95 5FSE Head Gasket? - Toyota Nation Forum : Toyota Car and Truck Forums

toyotatyrant · 08-14-2008, 01:29 PM

Hi Guys this is my first ever post here,

I am considering tackling a head gasket on a 95 Camry LE 5SFE. To all the forum member who have done it,

How long should it take me, and how tough is the job?

What surprises, if any, should I be aware of with this particular repair?

And what specialty tools, if any, should I have at hand?

All input is more than welcome and appreciated.

96CamrySport · 08-15-2008, 02:30 AM

long job for a noob. find the "search" button on these forums and search for "head gasket", you'll find lots of posts on it. also, how experienced are you? this is not a beginner's job, and it takes some time.

Stillrunning · 08-15-2008, 04:24 AM

As 96CamrySport says it is a large job for someone who has never done it before, especially if you don't have the tools - a prerequisite. It can be done as a learning experience if you are not in a hurry. Using a Haynes Manual and following the steps outlined there will make it possible and save you a lot of labor charges - but if you get it wrong on re-assembly, you may end up paying someone to do the work all over. A basic understanding of auto mechanics is necessary, but the Haynes manuals usually do a good job of giving you achievable step-by-step instructions. I used a Haynes to tear down and rebuild a Honda engine (my first), so it is possible, but you will need time and a place to do it.

toyotatyrant · 08-15-2008, 09:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 96CamrySport

long job for a noob. find the "search" button on these forums and search for "head gasket", you'll find lots of posts on it. also, how experienced are you? this is not a beginner's job, and it takes some time.

Thanks for the initial replies guys,

Fortunately, I am not an inexperienced tech by any means. YEARS ago I used to work on cars for a living. Basically these Gen 3's were just hitting the road when I was in the process of changing careers. I haven't turned wrenches on a regular in about 9 years. Working the proverbial desk job for so long kinda contributes to fading memory and skills

. The majority of my experience was with the stuff that blew up all the time, the Fords, GM's, Chrysler's, along with the badged imported throw away Frankenstein cars that they sold under their marquees (remember cars like the 80's remake of the Pontiac Lemans?

cross and holy water required!).

I've done everything from swap motors, to electrical work(my specialty), to wheel alignments and AC, Brakes, front end work, you name it. It's just i've been pushin pencils for so long that I am a rusty

. So I'm doing a little recon beforehand so I can get a good idea of what to expect before I decide to dive in. Like I say I've done just about everything to the "domestic junk" that was on the road back then, so i do indeed have a great understanding of cars in general.

Venom_5 · 08-15-2008, 10:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Topic

95 5FSE Head Gasket?

they never made a 5F ... the F-series engine ended with the 3F-E in 1992 when it was replaced by the FZ-series, both of which were used for the Toyota LandCruiser

but in all seriousness - my first question would be, are you sure the head gasket is what needs replacement? and if so, replacing a head gasket on the 5S shouldnt be difficult for someone who is experienced with swapping engines ... www.**********s.com/camry/ has service manuals for our cars, and its really a matter of how much you enjoy wrenching because its just a bunch of bolts really, and knowing how to keep track of your steps and how to properly handle engine internals

toyotatyrant · 08-16-2008, 08:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Venom_5

but in all seriousness - my first question would be, are you sure the head gasket is what needs replacement?

Yeah I'm sure its the head gasket. There is a minute amount of coolant condensation starting to collect in the oil fill cap. And I rather nail it sooner than later.

toyotatyrant · 10-29-2008, 03:10 AM

Well guys, last month I had two weeks worth of vacation that I was basiclly forced to use or lose, so I used the first week to tackle that head gasket I was asking about. The Camry factory manual from **********s was a fantastic resource I must state

. The nice thing is that my skills came right back to me just like riding a bike.

For the most part, the repair was straight forward. The only thing that worried me was removing the exhaust and intake camshafts, but by carefully reading the manual the cams removal and replacement went smoothly. Again the repair was pretty straight forward which was refreshing to me.

While in the midst of the repair I went ahead and replaced items such as the water pump, cam and crank seals, thermostat (from the dealer), timing belt and tensioners, valve stem seals, all radiator and heater hoses, and many other misc items. After the head came back from the machine shop and everything was put back together and torqued to spec(I also used my torque angle gauge for precision 90 degree turns on the torque to yield head bolts). It fired right up on the first tap of the key

. I set the base ignition timing, checked for leaks, and buttoned everything up.

So far It's been atleast 4+ going on 5 weeks and around 1100+ miles later, and I've been driving it to work 4 days a week. I get just about 2 weeks out of a tank of gas. There is no coolant loss or condensation building up under the oil cap anymore.

I am quite satisfied.