top dead center

hi, i am looking for some better instructions how to get my 1st piston into TDC for the purpose of removing the cylinder heads than is explained in Haynes . i am trying to reach my knock sensor, which is more pain than it looks because they are tucked deep down the engine block.

what confuses me is how to coordinate turning the crankshaft with the reading of the compression test gauge.

thanks

 

thanks, dude

 

what motor u working on ?might have marks on crank pully, if not take off the valve cover pull all spark plugs turn crank with a socket when u see the intake valve open on cyl 1 open put a long screwdriver in plug hole turn crank slow tell u see the screwdriver is at the highest point thats tdc

 

yeah someone else also told me the screwdriver trick. they told me not to crank the crankshaft but just turn the key a little.

the motor is V6 4WD, 2007

 

NO NO NO on the key !!!

 

OK, thanks. any idea what size socket goes on the crankshaft nut? i didn't have a socket that size, tried my oxygen sensor socket, which is 7/8, was a little too big but could do. i don't wanna chip the corners of the nut and would prefer to get the correct size. maybe 22 mm?

 

my oh my, you dont need to take the heads off of the engine to replace the knock sensors, they are a pain, but you can remove the intake plenum and intake manifolds and get to them through the valley. there is a coolant pipe in the way, but with some finagaling it can be done.

 

i thought that but every book i looked at said i did. i am currently in the valve assembly stage, d**king around with taking camshafts off. should i not even have to do that?

 

i dont know what else to say, in my last post i said all you had to do was take off the intake plenum and then the intake manifold and you will see what you are working with. the worst thing after that is the coolant pipe thats in the way. Have you been listening to my advice or are you just going and creating threads to keep asking the same questions?

check the other 2 threads you started about this problem and you will see the same advise from myself and another toyota master up in Maine (mike). i know not everyone on this site believes in us "master techs", but we have seen somethings that not everyone else has seen and can help from time to time.

 

the problem is that i do not see them. i think they must be where the book says they are. maybe i didn't take the plenum off but if that's the part between the two sides of the engine immediately under the intake manifold, it looks like it needs to have tops of either side taken off to reach. i can post pictures a little later. maybe we are not on the same page.

as for the screwdriver trick, how long does the shaft of the screwdriver need to be? i tried with a pretty long one (cca. 9") and it was too short, i.e. stayed in through the handle the whole time cranking. maybe 12" or longer?

 

the plenum is the black upper part, the manifold is the lower part, the knock sensors are not far below that.