ztrahp@bellsouth.net

water by-pass gasket on 3VZE:

1) i'm nervous about the "make a gasket" for the water by-pass flange which mates to the block on the 3VZE i'm swapping out. i did a trial gasket and it looks kinda thin (i let it set overnight and then checked the results). is it under the same pressure as the entire cooling system?

2) it looks to me like an o-ring would work better. anyone try this with good results?

3) also, the shop manual says to torque to 43 in-lbs. since i don't have an in-lbs torque wrench i don't have a feel for how tight that might be. Is an in-lb torque wrench necessary?

4) i'll also be doing the oil pan tomorrow. Same "make a gasket" issue. Any expertise on this would be great.

any expertise out there would be greatly appreciated.

thanx

Jay351

YES you need a torque wrench.
Follow the fsm torque specs.

GSGALLANT

My favorite FIPG is called "The Right Stuff" by permatex. It's a thicker feeling gasket maker than most other stuff you buy, and it's compatible with all vehicle fluids. If done correctly, FIPG will seal as well as an o-ring.

Yes, the water bypass is under the same pressure as the rest of the cooling system.

You can't properly torque anything to 43 in-lb using a ft-lb wrench (since 43 in-lb is about 3.5 ft-lb), and torques that low are hard to do by "feel" unless you have a lot of experience. You'll probably be OK by just snugging it up (as long as you don't strip the threads), but If you're going to be wrenching regularly on your truck, you should buy an in-lb wrench anyways, and do it right.

ztrahp@bellsouth.net

took your advice and bought an in-lb torque wrench. no regrets as there are several bolts that require that range. did the oil pan and water by-pass last night with peace of mind.

thanx for your assistance

SEAIRESCUE

Yo,
From hard-headed experience, I have tried to use dense cardboard to make both water and oil gaskets with failed attempts at both. The cardboard will absorb both the oil and water and ultimately create a failure at a bad time.

Don't put an o-ring where its not designed nor use a "close enough" o-ring sitting in your tool box.

In the case of the bypass pipe, put on what Toyota recommends. The tear down to fix a screw-up here would be extremely painful.

You may want to replace the knock sensor cable. They become brittle over time and have a history of failing. Another PITA to redoo.

My $0.02

ztrahp@bellsouth.net

little late for the knock sensor wire thing, however, i noticed mine was kinda new looking. i think it may have been changed about 2 yrs ago when i had the dealer replace a valve.


thanx for your help.