Just what is behind those mysterious covers that say 3400 Twin Cam? My 98 4Runner last had a timing belt in 2002 at 58K by the previous owner. Now with 130k and 10 years later, it was time to find out how it all works.

It wasn't that hard to do, just tedious at times as it was my first shot at it.
I bought a kit off Ebay that included; Toyota timing belt, thermostat and seals. Koyo bearings and Asin waterpump.

Whenever I took a part off, I put all the bolts in a plastic sandwich bag and labeled them. This helped alot during reassembly.

Of course, the right tools work wonders and here's what I used:
pulley holder (to hold the crankshaft pulley; now that I know how it works, a 2x4 would be cheaper and work fine)
idler tensior holder (secures the lower idler out of the way)
wheel puller (for removing the crankshaft pulley)
10mm hex socket (for removing the lower idler)
torque wrench (need to torque crankshaft bolt to 217ft lbs)
Pliers (removing hose clamps)
Metric sockets
19mm 1/2 in socket (remove the crankshaft bolt)
1/2 in breaker bar
safety googles

The service manual said to remove the A/C unit, but that wasn't necessary.
The starter bump method loosened the crankshaft pulley bolt easily. I had visions of my 1/2 in ratchet taking flight at supersonic speeds so I double checked everything. I even did a few test bumps prior to putting the tool in there. The first bump sounded horrendous as the ratchet tightened against the frame, but everything looked fine. The second bump loosened it.

If you think the crankshaft pulley is hard to remove, try reinstalling it! I smoothed out the inside with sandpaper and applied a liberal coating of synthetic ATF fluid. It slid right on effortlessly. ATF is the BEST lubricant!!

The initial quote to replace just the T-belt and waterpump was $800 from a Toyota specialist. I spent $264 for the timing belt kit, $99 for a new Craftsman Torque wrench (I'd been wanting a new one!), $25 for a Craftsman 1/2 inch breaker bar, $13 for the wheel puller, $33 for the idler tensior holder, and $50 for the pulley holder. (If I hadn't dinged the handle, I'd send it back). $100 (included shipping)for a used crankshaft pulley because mine had a crack and $10 for antifreeze. Total to do it myself, including buying some tools and a crankshaft pulley: $594. The fact I know how it all works; priceless!!

So, thanks for all the informative posts, including answering my questions about the cracked crankshaft pulley. That was a huge help in doing it right.
If you have any questions, let me know.

 

Good to hear that it went smoothly for you. Now the next time should be even easier.