3.4 Liter V6 5VZ-FE Valve Cover Gaskets How-To Video

Hello Fellow Toyota Enthusiasts,

My friend Sean and I put together a comprehensive video on how to perform the valve cover gasket replacement and other items associated with this repair like replacing the cam plugs, replacing the spark tube seals and re-sealing the 4 half moons on the heads. We also cover cleaning the throttle body and cleaning the MAF sensor. We're both 3rd Gen 4runner owners and frequent the toyota-4runner.org forum. We figured some of you Tacoma owners could benefit from this video if your engine is suffering from leaking valve cover gaskets.

We realize it's a long video but we figured anyone wanting to tackle this job would appreciate the level of detail we're offering.

We have both benefited from good write-ups and videos ourselves so we're just trying to make our own contribution to the Do-It-Youself mechanics out there.

If you have any questions, please ask. If you have any comments on how you like the video or how we can do a better job in certain areas, please let us know.

Here's the video:

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Great job guys! I will definitely use this when I change my plugs, and seal up the valve covers.

 

ddduuuudddeeeeeee ive been looking for this..

did you cover the plugs also? or just the half moons?

 

You can get the MAF sensor out pretty easily without removing the airbox by just using a ratcheting screw driver like this:


Great video though, still watching it.

 

I think I just found a new tool to buy. Thanks!

 

It's seriously one of my most used tools. It's so friggin handy. I use the cheapo harbor freight one and it's only $3.50 and never let me down. Tree fiddy!

 

Yes, we do cover replacing the plugs. Replacing the plugs is simple once you have the valve covers off. On the truck in the video, the owner, Sean, replaced the wires and plugs. Our video shows a chart of how the plug wires run from the coil packs on the passenger side to the driver side plugs. I don't think we cover the torque specs for the plugs though. Spark plugs don't need to be cranked on really tight. Just need to be cinched down fairly snug. I've changed lots of spark plugs in my day and I never worried about torque specs. However, if you want the spec, I could look it up for you and let you know what the Factory Service Manual says.

We cover everything you should replace our clean while doing this job (Valve cover gaskets, Replacing Cam Plugs, Replacing Spark Plug Tube Seals, Re-sealing Head Half Moons, Cleaning the Throttle Body and Cleaning the MAF). We mention the PCV Valve and Rubber Grommet but don't actually show pulling it out. The rubber grommet very often is brittle and will break off in chunks. Part of the grommet on Sean's truck fell into the well inside the valve cover and I just retrieved it with a needle nose pliers. All you have to do is push in the new grommet and then push in the new PCV valve.

Sean and I have seen good write-ups on this but the videos always seemed to be lacking. This is our contribution to hopefully make this repair as straight forward as possible.

 

My original response to your question, I was thinking you were talking about Spark Plugs. Now I realize you were probably talking about the cam plugs. We do cover the cam plug replacement really well.

 

http://chapmanmfg.com/

check those out. US made, and stuff. definitely nicer than the $5 kits from Lowe's and Home Depot.

 

I just did this yesterday! Good video!

 

yes, Cam plugs

 

Did you use our video as a reference to complete the job? I'm just wondering how helpful the video was and where we can improve. We plan on video documenting all our repairs and mods to help others that want to complete the same job.

 

I did not. I saw the video afterwards. I got a few clips that @ramonortiz55 and some others wanted about the half moon plug removal. Difficult to film by yourself. I didn't watch the whole video but I looked at some different parts. I had trouble with the spark plug seals and ended up doing the screwdriver and hammer trick as well.

 

I washed my engine compartment at the self-serve car wash the day before. Crud accumulates on the wiring harness and will fall into the camshaft area while wrestling the covers off/on. If you're going to check/adjust the valve clearances while you're in there, that's more wrestling.

I'd recommend a wooden dowel to push the spark plug tube seals out. Turn the valve cover right side up and angle the dowel into the seal. It's not tight; a little tapping all around and it eases out with no scraping.

Good work!

 

Yeah, the screwdriver and hammer trick is straight out of the FSM. I had read people struggled with these tube seals, but using this technique made it a pretty easy job. I think I had all the spark tube seals out and the new ones in on Sean's valve covers in less than 20 minutes. When I did the job on my 2000 engine, I just levered out the seal with the screwdriver by using the edgle of the tube seal hole as the fulcrum point. However, I did scratch up the edge of the spark tube seal holes a little with this technique. While working on Sean's truck, I discovered using the 90 degree bent nose pliers was the ticket. I would first deform the tube seal with the hammer and screwdriver and then grab ahold of the pushed in edge with the pliers. I would twist my wrist up and towards the non-deformed side of the seal and the seal would pop out pretty easily. Since I'm right-handed, I deformed the seals from right side, grabbed onto the bent in edge with the pliers and twisted my wrist up and in a counter-clockwise direction. I show this technique in the video. Once I figured that out, the rest came out easy. The FSM says to just sink the seal until it's level with the edge on the valve cover but I sunk them in fully which equates to around 1-2mm lower than the edge. I guess they say this so it's easier to remove them the next time if you perform this repair again. I think I'll still be able to deform them easily If I have to do the job again.

 

I like this idea. Maybe I'll try it if I do this job again. I guess you can pick up a wood dowel set at Home Depot or other similar store?

 

Doesn't always work out, ask me how I know. haha 200k on the seals and they can be brittle 5 out of the 6 broke leaving half the seal in the VC

I did both methods, one on each head. The hammer and screwdriver trick is the way to go. I didn't have a socket or dowel to put in the new seals so I just used the old cam plugs to hammer on. That worked surprisingly well and didn't beat up the new seals.

 

It's definitely good to know multiple methods. To drive the seals in, I used a narrow brass punch, 3/16" I think. Set the seals in place and, working around the circle, drive them a little bit at a time until flush. When the brass contacts the cover, the sound changes. And the punch/hammer combo is already in your hand to bend the tab back.

 

Just a quick question...when you order the valve cover bolt washer/seal from toyota does it come with the metal washer and the rubber piece (seal) or just the rubber?

 

Both, together, as one.