Camshaft Seal Replacement
Thread Starter
Pole Position
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 2,146
Likes: 70
From: Illinois
Camshaft Seal Replacement
With 254K on the clock of the '01, I'm seeing a little oil weep after the car has been parked. I replaced the valve cover gaskets about a year ago. The cam and crank seals are original. I'm assuming a cam seal is leaking, though I haven't isolated that yet. I'm considering DIY replacement if that is the source of the oil leak. There are CL threads on TB/WP replacement, but I found no thread showing the steps to replace the 3UZ-FE cam and crank seals. Obviously, all of the steps for the TB/WP replacement are necessary to do the seals, but what are the additional steps required to complete the cam seals replacement? I know the cams must be removed. Do the valve covers have to come off and the cam journals removed as well or can the cams be carefully extracted and re-inserted from the front of the 3UZ-FE? Should the cam bearings be replaced too? This is not your average DIY I know and don't expect many to have done this. Thanks in advance.
Last edited by Tom57; Feb 3, 2015 at 01:22 PM.
Lexus Test Driver
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 1,025
Likes: 13
From: McAllen, TX
My slow oil leak turned out to be BOTH camshaft timing tubes. $2400 repair, included $700 for those two parts alone. Valve covers had to come off, and while they were in there they did the cam seals, spark plug seals/tubes, timing belt and front crank seal. Have fun!
Thread Starter
Pole Position
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 2,146
Likes: 70
From: Illinois
Lead Lap
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 486
Likes: 3
From: IN
Tom, I believe the 98 LS400 with VVT might be close to your engine. Not exact but many similarities. In 98, the engine was changed in many ways and the cams must come out to replace the cam seals. The following post concerns a 98 LS400 where you may glean some useful info -> http://us.lexusownersclub.com/forums...i/#entry473194
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
pooby
GS - 2nd Gen (1998-2005)
0
Apr 29, 2017 10:34 AM
