1996 Toyota Avalon 1MZ-FE V6 Engine Sludge Dilemna

[99SolaraSLE]

Hello all,
Thanks so much for the warm welcome to the forum. Thanks to wiswind i have a much better idea of the job im about to attempt to tackle(replacing the valve cover gasket after removing it to check out the sludge situation). This will be my first attempt at any engine work besides simply oil changes. SO although seemingly small and insignificant, it might as well be a total engine rebuild as far as my experience level. Finers crossed- Once i get through this, if i can get to the point im confident in what to do, im going to take pictures of every step and edit the pictures to show which bolts( and size) are to be removed and etc. Only because i know there are people out there as ignorant as me(ignorant, not stupid) who a tutorial would help, even in this seemingly mundane task for the pro's. Im gonna try seafoam possibly, but well see. Any help/info is greatly appreciated. Have a great day everyone.

 

[wiswind]

I list bolt sizes in the comments for my pictures in the webshots folder that I linked.
IF you have those hex bolts on the intake manifold.....you will need hex bits, I list the sizes used.
I got a set of them at Autozone.

 

[99SolaraSLE]

wiswind,
Yes im seeing that you have that posted. I must say looking at your documentation was the best thing i could have come across, short of a step by step video tutorial or handbook or something. My biggest issues, is really just the lingo, i now know how people feel when i am talking to them about their computer problems or what i did during a pc repair or how or what exactly the problem was with their unit. It makes me feel like an idiot. For instance, as far as if i have hex bolts on the intake manifold......then ill need those bits. My issue is i know what a intake manifold is and i know the basic version of what it does, however i cant go look under the hood and identify where the intake manifold as a whole is. I think i know where parts of it is and that the tubing where the air filter is connects to the intake manifold, i just dont know exactly what and where the I.M is(where it starts and stops) in laymens terms, im an idiot. I have to take back what i said earlier, im not just ignorant to all this, i guess i really am just stupid.

edit- im feeling a little discouraged i guess, i know the intake manifold is what im taking the valve cover off of in the first place, so when i say i dont know where it is, i guess i just mean i dont know where everything else is so i worry about me unbolting something etc. that appears to be on the intake but technically is something else entirely. To all BITOG, just disregard this whole post, its essentially a text based clinical example of Brain Shi+

 

[99SolaraSLE]

Thanks man.
Yes its the 3.0 V6, 1mz-fe. the early one(1st gen i guess) before the VVT-I changes were made. Thanks for clarifiying that tip on the rear cover cuz i was worried as [censored] about that. Ill get a picture to you. im wandering if its ok to seafoam through the brake booster before i do the sludge search and replace the gasket. I was erroneously thinking it would be nice to do it afterwards so that i can see what effect it has on the area under the valve cover. But to do that id have to take off the valve cover, replace the gasket, and then look check out the sludge(or no sludge) , then reattatch the valve cover, run the seafoam and then repeat the whole removal/gasket process all over again. So i guess im not doing that. All im wandering is if its alright to use the seafoam before i open it up to see how things look or if i should wait till after for any reason. Thanks alot again.
B.T.W- Did u use a torque wrench, is this necesary for me as far as bolting, unbolting the cover. thanks
Keating
edit- also Trav, do u have any way of showing me a picture of where the pcv valve is on this engine in relation to everything else. I searched for pcv valve and whatdya know i find the first hit is a post from someone with an odysey asking the same question for you to help him with a picture locating the pcv valve. They should pay you. If easier and i should send you a picture of the engine first so that you can point out the valve let me know. I just wasnt sure if there was a stock photo or if it was visible on wiswinds set of pictures. either way thanks so much

 

[99SolaraSLE]

Is there no way to post a picture thats on your hard drive. All im seeing is a way to link a picture from a URL:. Am i missing it or is that the extent of the ability to post a picture? thanks for everyones help.
Keating
PostScript- Hey guys i also noticed that when i make a post at the bottom left side of the Create a post/Reply Window it says
HTML:disabled
UBBC Code enabled
Are these user changeable setting and could htl adding to my problem of not being able to view posted pictures? Any help,is greatly appreciated. ThanksY'all
Keating fee

 

[Vikas]

You have to upload photos to a free hosting site.

I really wish that was NOT the case and the forum itself hosted the pictures :-(

- Vikas

 

[99SolaraSLE]

Thanks Vikas,
You have any suggestions, is there a more common one members use. anyone find a certain site to be easier, better than any others. and what are they. thanks so much,
Keating

 

[Trav]

This is the PCV,it looks like its right on top of one of the valve covers.

 

[wiswind]

PCV valve.....You are having a problem locating it because it is really hard to see.
I took THIS bad picture......because it is so hard to see.
I have a arrow drawn in the picture that points to the PCV valve.
Mine is metal....screwed into the rear valve cover.
Yours most likely is pressed into a grommet......and looks slightly different than mine does, but I'll bet it is in the same location.
Very slightly toward the passenger side of the throttle body.



Upper intake manifold.....hex bolts.
I show the hex bolts in THIS picture.......
The text that I have on the website is that the bolt with the ratchet drive on the left side in the picture is 14mm and the Hex bolt with the ratchet drive in the middle of the picture takes a 8mm hex bit......you can see a second hex bolt to the right of that one in the picture.



A few pictures later on the website is THIS picture that shows the motor with the upper intake manifold lifted up and moved out of the way.
The 6 holes that you see are in the lower intake manifold....which you do NOT want, or need to remove.
I mentioned that I did not disconnect everything.....and you can see at the bottom right corner of the picture......the side of the throttle body, which is still connected to the upper intake manifold.
Looking between these 2 pictures, you will be able to determine what the upper intake manifold is.



Take note.....removing those 4 bolts that you see holding the upper intake manifold to the lower manifold is FAR from what you need to do to remove it........there are pictures that I have posted in between the 2 pictures that I linked here.....that show how to disconnect the upper intake manifold and throttle body from the rear support bracket.

In that last picture I have posted here, you will see that thick wire harness that looks like it is 'maybe' behind the rear valve cover......it is NOT behind it....it is right on top of it...as that valve cover is bigger than it looks......

Another note, it is critical to avoid having anything fall down into one of those 6 holes in the lower intake manifold.....as whatever falls down there......small grit, liquids, etc will be drawn into the cylinder when you start up the motor (after you have it back together)......and that can cause major damage to your motor.

Seafoam into the brake booster hose....
I would not do that at this point.
Right now, you are trying to address the possible sludge in the crankcase of the motor.
Nothing that you put into the intake.....or fuel is going to do anything for sludge into the motor.
So.....I would advise against biting off another project at this time......
Doing the Seafoam into the brake booster line, or other vaccum line is not a bad idea.......but it is for cleaning the intake and valves, etc.
Also.....once you unhook the vaccum line, your motor will stall as you are letting a massive amount of air in......so folks who do this block the airflow in through the hose....and use the plastic tube on the spray can......pinched in with a thumb or finger over the vaccum line...and add some Seafoam.......
TOO much Seafoam at one time can.....not only cause your motor to stall, but can "hydrolock" the motor.....which is a condition where too much liquid enters one or more cylinders and then when the piston comes up.....liquid does NOT compress....so you end up breaking something in your motor......a very serious repair ($$$$$).
Spraying the Seafoam or any other liquid into the intake with the motor not running can leave you with a pool of liquid in the intake that will be drawn into the motor when you go to start it......resulting in the same Hydrolock condition.....again....a BAD thing.

The pictures that I have posted are intended to be used along with.....NOT IN PLACE OF a good repair manual.
I am NOT a mechanic......just a person who does some things on my own.
As such....I always wish for MORE pictures in any repair manual that I have had.
Taking pictures during the process can help one to get the whole mess back together again.

 

[ganseg]

Thanks for the Pics! I pulled mine. It looked clean on the engine side and I could blow thru int that way but not the other. It was not metal, though. Does that indicate the prior owner had it changed with a non-oem part?