Hillsbjp

Hi all. Been lurking for a while but first post. Getting ready to do the timing belt and water pump on my '92 pickup SR5 with the 3VZ-E. I haven't done anything this major before. Timing belt is overdue and I recently discovered that the water pump is leaking pretty bad (I've been supplementing with pre-mixed coolant to replace what is lost). Needless to say, I didn't want to wait any longer. I love this truck to pieces. Getting help from my uncle who has lots of experience with other makes (he has rebuilt and re-sold several BMWs) but no Toyota experience. Component kit and water pump ordered from RockAuto and on their way. I'm expecting it to take at least 2 days since it's my first time.

Anyway I've been reading lots of the other posts in the forum about this and the one thing that strikes me is just how many little things there are to worry about that aren't mentioned in the service manual (I'm using the '93 one that's online). So i figured this would be a good place for people to just throw tips and advice at me to make me feel better about this undertaking. So what do I absolutely need to know (that I won't find in the manual), before I start?

scope103

The manual is really pretty comprehensive.

You might look at this: https://www.yotatech.com/forums/f116...-there-281065/

james92toy

To loosen up the crank shaft bolt try this . Unplug the coil wire "you don't want the truck to start and run". Then put a socket and breaker bar against the bottom
passenger side of the frame .
Give the starter a bump and it will unloosen the bolt.
Think about what your doing and don't get your hand pinched.

When the motor is at tdc Be sure to mark the cam pulleys to the head before you take the old belt off. They will sometimes rotate and will be off a couple of teeth and wipe out your valves if you just put on a new belt with out alining the cams with the crank.

bugs1961

It's a good idea to replace the cam and crank seals. They will fail eventually and contaminate the new belt with oil. That'll weaken it and could cause it to fail early.

Build this tool: https://www.yotatech.com/forums/f116...l-tool-186081/

Without it, removing the crank pulley bolt and the cam bolts are very difficult.

Replace the two idler pulleys too while you're at it or there's a good chance you'll be taking it all apart again in a couple of years.

IronsmanMedic

I ended up having to do a timing belt job on my '93 3VZE, in a well lit parking lot, in the middle of the night, with a limited tool compliment. Is it the most difficult job on the planet, no. On a scale of 0 - 10, with 10 being the most difficult...I'd call the job a 7. That number is going to vary from person to person though, depending on mechanical experience AND your cognitive ability to look at something and figure out how it works, how it comes apart, how it goes back together, etc. You also need to, at minimum, be able to follow the FSM directions.

I don't have any tips or tricks for you...but as I was able to pull off the job in about four hours, already on limited sleep, in the middle of the night in a random parking lot...USING ONLY THE FSM (never having worked on this engine to that depth before that job)...the FSM spells it out pretty well.

Take your time. Keep track of your bolts, washers, nuts, etc. Lay them out in whatever method of organization works for you.

Oh...and if you get stuck (and the FSM isn't helping curb your consternation)...do what I did...pull up Yotatech and use the search function. If it weren't for the FSM and this site, that night would not have resulted in a functioning 'runner.

Best of luck, bud!

P.S. Rumor has it that this is a non-interference engine...so if you screw up badly enough, don't worry...the pistons aren't going to ram into your valves.

Hillsbjp

Any idea where I can get the barstock for that project? I can spend all day in parts stores wandering around but metal-working is totally out of my element.
EDIT: Silly me, I will just go to Home Depot.

And yes, I plan to replace the idlers. They're coming with the kit. I got the Gates TCK240.

That must have been a hell of a night. Hopefully my story isn't nearly as epic as yours by the time it's done.

IronsmanMedic

That night both sucked and was glorious (because the job was a success). Right as I was waiting for some gasket-maker to cure, so I could top off the coolant and start her up, a security guard cruised by and wrote me a for 'working on vehicle in private parking lot'...not that it mattered that he didn't like me working on my truck in that parking lot...I was already done.

His words of wisdom to me, after issuing the 'ticket' and taking pictures of my truck and tools, were, "you should have gotten it towed to a shop." My reply, verbatim, was (in a very matter-of-fact tone and volume), "This is America...we fix our own sheeeIT 'round here!"

scope103

I don't think this method really gets you anywhere; you still have to put the bolt back in, and with a spec torque of 181 you REALLY need something to keep the crankshaft from turning then. So make the tool before you take the bolt out -- if it's really jammed in there you can take a chance on the starter method just to loosen it. I didn't need it.

Hillsbjp is correct; the 3VZE is a non-interference engine, so this isn't really a risk HERE. (Not true for other engines, so good "general" advice.) You do want to keep track, more or less, of where each shaft is.

rworegon

Just to be clear.....181 ft-lbs for the crank bolt.

RJR

If you have a manual, you can just put the transmission in 5th gear, set the parking brake/block the wheels, and the crankshaft won't budge. Won't work on an auto, though.

Hillsbjp

I do have a manual 5-speed. Can anyone confirm this? I don't want to screw up my transmission somehow.

IronsmanMedic

Confirmed or not, I don't like the idea of using engine power when tools are attached to things. Even my parking lot timing belt job was doable w/o such craziness. Do it right or don't do it at all. Use the muscles that baby Jesus gave you and the appropriate tools - if tools weren't needed, they wouldn't have been invented.

RJR

I wasn't talking about starting the engine. Just putting it in gear to keep the crank from rotating while pulling on the wrench. As far as messing up the transmission, the 3vz is rated at 180 ft-lbs torque. Seems pretty unlikely that Toyota would match it with a transmission that would fail at that same torque.

fdp101452

Do you know when the valves were last adjusted? I think the factory manual calls for every 60k. Might be something to think about......

Hillsbjp

No idea. Not since I've owned it. I am its 3rd owner and they took it to the shop for all the maintenance before i owned it. Only thing I have done is oil changes, the occasional light bulb, and the new radiatior 6 months ago. I will definitely investigate. It does have a bit of a clicking or tapping sound right now but that was pretty low on my list of priorities.