2ZZ-GE Valve Adjustment

[checksix]

My wife's 06 Matrix with a 2ZZ-GE is coming up on 100K miles. I figure it's about time to check the valve adjustment. A search of the forums didn't turn up anything, but I figure I'm not searching correctly as this should be a common discussion thread (I'm a relatively new member so perhaps it's me). So please help me out. I'm used to checking the clearance when Valve "X" is fully compressed, check valves A, B, C. So what is the sequence to check?

Now that we have checked, let's say we need to adjust. I have read that there is a means to use a special tool to pull the bucket to get at the shim without pulling the cam. Is this possible? I'm very new to this motor and am clueless as to the guts of this thing and how it works, so any advice would be appreciated (yes I've yet to pull the valve cover) can ya tell, ha ha!

["Z" UTE]

The most helpful advice I could give, is to buy a service manual for the engine, or one for a car with the same engine.(Celica and Corolla) The book will give you valve clearances, and method of adjustment. It will also spell out the different shims that are needed in graph form to set the corect clearances.

Without the book, there will be a lot of measureing and re measureing, the book will make any future maintenance work on the engine a snap.

If this engine uses shim over bucket design, you can depress the valve and bucket with a special lever, flick the shim out and replace the same way. Each cylinder being adjusted should have the piston well away from TDC.

cheers Chuck.

[roadsailing]

snip

is it noisy? no? leave it alone.

[pandaah]

^^ thats my advice too mate... or at least ok you wanna check for piece of mind, wait till you change the timing belt cos then at least you can take the cams out cos its bugger all more work

[CraigD]

^^ thats my advice too mate... or at least ok you wanna check for piece of mind, wait till you change the timing belt cos then at least you can take the cams out cos its bugger all more work

2ZZ has a chain not belt

Like everyone else said there is no need to do it unless it is noisy
also i'm pretty sure the shims are part of the bucket so you will need to take the cams out.
If you require new shims you will need to get the bucket with the correct size.

[allencr]

Even if they are noisy, tip tapping away like mad, as long as they all sound about the same, that's still no real problem. It's when they DON'T make any noise and their clearance has tightened up from valve & seat wear, that you've gotta worry about because they will be burned up sooner then later.
************
For the lash, OHCams make it real easy to see when the lobe is off the follower & shim. I like 2 feeler guages for checking, 1 too small that should easily fit & 1 too big that that shouldn't, then only find the exact gap if that shim is going to need changing.

["Z" UTE]

The major thing to do with these engines, is to do regular oil and filter changes, lack of oil in the valvetrain will spell certain disaster, as the VVTI cam interlocking pins will jamb and snap. So keep the oil clean.

cheers Chuck.

[checksix]

No noise (yet), the car runs very well and I've run only syn oil at 5000 mile intervals. Mostly wanted to check for piece of mind, but figured I'd want to be prepared to adjust if I needed to. My 18R-G has buckets with a shim underneath. If I'm understanding the 2ZZ-GE has the shim built into the bucket, so to adjust you need to change the bucket? If that is correct, then OUCH, that has to be pricey and a bit of a pain since an individual can't anticipate what sizes he'll need until it's taken apart.

I don't think the spark plugs have ever been changed (90K miles), so figured I'd do it all, now it might just be the plug change and measure the valve lash. Any recommendations on plugs, or just pick up OEM? Any other PM items I should consider at 90K miles? (Just did antifreeze, and all filters). The serp belt was changed about 30K miles ago. I was considering a drain and fill on the 6 speed manual just to put in fresh.

And one last thanks to all who contributed. What a GREAT bunch!

[MR22ZZ]

Use NGK iridium plugs. The standard (OEM) ones are Denso ones. There should be a listing for the recommended ones on the NGK website. The recommended replacement interval for them in Australia is 100,000 kms (80,000 miles) so they are a little overdue.

I used to change my gearbox fluid on my 2ZZ corolla every 20,000 kms.

[CraigD]

If you want i can get the pages from the workshop manual for you.


cheers Craig

[SuperDave]

I just followed this guide on newcelica when I did mine for the Piper cams. I wrote up a spreadsheet that does all the calculation stages for me. Keep in mind you never measure the clearance for the high cam lobe, just the low cam lobe. Assuming the Matrix has the 2zz on the same angle as the Corolla here it's a royal pain to measure and work on the exhaust side. You'll also need a drop of FIPG to seal between the head, valve cover and the timing chain cover.

[checksix]

SuperDave, any chance you can post the spreadsheet you used. I too could probably make one up, but if the work is already done why do it again

CraigD, If it's not that much bother I would appreciate scanned pages of the manual (and I'll bet others will too). The link SuperDave gave was pretty good but the photos it referenced didn't show up fo me. I'm pretty sure I understood the post, but sometimes that picture "worth a thousand words" proverb is entirely accurate!

[SuperDave]

PM sent. Sadly I didn't take any photos of the actual measuring in the head so can't provide any pics to go with it. But isn't too hard to follow once you've got the valve cover off. But any stages you are unsure of just ask. I've got a couple heads lying around I can take pics of. Make sure you have a micrometer for measuring the valve stem shims. My micrometer didn't fit inside so made up a blank of known length to fit inside and did some maths to determine the thickness. I was lucky and only had one valve out of spec which I could swap with another.

[checksix]

SuperDave, no problem with finding the right measuring equipment (I run the inspection department for an aerospace firm). The spreadsheet should simplify things, and I agree, once I get in there it should be rather intuitive if I follow the previous posted link.

Thanks for the GREAT support!

[CraigD]

Here's the pages for the adjustment from the manual.

http://i241.photobucket.com/albums/f...2/IMG_0001.jpg
http://i241.photobucket.com/albums/f...2/IMG_0002.jpg
http://i241.photobucket.com/albums/f...2/IMG_0003.jpg
http://i241.photobucket.com/albums/f...2/IMG_0004.jpg
http://i241.photobucket.com/albums/f...2/IMG_0005.jpg
http://i241.photobucket.com/albums/f...2/IMG_0006.jpg


cheers Craig