peterls

Hey gang,

I am trying to create a list of repairs that could (should?) be done together. Also a list of things that don't necessarily need to be done at the same time. Sort of like always doing both the water pump and timing belt together. Also, sometimes, certain things should be done together because they affect each other, like - "don't just change the EGR pipe without changing your engine mounts and transmission mount..." However, I think we should really be detailed here, especially since it is easy to buy, say, a TB kit only to find out it is missing something that will most likely need to be replaced soon.

Here are some ideas I have so far, correct me if I am missing something:

POWER STEERING:

- No matter what the PS repair is, make sure you clean the screen inside the steering rack solenoid. It seems that one of the main reasons PS steering starts to leak is that the screen gets easily clogged up (mine was full of some goo), builts up a pressure and the rest we all know. So don't just change the PS valve or hoses, but make sure you FIRST clean the solenoid screen using break cleaner. Some even reported that all leaks stopped once they cleaned that screen.
BTW, this was the very first thing I ever did on my car, and I managed to take apart the solenoid and put it back together (although I don't recommend that!). I don't think anyone ever did that... and I took some pictures and was surprised that one could adjust the feel of power steering that way.
If the idle control valve is leaking, you may want to just get rid of it all together. Many have done it and have no problems. If a high pressure hose is leaking, cheapest thing to do is to have it rebuilt by one of the hydraulic hose shops.

STARTER:

- Do plunger, starter solenoid contacts and knock sensors at the same time as this is easily one of the most time consuming things to do on our cars. This may also be a good time to check and possibly replace your EGR pipe.

TIMING BELT:

- Fan bracket, fan clutch, tensioner, pulleys, water pump + gasket, front crankshaft seal. I'd like to be able to list all gaskets off top of my head but its past my bed time... Flush the coolant at this time, use ONLY Toyota red coolant, and dilute it yourself to 50-50 to save some money. If you don't know what was used in cooling system or how clear are all the coolant passages, or had some cooling issues, perhaps even shifting being a little weird sometimes, do a "dual action Prestone Cooling system flush" which you should let stay in your cooling system for two days. Then rinse that with distilled water and refill with new Toyota coolant at 50-50 dilution.

EGR PROBLEMS:

- Start by cleaning the EGR valve with break cleaner spray. If that does nothing and your car is giving you an EGR code, it could be the pipe is leaking/broken. You can usually tell by mpg getting worse and worse (depending on how big the leak is in the pipe). This seems to happen due to worn out mounts so engine is putting too much stress on the pipe, so replace all three mounts (engine x 2, transmission x 1), before you replace EGR pipe.

to be continued...

LScowboyLS

cam seals should be done at the same time as timing belt, as well as distributor caps and rotors on 97 and older models

YoshiMan

I found that replacing the engine mounts was MUCH easier to do with the steering rack totally removed from the car. And in doing so, you should replace the rack bushings which will probably be in absolutely terrible shape as well.

PureDrifter

iTrader: (10)

when replacing engine oil it is usually prudent to replace the filter as well....

LiCelsior

iTrader: (32)

u dont have to every oil change, i change the filter every other oil change. but thats all personal preference.

LScowboyLS

if you are using a high quality synthetic oil, the oil will likely outlast the filter effectiveness, so this is not a good plan!

Michael

How about front suspension bushings. Some required components replacement affects alignment. Put that all in a list and replace them all then go do your alignment once. This may also require that you have new set of tires too, I don't know.

peterls

Ok here is another one:

STRUTS:

If doing anything with struts, you may as well change strut rod bushings ("insulator bracket" in Lexus speak) as well as those plastic bump stops.

Gene01

Great idea!
Some additional thoughts:
1. Add the Aisin part numbers for the complete Timing Belt kits (and recommended source, if OK in the forum).
2. Add a note regarding Power Steering leaks causing Alternator failure on early (which years?) LS400s.
3. Cowboy, do you recommend replacing cam seals on 98 and later? It wasn't quite clear to me from the wording, and I understand that it is a job that only someone who has replaced a 1UZ starter could enjoy :-)

LiCelsior

iTrader: (32)

i had this done on my Subaru using the same oil weight that being used on the LS and a test was done on the Subaru forums that showed a filters effectiveness past 3k miles. I mean its up to each person what they choose to do.

LScowboyLS

when a filter gets dirty, the time it takes to get oil to the upper engine components on startup such as the cam etc. increases, due to both filter restriction and the aging anti-drainback valve, and this time period is critical on cold starts where over 95% of engine wear occurs, and since some of the best oil filters in the world are available at Wal-Mart or rockauto for less than $8, and it takes like an extra minute to replace the filter when doing the oil change, then what's the big advantage to not changing it?

Shmee

iTrader: (3)

It would depend in the condition of your engine. If you have zero sludge, deposits and run Dino but change your oil at shorter intervals then specified, then keeping the same filter should not be a problem.


One thing to be aware of, if you take your car to some "fast lube" place, a lot of them will remove your filter and put one of their tiny junk filters in the first time you go. If you go back for the next oil change, they often do not replace the filter, they just mark it with paint and just change the oil. This minimize their costs. It will get changed the next time you go in or go anywhere else. We have removed, marked filters, taken pictures, replaced the filters and then sent customers back to see if they replaced the filter. We even got the customers to ask to see the old filter, and maybe 7/10 times they would show the customer some other filter they probably pulled earlier that day, (sometimes they didn't even show the customer the filter that fit the car!) that did not have our markings on it. We did that to explain why customers should not be taking their cars to such places, and after that, they usually never did again! :lol:

Michael

I replaced following electrical components together at 92K miles. When you do change them together, you will notice the engine responsiveness right away in test drive:

Spark Plugs - every 70K miles interval
Plug Wires - every 80K miles interval
Caps and Rotors - every 30K miles interval

I do not know if Ignition Coils are recommended to replace in any interval miles or replacing would boost the power. Has anyone serviced ignition coils and know the recommended replacement miles?

Shmee

iTrader: (3)

I have always found that if a car has seen regular service, even if not perfectly as prescribed by the manufacturer, and parts get replaced even without failure. Caps, rotors, plugs and wires often need replacing around the same time as the timing belt and water pumps on most cars.... Except on domestic cars where the plugs/wires sit above/beside the exhaust manifolds, those you replace a LOT! Also, take a long hard look at your valve covers gaskets, it's only and extra 15-30mins of work to pull them off with the plugs out!

Brake fluid and coolant should be replaced every 2 years, at the same time you should clean and lubricate all of the slides on the calipers.


Transmission and Diff fluid can usually be changed at the same time, the last time the tranny fluid is cycled, it is a good idea to replace the filter/strainer and clean the sludge out of the pan and off the magnet!


Definitely try and replace ALL of the suspension parts in one go, save yourself the extra $100/alignment by doing it part by part.

If you are replacing tires get an alignment as well, assuming al your suspension parts are in tiptop shape otherwise see above.

Cleaning replacing the engine air filter? Do the cabin filter at the same time, it only takes 30seconds to do it anyways on some of our cars!

Michael

Shmee,

100K miles intervals for Timing belt, Serpentine belt, Water Pump, spark Plugs and wires are something I can live with but don't you think the 100K mile interval for caps & rotors may be dangerous? This could be a showstopper which may require a towing service.

Do you have any comments about the coil(s) replacement?