Cracked rocker cover

[Kel Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close Kel]

Just as a point of interest I'm wondering whether other 120 series owners have had trouble with cracked rocker covers in the 4 cyl diesel engine. My 2003 model has now had two cracked covers. The first was around 175K and the second has just been replaced at 310K. The covers are plastic (which I found surprising). Is it a problem of fatigue? At a bit over $700 to replace it would be interesting to know what the issue is with the covers.


Kel

[SWR Banned Find all posts View Profile Close SWR]

Gday Kel

Not sure the cracking rocker-cover is a common thing?....

Also not sure where the $700 comes in to replace it either? Sounds like the cover bolts are being over tightened!!... They are only supposed to be tightened to a measly 4.5Nm!!

If your rig is an Australian 2003 120 series 1KZ (Not sure if you are over-seas) then the part number for the rocker cover is "11210-67031" (COVER SUB-ASSY, CYLINDER HEAD) and would cost $135.92AU and the rocker cover gsk is only $10.20 & that part number is "11213-67010".

Click links below!

Rocker cover "11210-67031"

Rocker cover gsk "11213-67010"

Cheers

[Kel Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close Kel]

Gday Kel

Not sure the cracking rocker-cover is a common thing?....

Also not sure where the $700 comes in to replace it either? Sounds like the cover bolts are being over tightened!!... They are only supposed to be tightened to a measly 4.5Nm!!

If your rig is an Australian 2003 120 series 1KZ (Not sure if you are over-seas) then the part number for the rocker cover is "11210-67031" (COVER SUB-ASSY, CYLINDER HEAD) and would cost $135.92AU and the rocker cover gsk is only $10.20 & that part number is "11213-67010".

Click links below!

Rocker cover "11210-67031"

Rocker cover gsk "11213-67010"

Cheers

Thank-you Skywalkerrun. Yes I have the KZ model and I live near Ipswich in Queensland. The service outfit installed the 1121067031 rocker cover (which I note is metal not plastic) price of the part was quoted at $520.00, labour $105.00 and gasket VC018P at $58.00. I believe I know the supplier of the parts and will check costs to the service agent for them and let you know the outcome. I imagine there would be some adjustment from the link you provided (a Japanese supplier) but the difference shouldn't be anywhere near the prices quoted for my repair.

Thank-you for your interest and information

Kel

[gspy4u Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close gspy4u]

$58 for a gasket, what's it made of Gold or something. If it's a toyota stealer in Ipswich then they are useless. Have not had much luck with anything I have had them do so now steer clear of them. Labour cost would be about right as they will charge you an hour to do it. Parts price seems way over though.

[MickL Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close MickL]

Sounds like the cover bolts are being over tightened!!...

Ditto.

(which I found surprising).

Lot's of vehicles use plastic for rocker covers and intake manifolds too.

[Kel Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close Kel]

Gday Kel

Not sure the cracking rocker-cover is a common thing?....

Also not sure where the $700 comes in to replace it either? Sounds like the cover bolts are being over tightened!!... They are only supposed to be tightened to a measly 4.5Nm!!

If your rig is an Australian 2003 120 series 1KZ (Not sure if you are over-seas) then the part number for the rocker cover is "11210-67031" (COVER SUB-ASSY, CYLINDER HEAD) and would cost $135.92AU and the rocker cover gsk is only $10.20 & that part number is "11213-67010".

Click links below!

Rocker cover "11210-67031"

Rocker cover gsk "11213-67010"

Cheers

Hello Skywalkerrun - The outcome of my enquiries re cost of the rocker cover - The supplier of the cover, the Toyota agent in Ipswich quoted me $440.00 but said they could do a deal at $345.00. I contacted the service outfit (not part of the Toyota agency) and discussed the discrepancy between the quoted price and the price of $520 quoted for the cost of the cover on the service invoice. They said they added a percentage to all parts to make a profit to offset their reduced labour costs. By my calculations that markup was 48%!! They claimed their labour prices were much lower than other service outfits (labour costs were indicated to be $105 per hour). I'm not up with current rates for this sort of work but it seems that labour would have been in at least in the general ball-park for everywhere else.

I plan to discuss this further with the service people over the next few days or they'll lose my custom. I had just moved to them after a previous service outfit (who provided my Bridgestone Dueller A/T tyres) had done a completely unsatisfactory job of routine vehicle servicing). I guess an option for me might be to look at doing what a lot of owners on this forum seem to do - undertake their own mechanical work sourcing parts at the best prices to do so. While I've done a little mechanical work on other cars in the past I am not confident enough yet to tackle much on the Prado.

Thank-you once again for your interest and to the other members who also replied to my initial post.

Kel

[t303 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close t303]

""They said they added a percentage to all parts to make a profit to offset their reduced labour costs. By my calculations that markup was 48%!!"

This is a pretty common practice among workshops. They make a handsome profit on everything for doing basically nothing. One shop I worked for once actually fixed very little. The game works like this: Bloggs brings in his Folden because the battery is going flat all the time. Shop diagnoses alternator and usually recommends replacement even though it probably only needs say brushes. Lets say the alt is not available off the shelf so brushes have to be done. Shop removes alt and sends to autoelec for repair, already having screwed the sparky down to rockbottom prices. The sparky has been beaten down to say cost +5% for the parts, but when the shop invoices the parts/labour they add 20% to cost. A tidy profit for doing absolutely nothing. In the end the shop has done nothing except remove and refit the parts but gets to markup everything by 20%. The shop I was in made more from churning through parts (necessary or not) than from the labour. More parts=more turnover=volume discount for parts=more profit for no work. And you don't have to employ a bloke that knows how to diagnose/fix alternators. See, it's easy :-)

[t303 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close t303]

Oh, and with regard to doing it yourself, go for it!
It is not too hard if you have a modicum of common sense and a little aptitude. The genuine manuals are available on CDROM and you have expertise at your disposal on forums such as this.
Two suggestions:
Never start fixing anything until you diagnose exactly what the problem is (despite the seven different proposed fixes you will get if you pose a question).
Consult the manual before you start and pull it apart in your head before you attack.
You can buy specialist tools as required (eg you will need a couple of torque wrenches) but the money saved on labour will pay for the tools (which you get to keep) and as well as the satisfaction of doing it yourself, you can rest easy that it has been done properly and not by the work experience kid at the workshop. I have/had many mates from workshops and the disasters they have joked with me about that have gone out the door back to customers would make you sick.
cheers
Steve

[Kel Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close Kel]

Oh, and with regard to doing it yourself, go for it!
It is not too hard if you have a modicum of common sense and a little aptitude. The genuine manuals are available on CDROM and you have expertise at your disposal on forums such as this.
Two suggestions:
Never start fixing anything until you diagnose exactly what the problem is (despite the seven different proposed fixes you will get if you pose a question).
Consult the manual before you start and pull it apart in your head before you attack.
You can buy specialist tools as required (eg you will need a couple of torque wrenches) but the money saved on labour will pay for the tools (which you get to keep) and as well as the satisfaction of doing it yourself, you can rest easy that it has been done properly and not by the work experience kid at the workshop. I have/had many mates from workshops and the disasters they have joked with me about that have gone out the door back to customers would make you sick.
cheers
Steve

Hello Steve,

Thank-you for your advice and encouragement. A number of years ago I built a 40' yacht on which I lived and sailed for several years. I treated that exercise as a learning curve doing a lot of research and visualisation before tackling the many aspects of boat-building and associated mechanical installations. I believe I could take the same approach to dealing with the Prado by following your advice about manual availability, assessing how tasks should be undertaken and getting the correct tools. According to the service people two matters that need to be looked into on the Prado in the relatively near future are; replacement of throttle body to intercooler tube (quoted cost $179) and address minor play in the steering rack ends (quoted cost $460). Could you advise where I can source the CDROM please?

regards

Kel

[t303 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close t303]

Hey Kel, I have a 95 series so the CDROM will be different, but just search on evilbay, or you can get it from Toyota. If you can build a yacht then you can fix your Prado, the skills are transferable. Practical people seem to grasp most skills better. When I was instructing years ago I found farmers and mechanics were far easier to make good pilots out of than lawyers and accountants.