Advice before I start on the timing belt replacement job?

[ppressle]

Hi all,

I am new here, and it is great to find a resource for Land Cruiser info.

My 99 Cruiser just went over 100 K so I am overdue for the timing belt.

I am considering just doing it myself. I was excited when I saw the timing belt entry in the faq... but there are no details about doing the job Is it about the same difficulty as the starter contact replacement job? That was long but not too hard.

Anthing else I should do while I am in there? I was planning on the water pump, valve shim adjust, main seal, and the accessory belt.

Also, does anyone have a list of the parts/gaskets I will need? Any other sage advice before I tear into this?

I will try to take pics of the job...

Thanks,
PeteP

 

[hank14]

Get a factory service manual, if you don't have one already. It will show you what tools are needed. A couple of steps are over my head, but I'm sure it can be done. Call or PM Dan at American Toyota- he can get you a parts list and good pricing. Good luck.

 

[e9999]

Welcome!
Ya better take a bunch of pics, dude, and do a good write-up and you'll be a shoo-in for Newb of the Year! I might even protect you from Junk if you do a good job!
well, OK, *try* to protect you from Junk....

 

[ppressle]

Thanks guys.

OK, so where do you recommend for the factory service manuals? I didn't see anything on ebay. ;( Is this a factory only item? If so, where do I go for decent factory prices? American Toyota?

I don't know about the newbee thing... Let's see if it still runs when I am done.

Pete

 

[calamaridog]

Get a quote from Dan and if you need to, ask your local parts department for a quote. I'm sure Dan will be cheaper. The set is two volumes and should cost less than $200...

It will be worth it, I would think, if you are keeping the vehicle long term and planning on doing tons of work yourself. It sounds like you are...

So... don't suppose you are located in Socal? I'd be willing to help if you are local. (guinea pig)

 

[Landpimp]

I don't think the 100 series at 100K needs a valve adjustment or shiming.

also, the main seal is on the back of the motor........you won't be anyplace near that and unless the main is leaking you are making a TON of extra work

 

[hank14]

The FSM's do show up on Ebay occasionally. You might save $50.00 over ordering it from Dan, maybe not though.

 

[Landpimp]

watch out on Ebay, most the 100 series FSM's are copies, they work the same but fall apart fast.

The FSM's do show up on Ebay occasionally. You might save $50.00 over ordering it from Dan, maybe not though.

 

[jp213a]

For the timing belt replacement, you'll need access to a hydraulic press to compress the belt tensioner for re-installation. You'll probably need to buy or make a crank shaft holding tool to hold the crank shaft pulley while the pulley bolt is loosened. This can be made from a piece of 1/8" thick steel 3.5" wide and 16" long. Verify the following dimensions. About 3" in from one end, cut out a slot 1.5" wide by 2" deep (1.5" of the original 3.5" will remain). On each side of the slot, a 1/2" away and a 1/2" up, drill a 5/16" hole. Insert a 8mm x 50mm bolt (thread 1.25mm) (M8x1.25x50mm) in each and screw into tapped holes in crank pulley. The slot will straddle the crank pulley bolt so a socket can be applied. Without a holding tool, an impact wrench might remove the crank shaft pulley bolt. I work real slow and spent 8 hours for disassembly and 8 hours the following day for assembly. I did a lot of wiping and cleaning and looking around. Hang a 4 ft shop light under the hood so you can see what you're doing. I didn't change the water pump but did flush out the radiator since it was removed to access the timing belt. The FSM says to completely remove the alternator but you can remove the two mounting bolts (14mm socket on long extension) and let it hang. I didn't remove the cam shaft pulleys or idler pulleys as the FSM states in Step 20 & 28 respectfully but did remove the power steering pump pulley. Once the new timing belt is on and tensioned, be sure the three pulley marks line up. Since the belt is installed with crank at 50 degrees ATDC, the marks on the belt won't line up at zero degrees (TDC). Besides the new timing belt and anti-freeze, nothing else is needed. If the rubber boot that fits on top of the tensioner is available, I'd get one becuae the orignal might be cracked or torn. You could probably do this job with Chilton manual 68604 covering 1997-00 pickups and LC's sold on Amazon.com for around $20 but the FSM's are a good investment if you do your own work. Even the FSM only gives general directions, not detailed step by step "cookbook" directions.

 

[ppressle]

FSMs are ordered from American. ~3 weeks though. ;(

Thanks for the advice. I like the idea on the crank holder. Do you have a picture of yours?

Can't I simply use a vice or a drill press to compress the tensioner? I guess I can make a road trip to the local machine shop if I need to.

Thanks,
Pete

 

[jp213a]

The timing belt tensioner requires about 15,000 pounds of pressure to compress so a medium size vise or drill press didn't work for me. The FSM says to insert a small drill bit in a cross hole to hold the compression and then pull the drill bit out with pliers after the tensioner is installed. To my suprise, the drill bit pulled out easily. A new tensioner (part no. 1354050030) list for $47.50. It might come already compressed. The rubber dust boot for the tensioner is available separately for $5.89 (part no. 1355350020). I'd have the boot on hand. The tensioner should be good to the 180k mile mark. I don't have a digital camera so posting a photo of the home made crank holding tool isn't possible at this time.

 

[richg]

Once the new timing belt is on and tensioned, be sure the three pulley marks line up. Since the belt is installed with crank at 50 degrees ATDC, the marks on the belt won't line up at zero degrees (TDC).

I'm going to do the timing belt on my '98 LC tomorrow. This will be the first time I've done a timing belt on an LC, although I have done many on a variety of different cars. The step the FSM has in there for setting the crank to 50 degrees ATDC seems rather odd to me? I know that this is an interference engine, so any motion of the crank or cams relative to each other can damage the valves, but it just seems to make sense to me to leave the motor at TDC so all timing marks are lined up. That way when you install the belt, it is easy to verify that nothing has moved. The is the way I've done t-belts on numerous vehicles (interference and non-interference engines alike).

Is there alot of valvespring tension at TDC which causes the cams to rotate a large amount one way when the t-belt is removed? Reading the FSM, it seems like its more a step to give as much valve clearance as possible for when removing the cam gears (so that in case you slip a bit when breaking the bolt loose, you avoid valve-piston contact). I'm going to be replacing the cam seals as well "while I'm in there", so I will be loosening the cam gears, but I'll be using an impact gun instead while the belt is still installed, so there should be no relative motion.

Anyone have more insight as to the 50 deg ATDC step? I'm just hoping the crank pulley bolt comes out easier than on a supra 2jz motor-- I had to weld a socket to a welded solid breaker bar to break that one loose!

Thanks in advance!

rich

 

[jp213a]

The step the FSM has in there for setting the crank to 50 degrees ATDC seems rather odd to me? Anyone have more insight as to the 50 deg ATDC step? I'm just hoping the crank pulley bolt comes out easier than on a supra 2jz motor!
rich

I followed the manual and set the crank at 50 degrees ATDC. It could be because of valve interference but I'm still not 100% sure it is an inteference engine. Since I paid good money for the official factory manual, I followed it. When the new belt was in place, I rotated the crank to TDC with a ratchet to be sure all the timing marks were lining up. Just to be sure, I rotated it another two revolutions to see if they still lined up.

The crank pulley bolt came loose with a 12" cheater pipe on my 1/2" ractchet.

The timing belt took me 16 hours over two days. I took my time and did a lot of cleaning. Are you doing the water pump and idler pulleys too? I didn't.

 

[richg]

The timing belt took me 16 hours over two days. I took my time and did a lot of cleaning. Are you doing the water pump and idler pulleys too? I didn't.

Everything I've seen/read shows it to be an interference engine, and the note about setting the motor to 50 deg ATDC mentions it as well. Its just an odd procedure that I had never seen before, so I was trying to understand better the basis behind it. Setting the motor so the marks don't line up just seemed like it would make it easier to be off a tooth, causing you to have to repeat the procedure.

That sounds good about the crank pulley. The last supra I worked on, I couldn't break the bolt loose with a 650 ft-lb snap on gun. Ended up breaking two breaker bars before I welded one up solid, then welded the socket to it, installed it on the crank pulley and bumped the starter. It took a long time but I finally won!

Yea, I picked up a new water pump, pulleys, front main seal and cam seals. Along with a new t-stat and a couple other misc items. I'm hoping to not touch the motor for another 100K miles . All together came to a bit under $400.

rich

 

[Pigeon]

Scary - asking a forumn for instructions on replacing a timming belt...
My advice don't do it - your cruiser will be better off.

 

[calamaridog]

Scary - asking a forumn for instructions on replacing a timming belt...
My advice don't do it - your cruiser will be better off.

Some people actually have something to contribute to this forum, whereas you are worthless.

My advice to you is to STFU.

 

[Pigeon]

Don't know what STFU is, but the same to you.

Look the man asked for advice - this was my advice.
If the timing belt was broke and he wasn't sure what he was doing - sure why not take a stab at it?
As far as replacing it for preventive maintenance - don't, you would not be preventing anything - more chances than he could miss a minor detail and cause more problems down the road than if he did nothing at all.

Has anyone even ever heard of a timing belt breaking on a Land cruiser - not me , and anyways my certified Toyota mechanic told me that even if the timing belt ever did break (which they don't) you can just replace it then - this particular engine dose not suffer major engine damage as you may have heard whore stories about other vehicles.

 

[SWUtah]

Don't know what STFU is, but the same to you.

Look the man asked for advice - this was my advice.
If the timing belt was broke and he wasn't sure what he was doing - sure why not take a stab at it?
As far as replacing it for preventive maintenance - don't, you would not be preventing anything - more chances than he could miss a minor detail and cause more problems down the road than if he did nothing at all.

Has anyone even ever heard of a timing belt breaking on a Land cruiser - not me , and anyways my certified Toyota mechanic told me that even if the timing belt ever did break (which they don't) you can just replace it then - this particular engine dose not suffer major engine damage as you may have heard whore stories about other vehicles.

Pigeon, since your "not" going to change your timing belt, let us know how it goes and at what mileage it breaks (that would be interesting since I don't think anyone has reported a broken belt on a 100 series, but everyone seems to follow Toyotas recommendation to change the belt??). How many miles on your 100 series ???

PS- You might want to get a new mechanic, or atleast ask the same questions of another "Toyota" certified mechanic.

 

[Greg B]

Don't know what STFU is, but the same to you.

Look the man asked for advice - this was my advice.

STFU - Shut the f*** up, you should listen too. Your "advice" is retarded. Yeah, let us know how much your "certifiable" mechanic charges you to fix that broken timing belt. Is your name Thai? You're not gonna start talking about your G500 are you.

 

[calamaridog]

Don't know what STFU is, but the same to you.

Look the man asked for advice - this was my advice.
If the timing belt was broke and he wasn't sure what he was doing - sure why not take a stab at it?
As far as replacing it for preventive maintenance - don't, you would not be preventing anything - more chances than he could miss a minor detail and cause more problems down the road than if he did nothing at all.

Has anyone even ever heard of a timing belt breaking on a Land cruiser - not me , and anyways my certified Toyota mechanic told me that even if the timing belt ever did break (which they don't) you can just replace it then - this particular engine dose not suffer major engine damage as you may have heard whore stories about other vehicles.

Pigeon, just for the record, here is the advice you have shared so far:

"Did you ever end up finding chrome underneath?"

"Stupid"

"Cammon, you could tow two of these, Your LandCruiser would pull 10,00lbs no problem and stop it even easier."

"Scary - asking a forumn for instructions on replacing a timming belt...
My advice don't do it - your cruiser will be better off."

"Heres an Idea - why don't you try it? - just an Idea."

"Which way do I unscrew the cap off the quart of oil?"

If you want to participate in this forum, feel free to add some useful content. If you want to be an ass, go crawl under a rock.

Basically, you have not contributed anything constructive until this latest post. Of course you are wrong, but that is ok, at least you explained your position clearly.

BTW (that's "by the way") I've not heard any "whore" stories, but I've heard a few "horror" stories. If you know any good "whore" stories involving Land Cruisers feel free to share them in the Chit Chat section.