93 camry 3.0L engine problems?

[Csumler]

Have a 93 camry LXE with 183k
that was givin to me from family, currently does not idle dont know why?
also word throught the grape vine is the exhaust is pumping into the water system creating a hot spot?
Replacement options? heads and or engine?
convert to turbo diesel? What will and will not fit?
Thanks

[hairball]

Sounds like a blown head gasket to me. I've seen blown head gaskets that don't always cause water in the oil but that do cause exhaust pressure to seep into the engine. Many folks automatically believe that water in the oil is the only sign of a blown head gasket, but this is not always the case. But no matter what, I'd suggest a compression test on all cylinders. This is often times the best way to discover a blown head gasket besides doing a pressure test on the radiator (which could and/or would show excessive exhaust pressure being circulated into the crankcase. Just MHO.


Good luck!

[Csumler]

Thank you 'hairball'
and there has seemed to be alot of that going around ..

[Mister_Perkins]

yep , hairballs got it right

The tester i think he is talking about for the radiator is called a combustion leak tester

[Csumler]

Does anyone know if the engine must be pulled to change head gaskets? are they challenging to change? thanks

[hairball]

I've done a gazillion head gaskets over the years and have NEVER, ever had to pull an engine to do them. Not on anything from big blocks to 4-bangers. And the hardest part about a head gasket is your lower back will be killing you before you're done! That, and you often have to do a lot of scraping on the block to be absolutely SURE you get every microscopic particle of the old gasket off of the surface.

But no, they are not hard and you won't need to pull the engine.

A good tip/suggestion to keep in mind:
Grab a roll of masking tape! Each wire or hose you remove, if there is ANY doubt as to where it will plug back in when you go to reconnect stuff, use making tape and a Sharpie marker to mark both ends. I often use a number for each. I used to write "EGR" or "small plug next to..." but it's too much work to write all that. So I just mark the tape with a 1, 2, 3, etc and mark what you pull it off with the same corresponding number. This will make plugging stuff back in so much easier. And alternative is to tape and mark the wire only but keep a list on a sheet of paper of where that hose or wire was plugged in.

Good luck! It's an easy job if you have a strong lower back!

[LynchburgCSI]

Little side note... the 3vz-fe (92-93 V6 camrys) are FAMOUS for blowing head gaskets.