Timing belt advice needed badly.......

reddi red

reddi red

New member
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hey gang....

I am poised to do the timing belt update, but the stealership has quoted $885.

I want to buy the parts myself and have a mechanic install them.

Pls advise **in depth** all the parts that should be purchased.

I believe:
water pump
timing belt
3 drive belts
2 cam seals
crank seal

do i need:
pulley
pulley w/tensioner
*anything else

Pls advise as I want to get this done.
Kinda scared to drive the truck at this time.

Thanks!!

EDIT: i did a search on this site and i still have the above questions.
it looks like most ppl just do the WP & TB...... i want to do whatever to insure longevity! thx
 
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Not only do you not need the pulleys but the seals too unless they are leaking. I usually just clean and lube the pulleys.
 
BTO said:
Not only do you not need the pulleys but the seals too unless they are leaking. I usually just clean and lube the pulleys.
Click to expand...

hmmm......
i mos def don't want to take the short cut, but i also don't want to waste money.
i was at NAPA today on my lunch and the guys there said that the pulleys evenutally go too.
:shrug:
thanks for the advice......hopefully more ppl chime in!
 
reddi red said:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

hey gang....

I am poised to do the timing belt update, but the stealership has quoted $885.

I want to buy the parts myself and have a mechanic install them.

Pls advise **in depth** all the parts that should be purchased.

I believe:
water pump
timing belt
3 drive belts
2 cam seals
crank seal

do i need:
pulley
pulley w/tensioner
*anything else

Pls advise as I want to get this done.
Kinda scared to drive the truck at this time.

Thanks!!

EDIT: i did a search on this site and i still have the above questions.
it looks like most ppl just do the WP & TB...... i want to do whatever to insure longevity! thx
Click to expand...

Have whoever is doing the work look at the tensioner and pulleys. They normally don't wear out at the first change. The cam and crank seals are cheap enough to replace and the labor is minimal. The mechanics I have talked to say the pulleys and tensioners don't have to be changed IF they are in good condition. I guess "condition" is a subjective term. Definitely do the Water pump.
 
How many miles OP? If it's the 1st TB change (~90K), I would just do the TB, WP and drive belts and probably nothing else unless you can see wear on the parts. My seals and pulleys were still fine when I did my 2nd TB/WP at ~190K.
 
I did everything except the cam seals and tensioner (mine were fine according to the TSB procedures) while I was in there. I decided after seeing how buried the alternator is to do it too while I had everything apart.

A few tips for you:

1) You will NOT get the crankshaft pulley bolt off without a special tool to hold the crankshaft/pulley. My brother welded me one up with his mig welder and it saved the day. Toyota has a special part for this but I wasn't going to waste $80 or whatever it was for something I would rarely use again. Either way, you aren't going to get this job done without it IMO.

2) Definitely do the radiator hoses.

3) There is a small U shaped hose and another longer hose (called the oil bypass hose) for the oil cooler. REPLACE those. They are close to the exhaust manifold and have a hard life. They are a major pain to get to (especially the U hose) but if either breaks you are walking. I could not find them anywhere at the local auto stores and had to order them from Toyota.

4) While you are ordering the oil cooler hoses, order the grill clips if you are removing the radiator. I removed the radiator because I like to do things in an orderly fashion and it greatly frees up room to do this project. Also you can clean the radiator and brush out any bent fins while you have it out. If you can remove the grille without breaking those clips you are a more patient man than I. Also, order the new 17mm crankshaft pulley bolt (per Toyota) it is torqued to 217 ft. lbs. (thus the need for a tool to hold everything) and that means a lot of stretch.

5) The 4 bolts the hold the fan to the fan clutch are a PITA. If you have a ratcheting 10mm box end your knuckles will thank you.

6) You'll need a vise or press to compress the tensioner and lock it in place before you put everything back together.

7) Advance Auto has a lifetime warranty on the water pump if you replace the related parts and a similar deal on the timing belt if you buy the kit which includes the pulleys. Wherever you source the parts, go for the entire kit - it's much cheaper than piece-mealing everything.

Take your time when timing the belt. It took me 3 shots to get it right because the timing marks kept moving when I released the tensioner. The trick I discovered is to have the camshaft marks one tooth each after the mark (clockwise as you look at the front of the motor) and when the tensioner lets go it tightens the belt up and everything lines up. Odds are it will take you more than one shot to get the marks right. Do not get frustrated.

Thats about all I can think of off the top of my head right now.
 
Don't be scared to drive it. Read the threads where very few people ever heard of it actually failing. And even if it does your ending is fine.
 
i agree. i am at 180k with what i assume is the original. i know for a fact that it wasn't changed since 90k and there is no sticker or anything that makes me believe it was changed before that...that being said though...i'm doing it soon :)
 
I used two of those small black folding clips you get at office supply stores for stacks of paper to hold the belt to the cam pulleys while I positioned all the rest with my hands. That was the trick that made it work for me. Otherwise, there are just not enough hands if you are by yourself.

I agree that kit looks great. Pretty much every thing is OES. (Original equipment supplier) and the WP is the new type with the gasket--no stinkin' FIPG. I did it at 120K and everything looked good for another 60k at least. But I did it all, including hoses and thermostat, excluding only the cam and main seals.

While TB failures are rare, WP failures at 100k+ are not. So taking a look every now and then is important. A TB failure can still do damage on a non-interference engine but only to the pulleys and stuff external to the engine but under the timing cover.
 
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1) You will NOT get the crankshaft pulley bolt off without a special tool to hold the crankshaft/pulley. My brother welded me one up with his mig welder and it saved the day. Toyota has a special part for this but I wasn't going to waste $80 or whatever it was for something I would rarely use again. Either way, you aren't going to get this job done without it IMO.


you don't have to have any special tools to take the crankshaft nut off, just get the extention pipe put it on the socket that you are using and have it aginst the floor for leverage. make sure which direction the engine is rotating. i think it is clockwise. put the socket in the remove direction which is counter-clockwise than just tap the start quickly not to start the motor. whala the nut is out. easy just like that. but don't put the nut back on like that. just try to tighten the nut with the socket or a impact wrench.
 
miken6570 said:
1)
you don't have to have any special tools to take the crankshaft nut off, just get the extention pipe put it on the socket that you are using and have it aginst the floor for leverage. make sure which direction the engine is rotating. i think it is clockwise. put the socket in the remove direction which is counter-clockwise than just tap the start quickly not to start the motor. whala the nut is out. easy just like that. but don't put the nut back on like that. just try to tighten the nut with the socket or a impact wrench.
Click to expand...

I'd read about that on several forums but to be honest it's not the way I like to do things (no offense to you).

Also, there is no way you are going to torque that bolt back to anywhere near 217 ft. lbs. with the pulley spinning free and nothing to hold it. I've read two different accounts of that bolt coming loose, the pulley flying off stripping the key off the crankshaft (as well as making a real mess out of the front of the motor/radiator) and then you get to replace the crankshaft or worse.

I would not attempt this without the tool (having done it) but that's just my opinion.
 
Blitzkrieg said:
I'd read about that on several forums but to be honest it's not the way I like to do things (no offense to you).

Also, there is no way you are going to torque that bolt back to anywhere near 217 ft. lbs. with the pulley spinning free and nothing to hold it. I've read two different accounts of that bolt coming loose, the pulley flying off stripping the key off the crankshaft (as well as making a real mess out of the front of the motor/radiator) and then you get to replace the crankshaft or worse.

I would not attempt this without the tool (having done it) but that's just my opinion.
Click to expand...

SAFETY CHECK>>>
The "wedge the breaker bar handle against something and bump the starter" technique works fine, but you need to disconnect the ignitor 1st!!! I don't care how careful or quick you are, if that engine fires up with the wrench attached to the pulley, it won't be pretty. And like Blitz said, you will need something to hold the pulley anyways whether it's "the tool" or something you make yourself.
 
I hope it's not against the rules to post a link here. This article is really helpful to anyone undertaking this. The first pic is the homemade tool (click on it to enlarge).

Timing Belt

Of course if anybody is in the Denver area I'd be happy to let you borrow my tool if you are going to undertake this (a deposit would be required - I want to make sure it finds it's way home).
 
Make sure you have the special tool to compress the timing belt tensioner as you cannot easily remove it without removing the AC compressor. I just did this job friday and ended up having to go get the tool from my friend who is a tech at our toyota dealer here.
 
Boosted3s said:
Make sure you have the special tool to compress the timing belt tensioner as you cannot easily remove it without removing the AC compressor. I just did this job friday and ended up having to go get the tool from my friend who is a tech at our toyota dealer here.
Click to expand...

One point that is not clear from most write-ups is that the tool is useless if you are going to replace the tensioner. Then you have to remove the AC compressor anyway. So be aware that the decision to replace the tensioner means a fair amount of extra effort, but you don't need the special tool. I would leave the tensioner until around 200k, certainly no need on a first TB change.
 
This is another quality kit on eBay with everything + thermostat for a little cheaper than the other. eBay timing belt kit

I'm in the same boat as you..

I'm trying to find a reputable place to have this done because the Toyota dealer going nuts on their labor cost right now!
 
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