3RZ-FE Valve clearances ok?

[triangles]

I have the 2.7L 3RZ-FE engine. My manual says valve specs are:
Exhaust: 0.010" to 0.013"
Intake: 0.007" to 0.009"
I have 5 that are out of spec. 4 intake valves that are at 0.006" and 1 exhaust that is at 0.009". The rest are in spec but toward the tighter end. To me this seems close enough that I shouldn't bother fixing it. Especially on a 17year old truck with 150k miles. I don't have much experience wrenching on this engine so I don't know how critical the valve clearances are. I welcome anyone's thoughts and opinions. I assume the dealer is the only source for shims? Any idea what the ball park price is on them?

 

[IBallEngineer]

I have the 2.7L 3RZ-FE engine. My manual says valve specs are:
Exhaust: 0.010" to 0.013"
Intake: 0.007" to 0.009"
I have 5 that are out of spec. 4 intake valves that are at 0.006" and 1 exhaust that is at 0.009". The rest are in spec but toward the tighter end. To me this seems close enough that I shouldn't bother fixing it. Especially on a 17year old truck with 150k miles. I don't have much experience wrenching on this engine so I don't know how critical the valve clearances are. I welcome anyone's thoughts and opinions. I assume the dealer is the only source for shims? Any idea what the ball park price is on them?

You are probably OK, being on thousandth off. Just remember that a tighter valve stays closed for a shorter period of time. The valve, especially exhaust valves, cool by contacting the seat. Intake valves can burn too, but not as likely. If anything, shim the exhaust valve to the outer end of the spec.

 

[KidVermicious]

^ yup, the 3RZ has a rep for burning exhaust valves when they get too tight, and yours will get tighter as it ages. It's worth adjusting those now to avoid future headaches.

Shims are a couple bucks each at the dealer, and you'll probably have to special order them.

 

[gamefreakgc]

If you've ever replaced shims before then I'd say do it.

If you're never done it before, it is a tedious process and has to be done with these tools (impossible to do with any other tools without damaging the cam lobes):

SIR Tools TOY008 Valve Adjusting Kit for Toyota

4" Digital Caliper

Like others have said, it will not get better over time only worse. Just keep that in the back of your mind that in a few years it will get to a point that it needs to be done to prolong the life of the engine.

 

[triangles]

If you've ever replaced shims before then I'd say do it.

If you're never done it before, it is a tedious process and has to be done with these tools (impossible to do with any other tools without damaging the cam lobes):

SIR Tools TOY008 Valve Adjusting Kit for Toyota

4" Digital Caliper

Like others have said, it will not get better over time only worse. Just keep that in the back of your mind that in a few years it will get to a point that it needs to be done to prolong the life of the engine.

I have the valve tools and I've got some micrometers to measure shim thickness. I don't think calipers are accurate enough.

I guess I need to decide how much longer I might have this truck. Living in the rust belt where our vehicles are caked in a salty brine-slush for about 4 months out of the year, I don't expect much more than 3-5 more years out of this vehicle since it will die of body/frame rot long before the drivetrain is wore out.

 

[triangles]

I adjusted the valves shuffling around some shims and having to buy about 7 new ones. The "plier" like tool that is supposed to push the the bucket down so you can get the shim off is a pain to work with. I ended up taking a flat head screwdriver, heating up the end and bending it over 90 deg forming a little "hook" It was much easier to use this to put under the cam and pry the bucket down. I'll post a pic when I get a chance.

 

[KidVermicious]

I adjusted the valves shuffling around some shims and having to buy about 7 new ones. The "plier" like tool that is supposed to push the the bucket down so you can get the shim off is a pain to work with.

Yes, yes it is. When I did the valves on mine I had the motor on a stand so I ended up just pulling the cams instead of wrestling with that silly tool any more.

 

[triangles]

LOL yeah I struggled with the first shim then I tossed that useless tool. Then I searched youtube and made a tool similar to what I saw some russian guy use on a Surf.

 

[bwarren]

Does anybody know a good mechanic in the Seattle area that could adjust the valves on a my 1996 with the 3rz? I usually do everything myself but don't really have the time or know how for this. I'd like to avoid the dealerships if possible and there are tons of 4 cylinder Tacomas and 4runners in the area so there must be some good mechanics that are familiar with these engines. I called a few local guys who were not familiar with the process and didn't think they have the right tools. Thanks!

 

[triangles]

Have you checked the clearances? If not any mechanic with a set a feeler gauges can check it for you (if you mechanic doesn't have feeler gauges, RUN and never let them touch your truck again!). I would bet that you'll probably need a new valve cover gasket too. I can't imagine a 20 year old gasket will seal very well when put back together. If you end up being out of spec and needing to buy a bunch of new shims it can get expensive fast not to mention the down time waiting for the dealer to get the new shims in. I ended up internet ordering my shims from a dealer in MI since my local dealer wanted to rape me for them. This might not be economically viable on a 20 year old truck. If done right it is quite time consuming.

 

[bwarren]

Thanks triangles. I found a mechanic who will do this for me. $300 labor + the cost of shims and valve cover gasket. Also, he said he has lots of miscellaneous shims laying around that he wouldn't charge me for if they end up being the right size. If no adjustments are needed, he'll just charge me 1 hour labor + the new valve cover gasket. I guess I'm just expecting some of the exhaust valves to need adjustment.

 

[triangles]

no problem. The way I did it is I recorded all the gaps and then pulled out all the shims keeping track of which ones went where. I then did a bunch of math to see which ones I could reshuffle so all of the valves were toward the loose end of the specification. This took me a lot of time since I didn't want to make a mistake, double and tripple checking numbers. After doing this I needed to buy 7 shims that I think were about $15 a piece. If you're gonna spend the money you might ask your mechanic to do it like this instead of just swapping the ones that are tight. It will cost more but then you'll know you'll probably never have to worry about it again.

 

[bwarren]

Quick update on this. Finally got around to checking my valve clearances. All were in spec. exhaust valves measured 0.012-0.013", intake were 0.008-0.009". I'm glad they were within spec because doing the the shim adjustment seems like a PITA. This 3rz engine seems bulletproof!

 

[triangles]

Great!