crazymac680

Day 16. 1 hour. Cleaned up the block in preparation for the timing chain cover. Noticed the pink powder around the bottom of the water pump. So decided to replace it. Very easy to remove. Just 5 10mm bolts.

Day 15. 2 hours. Another good night. Slow and steady progress. Cleaned up the timing chain cover. Getting it ready for gasket sealant. I had to drill out 2 studs from the cover. Tonight I installed 2 helicoils to keep the bolts the same size as the originals. I really struggled to remove the crank oil seal. I had to very carefully cut it with the hack saw. The new one went in by hand. I then dialed in my timing marks and installed the chain guides. Tomorrow I'll hopefully clean up the engine and install the timing chain cover.

🤣 Yeah most of the work was removing the timing chain cover

Day 14. 2 hours. Another successful night regardless of the 40mph wind and showers. Luckily mostly sheltered by the house. Put the block to TDC. Cleaned up the camshafts as there was some rust starting to form in the followers. Oiled all the surfaces. Installed the camshafts and torqued the bearing caps to 9nm for the small ones and 29 for the big one.

Day 13 - 2 hours So I spent a lot of time waiting for parts. When I was ready to install the head bolts. I realised that the new ones didn't come with washers and I'd thrown away the old😂. Didn't want to risk buying something similar and decided to ask Toyota. It was about £2.50 per washer but £28.99 delivery! I emailed asking them if they could get me a better deal on the delivery but after 3 days I had no reply. So I ordered from Amayama. It took about 3 weeks but only cost £16.90 inc delivery! Great service. I spent the first hour checking that my holes were clear or debris and oil. Then confirming that my holes were deep enough. Gave the head and block a final clean. Fitted the gasket and head. Greased the washer and thread of each bolt with engine oil. Torqued to 30 - 42- 55 - 70. In the order in the images. Final 90 degree turn in the same order. Feel like I'm on the home straight. Time for bed now.

Day 11 - 3 Hours Covered Covered cylinders and waterways with sticky foil tape. Drilled out threads with 10.3mm drill bit. Then drilled it with the 11.3mm drill bit. Tapped hole with M11 1.5 STI tap. It was short so I cut a cheap 8mm socket so I could use a 1/4 extension to make it reach the required depth. Just used the old engine oil as drilling and tapping lube. Backing out the tap about every 10mm to clear the tap of chips. I did the first one by hand but the rest, I switched to the electric ratchet to save my wrists. Installed the V coil M11 1.5 3D inserts to the same depth as the old threads. Felt like a successful day.

Day 10 - 4 hours. Cleaning up the head. Removing the stuck bolts. Checking head for warping. The cleaned up easily enough. Stanley blade, Wire wool, and 1000grit sand paper on the block and rocker faces. I just used the drill and wire wheel on the intake and exhaust faces. The stuck studs on the cyclinder head came out with a little heat and locking grips. The 2 studs at the bottom of the timing chain cover were a nightmare. Snapped tight to the cover. Tried repeatedly to weld on a nut but it kept snapping. I was forced to drill and tap new threads. I got lucky and my head isn't warped. I'm telling my friends it due to Toyota patented. "sacrificial block threads" 😂

Day 9. 2 Hours. Successful night. I went out hoping to get the airbox off but pushed on with the the removal of the cams and then the head. I first removed the 2 nuts and one nut from the top of the airbox. I hoped I could remove the head while leaving the airbox bolts underneath the airbox. Holding it to the block. I then removed the chain guides. Then chain. Then Cams. All pretty easy. The head bolts were incredibly tight. Apart from 2 in the middle next to the airbox. They were very loose. I'm guessing those are the 2 that pulled the threads. I was a little confused when I could only find 9 head bolts. The last one was under the cam guide. The head was still stuck to the airbox so I took 2 off from underneath. Then I found the last two at either side of the airbox. The one next to the throttle body was very difficult. I managed to get it with a long 1/4inch extension. The head then lifted off. I'll inspect it for warping tomorrow.

Day 8. 30min. Decided to cut the studs off the top of the timing chain cover. Hoping to leave plenty of meat to weld a nut on for removal later. I thought it would allow me to pull the timing chain cover vertically. Pulling the studs out of the oil sump. No luck. Still didn't want to move. I was just about to give up when I gave it a bit more effort with the pry tool down near the timing sensor. I heard a pop and it pulled up. Turns out there was a dowel there. Once it popped out. The chain cover came off easily.

Day 7. 1 hour. Not much luck today. The timing chain cover is still in place. The large stud came out no problem. Number 10 female torx. The 5mm studs on the sump just instantly broke off. I tried to remove the 5mm studs at the top of the timing chain cover. Thinking I could pull the cover up if they were out but they just rounded too. I then tried the two nut method on the top studs but it just pulled the threads. Need to sleep on my next move. I'd like to remove the sump but it's supporting the engine as 2 engine mounts are removed.

Day 6. 1.5Hours. Removed the pulley. Not sure I needed to. Removed the 4 sump bolts that screw into the bottom of the timing chain cover. Removed the two bolts holding the power steering pump on. This gave me access to the chain cover bolt just behind. Removed the Timing chain tensioner. Easy enough. Just two 10mm nuts. Just done by feel. Can't really see it. I need to remove 2 studs in the in the sump and one stud in the chain cover. I don't have the tool so thats a job for Monday when the shops open.

Day 5. 1.5 hours work. Drained the oil. Took the nut off the engine mount under the drivers side of the engine. Put a jack and piece of wood under the sump and jacked it up enough to clear the engine mount. I was then able to remove the bolt on the tensioner and remove the tensioner. I then removed the engine mount as there are bolts behind it to remove the Chain cover. I removed several other chain cover bolts. The most awkward is inside the wheel for the power steering pulley. It's very long and the engine needs to be lowered to get it out. I jammed it on the inside of the car and bend it while lowering the engine😒. I'll order another. Thats me done for the night. Felt like I got a lot done. Might get the cover off tomorrow.

Yes thats a great idea. I've lost many nuts and washers in my drive😂

Day 4. Did about 1 hour of mostly frustrating work. Tried to remove tensioning pulley. I hoped for the best but the bolt was too long. I'm going to need to jack the engine up about 2-3inches to get the bolt to clear the chassis. To then start removing the chain cover. Gave up on that job for the night and battled with the 3 hoses on the right side of the head. Got them off eventually. Then I removed the final 2 earth wires from the same side of the engine.

Day 3. It's been raining all week. Finally nice enough to do something. Took me about 3 hours of frustrating work. Put the front of the car on Axel stands. Out of the 4 bolts I planned to remove. 1 was successful😂 The 2 exhaust bolts just snapped off. Easy access from underneath with the impact gun. 14mm. I'll order new ones 1 exhaust bracket bolt came out without any difficulty. The other rounded with the 14. So I blowtorched it and hammered on a 13. Rounded again. So I decided to cut the bracket with a reciprocal saw. A very awkward job. This is all done from underneath the car. I'll order a new bracket and worry about removing the old another time. Next job is to remove the wheel arch liner and see about getting at the Timing chain cover. I'm really hoping I don't need to remove engine mounts and jack up the engine to get at some of the bolts.