I've done a few searches and consulted the FSM before making a new thread about this.

I'm helping a friend of mine change the Head Gaskets on his 94 v6 4runner. We have finished changing out the TTY head bolds and are a little stumped on how to re-install the camshafts into the heads. Are there any markings to line up for this??

I have them both possitioned so that the valves are closed but i dont want to bolt the heads down before checking with you all first. .

I would hate to mess this up for my friend, its his first car/truck and i would hate to mess the motor up having the cam possition off. Any help would be greatly appreciated. I need to get his truck running tonight

 

It's a non-interference engine. So it doesn't matter.

But I guess you haven't figured out that you can't/shouldn't install the head bolts with the cams in anyways yet. That's the next step in the head installation process. The FSM does say that.

 

Position doesn't matter, as mentioned. So long as you have the one with the gears on the drivers side. The position is set when you install the cam pulleys with the pin, and then position those pulleys for timing belt installation, as described in the timing belt chapter of the fsm. Of course, since some of the head bolts are under the cams, the heads must be torqued before cam install, again as mentioned.

Be sure to use Toyota Black FIPG or at least black rtv on the bearing end caps as described in the fsm, and in addition, use a thin bead of the stuff all the way around the camshaft plugs to guard against oil leakage. Also use a thin bead on BOTH sides of the valve cover gaskets. Otherwise the motor WILL leak oil, especially above cyl 5.

If you want to help your buddy, make sure he checks all valve clearances before installing valve covers. Procedure and specs in the tuneup section of fsm. The exhaust valves tend to stretch and tighten up on this motor, especially on the 92-95 years. Valves can stretch/tulip until they won't close fully, and then they burn, so clearances are important. I'd set the exhaust clearances near the wide end of spec, and intake near the middle.

When changing shims, it's MUCH easier to pull the cams off again after measuring, then swap out shims and reinstall cams (and check clearances with the new shims to verify). Normally, you install the timing belt and rotate the crank to position the cams for measuring clearance. If you do that, you'll need to pull the belt & pulleys off again to remove the cams, so don't install the seals and only tighten the pulleys enough to hold them snug. It MAY be possible to measure all the clearances by not installing pulleys & belt, but by turning the cam by getting a wrench on the hex-shaped portion of the cam. I haven't tried that tho.

 

Thanks Mudhippy, you were right, as you usually are haha.

We didnt get the truck running or even close due to rain cutting our time short.

 

walker - thanks for the heads up on the valve clearances. I've been using black RTV and plan on sealing the valve covers shut very well. When he bought this truck there wasnt a drop of oil that had leaked from this motor suprisingly and i dont want it to start now.

 

Don't go crazy; it really doesn't take much. The FSM tells you where you need to put it, just follow the instructions and you should be fine.

What tripped me up was bad hygiene; RTV doesn't like to stick to oil. So you need to get those small areas really clean before you use RTV.

 

It's true you only need a thin bead of rtv to seal. On mine and many other veezys, it does take rtv in some places NOT mentioned in the manual to effect a good seal. Namely, around the camshaft plugs and on both sides of the valve cover gasket. That's in addition to the locations on the caps shown in the manual. I managed to go six years without a bit of leak that way, where before it leaked constantly above cyl 5.