My 120,000KM Service

[Tony Prodigy]

Hi Gents,

I spent the whole day yesterday carrying out the following:

Oil Service (ODO Reading 120241)

Brake Service Front and Back.

PCV Check (Nathan)

Doesn't sound like much but there was plenty involved.

I was planning on doing the oil service and the fuel filter but when I inspected the front brakes I couldn't ignore them any longer so my plans had changed. So While I drained the oil via the sump and oil filter housing, I removed the PCV for inspection and then soaked it in a container of degreaser. Left it in there the whole day as I wasn't in a hurry to put it back in. Give it plenty time to soak and clean itself.

 

Then I went to work on the brakes. Fully disassembled the calipers in order to clean the sliders and re apply lube. I did notice lately that the brakes had become grabby again when cold and I knew the reason why. The Bendix lube had dried up and got me thinking that perhaps I should check the sliders more often rather than wait for the pads to wear out before having to do them again.

Note the top right one being almost worn. That came from the driver side caliper. Sliders not being able to release enough due to the gummed up nature of the lube. I was in two thoughts at this stage. Should I continue using the bendix lube or not. Well I didn't have any grease on hand so I went ahead and did, seeing I have around 6 sachets left. This will mean that I will have to re do them in around 12 months or so. Perfect as an inspection job.

I then decided to clean the calipers using brake cleaner and wasn't getting good results, so I broke out my trusty wheel cleaner. Brake cleaner has nothing on this stuff. After all it is designed to remove ingrained brake dust from wheels, especially the area people never clean, which is the inner barrels. I wasn't after a brand new finish, just something better than what the brake cleaner couldn't do. If I had persisted and done several treatments, I would've got close. But, once for me was enough as time was a huge factor here in getting everything done and in a timely manner.

The good thing about having to do the brakes is it gives me the opportunity to give the wheel a thorough clean on the inside, which I love doing. So while I was busy tending to the brake parts I had the wheels soaking too. Also gave the rotor hubs a hit.

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Application of lube to the stainless steel pad retainer clips to stop any squeaky noises too. Then as I'm pushing the pistons back, I'm having to suck out the excess brake fluid from the reservoir so it doesn't spill over.

I also gave the slider dust caps and piston seals a dose of Aerospace 303 to keep them soft and pliable post chemical cleaning.

 ,,,

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At this point, I had also washed the wheels, dried and applied a coat of Spray sealant to the inner barrels and face, then tyre dressed the inside of the tyres prior to fitting. I apply the out tyre dressing to the outers when the wheels were fitted and whilst still off the ground so I can get to the entire circumference easily.

SCA tyre dressing with my new applicator, makes application so much easier.

,

The coating on the DBA rotors is holding up well after three or so years being torture tested on the car.

,,

With the front brakes sorted and wheels back on, I turned my attention to the rear brakes. The pads looked like they could go another 12 months or so, But, I decided to do them anyway so both front and back are at their peak performance. These are the images of the rear pads.

Carried out the same caliper cleaning process as the front and during this time after some frustration I searched and eventually  found a tub of Moly Grease I forgot I had in my garage and decided to use this on the rear caliper sliders instead of the bendix lube as a differential test. I know the moly grease will outperform the bendix but I figured it would be one less job to do in the future. Had I found it earlier i would've used it on the front and I wasn't about to pull the front apart again. 

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Back wheels receiving the same treatment as the fronts.

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Now it was time to replace the sump plug and oil filter housing. New sump plug washer too.

Clean and degreased the filter housing and replaced O-rings as usual.

I didn't want to fill it with oil just yet because as I wanted to get an accurate snapshot with my digital inspection camera from the inside of the rocker beforehand.

,,

Something very satisfying about seeing a fresh, new filter..

 

Now for the finale. The PCV. After having left it to soak pretty much the whole time, I removed it from the degreaser and cleaned it thoroughly and then blew it through with some dry nitrogen. Shook it around and I could clearly hear the one way puck sliding around, so it was good to be put back in. Also did the blow test to ensure it wasn't faulty.

After cleaning up packing the tools and equipment away I set about to probe the inside of the rocker cover with the inspection camera.

On the PCV side the space was limited but was able to get a glance what was going on in there. There was a little gunk consistent with the normal operation of the PCV, nothing that made me worry too much. I've never seen the underside of the 2GR-FE rocker cover, but I'm guessing the PCV section is separate to the valve train side, so only the vapour makes it across to this chamber.

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These next images are taken from the oil filler side. It was hard to get in there with the metal guard in place, but I was able to glean a look in between the slits. She looks pretty tidy.

As you can see, no varnish. Just the residual oil prior to filling it.

It's testament to using a Quality Fully Synthetic Oil such as the Nulon. I've been using this same oil for the last 80,000KM and no varnish or any signs of sludge. Most of my service intervals had also been close to 10,000KM too.

After these were taken, I filled it with Nulon 5w-30 and took it for a test run to bed the pads in.

Car starts and runs great. After the oil had enough time to warm up, I took it for a spirited run around the quiet parts of my area and boy it was exciting ! I hadn't opened it up like that in ages and it felt great ! What an engine the 2GR-FE is. Magnificent.

I have one more container of Nulon left to use before switching over the the Penrite product. I will continue to use Nulon when I can but I'd like to give Penrite a go too.

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I hope you enjoyed reading my service report guys. It was a long day, skipped lunch too but I got there in the end.

I'll try and do the fuel filter soon too and the auto trans flush. These will definitely require plenty time and the right day to do them.

Cheers everyone 

Edited September 4, 2020 by Tony Prodigy

[campbeam]

Definitely enjoyed reading your service report especially the pictures.

Very inspirational about the extra care and attention especially on the brakes.

I will have to be doing more engine flushes etc to be sure that my engine internals are looking as good.

[KAA]

Thanks Tony..Awesome reports with awesome Pic's Thanks mate..you do a excellent job of looking after your beast..makes me jealous I don't have the energy to get into all that you do..Where did you buy the wheel Cleaner? as it did an excellent job I am planning on pulling off the wheels this week to give them the care and attention they deserve as I have only done areas I can get too without removal but they do need a good going over on the inside I noticed today.

Keep Safe And thanks again for the detailed report

KAA

[Tony Prodigy]

12 hours ago, campbeam said:

Definitely enjoyed reading your service report especially the pictures.

Very inspirational about the extra care and attention especially on the brakes.

I will have to be doing more engine flushes etc to be sure that my engine internals are looking as good.

Thanks Ashley. That write up took about an hour to put together. Glad you appreciated it.

I'm always happy to share any knowledge or ideas with you good people.

As time consuming the service was, and having to take pictures as I went along too, I actually enjoyed the day. I was immensely satisfied with the work.

[Tony Prodigy]

10 hours ago, KAA said:

Thanks Tony..Awesome reports with awesome Pic's Thanks mate..you do a excellent job of looking after your beast..makes me jealous I don't have the energy to get into all that you do..Where did you buy the wheel Cleaner? as it did an excellent job I am planning on pulling off the wheels this week to give them the care and attention they deserve as I have only done areas I can get too without removal but they do need a good going over on the inside I noticed today.

Keep Safe And thanks again for the detailed report

KAA

Thanks Robert, appreciate the kind words.

In the past I had been using a wheel cleaning product by Duragloss. It was OK but the Nextzett Colourtec Iron wheel cleaner is in a different league. I found I had to use more Duragloss product to get a similar result as the Nextzett wheel cleaner and after using the latter I was extremely happy with it. It has a much better ability to dissolve the iron fallout, which is primarily the basis of the stubborn brake dust you see on your wheels and other brake components. You don't have to use that much to get the same desired effect.

I purchased a 500 ml bottle and their 5LT version so I could then refill the original bottle. This makes it easier for me to identify which product I reach for as opposed to using a generic sprayer and then having to label it. The label will always rub off making it difficult to identify among the other products I use.

The best way to keep to your wheels clean and protected would be to use the wheel cleaner and then after apply some kind of sealant to the surface to keep the iron fallout from attaching itself. This will make future washes much easier.

I wouldn't expect you to remove the wheels on a regular basis, but say every 6 months or so would be a good plan. Every other clean would involve the use of specialty wheel brushes to help get in the barrels and other nooks and crannies. 

Here's what I use for my wheels. You can choose which of these best suits you.

https://www.carcareproducts.com.au/colourtec-wheel-cleaner-500ml.html

https://www.carcareproducts.com.au/wheel-arch-brush.html

https://www.carcareproducts.com.au/daytona-ez-speed-master-wheel-brush.html

https://www.carcareproducts.com.au/daytona-ez-mini-wheel-brush.html

https://www.carcareproducts.com.au/wheel-woolies-twin-kit.html

 

Hope this helps. 

All the best mate 

 

[KAA]

Awesome reply Thanks Tony..I am headed off to grab some new cloths and actually did find the Car care products supplier for the wheel cleaner who say they will have it delivered by end of the week..now that depends on Aussie Post actually delivering it in that time period but not in a rush so fingers crossed for a weekend clean job..I do have some excellent wheel brushes that fit nicely into the openings on the alloys and have never used them..I found them while doing a long needed clean out of garage..and went Ohhh forgot about these ..always appreciate your detailed posts mate so thanks yet again☺☺☺

Keep Safe

KAA

[Tony Prodigy]

1 hour ago, KAA said:

Awesome reply Thanks Tony..I am headed off to grab some new cloths and actually did find the Car care products supplier for the wheel cleaner who say they will have it delivered by end of the week..now that depends on Aussie Post actually delivering it in that time period but not in a rush so fingers crossed for a weekend clean job..I do have some excellent wheel brushes that fit nicely into the openings on the alloys and have never used them..I found them while doing a long needed clean out of garage..and went Ohhh forgot about these ..always appreciate your detailed posts mate so thanks yet again☺☺☺

Keep Safe

KAA

My pleasure mate. happy to help.

Car Care Products will use a courier service so it will be delivered fairly quickly. Don't hold your breath with Aust Post. They are hopeless. I know from many experiences...

If you ordered it today, you should have it by the end of the week if you're in the Sydney Metro.

Always a good thing finding those little treasures you forgot you had. I've had that case many times. When you buy so much stuff as I do, things can get misplaced and my brain's a little foggy sometimes in the memory department and it makes it a happy moment when you come across them again lol..

[KAA]

I told you it is the temp checks stores are carrying out that is leaching my brain LOL..yes got the advise of the courier service tracking code so should arrive here Friday it said ..I am on the Central Coast of NSW so half way between Newcastle and Sydney..a fairly safe area for COVID had a few cases but fingers crossed doing Ok

I found quite a few tools I impulse bought so was like Christmas..I have now cleared a good size area to do the I will keep and I won't keep thing tomorrow mostly it is old tools which my Dad gave me over the years that i am struggling with ..sentiment is always tough to part with but I also will have "She who must be obeyed" to aid me in that task tomorrow..she has already got boxes set out ..so a lot will bite the dust here and when some more donation places open up they will travel on to another life

Keep Well My Friend

KAA

[SA22C-RX]

“She who must be obeyed "Hahahahaha 

[Tony Prodigy]

9 hours ago, SA22C-RX said:

“She who must be obeyed "Hahahahaha 

I admire the dedication, but I find it very difficult to subscribe to that theory 

I'm always in the dog house until I service her car for her lol..

[campbeam]

1 hour ago, Tony Prodigy said:

I'm always in the dog house until I service her car for her lol

What about the ongoing detailing to also keep you out of the doghouse. lol

While I was looking at my owner's manual, I noticed that the fuel filter replacement schedule is 150K.

With no logbook service history since 2009 and odometer now showing 216K, time to go and look see.

Also been meaning to check the ATF level soon, then do a pan drain later this year.

[Tony Prodigy]

11 hours ago, campbeam said:

While I was looking at my owner's manual, I noticed that the fuel filter replacement schedule is 150K

Mmm, that's interesting. 150K seems a bit high. If I recall, mine was flagged at 115K but I'll have to take another look.

At least you'll have no worries getting a fuel filter for your car Ash 😁

Correction: I just had a look and it also shows 150K for the in-tank fuel filter. I must have got it confused with my service scheduling.

Edited August 4, 2020 by Tony Prodigy
UPDATED

[campbeam]

12 hours ago, Tony Prodigy said:

it also shows 150K for the in-tank fuel filter

I was thinking that I had gone dyslexic again, so I was going to check.

You know that your fuel pump strainer is nice and clean.

Mine is an unknown because i doubt if the fuel filter got changed at 150K.

[Tony Prodigy]

8 hours ago, campbeam said:

I was thinking that I had gone dyslexic again, so I was going to check.

You know that your fuel pump strainer is nice and clean.

Mine is an unknown because i doubt if the fuel filter got changed at 150K.

I forgot that MY service schedule is out of sync with the Toyota "recommended" schedule and by the time I did my 115k service the leaf in the book where I record my service corresponded to the 150k one. This is what threw me. I jumped the gun on the fuel filter then. I think I'll just leave it for a while. The very least, I got to inspect it, learned how to disassemble and re assemble the darn thing and clean that strainer. Should make the pump a little more happy I think.

I'd be interested to see the overall condition of your fuel delivery assembly there Ash, especially the pump strainer. If it is in fact the original and having well over 200,000km on it and it's still functioning well, that would be very interesting.

[campbeam]

12 hours ago, Tony Prodigy said:

I'd be interested to see the overall condition of your fuel delivery assembly there Ash, especially the pump strainer. If it is in fact the original and having well over 200,000km on it and it's still functioning well, that would be very interesting.

I have been thinking that my Aurion has lost some get up and go on the open highway in the last few years. Main reason why I have been using a lot of fuel system cleaners in recent times. With so many changes, the engine is really performing well / more responsive just driving around. I think that it is more than running on 95 unleaded instead of the usual 91 unleaded.

Plan is to get to the fuel filter assembly clean the pump strainer and most likely replace the fuel filter in the next 2 weeks or so.

[KAA]

Well the courier arrived today with my Nextzett Colourtec Iron wheel cleaner and the plan I developed with "She who must be obeyed" was awesome..I can get my pressure washer out..my foam gun, my brushes and new cloths and go to town on the car..while My Love makes coffee and advises me on what I have missed cleaning ..The Perfect Plan....and then it starts pouring rain..Grrr Typical..(and the guys who look at the wet string and say rain or moving string and say wind)..say it will continue all weekend..

Bummer..oh well at least i can sit and read the bottle and wait..from all reports I have read and your posts Tony it looks great

So Plan B is now next week..Thanks for the post Tony you have all of us jealous with you amazing looking beast

Keep Safe

KAA

 

[Tony Prodigy]

51 minutes ago, KAA said:

Well the courier arrived today with my Nextzett Colourtec Iron wheel cleaner and the plan I developed with "She who must be obeyed" was awesome..I can get my pressure washer out..my foam gun, my brushes and new cloths and go to town on the car..while My Love makes coffee and advises me on what I have missed cleaning ..The Perfect Plan....

Haha nice Robert ! That's a plan made in heaven mate, but unfortunately the rain has set in over here too. I was planning on washing mine too but not to worry, another excuse for a lazy weekend to reset after a busy week.

Glad you received the Nextzett. That is some high quality product. You won't be sorry.Give the wheels a hit with the pressure cleaner then spray away. Allow some dwell time. You'll notice the colour bleed out to purple as it reacts with the iron contamination. It's very satisfying to watch. Agitate with your wheel brushes to help drive it out of the pores and then pressure wash again. You may even want to give it a second hit depending on how bad it is. Just take your time. I like to do two wheels at a time. If the product dries out a little you can simply mist some water over it to reactivate it. Enjoy.

59 minutes ago, KAA said:

from all reports I have read and your posts Tony it looks great

So Plan B is now next week..Thanks for the post Tony you have all of us jealous with you amazing looking beast

Your too kind. I'm glad to be of some assistance.

All the best and enjoy your weekend. 

[campbeam]

1 hour ago, KAA said:

go to town on the car..while My Love makes coffee

That is the usual standard operating procedure. Let us know how you go with that wheel cleaner.

Lots of servicing Plan Bs being considered and planned at the moment. Weather permitting and the "Looking after the Cook" priorities, it will be a busy few days or deferred for a few weeks.

[ZZT86]

@Tony Prodigy  no wonder you took all day, so many enjoyable pics & so much detailing. The brakes & wheels came up virtually new, lovely stuff.

Tell us what the pads are like ?

[Tony Prodigy]

9 hours ago, ZZT86 said:

Tell us what the pads are like

Yeah, thanks mate. It was more a labour of love too. I know a mechanic shop can't spend that much time doing what I did and that's understandable, but for me, I'd rather spend the whole day doing it right. This gives me great satisfaction knowing everything is sound and clean.

The bonus will be cleaner wheels and hopefully barrels and calipers. This will also mean less cleaning time. I'll definitely report back on brake dust, but I have to say, the pads perform exceptionally well. I would even say better than the Bendix CT pads. I have to do more road miles to further conclude this however. I'll post back 

Cheers guys 

[campbeam]

I remembered your picture of the oil filter housing and noted at the time how clean it was. 

Usually, I swirl some petrol or diesel around inside the housing to give it a clean. This time, I used some degreaser and thoroughly cleaned the bypass valve at the bottom of the housing and this removed any varnish and oil sludge particles.  

[Tony Prodigy]

1 hour ago, campbeam said:

I remembered your picture of the oil filter housing and noted at the time how clean it was. 

Usually, I swirl some petrol or diesel around inside the housing to give it a clean. This time, I used some degreaser and thoroughly cleaned the bypass valve at the bottom of the housing and this removed any varnish and oil sludge particles.  

Just a force of habit for me Ash, plus I would feel guilty if I didn't clean it and simply just put the new filter into old oil residue. I wonder if the service departments actually clean too ? I'm thinking not or maybe a quick wipe if you're lucky.

I always have degreaser on hand so there's no excuse not to use it. Like you mentioned Ash, I spray it thoroughly until it pools up, leave it for a few minutes then rinse. I then blow it dry and now it presents the optimal situation of having a fresh housing and filter.

How my car gets pampered 

[campbeam]

36 minutes ago, Tony Prodigy said:

Just a force of habit for me Ash, plus I would feel guilty if I didn't clean it and simply just put the new filter into old oil residue. I wonder if the service departments actually clean too ? I'm thinking not or maybe a quick wipe if you're lucky.

I always have degreaser on hand so there's no excuse not to use it. Like you mentioned Ash, I spray it thoroughly until it pools up, leave it for a few minutes then rinse. I then blow it dry and now it presents the optimal situation of having a fresh housing and filter.

How my car gets pampered 

For service departments, time is money. Be a quick wipe on the outside only. Why bother, not their car and the owners are never going to know. Certainly, most owners are not going to pay extra. 

I take pride and pleasure in pampering my "mechanical girlfriend" and expect to be rewarded by both reliability, efficiency and performance. Great believer in preventative maintenance so prepared to spend the $$$ and put in the extra time and effort.

Others can neglect their vehicles and have roadside breakdowns, usually at the most inconvenient times and expensive repairs. 

[Tony Prodigy]

30 minutes ago, campbeam said:

For service departments, time is money. Be a quick wipe on the outside only. Why bother, not their car and the owners are never going to know. Certainly, most owners are not going to pay extra

Sad but true.

30 minutes ago, campbeam said:

I take pride and pleasure in pampering my "mechanical girlfriend" and expect to be rewarded by both reliability, efficiency and performance. Great believer in preventative maintenance so prepared to spend the $$$ and put in the extra time and effort.

Excellent Mantra

31 minutes ago, campbeam said:

Others can neglect their vehicles and have roadside breakdowns, usually at the most inconvenient times and expensive repairs.

To the ones who aren't adept in mechanical things, have to rely on the good graces and honesty of those entrusted to do such things on their behalf and then there are the lazy, cheap ***** types sadly. Thankfully I'm neither as are most of you here. If some of you lived near me I'd be happy to help out if something needed doing.

[Tony Prodigy]

Did a quick walk around the car this morning and thought I'd check the oil level and colouration. So now it's travelled 1318 kays since the last oil service.

No highway runs, only stop start traffic.

Note the hydrophobic water beading on the washer fill cap 

 

Edited September 4, 2020 by Tony Prodigy