sorry i kant get a camera out today...no where near a computer that will do that. anyways thats a nice picture of the bolt thats two inches below the threaded mystery hole. if the cover was off (two bolts!) it would be very much the only object behind the cam pulley in view. great angle exactly for the shot. anyways since i can always remove the cover and add the whatever i moved on. ever notice how one bolt on water pump is actually for the large accessory bracket and lists 33 lbs of torque while all other bolts on water pump is 17 lbs? that is nuts. thats right one bolt is omitted until you put the acc bracket on and takes a long one thru the bracket. at least according to fsm. probably written by a mia pow they captured and still torture. probably needs valve guides and rear seals and a freakin oil pan gasket. i put the new crank bolt ...2nd revision one, third ones a charm. less than impressed.

I'm not going to remove my TB cover to be 100% correct but I do recall 1 if not 2 bolt holes that are not used. But from what I can remember they were on the block and rusted (unused).

Thanks to all i got thru the water pump, 2 cam seals. 1 main seal. new idlers wheels, timing belt and revised new crank bolt from dealer. when i got stuck i got pulled out. i was miffed and got answers here. by the way i am selling the 97 ls . its a great 4x4 but i really never need off road vehicle. there are no scratches, 145k. the reason i bought it was my wife ordered me to get her an suv. when this was priced 2200 i thought ok. really i would like to keep it. it runs perfect, sunroof and cruise works, no dents, dark green etc but i have a motorcycle, a ford f100, a 2000 quest minivan and she drives a 98 plymouth minivan. and i have to small cars to boot. so really 4x4 is its own world. now if i lived in the mtns definitely i would. we have a family cabin ata a lake but its on the hardtop. so i never ...not sure if any place near here is really ok to romp 4x4 trails that i know of. anyways its 3200 and ac and all works, clifon sc. all work was was completed by an expert mechanic and thanks to all. by the way i had the montero for sale when one day i drove to store and steam shot out the water pump as i pulled in my drive way. i had been parking it in the grass so i suppose it was a bad water pump or someone let the water out of it. anyways it holds water and no head gasket issues, i just took a hundred mile trip and all is well in 105 degree heat. thanks to that expert mechanic. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

above i meant originally thats what happened before i repalced the water pump belts and all. i never did know why it was out of water,, but importantly that it got home before the red line was hit. at first i thought the water level could have been low due to head gasket but 200 miles later and water level has not needed topping off. or rather coolant level.

update...montero running great. not using oil. i went thru the pcv location nonsense. all over the forum its supposed to be in a hard to get place, but my 97 ls 3.5 has it out front of driver side cam cover. it had no valve in it someone had removed the valve but left just an elbow. on page 426 of fsm it shows the location by the way thats a free publication. 98 fsm. i hate acronyms. field service manual. now if someone would actually show the valve spring compressor that works on it...not one that is discontnued or looks like it would. a real tool that works with it. i am glad i do not need the tool. i thought i did but i cant get it to smoke or burn oil. darn it i will try my best...was wondering if that means it was taken care of. i like the demanders of oem parts. oem? after all wasnt oem the problem with the crank pulley bolt ( which some call a damper or harmonic balancer bolt) why they do that isnt clear, the valve guides were oem. sounds like bafoonery. now i see where the change of spark plugs is like a real chore. plenum, fuel rails and intake come off ...thats ridiculous.

thanks i used your tool. but i did change one thing. right where your 2 inch hole is i drilled a 5/8 hole and used my 1/2 inch socket extension thru it. works only with shallow socket. worked great. of course you have to put socket on extension before you use tool. 3/16 steel worked but it did bend a little when i put the mojo on it. but i did hit 138 lbs of torque...and the cam tool worked great too.

Yes it does flex, it has to be on bottom to loosen and on top when tightening. It's not hardened steel either just cheap rolled so you can expect warping if you pressure it the wrong way.

You only have to take the plenum off to do the plugs. Not the fuel rail or anything else underneath.

thanks for that it at least seems feasible