Here's Why You NEVER MESS WITH Toyota Valve Cover Gaskets!! 

Please read this. Coming from a experienced Toyota technician ive never broke one. Just a suggestion, you probably don’t want to hear this but a long ten mill harden extension with an impact is how I remove those bolts. Something about an impact doesn’t break them. Learned from an older technician.

I'm not sure if you are aware but there are stud removers/pullers which is what you were left with when the head of the bolt broke off. Gearwrench 41760D or Koken 4214M. Right tool for the right job, should have made easy work of that issue, with that much of the bolt/stud available to grab. Add a little heat to start with, some panther pee/penetrating oil and should be an easy fix.

I try not to be a mean hateful vindictive man... but when I see another garage mechanic struggle, I feel a little better.

It's nice to take care of your own vehicles, but in this case you messed up installing the spark plug seals the wrong way around. You should correct it asap, and buy a cheap induction heater so you can remove that broken bolt as well safely.

Jimmy great call on that bolt. Didn't know you can find these bolts at a hardware store.. The UZ-FE engines are really great durable engines.

Great video as expected

Anytime you are faced with moving, removing a bunch of hoses, vacuum lines, electrical connectors, start by taking pictures. That gold color inside the head seems in my experience to be more prevalent on the PCV side. I don't think it indicates a problem. I "guess" it is some component of the motor oil that oxidizes easily but it's likely not an issue. It's NOT from getting hot because my S10, 4.3 ltr. has it and it's never been overheated. It's only had Mobil 1 synthetic it's whole life also. Chops to you Jimmy for the "threaded sleeve" idea. Doing it tapered was extra clever. It's unconventional but a low torque situation like you said. Quick and dirty fix. Here is the learning moment; Did you reinstall all your fasteners with anti-seize? That's what it is for. Literally every bolt you removed for this job, including the spark plugs should have a small dab of anti-seize. It will give you the MOST accurate torque, and next time it comes off, it will come off. Anytime you run a steel bolt into aluminum casting, you need to use Copper anti-seize to prevent galvanic corrosion. Those valve cover bolts particularly. I know someone is going to comment that they will come loose. I assure you they will not. Every fastener on the Saturn 5 engines on Apollo space craft, even the ones with locking nuts, had anti-seize on them and it vibrates at an intensity still unmatched by any other man made object, and they never came loose in operation. The other potential bad news is; I can't be sure, because you didn't show both sides of the new blue spark plug seals in the valve cover, but it looks like you put them in backwards. If the other side is open like the engine side of the seals you removed, then they are in backwards. It may work fine that way, IDK. They are there to keep debris and moisture out of the spark plug holes is all, should still function OK for that. Those seals like front crank seal, trans rear seal, differential pinion seal, many rear axle seals where you can see the spring inside them, the 'open' side goes to the inside of the crankcase, or inside of trans or diff, like the ones you removed. If someone wants to replace those stock valve cover bolts, Allen head bolts are very hard. I'd just use copper anti-seize, you'll need it for the hard bolts anyway. The bolt Jimmy showed is likely grade 5. Allen's are almost always grade 8. You still need to use anti-seize, maybe a washer. Don't ask a pro, he doesn't want to spend the modest extra time, and certainly doesn't care if it comes off easy next time for you, and likely doesn't posses the engineering knowledge to even care. Toyota (or any of them) doesn't want you working on your own stuff, and generally are not going to direct the use of it. They would rather charge you extra for repairing the broken bolt, and charge you $30 for the new bolt.

Yeahhh really liking the title of this video 👍

I feel like a little heat and a stud puller would've been a home run for you. Great video, as always!

Good job Jimmy! Way to improvise. 👍

Jimmy I wish I could get you to do mine, because it's still Fresh in your Mind 🧐 I would pay you of Course!☺️

Can you do video of that 4Runner brake flush? thanks man!

If I absolutely couldn't get that stud out I may have gone with a nut like that. However instead of sanding down the nut I probably just would have drilled out the hole in the valve cover slightly larger so that the nut could seat all the way.

I love fel pro gaskets. The only think ill put on my 98 Chevy intake. Lasts way longer that oem. Have you and your wife been driving the 4Runner? If do, how fo you like it in comparison to your little gmc? Great video as always!

Way to go Jimmy😊

I appreciate that you're such a perfectionist Jimmy. I hope it doesn't drive you insane that your spark plug seals are in backwards. Toyota engines are prone to "sludging" because people believe the hype about 10,000 mile oil etc. I bought a 2002 Avalon with 200,000 miles and it is near pristine inside. CARFAX maintenance records are your friend. By the way, next time I see you at Harbor Freight let me buy you a proper hammer. Nothing screams "shade tree" like using a claw hammer anywhere near an auto engine.

Great video. I'm getting ready to the do the valve cover gaskets on my 3MZ-FE and I fear what I will find.

Really good 2 parter. I don't think I would attempt that job at all. I can imagine it would be in the area of a $500-$600 job. Nice work Jimmy.

Suggestion: Use copper anti-seize on valve cover hold down bolts and threads of spark plugs. Future maintenance may be far easier.

Definitely worth the money eh to buy used 4th gen 4Runner, and the easy V8 maintenance ❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥

If you used a pen torch and hit the aluminum area around the bolt, most likely would have help to losen it. I had this happen with a 89 mazda 3.0l head water intake flange. The bolt head broke, hit the aluminum head with heat and 1/4-20 size stud came out with vice grips.

just use pressure pliers to turn the screw, or finish the process with the two nuts, you started turning and touching the top one and stopped, you just had to continue and the pressure would stop the bottom nut from turning and start to turn. turn the screw.

I was watching an other Toyota video, and the mechanic said the original spark plugs have three dots on the tip, from the factory. I would use some anti seize on the bolts.

Haha i like that jimmy rig 👍👍

The title should be: “Why Jimmy NEVER MESSES with Toyota Valve Cover Gaskets”.

Hey it works

Those valve cover gaskets bolts really come loose because of the bolts rubber gaskets. I have 2003 V8 4Runner and those bolts was loose too when I did the Valve Cover Gaskets.

Jimmy, get a Mapp gas and heated up then put a jam nut and then remove it, just remember the aluminum cools really quick.

What about opening the hole ever so slightly on the valve cover or put a bushing on the new "nut" so that the bushing presses on the valve cover to push it down. Otherwise you could have tried heating the area and the old bolt to see if that would break it loose

Did you apply a heat gun to the bolt after putting in you double nuts?

Heat Heat and More Heat... make it glow, then try with vice grips.

I just did my gasket replacement today and it seem like its lose from factory

ok-so how did it run after your fixes?🤔

pretty much everything under the hood on a toyota is 10 12 or 14, you do see 17 and 19 on the bigger things like suspension and harmonic ballancer bolts.

you should add some seafoam high mileage to the oil to get rid of some varnish! drive 300 miles then change oil!

40 inch lbs definitely not enough....the covers are metal so- I always worry about leakage with all them heat cycles and such....clever fix on the seized bolt 🔩

You installed the seals backwards just like the other side. When I saw this video I was hoping you read the comments and this video was gonna show you fixing it. Can’t you see the lip was facing down on the original seals? I’m sure the seal went on the tube easier this way because you don’t have to work the lip seal over the tube but it’s wrong. It’s gonna leak!

I’ve done countless 2UZFE valve covers on tundras, 4Runners and GX470’s and I’ve never broken a bolt or had any issues. Think you need to stick to working on chevys there dude.

I clean my engine with 1/2 a quart of transmission fluid a day or even a week of driving before the oil change. Better keep checking those LBJs and stay up on timing belt changes every 100,000 miles and you'll be happy.

Hell , I just tightened my back down and it stopped to oil leaking. check in next week for quick mechanic tits......

Yes if u have to get the job done with what you have to get toy back on the road 😊😊

If you're going to get new valve cover bolts, get some 10.9s. 8.8s are not a high grade bolt.

he should try Xterra

Those plugs and coils are 100,000 over due.

You definitely got a lot of work to replace the valve cover gasket on the driver side jimmy 😧

A little blue loctite would help.

Can call it sleeve nut, binding post, sex bolt, mating bolt. All correct.

They meant to last forever. ..... i guess the bolts are super !

I have no idea why your sparkplugs were loose lol

That driver side is looked dirtier because of the PCV is in that side. Extra combustion gases goes through there.

Best way to remove those is to weld a nut or something like it

It always replace the bolt

Looks like owner didn't change the oil often. Engine internals look way too dirty.

"it's always that one furthest away & most difficult to reach, it's all about positivity pal 😉" 😄

That's like a Chicago screw

after working on a 2gr-fe, I HATE toyota products. their bolts(other than heads) are such crap. so many of them just break with any kind of force and they have no rust protection. I'm selling it for a loss as soon as I fix it

AGAIN U PUT THE SPARKPLUG SEAL IN BACKWARDS did you not see that the original are the correct way they do not seal from the top surface they are DESIGNED TO SEAL WITH PRESSURE OMG i wouldnt trust u to rebuild a 2 stroke ever you would litteraly install the crank seal backward and wonder why is it not running right DONT BELIEVE EVERYTHING YOU SEE ON THE INTERNET!

You installed the plug seals backwards. Maybe It'll seal lol