Made a mess in my garage
Carried out an eviction
Made a SST
Put a sticker on my air box
Just completed a 200k mi "refresh" on my 2003 470, which included timing belt, water pump, starter, alternator, PS pump, valve cover gaskets, plugs/coils, radiator, and associated hoses. It took me almost 2 full weekends spread out over 20+ hours to do it. It really wasnt too bad on a tecnhical level, just time consuming. Its like the Landcruiser equivelant of a 1000pc puzzle. When all finished, I went to start it up (after letting fuel system prime) and it stumbled and died twice, with a rumble. I was really concerned that I messed up the timing but on the third try, it fired right up. No CELS and no signs of leaks after a test drive. It doesnt feel any different on the road, but is definitely smoother and quieter, especially at idle.
A lot of stuff that I replaced was probably ok for a few more miles, but since I was "in there", it made sense to swap out some of the major components that did well over 200k mi, and now should be good for another 200k. (at the rate I drive the truck, thats like 60 years). As others have experienced, the DS starter bolt sucked, and some of the hoses were "welded" onto their fittings and took a little effort to remove. Combination of the write ups in the FAQ, FSM, and the Otramm vidoes helped a lot. The valve cover gaskets were easy with the intake manifold off! Impact wrench worked well for the cam and crank bolts. I got to dust off my 3/4" drive torque wrench that was last used on my 80 crank bolt (was still dialed in at a ridiculous number like 305 ft lbs). Tightening the crank bolt to 180 ft lbs was much nicer. Getting the timing belt on took a minute and I found it easier to get the crank lined up first, then DS cam, then lots of pulling to get the PS cam lined up. Rotated the crank twice to verify everything was on. I did everything at 40* TDC (there is a set of marks there) but you could probably do it at 0* too. Maybe the VVT engines specify 40*, not sure.
If I have to to just a TB/WP in the future, I could probably knock it out in a day at the most. I'd probably remove the radiator again just because it gives you a lot of room to work with.
For those thinking about doing this....go for it! If you can change your oil, you can to a TB/WP. You also learn a lot about the truck in the process. I could now probably tackle a starter replacement trailside, whereas before that would have been an absolute nightmare.
The "after" pile of parts. Very satisfying to look at that!
