The Car Care Nut recently did a You Tube on replacing the dip stick O ring and he too labored over it and had difficulty. My valve cover gaskets were replaced about the same time and the passenger side was a killer.
Agree 100 percent! Only thing to ever buy there is motor oil, washer fluid, or a battery. That's IT!!! Those stores sell the cheapest Chinese replacement parts, whereas Lexus parts are meticulously made to work for the long haul.
Originally Posted by weldthedif
I never, ever, ever buy anything from autozone / advance/ etc. OEM or don't bother. I've learned this from experience.
01-09-20, 10:58 AM
