I have a bent connector rod on my 2000 Toyota Camry LE v6. I have taken the head off and am currently looking at the cam shafts and don't know what to do from here. I have a general idea that I need to get under the cam shafts to the cylinders, but don't know how to do that properly so I can put it back together in the correct manner. Any advice or help would be greatly appreciated.

 

The cylinder head has been taken off or just the valve cover?

Before you do anything else suggest you obtain service manual info on the engine. Haynes has a manual for under $20 or try a library. Read the manual before you start!

If you have digital camera take photos before taking anything apart.

Set the engine with the No 1 cylinder at TDC and crank at the 0 degree mark. With the timing cover removed note how the cam pulley marks are aligned with the timing cover plate behind them.

Find a write-on-anything white markers the auto salvage yard use to mark parts. Use this to mark the orientation of the cams gears with each other BEFORE taking them off the head.

The valve train uses shims to adjust valve train clearance. The shims are different thicknesses depending what was needed to obtain the correct clearance. You DON'T want to take things apart in such as way the shims end up being mixed together.

The shims will not fall out when the cams are removed but the will no longer be held captive. Mark each shim and do what is required to not allow them to mix together. You want the same shim back on the same valve spring assy.

The cam gears have a service bolt that needs to installed before removing the cams. It is just a standard bolt. The manual should have the info on this.

Read the manual, there are a number of tools that need to be used during the process of taking the engine apart. Toyota has their own tools but all of them are standard types.

Take lots of photos, tag every wire plug you disconnect and where it come of off. Bag up bolts and mark the bag to group them with the part they held on.

 

I have attached a picture of the engine at the stage I am currently at. Forgive me for not knowing the names of everything but I didn't understand what you meant by "Set the engine with the No 1 cylinder at TDC and crank at the 0 degree mark.". I know what the No 1 cylinder is but i am unsure what the TDC and crank are, and where the 0 degree mark is.

 

Are you putting the engine back together or taking it apart?

If you have ever set the engine timing these are the same marks you would use.

The crankshaft has a large pulley the turns the belts for the power steering, AC, alternator, etc. If you look at the outside of the pulley as you would if wanting to look down into the pulley grove, somewhere on the outside circumference is a line.

If you look at the timing cover behind the pulley when standing outside the engine compartment and looking down at the side of the engine. There will be a tab that extends out of the cover having many lines. One line mark would have "0" next to it.

Align the line on the pulley with the 0 mark. How ever as the crank turns 2 times for every one revelation of the camshafts, the engine engine could be set as described in the previous posts or be off 1 rotation of the crankshaft.

Unfortunately the No 1 cylinder is on the back cylinder bank nearest the passengers side fender. This valve cover is time consuming to remove.

However when all is set correctly each mark on the outside rim of the cam pulley in the photo will be lined up with a mark on the timing cover behind it (the metal plate/cover behind the pulley).

 

TDC= top dead center, the highest point the piston will travel in the cylinder on any stroke although it generally refers to that point on the no 1 cylinder compression stroke right about the point the spark plug would fire.

0 degree mark= a mark on the crank pulley. when the mark is lined up with the "0" on the lower timing cover, the no 1 cylinder should be at top dead center.

crank= crankshaft. if you dont know what a crankshaft is, this may not be a job you would be capable of doing. we all start somewhere, and at one point i didnt know what it was. but if your replacing a bent connecting rod then some serious skill and know-how is required. not to mention the countless SST'S needed.

if you still want to give it a go, and this is not your only means to get to work, more power to you. myself or probably anyone else could help, just know that it will not be easy and it will be expensive and time consuming. expect your car to be out for a week at minimum.

another option that may be better for you, try to find a salvaged engine from a u pull it place. pricing will vary but my local pull-a-part 4 cyl engines go for about 125 bucks 6's are 155 bucks. your gonna spend that before you even buy the new rods and bearings.