can a 22re camshaft be replaced without replacing the headgasket?

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91v8yota

10 Year 15 Year
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Jan 9, 2009
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I'm putting a new cam in my 91 toyota with a 22re. About 15k miles ago i replace the head gasket and had a complete head job done to it. I'd rather not replace the head gasket again unless i absolutely have to. I've also thought about putting a new set of valve springs in it that i have for it. If i take the head bolts out and remove the rocker arms after draining all the coolant out of the block can i put the head bolts back in using shims to hold them against the head without hurting anything? I plan on starting on this project tomorrow and having it finished sunday night to be in the exhaust shop monday morning. I'm also putting a new timing set on it. Any input with this would help.:bang:

thanks
 
It's not ideal, but it may work... The only down side is if the gasket fails after you get it all together, then you're right back in to redo it all.... If this isn't a daily driver, then I'd give it a shot... :D

Welcome to Mud :flipoff2: You're in it now! :D
 
I'm thinking that i may just replace the cam and timing set. The biggest problem i see with doing the valve springs is using air pressure to hold them up. It could possiblely cause the head gasket to seperate from the head or block. I think i may be able to leave the rear head bolts in along with the hidden bolt on the front of the head and remove the rocker arm assemblely in pieces. Then put some of the head bolts back in to hold up tight. I don't exactly remember how it all goes together but i'll try to figure something out. I worked at a toyota dealer for a little over 3 years and left a little over a year ago for work at a dodge dealer closer to home, so my head gets a little confused on the two. I'm not really worried so much about replacing the valve springs as i am the camshaft. I replace the springs with new factory units when i sent it off to have the head job done. Hopefully everything goes good this weekend. I'll let everyone know how it goes. Unfortunately it is my daily driver now, i decided i would build my other truck up and the local law enforcement doesn't agree with it. I've never seen anything wrong with pipe bumpers and a loud v8, but that's their call i guess. lol.
 
it can be done. instead of using air to hold the valves up, remove the spark plugs and insert some yellow rope into the cylinder, which will stop the valves from falling in. that being said i wouldnt really recommend it. you dont have to use shims under the bolts either. the biggest problem i see with this is when you install the bolts. when you do a head gasket if there is one thing you do, its to run a tap through those bolt holes, because any roughness or burrs create friction and when you torque it down all the bolts need to be even. tapping those holes to ensure there are no burrs, carbon, or whatever is even more important than cleaning the head surface!
 
Just got out of the garage a couple of hours ago, everything when smooth. The head bolts were clean but i replaced all of them. I removed the rocker arm assemblely put the head bolts in with nuts on them to space them up and torqued them, then i used air to hold the valves up and change them out. Then threw the cam in and put the rocker assemblely back on. After that took the front cover off and changed the chain, guides, and tensioner. I also replaced the water pump and oil pump. The only part that caused a problem was replacing the factory manifold with a header. When i had the head off last time i had to helicoil it, well needless to say two of them came out and i had to fix that. I double checked everything and fired it right up, set the timing, broke in the cam, ran out good. Had a little problem at first with surging. I also pressure tested the cooling system, after it ran for awhile, with no spark plugs in the head to make sure there weren't any leaks from the head gasket at the moment. I don't know what the factory spec is on oil pressure but i was holding 35psi at idle. I made sure to install a digital oil gauge because the dummy light on the dash hasn't worked in a long time. I drove it a couple miles to the exhaust shop and it's parked there now for the night. If i run into any problems i'll post them up.
 
91v8yota said:
Just got out of the garage a couple of hours ago, everything when smooth. The head bolts were clean but i replaced all of them. I removed the rocker arm assemblely put the head bolts in with nuts on them to space them up and torqued them, then i used air to hold the valves up and change them out. Then threw the cam in and put the rocker assemblely back on. After that took the front cover off and changed the chain, guides, and tensioner. I also replaced the water pump and oil pump. The only part that caused a problem was replacing the factory manifold with a header. When i had the head off last time i had to helicoil it, well needless to say two of them came out and i had to fix that. I double checked everything and fired it right up, set the timing, broke in the cam, ran out good. Had a little problem at first with surging. I also pressure tested the cooling system, after it ran for awhile, with no spark plugs in the head to make sure there weren't any leaks from the head gasket at the moment. I don't know what the factory spec is on oil pressure but i was holding 35psi at idle. I made sure to install a digital oil gauge because the dummy light on the dash hasn't worked in a long time. I drove it a couple miles to the exhaust shop and it's parked there now for the night. If i run into any problems i'll post them up.
Click to expand...
Seams to me that a lot of people have this dilemma of removing the head or not…. I recently purchased the whole power package form LC and went strait to the garage.. after replacing the header, chain, w. pump, so on….
I got to the cam, and just could not believe I have to unscrew the head bolts to take off the rocker… after doing some reading (sow your post ) and seems to me that nobody can say for sure what to do just the guys the did it of course its safer to take of the head but do I REALY HAVE TO……. So you did it, how did it work out, its been a while…?? And can someone tell me how many out of 10 blew there head gasket using this procedure?
1995 Land Cruiser RJ73 22re 180,000k
CROATIA
 
Yes you can, I've done it before. The key it to drain your radiator first so your coolant is out of the head. When you remove the head bolts and release pressure, the coolant will get into the head gasket if you don't drain it first.
 
I had one that wouldn't move either, I think they all have the same bad bolt on the exhaust side maybe toward the rear. I used a breaker bar and mine came out but it was messed up fairly well, bought a new one from the dealer. If you really want to do it right, buy all new head bolts, your stock bolts are stretched. Buy the a tap (same as head bolt thread) and chase all the head bolt threads in the block before installing the new bolts.

As far as removing the bad bolts, you can try and spray some PB Blaster down each bolt and hope it penetrates the threads enough to help break them loose. Either way you either have to take them out and risk it or forget about the cam install and put it back together. Good luck.
 
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