My rear valve cover on my 1989, Camry V6 is leaking oil (replaced the front gasket several years ago). I am planning to replace the rear gasket. I have reviewed my Haynes repair manual regarding the steps for this repair, but I did not find the information very helpful. If you have replaced the rear valve cover gasket or know the steps, could you help by providing the 1, 2 3's for this repair and/or could you let me know some areas during this repair that I may experience some problems, such as removing EGR valve connection lines, removing air intake chamber, etc. Any short cuts would also be helpful. Any advice will be appreciated and I think the information will be helpful to others.
Note: I have replaced the o-ring on the distributor and several years ago replaced timing belt and water pump.

http://www1.autozone.com/servlet/UiBroker?ForwardPage=/az/cds/en_us/0900823d/80/13/e8/86/0900823d8013e886.jsp

If you can't use this link, it links to the vehicle repair guides in autozone.com.

Haynes tells you all you need to know. Remove the upper intake manifold, unbolt the valve cover, clean the surface, put the new gasket on.

Reassemble.

I did this a couple years ago on my '90 V6, and it wasn't that tough (and I am most certainly NOT a mechanic by any stretch of the imagination). It took me a while to psych up to it, but the trick was just to go slow and label every vacuum and other hose that I disconnected on both the hose and nipple side so I knew where everything went back together. There wasn't anything tricky about it, just a lot of stuff to disconnect. I worked for a while and then looked to see what else was holding up that whole assembly sitting on top of the valve cover and disconnected whatever I could find and then checked again. Then the whole thing came off in one piece. I did the whole job in an evening or two. The Haynes manual freaked me out talking about fuel lines and such, but there really wasn't anything to worry about.

Another thing to try is just to tighten down the six bolts on the existing valve cover. I've had to do this at least twice since I installed the new gasket when it loosens up and oil leaks out and starts to burn. It's just a stupid design with that thing positioned to drip oil down on the hot exhaughst pipe. Tighten them down and then drive for a week or two to burn off the existing oil and see if any more leaks out. It stops the oil leaking for a year or so if you crank them down tight.

If you do replace the gasket, replace the PCV valve while you're in there. Dumb that they put it on the rear cover buried under all that stuff.

If you want more specifics, let me know and I'll try to help where I can, but it's really not too bad. You sound like you should have no problem with it.

Thanks for all the advice regarding the procedure for replacing the rear valve cover gasket. I did the repair this past weekend – took 4 hours (great deal of time was spent cleaning valve cover and other parts). On a 1 to 10 scale (10 being hard), I would rate this repair a 4. I checked with the Toyota dealer and they wanted $396 to replace the valve cover gasket. I believe my comments below will help others in removing the air intake/throttle body (take off as a unit) to get to the rear cylinder head. Note: The steps below apply to a 1989 V6 but the process should be similar on other V6 Camry engines:

· Disconnect battery cable
· Unhook air filter case and loosen clamp on large tube going to throttle body – you do not need to disconnect electrical connection, since you can move the unit to the side out of the way
· Mark and disconnect any hoses going to the air intake manifold/throttle body – I took four close up pictures with my digital camera to help me during the re-assembly process
· Remove the hose that goes from air intake manifold to the PCV valve (note: if you try to remove the hose at the PCV valve you will have a difficult time – PCV is located on top of the valve cover)
· Disconnect top motor mount bracket on the passage side of engine (3 bolts)
· Remove the two bolts to ground wires (passenger side of air intake)
· Detach fuel line bolt (be careful not to lose the two washer seals)
· Remove the two bolts that go to the EGR valve (you will need a new gasket) – rear of engine on passenger side
· Attached to the air intake/throttle body are two brackets (located at the rear of engine on the right and left sides) used to support the unit – remove the two bolts
· Remove the bolt on the rear of throttle body that is used to hold the wire harness in place
· Remove all electrical plugs
· Remove the two bolts and two nuts that hold the air intake to the engine
· If you have disconnected all hoses, wires and plugs to the unit you should be able to lifted the unit from engine and move forward – you may need to tap the unit to free it from the gasket
· Note: I did not remove the throttle and transaxle cables from the unit since you can move the air intake unit forward while the cables are attached – gives you needed access to valve cover
· With the air intake unit removed you can easily remove the rear valve cover and hose going to PCV valve
· Clean valve cover gasket slot and gasket areas that hold the air intake manifold to engine
· If the gasket to air intake comes off easily remove, if not, it is next to impossible to scrap off (I did not remove gasket, since it was attached to engine block)
· I would also suggest that if you need plugs and/or ignition wires you install them while the air intake is removed. You might want to replace the o-ring on the distributor
· I would advise installing a new PCV valve, replace PCV grommet that holds the valve in place on the valve cover and replace hose if needed
· Place the gasket into valve cover slot and install – tighten 6 bolts holding valve cover to specifications
· Re-install air intake manifold assembly (use gasket seal on surfaces) in reverse order
· Problem area: Since the tubing to the EGR valve is not very flexible you may have problems installing the two bolts holding the tube to the EGR valve - it will go together

Now that I know how to take off the air intake manifold/throttle body, it will take me less that 2 hours to complete the job next time.

Hope this helps others!

Good information Henryf - I'll put this in the FAQ thread.

You wrote:

<<Another thing to try is just to tighten down the six bolts on the existing valve cover. I've had to do this at least twice since I installed the new gasket when it loosens up and oil leaks out and starts to burn. It's just a stupid design with that thing positioned to drip oil down on the hot exhaughst pipe. Tighten them down and then drive for a week or two to burn off the existing oil and see if any more leaks out. It stops the oil leaking for a year or so if you crank them down tight.>>

Exactly my problem, both before and after installation, of both front and back valve cover gaskets. Even after cleaning up exhaust manifold, still getting major smoking after driving. Cannot tell if its new oil leakage or old stuff, higher up, melting. Sometimes smokes.....sometimes does not. Smokes ALOT after freeway uphill driving. I HAVE TRIED TO TAKE INTO SHOP...AFRAID TO DRIVE IF I MIGHT HAVE PROBLEM, OR CATCH FIRE.

Suggestions? I guess need to check those 6 back cover bolts to make sure secure. But if not, where next? Filter is not leaking...checked that. Its damp around sending unit, but that is not over the exhaust.
Could I have another leak? SMOKE WAS SO HEAVY, WAS COMING OUT FROM UNDER HOOD AFTER ONE DRIVE.....BUT THEN NOT AT ALL AFTER COMING HOME. ??

Old stuff burning.
Check the torque on all the valve cover gaskets & the cam(& dizzy)/crank seals. Rear & front main seals. Oil & A/T pan gaskets. Make sure the head gasket's are not weaping oil externally.



What kind of smoke is it?



Do a compression check to make sure you didn't blow the head gasket up.

Its blue smoke, and I can see it smoldering on the exhaust manifold at front when it happens, although there is some from elsewhere. What is strange is how it smokes heavily after one long drive, but not after returning, the only difference being uphill (work hard) freeway versus downhill return.

Good advice. I will take it. I considered the head gasket, was wondering about that. Leave more ideas if you have any. Thanks.

Forgot to ask....is there risk of fire, when there is heavy smoke?

Hi,

I managed to bust one of the bolts going up through the rocker cover bolt-hole grommet that the nuts lock down onto. How easy is it to replace the bolt? Ironically it was torqued to under a third of what it should have been :( Suggestions?

Cheers

(2vz-fe '89 v6, australian)

How high above the hole is the bolt broken off? (How much is there to grab?)

It's actually a stud, right?

How high above the hole is the bolt broken off? (How much is there to grab?)

It's actually a stud, right?

Thanks for your reply.

You can just get the stud on it, but with a cut-down grommet - not through the hole any distance at all really. I just left one of the old grommets on; stuck it down with gasket sealant and closed the hole with gasket sealant after a thorough degreasing (very viscous stuff). no leaks from any of it so far, though i'll be able to tell you better in a couple of weeks. Was the top middle one on the front bank of 3 - could have been a whole load worse if it was on the back 3 (30degree slant to them on the ones here!).

Any idea what is required to change the bolts on that engine? It is a cylinder head off job?

Thanks again!

You shouldn't have to remove the head. I would try putting some penetrating oil on it (overnight) and twisting it out with a pipe wrench directly on the shaft - if there's enough to grab. The threads in the head may come with it, but then you just have to fix them with an insert.

Maybe someone else has another idea.

I guess i should try to source a new bolt for it first... Other than that I guess I should maybe take a trip to the scrappers to see if I can have a go with a pipe-wrench on one there (and to get the part if it is stupidly expensive from the dealer!). Any ideas where I could possibly pick-up something like that OEM (I was after a price more than anything)

Thanks again!

Tried to track down the bolts via a local toyota dealership only to find they are discontinued over here (in Australia). Can anyone advise me of a decent place I could order them online from in the US? The Toyota part number is 9011606128.

Not managed to track down one with the V6 engine in any of the Sydney wreckers either :(

http://www.trademotion.com/partlocator/index.cfm?siteid=213956&make=34

1.10 USD

Thanks for that - just dealing with them now. Very helpful too (unlike Toyota over here who keep practically nothing at all for my model car!). :banghead:

You're welcome