Timing belt job question

[Myrunr2010]

Probably true. But I find that the timing belt is much more intimidating than it really needs to be. The only tough part about the job is getting the crank pulley broken loose, and the tensioner off/compressed. With the right tools those are both pretty easy, and everything else is pretty straightforward.

I was much more intimidated by doing the timing belt than I should have been. All and all, it was a pretty easy job.

 

[Jumpkix]

[MENTION=89421]Jumpkix[/MENTION] I'm not going to repeat what everyone else on here has already said. You can't put spilt milk back in the glass. Lesson learned. If you want some assistance PM me. I have all the tools you need, including the schley tools, and pictures with labels of every bolt that is removed to complete a timing belt job. I have the complete FSM.

Biggest concern is if the belt was removed and the cams were rotated. Put some PB on the bolt now if you haven't already done so.

Couple of situations though:

1. I've been cleaning my rig for the second day after a little trip I made. I still haven't got to the engine. Also not sure what my wife wants to do this afternoon.
   
2. This is huge here. Duck v. Husky? Say it aint so! OMG what am I thinking? Guess we'll find out October 8th!

Seriously, no problem, you're forgiven. I have a lot of Duck fans, most of them own jeeps.

JK!!!!

Them's fighting words! I was born in raised in Autzen Stadium, and I vaguely remember the early 90's when Washington owned Oregon. Oldschool fans can't forget the I-5 Rivalry!

Put a long ratchet on the crank pulley bolt. Set it on the frame. Crank over the engine. Your welcome. ( recommend taking radiator out )

Glad I own a manual...just put her in gear and breaker bar the crank bolt on/off

You need to make or buy the pulley holder tool. I know the starter method gets mentioned a lot, but how do you re-torque the crank bolt afterwards?

Could be worse. But i used an sst from grimmspeed. Its for subarus but it worked just fine. And online, or napa, AZ, parts store will have a crank pulley holder tool. In a pinch, you can make one super easy, even if you dont have a lazer press mill lathe 3d print machine.

Also, i just did this job today with a helper who sometimes works against me. It wasnt too bad at all, worst part is removing the ac bracket only if changing the tensioner too. 6hrs start to finish. I am not a mechanic but i dont give up, and have aquired a pretty decent set of tools.
#youcandoit!

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I offered him my assistance yesterday but he never responded. I would have lent him my tools. I would have gone to Portland. Because he hired a mechanic friend to do the job, leads me to believe he's not comfortable and probably doesn't have the basic tools to do it himself. He's going to end up biting the bullet on this one.

Hey gents, thank you for all the responses and suggestions. So here's the update: Sorry [MENTION=116467]Rock_Rat[/MENTION] that I didn't respond to your extremely kind offer (especially a Dawg fan! JK!) but I spent the better part of yesterday assessing the situation further and doing a bit of work, otherwise I definitely would have taken you up on your offer. I will PM you if I continue the work myself. Anyways, so I was able to use the bump starter method to finally get the crank bolt loose! :rockon: Afterwards, a buddy and I had to use one of those universal tools to remove the harmonic balancer which was on there tighter than most write ups suggest.

So now I'm in even more of a personal debate: Without a doubt, I have zero experience with this specific procedure, and I was not present when most of the parts were removed. And I do know that at least one of the cams did rotate when they were taking the belt off.

Now that I feel the worst part is over with that crank bolt/balancer removed, I would like to avoid spending $2-$3K in shop fees if possible since half the work is done. But I'm not afraid to swallow my pride and let the experts clean up my mess if that is the best course of action.

I have pretty much every tool needed besides the pulley holder tool, which I understand you can rent from any auto parts store. Am I far enough along that I might be able to complete the work with some guidance? Or am I being extremely delusional, and cheap by trying to save a few grand?

 

[frodiesel]

I just watched a video on YouTube and decided I would tackle the job myself.
Take a little time to do some research and then just dive in it really won't be that bad and we will be here for anything or any questions you have along the way

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[A.Wilson013]

I have pretty much every tool needed besides the pulley holder tool, which I understand you can rent from any auto parts store. Am I far enough along that I might be able to complete the work with some guidance? Or am I being extremely delusional, and cheap by trying to save a few grand?

Auto store pulley holders are trash, but you can give it a shot.

Take a picture of the front of your engine and I'll do my best to help you out. The cams being out of alignment is not TOO much of an issue. A deep 17mm socket should allow you to line up the timing marks without issue.

The crank, however needs to be aligned for sure before taking the balancer (pulley) off... Was it at least at TDC?

Here's the holder I use... It's awesome.
https://www.amazon.com/OTC-4754-Universal-Pulley-Holder/dp/B000Q8GVPY

But yeah, post a picture of where you're at. There aren't TOO many bolts removed if you're just now at getting the crank bolt off. You can figure it out with our help.

 

[TheDurk]

Auto store pulley holders are trash, but you can give it a shot.

Take a picture of the front of your engine and I'll do my best to help you out. The cams being out of alignment is not TOO much of an issue. A deep 17mm socket should allow you to line up the timing marks without issue.

The crank, however needs to be aligned for sure before taking the balancer (pulley) off... Was it at least at TDC?

Here's the holder I use... It's awesome.
https://www.amazon.com/OTC-4754-Universal-Pulley-Holder/dp/B000Q8GVPY

But yeah, post a picture of where you're at. There aren't TOO many bolts removed if you're just now at getting the crank bolt off. You can figure it out with our help.

Not really. It just adds a step. If the crank doesn't align with its marks, just put the crank bolt back in and use it to turn the crank to where it needs to be with a socket wrench before putting the belt on.

I agree, not that much has been done if he hadn't got the crank bolt off. Mainly just pulling the aux. units and fan and fake water pump and the upper cover. You get to do all the fun stuff with the belt, idlers, tensioner and water pump. I'd say go for it if you have done some wrenching and have the basic tools.

 

[Jumpkix]

Ok, [MENTION=63487]A.Wilson013[/MENTION], here are some pics of the engine bay and the progress thus far:

 

[A.Wilson013]

Ok, [MENTION=63487]A.Wilson013[/MENTION], here are some pics of the engine bay and the progress thus far:

So... He removed the radiator, fan, belts, fan mount, upper tbelt cover, and cut the timing belt off? Nice. Time to set the engine to TDC and then, if it were me, I'd unbolt the power steering pump and ac compressor next, followed by the lower timing cover and the oil dipstick/guide.

After that I'd be looking at the water pump and the coolant...inlet? The piece that the lower radiator hose feeds into. 3 nuts (studs may come out with them, no big deal) for the inlet piece or whatever, and then 7 (I think) bolts for the water pump. Pop them off, replace your t-stat if you wish, and then get to scraping the old water pump gasket off the block.


PM me your e-mail and I'll send you the FSM. Very helpful.

 

[jhfleet]

I'm sure the OP already knows this....But, just in case it slips your mind, when you align the crank to TDC make sure #1 cylinder is on the compression stroke.

 

[stir_fry_boy]

You can also remove the spark plugs to make turning the engine easier.

So move your cams to TDC, then the crank with the crank pulley. I absolutely love a chain wrench: Chain Wrench. They are universal for almost any pulley (power steering, alternator, crank pulley, cam pulley, etc). I just wrap the pulley in rags and crack the bolt(s) loose. This is what the Toyota techs use. I also use it to correctly position cranks, cams, etc.

Since you are this far, if you Runner is over 150K, replace the cam and crank seals with OEM parts. That's when the chain wrench comes into it's own.

 

[Jumpkix]

I'm sure the OP already knows this....But, just in case it slips your mind, when you align the crank to TDC make sure #1 cylinder is on the compression stroke.

I did not know that, actually. This is the first timing belt job I've ever done, so I have zero experience with this procedure. The videos and documentation I've seen did not even mention this, so thanks for the heads up.

You can also remove the spark plugs to make turning the engine easier.

So move your cams to TDC, then the crank with the crank pulley. I absolutely love a chain wrench: Chain Wrench. They are universal for almost any pulley (power steering, alternator, crank pulley, cam pulley, etc). I just wrap the pulley in rags and crack the bolt(s) loose. This is what the Toyota techs use. I also use it to correctly position cranks, cams, etc.

Since you are this far, if you Runner is over 150K, replace the cam and crank seals with OEM parts. That's when the chain wrench comes into it's own.

I've heard multiple people recommend a chain wrench. Would it be enough to hold the crank pulley later when torquing the bolt to 217 ft-lbs?

Might need some insight on changing the seals, too. I've heard that can be tedious.


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[TheDurk]

I'm sure the OP already knows this....But, just in case it slips your mind, when you align the crank to TDC make sure #1 cylinder is on the compression stroke.

The crank does not know or care whether it is on compression or exhaust. It just needs to be at TDC. The difference between compression and exhaust is controlled by the valves and they are controlled by the camshafts. If the camshafts are both at their TDCs, and the crank is at TDC, that's all you have to worry about.

What you said made sense back in the days of mechanical distributors where the ignition could get 180° out of phase, but that is controlled by the cam and crank sensors in these engines so the ECU knows where everything is.

 

[Jumpkix]

Thanks for clearing that up, [MENTION=10169]TheDurk[/MENTION]. Just set the cams and crank to TDC:

Now, on to the nitty gritties.

I just want to say thank you all very much for the help and guidance while doing this work. It was a stupid lesson to learn, letting someone else wrench on my vehicle while I was gone. And I assure you, I've learned that lesson well having to clean up the mess, versus paying the $2-$3K in shop fees.


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[jeremyc74]

OP, your next hurdle is compressing the timing belt tensioner, so you can get the new belt on. There are two ways to do it.

The first is to remove it from the engine and put it in a vice. This requires removing the A/C compressor in most cases (I think I've read about people getting to it with universal sockets and extensions, but it's not easy).

The second is to buy the compression tool and compress it while it's still bolted up. This will probably save you more than an hour.

Here's the tool you need:
https://www.amazon.com/CTA-Tools-26...08133&sr=8-1&keywords=toyota+timing+belt+tool


Hopefully your new timing belt has white marks on it, because that makes it easy to line everything back up to the exact tooth.

 

[stir_fry_boy]

I've heard multiple people recommend a chain wrench. Would it be enough to hold the crank pulley later when torquing the bolt to 217 ft-lbs?

Might need some insight on changing the seals, too. I've heard that can be tedious.

Of course, get the 24" version. Even works for higher torque applications (IS 300 and 4.7 L are more). Wrap the pulley in a couple of shop rags.

Seals are easy, just get a seal puller. I usually push the new seal in with my hand after coating good in engine oil. You can use a big socket and push it in.

Also, once you get the timing belt tensioner compressed, one of the biggest fights you will have is getting the new timing belt on. I've mentioned how many Toyota techs do it in several other threads. Basically you take out the top idler pulley, install belt, and put the pulley back in.

 

[stir_fry_boy]

OP, your next hurdle is compressing the timing belt tensioner, so you can get the new belt on. There are two ways to do it.

The first is to remove it from the engine and put it in a vice. This requires removing the A/C compressor in most cases (I think I've read about people getting to it with universal sockets and extensions, but it's not easy).

The second is to buy the compression tool and compress it while it's still bolted up. This will probably save you more than an hour.

Here's the tool you need:
https://www.amazon.com/CTA-Tools-26...08133&sr=8-1&keywords=toyota+timing+belt+tool

Damn, the Schielly one is twice the price. Hopefully this one is just as good.

 

[IsaiahC]

I have a homemade pulley holder that you can use/have. It's made out of a scrap 2x6 of hollow aluminum. Worked perfectly for me. Only problem is that I was working with bent bolts and bent long allen keys so the holes might be a little off. You can probably make them work though. If not, it would take all of 3 minutes to re-drill the holes.

 

[jhfleet]

The crank does not know or care whether it is on compression or exhaust. It just needs to be at TDC. The difference between compression and exhaust is controlled by the valves and they are controlled by the camshafts. If the camshafts are both at their TDCs, and the crank is at TDC, that's all you have to worry about.

What you said made sense back in the days of mechanical distributors where the ignition could get 180° out of phase, but that is controlled by the cam and crank sensors in these engines so the ECU knows where everything is.

You're right of course! And, if I'd had my brain engaged I'd have realized I have no clue about how to find the compression stroke on a 5VZ engine with the timing belt off.

 

[azcat90]

What helps me...

IF you get stuck these videos from Tacoma owner on Youtube are awesome - part 1:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=voLBRDZL9fE

Also a good parts reference site is:

TOYOTA 4RUNNER VZN185L-GKPSKA - TOOL-ENGINE-FUEL - | Japan Parts EU

...and to fulfill my PAC-12 trash talking obligation - BEAR DOWN ARIZONA!!

 

[Jumpkix]

OP, your next hurdle is compressing the timing belt tensioner, so you can get the new belt on. There are two ways to do it.

The first is to remove it from the engine and put it in a vice. This requires removing the A/C compressor in most cases (I think I've read about people getting to it with universal sockets and extensions, but it's not easy).

The second is to buy the compression tool and compress it while it's still bolted up. This will probably save you more than an hour.

Here's the tool you need:
https://www.amazon.com/CTA-Tools-26...08133&sr=8-1&keywords=toyota+timing+belt+tool

Hopefully your new timing belt has white marks on it, because that makes it easy to line everything back up to the exact tooth.

I don't think this applies to me, as I bought a complete kit with a new tensioner. But please correct me if I'm mistaken.

Of course, get the 24" version. Even works for higher torque applications (IS 300 and 4.7 L are more). Wrap the pulley in a couple of shop rags.

Seals are easy, just get a seal puller. I usually push the new seal in with my hand after coating good in engine oil. You can use a big socket and push it in.

Also, once you get the timing belt tensioner compressed, one of the biggest fights you will have is getting the new timing belt on. I've mentioned how many Toyota techs do it in several other threads. Basically you take out the top idler pulley, install belt, and put the pulley back in.

That doesn't sound so bad, as far as the seals go. And since I have a brand new tensioner, I'm hoping the actual belt swap will be relatively easy. The videos I've watched made it look pretty simple.

IF you get stuck these videos from Tacoma owner on Youtube are awesome - part 1:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=voLBRDZL9fE

Also a good parts reference site is:

TOYOTA 4RUNNER VZN185L-GKPSKA - TOOL-ENGINE-FUEL - | Japan Parts EU

...and to fulfill my PAC-12 trash talking obligation - BEAR DOWN ARIZONA!!

Thanks for the good reference material! Will be digging through this today!

AZ fan living in PA? That's rough lol. Hoping they do well in the PAC-12 south though. I miss the days when Mike Stoops was coach:

I have a homemade pulley holder that you can use/have. It's made out of a scrap 2x6 of hollow aluminum. Worked perfectly for me. Only problem is that I was working with bent bolts and bent long allen keys so the holes might be a little off. You can probably make them work though. If not, it would take all of 3 minutes to re-drill the holes.

I might take you up on that offer, unless the chain wrench is easier as mentioned by [MENTION=48234]stir_fry_boy[/MENTION]

My stupid question of the day: Are there any particular torque specs I really need to be very aware of? Other than obviously the crank, cam, and water pump bolts? It seems like most of the other bolts people just tighten by hand.

 

[TheDurk]

Well, I'd certainly torque the idler mounting bolts (30 ft-lbs).