jet_a_jockey

I've done several of these on different toyota engines, and there are a few methods that have worked best. First is to get a hammering type impact, 3/4 or 1 inch works best with plenty of PSI to push it. If you can't get one, then another method is to put a breaker bar on it (can use a pipe, something like for fencing). You need leverage. The other thing to do is to take an old belt and wrap it around the pulley to keep it from moving. This is obviously done best with 2 people, as one can wrap the belt and twist it on a big screwdriver and then apply pressure to tighten down on it against something. While doing this, the other guy can use the breaker bar on the bolt itself. Another thing is I've had to use a 3/4 impact several times, as in trying to break it loose, running low on air, trying again. I've done that 5 times consecutively and had one come loose, so even if it seems like its not doing anything it may be jarring it loose slowly, so don't give up on it with the impact too quickly. The whole 'using the starter' thing scares me as a somewhat small project could turn into a big problem on the other side of the engine if things go awry. I assume that you got it taken care of by now, so congrats lol :D

I havent had to fix any wheel studs on mine (yet) but im fairly certain they are like nearly every other car. They are driven out, and in. It's a tight fit, requires a tool or lots of poundage :) . You are probably best taking it to the shop that screwed it up, its not a tough fix for those who deal with it all the time.

I was gonna say, I've removed the oil pump off a 1mz and it is a serious job. It involves tearing down past the timing stuff, removing the crank timing gear, and also dropping the upper and lower oil pan.

yes, there is. When I did mine, however, I cut the wires, since all I needed was the 12v constant, acc and ground, and antenna, i ran rca cables for speaker feed. Anyhow, yes you can get a wiring harness adapter, try this site http://www.installer.com

having the timing a tooth off could cause this also, but i'm leaning towards an ecu or sensor issue.

what kind of smoke? is it losing coolant? whats the oil look like? any engine codes?

Hi thomas, what kind of shape are your springs in? Are they original? Do you notice any excessive movement of the car when stopping and taking off? Looks like other than springs, you've covered everything else under there.

If the catalytic converter had broken loose from its hangar, then your exhaust pipe may have been vibrating and moving around, which could cause an exhaust leak. If you have an exhaust leak at one of the flanges, then it should set an o2 sensor check engine code, and if the leak is big it will be loud when the engine is under a load. Other than that, I suppose its possible that your cat could be damaged, but not likely unless the guy was beating on it with a hammer or something.

Yes, I run 87. I'll check mine next time im in the car, not totally sure. regular unleaded won't hurt it, though, its not a super high compression engine and doesn't have forced induction. If the octane of the fuel is lacking, the most it will do is !Removed! the timing some to compensate for pre-ignition. In doing that, you may experience a slight decrease in performance, but probably not a noticeable amount.

Is the check engine light on? It could be a number of things. Throttle position sensor comes to mind. You should have gotten a check engine light on if one of the sensors was acting up. No engine lights went on or any indication of trouble. I've been using super unleaded since I bought. The last gas station I pulled in was Shell, and I think I used 93 octane, or the highest of the three grades. I just noticed, you are from pensacola also :)

Yes definitely, raw fuel out the tailpipe as well as dark smoke is an indicator of way too much fuel. Also your terrible gas mileage. Here's a good snippet of how fuel injectors work. A fuel injector is nothing more than a high-speed valve for gasoline. An engine computer or controller is used to control the fuel injector. Contrary to popular belief, this is NOT done by sending power to the injector. Fuel injectors are normally fed power whenever the ignition key is on. The computer controls the negative, or ground side, of the circuit. When the computer provides the injector with a ground, the circuit is completed and current is allowed to flow through the injector. This energizes an electromagnetic coil inside the injector, which pulls a sealing mechanism (pintle, ball, or disc) away from its seat. This makes it possible for fuel to flow through the injector and into the engine. When the computer removes the electrical ground to the injector, the electromagnetic coil becomes demagnetized and a spring forces the pintle, ball, or disc shut to cut off fuel flow. Even at an engine speed of just 1000 RPM, this is done hundreds of times per minute. They should be able to narrow it down through testing, the electrical routing for the injectors is not that complicated.

Yeah its definitely a good price, especially so for a dealer. I'm a freak when it comes to changing water pumps, i've had so many spring leaks on me its not even funny. Peace.

1. Check the book for the proper amount. 2. Don't know, my 94 does. Are you changing the transmission filter also? 3. People argue these issues all the time, but I've yet to really see any conclusive evidence either way. Personally, I've not had any issues with non-toyota brand stuff. I know that many parts and what nots that are branded by different companies often come from a single supplier. So the main difference in brands is quality control levels, and possibly whatever 'perks' they give to their stuff. A good example of this is the difference between gasoline brands. Most often, the gas for different filling stations all comes from the same refinery. the only difference, if any, is if they put their brand of additive in it.

I recently pulled the fuel filter off of mine at 220k. Looks like someone attempted it at one time and rounded the bottom nut off, so it's probably original. Anyhow, the fuel coming out of it was brown :D A new filter is only 15-20 bucks, so its a good buy, especially if the car has been sitting for a period of time, and because sometimes the quality of fuel can be questionable. I replaced the fuel filter, with a Toyota genuine one, not a $15 one, on my 1992 LS a couple of months ago. The original one on my car seemed fine, and I would not have changed it had I not already bought another. The service manager at my local Lexus dealer told me they never change fuel filters, for the same reason noted by mburnickas. Toyota filters are designed to last the life of the car. Changing the filter is not going to help fuel that has been sitting in the car for a long time. The only thing that will prevent that is fuel stabilizer added to the gas tank before the car will not be driven for an extended period. I was talking about the filter being stopped up just due to gunk, I know rust and particulate matter in the fuel tank can restrict filter flow, so to avoid misdiagnosing a problem later on I always do the easy fixes when I can.

Thanks for all your insights. I just confirmed with my local toyota dealer that the price quote does indeed includes everything, new belts and everything else in between, as mentioned. I do, however, agree to both of you regarding the WP. I will have them check it if it needs replacement. If the WP does not need to be replaced, I would rather divert the cost on having them possibly check my valve cover gasket. Small amounts of oil have been gathering around the valve cover. I have tightened the front VC, but not the back. It seems abit involved and difficult to get to with all the plumbing I have to contend with. Otherwise, the car has served us well. Thanks again. In my experience with dealerships in the past, they will often charge separate labor costs for WP and timing belt replacement. This is a ripoff, since the T-belt has to come off to get to the water pump anyway. Many mechanic shops will charge you to put a new water pump on and throw on a new T-belt for parts cost. I'd try calling around to some shops, preferably those who specialize or have experience in imports, and get an estimate. Changing the water pump is always a good idea, because if it does start to leak, you'll wish you had it done, and that tow bill and future repair costs will far outweigh the cost of getting it done ahead of time. (not to mention its right there when the timing belt is changed) God bless.