Tools and Parts

Just kidding.

I was reading a forum a long time ago (might have been garagejournal), and a wise person said, "A bad craftsman blames his tools. A good craftsman, buys good tools." I'll add to that: "A wise craftsman knows when it's OK to cheap out with Harbor Freight crap." A list of the tools I used for this job that continue to serve me well follows, along with power tools and parts used.

Tools:

- metric socket set. Specifically, a good short socket set with some moderately large sockets (17mm, 19mm, 21mm) such as this: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000JLBQV2/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o08_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
- deep socket set. I use https://www.amazon.com/TEKTON-4885-...ON-4885-2-Inch-Impact-6-Point/dp/B000NPUKGQ/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8
- crowfoot wrench set. I use https://www.amazon.com/Neiko-03324A...324A-Crowfoot-Wrench-15-Piece/dp/B000N7DHFK/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8
- flex head ratcheting wrenches, at least 12mm. A good set of these will be expensive, check Harbor Freight. I use https://www.amazon.com/TEKTON-WRN76...4-Flex-Head-Ratcheting-Wrench/dp/B01F512CB8/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8
...bought them when they were on sale.
- needlenose pliers
- long needlenose pliers, such as https://www.amazon.com/Tools-VISE-G...E-GRIP-Pliers-11-Inch-1773583/dp/B0052XQYLY/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8
- prybars (two sets handy so you have two of each size). I have a Craftsman set, and this one https://www.amazon.com/TEKTON-3350-Pry-Bar-5-Piece/dp/B000NPR2YY/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8
- seal puller. https://www.amazon.com/Lisle-56650-...-56650-Adjustable-Seal-Puller/dp/B000JFL83Y/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8
- Pitman arm puller. Superior to a "pickle fork," as it has a lower chance of damaging your tie rod end boot. Rent one from your local Autozone or something, I've had bad luck with the Harbor Freight ones. Went through three that bent out on tie rods that the Autozone one never blinked at.
- cheater pipe. Make sure it fits over all your tool handles. 2" pipe, 2 ft and 3 ft long fit over all mine.
- 10mm hex bit socket. https://www.amazon.com/TEKTON-1363-8-Inch-Socket-Metric/dp/B001NT2LK4
...that set is good but too long for some things. My shorter ones are from Harbor Freight.
- hose pick, I use this set: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000NPPBQU/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1
- Aerokroil or similar penetrating lubricant
- chuck-type stud extractor, I like this one: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01GKEBG9I/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1
- reverse-fluted bolt extractor set, I use this: https://www.amazon.com/Performance-...ctors-6-Piece-Adapter-1859143/dp/B00LFUTXPM/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8
- tap wrench. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001DZ6YSS/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
- oxygen sensor socket. I use a regular kind instead of offset because you can accurately torque a sensor without having to recalculate the applied torque. https://www.amazon.com/TEKTON-4929-...TON-4929-8-Inch-Oxygen-Sensor/dp/B000NPUKIE/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8
- transmission jack. I bought this one: http://www.jegs.com/i/JEGS-Performance-Products/555/79012/10002/-1
- engine hoist/shop crane. Mine is from Harbor Freight, do yourself a favor and get a 2-ton model for a bit extra cash (not necessary, just insurance). You can also probably find better quality professional cranes on Craigslist for a good bit less.
- engine sling. I made mine out of Superstrut+chain and bolts/washers from Orchard Supply Hardware.
- 3/8" torque wrench. This will handle most of the torques you need near the middle of its range (most are from 10 to 75 ft-lbs). Mine is from Craftsman and is garbage. You're better off with a Harbor Freight model. If you want to pony up a bit of extra cash, get the Tekton model https://www.amazon.com/TEKTON-24330...24330-8-Inch-ft-lb-13-6-108-5/dp/B00FMPKAD0/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8
...if you really want to pony up cash, get one from SK...theirs are rebranded by Snap-on (with a Snap-on 100% price markup!).
- torque wrench capable of 250 ft-lbs. You need 134 ft-lbs for the subframe, which lands in the middle of the range for something like this: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00C5ZL1NS?ref=emc_b_5_t
...Harbor Freight is OK, I use the Tekton and like it.
- straightedge. For measuring torque converter installation distance. This is not a ruler; it is much...straighter. If you are doing a head gasket job sometime, this will come in handy. If not, just use two rulers. I have https://www.amazon.com/Steel-Straig...ight-Guaranteed-Within-Length/dp/B01DR7T0FI/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8
- decent ruler. Used with the straightedge above. Go old-school and get a nice General :smile:. https://www.amazon.com/General-Tool...ral-Tools-CF667ME-Ultra-Rigid/dp/B00FAU7KIK/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8
- transmission funnel. Whatever works for you, the one I use has a long, flexible neck and fits perfectly into the diff fill hole and dipstick tube: https://www.amazon.com/Lumax-LX-160...3-Plastic-Transmission-Funnel/dp/B00GD2HYQW/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8

Power Tools:

I've been very happy with my Milwaukee power tools, and I snap them up whenever they're on sale (Amazon links posted, but I've also bought from CPO Outlets, International Tool, and eBay). I like buying their high-performance FUEL series tools whenever possible (read: on sale. So not down with spending $400 on a tool+battery), I figure the brushless motors and upgraded components are worth it. Since batteries aren't interchangeable you're kind of stuck with a brand once you start collecting power tools, kind of like cameras and lenses. Not all of these are used in this project, just a list with how I've used them.

- 2457-20 Power 3/8" ratchet. Advantage is that it can get where an impact driver cannot. 35 ft-lbs of torque, so a lot of the time you should break a series of bolts loose before going to town on them with this. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006CSRBTC/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1
- 2783-20 Angle grinder, braking. A lot of my Milwaukee tools have rendered my air tools obsolete because they perform just as well and are more convenient, what with the lack of a hose. This one is supposed to stop within 1/2 second of letting the paddle go so you have less of a chance of hurting yourself. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B017Y7VZ8C/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1
- Cutting wheels for the grinder. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01EBDZOFC/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1
- 2763-20 High-torque impact wrench. No tool has saved me as much trouble. 700 ft-lbs. Lasts all day on a single 4AH battery. Worth every penny at double the price https://www.amazon.com/Milwaukee-To...Torque-Impact-Wrench-Friction/dp/B00GFUA6O4/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8
- 2604-20 Hammer drill. Works great, is a nice upgrade from my old 9.6V DeWalt. Handle is nice for keeping steady when polishing. https://www.amazon.com/Milwaukee-26...r-Drill/dp/B007IH6RUK/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1485339538&sr=8-3&keywords=2604-20
- 2653-20 Impact driver. An impact driver can't be beat for zipping off large quantities of bolts, nuts, and screws. Watch out because these can round fasteners pretty easily. https://www.amazon.com/Milwaukee-Im...2653-20/dp/B007WU7VS0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1485339589&sr=8-1&keywords=2653-20
- 2615-20 Right-angle drill. Limited use, I bought it because there was a broken bolt shank where a Camry hood strut attached to the body. Came in handy when I had to drill out a sheared-off bolt at the bottom of the 5S-FE dogbone strut bracket. Saved me from pulling the engine! https://www.amazon.com/Milwaukee-26...-2615-20-Cordless-Right-Angle/dp/B004M8R9W8/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8
- PBT70913 Ratchet pump. So I've gone through at least 5 of those cheapie hand fluid pumps that you screw onto your bottle of gear oil. They always seem to start leaking after a few pumps, my hand gets fatigued, and it doesn't get the last bit in the bottle so I have to take a few bottles and make a gear oil spitoon. I just got this and did three differentials...it works awesome and gets the level in the bottle down a lot farther. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00CDDBFGU/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o09_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

...these are just what I've been happy with, of course there are other reputable tool brands that will meet your needs.

Parts/Consumables:

DEALER
- 90116-10016 Right side exhaust stay stud. Goes into the front TWC.
- 90179-10128 Nut for above
- 90080-11631 Stud for midpipe to front TWC. If you are replacing all, you need 3. I'm doing 1
- 90080-17187 Locknut for above. Same, need 3, I'm doing 1
- 91512-81035 Bolts (need 2) for midpipe rear flange
- 94180-41000 Locknuts for above. Need 2
- 90430-A0003 Gasket (washer, need 3) for diff fill plug, diff drain plug, trans drain plug
- 00295-00103 FIPG for oil-exposed parts (black). Yeah, you can use Permatex Ultra Black or equivalent, I've just fallen for the Toyota (Threebond) FIPG.

OTHER PARTS
- Fel-Pro MS94976 Gasket, exhaust manifold. Replace if you take the manifold off. Note: what I got was NOT a metal crush gasket, it was composite. Go for a metal gasket if you can, Fel-Pro has a bad habit of giving us cheap composite and paper/fiber gaskets instead of the nice metal ones.
- Fel-Pro 23626 Gasket, midpipe to front TWC. Must be replaced.
- Fel-Pro 23591 Gasket, midpipe to rear/muffler pipe. Must be replaced.
- Beck/Arnley 052-3250 Rear main seal. The hallowed enchirito, as it were. I got the OEM seal in a Beck/Arnley package, $11 on RockAuto. See next entry.
- Fel-Pro BS40427 Rear main seal set. I can't for the life of me find just the paper gasket for the rear main seal carrier. I realized this after I bought the Beck/Arnley part...bought the Fel-Pro set for $17 at AutoZone. I trust the Beck/Arnley oil seal much more than the Fel-Pro (of course, it's OEM!) because I've had a lot of Fel-Pro cam seals start leaking shortly after doing timing belt jobs on our engines. If you're doing this job, you might as well do it completely so get ready to take out the carrier seal it as well.
- Dorman 47021 Oxygen sensor seal. Replace if pre-cat oxygen sensor is removed. Put some copper anti-seize on the shiny side (side that mates to the exhaust. Normally I hate Dorman products (they're shoddy and never fit well) but this was a pleasant exception.
- copper high-temp anti-seize for above. If you buy Denso sensors they come with a little squeezy tube of this stuff. I like https://www.amazon.com/Loctite-Copp...nti-Seize-degrees-Temperature/dp/B000LDDOXG/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8
- Moog K90527 Front sway bar bushings. Make sure you get the right part because the SE and wagon have different size sway bars. These are for a DX sedan.
- Beck/Arnley 1014873 Front sway bar endlinks. If yours are shot, you're rattling up a storm over any bumps, then go ahead and replace them, easy-peasy.
- Teflon plumbing tape. If you wrap it around the sway bar where the bushing holds, it will help with squeaks, especially with polyurethane bushings. I also coat the inside of the bushings with grease. I use the Coastal brake grease they sell at Autozone, and get the plumbing tape at Harbor Freight. 10 rolls for $1.99 http://www.harborfreight.com/12-in-x-43-12-ft-plumbers-thread-seal-tape-10-pk-61377.html
- red Loctite for flexplate bolts, Loctite 271 or 272 are good choices (271 is easily available at AutoZone, etc.; 272 you buy online or at Grainger, etc.). If you get new bolts from Toyota they will come precoated. Some people say you don't need it, just torque to spec and get on with life; but for a few bucks, why not insure yourself against a difficult-to-reach bolt falling out?
- engine assembly lube or something to grease up the RMS and input shaft seal. I use https://www.amazon.com/Sta-Lube-SL3...33-Anti-Seize-Engine-Assembly/dp/B000CPAWP6/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8
- Wix 58998 Transmission screen filter and rubber pan gasket. Just do it. This one says "Made in Taiwan," but other than that looks exactly identical to the OEM one I pulled out.
- transmission fluid. Official spec is Dexron III-compatible fluid, I've used Dexron VI compatible fluid with no ill results thus far. For this, I went with Valvoline MaxLife Dex/Merc (cheaper than the ACDelco Dexron VI I normally use).
- 3/8" transmission hose if you're replacing the oil cooler lines. I bought https://www.amazon.com/Hayden-Autom...otive-106-Transmission-Cooler/dp/B000HE6H3S/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8
...which is just repackaged Gates hose like you get at NAPA or equivalent. I recommend this now: https://www.amazon.com/Derale-13017...3017-Transmission-Engine-Hose/dp/B004XONNTY/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8
- a buddy. Something like https://www.amazon.com/Giant-Semi-F...Finished-Filler-Cotton-Zipper/dp/B01N2UFE8M/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8
...no filler, my ass. They're reselling it as open-box, he's flat because he didn't use jackstands and the car fell (so I returned him). Poor, stupid Paddington.

...I don't have part numbers for the torque converter and input shaft seal. If you want those, just take your old torque converter to Transtar or some other transmission parts warehouse and they will identify it and sell you the right seal.

 

Start Here!

Hey guys, so I have two '95 Camry 5S-FE's with leaking rear main seals. Both have had that oil smoke smell since I first started them up. The second one wasn't that bad, and a bottle of Blue Devil Rear Main Sealer (high-potency seal sweller) fixed it, at least for now.

The first one got a lot worse recently. I just finished doing valve stem seals put in a new valve cover gasket+spark plug tube seals, new distributor+o-ring, and resealed the oil pan. When I did the timing belt, I did the cam seal, front crank seal, and oil pump seals (pump-to-block seal was still good); I inspected all of these when I took off the TB to do the valve stem seals, and they're bone-dry. In short, every oil seal on the engine except the rear main seal is fresh.

After the stem seal job, I started it up and took it for a test drive. Fine for 10 minutes, then I smelled a lot of oil smoke and saw smoke billowing from the edges of the hood. Turned out a lot more oil than before was dripping onto the flex pipe and burning away! The lattice holds a good bit of oil so it doesn't go away slowly, either. It was so bad that I didn't bother trying the snake oil and decided to just replace the rear main seal.

Welcome to the least gratifying job on a lot of cars: dropping the trans to replace an $11 seal.

pic1 and pic2 show the oil and grime at the flywheel cover and differential. pic3 shows the amount of oil that dripped off in about 20 minutes (car wasn't fully warmed up).

I'll be following the official Toyota procedure as laid out in ALLDATA.

Oh, when I did sway bar endlinks I didn't do the front bushings due to clearance issues with my tools - I'll do them in this thread. The trans has been shifting hard lately as well, so will also change the filter and do a couple drains and refills.

 

OK first off, as usual, you do this stuff at your own risk. I (and Toyota Nation) are not responsible for you managing to hurt yourself or others.

Go ahead and put the car up on jackstands (stick them under the tabs where you would use your tire-change scissor jack, right behind each front wheel). Remove the battery and the intake air piping (10mm bolt on clamp at throttle body, 10mm bolt holding resonator to airbox, unplug all hoses and connector to intake air temp sensor). pic4 shows this stuff removed, except for the lower airbox; go ahead and remove that too, you'll want the extra space (three 10mm bolts under the air filter).

Disconnect the throttle cables (top is from the gas pedal, bottom is transmission kickdown cable) by lifting them out of the groove, then sliding the pin out sideways (toward the front of the car); pic5 shows this.

Now the next step in the manual says to disconnect and remove cruise control. As my car is a DX (base) model with no CC, I just removed the bracket that mounts part of the large harness and has the shift cable guide (pic6). Three 14mm bolts, they were on tight so use your cheater pipe. The large harness is held to this bracket...insert a flathead into the slot to release the tab and pull it up.

 

Next up, you need to disconnect a few connectors. The NSS connector, shift solenoid valve SL (torque converter lockup) connector, and shift solenoid valves 1 and 2 connector are all near each other. pic7 is a bad picture of the large NSS connector (although it does show the NSS location behind the shifter cable, on the front of the trans). The other two connectors are located behind the NSS, so get its connector off first. I think the solenoid valves are grounded through the trans case, so the SL valve connector has one wire and the connector for solenoids 1 and 2 has two. You will have some trouble getting the SL connector off because it's wedged in there...pic8 shows the three connectors once you pull them out sitting on the battery platform, along with the white harness box and where it attaches to the bracket from the last post.

Next, disconnect the vehicle speed sensor. Now I'm not sure how many there are (I thought two), but I could only see one: disconnected it in pic9 (yeah, I'll take it off and clean it. Residual grime from distributor oil leak). I see two on RockAuto, the one I disconnected is listed as "to speedometer" and "output shaft."

EDIT: Figured it out, at least for this car (1995 Camry DX; 5S-FE, A140E) http://www.toyotanation.com/forum/1...eneration-1992-1996-1997-2001/1436674-5s-fe-vehicle-speed-sensor-locations.html

At this point I remembered that I decided to change the trans filter and pan gasket while I'm doing this, along with a couple drains and refills (trans has been shifting hard lately). I stuck the battery back in, started the car, and put it in drive (with the front wheels off the ground). I let it run like this for 10 minutes to warm up the transmission fluid. Take out the differential fill plug/bolt (17mm, I needed to use a ratcheting box wrench), it's right next to the (cooling?) fins on the differential. Mine hissed and pressure released as I opened it. As you may be aware, you remove the fill plug first so that you are not left with an empty differential if the fill plug is stuck (I don't remember if the A140E shares fluid between the diff and main trans).

Remove the drain plug on the diff (10mm hex bit socket). It should have a magnet on it: pic10 shows what was on it. Once the diff drains out, put the fill and drain plugs back in (you should replace the gaskets, and I'm saving that for the refill later). Now pull the transmission dipstick out and use your 10mm hex bit socket to take off the transmission drain plug. Once that's drained out tighten up the two drain plugs, or you'll have transmission fluid dripping on you every time you're under the car.

No torque given in the official Toyota pics for the drain plugs, so we'll use a standard setting of 36 ft-lbs. Nothing for the fill plug, just tighten it; let's face it, you'd never get a torque wrench on it anyway :smile:

If/when you do the transmission filter and gasket, the filter bolts are 7 ft-lbs, and the pan bolts are 43 in-lbs.

 

Now it's time to disconnect the transmission oil cooler hoses (shown in pic11). As you can see, the PO clamped mine with small worm gear clamps and left one of the crappy stock clamps on there. They did not clamp over the tube (wonder why it didn't leak), and the clamps chewed up the hoses so I'll get new hoses from the dealer (or maybe Pick-n-pull). pic12 shows a straight hose pick I used to aid in removal...they required a lot of twisting to get off. The one on the right is the return hose to the transmission. I disconnected this first, then routed it into my drain pan and started the engine. I moved the shifter through all positions (three seconds in each one) to get a few more spurts of fluid out. Don't worry, it's only for about 30 seconds and shouldn't damage your transmission. pic13 shows the sludge that came out of the trans and diff. Don't forget to pull off the other cooler hose (dirty fluid to trans).

Next, pull off the two bolts holding the front motor mount to the subframe (14mm). My car is J-VIN (Japan-made, TMC: Toyota Motor Corporation), but there is a difference here with the 4-VIN (American-made, Toyota Motor Manufacturing Kentucky). The bolts are torqued to 59 ft-lbs on J-VIN cars. On American-made cars, the green bolt is torqued to 48 ft-lbs, and the silver bolt is 32 ft-lbs. You can see the two bolts in pic15.

 

pic16 shows a dirty ground cable: remove it (12mm, clean it if necessary).

We're going to remove the starter now. Toward the front of the car, pull the connector out and remove the nut underneath it under the cover (12mm, I think. Pull the cable off and put the nut back on so you don't lose it). Check pic17. The starter is held to the trans case by two 14mm bolts (torqued to 29 ft-lbs). Pull those out and wiggle the starter off. Note: if you have cruise control, the starter mounting bolt toward the rear of the car also holds down a guide for the shifter cable.

There're three transaxle-to-engine bolts to remove. pic18 shows the first one (has an "S" on it...or is it a "B" or an "8"?): it holds a mount point for a cable clamp that holds the large harness which you can just see in the pic. Get the harness out of the cable clamp and pull it a bit out to make it easier for you to access the bolts. The bolt in pic18 is 17mm. pic19 shows the other two bolts: one has yet another ground strap. The ground-strapped one is 17mm, the other is 14mm. Torque on both 17mm is 48 ft-lbs. The 14mm just holds the cover plate, so no way will it be 48 ft-lbs...just tighten it until you are satisfied that the cover plate will not let stuff in.

 

Remove the driver's side (hereafter called the "left side." I'm calling directions as if I was sitting in the driver's seat, not as if I was looking at the car) exhaust stay and the transaxle-to-engine bolt near it. The manual says the stay is held by two bolts, but mine is held by a bolt on the block side and a nut and stud on the exhaust side (both 14mm). You can see the stay in pic20: the bolt on the block side, with the stud on the exhaust side just peeking out. Torque on the stay fasteners is 31 ft-lbs. The transaxle-to-engine bolt (17mm) can be seen below the oil cooler line mounting bracket (which is held by a 10mm bolt, don't need to remove). Torque on that is 48 ft-lbs.

At this point the manual calls for hood removal to prepare to support the engine with a hoist and sling, but I think there's enough clearance so I didn't remove the hood. Besides, that instruction was expecting you to use an overhead chain hoist. We'll take a detour and look at some other stuff.

pic21 shows the other exhaust stay. You can see that I broke off the stud trying to remove the nut; this is common on rusty exhaust components. You should soak any exhaust fasteners you plan to remove with a penetrating lubricant (I like Aerokroil) and let them sit overnight to try and reduce the chance of breaking or rounding off fasteners. Last time I took off the manifold, I managed to round off one of the nuts holding the front three-way catalytic converter (TWC) to the midpipe (Toyota calls this the front pipe. We'll stick with "midpipe" :laugh. To remove this, I have to cut it off with an angle grinder. Note: when I screwed this one up, I tried to use my chuck-type extractor on it. It extends too deep for the extractor, so the teeth keep slipping off the chamfered part of the nut. I then tried to cut it with a Dremel but my lack of control and the Dremel's lack of reach just messed the nut up some more.

The passenger's side (hereafter referred to as the "right side") exhaust stay is held by a 14mm bolt to the front motor mount bracket (29 ft-lbs) and a 14mm nut and stud to the exhaust (31 ft-lbs). After pulling it off, pic22 shows the broken stud taking a bath in Aerokroil. I gave it about 10 minutes, then got out my stud extractor (chuck-type).

The trick to successfully extracting broken bolts, studs, and rounded off nuts is to use the right tool. I'm no expert (still learning), but in situations like this, I've had a lot of luck with the chuck-type. You have to have enough of the stud poking out for the tool to grip, and keep it pushed in toward the stud (flush with the TWC body) as it digs into the stud. This tool will destroy the stud but who cares lol, it was broken anyway. pic23 shows the extracted stud in the extractor.

 

So now, in preparation for removing the midpipe, we're going to soak the nuts and bolts in Aerokroil. pic24 shows the 10mm bolt clamping a heatshield to the front of the midpipe. I don't think we're going to need to remove this, but the manual called for it so I soaked it anyway.

pic25 shows the two locknuts and two bolts that hold the midpipe (midpipe has a converter integrated, that's what you're seeing) to the rear pipe (muffler pipe). These are hard to get tools around and I've had to cut a lot of them off, so you may want to do a second application of Aerokroil and wait another day. Of course, we'll be replacing exhaust gaskets and hardware (I buy exhaust hardware from the dealer).

So to cut the offending nut/stud off the midpipe/TWC junction, I need enough space which means the exhaust manifold has to come off. Disconnect the two oxygen sensor connectors so you can slide the heatshields over them. The top shield is held by four 12mm bolts, the bottom by four 10mm bolts. The exhaust manifold is held by six 14mm nuts...two on top and four on the bottom, make sure you get them all. In pic26 you can see I removed the alternator; this is to get the last nut off easily and so you can pull the manifold off the studs. Torque on the manifold nuts is 36 ft-lbs.

pic27 is a picture from below of the three locknuts that hold the midpipe to the front TWC. Actually, the one I rounded is not visible. Rest assured, I have to grind it off in the car.

 

Next up, you have to remove the splash shield (Toyota calls it the "center engine under cover"). If yours is anything like mine, after many, many scrapes as the crossmember bottoms out on asphalt you will end up with bolts that look like pic28, with deformed heads. The splash shield is held by two screws that go into plastic inserts on the edges (cannot touch the ground, take a good look), and eight of those bolts. All of mine were messed up.

Back to extractors and my lack of mastery with them. I originally tried to get the bolts out using spiral-fluted extractors, like in pic29. You use the left-handed cobalt bit to drill a hole, then turn the extractor in while pushing so it grips the bolt and starts it turning. Cobalt bits are a lot harder than high-speed steel (HSS) bits, but they are also a lot more brittle. You have to be careful to keep it straight while drilling because any wobbling will become positive feedback and snap the bit. Also, you should drive the extractors by hand using a tap wrench; I used my drill on the low setting, and in pic30 you can see I broke off the extractor in a bolt. If you use these on splash shield bolts, do yourself a favor and wear eye protection (I like Honeywell Uvex goggles, https://www.amazon.com/Uvex-Stealth...Goggles-Anti-Fog-Anti-Scratch/dp/B003U9VE94/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8) and a mask (3M 8511, https://www.amazon.com/3M-8511-Part...articulate-Respirator-10-Pack/dp/B0002YKBV2/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8) because otherwise you WILL get eyefuls of rust and metal shavings. This type of extractor can work in this situation, but there's a better way.

pic31 shows Irwin Bolt-Grip extractors. They are reverse-fluted sockets that are just a bit smaller (more like closer, reduced diameter) at the right places to grip and start turning. Specifically designed for extracting rounded-off heads. I used the 11mm size and all eight came out without a fuss!

 

Alright, this is as far as I got today, so last post for a bit.

Now it's time to disconnect the shifter cable. In pic32, you can see the little arm at the bottom of the cable that's held by two 12mm nuts. Take off the nut that holds the shifter cable to the arm (but not the one that holds the arm to the NSS), then thread the nut back onto the cable so you don't lose it. Torque is 11 ft-lbs.

The manual calls for pulling off the clip that holds the shifter cable to its bracket, but mine wouldn't budge so I removed the whole bracket. It's held by two 12mm bolts that you can get to by moving the shifter cable around. pic33 shows the cable w/bracket lying on the fuse box.

At this point it got too dark to get anything else done, so I dropped the car. If you need to move the car, you can move the trans into Neutral by moving that little arm on the NSS. Lowest position is Park, a click up is Reverse, etc.

 

Nice. That's a big job! Added to the sticky.

 

This is great!

Stupid question: if the AT seals are leaking, why is the upper side of the bellhousing caked with oil?

I understand the pan to be dirty and leaking but how will the upper side of the bellhousing be caked with oil?

 

That oil is residual, it dripped from when the distributor's internal seals blew. It now has a reman distributor.

Extra info: the distributor has a weep hole, and it will leak from here if the internal seal blows (weep hole is like the WP).

This isn't about an AT seal (pan is getting a new gasket but is not leaking), this is about the oil seal that goes on the back of the crank. When I drop it I'll of course check if the transmission fluid pump seal is leaking and replace that.

 

OK, I'm back. At this point the manual calls for removing the fender apron seals (those panels held on by two bolts right behind each wheel that look like afterthoughts) and the CV axles. If you want to remove the aprons you can, they're no big deal. We'll remove the axles later.

Right now, we're tackling the midpipe, since it's been soaking in Aerokroil for a day and a half. Note: wear eye protection; chances are, you'll be seeing a lot of rust flakes trying to blind you! I started at the rear flange: pic34 shows a 14mm crowfoot wrench waiting to be turned. The crimped insulator on the cat prevents my ratcheting wrenches and sockets from getting on there, but once you break the nut loose you can get a socket on the other side (bolt head, also 14mm) and go to town. One of the nuts came out with a SNAP, the other one rounded off. This was a good use of an angle grinder. Both the bolt head and nut flange were rusted to the flange, so I cut off the bolt head, jammed a screwdriver in the joint with a deadblow mallet to force the bolt loose. That didn't work so I started grinding the nut away. When grinding a nut you want to get as much of it off as possible, so that any remainder is only on one thread of the bolt/stud shank and wants to fall off. Takes practice to shave it well without marring the pipe flange (that the nut and bolt have to seat against). If I were to do this again, I would get 5" cutting wheels for the extra "reach" over 4.5". pic35 shows the easy bolt and nut, along with the bastards that didn't want to come out! Torque on these is 41 ft-lbs.

Once you have the rear flange apart, pry off the old exhaust ring gasket. The midpipe hanger is held on by two 12mm bolts, undo them. Torque is 24 ft-lbs.

I started with the back because I had an idea that didn't work. Take a look at pic36 and pic37 and see if you can figure out what it was :grin:

Also, take a look at my banged up oil filter lol. Dropped the exhaust manifold on it once.

Silver lining was that getting the front TWC up this high gave me the clearance to take my angle grinder to the nut I rounded off a while back (pic38). Note: See the grooves in it? I originally tried to use my Dremel, which didn't cut the mustard by a long shot. Of course, I bought the angle grinder and never looked back.

 

OK, O2 sensors are ceramic (read: fragile). We're going to remove them before doing anything else to the exhaust piping. The pre-cat sensor (pic39) is held by two 12mm nuts (dunno the torque. Keep it low, 18 ft-lbs maybe?) and the post-cat sensor (pic40, with socket not quite all the way on it) needs a 7/8" oxygen sensor socket. I couldn't find the torque, but on my Insight (which uses NGK sensors with very similar mechanical specifications), it's 31 ft-lbs so that's what I use. Replace the pre-cat sensor gasket with a new one.

pic41 shows both sensors with the old pre-cat gasket.

Now I made sure the exhaust manifold was balanced but stable (because I don't want it to fall, break a fragile cutting wheel, and send shrapnel everywhere. The guard only does so much!). This was easy to cut off, but you have to be careful to let the cut-off part cool before trying to take it off (8000 RPM for 30 seconds will cook things in a jiffy). Then, put the manifold back on its studs and use some long extensions to get to the 14mm nuts from below (torque is 46 ft-lbs). I ended up with pic42, and used my trusty-dusty stud extractor to get the stud out. It came out without any fuss...looks like the nut was rusted to the flange and causing the problem. pic43 is the cut-off nut.

 

pic44 shows the two pipe gaskets, which must be replaced (well duh, they're flaking rust everywhere!). pic45 shows the midpipe (clean the flanges, will ya? Yeah, I will. Eye protection, mask, and a steel cup brush on a drill) and you can see where oil grime is accumulating. The flexpipe is clear because I recently blasted it with a lot of acetone to get it clear, but it will grime up again in a hurry.

OK guys, now I need your help to do some detective work. Check pic46: it shows a clear, not-obstructed-by-that-stupid-exhaust view of the back of the engine. I am going to clean it with brake cleaner, but you can see oil down the back of the intake, on the knock sensor harness, and on the sheaths that consolidate the vacuum lines. You can't quite see the VSV's, but they are dry and so is their vacuum piping. Check pic47: that loom is oily. When the distributor was leaking, that loom was a lot oilier but it still is. pic48 shows an exemplary oil pan bolt; they are all like that since I just sealed the pan.

The VC is not leaking, HG is not leaking...I inspected around the edge of the head with a borescope and the VC is brand new and sealed properly (the prying flanges under the VC are shiny clean). PCV system is operating correctly and lines are new, TB seals are bone dry. Obviously I'm still doing the rear main seal but where else could the oil be coming from?

 

WTF is this Comcast Survey shit I keep getting redirected to, only happens on TN. Anybody else experience this?

OK, next step is to remove the last bolt holding the front motor mount to the subframe (pic49). 14mm: if your car is a J-VIN, torque is 59 ft-lbs. For a 4-VIN, a green bolt is 48 ft-lbs and a silver bolt is 32 ft-lbs.

Remove the three nuts holding the rear motor mount to the subframe (14mm deep socket, torque is 59 ft-lbs). In pic50, one nut is exposed and the other two are inside the subframe tubing, covered by grommets (plugs, I'm missing one).

pic51 shows the transaxle mounting nuts (behind the plugs you see). Undo them: 14mm, torque is 59 ft-lbs.

Next up, the manual wants us to get the steering gear housing out of the way so the subframe can be dropped. First, the stabilizer bar has to come out.

I did my endlinks but not my front bushings a while back due to a lack of flex-head 12mm wrench. Going to do bushings while I'm at it. pic52 shows an endlink. 17mm Nyloc nuts, take the bottom off first, then push it out and take off the top nut. My aftermarket ones are a lot stiffer than the shot OEM ones I took out a while back, so I didn't need to counterhold the stud (5mm hex I think). Torque is 47 ft-lbs. You will need to counterhold to torque them down, so you'll need a 17mm crowfoot on your torque wrench. Go look up the formula and account for the extra length from the pivot point.

Once you have both endlinks out, you take out the bushings. I strongly recommend a flex-head 12mm ratcheting wrench for these, as the steering gear doesn't leave much clearance (definitely not enough to get a socket in there). pic53 shows my wrench already on the troublesome rear bolt. The bracket will lift off and the bushing is split so you can just pull it off. Torque is 14 ft-lbs but let's face it, you're never going to torque these lol. German torque setting, Gutantite.

 

OK, you can kind of see in pic54 that my bushing(s) were worn from all the sway bar's up-and-down.

Now since the sway bar has so many kinks in it, we need to lift the steering gear housing up and out of the way to get it out (a buddy is really helpful here). First you need to get the tie rods out of their knuckles. Use needlenose pliers to get the cotter pin off, then a 17mm socket to get the castle nut off. Use a Pitman arm puller to get the tie rod out (it has a taper so it's kinda press-fit). I think mine are worn (no grease leakage, though), I can pop them out with my hands. Torque is 36 ft-lbs. pic55 is a (bad) picture of the tie rod end sitting in the knuckle with no castle nut or cotter pin.

You will need your cheater pipe for the next step. The steering gear housing is held by two 19mm bolts and locking nuts to the subframe. pic56 shows a bolt (I am looking up from the rear of the subframe, the sway bar is blocking it). You lift the sway bar and get your socket over the bolt, then get your cheater pipe over your ratchet. Torque is 134 ft-lbs. Once the bolt breaks loose, you will have to counterhold the nut on the other side to get it out (power ratchet really helps here). pic57 shows the bolt and nut, you can kind of see the locking tab on the nut.

That's all for today. Tomorrow, I'll hang the engine up, drop the subframe, and drop the transmission!

EDIT: Will drop trans on Monday, I've been busy.

...oh, and if anybody has any insight on the oiliness, I'd appreciate it. Really sick of breathing oil fumes :frown:

 

Any leaks on the front end of the engine? Like cam seal for example. Wonder if it's residual oil from the distributor leak on the back of the engine.

 

Nah, I took apart the timing stuff to do the valve stem seals less than 150 miles ago, cam seal, crank seal, oil pump seals are holding.

Might be residual, oil takes a long time to smoke away, especially when trapped in the flexpipe lattice. Reason I thought of rear main seal is that no way would any residual oil cause that much smoke, and it was dripping from the flexplate cover.

 

I'm back.

Man, what a day. Friend got me sick, so I'm taking it slow on this. Also no hot shower because that damn GE water heater is out, pilot light not lighting but I smell a bit of gas.

Stuff I did today...wear goggles. If your car is as grimy as mine underneath, you'll get eyefuls (and mouthfuls!) of grime every time you tap the vehicle.

OK, so today I decided to remove the CV axles in preparation for the subframe drop. First, you gotta remove the CV axle nut. pic58 shows this nut; PO put after market axles in, and you can see the nuts they came with block the cotter pin hole. I would rather put a cotter pin in, but I've tested and tested these to see if they've backed out with the lack of a cotter pin, and every single one has always been tight at least to the specified torque (217 ft-lbs). Not an excuse though. If you don't have an impact wrench, have a buddy hold the brakes or put the car on the ground with the parking brake set and hubcap/wheel cover removed. I forget what the stock nut is...I want to say 30mm? Most aftermarket nuts are 32mm.

Undo the 12mm bolt that holds the brake line to the bracket on the strut. Torque is 22 ft-lbs, but who cares.

Next up, the strut-to-steering-knuckle bolts, shown in pic59. 22mm, torque is 156 ft-lbs, so an impact wrench would again be handy. Loosen the nut, not the bolt. The bolts might not want to come out: you can relieve the tension from the strut by pushing against the top of the rotor. When reassembling, coat the threads of the strut bolts with engine oil.

Now you can push down and pull outward on the steering knuckle to get the axle out. pic60 shows it out; you'll notice I screwed up and didn't undo the brake hose until later and the hose is getting pulled.

OK, on to the driver's side axle. There is a plastic cover over it that is held on my two 12mm bolts (pic61): get this out of the way. The next part is annoying, and you will need a buddy. Ideally, you want to pry on the driver's side CV axle (or any CV axle that's held in the differential by a hog ring) at two locations 180 degrees apart. Best way to do this is you have a friend pry with a long (two foot) prybar from the top, and you use a shorter prybar from below. The differential retainer is like a hood over the axle so you don't have good access...you will need to twist and get it in there so it won't slip off. Sorry I don't have pics, no way to take out my phone without getting a face full of prybar :smile:. Once it pops out, pull the axle free. The differential should be empty and thus should not leak.

 

Took me a good 30 minutes of trying before I called my neighbor over and we got it out in another 15. On to the passenger side!

This CV axle is longer and is supported in the middle by a bearing carrier. Make sure your fender apron is out (two 10mm bolts) if it wasn't before, it'll make it easier to see stuff. pic62 shows this assembly.

There is a 14mm lock bolt (the empty tapped hole) that you take out first (torque: 24 ft-lbs). It is very common for some jackhole to have over-tightened this, so watch out and use Aerokroil if necessary.

It's really grimy in the pic, but next to the CV axle inner cup is a snap ring that holds the bearing in the carrier. A pair of long-reach pliers will get that off in a hurry, then the axle pulls right out (they didn't add a hog ring on the splined part on these, only held in by the snap ring. I did a 2009 Camry and it was a PitA to get out because of that. Well, at least you could get one of those AutoZone FWD axle pullers and a slide hammer on these, unlike the driver's side). Of course, the bearing may be rusted in the carrier...in which case you have a mess on your hands. You can get an FWD axle puller and slide hammer and try to get it out, or unbolt the carrier, take it all out, and bang away at it. When reassembling, use penetrating fluid in the carrier and on the lock bolt.

pic63 shows the snap ring sitting pretty (or not) on the removed axle. pic64 shows the driver's axle splines with the hog ring, and the passenger's without.

A side note: I bought the Steck Axle Popper tool from Amazon to aid in removing these (pic65). A good idea, but useless for this car: the driver's side differential retainer prevents getting it in there, and the passenger's side has no hog ring to necessitate this tool. I can see where they'd be useful, but I won't list them in the Tools section because they weren't used here.

 

OK, so I removed the other 19mm bolt (driver's side) that holds the steering gear housing to the subframe. This one is a bitch to get a grip on! What holds you up is the plastic cover for the brake lines going to the back (pic66). I used a short 19mm socket, a U-joint (U-joints are for losers, always flopping around not going where you want them to. Use them as a last resort), a six-inch extension, and a cheater pipe on my 1/2" ratchet to get it loose. My crappy low-grade Craftsman ratchet had a lot of flex to it, and with very little clearance I skinned my knuckle the first time around (pic67. Warning:...it's not that graphic. If you can't take a slightly bloody finger, stop right now and call a mechanic who makes house calls. Otherwise, yes, I was happy to flip off the car). Once you get it and the locknut out, push up on the steering gear housing, lifting it so it clears the sway bar. Now, if that buddy from before is still lounging around, get them to pull out the sway bar! pic68 shows the sway bar almost out, resting on the concrete with my buddy's feet. He's proud: he helped!

Tie the steering gear housing to the rear motor mount bracket so that it won't drop out when you get the subframe off. pic69 shows how I did this: I wrapped it back and the hooks are grabbing the bearing carrier.

Well, that's all for today. Tomorrow, I'll get the subframe off and we'll drop the trans for sure. Going to rain Thursday so only have two days to finish up here.

Now to tackle that damn water heater. I swear, if it's busted after a year, I'm just putting in a nice Ecosmart or some other sexy tankless deal.

 

Man that's a LOT of work. You must really love that car. :smile: I got to say though, you have stamina. Keep going. Almost there.

 

Lol thanks. Gotta get it together today because it's going to rain tomorrow...

 

Alright, I hope you have your engine hoist handy. pic70 shows my Harbor Freight model; it's been sitting for a year or so. Lot of tetanus water came out of the extendo-legs, you can see it after I dumped it out on the asphalt. So that's where that orange sauce at burrito places comes from...

You need to unbolt the steering return pipe (two 12mm bolts, 7 ft-lbs) from the subframe on the passenger side. See pic71. This is the last thing attached to the subframe.

Now we need to turn out the ends of the fender liners that are covering up the subframe bolts and nuts. pic72 shows the front side; you only need to take off the 10mm screws in the front, and you can drop the plastic to reveal a front subframe mount (pic73).

 

In pic74, you can barely see the single 10mm screw you need to take out to reveal the rear subframe mount. pic75 shows the mount underneath the fender liner. As you can see, mine scraped on something and bent at the edge. I bent it out with a pair of Vise-grips; otherwise, it was blocking access to that nut.

This is a good time to support the engine with your hoist. Originally, I had the hoist facing the vehicle from the front, as you would expect. This is not optimal, given what we're trying to do. I repositioned it as you see in pic76, from the side. This way, you can push in jacks from the driver's side. Oh, my engine sling? That's made from a piece of Superstrut, couple long bolts, washers and nuts, and chain from Orchard Supply Hardware. Hm, I should find some Home Improvement episodes to watch sometime.

Oh, we will drop the subframe with the lower control arms attached, so undo the two nuts and bolt (14mm, 94 ft-lbs) that hold each ball joint to the control arm (pic77). This way, the steering knuckle stays on the strut and the control arms drop with the subframe.

 

OK, now to drop the subframe. I used my floor jack to support the subframe on the driver's side (pic78). Each front corner is held by a 19mm bolt and a 14mm nut. Each back corner is held by a 19mm bolt, 14mm bolt, and 14mm nut. Torque is 134 ft-lbs for 19mm, 24 ft-lbs for 14mm bolts, and 27 ft-lbs for 14mm nuts.

pic79 shows a front mount plate, removed. pic80 shows a rear mount plate, removed. These plates only go back on their respective sides. I decided to undo the passenger's side first, then the driver's. Then, I lowered the jack slowly, bringing the subframe down; it was resting on the hoist's legs and the jack's body. After pulling the jack out, I dragged out the subframe with some cardboard under it to prevent scraping the lower control arm. pic81 shows the freed subframe.