dc17h21o4n

Would doing VTC repair as your first major car repair be brilliance or insanity? Never have replaced belts, brakes, two years ago couldn’t change tires without help, is this a disaster waiting to happen?

Last summer, I bought my car with ticking VTC’s with the intent of one day getting them fixed at a shop. About a month later I got fed up with the noise and grounded them. As the months went on I got this crazy idea of fixing them myself. At the time the only thing I have ever done to my car was change the oil, front fuel injector, and the starter. I figured it would be a good learning experience. With the recent 30% off sale from Jerry Rome I ordered brand new VTC sprockets, valve cover gaskets, intake manifold gaskets, spark plugs, fuel filter, thermostat, chain tensioners, and radiator hoses and a new knock sensor and harness. I went and bought some 3 ½ ton jack stands from Sears because I would definitely need those.

Two weeks ago on Tuesday night I started my project. I relieved the fuel pressure, disconnected the battery, and started removing the intake plenum. I labeled all of the vacuum hoses and put all of the bolts in Ziploc bags with paper notes describing what they were for. I also drained the radiator and removed the hoses. My only issue was the egr tube that didn’t want to come off very easily, but I eventually got it off.

The next morning I got the plenum off and then decided I would take the belts off the car. So I jacked the car up and since was the first time I have ever used jack stands I looked in my FSM to find out where they go. I put one behind the passenger’s wheel. I got the A/C belt off relatively easy. The alternator belt was easy too. When I tried to remove the PS belt the bolt kept spinning and spinning. I laid down and looked at it and it was FUBARED. So I took my electric impact and impacted it off. I was then able to take the belt off. Next I took off the front valve cover and replaced my spark plugs for the first time with NGK plats. I then took off the A/C idler pulley and front timing cover. I then kept rotating the crankshaft by hand to try aligning it to TDC but I couldn’t find any silver links. When I was rotating it by hand it appeared that the bottom chain was jumping because it kept popping up. When I saw this, my heart sank and was quite mad because I knew my engine timing was off. This would cause the engine to blow up, and I haven’t even touched the timing chains yet! In quite a foul mood I took off the rear valve cover, rear timing cover, and replaced the 3 rear spark plugs. I then decided to replace my thermostat. That went easy except for when I removed it a flood of coolant came out. Lucky for me the pail was still down there. I then rotated the crank to TDC and removed the front VTC assembly. I then made my marks with white crayon. Later I found out white out is a MUCH better marker. I then couldn’t get the new VTC assembly on. I looked in my FSM and it said to replace the camshaft sprockets in this order: intake then exhaust. So I took the exhaust sprocket off and put the intake one on and then the exhaust one back on. I fumed over that stupid jumping chain for the next two days. I kept thinking I knew I never should have done this.

Saturday, I figured I was going to take off the lower timing cover and redo all three timing chains. First, I drained the oil pan. Next, I removed the alternator, oil filter bracket and then removed the oil pan bolts. I then proceeded to take the oil pan off which is the biggest PITA I have ever done yet. I supported the weight of the engine with a jack and piece of wood under the crankshaft pulley. I removed the oil pan gusset brackets. I then undid the 4 engine mount bolts and removed the cross member which fell on my knee ouch. I was hoping to not have to take off the y-pipe but the oil pan would not come off so I also zipped off the y-pipe with my impact. I got the oil pan off and proceeded to put back the cross member and the engine mounts. I then proceeded to take the water pump off. I took off the crankshaft pulley with my impact and it slid right off no puller needed. The water pump pulley was a pain though. To get it off I attached a vise-grip pliers to it where the pliers would jam it self on the frame where the pulley would not turn. That finally came off, and I then removed the water pump. A flood of coolant came out much more than expected. Now removing the water pump would be my next challenge. I got it out with going with Brian Tisch’s how to advice to jack up the engine. I then removed all of the lower timing cover bolts I could find. I hammered and shoved but that cover was not coming off. I then found some more bolts that I now know are outside cylinder head bolts. One was behind the A/C compressor. I removed that and placed the compressor on a stool to not break the A/C lines. I found 2 more underneath each chain tensioner, 2 more out in the open, and 1 more near the water pipe. Thinking there would be one on the rear side of the head I then removed the Power steering pump, but there was no bolt there. What a waste of time! I then stopped for the night.

Sunday, I got up and that timing cover would still not come off. I overlooked the fact that the heads need to be removed. I told my dad this and showed him the chain and he said that he thinks it would be very hard for the chain to jump with the teeth in the sprockets. I agreed and am not happy that I wasted a whole day taking stuff apart for that. I then proceed to replace the rear VTC assembly and chain tensioner, but I forgot to set the car to TDC. Now, the crankshaft can only be turned 60 degrees before massive resistance is felt. Now I’m almost positive the engine will be fried. According to the FSM the front bank looked right, but the rear bank was 90 degrees too far forward. My dad calls up a friend of a relative who says that the camshafts must have rotated so to turn them back with a wrench. In the mean time I reinstalled the A/C compressor, PS pump, and all of the lower timing cover bolts that I removed. I’m still thinking I never should have done this.

Tuesday, I turn them back with a wrench but the crank still won’t turn. Now I decide to hold the camshaft in the position that it should be according to the FSM. I finally get both the intake and exhaust sprockets lined up. Now the crank can be rotated again. I did a couple Tiger Woods fist pumps in celebration. I then proceed to put the water pump back on, and the oil pan back one. I originally couldn’t put the oil pan back on because the piece of wood jacking the engine up was too close to the pan area. What I did was place a jack stand under the engine. Lowered the engine onto the jack stand and repositioned the block of wood so I could put the oil pan back on. To finish the day I put the lower radiator hose back on, front valve cover, front timing cover, oil filter bracket, alternator, and front coils. I put a note on the valve cover to add oil and coolant before starting.

Saturday Night, I reinstalled the rear valve cover, rear timing cover, and the belts. I was able to get a new P/S adjustment bolt from a junkyard.

Sunday, I start the process to replace my knock sensor. I remove the fuel rail. With some struggling I remove the fuel hoses. I then remove the intake manifold. There was a lot of junk in there so I got a vacuum and vacuumed it all up. I then unbolted the water pipe and replaced the knock sensor and the harness. As to be expected the terminals were corroded very badly. I then went to reinstall the water pipe bolts, but I kept dropping it so I had to get a telescoping magnet to get it. I then cleaned the intake manifold with intake cleaner, and reinstalled that and the fuel rails. After a Mother’s Day dinner at Grandma’s house I came back home and installed the intake plenum, and all of the vacuum hoses. I then reconnected the y-pipe. Aargh when will my WSP Y-pipe come. The only hard thing was connecting the EGR tube it did not want to screw in, but I got it. I then put in the rear coils, added oil and coolant. Now for the moment of truth. I started the car and it ran for a minute. I then went to bed.






Monday, I screwed in some remaining bolts and took the car for a test drive. The car does seem to have a better low end with functional VTC’s. Since the car was not blown up I ordered my ASP UDP belts.

Today, I installed the ASP UDP and the new belts which took a little under 2 hours and reinstalled my FSTB.

I will say that I bought some 1 ½ in extensions off of eBay. At the time I thought they were useless, but they were invaluable during this ordeal, and quickly became my preferred extension.

Tools Used:
¼ socket: ¼, 8 mm, 10 mm, 12 mm, 14 mm and extensions
3/8 socket: 8 mm 10 mm 12 mm, 14 mm 14 mm Deep, 17 mm Deep Spark Plug Socket swivel and extensions
Impact: 14 mm Deep 22 mm 27 mm extensions
Wrench: 8 mm 10 mm 12 mm 14 mm 17 mm
Flathead and Phillips screwdrivers, Torque Wrench
Vice Grip Pliers, Needle nose pliers, Adjustable Wrench 6 mm hex socket
Hammer, blocks of wood, jack, jack stands, paint scrapers, telescoping magnet
Flashlight, Work Light, Pipes to use as breaker bars.
Milwaukee Electric impact with 300 ft-lb of torque which was very useful.
There may be others, but that is all I remember

I do wish I had ratcheting wrenches especially a 10 mm that would have been useful in removing some of the rear timing cover bolts.

Conclusion, I’m happy that the car is running. Functional VTC’s is a bonus, but the main reason I did this was to get rid of some engine noise that occurs only when the car is fully warmed up and appears to be coming from the rear timing chain area. I thought it would be either the VTC assembly or the chain tensioner, but I replaced them both. I will have to look into that in the future. I have learned a great deal about this car in doing this so if I ever do this again it would go much smoother.

Thanks to:
4dsc UDP pulley and knock sensor write-ups
Brian Tisch’s Water Pump write-up.

Mizeree_X

iTrader: (9)

Wow....I give you much respect, I've done brakes and suspension before but playing with the engine's timing system scares the $hit out of me. This summer I am going to do the knock sensor and if all goes well I may progress to the VTCs. Also, longest write up ever.

James92SE

iTrader: (31)

Impressive..

I've been dismantling the spare VE I just recently got, and I must say it must be a pain doing all that while the engine is still in the car. I'll be replacing my VTC's and stuff too but luckily for me it'll be in an empty garage on an engine stand..

How much were the new VTC assemblies, gaskets, etc?

I bet all that cost you a pretty penny

Jeff92se

iTrader: (82)

I agree. Nice post.

Mizeree. If you have the upper/lower intake manifolds off to do the KS, you might as well tackle the VTCs at the same time. Although it's not technically necessary to remove the lower intake manifold, it will probably make access to rear timing cover/vtc much easier.

DMad8724

iTrader: (4)

Wow, thats a lot, I don't have a VE but I'd suggest getting that filter if you havn't already.

jwmaxse

iTrader: (1)

Dude, that's one long write-up. Good job with the VTC repair.

corrupted

ill tell you one thing thats one way of learning jump right in and figure it out as you go thats how i learned most of what i know but i still dont think that i would have the ball$ to mess with the vtcs timing is one thing i cant seem to get

5 ltr. beater

I dont understand; when your VTC's go bad and start to clatter all time, aren't they still working? dc17h21o4n mentioned above that it was good to have his low-end torque back? If the VTC's are clattering, noise or no nosie, they are still working right?

dc17h21o4n

Thanks for all of the compliments.

James, I bought those parts when Jerry Rome had there 30% off sale, but here is what I paid for the VTC necessary parts. It was still alot of money though

New VTC: 339.74x2
Valve Cover Gasket: 7.84x2
Plenum Gasket: 3.88
TB Gasket: 3.38

The rest was for the knock sensor replacement and some other tune up items.

5 ltr. beater,

I had my VTC's grounded which fix them in the "high rpm mode" so the screaming high end is still there, but the variable timing for the "low rpm mode" is disabled.

I do plan on getting the toyota filter for my next oil change, I currently have the blue nissan filter on there now.

My next upgrades will probably be some BlehmCo parts and maybe a ST swaybar package

subs1000w

all i can say is good job

i bet you felt relived when it stared up and didnt tick

eric93SE

iTrader: (1)

I bet he was more releaved that he didn't ruin half his engine


Congradulations and nice work, dc17h21o4n