[dc_98_cam]

Have you removed the cylinder heads yet?
Generally speaking, you first remove the cylinder heads, then you remove the lower half of each connecting rod, and then push the pistons out through the top of the block. You want to keep all the connecting rod halves together, so that you can reassemble them the same way.

After you have removed all the connecting rods and the pistons, you then remove the main crank bearings, which frees up the crankshaft.

One minor detail is to put a short length of rubber tubing over each connecting rod bolt, as you are removing it from the crankshaft throw, in order to keep the rod throw from being scratched. Apparently, marring or damaging the smooth rod throw surface could make a difference in the oil distribution.

Can you provide a little better picture next time... maybe a little more light to see what you are doing. ... thanks. ... Do you have a service manual to use as a reference? There are probably a few details that you would want to check up on. You can download a service manual if you don't have one. The link is
http://www.techinfo.toyota.com/

 

[Northish]

Cylinder heads? I didn't know you could take apart the piston heads from the top, this is what you see from the top:

I've downgraded to a potato with no flash since then, so unfortunately it'll be bad quality, no escaping that. The lighting in the garage is pretty good but I took that at a crap angle lol, maybe I need a camera :S

This is a slightly brighter photo a while before I took out those bolts:

I hadn't thought to look at the manual :headbang: That'd be a thought haha.

When I take out the rods should I be careful to remember where they go and what position they were all in? Or just make sure I remember exactly how they went together?

Thanks for the reply

 

[Northish]

Ok the 3vz manual is awesome, thanks for reminding me I had it

 

[Northish]

Ok looks like I had the right idea, I was just a few steps ahead haha.

What I was trying to remove was the bearing cap, which I have to do anyway to get the the brackets holding the pistons to the shaft. A bit further than the Cylinder heads haha

 

[dc_98_cam]

When I take out the rods should I be careful to remember where they go and what position they were all in? Or just make sure I remember exactly how they went together?

When I removed the connecting rods, I would take a sharp pointed chisel, called a prick punch, and make a dot ... two dots ... etc. on each connecting rod. There is usually a flat spot at the bottom which is convenient. The dots would identify each connecting rod as to where it is from the front of the engine ... #1, #2, and so on. Maybe make a dot on both rod halves to be able to put them back together correctly.

Also there is a tolerance measurement that you might want to look at. This would be the amount of clearance ... or slap ... that each connecting rod has as it sits in place on the crank throw. I can't recall at the moment, but it is listed in the FSM. If you have too much longitudinal gap on the rod faces, then you will have to find a replacement rod. At your engine mileage, you might want to take a look at that specification. All you do is get a feeler gauge, and see which one will fit in between the lower rod face and the corresponding crank throw face.

... pictures are much better.

 

[Mark D.]

Ok looks like I had the right idea, I was just a few steps ahead haha.

What I was trying to remove was the bearing cap, which I have to do anyway to get the the brackets holding the pistons to the shaft. A bit further than the Cylinder heads haha

Each of the six connecting-rods (the bracket that holds the piston to the shaft) have a bearing cap that must be removed. Then the piston and rod slides out the top. Before removing anything, be sure to mark each rod's bearing-cap so it goes back on the same rod, and in the same direction. Also note the direction and/or mark the pistons & rods so they'll go back in the same direction.

Happy Motoring, Mark

 

[dc_98_cam]

Mark D. is correct. The pistons have a notch or similar marking ... look on top of the piston face ... that orients them with the front of the engine. Be sure to have that mark placed correctly when you reassemble them into the engine.

 

[Northish]

Ok definitely good to know, thanks a lot guys. This'll be good if I decide to ditch getting larger pistons and just making a clean stock motor