Help! Camshafts will not rotate.

98 3rz-fe. Installed new cams. Torqued bearing caps carefully in correct sequence to correct torque. The manual says the camshaft should rotate freely. They do not in fact, won’t move at all any help would be appreciated.

 

Being that this is an interference engine are you 100% sure, First things first, that your cam, crank, balance shaft are all aligned correctly.

Did any of the cam bearings get replaced during your procedure performed? If so, there is a possibility of an incorrect bearing being provided to you by parts guys.

Just sipping on a Jack and Coke thinking on what could be causing your issue.

Good luck.

 

Thanks for taking time away from your jack and Coke. I did not get new bearing caps as the shop that did the work said they were fine put them all back in exactly the right order the camshaft will not turn. Everything seems to be aligned, but nothing turns.

 

Did the machine shop only re-work only the head?

Is the head back on the engine? The reason I ask is you could exercise rotation before having place on the block to ensure movement.

Did you know if any adjustments got made on the shim over bucket adjustments for the lifters.

There can be only several items stopping the complete rotation. How much force do you feel you are applying while attempting to turn over? Not questioning your technique, Only ensuring the correct amount of ooomph is being used.

 

Shop milled, and did a complete valve job which included shims. I’ve put a crescent wrench on the intake cam and it doesn’t want to move at all. The Haynes manual says it should rotate freely.

 

I know this is at times a questionable comment being on the forums and all, Just throwing it out there. Did the head bolts get replaced as I belieeeve they are torque to yield (Varies by year).
At this point, It would be down to determining the no rotate issue. You may need to remove the head and verify it will, Indeed rotate freely being separated from the block.

Hopefully at the end of the long day, you will be able to determine what is causing the no rotate issue. And yes it is worth investigating/correcting before attempting to start up!

 

Well, I put the hood on and poured a Makers. But before that I removed the exhaust cam. The intake cam will move with a crescent wrench. Never having replaced a cam before, I don’t really know how “freely” the cams should rotate. I am trying to rotate them before the timing chain is on so it’s just the cams torqued to the head. Anyone know how much Umf it should take for the canes to rotate?

 

I have experience with everything your doing (apart from replacing a cam, I only removed mine during a valve job). Ditch the Haynes manual, I had a Chilton (which is owned by Haynes) and when I did my valve adjustments the chart in the Haynes/Chilton was not the same as my factory service manual (FSM). Any spec you get should be cross checked with an online PDF of the FSM or on a forum thread/Timmy video. My Chilton manual lacked a lot of detail and steps, and it seemed compromised because it was for 4 models of Toyota. The 3rz is an interference engine, so you don't want to risk anything.

Make sure you put the bearing caps on correctly, you have to do it in the special order where you start on the middle bearing cap and alternate sides of the cam shaft working to the outer bearing caps. Recommend that you gradually work your way up to the listed torque spec rather than going straight to it. You want to have even pressure on the camshaft at all times. Remember to have all bearing surfaces and cam lobes covered in motor oil before assembly.

When turning the engine over you should have the spark plugs removed, otherwise you'll be fighting compression. And it's best to manually turn the engine from the crank pulley (the one you used to get it to TDC) rather than the camshaft. If you do use the camshaft, at least use an open end.

From the crank pulley my engine turned over relatively easy (with an 18" breaker bar). Even with a normal ratchet, I could turn the engine over, though it took some strength. Even my normal ratchet could turn the engine over without flexing. You shouldn't be pushing yourself to get the engine to turn over.

 

Thanks so much for all the replies. All fixed and fine. Took cam assembly apart and came to realization that I am a dumbf@#*! I put the cam caps on the wrong cam. Reinstalled. Used cam lube, torqued down sequentially like recommended. Assembly rotates well. Thanks again everybody. Not happy with myself right now. Ugh

 

Nice!