Will It Come Out The Top?

[fieldy1978]

Hi all as the topic says will a vvti engine in a 2001 come out from above without the gearbox?

Cheers Spen

[dawesy]

i pulled one today out the top WITH gearbox.

best thing to get is a load leveller like this one

if you are unplugging the wire harness from inside the car (just behind the glove box) you will need to drill out the anti tamper screws that cover the ECU plugs.

i found this easier than de looming the engine.

[fieldy1978]

Excellent thanks very much for the great advice. I'm pulling the engine outside so wont be doing it just yet,lol. Will have a look at the loom plugs when i get out there but i thought it was the ecu under the bonnet in front of the Battery?

Cheers Spen

[dawesy]

just noticed you have a celica (DOH!!)

should still come out the top if you have a load leveler as you can tilt the gearbox end down as you lift it out.

not sure on ecu location on the celica.

[fieldy1978]

Finally made a start today with the weather giving me an inch and all going very well. Only problem i'm having is with the split pin on the bottom ball joint (what a pig ). And also the pcv valve, i'm thinking the pcv is the one that goes to the inlet manifold and its blocked up good! Does the cam cover come apart to clean it? Also the aux belt tensioner has a random fitting on it do i have to buy a specific tool from toyota?

Cheers Spen

[dawesy]

glad you made a start. to remove tension from the auxiliary belt it you look at the tensioner you will see it has a hex head cast on it, 17mm spanner on that, cat remember if you push or pull but that releases the tension, pop it off the alternator and Roberts your mothers brother. you cant buy the tensioner pulley separately, new tensioner at about £90 IIRC

the plate inside the cam cover doesn't come off, take it to an engine re-builders and ask them to stick it in their cleaning tank for you.

rather than splitting the bottom ball joint you could have undone the two nuts and bolt that hold it to the lower arm :thumbs up:

[fieldy1978]

Aha yes i like your thinking with the ball joint cheers. As for the tensioner it has some really bizarre bolt head on it defo a one off tool tried spline and star sockets but having none of it.However looking at some pics online i'm thinking the hex head is higher up not on the tensioner wheel itself so will have a butchers in the morning. Also after some more research it looks like it may be simple enough to do the rings still fitted to the car which could work well for me. Weather dependant i'll see what i can do tomorrow. Thanks for the great advice,

Spen

[Old Red Celica]

Glad you seem to be geting the advice you need, it's like having an interactive Haynes manual.

[fieldy1978]

Ok update.. i didnt start till midday due to weather but got out and had the engine out in a few hours although there was no lifting points??? Not sure if someone has removed em or there just not fitted with them but was a real job to get the balance right and lift the engine out straight even with my load leveller. Once out started stripping down and went to remove the head and 2!!! head bolts rounded. I have never had a spline head bolt round on me ever but think someone has opened it up before and done some damage so first job tomorrow will be a touch of drilling, one of the starter bolts snapped in the gearbox but apart from that all is going good so far compared to some peoples nightmares taking these engine down. The water pump took a while to remove ensuring i never snapped any bolts but gonna replace all the crank end bolts on reassembly. Talking of reassembly is there a guide on timing the engine back up?? Thanks for the advice that has got me here!

Cheers Spen

[dawesy]

spot on with the tensioner, you cant take it off to replace hence the special socket ;)

dads avensis had a lifting point on the back but the fronts were recycled at the factory, but hey its a toyota so it should never have to come out (yeah right!)

i rounded a head bolt on my dads (long story) make sure you use the right multi-spline socket. i got it out by hammering a 16 mm socket onto the head of the bolt, might be worth a try as you wont be able to drill the bolts as they are hardened steel.

i have the autodata info for the timing, pm me your email addy and ill email it for you ;)

[fieldy1978]

Your lucky your so far away or i'd be humping your leg!That 16mm socket trick worked a treat! Found out it was actually a chipped ex valve but doing the rings and big ends while she's apart!Did you email that guide?

Cheers Spen

[fieldy1978]

Right engine is back together and will drop it in tomorrow weather dependant. But whats the best way to run the new rings in? 200miles on classic oil with no synthetic then 500 miles still on classic then normal synthetic oil and drive as normal? Thats what i do with scoobys but very differnt engines and not running boost etc!!

Cheers Spen

[dawesy]

yeah that should be good, vary engine speed to dont sit cruising at 70.

also worth noting that most of the ring cutting takes place in the first 50 miles.

[fieldy1978]

Cheers Lee i'm heading on a 400 mile round trip tomorrow so gonna run it in on that for my mate. No chance of sitting at 70 on m25!!lol Running sweet as a nut with impressive compression after reseating the valves. The heater matrix is a nightmare, airlock city got warmish air now and that'll have to do. Followed the guide under bonnet then started taking of the small pipes to free air but still cant get the heater roasting!! Will drop the oil and filter tomorrow when i get back then my mate can come collect it!!

[dawesy]

awesome. just doing my dads but didnt realise the main and big end bolts are streatch bolt so had to order those today.

should have it built up and back in tomorrow.

hope the avensis is better for air locks

[fieldy1978]

Hope she all goes together ok for you. Done 500 miles as of now and all seems fine, guy wants a test on it too now so will give it a pre-test tomorrow and get it booked in on monday providing i dont find an problems. After 200 miles the engine management light came on but it did for the guy before he brought it to me so guessing an intermittant sensor. Will get it plugged in on monday and see what fault codes we got. Was a very rewarding job doing this lovelly looking car which is a real pleasure to drive so on the look out now to buy some with knackered engines!!

[dawesy]

yeah they can be picked up very reasonable and i reckon as long as the block it ok then a full rebuild including new genuine pistons and rings would come in around the £700 mark.

had a mare with my dads today. found out the mains and big end bolts are stretch bolts as well, ordered them yesterday, collected them today thinking we could have a good day at it only to find that Toyota have sent us one wrong piston!!!, right number wrong part in the box, not a happy bunny.

wont get the replacement till monday afternoon now and im working days tuesday and wednesday so itll be thursday before its back in.

glad yours went well, did you gut the precats while you had it apart?

[fieldy1978]

Ah what a nightmare!!Always the blood main dealers that get it wrong it seems even though you pay top dollar. The celica for big ends, rings, head gasket set, head bolts, all service items, cleaned and new valve came in at £350 but thats some serious mates rates i get from the motor factors i use. Pre cats? whats one of them? I cleaned everything i could get to and de coked the head and exhaust mainifold!

[dawesy]

there are two cats in the manifold (one for each pair of cylinders) they clean up the gas before it gets to the main cat.

they can be removed, they have a tendancy to break up and either block the main cat or parts get sucked back in to the engine damaging the bores. how true the latter is im not sure as i have yet to find an EGR system on the engine. one of ours had been removed anyway so ive binned the other. less cats is always good :0