Oh and I'd get the heads Ported and polished while they are off.

2k!!?? You guys really like to blow your money! Replacing the HG, valve job, headers and exhaust work shouldn't cost more than 800 - 1000.00. I'm doing one now. Shop around.

no, you need to post up on your sources......
[edited] We do not tolerate that nonsense here. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/shame.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/shame.gif" alt="" />

New headers alone are half of your quote, and used are a needle in a haystack. Shopin around for cheap headwork doesn't pay off in the long run.

>>>*The two engines we almost never see are the 3.0L twin cam Camry engine, and the 3.4L.

Since we see almost EVERYTHING that exists, the fact that we see one in for repairs rarely is a good sign. Of course the 3.4L is newer, thus less mileage average for the fleet, the 3VZFE is a 92-93 design and those now have many miles of service.

The 3.0L 3VZE has an undeserved poor reputaion, that mess with the factory design head gasket combined with a pure PIA to get one out and apart is part of that.

Then add in that the vehicles are heavy, (which means poor power) and even at around 170 H/P they are called weak. Yet my poor old neglected Camaro with 170 H/P will light the tires and run an easy 100 MPH.

Weight doesn't go.

I say free up the exhaust on the 3VZE, keep it well tuned and don't neglect periodic valve adjustments, 300,000 miles is common with good performance.

Now mileage?...Well...still, lots of folks are pleased with the service, in my day we traded everything off at 59,000 miles.

I like the engine design, it is proving to be tougher than it's reputation....*EB

EB-- any rules of thumb on mileage between valve adjustments for the 3.0?

Thanks,
Mike in AR

You guys might find this interesting.

http://yotatech.com/showthread.php?t=77604&page=4

No one could tell me exactly why the valves burn on the 3.0's. I had 2 seperate within 6yrs and less than 40k miles. I was told that the main reason for a burnt valve is from the engine running lean, yet both of mine were on the rear where most of the heat is, and is why I went to headers to get around the oem set-up.

$2k is as cheap as I could find doing the work myself, complete rebuild of both heads(included new valves, guides, etc. and valve adj. $575, engine gasket set $200, Knock sensor & wire $165, T-belt $80, headers $350, exhuast/x-over/Muffler/cat/O2 sensor about $600. The only work I paid for was the heads, everything else I did at home, i supposed I could have saved some money by building the heads myself, but the shop was more convienant.

With my mod's I am happy with the 3.0, I get good mpg when light on the throttle, and my rig weighs 1500 lbs over stock. It wasn't a nad engine at the time it was released, none of the domestics had a comprable engine in their mini's until the 4.3 vortec in the S-10's.

Those cam's are interesting, too bad they weren't available 2 yrs ago, kind of hard to justify $600 now, and the smog Nazi's here in CA probably wouldn't pass them, it took yrs before Downey's headers became smog legal.

Yep, the heat trapped with the crossover on the exhaust is the typical cause of the #4 and #6 valves to burn, which is why headers have been helpful, in what I've read over the years. That's why it's a common upgrade.