So I noticed a coolant leak on my 4Runner yesterday and after further inspection (and as close as I can tell), I surmise it is leaking from the water pump where it meets the block behind the thermostat housing.

I don't have the $600-800 I think it's going to cost to take it somewhere (crappy economy). So it looks like I've got a project for the weekend.

After reading multiple threads and looking at the FSM, I realize I'm basically doing a timing belt and a water pump while I have it all apart. I just have a few questions:

1. Is it imperative that the camshaft pulleys and the crank timing pulley are removed during the process? The FSM says to remove them, but I don't really see the point.

2. I plan on replacing the idler pulleys while I'm in there. It's obvious how to replace the #1 pulley, but I cannot find out where and how to replace the #2.

3. It appears that the harmonic balancer/crankshaft pulley has to be pulled in order to get the lower timing belt cover removed and the belt all the way off. Is this correct?

4. Is this a good time to also replace the fan clutch (I think mine is on its last leg) and is the fan clutch the same as what the FSM calls the 'fluid coupling?'

Any advice or tricks of the trade would be greatly appreciated. I wish this was as easy as the water pump on my Bronco, but I'm willing to give it a try. The only thing I'm really worried about is getting the timing set back correctly.

Thanks!

 

One tip is to make a tool to hold the crank shaft pulley while removing and re-torquing the crank bolt. Also be sure to use a torque wrench and the proper torque spec for it. Something like the tool used in this write-up, but your 3.0 may be a little different. http://www.4x4wire.com/toyota/maintenance/timing_belt/

 

I did this a few years ago, and while I'm not quite sure why, I believe all the things you mentioned have to come off. ('94 3VZE engine)

As I recall on my engine the plate behind the cam pulleys has to be removed in order to replace the upper idler and thermostat housing.

Set it at TDC and mark everything.

Replace anything that's rubber: belt, gaskets, seals, etc., while you're in there.

I was able to free the crank pulley by putting it in gear, setting the e-brake, taking the slack out of the drive line, and wrenching on the nut with a breaker bar.

I had a real problem removing one of the the cam pulleys. I fabricated a holding tool from an old Camry hub. The pulley has 5 spokes and the hub had 5 studs. With a little grinding, the studs engaged the pulley spokes (convenient coincidence) to hold it while wrenching on the nut.

The fan clutch / fluid coupling can be replaced easily enough at anytime but it would be simpler to replace it during re-assembly.

Good luck!

 

I think he has an auto tranny, if so that probably won't work.

 

well

i got lucky and replaced mine after the crash cuz everything else was off.

If you have a local pep boys, grab the water pump kit for 45.99 and a thing of gasket sealant (don't need it but i used it just in case). Otherwise, search for another cheap water pump.

To remove the water pump you will probably have to remove the fan shroud, and will have to remove:
-fan blade
-fan clutch
-water pump pulley (what the fan clutch attaches to)
Then unbolt the water pump and remember where the bolts go (pretty straightforward). I would recommend cleaning around the water pump before you remove it so you dont get anything into the pump. Make sure that you have a pan under cuz u will drip radiator fluid.
After you remove it, scrape off the old gasket with a chisel or other similar tool, and clean the water pump.
Then, put on some sealant on the pump base on the car, and make sure that none gets into the inside of the pump base. Push the gasket on, and then put some sealant on the outside of the gasket, cleaning any excess sealant out of the inside with a finger. THen put the pump on and bolt all bolts EVENLY, dont crank em down individually.

Once the water pump is set, put on the pulley and clutch. Since you do have to remove the tensioner (the alternator) try and get the belt as tight as you can with ur hands. Then use a leverage bar ( i used a piece of 2x4) and get the tensioner over as far as u can and then tighten the baby up. Once everything is tight, put on the fan and fan shroud. Should be ready to go from there.

Good Luck

 

heres another tip, while you reinstall the tensioner, triple check the timing marks. The tension may cause the the gears to skip sort of speak. This is an excellent time to replace the false waterpump. Also while the front of my engine was off, I noticed that pretty much all of the bearings in my pulleys were on their way out. thats 205,000 on the clock.

 

Doh! That must be why the word "automatic" is included in his signature line. Oh well...

 

Thanks for the tidbits of info everyone. I'm a little hesitant/scared to crack the front of the motor open because the truck is running so well.

Anyone else want to chime in?

 

Before you tear into it, check the coolant hoses under the Fuel Injection Manifold that you can not easily see from the top. They connect to the underside of the throttle body. This may be the source of your leak, as the coolant would drip onto the timing cover.

Springing a leak from a gasket surface, like you describe, is pretty unusual.

 

No, leave the camshaft pulleys on. If you you really want to remove them, you will need to get/fabricate a tool to hold the pulley (by the spokes) against the torque to remove the bolt, OR, remove the valve covers and hold the flats on the camshaft with a 27mm wrench. All a hassle.
The No #2 pulley turns on the upper radiator hose passage (water goes through the "inside" of the pulley. It's held onto the intake manifold with two bolts, but I believe you need to remove the plenum to get to them. Anyone recall?

Correct. There is a tab on the bottom of the pulley which holds the belt onto the pulley. This is a really cool thing; you can pull the timing belt off the cam pulleys, and be sure that the belt will stay in the correct tooth on the crank pulley when hanging loose. But if you want to replace the timing belt (and you've already gone this far, so why not?) you'll have to pull the crank pulley/harmonic balancer.
Yes, the fluid coupling. You have to remove the fan bracket, so now is as good a time as any.

Before you start taking this apart, make sure it is at TDC (remember that the crank says "zero" at TDC and BDC, so either pull the distributor cap and look, or pull a spark plug and stick a chop stick in to be sure you're at the top.) Then, the arrows on the two cam pulleys will be pointing up (if they're pointing down, get a chop stick and start over). When you put it back together, you can only be off by a whole tooth, so it will be easy to see. Once you get the belt and the tensioners on, turn the crank two revolutions to see that every thing is still at zero. If it's off, it will be off at least one tooth. So the timing isn't really that tough.

To replace the timing belt, you'll need a tool to hold the crank against 200ftlbs. I'm partial to this tool https://www.yotatech.com/forums/f116.../#post50756358 , but others on this forum have made much fancier ones. And others have some pretty nifty work arounds, but using the starter (for instance) is pretty scary to me.

 

Georgiadave, stop scaring me! (j/k) I'll take another look to be sure.

Scope, thanks for all the answers to my questions. I'm in the process of procuring parts. How imperative is it to replace the two idler bearings? If I don't really need to replace them, I'd hate to spend the money.

 

The idlers have real bearings; when they're going you can feel it. If they are only slightly imperfect, you might lay them on their side, squirt in a tbs of oil and spin them. They are sealed bearings, but sometimes a little bit of oil will get in and calm them down.

If they feel silky-smooth, leave them in.

 

Anyone have an opinion on which thermostat to use...180 vs. 192? I'm thinking about putting in one of those failsafe ones.

 

180, you don't want anything higher than that on an engine like yours that has the t-stat on the cool side (return side) of the cooling system. Factory is the way to go and its 180 for the 3VZE (actually its 82* C but that's 179.6* F) Now if you wanted to go cooler that's ok. I'm running a 160 myself (in my 5VZ).

Also skip the fail-safe brand or the first time you over-heat you'll have to replace it. If you go with OEM it will last longer. I put a fail-safe on my 95 Taurus, it lasted 2 weeks before the car overheated and had to pull it out.

 

Thanks for the input. I'll let everyone know how it goes. I'm going to pick up parts this afternoon...Found a guy out here that has OEM parts for just a little over what I would be paying at AutoZone or Checker.

 

I finished the timing belt/water pump/idler pulley job today. Just some follow up observations for future reference:

1. The cam pulleys do not have to be pulled. However, if you intend to do the upper idler pulley, it appears you may have to.

2. I read somewhere that you have to remove the plenum to get to the upper idler bearing. I didn't have to. You can get to three of the four bolts from the top and the fourth was accessed with one of those socket 'u-joints.'

3. You don't have to pull the power steering pump as it states in the FSM. However, if you do pull it you can access the timing belt tensioner easier.

4. The toughest two parts to the job are getting the 180 ft/lbs. of torque on the harmonic balancer and 'burping' the system.

5. I don't know how you guys get to it, but the coolant drain on the block is virtually impossible to get to...if I'm right, it is kind of inside the motor mount right above the dipstick.

Thanks to everyone for your help...I couldn't have done it without all the help of everyone at Yotatech. Now I just need to get the 4wd fixed!

 

TOOLMAN
3. You don't have to pull the power steering pump as it states in the FSM. However, if you do pull it you can access the timing belt tensioner easier.
I'm going to be doing my timing belt replacement within the next few weeks I have a 95 4runner 3vze automatic and the FSM States to remove the power steering pulley and pump?
I read that you didn't have to do that but how did you get the fake fan idler off?. I think there is a bolt that goes through the PS bracket and the fake fan idler.
I looked at my PS pulley on my engine and I didn't think I have to remove the pulley do I ?...it doesn't look like it is in the way of anything except for maybe getting to the hydraulic tensioner bolts, but I think I can get to them from under the engine
what are your thoughts?
How did you get the crankshaft bolt loose and re torqued?
thanks
Dwayne