Valvecover pics: Toyota 1NZFE 295,000 miles.

[DemoFly]

I absolutely love these engines. We've owned a few.

Cheapest SOPUS or Chev Supreme @ 5k intervals. I imagine it was pretty clean until it started burning oil at 230k.

All original except for a starter motor, water pump and fuel pump.

How much blow by do you want? Because this engine makes all of it. These engines have an oil squirter above the timing gear on the crankshaft. So the chain is quite clean and the cam sprocket teeth are perfect. But the front cover doesn't get oiled other than what flings off the chain.

 

[slacktide_bitog]

Looks good

 

[Bud_One]

It's ready for another 300k

 

[bbhero]

That looks very, very good in my opinion.

The cam lobes look extremely good… 9.7 out of 10.

Varnish buildup and I’d say 9 out of 10.

 

[gfh77665]

Proof positive that light to medium varnish means nothing!

Looks great!

 

[tig1]

I would be disappointed with that in my engines and I do 10K OCIs.

 

[incognito_2u]

When I did the valve cover gaskets on the 1ZZFE’s in the Corollas in my sig, the valve train looked similar to what your engine looks like……..

 

[wwillson]

Proof positive that light to medium varnish means nothing!

It's using oil, which likely means the ring lands are coked. Visible varnish like this in the valve cover does mean something. Quality modern engines like this usually die because they start using oil and lose compression.

 

[proveitwithdata]

Whats the plan for the car OP? Keeping it another 300k?

 

[Cujet]

I've never had any sludge or varnish in my M1 engines. I've had a few into the 350K range too.

Current Jag X-Type with 225K is spotless inside.

 

[daves87rs]

Not bad!

 

[jetman]

looks good

 

[OVERKILL]

Proof positive that light to medium varnish means nothing!

Looks great!

This would tend to indicate otherwise:

How much blow by do you want? Because this engine makes all of it.

 

[DemoFly]

Whats the plan for the car OP? Keeping it another 300k?

It's a runaround car for my mom and the dogs. It's her last car, if you know what I mean.

When I did the valve cover gaskets on the 1ZZFE’s in the Corollas in my sig, the valve train looked similar to what your engine looks like……..

Yeah this era of Toyota 4-bangers don't have stellar oiling, as well as all the ring tension flaws.

 

[michaelluscher]

The story, pictures, blowby, and status is a carbon copy (bad pun ) of my 2AZ in the Scion

Are you planning on trying to free up the rings, or just let it ride?

 

[DemoFly]

The story, pictures, blowby, and status is a carbon copy (bad pun ) of my 2AZ in the Scion

Are you planning on trying to free up the rings, or just let it ride?

It burns about 3/4 quart between changes and the blow by doesn't seem to be hurting anything. I check the breather and PCV hose every once in awhile and they look fine. The valvecover gasket was original and the leak was because it was hard as a rock and cracked on the spark plug tube.

 

[Revving2Redline]

I would be disappointed with that in my engines and I do 10K OCIs.

You used synthetic and I don't think he did.

 

[gfh77665]

It's using oil, which likely means the ring lands are coked. Visible varnish like this in the valve cover does mean something. Quality modern engines like this usually die because they start using oil and lose compression.

OP ran cheapest oil at 5K intervals. 300K and still running... might make 400K... what more do people want?

 

[gfh77665]

It burns about 3/4 quart between changes and the blow by doesn't seem to be hurting anything.

That, and it lived a very economical life. Probably one of the best mile/$ ratios out there. 300K+.

 

[wwillson]

OP ran cheapest oil at 5K intervals. 300K and still running... might make 400K... what more do people want?

That's a great question and the answer is individual. I'm looking at it from my prospective, which we all do. I would want clean pistons and internals, regardless of miles. If I take my Durango to 300k miles, I expect that the internals will be clean and oil consumption and blow-by to be minimal. If those are my expectations, then I'll have to use an oil that can perform the job. If I didn't care, then I'd run the cheapest oil I could find.