2VZ–FE HEAD n Gasket ISSUES, R&R

[Stringpickin]

Hello and good day!.. My daughters 90 Camry V6 2vz-fe UNFORTUNATLEY has water in the oil and coming out of the exhaust when running.. So,, most likely head gasket.. However? Does anyone know with this particular motor if this problem is usually associated with a bad gasket on a particular head? Or is it generally an issue with a cracked head?

I am trying to decide if I should put a JDM or equivilent motor in instead of doing a Head Gasket R & R.

Do these motors generally most often lean towards a simple head gasket problem? Or do these heads on this motor generally lean torwards warping therefore causing the eventual gasket failure?

Or do these heads generally lean towards a crack rather than a simple gasket problem..

Sure appreciate your expertise. The motor has gotten hot but never so hot that one would think the block or heads would have issues from overheating. This issue has been a long time coming..

I.E. It has been using water in small amounts for months and months with NO apparent sign of where it was losing it. Only lately the last month or so has the water usage increased and just today for the first time is it PAINFULLY evident that the water is in the oil. Gooey and milky and that lovely white smoke coming out of the tail pipe..

Opinions appreciated. Does anyone know of a good write up on Head R & R on the 2VZ–FE? I could follow the manual but often times it runs you through some circles that isn't needed.

thank you very much for your time and sharing..

String
stringpickin@comcast.net

P.S. I have a 1993 Dodge Stealth for Sale. Craigslist-Chico Ca. area. Super nice car..

[Jimnist]

A blown head gasket is sometimes indicated by bubbles in the radiator coolant when the engine is running. Obviously, only check when the engine is cold after a quick start up

I guess you're just going to have to take both heads off and see for yourself. Check for warpage (with something straight like a metal rule) or cracks and re-new head gasket. It's the only way to find out.

Read through the whole section for head re-conditioning and just scrap the bits that seem unnecessary.

[malayan]

By the time you go through the MAJOR HASSLE of a head R & R on a V6 and find out that you have blown your rings out "ta boot".

You would have been better off just putting a 40k Long block in. I have done this 4 - 5 times with the 4 cylinder. I WONT TOUCH A V6. Not enough room and too much hassle for .5 liter difference.

also , I am figuring the rest of the car is worth keeping for another 5 - 10 years right?

I swapped my V6 Camry out and got one with a 4 cylinder . Very happy now!

Good Luck!

[Jimnist]

What does R&R stand for? Re-condition and rebuild?

It would be a pain doing the head facing the cabin, damn V's, at least it better working on a boxer engine.

[Stringpickin]

Malayan,, I know, I know, I didn't want to hear it though.. LOL.. Now if it was 25 years ago and my ol chevy 350 blew a head gasket I would certainly buy a whole new engine and forget it. yeah right.. That is what the struggle is. If I got lucky the bad head gasket could be on the front head, chance it and put a head gasket on it and run the thing. But the complete break down as Jimnist said with the head eating the firewall, what a pain. I see that some under the car work needs to be done that doesn't look too major, but getting to those manifold bolts and etc. etc. etc.. Did that on my Stealth 3 years ago, and that was hard enough with a vertical sitting V6 but doable with no pleasure in the ground work.. How nice a pit would be when you need one.

I talked to Attarco motor in Sacramento today. They have a direct swap 2.0 V6 for my 2.5 V6.. Inport Japanese motor. As you said a 4 banger works good. I actually considered the thought because fuel mileage over power is a definate plus.
And the 4 bangers I have seen, run pretty well really. So what about the 2.0 V6,, any experience??

The car itself is not a super clean car. It is in adequate condition with no major flaws, but it is 18 years old and has 220K on it, with its share of door dings. Definately not one of those cars you go look at and you say to yourself, is this guy kidding???? good shape???? lol.. But the tranny seems strong, suspension is good Interior good shape. Brand new good tires, master cylnder, battery, new radiator. Got all the goodies and gets 20 average. not bad.. But thats the other problem. The car is worth maybe 2200 firm if it has a good running motor in it. So they quoted me 900 for the motor, and i know I will have another 250 or 300 if lucky to put it in there. change water pump, seals etc. etc. misc. headaches. So 50 hours is the time cost, and 1300 hundred plus in cost. I could pick up a good running car for 1500.. What is the Camry worth without an engine??

why couldn't it just keep running.. and running..

thanks for your time guys,. hope all is great for you and yours..
oh yeah,, R and R from my shade tree mechanic days is Remove and Replace. Or Remove and/or repair/replace. interchangeable deal.. lol.. The good old days of making my 348 chevy big block hold up to extreme abuse in the desert with me at the pedal..

Is the 4 Cylnder swap a no added procedure swap?? I know an exhaust pipe has go to go,, what about the ECU??? etc.

[Doctor J]

The motor mounts for V6 and 4 cylinder are different; the engine harness and ECU is different, the wheel size is different...

[atobe]

900's kinda high for a used engine... but as far as i know that engine was never in japan..
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ENGIN...71010007r21834 try this and rebuilt this one while it's out of the car ??

[white90dx]

The 2.0 V6 should be a fine replacement, but you should get it for much less than $900... If you can do the whole swap for under $1k, you should probably keep the car. Maybe $600 for the motor and the rest for incidentals/maintenance? After the swap you should get better mileage too.

Don't even think about going to the 4-cylinder. There are too many things to change out (even the gauge cluster has to change!).

-Charlie

PS. To the guy who talked about the boxer motors - sure head gaskets in the car are hard... but on a Subaru, I can drop an engine (with the help of a couple friends) in a couple hours. Less time than it takes to do minor things on my Camry.

[Jimnist]

[quote=white90dx;2539793] PS. To the guy who talked about the boxer motors - sure head gaskets in the car are hard... but on a Subaru, I can drop an engine (with the help of a couple friends) in a couple hours. Less time than it takes to do minor things on my Camry.

True, but i'm just a lazy bugger would can't be bothered dropping out any engine, regardless of layout, out unless i really have to. I'm just happy that i don't have to do that when i take my cylinder head off, which will be soon

[Stringpickin]

Well, apparently because our Camry's are in such high demand, motors for them are not plentiful.. Attarco told me that is why they have been bringing in the 2.0 v6's.. I wonder if those give an increase in mileage. Seems like it should pick up a couple mpgs..

The question of questions... So how much do you think the car is worth without a motor?

Parting it I could get what.. 6 or 7 hundred or thereabouts.. tires(60K warranty and only 3K on them), radiator(new), tranny(swapped with used import 10K ago), , doors/electric windows, seats, hood, fenders, glass, etc.. ONe thing I have going for me, the car is in high demand, at least parting it should be fairly easy if I go that route.. I wish I loved working on cars more.. or at least some.. lol.. ashame to trash the car. But man, 1300 bucks dumped in it and all that time.. I don't have time growing on trees either....