[pmesfun]

It looks like an intake plenum anchor bolt.

 

[fenixus]

wow, that dog bone was busted. check your other mounts as well. easiest to tell by asking a buddy/girl/wife to shift through gears with brake pedal depressed (can also push gas a little after each shift). might be hard to check higher gears on manual box, but should work for 1,2 or even 3rd. check the reverse too.

you stand in front of car with open hood an observe how engine moves. My opinion is that some other mount (either front or rear) is already shot and was putting extra stress on the dog bone when shifting gears.

sorry bro, can't help much with other stuff, i'm a noob in terms of head gasket jobs. hopefully others will chime in with some wisdom.

 

[doozergreengrass]

Thanks pmesfun.

It looks like an intake plenum anchor bolt.

I know some of you will roll yr eyes lol, but where on the intake is that plz?! I've always from beginning suspected this was an exhaust bolt, but I forgot about it til the other day when I was pottering around in the garage

EDIT: (looking up intake plenum in ef es em). Btw cheers for the ef es em Lynchburg if I didn't thank you at the time (it was so many pages back i've forgotten lol)

EDIT2: lol can't find the word 'plenum' in ef es em, searched the document - love that word search feature!!

 

[fenixus]

you've got some left over bolts?

good chance your vibrations/clunking come from spots where car is missing them.

 

[pmesfun]

Thanks pmesfun.



I know some of you will roll yr eyes lol, but where on the intake is that plz?! I've always from beginning suspected this was an exhaust bolt, but I forgot about it til the other day when I was pottering around in the garage

EDIT: (looking up intake plenum in ef es em). Btw cheers for the ef es em Lynchburg if I didn't thank you at the time (it was so many pages back i've forgotten lol)

EDIT2: lol can't find the word 'plenum' in ef es em, searched the document - love that word search feature!!

I don't know about the 5s-fe, but the V6 has two anchors on the intake plenum connected to the head, to hold the plenum in place. On the rear of the engine. The anchors should be black. Only reason why I suggested them is because that bolt looks exactly like the anchors bolt on mine.
I think they should be listed under cylinder head installation in the FSM.

 

[doozergreengrass]

you've got some left over bolts?

Yes. The one pictured above. And 2 x 10mm bolts same as oil pump/timing cover bolts (hangs head in shame lmfao!!!!!) 3 altogether.

 

[doozergreengrass]

I don't know about the 5s-fe, but the V6 has two anchors on the intake plenum connected to the head, to hold the plenum in place. On the rear of the engine. The anchors should be black. Only reason why I suggested them is because that bolt looks exactly like the anchors bolt on mine.
I think they should be listed under cylinder head installation.

I think I might just go jack the car up, get the torch out and have another look around there. After all its a fairly decent sized bolt.

And yes, i'll be using my axle stands not my scissor jack, don't want it to melt in the sun.......

 

[doozergreengrass]

Wtf? With the front of the car off the ground, I was just rotating the steering wheel. I could hear a noise. Anyway about to jump under the car to find where my missing bolt should be. Popped the bonnet to let more light in and there's power steering fluid all over the top of the p/s bottle. So turning the steering wheel caused it to pump out? even with the lid on? Is that normal?! The noise was the p/s fluid being pushed out the top of the reservoir.

 

[doozergreengrass]

Ok so while under there looking for where the bolt goes (still couldn't find it!) I happened to be on the right angle with my head and the torch and I could see light between 2 pieces of metal where it shouldn't be. Exhaust/engine mount. cracked right through, from one side to the other. funny thing is the exhaust still can't be moved by hand. but it'd seem this was the source of the vibration. and it'd explain why it didn't happen straight away. I know why, because I couldn't get the exhaust off the manifold, I left it there. Which was ok for taking it off the head. But getting it back onto the head I jacked it from the pipe which raised it enough to fit it back on. Obviously weakened it too much, and after a bit of driving it gave way. I really am hoping this was my problem.

 

[doozergreengrass]

Noise problem solved with 2nd hand transmission/exhaust mount. $2.80 from pick-a-part including $1 entry fee! I was talking to a fella pulling stuff off the same camry as me and he reckoned they break often on these cars. Anyway the one I pulled had a slight crack, so i'll get it welded up soon. And the old one I pulled off had a huge blob of weld holding it together until it snapped. It was easy to see once removed. I still wonder where that bolt goes though lol....