Injector Replacement and EGR Clean - 2003 KDJR120

[Sam]

Tools
I said I would keep track...

This is more or less what we touched. We didn't *need* all of it but this is what ended up out.

Usual disclaimer - I don't know what I'm doing. I'm a fool. Don't copy me.

Sockets: 10mm, 12mm, 17mm and 22mm
10mm & 12mm for most stuff, 17mm for the fuel return line bolts and 22mm for the crank bolt (valve clearance check).

Ratchets: 1/4", 3/8", 1/2" + extensions & adaptors
Mostly used the 1/4" ratchet but occasionally went up to 3/8" for convenience with socket sizes. Could have done without the 3/8" and just used adaptors. 1/2" ratchet was used for the fuel pipes (with 3/8" adaptor, various extensions and the 17mm crow foot spanner). The fuel pipes are pretty tight (32nm) and a bigger ratchet is handy for the control as much as anything. Also used the 1/2" ratchet with the 22mm socket on the crank bolt for the valve clearance checks. You can get a pretty big ratchet and socket on this from the top - you don't have to go in from underneath (which we couldn't because of the stuck bash plate).

Socket extensions & bits:
We used various extension sizes in 1/4" and 3/8". I'm not sure what was *necessary* vs luxary - but I'm glad we had what we had. I used them all specifically more than once. The 1/4" union joint adaptor was *very* handy and the 3/8" wobble extension was necessary for at least one bolt at the back (on the right). For anyone that cares we used one 1/4" extension @ 50mm or 2", one 1/4" extension @ 100m or 4", one 3/8" wobble extension @ 75mm or 3", one 1/4" union joint, two 3/8" extensions @ 150mm or 6". We used the two longer 3/8" extensions a few times on the fuel pipes together and separately (so one long one wouldn't have helped). The 1/4" union joint could have replaced the 3/8" wobble extension but we had it so used both. We also had a few adaptors for going up and down between ratchet sizes and often did. At one point I'm pretty sure I went up and back down on the same chain of extensions - it was a long day!

10mm ratchet spanner (with a wobbly head)
If you haven't got one of these, you will thank me for suggesting you get one. Buy one. I don't mean because they're cool, I mean because it's the only way you're getting to the glow plug bar wiring connector that you need to undo to get enough wiring harness clearance if you're getting the throttle body and EGR off. When you're pulling up on the wiring harness with all your might desperately wondering where you're going to find the extra 6" inches you need to stand any chance of getting the EGR off over the studs (or back on again) - it's that. It's the glow plug bar wiring connector. Tiny little 10mm washer nut on the back almost up against the bulk head. You will want this magical spanner then. You'll still swear but you'll be glad you have it. Oh - and the little no.4 fuel pipe bracket. You'll say thanks for this magcal tool then too. Especially when putting it back. Buy one. They're cheap. It's ok to listen to me on this bit. Buy one. Now stop listening again.

17mm Crow foot spanner
I'm sure crow's feet don't look like this. You'll want one of these though. From what I've seen, it looks like the 2003 euro 3 is the easiest of LCs when it comes to doing fuel pipes (none of that crazy dance because pipe no.1 is in the way of no.2 blah blah like the later models). The first three pipes are evenly spaced and easy to get to with one of these - and even no.4 that's buried away down behind the oil filter is pretty easy.... or at least that would all be true if it wasn't for the pesky coolant pipes in the way of everything. I'll come to that. Get a 17mm crow foot thingy. It'll work and you probably won't need the other 17mm "difficult access" fuel line socket thing. If your LC is after 2003/4 you probably will want one of those - but for this model the crow foot spanner can suffice just fine. I tried the other thing because I had it but didn't need it for sure. I did get the crow foot spanner AND extensions firmly stuck in the fuel pipes though while torquing up. I'll maybe get to that.

Quick note - remember that using the 17mm crow foot thing affects your torque specs. The Toyota manual has different torque settings for with and without the "special" crow foot tool. It's only a few Nm different (10% or so) - but they are different. You might want to keep that in mind if you do end up using the fuel line socket (which I couldn't for most pipes anyway). I know 10% isn't much but your torque wrench is likely already 10% out - how far off do you want to be? Worth noting and checking what torque spec you're working to probably.

Mirror and Magnet Pickup
These cost me just a few quid for the two and I couldn't do without them now. The mirror on a stick is very useful (much better than your phone) and the magnet on a stick is priceless at times.

Hose tool
It's a scary big hook (directly from the set of The Fog(?)) but if used carefully is *very* useful for freeing up old rubber hoses.

Pick set
Very useful for picking things up when you drop them in the head because they fell off the pick you used to pick them up with. Injector seats for example.

Stanley Kinfe (Box knife)
Used a blade to *very very carefully* clean up some bits on the gasket surface before replacing the cylinder head/valve cover. Don't do this probably.

Screwdrivers
No screwing. Big old one for general big old screwdriver jobs. Poking, levering, jabbing. Smaller one for GENTLY lifting the front corner of the valve cover a TINY bit to release the silicon RTV at the front. That's what the blue pastic trim tools were out for - I just forgot to use them. I did not put the screwdriver under the cover seal and lever. I did gently pry the front corner up that sticks out. This is not a good idea. If you're ignoring my advice and listening to what I did stop it. The cover is only plastic. It'll probably break.

2 feeler guage sets: It doesn't matter if you're valve clearances are in or out of spec - you won't believe it. Or worse, you will and then put it all back together and go to bed and wonder all night. Have a good set - but have a cheap set of a different make for a second opinion too. I suppose if you're loaded have two good sets. I'm not.

Torque Wrench
Get the best you can. Keep it in check. Never leave it set when you put it away. Always use it because you have it. Or just buy one with a pretty good name on it, leave it in the toolbox and use it a couple times a year if you remember it's there - and always wonder if it's actually anywhere near in spec because it's so old now. Should you use it? Is it even close? Eek! I did. Nothing broke. Win.

Long nose pliers
Because when you drop things in the head ... and not just injector seats . You won't need these otherwise.

Spoooon
For having a little scrape and hoover in the inlet manifold hole and cleaning the EGR.
Tip - if your EGR gunk is dry, leave it dry and use a spoon! DON'T spray it until you have to. EGR cleaner turns the tiniest amount of black dust gunk into a big wash of black mess. Keep it dry until you have to spray.

Sticks
Couple of lengths of dowel for cleaning down in the injector ports (wrapped in cloth). This sounds so easy but it will break your spirit If you can, gently screw a self tap tech screw into the end and use a drill/screwdriver thing. Doesn't have to be fast - but it will still take hours with one. Imagine without one. You'll be able to start fires with lolly sticks by the time your done! Seriously though, the ports do have to be clean and I STRONGLY recommend you lay your hands on a zippy tool thing and take the time to prep something like this to make it work. It will save many hours of back breaking spinning while leaning over the engine bay. Two sizes because space soon runs out towards the back. The long one (a.k.a "Woody") was used by hand to start with - then Junior came along when we got the Makita out. Still took hours!

Lever and wrench (left of pic)
In the event of a stuck injector we knew we would need backup in the form of a big lever and some kind of grabby turny wrenchy thing. This was our backup team - but thankfully it wasn't needed!

String and clips
Bright string used to tie up a few bits while we were working (coolant hoses, wiring loom etc). Clips because we clipped a camping ground sheet around the bonnet to make a bubble around us when disconnecting and re-connecting the fuel pipes to injectors etc (to minimise dust/contamination).

Paint Marker Pens
Critical for marking everything up so we knew where things went back when tired and not thinking clearly. Vacum pipes, bolts and brackets etc.

Other bits

- Can of EGR /Throttle body cleaner
- Can of Carb cleaner / Can of brake cleaner
- Makita screwdriver/drill (for spinning Woody and Junior).
- A couple of brushes for cleaning the EGR
- Various bits for cleaning inc. brushes, lots and lots of rags, degreaser etc.
- A hoover for the inlet manifold (DO NOT USE A HOOVER THAT YOU WANT TO USE AGAIN)
- Normal sundries like greases, many nitrile gloves etc.
- Plastic storage boxes for storing and cleaning parts
- Full print out of all parts diagrams for reference - including all torque specs
- Toyota manual print out of injector replacement steps (not actually that useful over all)

I think that's about it for tools. If I think of anything else I'll update this bit of the post.

Here's a pictiure of everything before we went in.

 

[Tractionman]

Laid out like a surgeons kit Sam, perfect !
Ive started out like that with jobs that soon descend into chaos tool wise. I do try to put sockets back into case and screwdrivers and different spanners with their like, but still take sorting when I want one.
You didnt list a BFH, but considering the nature of the job, didnt need one !

 

[Sam]

Haha.. yeah only laid it out for here really in the end but it did help to focus the brain and make sure we had everything needed. As for descending into chaos, it would 100% of done that if the Mrs wasn't there to "magically" return all sockets and bits back into the little tray of "active" tools as I went along (and regularly stopping me just before I did something stupid). I was way too absorbed in the whole affair, tongue out and shedding and dropping bits everywhere. A bit like our life dynamic generally

Doing it again, it would be quite an easy stress free job - but we were going in expecting dragons. Sometimes you can over prepare and build things up a bit too much in your mind - but it made for a nice surprise as things went along mostly smoothly. Better than going in over confident and stuffing things up I suppose.

 

[Tractionman]

Agree. Sounds like you had a laugh along the way - obviously not much swearing to put her off !

A good help when the helper is in front re-organising kit as you put it down to pick up another tool or hand them to you. I had a company apprentice with me once, that was so interested he knew what tool we needed before me. Unfortunately, the company kept moving them around, so we never got the same one for the whole duration of some jobs.

Posts like yours with all the details and pitfalls make it much easier for the rest of us to look back on, even when we have some idea of what we're doing, and what we're getting into.
Like a lot of jobs, it only takes something to go wrong like a snapped or seized bolt, to throw the whole plan in your head out the window, adding another job to the planned one.
Thanks, Sam !!

 

[Paulpen]

It's probably your oil / oil pickup you want to check more than your injector values for clues as to how they're getting on. Or both. Just look up through the hole when you next drop the oil and make sure your mesh is clean (or get your phone to look in the hole - or better still a mirror). A blocked mesh means clogged oil which means the injector seals are likely failing (allowing blow-by). If it's clean, maybe you can afford to go by what the Techstream values say. I went purely on age for mine (my oil pickup was clean). After 21 years my EGR / manifold was basically clear. What year is your LC?

As for the injectors, having done the job now, I'd say it's within anyone's ability if you move slowly and carefully. Getting the throttle bottle and EGR off is over half the job (as far as remembering what goes where etc). The injector bit itself is very easy as long as you move slow, check your work and remember that it's 80% cleaning. There are a few little bits to be careful of (ask me how I know) - but nothing crazy. If you can do the EGR clean you can do injectors for sure. Watch all the injector videos on FourBy4Diesel and you'll get a good feel for the job. There are good threads on here too of course - with pictures and videos.

Indeed - ill check the pickup first and then the correction values.

I would like to blank the EGR and clean the intake out but I need to know what else may need doing while im there as its not something I want to be doing twice !

Mines a 53 plate so its a very early 120 series with nearly 190,000 miles

 

[Sam]

Hold fire on that Paulpen - I've got a pic or 2 coming soon that might help you to decide. Just trying to get the time to post.
If yours is the same setup as mine, you might be surprised just how clear your EGR and manifold are. It's not like the later models you see on the videos everywhere. I'm not sure a blanking plate (I'm assuming you mean one with a 7mm hole) is necessary. I think the early euro models are basically what everyone else is trying to get back to by using their blanking plates.

 

[Paulpen]

Hold fire on that Paulpen - I've got a pic or 2 coming soon that might help you to decide. Just trying to get the time to post.
If yours is the same setup as mine, you might be surprised just how clear your EGR and manifold are. It's not like the later models you see on the videos everywhere. I'm not sure a blanking plate (I'm assuming you mean one with a 7mm hole) is necessary. I think the early euro models are basically what everyone else is trying to get back to by using their blanking plates.

Im certainly intrigued now !

 

[Sam]

One of the things we found very helpful, before the job and during, was having parts diagrams and guides to hand. If you're not sure, never underestimate the power of a good parts diagram to give you confidence about what a job will involve.

We printed out the key diagrams from partssouq.com and referred back to them constantly. Link to my make and model (probably not yours)

Importantly, we used our paint pens to mark things up both on the car and on the diagrams. When it came to getting the throttle body and EGR off, the daunting bundle of clips, vacum hoses and wires was all of a sudden very easy to manage. An example of our scribbles ...

We could then safely unplug the things we thought we needed to without having to worry too much about how to put them back. Of course, I then squirted the EGR with cleaner that instantly washed the paint marks off - but luckily I had the parts picture to to refer to so it wasn't a big deal. We took lots of pictures on our phones too just in case we missed something - but there's really not that much.

We also printed out pages from the Toyota manual that related to anything we would touch along with all torque specs etc. Here's a picture of the main pages. Probably not big enough to see the detail but hopefully enough to show what I mean. Pretty obvious which ones came from partsouq.

 

[Sam]

The point of this post was to try and show some of the differences and gotchas between most 120s / 150s and the early ones like mine. I seem to have got lost along the way.

So, differences and gotchas etc. Here are some of the things I should probably comment on. I'll update the list if I've forgtten anything and get through them the best I can. The posts will probably change over the next few days.

- Intercooler (and cover washers)
- Euro X differences (throttle body, EGR and manifold setup)
- Wiring loom
- Throttle body / EGR / manifold cleaning (7mm plate?)
- Fuel pipes, locations & access
- Glow plug bar
- Valve cover
- Injectors / compensation codes (or lack of)
- Valve clearance check
- Injectors and caps (WATCH OUT!!!)
- Fuel return line bolts (wobble bar)
- Injector alignment mistakes (GET IT RIGHT)

Disclaimer: This is important. I don't know what I'm talking about and I only have experience of my own Landcruiser. When I say "differences" I mean things I've noticed to be different from looking at videos on youtube etc. When I say "gotachs" I mean things I will look out for next time. I'm not giving you advice. I don't think I'm "right" so you shouldn't.

 

[Sam]

Differences and gotchas etc. continued ...

Intercooler (and cover washer/spacers)
Simple one this. My LC has a big intercooler that sits on top of everything under a big plastic cover. Later models don't seem to have this. I think it's down with the radiator instead. I'm glad mine's where it is. Very easy to get to and remove. Tip: When lifting off the cover be careful. The washers underneath come loose and can get left behind - or more likely knocked off when you move the cover and end up down on your bash plate or somewhere else never to be seen again. I saw this tip on a FourBy4Diesel video once - AND STILL LOST A WASHER a few wekks ago when I did an engine jet wash. To be fair, I was VERY careful when I lifted my cover off and retrieved the washer left behind just fine. I was very smug. It was when I was putting it back on that I managed to knock it off into oblivion. Glue it back in or at the very least chuck a blob of grease on the back of it when you put it in the cover to stop it falling out. It's a pain because they aren't just normal washers. Be careful, lift your cover straight up slowly and check if any stay behind (and be careful putting them back).

The intercooler cover ...

Getting the cover off was easy. Undo the top bolts and away it goes.

The intercooler comes away easy enough too. First we removed the plugs from the throttle body / EGR and popped the MAP filter out of it's little clip at the back. We then undid the big FRONT jubille clip on the big rubber hose into the throttle body. These pictures were taken a while ago (few weeks before the job) when we went in to see what we were dealing with and had a clean up. That's why there's no paint pen markings.

Next we undid the big jubilee clip on the other side of the intercooler down at the end where the intercooler inlet turns from rubber hose to metal pipe. Dont drop your ratchet

Next we undid the bolts holding the intercooler in place (4 - one on each corner I believe). The ones at the back can be tricky to get to but nothing too challenging.

We then gently but firmly pulled the intercooler out of the big rubber hose going into the throttle body. We used the hose tool here to free up the big rubber hose a bit first - but then by rotating the intercooler's front right corner towards us (rotating the whole intercooler assembly clockwise) we popped it out of the rubber hose.

I wasn't sure how the front brackets with rubbers would disconnect but they were just sitting there. By that I mean they were happy to just rotate away as we twisted the intercooler towards us. We then gently wiggled it's left hand pipe out of it's rubber hose while lifting it all up and out. Image to show what I mean - pipe comes out with the intercooler. It's upside here of course (laying on something soft).

It comes out quite easily. Just make sure the big pipe going down into the rubber hose on the LEFT side of the intercooler has been properly freed up (loosened the jubilee clip enough). There's no need to unbolt the metal pipe on the left side of the intercooler - just release the jubilee clip at the end where it meets the rubber hose. It will rotate in there and pop out nicely. Probably.

No tips here really ... mark your bolts so you know where they go back. Take pictures if that hepls to know what goes where. Keep track so you know where your jubilee clips go back - it's a good idea to return them to exactly where they were. BE CAREFUL with the intercooler. The fins are like radiator fins and very easily bent/broken. Maybe don't put your tools up there. Take care where you grab the intercooler when you twist or jiggle it out - dont squash anything important with your grip. Go gently - we applied very little force at all times. If you're struggling something isn't right. Stop, slow down, check you've loosened the jubille clips, check you've freed the rubber hose, check the bolts are out etc. Be careful with the rubber hose tool. It's a sharp hook that will easily make a hole in the rubber pipe and/or you.

A picture of the intercooler removed that should make some of this babble a bit clearer.
Again, this wasn't taken when we did the job but a few weeks before when we went in for a look and a clean.

Things to note ... the yellow rag is where the big metal intercooler pipe goes into the rubber hose. Mice don't like yellow so this stopped them falling in. The rubber hose on the right shows how we rotated the intercooler out of the front of it by undoing only the front jubilee clip. Look at that wiring loom in it's big plastic house right in the way

 

[Sam]

Differences and gotchas etc. continued ...

Euro X differences (throttle body, EGR and manifold setup)
Absolutely no idea what I'm talking about here. I've even put up posts in three or four forums to try and clarify but no-one has been able to help so I've guessed at my LC Euro number. I think it's probably 3. Whatever the number, what matters is the setup. I don't have a big EGR cooler like the later models. I also have a simpler version of the throttle body / EGR setup.

I'm pretty sure the parts diagrams will make it easier to see what I mean - but here's an actual picture. The EGR "cooler" is just a simple pipe going into the EGR and the throttle body and EGR are condensed into a tiny little package. Very easy to manage and an early emmissions system that hadn't yet started funneling insane amounts of dirty exhaust soot back into the system for reburning. Daft amounts from the engine's perspective - but not yet insane. The result is something very easy to disassemble and an EGR that "could do with a brush" after 21 years. Keep in mind that this has been my daily drive too - so it's had more than it's fair share of short trips. I'll post a pic of the dirty EGR soon. Oh and the intake manifold. You'll like the manifold.

So differences ... there isn't a big EGR cooler, you won't have to fight with the throttle body or EGR or big stay brackets to get any of it off (if you do it right) or access the fuel pipes. It's great.

I was quite nervous about all of this after watching all the videos online - especially because I knew mine was different. When we finally bit the bullet and took the time to study the LC and see none of it was there I was quite happy. These really are quite cool versions of the 1KD. Enjoy.

 

[Sam]

Differences and gotchas etc. continued ...

Wiring Loom
I haven't seen a wiring loom in a plastic cover like ours in any of the videos so far. Looks pretty but is a real pain to work around.
At this point we found it easiest to undo the wiring loom bolts in the valve cover and get the outer cover off.

You'll find your own way of working around the wiring loom but on this day (cleaning day not job day), we found it easiest to rotate the outer cover left and remove it out from the side.

On the day of the job we decided to tie it up aswell.

Red circles on the left show where we popped out a little loom clip for more slack and removed the little sensor clip on the front of the block. Red circle on the right is where we removed the little washer nut on the back of the glow plug connector to release the glow plug connection wire. You'll be happy for all the slack you can get later (essential for removing the EGR mentioned later). You can also see our vacum hoses and bits off of the throttle body in a plastic bag on the right. Remember that for in a minute.

There are 2 bolts holding the wiring loom in place and it's also attached to the back of the the throttle body (pic below). Once the bolts holding it down to the outer valve cover are out, there's enough slack to lift it off of the little bracket hook type thing on the back of the throttle body (just lifts off). Of course the throttle body is gone in these pics but it was there at the time

 

[Sam]

Differences and gotchas etc. continued ...

Throttle body / EGR / manifold / 7mm plate?
Diconnecting the throttle body, EGR and vacum hoses was all very easy. We used the parts diagrams to identify the minimum we would have to unplug and remove and simply left the rest on the car.

Throttle body
The only hardware to remove was the little gold bracket on top of the throttle body (2 little bolts) and everything came away very easily (vacum assemblies and plugs) to give us access to the throttle body and EGR (image shows everything loose with bracket removed).

We then unplugged our minimum choice of vacum hoses from the EGR and throttle body and left the rest on the car (wrapped in a bag - image above).

The throttle body has 2 wiring plugs on it's left hand side. One at the front and one at the back. We removed those.

There are then 2 nuts (one either side) and one bolt (at the back). The nuts are on studs that go through the throttle body and EGR and into the inlet manifold.

Don't think there are any tips here, it all came off very easily. Don't forget the plugs. The one at the back is tricky to get fingers too but if you have a look at it with a mirror or phone, you'll probably see it's a bit like the injector plugs. I pushed the button to release the clip and then slid it off. Your plug might not be like mine. It took me a while to work it out but be patient, it would be a horrible plug to repair. Be careful with the vacum hoses they're pretty delicate when they're old. Make sure you've marked them up (paint pens).

GOTCHA
Next bit we didn't do right. When you try to get the EGR off there isn't nearly enough slack in the wiring loom to get it out. Not by a long way. Well, close enough to make you think that enough oomph and pulling *might* just get you through - but it won't. Don't try. Your wiring is old. Instead, look in behind the EGR to where the glow plug bar ends (near the bulkhead at fuel pipe no.4). There is a wiring connector going from the loom to the glow plug bar. If we did it again we would take this off straight away. BUT DON'T DROP IT. It's a tiny 10mm washer nut that won't be tight but the thread is fine and quite long. It's difficult to get to too. Make sure you've got a 10mm ratchet spanner to hand (with a wobbly end) and you'll be ok. Go slow and make sure you don't drop the nut. You can then pop the wire off of the glow plug bar and that will give you all the slack you need in the wiring loom to get the EGR off. You might want to disconnect the battery before doing this. I did the first time I took it off but not the second or third time (I kept forgetting things and having to take it off again). Your call, I don't know what I'm doing.

EGR
We removed the 2 bolts at the front connecting the EGR pipe to the EGR itself and simply lifted the EGR off over the studs. Well, in reality we fought with the wiring harness like heroic characters fighting dragons in a computer game for what seemed like days before finally removing the glow plug wire from the wiring loom to give us the slack we needed. Then we simply lifted it off over the studs.

..... aaaaaand .... drum roll .......

Look at that 21 years and 150,000 miles. Incredible.

But what about the inlet manifold I hear you cry ....... well .......

Ok it's not shiny - but those contours in there are actually the shape of the manifold. It's barely got a covering.

I did a terrible job of pictures with this but it's the same all the way down the manifold (as far as I could see with a torch and mirror in the hole).

I gave it a quick scrape with a spoon and OLD hoover (don't use a hoover you'll want to use again) and ended up with this ...

Maybe I'll come back in another 10 years and blow on it


EGE blanking plate / 7mm hole?
Again, I have no experience here. I don't even *fully* understand the process - but I do get that directing dirty sooty air back into your engine is a terrible idea for the engine. But then breathing is good. I'll stay away from that debate here and focus on the differences. After 21 years and 150,000 miles, over half of which being short journeys, I think the pictures of the EGR and manifold speak for themselves. Barely a covering. I've seen so many horror pictures of clogged EGRs and inlet manifolds in an absolute state - and after half the miles - but these early setups just don't seem to suffer anywhere near as much. I had considered a plate with a 7mm hole because it seemed to be what everyone did - but then I started to notice some videos talking about the older Hilux and LCs not needing them. I think I can see why now. I don't know how much of the difference is down to the quality of fuel in different areas but I can say I was pleasantly surprised when we got in there and saw how well things were doing. Especially that inlet manifold. No plate for me. Roll on the next 21 years!

 

[Sam]

Intermission ... a quick look at things without the EGR.

Red arrows are the two throttle body plugs. One at the front and one at the back.
Purple arrow is the little bit that slides the wiring loom onto a bracket behind the throttle body (just lifts off).
Yellow arrow is the glow plug bar connector that will give the wiring loom a lot more slack if removed (little 10mm nut under the cream cap).

It really was a mess in there ...

 

[Paulpen]

Great information and pictures !

From your knowledge of your engine is there an easy access to get a inspection camera in to see the state of the manifold and EGR or is it just a case of remove it and see whats in there ?

Its interesting to see how good yours was - im not curious if yours is common for the early ones of if yours is a rare clean one lol

 

[toolsplus]

Good write up Sam
Cheers

 

[Sam]

From your knowledge of your engine is there an easy access to get a inspection camera in to see the state of the manifold and EGR or is it just a case of remove it and see whats in there ?

Would probably be easy to get a camera down into the inlet manifold opening where the EGR goes - but a small mirror on a stick will probably be just as good. The thing I would worry about is going too far in and accidentally knocking sooty gunk through the ports while you were exploring. It's not uncommon to knock a few grains in (because some of your ports will always be open) and you *could* end up with a bit of gunk stuck under a valve seat. Not the end of the world until you try and do a valve clearance check and it looks like it's way out when really it's not.

I very carefully cleaned some out of the opening under the EGR with a hoover and a spoon just enough to safely get a mirror in there without knocking sooty clumps further in. Once there was enough room to see along the manifold with a mirror I was happy that it wasn't worth the effort of manifold removal (remembering of course that I don't have the experience to make that judgement - I just went by feel).

I knew I was doing a valve clearance check during the job and didn't want to risk messing that up with a little blob of soot stuck somewhere. If you decide on a full manifold removal and clean then it would be good to see the pics - but maybe check up to see if my worry about knocking mess through the ports is real or not. I'm sure I've heard it talked about a few times - either struggling to get it to start again or getting totally off valve clearance readings.

For what it's worth, if you think it has happened (valve clarances off), rotate the engine a few times (with your ratchet on the crank) to see if clears it. Or maybe do the manifold checks and clean AFTER the valve clearance checks ... but then you've got the head exposed and fuel lines off so it's a big contamination risk ... I don't know, I haven't got any *good* advice for you here sorry - I'll shut up

 

[Paulpen]

All info is good info !

I may have missed it in focusing on the EGR situation - were your clearances out of spec ?

 

[Sam]

I haven't got that far in the post yet - getting there
Everyone told me they would be 100% in spec and that they never go out on the 1KDs (unless there's a problem). Mine were all good

 

[Sam]

Differences and gotchas etc. continued ...

Fuel pipes, locations & access

Next was fuel pipes. I don't mind saying I got myself in a bit of a pickle here because I couldn't decide what was best to do. Eventually I made the decision to leave the fuel pipes connected at the common rail for as long as possible. I didn't have anything I thought would be better at protecting the common rail connections from dust and debris more than leaving the pipes connected - so I only disconnected them from the top at the injectors.

I wasn't sure how far we were going to get with the job or what problems we were going to have - so I didn't want to just whip them all off and then be worrying about mice contaminating the fuel lines while I was waiting to fix whatever went wrong - if it went wrong.

I did try to cut them with snips but there's no way I was getting thorugh them. We tried to bend them back out of the way as much as possible but I got nervous about damaging the connections at the other end and so couldn't get them out of the way as much as I would have liked. They're not that easy to bend it seems. Maybe they were just old and gone hard. We wrapped the ends in little bags to stop any diesel drips going into the head and just left them while we worked. They didn't cause us any problems until the "test fit" of the valve cover for injector alignment. I'll get to that saga later

If I did it again, I would spend more time considering a better way of protecting the common rail instead and getting the fuel pipes out of the way straight off.

Anyway, differences etc...

All videos I've seen have all four fuel pipes together on the commonn rail (plus the fuel inlet pipe). Four fuel pipes going to the injectors and one heading of downwards (fuel inlet?). As far as connections go (left to right), it's usually ...

[no.1] .. [no.2] .. [no.3] .. [fuel inlet pipe] .. [no.4]............

Mine was different. Mine was ...

[no.1] .. [no.2] .. [no.3] .. [fuel inlet pipe] .....100 miles ..........[oil filter] ......... [no.4].

When I first saw the setup I was convinced it was going to be a nightmare. I now know that I must have the *best* version of the 1KD. No hassles. No problems. Every pipe accessible and in any order - including the no.4 buried right over down behind the oil filter. With a 17mm crow foot spanner (and extensions) they were all accessible. None of the daft dance of having to torque no.2 before installing no.1 or having to get no.1 off before you can undo no.2. We were very happy with that.

On the day of the job we were already pretty convinced this would be the case because we went in there a week or so before to see what we could access. While it was all good news from that perspective - it was a pain getting a straight line onto pipes 1 and 2 (at the common rail) because of the coolant hoses running right across them where you need the extensions to go. We found that sliding the pipes out of the clip and tying them up to the bonnect catch gave us the room we needed to get in there a lot easier. This isn't a big deal - you'll find a way to hold them out of the way. Tying them up was just easier for us. Just don't over stretch/stress them maybe.

We also found no obstructions or "bracket stays" of any kind in the way of the pipes like we've seen in videos. It was all pleasantly accessible without hassle (expect for the coolant pipes).

Fuel pipe clamps are all pretty easy on these but again different from what I expected. Three in total. One that spans pipes 1,2 & 3 and another lower down that spans 1 & 2. These need to go back on and get torqued BEFORE the fuel pipes are torqued at the injector or common rail (more detail on that later). The Toyota manual is very clear and very precise about *exactly* where the clamps need to go - but the new pipes come with black marks to help. If for some reason you're not replacing the pipes (you really should be) - make sure you mark the positions of the clamps before you take them off.

Quick note on that, the Toyota manual clearly states (in bold) that new pipes should be installed with new injectors. It's apparantly ok to re-use pipes a few times with the same injectors - but new injectors new pipes. Not everyone agrees that's necessary but I did my research on the debate and concluded that following Toyotas advice was the right way to go. I'm not experienced enough to advise anyone on these things - but if you can, I'd get new pipes. It also makes refit sooo nice when everything just lines up.

Anyway, clamps ...

There's also a single bracket clamp that wraps around pipe no.4 and attaches to the front of the inlet manifold. You can see the setup clearly on a parts diagram. The no.4 pipe comes with a new rubber fixed to the pipe and a clamp to go around it but NOT a new bolt. Don't drop and lose the one on the LC when you undo it - you'll need it. Actually there are 2 rubbers on the pipe - one for the clamp and one to hold it off of the inlet manifold (and insulate it from vibration maybe?).

It's pretty tricky to get in there behind the wiring loom to get the clamp undone. Maybe you'll move the loom - we just used patience and a 10mm ratchet spanner with a wobbly head. Besides, getting it back on is much more fun. Don't drop the bolt

Not much in the way of tips here really. Make sure everything is clean clean clean before you go near the common rail. If you're not replacing injectors, make sure everything is clean clean clean at the injector end too.

Actually I have to stop for a moment here. Disclaimer jokes aside, watch the FourBy4Diesel videos if you're doing this job! My steps will lead you straight into trouble especially if you're re-using pipes or injectors. There is a real contamination risk when removing pipes etc and I don't know enough to advise how to stop that happening. When you undo the fuel pipes there will be debris and flakes falling from the nuts no matter how well you clean. The rubber nozzle holders where the pipes join the connectors will be full of dust and debris no matter how well you clean too. I was amazed how much dirt and stuff fell out when I removed them - and that would drop straight into your injector inlet and that's really not good. Don't just follow me please

Anyway, take lots of pictures and notes of exactly where the clamps go - it matters. Don't be scared about the odd position of no.4 fuel line - it's easy with the 17mm crow foot. The no.4 pipe bracket is fiddly but if you have the 10mm ratchet spanner that's not an issue either. You might want to use a 1/2 inch ratchet on the fuel pipes if you have one. The pipes aren't crazy tight but a bigger ratchet made things easier and gave me more control in a tight spot.

If your fuel pipes "spring out at you" when you disconnect them from the injectors you know someone has been in there. The new ones fit perfectly in line without any tension on them so if they've been bent to get the cover off and then forced back into place you know someone's been in. Mine pinged out and I've never asked anyone to go in there ... explains some things ... whose been poking around and why? .... I could hear Anthony from FourBy4Diesel in my head ... "Be careful who you let work on your LC"