Valve cover gaskets 06 DC

at just over 200,000 miles my driver side valve cover is starting to leak. How difficult is it to replace?

 

Don’t forget the 2 rear cam plugs

They are half moon shaped

Mine we’re leaking also down the back of the block

The job isn’t bad just a little time consuming

 

Casper did his here.

https://www.tundras.com/threads/what-have-you-done-to-your-1st-gen-tundra-today.2558/page-22

 

I did mine here.

https://www.tundras.com/threads/what-have-you-done-to-your-1st-gen-tundra-today.2558/page-27

 

Just bite the bullet and get the parts from the slealership. All in all it was around $180 for:

2 gaskets (for covers each side)
1 pcv valve and grommet
1 tube silicone sealer
8 spark plug tube gaskets
18 valve cover bolts with grommet seals
3 cans brake cleaner

Took about 2.5 hours per side for me. Was not in a rush. Also, took some time to carefully clean the surfaces where the new gaskets attach. The drivers side cover on mine was carboned up. The pcv port was gunked and the old grommet disentegrated in the port. Took some time spraying it out with brake cleaner.

Might as well do your spark plugs.

 

My 2006 DC is currently in the shop getting the timing belt service done. I’m having them do the vcg while it’s in there.

 

Hand model, why did you replace the valve cover bolts?
Also, I did the spark plugs last week.
Southwest, I did the timing belt water pump in my driveway at 110,000 miles. I’m gonna do it again before I hit 220,000 miles.
After the valve covers I need to work on my brakes. And speakers.

 

No doubt it can be done DIY. I just don’t personally have the time with 2 babies lol. I have a bunch of parts I’ve acquired over the past year so I’m just letting the friendly shop nearby handle things.

I’m currently typing out a reply to this thread on my phone while rocking my 15 month old to sleep for a nap lol

Momma is taking care of the 3 month old lol

 

I do what I can when I have time. When pressed I take it to a shop. Mostly I do it myself because it saves me money and I enjoy working on my cars.

 

Replaced the bolts because the haggard cigarrette voiced lady behind the desk said thats the only way to get the grommets. They were sold as a combo. I’ve seen youtubers reuse the old grommets/bolt, but my grommets were pretty flattened after re-tightening every 6 months for the past few years. Those bolts really loosen up from contraction/expansion and the grommets were dry rotted. The new grommets also seal the compression in along with the new vc gaskets.

 

Thanx for the info. I have never tightened mine down. I was looking at gaskets on Amazon, and a set came with those grommets. Still looking though.

 

I was sketched out trying buying these online. Didn’t seem like I could find originals Toyota. Ended up going to stealership and paying double than sketchy parts. Nothing like tearing down a vehicle and finding out you are screwed in fitment. Firm believer in doing it right the first time. Especially when into the engine this far. Might take chances for easy light stuff but this will have to last another 17 years.

Saved about $600 labor? Maybe $800? Not sure as didn’t price it out with the mechanics labor.

 

Correct me if I’m wrong,but on an 06 DC the VC have to come off anyways to replace the camshaft seals during the timing belt service right?

 

I picked up the fel-pro set. Comes with grommets and tube seals. Fel-pro is a name I trust. Hopefully will get to it this weekend, if it's not raining again.

 

What part of Texas you in? I'm from the South Houston area

 

Well crap

I called the shop today to see if they had any questions about my truck and now they say there’s a ticking sound on the drivers side? It’s never been there before!

The owner said he’s going to tear the covers off and let it run to see what it is.

They also said they swapped VVT solenoids from one side to another and there wasn’t any difference,and also that he doesn’t think it was my rear main leaking. He’s pretty confident that the rear VCG or Cam Plug was leaking down the back of the motor.

He said inside the flywheel cover was dry

I hope they fix my truck

 

Mine had a ‘heat tick’ during hot season towing or city driving. It went away when I swictched to Full Synthetic and did the VCG. I think the biggest problem I fixed was the gunked up PCV valve and the gunked port in which it sits. Thats a ventilation vent for the engine. You could tell the clogged port was causing more heat on the drivers side as the carbon build film up was higher on the inside of the cover versus pass side cover. The spark tubes were carbon filmed too. Passenger side looked fairly new with only slight patchy carbon.

Anyways my drivers side tick is gone. Probably because the heat is venting better? My Toyota temp gauge is reading the same, but when I pop the hood it feels cooler than it used to. No real data other than that.

 

I’ve run synthetic oil since i acquired the truck 85,000 miles ago lol. It’s probably been a while since the PCV Valve was changed that i can remember.

The shop owner said it could be something simple he’s overlooking

I’ll stop by the shop and see what he has to say tomorrow,and ask what it looked like under the valve covers

I’m not scared or worried that my truck is broken. It isn’t ,we’re just trying to figure out the cause lol

Sorry to hijack the thread

 

The complete opposite side. Amarillo.

 

I managed to stop by the shop this evening and the owner showed me the truck.

Cranked it up and it sounded like a dry/bad lifter

Not a heat tick

It’s deeper toned than that. Sounds like a constant rasping high speed cold startup knock at the vvt gears.

Hopefully they’ll figure it out. Maybe they forgot to put the retaining bolt in the back of the gear housing and it’s flying apart inside making the rattling noise

Who knows lol

Maybe there’s some carbon they loosened bouncing around in there

At least they drilled and tapped my driveshaft and installed a zerk fitting in the slip yoke. Hopefully that gets rid of my dang “clunk”

 

Got an update from the Shop today

Said they took the front plastic timing covers off and everything lines up and doesn’t make any noise out front

The noise is coming from under the valve cover,close to the front of the engine between the first spark plug and the front of the valve cover corner

My personal opinion one of 2 things

1-The vvt gears/camshaft tube assembly got screwed up somehow when they removed the camshaft for the seal replacement.

I’ve read that the outside TDC markings for the timing belt can line up but internals still be off/you can break the internal tension spring and screw everything up. This can cause the valve backlash to be off etc etc and the sound can represent the illusion of a bad lifter

2-... Somehow the camshaft was not installed properly and now i have valve or lifter problems? However that being said,the shop claims the truck runs and drives and you can’t hear the noise when inside the cab.

The truck ran smoothly before i took it in for service. The owner doesn’t think that the work he did could have caused a bad lifter or valve. It’s puzzling him and he’s very upset about it all

He’s going to take the truck to the local Toyota Dealer to have them give a diagnosis and recheck his work.

We will see what happens

It’s very depressing

 

Hopefully they get this sorted out for you!

 

They’re going to swap vvt cans from one side to the other and see if the noise follows

 

Fixing to change mine on my T100