Stuarts Retorque method note

NOTE: there are 'problems' in this, be careful!

I will improve it as possible

ok.. here we go, remember this is from memory, over 3 weeks ago..

WARNING: this is probably wrong, I am a systems programmer/manager (man I hate that word..), not a mechanic, however, I have always done my own car work, for a while, and have even done a motor/trans swap on a 72 chrysler valiant regal (265 HEMI!).

so, don't try this a home, folks..

to start:

I have a 1986.5 (july 86, as is happens) ex-japan Mk.3 3l turbo toyota supra, RIGHT HAND DRIVE, that *may* be important, I'm not sure if any of the differences apply to this work..

tools:

I used (from memory):

medium phillips/large phillips screwdrivers.

metric socket set (mainly 10mm & 12mm, from memory..) with extension

bars (makes some bits easier..).

Snap-on manual torque wrench (see my pics on the web site..)

Snap-on allen-key extension whatever (for the torque wrench.), 10mm from memory.. (bit hazy here..)

Big allen key (just the normal type..) for the center-cover bolts (easy to take off/on, cann't remember the size 14mm??)

I also changed my plugs, as you have to do most of this work to do those anyway.. I use NGK or NIPON-DENSO (last lot..) platinum BCPR plugs, as specified in the haynes manual (from memory..).

I also highly recomend you get the haynes manual, it is a usefull reference if you get lost..

IMPORTANT: you should always work on an engine with the hand-brake on, and trans in neutral (or out of gear), and the battery disconnected. I did not disconnect my battery, as it takes a couple of days for the computer to get 'quite right' again, but I should of, that is *real* naughty!, also: the keys should *never* be in the ignition while the bonnet is up!

procedure: (from memory)..

note this is just for the HG, I also took off the turbo intake pipes and heat shields to clean/check, etc. This is *not* required..

1 - remove pipes.

you need to remove:

The rubber elbow from the 3000 pipe that goes back towards the fron of the car, over the turbo. Just loosen off the clamps, and keep them safe!

take you the 3 bolts near the top of the 3000 pipe, store them. They free up the 3 small pipes parallel to the 3000 pipe.

move the clamps (I just push them up the pipe..) on the 3 2cm pipes attached to the airflow->turbo big pipe, pry these pipes off with a flat-head screwdriver/whatever, there is a metal inner-bit that should stay in the big pipe. The small ones just twist around of their other end connections.

carefully remove the bolt on the side of the head under the 3000 pipe which holds the silver metal pipe which runs behind and parallel to the 3000 pipe, be carefull, if you drop this, you may never get it back!

unclip/remove the small hose from the blow off valve (it is the 2" diameter thing on on the top most one of the 3 2cm rubber pipes).

on the other side of the engine:

remove the hoses from the ends of the 3 small metal pipes running parallel to the 3000 pipe. I leave the hoses connected and in place, just remove them from the ends of the metal ones.

Lift the clips at the bottoms of the 3 vertical rubber pipes behind the 3000 pipe

you should now be able to remove/cheal/whatever the 3 smaller pipes parallel to the 3000 pipe. do this.

2 - now you need to remove the black cover over the ignitors. remove the small black plastic covered nuts holding it down (make sure you get all of them..), remove the oil filler cap last, then pry (carefully) this cover up. Make sure you have got the nuts behind it as well! it takes a bit of time/patience to get this off without breaking it. once it is off, replace the oil filler cap. (habit..)

3 - 3000 pipe.

you can now get to the 2 bolts holding the 3000 pipe on. remove these 2 bolts, and loosen one of the clamps on the rubber bit connecting the 3000 pipe to the throttle body, pull the 3000 pipe off.also remove the little metal bracket the 3000 pipe bolts on to, you need that off to get at a screw below.

4 - ignitors..

NOTE: non-turbo supras don't use an ignitor pack, so you guys are on your own, I have never worked on one of them..

be carefull! you would not believe how much these cost!. remove the remaining bolts holding the ignitor pack down, un-plug the pack, and remove the ground wire from the front right (standing in the front of the car..) carner of the metal base bracket - DO NOT DROP THIS SCREW! it is easy, and a bad this to do! - I use a magnetised phillips screwdrive.

carefully lift the ignitor pack off, removing the plug wired from the plugs by pulling them straight up off the plugs - leave the plug wires attached to the ignitor pack. be carefull to bend the leads as little as possible! remove the whole assembly.

it may be worth look at the plugs/plug holes. If these is oil in here, it is probably leaking around the bases of the cam tower covers - mop it out before removing the plugs if you are going to remove the plugs, and mop it out anyway - a clean engine is a happy engine! don't get petrol in here, though!

5 - oil feed line and other bits..

you need to remove the oil feed line from the RIGHT cam tower (next to the oil filler cap..), back it's clip down the pipe and pull it off, be carefull, you don't want to have to find the other end to put that back on!

I also needed to remove the metal bracket that 'holds' the heater hose at the back, between the cam tower covers. I used am open-end wrench of the correct size (cann't remember just now..) to remove this - it takes a bit of time, as it is tight (space-wise..). don't remove this hose - it is full of coolant! just the bracketish bit 'holding' it.

6 - if I 'aint forgot nothin ;) - cam cover time!

NOTE: you should still have the throttle cable going over the covers on a RHD model like mine, I don't know what in a LHD model.. I just remove the covers with the throttle cable there - I did loosen it off from the bracket so it could move around a lot more- just don't change the setting on the end!

remove the big screws around the bases of each cam tower cover, these are probably loose, and that is why you are getting oil leaving around the bases - I use a nice big phillips for this. - you don't have to remove these completely - just enought to free up the cam tower covers, around 8mm I think...

once the screws are out enough, just lift off the covers! and look at you over-worn, needs new hi-performance racing cams cams B)

you may want to swab the oil out from around the cams with a rag, so you can see the head bolts. the are hex-head, and just inside and below the cams.

you are now basically ready to re-torque. you may want to check you valve clearances, if you do, you may need to get a set of new spacers (they use spacers to adjust the clearances..) and a special tool to remove/replace the spacers, get a haynes and it tells you how to check this better than I can.

7 - re-torque, why we are here.

first, using the allen extension tool, go over the head bolts, and make sure none are loose (undo with a little bit of force..), if any are, you head geaket/head *may* be gone already! I would recomend to tighten anyway, and get some tests done ASAP (I like the 'bubble radiator gas throught the turkey-baster like thing with the coloured water' snap-on test - it spotted my last HG problem, and that was only a small leak!

also - if you see any white 'putty' like build up in here - that is what oil turns to if water mixes with it at high temp, like when you have a blown head gasket, so if you find some, you *may* have, or have had, a blown head gasket (this gunk is often not cleaned out well from the last BHG, so it may just indicate a previous blow..)

the torque order, standing in front of the car, looking at the engine, is:

front = closest to you

right=your right (drivers left)

(note: I may have left/right out of order, this should not matter..)

front

right left

1 3

5 7

9 11

14 13

12 10

8 6

4 2

yep, there are 14 of the suckers!

also: you will probably need to turn the engine to get the allen tool onto at least one of them - only ever apply force if you have a good, solid, straight lock on the bolt, you *don't* want to break one or strip out the head! - it will cost you a HUGE amount to fix..

I needed to turn the endine for bolt number 5, I did this by pulling (by hand) on the belt to the alternator.

ALSO WARNING: some people say never to loosten or back-off head bolts unless you are going to use a new HG, this is because you HG has already been compressed, but I do loosen then, as I feel this gives a more accurate torque. I could easily be wrong! I only ever loosen one at a time, then tighten that one, so nothing should move!

so, go around the head bolts IN ORDER, starting and finishing each one before you move to the other.

for each I:

backed it off 1/4 turn using the torque wrench set at 55 foot/pounds, they should be tight and you must be carefull to make sure the tool don't slip! the tool should click, indicating that they were a bit over 55 fp.

tightened it to 55 foot/pounds - note: don't over tighten! stop immediatly you get a click! don't be temted to give it a little more pull, we are looking for accuracy here!

removed to torque wrench, set it to 65 foot/pounds, replaced it, and tightened to that (should not turn very much forther..)

then went to the next.

OK, how I had 65 on each, is that a good figure? I don't know - I'm just guessing here! read the PMTN on the web site, and make your own decision.

do next, as a back-up (ie: did I tighten them all?) I re-set the torque wrench to 69 foot/pounds, and had a cup of tea, give them some time (10 minutes..) to 'settle' - then I went over them again, in order, a torqued to 69, the target figure I have arived at. This step makes sure they are well settled, and also allows for you accidentally leaving one loose after the first round.

there! done! start her up! (just kidding... you are about 2/3 of the way through..)

8 - clean/replace/test/hope...

I then cleaned *all* parts that came out - real carefully! I also put GOOD rubber restorer on the OUTSIDES of all rubber/plastic parts (not armor all - that stuff is not good for hot areas, and needs to be re-done regularly..)

replacement is the opposite of above, the only hints I can remember are:

make sure all pipes seal up nice and tight - air leaks are bad for EFI cars.

don't drop any bolts/screws.

MAKE SURE YOU PUT THE EARTH STRAP BACK ON THE IGNITOR PACK!

bolt the small metal pipe that goes behind the 3000 pipe and bolts to the block just above the turbo on as early as possible - it is real hard to get to later!

put the plug leads/covers on carefully, and make sure they seal down.

tighten the screws on the cam towers quite tight - this stops them loosening, and oil leaking.

ALSO:

you *can* remove the black cover bit over the plugs between the cam towers by removing the (3??) allen-key bolts down the center - these aren't that tight, and then you can clean in here better.. but it is not required to torque the head.. Just make sure the 3 center bolts are nice and tightish - oil could (but I doubt it..) leak here if they got real loose... DON'T allow any dirt to dro down these if you do remove them!

also: make sure you check my pics/text about this on the supras web site (http://www.supras.com), it has some more notes.

ok.. that's enought for now.. have fun, and remember, I've probably forgoten some essential steps, but go slowly, carefully, and don't get to wound-up, and it is not too difficult.

The total time for me was around 3 hours, but without all the extra work/cleaning I did, it would be an easy 1.5 - 2 hour just second time round..

NOTE: The following is IMHO, you MAY need new seals.

> Well, I'm not truly a newbie since I am an automotive engineer who has been
> disassembling and reassembling everything under there for a while.  It's just
> that the head job consumes a lot of time which I don't have yet.  You don't
> have to pop off the head when doing this, you simply have to remove the 3 cam
> covers and you can access the bolts around the cams themselves.  I'd
> definately put on all new gaskets while there too, so i'll have to give
> Russell a call before starting.  And as simple as it sounds, it's the taking
> apart everything to get to the 'simple' cam cover removal thats the pain.  I
> only did the new plugs about 9k ago and I wish I'd known about this HG thing
> then.  I would have made a day of it...
the new gaskets are IMHO not required at all.

The only gaskets you touch on the Mk.3 are the 2 cam cover gaskets, and these are quite large, robber o-ring gaskets, to a you-must-replace item at all. Just take them out, clean and oil them, and put them back in. They should be fine.

I suspect that 90% of the 'leaky cam towers' problems are from the cam tower retaining screws not being tight enought. Mine were nearly falling out - then do not 'retain' very well..