PDXLex

This reminds me of replacing the rear bumper cover on my '97 a few years back. What a PITA! Definineltly a 2-man job. I could not believe that amount of dirt/debris/gunk that fell out of there, along with a styrofoam 'bumper' !

ES300NZ

I replaced the radiator.

The old one didn't look too bad on the outside.


no visible cracks.


The bottom was still black.


But it was about to go for sure.


I go supplied the wrong sensor at first. (why me, .. every time! no seriously, .. every time I order parts to do a job I always get the wrong stuff supplied.).


But in the end .. the job was done. $80 in new coolant in there too.


It's not visible but I also replaced the auto transmission cooler lines with some brand new ones. I had to cut them off, then they seemed a bit short.

ES300NZ

I finally found the time to do the cambelt job.

The car's done almost 4000km's on my last work. I've not really touched it since then. There's a couple of issues though. It seems sluggish.
The power isn't there. Also, it has a poor idle speed, and can't support AC at idle well. something is wrong. I had suspected a vacuum
leak, but I also thought something could be up with the timing. My father always told me a car is barely running at idle, it takes very little
to mess an idle up.

I set the motor to zero (0) degrees.


When I pulled the cam cover (upper), it was immediately obvious something was wrong. This is the front cam,


and this is the back cam.


I reset the lower timing until the cam timing was roughly in the right place. It appears the engine was about 10 degrees out, with each cam
being slightly different. There was a difference of about 3-4 degrees between them.


I checked to see if the belt was the same. the installation marks lined up ok. the length seemed exactly the same. It was a 'gates' brand belt.
It seemed very new.


the lower cover was damaged. it seems like this car has had a cambelt break.


so that explains the crappy idle. They had an apprentice do the timing. They only replaced the belt, maybe the tensioner, nothing else.
I think this car broke down and had to be repaired somewhere, they did a quickie job. Both accessory belts were replaced at the same time.
My guess this happen about 10,000kms ago.

.... it literally poured oil out of the rear cam seal.


Oil was all over the underside of the car from the rear cam seal. The front cam seal was weeping too.


The reason I decided to do this job was because of the oil leak, if I'm going in there, I thought I might as well do the job properly, once.
I guess the last guy didn't think that way cos I ended up spending $700 odd in parts that he didn't.
I replaced with net toyota/OEM parts,
* both cam seals,
* the timing belt,
* water pump (and seal),
* the crank seal (which was fine),
* and I set the timing properly (perfectly)
I also replaced both drive / accessory belts with aftermarket ones,

but of course one was wrong, then the replacement was wrong, so the old AC and alternator belt is still in there. (it's mint though)
I'll get the correct new belt eventually when the store gets it right (PK1050?).

now it has one of these.


The idle with the AC on is good, very stable. The car picked up quite alot of power, and seems far 'stronger' and more 'torquey' than every before. The gas mileage is way better, and it's much nicer to drive.

ES300NZ

Two new post above (had to split them up).

My wife wanted the windows tinted for our son, he hates bright sunlight (he's 6mths old).

It's not as dark as I would have liked but the law only allows 35% tints here.




Our son doesn't scream his head off when the sun hits is face now. He was actually turning his face into the sun for the
warmth when he slept. I think he has my genetic sensitivity to blue light.

lostape45

It's great to see you keep working at your ES, I'm glad you got your engine issue fixed! And I love the way your tint looks with the white paint. Keep up the good work!

ES300NZ

thanks for that lostape45, I love the look of the rims on your car.

lostape45

I appreciate that, thanks!

ES300NZ

The wifey couldn't start the car this morning because the fans were still running at 100%, at all times so they were drawing enough current to prevent the car being turned over. I had to reconnect the fan switch (a new one). I had a plug near the top of the radiator on the side disconnected to make sure the fans ran all the time, so I just connected it and the car started right away.

I had it disconnected mostly because I hadn't tested the old fan switch yet, so I did that right away. I already knew it was the problem, I just hadn't proven it.

It's a $27 - 157 + GST part depending where you go, it failed and caused $1000 parts worth of damage, and around another $1300 in labour (which I did so that was free). Most (not all) of the engine work I've done this car, and certainly the replacement radiator was cause by the failure of this part.

I used this test.


Which the fan switch failed.


I did see the continuity break but I put it down to a bad connection, but in repeated tests because i didn't trust a single first result the consistent result was no break in continuity no matter what the temperature, the switch would just increase it's ohm's reading. or drop it. I saw as high as 300ohm's but no break in continuity


I know it seems like the switch connectors are in the water, they aren't.

ES300NZ

The starter motor would sometimes not start the car.

Always in the mornings, and it seems previously that this was caused by the fans being set to run all the time. I installed a switch to turn the fan on/off by cutting the fan switch/thermoswitch at the bottom of the radiator, until I had a chance to replace the second fan switch/thermoswitch near the thermostat.


I also felt it would be helpful to have a light which confirms whether the fans are on or not. So I dug out an old shift light from a monster tacho and used that.


My thinking is that I can safely test the thermo system, by turning the intervention off, and seeing if the thermo switches take over, when the car is driving, and hot. Thereby not risking the radiator, or risking over heating.

I traced the cables like this.


Here's the splice in.


Well, I just replaced the starter
It cost $400 (NZD) for a new one. Kind of an epic moment this morning, it was dying, we knew that, but this morning the starter stayed on long after the engine started it was winding out, badly and I cut the engine, and it kept going, and going, and going and then it started smoking, and the wifes frantically getting the kid out of the car, and I'm saying, "out out out" cos that's like "fire risk" it stopped just as I undid the battery terminal with the spanner I had to open the garage to get too. The cause was the solenoid, it stuck on. I never saw that coming, I've never had that happen before.

Old new, there are some differences.


I found it a very easy job to do. I did find it easier to get to the back bolt, when the air inlet upper housing was out of the way. It would be hard to do that any other way.


The solenoid switch has a different plug, that was quite annoying.


The teeth on the flex plate seem ok (the flash caused some teeth to look munted, they aren't), even though the stater was free running at idle against it.


The new starter motor sounds alot healthier, the old was clearly better burnt out inside. I know, it's about $30 for the parts to repair it. But, it's Xmas time, and we need this car right now. It's easier just to pay the money sometimes. Maybe I can fix the old one, and sell it, recover some of the cost or have a good spare.

Hayk

iTrader: (1)

You're a tremendously valuable member of this community, thank you so much for sharing your work.

p.s.: I had no idea the radiator's plastic is supposed to be black.

ES300NZ

wow, thanks man, that's so nice of you to say, the wife and I had a smile at that

ps. neither did I until I started looking for a replacement one. I had to check the bottom tank to make sure :P

ES300NZ

Most of the repairs I've been doing have been to create a reliable car for a long trip over this xmas period. I had the wheel alignment done before the trip, and had the front brakes skimmed, bad news, they are down to 26.1mm, which means the rotors on the front are stuff, and the ones on the back are worse. It's time for new brakes, but I decided they would last the trip so we went.

I'll put a few pictures up, not too much.

From Hamilton to Christchurch, dangerous roads, a ferry, night driving, 2000kms.


In more detail,


We caught a ferry between the islands,


This guy slept through alot of the trip,


Long distances, for us, nothing like other countries though.


We took a break south of Kaikoura,


On the way back we stopped in the middle of the North in a place called the 'Desert Rd', it's part military training area, part 'middle earth' waste land between two large mountains. The remaining images are from that.















all up, we did 2100km's, averaged about 650km's per tank, and the car (and AC) never missed a beat. The fan monitor was a useful addition and the car did us proud.

satiger

iTrader: (1)

Wonderful photos, thanks for sharing your experience. I've heard a lot about New Zealand and its on my list of countries to visit.

lostape45

Glad to hear your long trip went well after all your issues. Car looks great in those shots! I want your clear corners so bad

ES300NZ

Thanks very much, it was a good trip, and New Zealand is on alot of people's bucket lists, our summer is December to March (4mths), that's a good time visit.