Hey guys

I decided it was time to change my timing belt (along with waterpump and thermostat) again (another 75K miles). Everything seems fine - but one pulley makes an odd noise when I spin it. I will attempt to upload a video with this post. It is the upper idler pully on the 3.0L 3VZE (wrapped around the water outlet?) How would I get this off if it needed to be replaced and where is the best place to buy one? My Chilton manual says nothing...

http://s242.photobucket.com/albums/f...dlerPulley.flv

Thanks !

 

The pulley you are needing is the Cam Tensioner pulley. It comes as entire pulley with the water outlet that goes through the middle of it. I just ran through my girlfriends 3.0 last weekend and replaced both timing pulley's / water pump / tstat / all the other belts and hoses and the AC tensioner pulley. The pulley is held on by 4. 12 MM bolts that are just in front of the Upper Intake Plenum. You will need a 12mm 1/4 inch drive flex socket to get the bolts out without pulling the plenum off. They are kinda a PITA to get out but with the right tools even a hard job becomes a whole lot easier I don't have any pics to show the bolts since i am at work atm. Hope this helps

 

Replace it if it's even slightly noisy. I got mine at the dealer but some other parts stores might carry them. To get it off you have to remove the small centre section of the rear timing cover and then you can just get to the bolts holding the pulley in. The manual says to remove the upper intake plenum but I did it without.

 

I figured that it was time to replace it. My uncle had a timing belt idler go out at 65 on the highway and he recommended that I replace it now... is $65 good for one of these - I found it at partstrain.com and some other places for about the same price...

 

that price isn't too bad the part lists for approx $75 at napa if i remember correctly

 

wow.. I finally pulled it off. The bearing seal was about to come completely off the pulley and outlet. Looks like I caught this right in time. (I was getting a wierd rattle from the front of the engine too... )

 

Damn the bearing is fu%c&k#ed as hell.
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95 Toyota 4runner SR5 V6 3.0 4x4 Automatic 150,000 Miles