Just a lesson for the new people getting into this platform.

When you replace your VCG, do your cam seals. If you are due for a timing belt, might as well do all that too, since all that is open to you. BUT the biggest lesson to learn here is; if you haven't had your PCV/crankcase breather hose, suction and check valves replaced, you are just wasting your money on that VCG/cam seal job. After much research, I realized that my PCV service has not been replace




Anyway my car will be off to the mechanic. I was feeling confident in doing the t-belt with the aid of happywrenching.com tutorial. I can't find any other DIY's on the cam seal replacement that give me the confidence to do so, therefore i'm not gonna risk the time and effort

It is a dark day for me...

 

With the valve covers off it is very easy to replace the cam seals. Just pull the timing gear off the front of the cam. Pull the front cam seal off then lubricate and push the new one on. Pull the back seal off, put the new one on (not sure if it needs lubricated). Then I set the valve cover back on (with the new gasket). Pushed on the cam seals to make sure they were seated all the way into the head. Then tightened the valve cover down. No leaks so far.

 

Thanks for that. From my research its where the half moon plug or something like that, that needs to be replaced which is where you'll have to remove the camshaft assembly out to replace it. Is this correct?

Anyway, my mechanic just told me that my car is ready to be picked up. He also replaced the serpentine tensioner which i replaced myself not too long ago from ebay $80. He said it was starting to whine. Anyone else bought an $80 serpentine tensioner that only lasted less than 2 years?

 

I forgot about the half moon. There is a gasket and half moon rubber plug that are under the camshaft tensioner. You don't have to remove any part of the camshafts themselves to replace it really, but I'm sure the manual would tell you to. You just use a special tool to compress the camshaft tensioner then remove the bolts from the camshaft tensioner and that gives you enough room to lift the camshaft tensioner up and slide the new gasket and half moon under it. You have to have the valve covers off to get to the camshaft tensioner though. This thread shows how to remove a cam tensioner to give you an idea of what you would be looking at. The last picture shows the cam tensioner gasket and half moon. The half moon is under the part of the gasket with the slashed lines in the picture.

 

jeckel, thank you very much for the info!

cheers.