Mechanic Recommendation For V6 valve adjustment - Hood River, OR or Portland

[Badgerbear]

I'm at 70,000 miles now and still haven't got the valve adjustment on my 89 v6 Dolphin and its been bothering me. 

Wondering if someone knows a mechanic who can do this near Hood River, Oregon,  or Portland also.  I tried to have this done at a local mechanic last year after they assured me they do them all the time on the 3.0.  They called a few hours after taking in into the shop and said they actually couldn't do the job at all with out some special tools or something.  It runs good and has been absolutely awesome and realiable,  but i think it may be idling a little rough...   I think this job is out of my league, but i'll keep an open mind on that. I did rear axle seals, wheel bearings and rear brakes and that was pushing my mechanic skill level to give you an idea!!

[A Seabee]

Is it still in the shop? The valve clearance can be checked with nothing more than a feeler gauge and the tools it takes to get the valve covers off. I've seen these engines go 160,000 miles without a valve adjustment needed. A solid mechanic could perform the adjustment if needed without any special tools either. But, if the shop doesn't have an assortment of shims, then the shim thickness needed will have to be calculated and then ordered. Exhaust valves are the ones that tighten up first. Another thing I'd ask for is to have them make the clearance at the big end of the range. the clearance if I remember correctly is .007-.011'' for intakes and 009-013" for exhaust. I'd have them get as close to .013" as they can without going over. On these engines, a noisy valve is a happy valve.

[jjrbus]

4 years on the forum and have never seen anyone check the valves on a V6 Toyota RV that did not need adjusting!   The RV unlike a pickup running around empty most of the time is carrying 6000 + pounds and burning through lots of gas when ever it is moving. 

 

Have seen quite a few heads redone because the valves were burnt.    So do the PM or run them till they burn??

Edited September 3, 2020 by jjrbus

[Maineah]

The way they were designed the valve parts ware at the same rate in a perfect world. The tappets are it direct contact with the cam so in the fine print they wear at the same rate as the valve. Enter metallurgy so yeah the 3L did have some sort of issue are the shims redesigned/valves? I honestly don't know but you generally don't here about them being done twice is the engine junk by the second go around? They are not an interference engine so a tight valve would just be light on compression. 

[Maineah]

The 22RE had fully adjustable valves requiring nothing but hand tools. The 22RE had timing chain issues when they switched to a single roller chain. They usually made it 120 to a 150K the symptoms were a rattling noise at idle that went away revved up a bit. Left alone the chain eventually wore a hole in the timing case cover and flooded the sump with antifreeze not a good thing antifreeze is a very poor lubricant.

[Badgerbear]

I've called at least 10 mechanics yesterday and every one said they couldn't do the job, most without explanation a couple said because they didn't have the assortment of shims needed.  

I agree, everyone that I've heard of that does the V6 valve adjustment finds some tight or almost burnt valves when they get in there.  

If I can find somebody to do the job, am I right at thinking it could cost around a $1,000 bucks?   

 

That's some good info, thanks everybody.

[linda s]

Give these guys a call

https://www.woodburnautomotive.com/

A few years back they were doing major repairs on a few members campers. They have grown substantially though. Sometimes bigger isn't better but worth a try. Other than that you are stuck with a dealer who also might not want to do the work.

Linda S

[Ctgriffi]

The shims are not that hard to come by; they just have to be ordered, once the measurements and math have been done, since few local places stock ‘em. Guess nobody wants to have your rig sitting on the lot for a week, waiting for those flat, little discs to arrive. 
 

I would think about five or six bills is about right. Wouldn’t hurt to call the dealer and get a price on the job, just to know the upper/crazy number. 

[A Seabee]

Ideally, a mechanic would measure the clearances,  calculate the needed shims, remove both camshafts, and put it all back together with adjusted valves, new timing belt, cam seals, and a crank seal if needed. water pump and timing belt idler too if there's any sign of leakage out the weep hole and or the idler is noisy. You may end up spending $1000 if it needs everything, but you won't need to go back in like that for at least another 60K miles.