buying used valve shims

Would it be likely effective to buy a set of used shims before doing valve clearance checking and adjustments, to minimize downtime? How many? It's never been done in 300k miles.

Do they ever get damaged, or should they be fine even though they have brown circle stains?

If someone here has a collection, I might want to buy them! It seems like a bag of those could be passed around indefinitely, since a ton of Toyota engines used the same size.

 

If you're going to measure each one to verify it matches the size marked, I suppose used would be ok.

Are the new ones prohibitively expensive or something?

 

They're $10 each I think. I don't want to have to take a trip to the dealer, and they might even need to backorder them.

My idea is that even though a set of used ones won't be the exact ones needed to get everything in the center of the spec range, in combination with swapping a few of my existing ones around they would be sufficient to get everything within range. But I'm interested in what people who have done a couple of these have to say about how realistic that is.

Do different model engines typically use ones toward the thicker or thinner size from the factory than others, so that for example if I get ones from a Camry they might be all too thick for me? I see the tolerance is .10 mm, while the available thicknesses for new shims is a 1.2mm wide range.

 

Can't help you there but folks do successfully go the used route.
Keep in mind the factory uses much finer thickness increments in the initial engine assembly. IIRC .02mm where "service replacement" shims from Toyota come in .05mm increments. That could confuse measuring used shims if one were to expect them to have .05mm increments.

 

Also, use a micrometer and not calipers. I was able to mix and match and only needed to buy one shim.

 

Having Problems?

 

I'd also love to know what sizes of shims people had to buy for the 5vz. Timmy's video showed him getting some in the range of 2.75mm to 3.00mm, and the originals he had to remove were all basically 2.85mm to 3.00mm (but in finer tuned sizes as @Dirty Pool mentioned).

 

I went the used route. Go to your local pick and pull yard and find a Toyota that used shim over buckets valves, and start yanking. Got like 20 for $20, and adjusted my truck and a friend's without ordering any other shims

 

I understand, but that's a huge time cost, and I'd rather spend more to have some shipped to me.

 

I went to the junk yard and scavenged a handful of them when I was planning to replace my valve cover gaskets. Truck ended up needing new heads and that was done at a shop. Left all the shims with the shop owner, never did get them back.

 

I pulled all those in 40 minutes, but I got lucky and found a 3rd Gen 4runner with the valve covers already removed

 

Sorry if stupid question
But
If you try to adjust valves with feeler gauge and still out of tolerance…..
Next step is shims, then again adjust with feeler gauge

I’m I on right track here?
Thanks

 

The only adjustment is with the shim. Check with feeler gauge adjust with shim.

Not sure if that applies to your 2.4l, never worked on one.

 

A firm^^^

I knew mechanic, showed me this trick on Subaru shims(called buckets) same shit. These are MUCH more than $10 each…..like $38 each pre Covid

have markings (like Toyota shims) to indicate thickness
Mechanic showed me can grind down the ‘nipple’ and make shim/bucket shorter/smaller (not larger) to match what the valve clearance needs

He had special measuring tool that cleared the bucket to measure after sanding/grinding. Like a welding visegrip

gonna have to search about my 2rz
Thanks