Gen414

Hey guys, newbie to forum, and newbie to the Lexus crowd. Been a 'Yota guy all my life, thanks to my Dad who had worked for 'Yota since @ 1971 up until his death last year. I also worked as a tech for a short period of time back in '94/'95 for 'Yota. (My Dad also left me his Previa when he passed on, which I still have)

ANYWAYS, Ive done my share of TB replacements on different makes/models over the years, including a RX300 Lexus about 2-3 months ago for a friend of mine (I own a performance shop, so dont normally do maintenance type of stuff, more along the lines of Hot Rodding and what have you.

ANYWAYS (again), when I was doing the TB on the RX, my friend wanted me to do the cam seals. When I popped open the cover, I noticed Cam Seals werent leaking, but since I was there, and he had bought seals already, that I would change 'em out. Uh, yeah, couldnt get the bolts loosened off cam gear. So, what is the trick? I put belt back on to hold the motor, but it jsut jumped teeth. I used my IR Impact, but to no avail. Using a 3 foot long cheater bar, and is when belt jumped teeth. I messed with it for close to an hour, before I was like, forget it, they are not leaking, and I need to wrap this up.

Well, I just bought the LS for my wife (and really, as a nice family car for her, me and our 2 kids) and Im gonna do the TB on it, and I KNOW cam seals are leaking on it. Soooooooo......Im sure doesnt take a gen ius to figure out where I am going with this...

HOW DO I LOOSEN CAM BOLTS WITHOUT BREAKING ANYTHING?!?!?!? Special tool to hold cam gear? Or was the RX 300 a freak occurence and NORMALLY the bolts are not that tight, and I wont have the same problem with the LS?

Sorry for long post...I just kind of ramble and make sure I get as much info to you guys before you answer. If I made spelling mistakes above...sorry, I cant type..I can spell, but not type, and I dont proofread (to much to read again, LOL!)

OK guys, thanks for any and all help.

billydpowe

iTrader: (1)

I have done 5 v8's without ANY problem,,,,

PureDrifter

iTrader: (10)

you can't change the VVT-i cam seals the same way you do earlier 1uz engines, the cams have to come OUT as i recall, not just pull off the gear+pull the old seal. the seal itself is pretty damn big.

that being said, usually 98+ cam seals dont leak much/often, so if you end up HAVING to do it, have fun taking the cams out on that side, don't screw up the shimming.

deanshark

Yes, the cams need to come out. (from what I've heard) I don't have a 98, and I never worked on one so I'm not gonna even try to tell ya how to do the seals, b/c I have no idea. But this T-belt is alot different then the RX you did. Here are 2 links (parts 1 and 2) that I found for the T-belt replacement.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/landar/...7622883357340/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/landar/...7622886015670/
I've done some major work on lots of vehicles but personally, I wouldn't change these cam seals unless I had a manual with step by step instructions. There's way too much to take a chance on screwing up. That's why I bought a 93, b/c it's non-interference. If you do it, be careful, and good luck.

bornpeace

I have a 99 and yes the cams have to come out, if you have to do it i can give you instruction, i dont have picture. If the cam dont leak you can skip them and do TB only, hoping you wont have to do them till next TB. Mine started leak at 205960miles that is after 1 and half year of 180k TB job.

billydpowe

iTrader: (1)

the two LX470's I done (2002 & 2000) were like the pre VVT models, and were easy.

Gen414

OK guys, thanks for heads up. Not wanting to yank cams, but pretty sure cam seals are leaking. granted, I havent removed TB cover yet, but oil IS leaking, from behind covers, and is making it's way from up top, so am ASSUMING it's teh cam seal...unless something else is mounted up in that area, behind TB cover and could leak oil???????

Gonna yank cover here tonight, so should know for sure one way or other.

PureDrifter

iTrader: (10)

all the VVT-i models have the cam seals set up this way to accommodate the VVT-i mechanism. the 2UZ didnt go VVTi until ~'05 iirc.

OP-could be valve cover gasket going, that would drip down methinks?

billydpowe

iTrader: (1)

yes, I had to replace the VCG's on one of my 99's, no more leaks.

Gen414

OK guys, it's pretty dang bad (the leak) worse than I had thought. When I got first part of cover off, TB was coated in oil, and as I removed cover after cover, it only got worse, until finally when I removed the bottom cover, a HUGE amount of oil was gathered in it, and poured out.

So, would be easy to think crank seal at first, and leaking out, gets caught in TB, and oil rides on a "conveyor belt" and gets slung all over, and makes it APPEAR that cam seals are leaking as well. HOWEVER, with SO much oil, it's impossible to know for sure, so, since Im here, Im gonna do it. Also, gonna replace water pump, of which I have a question as well.

Before I started to figure out cam seals, I was workign on water pump and trying to remove it. This is what it looks like to me:


There is an "adapter" mounted to the top of the pump, and has a tube that leads from it, to the intake manifold. There are 2 bolts that hold it in place to the water pump, but when I went to remove it, it wouldnt budge. So, got to looking around for more bolts, and I found 4 bolts that attach this piece, and appears that I need to remove the intake manifold to remove 2 of the 4 bolts (I can get a socket to 2 of the 4 bolts, but the other 2 bolts that are far enough back, it's impossible to get to them without removing intake manifold, that Im sure of.

So, question:
DO, I need to remove these botls as well, to remove this adapter, so I can remove water pump? Or, is this adapter only hed on with the 2 bolts that attach to the water pump, and this adapter is just "stuck" on teh water pump, and needs a little more persuasion? I wasnt trying to manhandle it, in fear of breaking something, and since Im new to this setup, figured I would ask first.

So, 2 bolts for teh adapter, or 6 total?

I know that once this adapter is removed, the water pump will be easy to access (I already have all of bolts removed for it)


OK, cam seal question:

So, since Im going to replace cam seals, do I HAVE to remove camshafts to replace them? A friend of mine looked in his labor book, and it says, to only add 0.2 hrs of labor for cam seals. Obviously, if you have to remove camshafts, it's gonna take ALOT more time than that.

So, experts...cam seal replacement, do I HAVE to remove camshafts, yes or no?

Gen414

Oh, comment about VCG, there is some seepage at rear corner's of VCG's, but that's about it. Nothin on the side's, and nothing up front. I snugged down teh VCG bolts some, in hopes of taking care of it. Of course, if I end of having to remove camshafts to replace cam seals, then I will install new VCG's and tube seals...

Gen414

OK guys, upon more research, it seems that maybe there was/is a certain production date that you have to/dont?

Reason I say that is, Ive searched for quite awhile now, and everything from Just Answers, to other forums, it seems that some say you have to pull the cams, and some say you dont.

From best I can tell, if the motor is a VVT (such as mine) the cams DO need to come out. If it is not the VVT (such as the one's Im used to doing), they dont. So, Im guessing that some early 98's? didnt have VVT????

Reason Im guesssing/assuming that, is because again, it seems that every single labor book Ive found on the web (and my friend's), says to add just 0.2 hrs of labor for cam seals, and that just cant be right. I would think it would be 5-6 hrs of additional labor for cam seals.



Also, the more I look into it, it does appear that removing the cams, if not familiar, can be confusing. Sure, I pride myself on being able to figure things out on things I havent done before, but would be nice to have sometype of guide/manual before I setout to remove the cams on this car.

So, anyone have a lead on where I can get a service manual, or manual on removing cams for this car?

Thanks guys

PureDrifter

iTrader: (10)

-search for the manual...

-ALL '98 model years are facelifted cars with the VVT-i engine.
-production started mid '97 for '98 cars

-3rd party labor books rarely even recognize the fact that there WAS a difference between 89-00 LS400s, so I wouldn't rely on them too much

deanshark

That .2 hrs labor is for the older models. It only takes another 10 - 15 minutes to do the older cam seals. I would suggest getting a service manual. They're about $200 for the book set but well worth it. If ya mess up something it'll be alot more expensive in the long run, (personal experience) like those bolts you're talking about. Plus you'll have it for future major repairs. I picked up mine on Ebay "used" in unused condition for $165. DON'T get the CD version. Check this; http://www.lexls.com/tutorials/intro/repairmanual.html
I love my manual, best $200 I ever spent and I'll never have to bring my car to the dealer, they use the same book.

McPierson

iTrader: (3)

Here is a good link for the 98-00 Manual in by Page format:

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/ls4...ere-it-is.html