Guide: V8 Timing belt replacement 2UZ-FE VVT-i
- Thread starter Jcmeadows82
- Start date
gimlithepirate
New member
Yup, that's the one. If you look in the reviews on Amazon, it goes through the manufacturer for each component.
Don't know on Toyota, as I am new to the party, but at least with Isuzu's Gates was infamous for packaging amazing belts with terrible water pumps. The Aisin kit is all OEM suppliers, so hard to beat that.
Don't know on Toyota, as I am new to the party, but at least with Isuzu's Gates was infamous for packaging amazing belts with terrible water pumps. The Aisin kit is all OEM suppliers, so hard to beat that.
gimlithepirate
New member
Printable Instructions
Since I tend to prefer having printouts for big jobs, here is a link to the same instructions in PDF.
Instructions.pdf - Google Drive
Big thanks to Jcmeadows82 for one of the better writeups with images.
Since I tend to prefer having printouts for big jobs, here is a link to the same instructions in PDF.
Instructions.pdf - Google Drive
Big thanks to Jcmeadows82 for one of the better writeups with images.
Great job, I am doing it the second time on a 2UZ and did not use the instructions until now, setting the TDC, it is not as bad as it seems (programmer here in real life:=)
1st one was done at 160K, 1st time on that truck and the belt looked absolutely great no leaks on WP.
This is my 2nd V8, bought with 260K, only record of TB/WP job was at the dealership at 93K miles. I am down to setting the TDC and this belt and WP look in excellent shape as well.
BTW these belts are so stout, now I feel silly about being worried, wondering how many have experienced broken belts on 4th gens...?
The ONE thing I highly recommend is to buy the pulley Tool, I was able to DIY one for 3rd gen but on the 4th gens the bolts are too thin and no matter what grade will bend, first hand experience not worth it
imo. I was able to break both bolts loose with ease on 1st tries and will likely sell the tool back online
1st one was done at 160K, 1st time on that truck and the belt looked absolutely great no leaks on WP.
This is my 2nd V8, bought with 260K, only record of TB/WP job was at the dealership at 93K miles. I am down to setting the TDC and this belt and WP look in excellent shape as well.
BTW these belts are so stout, now I feel silly about being worried, wondering how many have experienced broken belts on 4th gens...?
The ONE thing I highly recommend is to buy the pulley Tool, I was able to DIY one for 3rd gen but on the 4th gens the bolts are too thin and no matter what grade will bend, first hand experience not worth it
imo. I was able to break both bolts loose with ease on 1st tries and will likely sell the tool back online
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Thank you for your great pictures and thorough write up.
I just paid a mechanic to do this for me and now my engine is throwing codes for the timing being over-advanced. The codes are P0011, P0021, P0016 and P0018. There is a huge loss of power and torque and my exhaust sounds different also. He has worked on it twice trying to remedy this and swears the engine is in time according to the factory specs. I find this hard to believe given the symptoms and the codes.
What did he do wrong to cause this to happen? He did not buy a manual to follow until the second attempt. He now tells me that my truck must have had a modification done it prior to my ownership of it to cause it to throw the timing off.
He claims to have used a Gates brand kit with the water pump, pulleys and tensioner but I cannot verify that since he never showed me the actual receipt. I know some people have had trouble with the cheap Chinese belts.
Also, on the second attempt to get the truck in time he claims it had been off by 3 teeth on the “damper pulley” and he reset it to factory settings according to the Haynes manual he was using. I’m not sure what he is referring to other than maybe the adjusting the crankshaft sprocket counterclockwise 50-degrees??? I don’t believe my truck was out of time by three teeth before I took it to him since it was running just fine before. There were no engine issues beforehand. I just wanted this timing belt done for peace of mind.
Any suggestions would be very appreciated! I am at a loss as to what to do next.
My truck is the 2005 Sport V8 2UZ-FE with 200k.
I just paid a mechanic to do this for me and now my engine is throwing codes for the timing being over-advanced. The codes are P0011, P0021, P0016 and P0018. There is a huge loss of power and torque and my exhaust sounds different also. He has worked on it twice trying to remedy this and swears the engine is in time according to the factory specs. I find this hard to believe given the symptoms and the codes.
What did he do wrong to cause this to happen? He did not buy a manual to follow until the second attempt. He now tells me that my truck must have had a modification done it prior to my ownership of it to cause it to throw the timing off.
He claims to have used a Gates brand kit with the water pump, pulleys and tensioner but I cannot verify that since he never showed me the actual receipt. I know some people have had trouble with the cheap Chinese belts.
Also, on the second attempt to get the truck in time he claims it had been off by 3 teeth on the “damper pulley” and he reset it to factory settings according to the Haynes manual he was using. I’m not sure what he is referring to other than maybe the adjusting the crankshaft sprocket counterclockwise 50-degrees??? I don’t believe my truck was out of time by three teeth before I took it to him since it was running just fine before. There were no engine issues beforehand. I just wanted this timing belt done for peace of mind.
Any suggestions would be very appreciated! I am at a loss as to what to do next.
My truck is the 2005 Sport V8 2UZ-FE with 200k.
You mechanic sucks and you need to take your truck somewhere else, like literally anywhere else. If he can't fix it in 2 attempts, what is going to change the 3rd time? What will you do when he blows up your engine?
I would tow it to the dealer and have them fix it. Who knows what this guy did so far or what parts were used.
I would then go after him in small claims/civil court for the original cost, the tow, court fees and the dealer's repair. Shady mechanics like this don't listen until you go after their $$$. Call your local magistrate and see what the process is, in Pennsylvania, it's literally a 1 page form.
AuSeeker
Elite Member
I agree with ZiaMan, it sounds like your "mechanic" is only few steps away from destroying your engine, if he hasn't already, these V8 are "interference" engines meaning if the timing get too far off the valves will hit the pistons and the engine is trashed, hopefully this hasn't already happened.
Take it somewhere else, and take him to small claims court, make sure you have all receipts and document EVERYTHING, get as much as you can in writing, even record any more conversations you may have with your "mechanic" since you as the Plaintiff has the burden of proof put upon you to prove he screwed up the job, make sure you're prepared before going to court, have copies of everything for the court and yourself.
Here's a link to all you need to know to file a small claim in Small Claims Court in Ohio.
https://www.supremecourt.ohio.gov/JCS/interpreterSvcs/forms/english/5.pdf
Also Ohio is a One consent state for recording phone calls and or conversations...meaning ONLY one party has to consent to recording a conversation, you being one of the parties can record any conversation you're apart of, here's the Ohio law concerning this fact.
Lawriter - ORC -
2933.52
Interception of wire, oral or electronic communications.
That’s what I am afraid of. This makes me sick to my stomach. The mechanic I took it to is, by word of mouth, a competent and good mechanic and assured me that he was familiar with this particular belt change. I had been putting the change off because I knew if it wasn’t spot on it would spell trouble. I really love this truck especially the torque and power of the V8. It sickens me to think it may be ruined now!
Thank you for your advice.
Thank you for your advice.
AuSeeker
Elite Member
I wouldn't get overly worried just yet, if it's only 1 or 2 teeth off there shouldn't be any damage done, get it checked out and then go from there.
Thanks, I needed to hear that. I have been trying not to think the worst.
I spoke to the mechanic again last night and he still swears he has it in correct tome. I have been scouring the internet and studying manuals trying to figure it out. There are other reasons for those codes to come up. The lack of torque keeps pointing to the TB though. He wants to take another look at it and try to figure it out so he doesn’t have a very unhappy customer telling potential new customers that they should steer clear of his shop. I appreciate his diligence but I am hesitant to take it back to him.
Leaning more towards the local Toyota shop at this point.
I spoke to the mechanic again last night and he still swears he has it in correct tome. I have been scouring the internet and studying manuals trying to figure it out. There are other reasons for those codes to come up. The lack of torque keeps pointing to the TB though. He wants to take another look at it and try to figure it out so he doesn’t have a very unhappy customer telling potential new customers that they should steer clear of his shop. I appreciate his diligence but I am hesitant to take it back to him.
Leaning more towards the local Toyota shop at this point.
Update. I took my truck to the local Toyota shop to have them put the engine in proper time. It runs perfect now. No codes and my hp is back. 3.5 hours plus another belt since he said the timing belt would have stretched and would need to be replaced even though it would have only 40 miles at best on it. I call bs on the stretching scenario but at least the new belt would be OEM. I shelled out another $500 for this job. A painful lesson learned for sure.
Interestingly, the Toyota mechanic stated that this engine is NOT an interference engine and that there was no need to worry about the belt breaking to begin with. ??? I told the “service advisor” who relayed that info to me that the mechanic is mistaken and that this is indeed an interference engine. He looked it up on his Toyota info and even called me later to inform me that the mechanic is correct, that my engine 2005 2uz-fe VVTi 4.7V8 is NOT an interference engine. Any thoughts on that tidbit? What a stressful nightmare this has been!
Interestingly, the Toyota mechanic stated that this engine is NOT an interference engine and that there was no need to worry about the belt breaking to begin with. ??? I told the “service advisor” who relayed that info to me that the mechanic is mistaken and that this is indeed an interference engine. He looked it up on his Toyota info and even called me later to inform me that the mechanic is correct, that my engine 2005 2uz-fe VVTi 4.7V8 is NOT an interference engine. Any thoughts on that tidbit? What a stressful nightmare this has been!
Inv4drZm
Senior Member
If the previous belt was out of time with the teeth, it technically had to stretch to some degree. Better safe than sorry your mechanic made the right call there considering the belt will be installed for the next 8-10 years.
As for interference, there's lots of reading material on that topic.
04 4runner V8 Sport 2uz-fe timing belt failure, aftermath and the repair
Seems that 03-04 are non interference and 05+ are but I don't think anybody is 100% sure on that.
Best of luck to you and your mechanic. That is what I thought and it has still been a horrible experience. I wish I had just started at the Toyota service center to begin with even though they are generally more expensive.
Lastbest4thgen
New member
2005 T4R w/ 2UZ-FE
Hi all, I recently purchased a 2005 T4R with just shy of 83k on it. I can't find any evidence of the timing belt having been previously changed and I am wondering if you all think it's ok to run a little longer to say 90k before changing it?
I would like to change it now but I am about to spend 1200 on an exhaust manifold replacement next week
I know toyota recommends replacement every 6 years or 90k whichever is first but I'm hoping it's ok to run a bit more so I can save up some $$$
Hi all, I recently purchased a 2005 T4R with just shy of 83k on it. I can't find any evidence of the timing belt having been previously changed and I am wondering if you all think it's ok to run a little longer to say 90k before changing it?
I would like to change it now but I am about to spend 1200 on an exhaust manifold replacement next week
I know toyota recommends replacement every 6 years or 90k whichever is first but I'm hoping it's ok to run a bit more so I can save up some $$$
U.G.N.
New member
Thank you [MENTION=281309]Jcmeadows82[/MENTION] for this great write-up. I have several questions about the process:
1) What is the purpose of draining motor oil and leaving the engine without it? Does it relate to replacing the crankshaft front seal?
2) Was it really necessary to replace the crankshaft front seal as the FSM does not mention about it nor it comes with the Aisin TKT-021 Engine Timing Belt Kit with Water Pump I bought from Amazon? Do you need a special tool to replace that seal?
3) How did you remove the crankshaft pulley? The FSM requires usage of a SST. Did it come out by hand?
4) How did you remove the old belt? The FSM states "Using a SST, loosen the tension between the camshaft timing pulley (RH bank) and crankshaft timing pulley by turning the camshaft timing pulley
(RH bank) counterclockwise slightly."
5) Did you use a crowfoot adapter for 3/8 torque wrench to torque 2 stud bolts on the water pump?
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Jcmeadows82
Member
No problem! More info out there the better!
To answer your questions:
1) I drained the oil for 2 reasons. It needed an oil change and because I was replacing the Crank Seal at the same time. I have done more like this on many cars in the past and replace the $15 seal every time because why not if it cost $15 bucks!? If I didn’t have the VVTi motor I would have done the CAM seals too but that would have been digging too deep.
2) Necessary? No. I replace seals that are easy to get to when doing major work because if that thing was to start leaking within a year of doing the job I would be kicking myself for not taking the 20 extra min to replace it. I have done jobs like this in the past and not replaced it and 1 out of 3 times I regret it greatly. So, you could totally not replace the seal if you want to just wait for it to MAYBE start leaking. Might not though :shrug: .
Also, no special tools needed. The seal can be pulled with a small flat head screwdriver or nice picks and installed by taping very gently around the edge of it until it sits flush. Watch a video on YouTube on the subject if you’re not sure. They are all basically the same.
3) The crankshaft pulley is installed with a B.A.B (Big A$$ bolt) that is torqued down to 4.37 jigawatts of torque (250ish pounds I believe) and so removal of the BOLT is made WAY easier with the tool I have listed in the writeup (it can be seen attached to the crankshaft in one of the pictures as well) so I recommend at least having that tool. Other than that, you need a breaker bar, and a socket wrench with a long tube over the handle or way to extend it to produce the leverage required to break the bolt free. As far as the pulley, it can be stuck to the crankshaft well, or it can slide nicely off. A pulley removal kit (not the Jaw style) is your friend here and you can usually rent or borrow one from your local hardware store. Watch the videos I posted, and you can get a better idea of what it takes to remove the pulley.
4) So, with the timing belt, when you have set the pulleys to the correct markings there is spring tension on the cams as you have basically just set one of the lobes pressing down on a set of valves. When you loosen the belt the cam shaft that is under tension will move about a tooth. Having the tool will allow you to unload that pressure slowly... not sure how big of a deal it is for the spring to push the cam suddenly when you remove the belt... maybe someone on here can chime in as I just yolo'ed it and let the tension off by pulling the belt?
4.5) Putting it back on was the tricky part as I needed to turn the cam and put the tension back into the system to get the notches to match up. This part of the job is a bit foggy and so maybe someone with a couple of these jobs under their belt could chime in.
5) Nope. I got them in the ballpark by setting a torque wrench to the specified torque, torqueing something, then replicating roughly the same pressure on the same length wrench. Not a huge deal, but a crowfoot would be nice.
Hope I have answers some of your questions. YouTube and forums like this are your best friend! good luck to you!
I just cannot tell you how much I appreciate this post. I am about to undertake this myself, and although I have quite a bit of experience doing this type of job in my own garage and needing my vehicle to be ready to go on Monday morning, this makes me feel a lot better. I'm going to document my experiences on this and post it for you guys.
I also recently just got done fixing an EVAP problem - the exhaust rusted out and disconnected between the muffler and the last reverb chamber. I got around to it as soon as I could, but by the time I did I had noticed that I could not put fuel into the vehicle and the gas pump would immediately shut off. I ended up figuring out that the breather tube between the gas tank and the charcoal canister had melted and collapsed in on itself, but that's a subject for another post.
Thanks again, really appreciate it.
I also recently just got done fixing an EVAP problem - the exhaust rusted out and disconnected between the muffler and the last reverb chamber. I got around to it as soon as I could, but by the time I did I had noticed that I could not put fuel into the vehicle and the gas pump would immediately shut off. I ended up figuring out that the breather tube between the gas tank and the charcoal canister had melted and collapsed in on itself, but that's a subject for another post.
Thanks again, really appreciate it.
