1999 Tacoma 3.4 cam shaft plug

How difficult to replace camshaft plug(s)? Is there 1or2?

 

The rubber plugs on the back sides? There are 2. Not difficult to change during a valve cover job. I was careful when removing the caps, and loosened each screw in equal amounts rather than taking out one fully, and then trying the other which would be under more tension if not done in unison.

Have Toyota FIPG handy to reseal appropriately.

 

So can only be done with valve covers off?

 

I believe so, yes. Someone correct me if I’m wrong, but after having done both sides myself, I cannot see how you’d do it without taking the valve covers off, and then each respective cap. Also gotta take the cap off and clean it before resealing with FIPG.

 

Yes, 2 each side, you clean and use sealant after. Valve covers off.

You should also do spark plug tube seals while you're in there.

 

Agree with @Bishop84 change every rubber seal you have access to.

 

I just did mine last week. It's quite an involved job. Not hard but very time consuming. There are a lot of while-you're-in-there type of stuff to do like checking and adjusting your valve lash, replacing old cracked hoses, PCV valve if it's old, any type of injector work, spark plug and wires if they are old, etc. Some of my rubber hoses cracked just from taking things apart because of age. You also need to order two of the intake plenum gaskets for reassembly.

You also should replace all of the seals which includes spark tube seals, valve cover seals, cam plugs like you mentioned, valve cover grommet, and reseal the half moons with FIPG. I actually used some FIPG on the cam plugs as well after seeing how they went together.

Word of advice, go OEM. I bought a kit off rockauto and when comparing it to the OE stuff, it was dog doodoo. I ended up tossing it and buying all OE.

 

Yes. After researching, listening to ya'll, and quizzing my mechanic there is absolutely no way to do it properly without removing valve covers. And, again, I didn't think of every peripheral thing to take care of when I open it up. But definitely the IAC valve, throttle body maintenance, etc. Thanks again you guys. Even on here one has weigh the responses and use common sense and evaluate the potential solutions before tearing something apart and finding out that it ain't the way to do it