We have about 85K on an 01 Camry 4 cyl. There is no valve noise, but does this engine have a history of tightening exhaust valves that should be adjusted at this interval? I do not want changes made when not needed, especially when it is about 250 dollars. We were going to have the timing belt done, How about the water pump. I heard some do that when it is exposed when doing the timing belt?
OK any suggestions or should we wait?
Who says you need a valve adjustment???
I’d be EXTREMELY surprised if you DON’T have hydraulic valves (which NEVER need adjusting).
[b]I’ve owned and know people who do own Camry’s, and I’ve never or have they ever had a valve lash adjustment performed on their engines. And these were/are vehicles with well over 100,000 and some with 200,000 miles on the engines.
Performing a valve lash adjustment on these engines is a complicated affair. Requiring an assortment of lifter shims of varying thicknesses and the tool to remove and install these shims.
So because of the involvement of adjusting the valve lash, I don’t touch it unless there’s some valve noise.
Tester[/b]
A quiet engine is just as bad if not worse than a noisy one.
When exhaust valves tighten up excessively they will get quiet - until the engine starts running badly due to burned valves and seats.
A valve adjustment check is just that - an insurance policy to make sure there is no problem.
Chances are it’s fine, but…
The water pump should be changed when the timing belt is replaced; another insurance policy if you care to think of it that way.
Hello OK 4450. Thanks for your reply. I understand about the burned valves and how the exhaust valves tighten and all that. My question was-- History-- Does this engine have a history of burning exhaust valves, If not-- I will not pay to have a mechanic drink a coke and say, " it’s OK, see you Monday" From talking to many today as well as other forums today, I have learned that most have never needed this adjustment, even on the exhaust valves. I am the most preventive maintenance person on the planet, but can’t do this myself because it is so very much more complicated than the jobs I have done for the last 40 years. I have 30 feeler gauges, so checking is not the problem. It is finding an honest tech. I think I have found out what I needed to know. NO adjustment is necessary. This is not a .030 .030 Duntoff solid cam like I used to do. Sorry about the spelling. I still have an Isky Cam T shirt. Want to make an offer Thanks, woodcutter
No engine has a history of burning valves. It’s just possible that it can, and has, happened a number of times.
Honda has an extended adjustment check on some of their models (105k) and this has led to a few burned valve/seat problems. Honda, just like Toyota, also makes that totally idiotic recommedation about “adjust the valves if they’re noisy”.
What does that mean? Too quiet may mean problems and define the “noisy” part. When is it “too” noisy? Too noisy is as bad as too quiet.
I’m just saying that as a tech I’ve had to repair a number of cylinder heads with burnt valves and it was easy to tell during the disassembly that valve lash was at zero.
The worst case one I did was a Subaru which only had 7k miles on it. The customer ignored the recommended follow-up valve adjustment at 1k miles, the exhausts tightened up, and both cylinder heads had to be replaced. They were too far gone to repair as hunks of the seat and aluminum around the seat were burned away.
That follow-up valve adjustment was free to the customer and warranty refused to pay for it due to the owners neglect in having this done.
There is also another side to the tightened valves and that is valves that are too loose.
That clicking you may hear is actually something being pounded with sledge hammer force. Over time, excess valve lash will cause the cam lobe to pound the lobe ramp against the cam follower, adjustment disc, or whatever. This can then lead to the hard surface being pitted and broken through. Once this happens that part of the valve train will not last long.
You can certainly skip the valve adjustment if you choose to.
It’s just that I believe the adjustment should be checked on a regular basis, just like one may check brake or belt adjustments, front end alignment, etc.
The “shim and bucket” adjustments are more reliable than the screw and lock, but they still get out of adjustment. I first started doing the shim and buckets back in the mid 70s and I have a found a lot of valves out of spec over the years.
This is lengthy but just wanted to point out the hows and whys.
JMHO anyway for what it’s worth.
(As a kind of what-if let me ask this as a licensed aircraft mechanic. How would you feel about taking a charter flight across country in a twin engine Beech and the owner/pilot said a few minutes after takeoff that he had been skipping regular oil changes, spark plugs, and valve adjustments?) 
A water pump at 85K, I would let it go until the next belt replacement. I owned a 90 camry 2.0 and had the belt and pump with inner seals done at 145,000. I feel 85,000 is early for this car. Just my thought.
I had my water pump go at about 165K and had it and the belt done (what sucked is the belt was just done at 125K - the 1st time too as that 60K stuff was ignored and I lasted 125K on the orig belt). I then did my other 1994 camry belt/water pump for safety as it was my wifes. So, I agree, 85K to change the water pump is quite premature.
At least a Camry can pull over to the side of the road, a Beechcraft would have trouble doing that at 25k feet
Are you making the point that it’s not ok to abuse and neglect an aircraft engine, but is ok to abuse and neglect an automotive one?