zigzagph

93, 4Runner, 4x4, auto, 3.slow, 3VZE

I am in the midst of changing my timing belt and am wondering how much play the new belt should have after install. With the new belt on there is about an 1-2 inches of play. Is this normal or is there a tensioner that I am missing. Also, does the idler pulley on the battery side of the engine move up and down loosely or should it be more rigid.

The reason I suspect something is wrong is when I have the new belt all lined up correctly (w/ the 1-2 inches of play) when I rotate the engine each rotation puts the marks on the belt out of sync one tooth per rotation. Is this normal?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

nunsa

Greetings!
Hold the bus! For one that's not mormal, you have to much play! Get it all lined up again and release the tensioner, this will put tension on the belt, when you turn it over it shouldn't go out of synch, if after putting tension on the belt via the tensioner and you still have a lot of play, you might have the wrong belt! There should be some play on the side of the belt but not the top. Put all your play by the tensioner and then release the tensioner it should set you straight! You have to loosen the idler w/a wrench if it moves on it's own either you don't have it tight or it's just plain shot! It should hold constant tension on the belt!
http://www.off-road.com/toyota/tech/v6tbelt/index.html
Good Luck!

crazycubano

speaking of timing belts, i have the 3vze motor and im changing my timing belt but ive come accross a huge problem, i cant get the crank pulley bolt off. Would anyone know whether the bolt is reverse thread or forward thread because it wont budge no matter how hard i go at it with my torque wrench. oh and by the way ive made a counter bar so holding it down is not the problem, its getting the bolt to turn thats killing me. THANKS guys..

Bumpin' Yota

hehehe dont bother with the impact gun unless you want to break the gun or an impact socket. Go grab a breaker bar and pop it loose. That bolt is torqued down to 181ftlbs of tq, so it's a FUN one to pop loose!

crazycubano

thanks man i appreciate the torque info, 181ft/lbs is gonna take alot! lol hey but is it a reverse tread bolt tho? i heard some rumors about some crank case bolts being reverse tread. im wondering if instead of loosening the thing im tightning it. Thanks for the reply man...

Bumpin' Yota

nope conventional thread - pulling to the left pops her loose, it's just at the edge of my strength getting it loose with a breaker bar AND holding the counter bar... toyota did NOT want that bolt coming out during driving evidentally....LOL

crazycubano

thanks man that helps alot. yea they wouldnt want that sucker coming loose, lol, that would probably result in a slight mess on the freeway lol. Thanks again

mastacox

Just being a pain here, but my Impact does 400ft-lb max, and the impact sockets are rated much higher (I think around 700)... Perhaps you are using the wrong equipment?

Just curious is all...

eric-the-red

There definitely shouldn't be that much play in the belt, and if the idler pulley you're talking about is the tensioner, small one half way down the belt, it should be tightened down after the belt is tensioned. Are you sure you put the tensioner spring on.
As for the marks moving if you're talking about the white marks drawn on the belt they will move with each rotation. Don't worry about that, as long as the marks on each pulley are lined up where they should be it's OK.

Bigblock

they want it tight because it'll woble and waller the crank snout,i've seen it done.take your pull handle ,put it on the bolt ,turn the crank in the normal rotation until it hits the frame,get in the truck and hit the starter,works like a charm!

eric-the-red

Try this method, worked for me last time:
put a 24" breaker bar with a socket on the bolt,
put the end of the bar under the passenger side frame rail, tight against it,
disconnect the coil,
and bump the starter, 1-2 seconds is all it needed

callmej75

Works like a charm

Bumpin' Yota

I'm still absolutely terrified of that method....lol
besides, whats a good workout?


I don't own any air tools. Air tools would have been a godsend during my timing belt/waterpump/idler/tensioner/thermostat swap... However I was told that that crank bolt would break cheap equipment with ease, maybe I was told incorrectly. All I know is that my 36" superduty chain wrench and 24" 1/2" drive breaker bar worked great!

glassfishy

OK.

First of all I want to preface this with I know I don't know what I'm doing. That's what we're all here for, right? To Learn.

Anyway,

A buddy and I are putting in a long block replacement 3VZE engine in my 91 4Runner. I've just about got everything back together and ready to pop back in my truck. The one thing my buddy is worried about is getting everything timed and in sync. He's replaced the timing belt on his 92 Runner with no problems. But on this one the sprockets (cams and bottom crankshaft) have been turned and we want to make sure we were doing it right.

Is it as simple as putting your three cam marks on their timing mark. Making sure your #1 piston is at Top Dead Center and putting on the timing belt and making sure after 2 revolutions it's still in time or is it much more complicated than that. My buddy thanks that's way too easy and wants me to make sure. Any help would be greatly appreciated. If you know of a site that shows how to do this I'd love to know about it or if someone has the time to talk with me I'd be forever grateful.

Later!!
Steve
glassfishy@gbronline.com

callmej75

The way we did it was we lined all 3 marks up...2 cam marks and crank mark. put the belt on and made sure it was tight. Never did anything with tdc and it runs fine. just line the marks up..

Bumpin' Yota

Yup just line all 3 marks up and make sure that you arent 180* out. Remember the cams turn at half the speed of the crank. So basically just line all three up, move to TDC and check that #1 piston is at the top of the compression stroke and that both valves are closed.

(I think it was #1 piston)

89macrunner

haha timing belt on this truck is a PITA...i was going to do it myself and my dad said it was not easy on these trucks


im really glad i had a mechanic do it now

185 lb\ft????? i weigh 135lbs.....i would have to call up my friend so i could use the 5 foot cheater bar.

callmej75

Wish I had a dad that generous

Babypig

another real easy way to tell if your at tdc is to remove the distributor cap. If its pointing at #1 then all should be okay

aNUT

Line up the three marks at TDC. Keep in mind that the crank marker is not up and down at TDC, but off to the side. I installed a Gates belt I got from O'reileys and it had white markers on the outside of the belt that matched up with the cam and crank markers. The driver's side of the belt will be very tight when all is aligned, as this is the side under tension when the motor rotates. After the tensioner is installed there is no slack.

It took me a couple tries to get the belt to sit on with all marks aligned and the tensioner on. I started by putting the belt on the crank, held it with one hand, then passed it over the 2-4-6 cam. I had to rotate the cam clockwise a couple degrees to get it on the right slots on the belt, then move it back, placing the belt under tension and at the correct markers on the belt and cam. Then to the idler pulley in the top middle, then to the passenger side (1-3-5) cam using the same technique (rotate clockwise ever so slightly, then back off to bring the belt into tension at the right spot.) Then to the tensioner, unlocked so it can rotate. Let the spring take the slack out of the belt, varify the position of all markers to make sure they havent turned by accident, the lock it in place with the holding bolt. Rotate the crank 720, and make sure all markers come up at TDC again. The markers on the belt will be in a different place, but the cam and crank will all be at TDC.

Kudos for doing it yourself. It's not hard like a V6 mazda MX6 with the T belt smashed up against inside of the fender, but deffinately not super easy either.

On a side note.

Since it sounds like all you guys have your T belt shrouds off, are your cam gear pulleys on opposite directions? On my rig both pullies are the same, but on is turned around. One face of the pulley has a backing as if to keep the belt from walking off, while the other face doesn't.

I don't remember which side is which, but one cam has the pulley on with the flange face forward toward the radiator, and the other has the flange face backward toward the block.

The truck got a short block way back when during the HG recalls, and when I rebuilt it 4 months ago, this is the way it was. I was wondering if they flipped one of them during the HG ordeal. I put it all back together the same way it came out, and it seems to run fine, but I am curious if ya'lls rigs are the same way.