- Thread starter
- #121
I can get a sample of the oil if anyone wants to check it out!
Air cleaner blew up, won't start now. Oh god...
- Thread starter LCtygrys
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Oil would have to go a long time to get gunked up enough to plug journals. I've seen a Chevy van in our fleet go over 60k without an oil change and still run fine. It went in for a bad transmission and the dealer found no oil on the stick and no record of change in at least 60k prior. Pushrod V8 though may be a bit more tolerant...
Oil can look pretty black after just 5k and can seem fairly soupy when cold.
Assuming oil was indeed the culprit, I'd be more suspect of a failed cheap filter that either became plugged or shed element material that plugged flow downstream.
Oil can look pretty black after just 5k and can seem fairly soupy when cold.
Assuming oil was indeed the culprit, I'd be more suspect of a failed cheap filter that either became plugged or shed element material that plugged flow downstream.
Once upon a time, I earned my living as a motorcycle mechanic. A few times a year, we'd see a bike come in with trashed cam or cams due to lack of oil. The most common cause was that oil bottles were sealed with foil under the caps, and when people would add oil, they'd just puncture the foil with whatever was handy, and a chunk of that foil would fall in the bottle, then be poured into the engine, which would then clog an oil passsage. Not saying this was your problem, but I would be looking at all the places where oil flows to the top end for a clog.
No, but a stuck tensioner pulley?
From the looks of the pics, something clogged certain oil passages and starved the journals. Journals wore and eventually siezed then snapped the camshaft along with the timing belt.
Remember you told me that when your tbelt breaks in the middle of the woods or desert and you have to walk out. Sure 100 freak things could happen, but its less likely if everything is well maintained. Anyway Im done caring for today, and the rest of the week.
Thanks for caring. I travel so much that it's not a simple task finding reputable shops to do work when I'm in a different state every month. Going to be home for three weeks this year in July and plan on getting it done at my shop of choice in Michigan. In any case, this thread is interesting. The first documented (at least on MUD) failure of a motor due to weird oil passage clogging issues. TB breakage is rare even though some of the trucks here on MUD are thrashed around pretty good. This thread started out as a possible snapped belt, but clearly isn't now. So I guess the moral of the story is change your own oil? Still think everything is a little suspicious until an oil sample gets analyzed. I do think one theory I read here a couple posts up is interesting: foil from the oil quart or some other foreign material found its way in there. Question: if he was experiencing oil passage clogging, would he not have had signs earlier on? Oil soaked air filter? Rough running for days prior? Anything?
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Many, if not all, of the 100 series "freak things" are independent of any maintenance level. Transmission, ignition cylinder, brake master cylinder, etc etc.
- Thread starter
- #129
The only other persistent anomaly of my car (other than all the buttons breaking off my master window controller) is the ABS system false triggering which I have whined about previously on the forum. We are going to address this while the mech has it as well.
In the meantime I am still ISO a used airbox assembly at a decent price. I think it's the last part I need. I'll mention the foil thing to him. That's good to know.
In the meantime I am still ISO a used airbox assembly at a decent price. I think it's the last part I need. I'll mention the foil thing to him. That's good to know.
One thing about the oil- did they show you the dipstick when they finished?
I visit my Valvolene Instant Oil Change every 3 or 4 weeks with my company cars and The LC went there right after I got it (their MaxLife has good reviews all over the net- especially bobistheoilguy.com). I get top notch, no trouble service from them. They always show me the dipstick with the nice clean oil on it after it's changed. Obviously you know it's not just fresh- but full. It helps that it's a company-owned location for management and tech trainees, i'm sure
Not all VIOC's are the same though. The one near work got on the "banned" list- the talk is words were exchanged- and I think many years ago I lost a hubcap after a tire rotation at that location.
I visit my Valvolene Instant Oil Change every 3 or 4 weeks with my company cars and The LC went there right after I got it (their MaxLife has good reviews all over the net- especially bobistheoilguy.com). I get top notch, no trouble service from them. They always show me the dipstick with the nice clean oil on it after it's changed. Obviously you know it's not just fresh- but full. It helps that it's a company-owned location for management and tech trainees, i'm sure
Not all VIOC's are the same though. The one near work got on the "banned" list- the talk is words were exchanged- and I think many years ago I lost a hubcap after a tire rotation at that location.
- Thread starter
- #133
In reference to timing belt changes. I bought a 94 Camry V6 LE brand new in November of 93. A friend of mine had an older Camry and never replaced the timing belt, thus leaving his wife stranded by the side of the road with a damaged engine. I took him to the Toyota dealer to pick up his car when it was repaired.
While talking to the service manager waiting for them to bring my friends car around. The service manager told us if you don't ever do anything else, always change out the timing belt when the service schedule says to. I took that to heart.
My 94 Camry has had the timing belt/water pump changed religiously every 60 thousand miles. It currently has 250000 miles on it and still runs very good. It has survived 2 teenage daughters driving it for a school car, 2 accidents and is on its 2nd transmission. It has had some other normal wear and tear repairs along the way.
Usually the timing belt replacement has meant going about a day without the car. It is really not all that expensive to get done at the dealer and it has resulted in a car that has been utterly reliable.
So, to those that have not done the timing belt replacement and have gone way past the recommended mileage, good luck.
While talking to the service manager waiting for them to bring my friends car around. The service manager told us if you don't ever do anything else, always change out the timing belt when the service schedule says to. I took that to heart.
My 94 Camry has had the timing belt/water pump changed religiously every 60 thousand miles. It currently has 250000 miles on it and still runs very good. It has survived 2 teenage daughters driving it for a school car, 2 accidents and is on its 2nd transmission. It has had some other normal wear and tear repairs along the way.
Usually the timing belt replacement has meant going about a day without the car. It is really not all that expensive to get done at the dealer and it has resulted in a car that has been utterly reliable.
So, to those that have not done the timing belt replacement and have gone way past the recommended mileage, good luck.
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I loved our 1998 Camry. That car lasted 300,000 miles for us original engjne and tranny before we sold it in perfectly driving condition. Changed the timing belt twice in that car. Great cars. I'm partial to 1998's
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- #136
Ok guys here's the latest..
Motor is installed. Thanks for the great deal on the covers! I got an airbox setup from ebay for a reasonable price and it is all good. Everything is connected in theory as it should be.
However, before the airbox came in the mech managed to start it but it wouldn't stay running. He is aware of what the various vacuum lines and such do and rerouted them temporarily as he saw fit. It would crank and pump lots of gas in the cylinders but not restart.
Now with the intake system back to spec it started and ran perfectly for 20 minutes but when he shut it off it would not start again except with starting fluid and then once that burned off it would stall.
He feels that the fuel pump has gone bad now because he doesn't hear it running and is not seeing the same amount of gas in the cylinders.
Some factors might include that it has been sitting outside for a month and a half, and since the motor was put in in sat outside for a week or two without the hood on through a few storms. He duct taped up what looked like the important parts of the missing intake system so there was some thought there about it but I can't promise there isn't water down in the electronics. Fuses for pump and injectors are fine.
I don't want to go down the road of replacing the pump unless I can be sure it's dead. Can anyone comment on a reliable test for it or suggest alternatives for what this might be?
Also if anyone has any questions about the old motor before I send it back let me know.
Thanks as always my saviors
Motor is installed. Thanks for the great deal on the covers! I got an airbox setup from ebay for a reasonable price and it is all good. Everything is connected in theory as it should be.
However, before the airbox came in the mech managed to start it but it wouldn't stay running. He is aware of what the various vacuum lines and such do and rerouted them temporarily as he saw fit. It would crank and pump lots of gas in the cylinders but not restart.
Now with the intake system back to spec it started and ran perfectly for 20 minutes but when he shut it off it would not start again except with starting fluid and then once that burned off it would stall.
He feels that the fuel pump has gone bad now because he doesn't hear it running and is not seeing the same amount of gas in the cylinders.
Some factors might include that it has been sitting outside for a month and a half, and since the motor was put in in sat outside for a week or two without the hood on through a few storms. He duct taped up what looked like the important parts of the missing intake system so there was some thought there about it but I can't promise there isn't water down in the electronics. Fuses for pump and injectors are fine.
I don't want to go down the road of replacing the pump unless I can be sure it's dead. Can anyone comment on a reliable test for it or suggest alternatives for what this might be?
Also if anyone has any questions about the old motor before I send it back let me know.
Thanks as always my saviors
^ Not sounding good - from your descriptions I can tell you I would not deal with the mechanic you are working with. Honestly it sounds like this the the first 2UZ-FE engine he's worked on. An engine swap should be relatively easy ( especially for an ASE certified experienced mechanic) - read the recent thread from the guy that just dropped a newer Tundra (around $1,000 eBay motor) motor into his 01 LX. He did the job himself pretty quick over a weekend.
I wish you the best of luck - I had my timing belt break and tore the engine down, pulled heads and replaced as much as I could "while I was in there"... I broke 227K on mine this week - still going strong and hopefully has many years left...
I wish you the best of luck - I had my timing belt break and tore the engine down, pulled heads and replaced as much as I could "while I was in there"... I broke 227K on mine this week - still going strong and hopefully has many years left...
- Thread starter
- #138
It's kind of late to "not deal with the mechanic" and I trust him as an honest, smart aspiring mechanic. Yes this is his first LC but everybody has to start somewhere and I want to support his new business and I have a good gut feeling about him. I know that plenty of people gave me chances like that when I was first starting out so I know the importance of it. I'll keep you all posted as it develops and we sure appreciate all the great knowledge being shared.
Ben
Ben
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- Thread starter
- #139
The plot thickens...
He got it to start by plugging in his scan tool. Unplug the tool and it stops. He thinks it might have something to do with the theft deterrent system and the battery being disconnected for so long. Comments please??
Just finished reading the whole thread. Sorry, but I can't offer any help other than wishing you and your mechanic the best in finding out why it won't keep running. For myself, the cause of the failure just reinforces the fact that I should keep doing oil changes even though it is a PITA. BTW, on my 1FZ-FE, I normally go 12K kms between oil changes (Mobil syn) and when I had my head gasket replaced a few years back, cylinders looked almost new.