Opinion wanted on valve adjustment

[kjd]

I have a 99 V6 Camry with 108,000 miles. My mechanic states I need a valve adjustment for preventive maintenance for $350. Do I really need this and is the price within reason?

[menaboy64]

$350 for a valve adjustment?!?!? Your mechanic is a twat, sorry. That is way to much to just take off the valve cover and set the clearances. You can do it with a few hand tools and a feeler guage. Unless he meant a valve job but that's not preventative maintanence, thats major work. Look at a Hayne's manual and you can do it yourself.

[tom_d]

On your car, the valve adjustment requires specialized tools. Plus there are two valve covers to take off not one, and you have to take off the intake plenum to reach them. It's kind of a wacky design but for the labor involved, $350 is not out of line. Whether you really need it is a different question. If the car has been well-maintained (i.e. plenty of oil changes and never overheating), then these valves do not go very far out of adjustment. If not, and if you want to keep the car for a few more years, then it's probably worth considering having this done.

[Cyorke]

Do not do it. The Toyota engines use shims for lack of a better word to adjust valves. It is not like adjsuting the valves on a Honda or 22RE Toyota. I worked at a Toyota dealer for almost three years and we never I repeat never did a valve adjustment on a d 3s, 5s, 1mz, 3vz, 2vz etc.etc....the Shims are differeing thicknesses so you have to get the measurement then take the old one out measure it then go to the next shim up or down that will give you the clearance needed to be within specs. It can be a very time consuming job.