Home repair feasible?

[SF_Camry]

So, I have a '93 Camry I bought recently and the previous owner seriously misrepresented the condition... it would be 800 to fix in a shop, which I rather can't afford right now.

Apparently the problem (described to my by a dealership mechanic) is that "the valves need to be adjusted and the gasket replaced," because the gasket is leaking oil quite badly, to the point where it's running out and ruining other things.

So... first of all, what valves and gaskets is he talking about? Will it become clear if I read Chilton's or something? I guess I could call tomorrow and make him pull my file, find out what's really going on. Secondly, is this at all a realistic fix for a total newbie mechanic? I can jack up the car if necessary, but anything requiring any serious machinery is out obviously.

Any other forums I should try if I decide to plunge into this?


Thanks!

[njerald]

Originally Posted by SF_Camry

So, I have a '93 Camry I bought recently and the previous owner seriously misrepresented the condition... it would be 800 to fix in a shop, which I rather can't afford right now.

Apparently the problem (described to my by a dealership mechanic) is that "the valves need to be adjusted and the gasket replaced," because the gasket is leaking oil quite badly, to the point where it's running out and ruining other things.

So... first of all, what valves and gaskets is he talking about? Will it become clear if I read Chilton's or something? I guess I could call tomorrow and make him pull my file, find out what's really going on. Secondly, is this at all a realistic fix for a total newbie mechanic? I can jack up the car if necessary, but anything requiring any serious machinery is out obviously.

Any other forums I should try if I decide to plunge into this?


Thanks!

A gasket and valve adjustment shouldn't be anywhere close to $800. Must be more work than that.

You are way over your head even so.

[Mike Gerber]

SF_Camry,

There is a generation 3 (92-96) Toyota factory manual stickied at the top of this forum. Download it and save it to a disk, if you have access to a CD burner. You can read through it at your leisure and decide if a job is too difficult for you to attempt.

That said, you don't give any other information on the car, like what engine (4 or 6 cylinder), how many miles are on it, what shape the car is in, and what maintenance has been done to the car - if you know?

"A gasket and valve adjustment shouldn't be anywhere close to $800. Must be more work than that."

I totally agree with what njerald has stated here. A cam cover gasket and a valve adjustment can not cost $800. Find out what else needs to be repaired for that $800. If it were just a valve cover gasket you could probably do that yourself, if you had the right tools. That's a pretty srtight forward job. However, if you are going to get the valves adjusted, it would be part of the labor to remove and replace the gasket in the process, so decide what you need to do first.

You might also consider getting a second opinoin from an independent shop. If you don't know of anyone, ask your friends and neighbors for a recommendation.

Mike