Saturday, September 27, 2008

Changing head gaskets, removing cam shafts, aligning cam gears

I am not a blogger however I felt compelled to pass on some information that may be helpful if you are planning on removing the camshafts on your Toyota V6 3.0. We recently had a 2002 Toyota Camry that got very hot and then started to lose coolant. After changing the thermostat and checking all other items it appeared the head gasket was out or even a possible cracked head. After tearing down the heads and inspecting them, clean and doing a die and developer test to check for cracks, I determined they were ok. Checked them next for warpage and also seemed to be ok. Installed new gaskets and torqued to specifications.
Next installed the camshafts, using the Haynes 02 Toyota manual which stated how to install the cams with the correct match marks. Rather than duplicate this I am going to post all the information below in hopes to help others.

Q.
Just replaced the head gaskets on an 02 camry v6. The haynes manual tells me to install the rear (right bank) camshafts aligning the 2 dots on the gears and use the 1 dot on the front (left bank). When the engine is on TDC and the marks are the way they say they should be then my rear bank front cam sproket is 180 off of the mark on the timing cover. I looked on another forum and someone had said the book is wrong. Anyone no for a fact which marks are correct for both banks?
A.
Looking at the camshaft gears from behind, you will see the marks, dots. Install the intake shaft in the head and rotate it so the mark is aligned with the mark in the exhaust cam shaft. The RT. cylinder head will have 2 marks, and the LT. will have 1 mark per gear. They should be facing in. IE: one at 3 o'clock and one at 9 o'clock facing each other from the back of the gear. If you have the alignment at the start, than install your belt and move on.

FINAL ANALYSIS:
Here is the final on this. Car is done and running fine. Here is how the timing ended up. Engine set on TDC Right head (back) both gears are set on the 1 dot timing marks. Left (front) head is also set on the 1 dot timing marks. This makes the timing gears all line up as they are suppose to just as I had stated. Either some manuals are wrong or there are more than one possiblity on some cars. I even took pictures of the assembly so somebody doesn't think I am pulling their chain. I am sure I am not the only one having this issue and I am posting below another person that as this same question on another forum in hopes to help others: ------------------- Copy and pasted this from another site:

I am reassembling a 97 avalon v6 engine and am using a Haynes repair manual. When installing the cams it says on the Right-Rear head to align the 2 dots of each rear cam gear so that they point together. For the Front-Left head they say to align 1 dot of each rear cam gear together. The 1 dot is 180 degrees apart from the 2 dots. When I do as they say the rear-right head appears to have the pointer on its timing belt cam gear aligned 180 cam degrees out. When everything else says TDC, this cam gear is 180 Cam degrees out. The intake valves are in a position to begin opening. If I set the rear cam gears so that only 1 dot is pointing at each other, then the timing belt gear for this head and all the valve are in the TDC position. Is my logic correct and the manual wrong? If not why? Thanks,