If I owned a 3VZE engine, the very first thing I would do is try to figure out how to lower the temperature that the fan kicks in at. I would like to see 210?, I don't know for sure but I bet it currently is 220? or more..
I have 180deg thermostat and a taurus electric fan setup on mine I have it so it kicks on after it passes 185 deg cools it right down after a few seconds.
I heard a rumour that the coolant flow passages aren't adeqate on the headgasket towards the rear of the engine that's why it heats up so on the back of the #6 but like I said that's only a rumour.
I was only getting 143 psi compression out of the #6 cyl before I had the valve job done and it did have a burn't exhaust valve on that cylinder. I just put all new bearing and rings in and had a 3 angle valve job and 4 new exhaust valves in mine I'll see how it goes once I get it all put back together. The 3VZE isn't hard to work on it's just getting the valves back to spec if you don't have a box of valve shims running back and forth to a engine shop is a lenghty process.
How do I do that? Use a feeler gauge between the cam and valve? Also, to remove the head to do I need to pull the front cover off and the timing belt sprocket too?
Yes you check with a feeler guage between the cam and the top of valve shim. Use a scrap of paper and write down all the gaps per intake and exhaust valve per cylinder. You do this process with everything connected the timing belt still on. Then once you find the out of spec valve you add a different sized sime to compensate but you really want to do this after you get the heads back from a shop and have everything assembled again.
