low coolant problem

[KidVermicious]

If the bolt snapped on the PS idler tensioner, it should be plenty loose to get that belt off now . You'll want to take the tensioner bracket all the way off the truck, use an easy out or vise grips or whatever you've got to get the broken piece out of the back of the tensioner, and then take the broken bits into a Nut and Bolt Supply or whatever industrial fastener shop you have near you, they'll get you a new bolt that'll match the thread and length. It'll probably be a different head size, but that's no big deal.

Not a 22-RE btw, [MENTION=115145]e46inperrycounty[/MENTION]. A 1997 4cyl would be the 3RZ-FE.

 

[e46inperrycounty]

I'm less than on my game with the 4runners currently. I'll be looking into all the available engines for each generation now. I'm more familiar with the older Toyota engines and the 3.0-3.4 motors. Gonna soak up some knowledge!

 

[mgcorreia]

Crap!! I know why the bottom of the water pump was leaking. The damn 10mm bolts on the bottom wont snug down. they just kind of spin loosely in there. Any suggestions?

 

[krenaud33]

Crap!! I know why the bottom of the water pump was leaking. The damn 10mm bolts on the bottom wont snug down. they just kind of spin loosely in there. Any suggestions?

Run a tap thru the threads to clean them up and get new bolts. ?

 

[mgcorreia]

This job is done! what a day. So I had to pull the water pump off, scrape the gasket off and rethread the block on the water pump holes. I used this thing called HeliCoil from Oreilly auto parts. That thing is in there tight now. The old water pump was leaking from the bottom because the bolts were not in there tight. There was also no gasket on the old one. I also replaced the idler pulley, thermostat, and all my belts.

The thermostat was in bad shape, there was a block of this waxy white stuff packed into there, there was barely any room for the coolant to run through. Where does that stuff come from? Anyways its all flushed out now.

Also did all new iridium tip spark plugs. I think I mistook the misfire and loss of coolant for a head gasket. I got the stuff to do a block test on it tomorrow to see for sure.

Oh and those tensioner bolts on the idler pulley and alternator are a nightmare. I snapped both of them. The bolt broke off in that square slider piece and I had to use channel locks and PB blaster to slowly thread that thing out of there. Luckily NAPA had a similar bolt to replace it with. Its was the greatest wrist workout I ever had. Anyways, this simple job took me a total of 12 hours today, but I'm done, thank god! I learned a lot today