SOLVED: Valve Cover Gasket Fail

Glad to be wrong on this one. The bottom line is that you fixed it by being methodical and cool-headed.

Now, go tell your girlfriend that you’re the man.

 

Lol must have been a great feeling like winning the lottery. I had a few of those in my lifetime. Glad you got it sorted.

 

Winner, winner!

 

Glad you figured it out! No beer money necessary!

Just stick around here and share the knowledge you accumulate over the years. That’s enough payment for me.

 

I’ll take the harness and ecm...

 

Ooops. Just noticed you fixed it

 

So glad white girls got thicker.

 

Hey guys I am nearing the end of this job on my 97 4Runner. I am pretty much just waiting on my IAC gasket to arrive which I ordered off of Amazon. My 2000 Taco needs the same service so I will be starting that shortly. Anyway I have been taking my time and doing quite a bit of stuff while I'm in there. Replacing several vacuum hoses, cleaning throttle body and i a c, spark plugs and wires, xcetera.
I was pretty organized throughout the process and bagged up Nuts and Bolts and labeled the bags like Timmy did. Overall everything has gone back together well.
However, I have one teeny tiny little mystery Bolt that I do not know where it goes. I'm at work right now and I forgot to snap a picture of it before I left but I figured I would throw this out now and see if anybody maybe knew what I was talking about. It is a pretty short 10 mm bolt, about the same size ask the 10 mm bolt that secures the little wiring harness to the back of the lower plenum. Maybe an inch long and it has this thick sort of oval shaped washer / spacer on it. I thought I made a note of it in my notes but I didn't unfortunately. I can take a picture of it tonight when I get home and post it on here. In the meantime if anybody thinks they know what I'm talking about and wouldn't mind steering me in the right direction I would surely appreciate it. It isn't the ground bolt either.

 

For 370,000 miles I am pretty pleased with how reasonably clean it is. I've only owned the vehicle for about 2,000 miles now.

 

Sitting here racking my brain trying to think where that little bugger could have come from and I might have just thought of it. It wasn't in Timmy's valve cover video but I believe in his knock sensor replacement video. The plastic cover on the driver side that shatters into a million pieces if you don't reinforce it before removing the driver side valve cover. Down where the thermostat lives there is a bracket that secures a portion of that wire loom. In the knock sensor video he showed that if you remove that and a couple others it makes it much easier to get that valve cover out. I think the little bugger lives down there but I will have to see when I get home! I can't remember if after I removed that bracket down there if I threaded the bolt back in the hole so I wouldn't lose it or if this mystery bolt is it!

 

Well disregard that. It was actually Timmy's valve clearance inspection and adjustment video, not the knock sensor video, my bad. Either way it makes a huge difference getting that driver side valve cover out with ease instead of fighting it! However it's a nut that holds that little bracket in place not the small Bolt that I'm trying to find a home for. Dang it!
Sorry for all the different posts but it kind of seems like I'm talking to myself anyway so what the hell LOL

 

I think Toyo. uses the oval washer/spacer on all models to hold looms around valve covers and not crush plastic when bolt is tighened.

Should be 3 I believe.

 

Gotcha! Yeah I think the plastic was broke for all of those on both sides and I didn't even bother removing the one side I'm pretty sure because again they were broken. But yeah that could very well be it and I will check that out when I get home. I didn't figure it was a super important bolt but it was bothering me still LOL. Thanks man I really appreciate the reply

 

SOB I was gonna suggest this very spot but you got there on your own. And I only know because I did a deep dive on this job myself about the same time last year. Took my time over a weekend. I had no issues but it’s always a possibility. I’m happy I had the right answer in my head before I read your post. Diagnosing and fixing hot tubs for 14 years has trickled into all sorts of other useful areas.

Nice work OP for sticking with it and figuring it out. Retracing your steps on everything you touched is always a good idea.

 

Yep that was it. Feel kinda dumb now lol. Oh well! Now just waiting for my IAC gasket to get here so I can get this baby fired up! Ordered off Amazon from some toyota parts seller and pretty sure it's lost...I have the worst luck with Amazon when it comes to ordering toyota parts specifically. Months ago I waited 3 weeks for a pcv valve and Amazon FINALLY acknowledged that it'd been lost. Just ordered another one from Yotashop.com outta La Center, WA which should get it to me quick hopefully! Was cheaper too, even with paying shipping. If the amazon order doesnt show up by May 24th I get a refund. It was supposed to be here today, May 19th, a week after I ordered it but yeah Amazon its cool...I'll wait another 5 days just to most likely have it not show up. This is why I opted to order two more from a different site. If they do show I'll have a couple spares I guess. Ordered one for my taco as well because seemingly it went from small slow leak to pretty bad overnight!

Well it was a long night at work and this Jim Beam Black is tastin real good but bringing my colorful side out. Fingers crossed when I turn that key because like OP said, sometimes I wonder what I am doing under my hood LOL. Glad I did this though...not so glad I'm about to do it all over again here in the next few weeks to my other rig but what the hell. At least a have a Guinea pig..my 4runner