AJatx

Any hints on getting the timing belt back on the pulleys with the marks aligned?

The manual states the idler#1 pulley (near the AC compressor) goes back before you install the timing belt. I tried, but I always seem to be one tooth off on the main crank pulley. It suggested starting with the main crank, but then I can't get the last cam pulley.

Just a little fustrated,
J

MTL_4runner

What I do is to put the belt over the 2 cam gears and use a pair of ratchets in opposite directions to hold that tight while I slip the belt over the crank gear. Now it does basically require a second person to be there to help you hold at least one of the ratchets while you put the belt around the crank but it works well and ensures you will be right on for alignment. Then when all are on you can basically hold tension on the belt by hand (again using your helper) while you bolt the hydraulic tensioner back in place.

Gadget

You compress the tensioner and lock it with a pin. Then install everything and when all the marks are properly lined up you pull the pin and everything should be still lined up. It is really a simple timing belt to replace if you use the proper proceedure outlined in the FSM.

Gadget

MTL_4runner

Keep in mind that the FSM method does require the purchase of a special tool to compress the tensioner which I did not have. Gadget's way is the technically correct way to do it according to Toyota.

Gadget

No special tool is needed to compress the tensioner. Snap On (Blue Point) does sell a spreader that goes between the water pump pulley and the tensioner pulley to compress the tensioner enough to install the locking pin, but that is not needed. It will save you a lot of work.

The FSM tells you to remove the tensioner and compress it in a vice. Install the pin and then bolt it back in. To get the tensioner off, you have to remove the power steering pump and the A/C compressor and its bracket. Using the spreader is much faster and that is why Snap On sells so many of them.

The special tool that you do need is the one that bolts to the crank pulley to break the pulley bolt loose and to properly retorque it.

Gadget

MTL_4runner

This is pretty much exactly how I did it.

AJatx

For some reason, the belt went on easier after I tried again. I must've had the belt slightly off on one of the cams and the tension pulley (#1) wasn't pinned down all the way.

Anyhow, when I put the belt on (hardest is from left cam to main crank), my budddy slipped on the right cam and spun it over. I used a rubber strap wrench and pulled it back to the mark. It's +/- 1 spline. It aligns with the mark on the back of the cam perfectly, but the other cam shows that it may be one spline off.
I replaced the sparkplugs and washed out the engine bay a bit.

It started fine and I blipped the throttle and it sounded ok.
As soon as I put it in reverse, I noticed the hesitation and slight studdering with light throttle input. Heavier throttle input is nicer and the sweet spot is 1.8k to 2.8k rpm in 2nd gear (with or without boost). Below 1.8k rpm, it's hit or miss whether it'll hesitate or not.

So, are the cam gears slightly off so that the intake timing is not synched with the exhaust timing? Could I have damaged a sparkplug tip or wire?

My gut feeling is the cam gear. It's going to be tedious to get to it again, but it's not so bad now that I've done it before.

J

AJatx

Timing with T1 and E1 jumpered is 10 BTDC

I'm tearing everything down for the cam gear inspection.

AJatx

Here is a pic of the left cam after the installation.

There is a lot of "belt dust" around the pick-up and water pump housing.

The mark seems to be on.

AJatx

Here is the picture of the right cam.
It looks aligned with the marker on the backplate.

It does seem a hair bit counter clockwise than the left cam only when you compare the two. They couldn't be more than half a spline width off though.

AJatx

The main crank is aligned with the dimpled plate on the crank and the marker on the engine housing.

It's tough to see in this photo, but it's aligned.


From the pictures above, it looks like the cams and main crank are aligned.
If it is aligned and I'm having a "studdering" effect at low throttle, low rpm and high load and high rpm, what could it be?

There is a lot of belt shavings as well.

J

MTL_4runner

Hindsight is 20/20 but next time you should scribe your own marks on the cam and crank gears and on the engine block or heads behind them just as a safety measure before you remove the old belt. That way if there is any discrepancy in the timing (ie is it one tooth off here or there) then you will see it right away and at least you have the best shot of putting the truck back together the way it was when you started. Also the new belt will stretch a bit (very little over time) so you need to compensate for that as well when looking at the marks.

If all still looks good then make sure all your electrical and hose connections are good and tight.

Dan_90SR5

Did you take the cam gears off for anything? Usually one had the lip on the inside (passenger side) and the other has the lip on the outside (driver side). Also, this might be a huge favor to ask, but if you have to break it down, can you send me as many good pics of the upper idler pulley? I need to know how it's mounted.

AJatx

I took off the timing belt and lined up the marked spline with the notch on the back timing cover plate. It was 1 tooth too many over clockwise on the exhaust cam. I also noticed that the belt had slipped as the marks for Cams and Crank were in different positions. There is also a lot of belt shavings near the cam position sensor and idler #1 pulley. Does that indicate that the belt is too loose?

I not only took off the timing belt for this problem, but also to replace the cam shaft seals and crank seal.

So, is there a good method of removing the front main oil seal?

I made little cuts on the inner lip as instructed in the Haynes manual. I tried using a seal puller from Autozone, but the width of the tip is too wide. So I didn't want to risk scratching the crankshaft. I tried a screwdriver with duct tape wrapped around the tip, but it barely fits between the crank and rest of the front seal.
Could I poke through the metal portion of the seal and pull it out?

I didn't remove the cam gears. I plan to replace the seals behind the cam sprockets after the front oil seal.

J

AJatx

Camshaft seals and crank seal replaced.

The "seal puller" tool was of no use to me. Perhaps I'm using it wrong, but the screwdriver with duct tape around the tip worked.
The manual suggested prying from the inner diameter of the seal.
I did so with the crank and it worked out ok after a lot of trials.

On the camshaft seals, I tapped the screwdriver tip into the seal at an angle from the outer diameter. There are a few marks where the screwdriver rubbed against the housing, but I didn't damage the inner part of the housing so there shouldn't be any leaks. I'll post pics after I tidy up.

I used a throw out bearing from my RX-7 to press the seals in a few centimeters. Then I tapped the edges of the seal with a socket, distrubting the taps all around the circumference of the seal. It matched the pics I took of the protusion (the original seals stuck out of the housing about 3 mils or 0.5mm).

J

AJatx

I'm not having trouble fitting the timing belt over the idler pulley.
I'm having difficulty keeping the left cam mark on the belt aligned with the left alignment spline if I start with the crank aligned with CR mark on the belt. The water pulley is not adjustable and to have the marks line up, the belt needs to be very tight.
Every time I get the belt around the water pump, I a little tension on the belt (enough for one spline or tooth).

I'll post the pics soon Dan.

J

AJatx

A picture of the right cam shaft seal removed.

You'll see that you have to remove the timing cover backplate and idler pulley #2.

AJatx

I think I found what I'm looking for in this thread:
https://www.yotatech.com/forums/show...ing+belt+marks

The marks on the timing belt is to help for installation. I still can't get the belt's left cam mark and crank mark aligned with the pulleys. It's always 1 tooth (or spline) off. After 2 rotations, the pulleys are still lined up with the marks on the backplate as well as the crank. The belt shifted over, but the tension between left cam and crank was tight (as factory).

SO the belt markings don't have to line up exactly with the pulley markings?

J

Dan_90SR5

That sounds right......if the marks on the crank and cam stay lined up after two rotations, it should be timed right. Try four rotations and see where it's at. If it's right then, you should be good to go.

AJatx

Every two revolutions are consistent, but the crank is one tooth ahead of the cams. Both cams are aligned in relation to the markers and themselves. So, basically, since there seems to be slack on the water pump pulley, it's always adjusting to be a tooth off.

Should I move the crank one tooth back so that when it tightens the belt off the water pump, it'll align?

J