Real Time Help- Trouble getting new TB on and lined up. 2007 LX470

[nnnnnate]

I'm a total hack mechanic and decided try my hand at the TB and water pump service. I am working on reassembly and ran into some trouble getting the belt back on the three toothed (2 cams and 1 crank) pulleys. I can get it on 2 of the 3 but the belt is pretty tight and it will take a bunch of effort to get it pulled down to the third.

Is it normal to have the belt so tight? Any tips to help this hack out?

Thanks.

 

[2001LC]

DO you have the FSM?

 

[ponytl]

you have a tensioner if it's the same as a pre 2005 if you look at my picture it pushes up on the pulley on the pass side of the crank held in with 1 or 2 bolts from below... i use vice grips with light pressure to hold belt on each cam pulley in the exact place they need to be

 

[ponytl]

btw been home sick so i have had little else to do than be online and do small stuff when I'm really bored

you can pull the tensioner out completely get your belt on and then reinstall

 

[bucfl]

This video helped me:

 

[nnnnnate]

The tensioner isn't installed at the moment. A friend suggested I bring the belt inside to warm it up a bit. That's where I'm at right now.

Also since it's an 07 and vvti I can't put a clamp on the cams because there is crap in the front.

 

[Sandroad]

Hmmm.....the belt is not that tight without the tensioner, at least it wasn't on my '04. I hope a warm belt works. Part number ok?

 

[ponytl]

never worked on vvti sorry... but i'd be worried if a warm belt stretched... just say'n they do have to go on somewhat square ie on all points at once then coaxed fully on if I had to I would not mind using some dish soap or KY jelly (water based) on the pulleys

 

[nnnnnate]

Warming the belt didn't help. I pulled it and compared it to the old one and they are the same size/same tooth count.

This is kicking my butt. Not sure where to go from here.

 

[ponytl]

can you remove the idle pulley install the belt then reinstall the idle pulley then reinstall the tensioner?

 

[2001LC]

Must be doing without FSM, or you'd have pined tensioner back. Allen wrench works well for that. Personally I torque everything to spec, so FSM a must have for me. Heads up; install the little piece of plastic in the cover (I assume VVTi has as well), keeps the mice out. Don't forget to hook up sensor or she'll not run.

 

[nnnnnate]

I had tried doing that and there was just too much tension to getting either of the idlers back on. I finally got it though. What I ended up doing was getting both cams lined up then routing it from the left side over the tension idler and onto the crank. I left the belt off the right side idler and after getting the belt seated used a flat screw driver to pry the belt up and on. Now I just need to get the belts slid back on the idlers and crank.

Thanks for the help and ideas. It seems to help me to talk some of this stuff out.

 

[nnnnnate]

@2001LC The tensioner (grenade) isn't installed yet, a new one is going in so I don't have to worry about getting it pressed back in anyway. The belt is just really tight. I've got the manual printed out next to me and have been going through @scottm's thread.

 

[Sandroad]

Wow, that looks really tight. Did you have to pry it over the idler like that? Was the old one hard to get off?