food7373

iTrader: (4)

So I finally got around to doing a tune-up to the car.

Here is a list of things that I replaced today....

Valve Cover Gaskets
Spark Plugs
Spark Plug Wires
PCV Valve
Ignition Coil
Distributor Cap and Rotor
Distributor O-Ring
Serpentine Belt



I did this all just because I did not know the last time any of this was done. And as you will see, all parts were OEM......

So I first started off with distributor.





I took off the intake to get more room to work.



First take off the wires, then the three bolts holding it into place.





Next take off the rotor by removing the two bolts holding it into place.



Comparing old to new.....



I then marked the gear in two places as shown and removed the nut holding it into place.



Major oil leak.



I then replaced the o-ring.



Old compared to new. The old one felt like plastic and the new one was rubber....



Clean before re-install.



Re-installed matching up to marks. The gear twists as you install, so you have to set the gear before the marks and then twist it in. Kinda complicated, but not too hard.



New rotor.



New cap and done with ignition for now!



Next onto the throttle body. I first removed the two electrical connectors on the side as well as the three lines on the top.



Next remove the bracket underneath it.



Here are where the nuts go for the bracket as well as two more nuts holding on the TB.



Next remove the two long bolts on top. Then remove the two coolant lines. One is on the side and the second one is underneath. You have to remove the second one by first pulling out the TB and then somehow getting it off.



Now with the TB off, it's time for the Y-pipe, or PITA Pipe. Removing this is so annoying if you do not have the right tools like I did. So before I took it off, I changed the serp belt. The tensioner is right in the middle....



Push down, take off the old belt and install the new belt. I then also changed out the ignition coil which is held on by four screws... Three of mine broke, but one works for me since only the heads broke off and the studs are still there to hold it.

food7373

iTrader: (4)

Taking the EGR pipe off or whatever is terrible. First remove this top nut, and then there are two other nuts holding it onto the engine down and behind everything. I was crawling in awkward ways to get this off, but it wasn't hard to break them lose, just annoying.....



Two bolts down there.....



Don't lose the gasket for this thing....



So then I removed some misc. hoses (no pics), as well as all the bolts holding the y-pipe on. There are four of them, and then two nuts underneath. The one closest to the firewall is a PITA also... When you have the EGR Pipe off, TB, and Y-pipe, clean them out good with throttle body cleaner or carb cleaner. They get dirty...



Nice and clean....



If you haven't by now, take the spark plug wires out, as well as the rear cover, and I assume you're smart enough to have taken off the front cover a while ago.



I then took off the valve covers and center cover.



Old gaskets were crusty and small and brittle. New ones fit in like a gem.



Now change your plugs... OEM compared to new.



I can't believe my car idled so perfectly with these things....



Now reassembly is reverse removal. First put on valve covers. Then I put in the new PCV Valve. Then reinstall y-pipe and EGR pipe. To get the nut that holds the Y-pipe to the intake manifold to go in that is closest to the firewall, I taped the nut to closed end wrench and got the nut started. It was terrible since I didn't have extensions and did not want to lose this nut. AGH. Don't forget the small hose underneath the Y-pipe as well.



That stupid nut.



Next install spark plug wires and TB. Don't forget where the hoses all went and don't forget coolant lines.



Reinstall your intake and DONE!

My car started up and ran good. And don't forget to take out your battery during this whole process. Much easier.



Old brittle crusty OEM stuff....

Well that is all for now. Feel free to ask any questions and remind me if I forgot something!

Luxor

iTrader: (15)

Nice DIY, but you didn't replace the gasket on the intake plenum?

food7373

iTrader: (4)

The gasket that was from the TB to the y-pipe was metal, and so was the one from the y-pipe to manifold. They both looked to be in good condition. I guess I didn't really think about replacing them before doing this either. Oh well, but I would recommend to anyone doing this to replace those along the way.

SEXC

iTrader: (2)

I have to do the valve cover gaskets too but I'm not looking forward to it. Let us know how those valve cover gaskets hold up.

JOHIII

Nice write up. Picture always help. I just recently had a leaking valve cover gasket that needed replacing. So much work to change such a simple gasket. I just reused the metal TB to Y Pipe gasket too.

food7373

iTrader: (4)

Yeah I will let you know how they hold up, and it is a lot of work for just valve covers gaskets. But oh well. I guess they weren't considering this job during design, or thought of it as a way to get more money because more people would take it to a shop because it was a harder job to do.

SC3G

how did you get to the y pipe bolt closest to the firewall?
and how did you get the egr valve out? lol
and how tight did you put the valve cover bolt back on?
oh and how long did it take you?
i did my spark plug and wires and cap n rotor, but couldnt take the y pipe out so didnt change out the valve cover gasket =/ next weeks job'

SC3G

and what size o ring did you get for the dis.
autozone does have a spec on it and dealer no help...
autozone has a packet but not 100 sure if its in there..
whats the part number if you could =) thanks

SC3G

it sure is a great write up
helped me with mine alot'

food7373

iTrader: (4)

The o-ring I ordered from online.

https://www.google.com/aclk?sa=l&ai=...20ring&cad=rja

For the valve cover, I tightened it down to spec, which I believe is 8 ft-lb, but you could do more, just as long as it doesn't leak.

For the EGR, you have to take out the two bolts connecting it to the block, and then the big nut on the other end of the pipe. It was a real freakin' pain.

For the y-pipe, I just had to bend my arm in 10 different ways. From what I remember it was so hard to get that last one, and I had to use tape to hold it on to a wrench to get it back on. It really just took a lot of time and patience. Don't forget to have a magnet handy in case you drop a nut or bolt.

As for time, it took me at least 6 hours simply because I was taking my time, did some extra cleaning, took some breaks, and it took forever to get the y-pipe and egr out. Just take your time getting those two out. Let me know how it goes!

2jjjzzz

This job took me 2 hours with air tools. The y-pipe came off in about 30 seconds with a wobble socket and long extension. The right tools go a long way. Just don't forget to put the coolant hose back on the throttle body on the passenger side. I did and didn't notice my temp gauge maxed out til I got home. Thought the head gasket was done for sure, but I got lucky. Lesson learned!

KahnBB6

iTrader: (5)

Great writeup, Food7373!

Love picture-filled detail DIY's like these. My only suggestion to anyone taking note from your instructions is to try, if they can, to get socket extensions for the EGR pipe removal (I know you stated you had no extensions).

I showed just a little of this in one of my recent threads on page 15, post #222:
https://www.clublexus.com/forums/per...ml#post9467282

The ridiculous extensions and coming in through the side-rear of the engine make getting to the lower EGR pipe bolts (to the cylinder head) easier. But you have to stabilize the socket bit on the bolt head with one hand while doing this since the extensions are so long.

Those nuts affixing the EGR valve to the aluminum Y-plenum are annoying and slow to remove, as is correctly aligning the studs that have to be removed from the plenum (5mm hex).

The only other thing is the annoying coolant bypass hose under the throttle body. Unless you drain the coolant first it's best to let the car cool down for the day or overnight before pulling it loose. Oh, an use part of a disposable shop towel and a dry rag shoved underneath it to absorb any spillage that might get into your spark plug galley during removal. Such an annoying location choice for that on Toyota's part.

I also second the use of flex/wobble socket extensions to get the Y-plenum bolts and nuts off and back on with the correct torque settings.

Nothing like seeing an SC300 running well again with a comprehensive tuneup like this one. Thank you for sharing!

For reference:

EGR pipe nuts on cylinder head: 15 ft-lbs torque with a 12mm socket (very creative use of socket extensions)
EGR pipe huge nut to EGR valve: 47 ft-lbs with a 32mm "crows foot" torque wrench extension (torque load has to be recalculated when using a crows foot extension)
Studs for EGR valve mounting to Y-plenum: just tight but not overly tight
EGR plenum stud NUTS: 15 ft-lbs