[Mk2] [Generic] How to: Cambelt Change Walkthrough

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Jim S
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[Mk2] [Generic] How to: Cambelt Change Walkthrough

Post by Jim S »

DIY Cam Belt Change Walkthrough
===============================

I see a lot of posts on here about who to get to do this job, but I've never seen a walkthrough, and to be honest, it's not that bad. Under good conditions it's only a couple of hours work. So, to illustrate my point I thought I'd writeup a quick howto:

My car is a bit of a hybrid of rev 1 & 3, as it's not on it's orignal engine. For this reason some of your brackets may look a little different, but they should be pretty similar.


You Will Need
=============

2 Jacks -1 to lift the engine, 1 to lift the car. A trolly jack and the Toyota jack from the car are fine.
A new belt
Common set of hand tools, socket set, breaker bar, screwdrivers.
A two legged puller for removing the crank pully.
A crayon. (no, really)


1. Open the engine cover, loosen the lock bolt, then the tensioner bolt on the alternator, and slacken off until the belt hangs loose.

Image

2. Losen the wheelnuts on the drivers side, chock the remaining wheels, and then jack the car up at the rear drivers side. Remove the wheel.

Image

3. Remove the 2 screws holding the side engine cover on, and the bolt holding the earth wire. Remove the panel. Remove the 14mm bolts and strut top nuts that secure the cross brace (if you have one) and remove that too.

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4. Remove the alternator and ac drive belts. I find this easier from under the car.

Image

5. Remove the 2 bolts and 1 nut which secure the top load spreading plate on the RHS engine mount.

Image

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6. Place the trolly jack under the corner of the sump, and raise the jack until it's supporting the engine. Several people have said never to jack under the sump, but you're only supporting the weight of the engine, not lifting the car. It's plenty strong enough for that. Don't jack to the point you're lifting the car!!

Image

7. With the engine supported, you can remove the 2 lower nuts on the RHS engine mount. They're accesible from underneath using an extension bar.

Image

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8. With the nuts removed, you can lower the jack and the engine down. The engine will lower but be held by the remaining 3 mounts. You should now have quite good access to the crank pully. Put the car in gear, and use a 19mm socket on a breaker bar to undo the crank pully bolt. I find that if you lie behind the car, you can get your leg on the bar to undo the bolt, but be careful not to slip.

Image

9. With the bolt removed, use a pully puller to remove the pully. Mine had been off recently and simply pulled off with my hands. When using a puller:
1. Put the bolt back in a turn or 2
2. Leave all the bolts in the puller loose, let them take tension from the central bolt
3. Tighten by hand to the point where it holds itself in place
4. Carefully turn the bolt with a socket as the pully frees. Be careful not to pull right against the bolt or you'll damage the pully.

Image

10. With the pully removed, the next step is to get the remaining engine mount out of the way. Undo the main bolt that runs through the engine mount, and remove it upwards.

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11. With that clear, undo the 3 bolts which secure the engine hanger to the end of the engine block. You won't be able to free it yet, just remove the bolts. 2 are above, 1 below. These are slightly fiddly but you should be able to get a socket on them. It may help to raise the engine a little with the jack for the top 2.

Image

This is the lower one.

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Here it is free but stuck

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12. Raise the engine as far aS you can with the jack, and remove the top half of the timing cover. See below for a picture detailing where all the bolts are.

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With the top cover removed, you should be able to pull the hanger free. Be carefull not to force it and damage anything, it will come but is awkward.

13.Remove the lower half of the timing cover and you're almost ready to start work on the belt. Don't pull the belt off yet!!

14. Stand back for a minute and take a tea break.

15. Take the car out of gear, put the bolt back in the crankshaft, and gently "bar" the engine over clockwise until the tiny timing mark on the crank lines up with the gap in the oilpump casing, as shown below:

Image

16. If you now look at the cams, you should see a small "s" symbol on one of the sprocket spokes, and a dot. This tooth should line up with the mark on the backing plate. It's difficult to see as you can't get your head in line. In the pic below you can see that I actually got it 1 tooth out last time, which is why I'm doing this job again:

Image

17. Next I use a crayon to mark the tooth on the sprocket so it's easier to see. I also draw a line on the belt where that tooth should be located. Not that I've drawn the line where the tooth on the sprocket should be, not where it is.

Image

18. I do the same thing on the crank:

Image

19. I was refitting the same belt, as it was new. For a new belt, I would transfer the lines at the correct number of teeth to the new belt. Most manufacturers print these lines to help you, but for some reason Toyota don't seem to bother.

20. Ok, you can now unbolt the cam tensioner (2 bolts). Rev 1 engines have a different arrangement with a spring. It's easier to release.

Image

21. With the tension removed, you can remove the belt and put the new one on. Make sure all your lines align with the correct teeth on the sprockets.

Image

22. Compress the tensioner with a vice, and place a pin (allen key) in the hole to retain it. Notice that the spring is pretty strong, and the allen key you use will be mullered -so use an old one, not one from your best set!

23. Refit the tensioner, being carefull not to move the belt off the correct teeth.

24. To release the tensioner pin, you may have to pry between the plunger and the tensioner pully with a screwdriver. It helps to have 2 people for this step, as one can pull the pin with pliars while the other prys the plunger from underneath.

25. With the belt tensioned, ensure all the marks are still aligned. If they're not, take the belt off and repeat. Otherwise your car will run like crap.

26. Once you're happy with it, refit the funny washer which sits on the crank, and the lower cover. The short bolts go around the edge, with the exception of the lower left corner, which has a long bolt.

27. With the lower cover in place, raise the engine as far as you can, and replace the engine hanger. Don't bolt it on yet

Image

28. Refit the top cover, same rule applies -short bolts round the edge.

29. Bolt the hanger back in place.

30. Lower the engine down, refit the engine mount with the long bolt through it. This wants to be pretty tight.

31. Refit the crank pully. Put the car in gear to tighten the bolt. Again, this wants to be pretty tight too. As tight as you can.

32. Raise the engine slowley, and it should relocate onto the engine mount. Refit the 2 lower nuts, tighten securely.

33. You can now remove the jack from under the engine. Refit the load spreading plate at the top of the mount.

34. Refit: The cross brace, the engine cover panel, the ac and alternator drive belts and finally, the wheel.

35. Lower the car down, and then do a final tightenting on the wheel nuts. Relax and be happy that you've saved £200 odd.


Hopefully this will be useful to someone. If I've missed anything just shout!

Cheers,

Jim.
Icsunonove
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Re: [Mk2] [Generic] How to: Cambelt Change Walkthrough

Post by Icsunonove »

Well done Jim :clap:

Excellent work :thumleft:

I am simply amazed that no-one has done this before though :?

If you see my thread: http://www.imoc.co.uk/forums/viewtopic.php?t=95585 you will see that the the BGB method is ludicrous! ](*,)

On that thread I wrote:
Icsunonove wrote:Has no-one done a write up on this? :?

If not, I'll do one myself for others benefit.....


Well I was going to do it but I forgot my camera :oops: so you've done the job for me. :+:

Jim, this really needs submitting to the Knowledge Base. Can you do that or can I do it for you?
diycinema
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Re: [Mk2] [Generic] How to: Cambelt Change Walkthrough

Post by diycinema »

One thing worth pointing out for rev 3 turbo owners is that the procedure in the BGB for tensioning the belt with a torque wrench is not applicable and rather annoyingly is not contained in the rev 3 supplement either. Nice guide!
Jim S
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Re: [Mk2] [Generic] How to: Cambelt Change Walkthrough

Post by Jim S »

Icsunonove wrote:
Jim, this really needs submitting to the Knowledge Base. Can you do that or can I do it for you?


I don't think I can, but feel free to move / copy it.
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Re: [Mk2] [Generic] How to: Cambelt Change Walkthrough

Post by Icsunonove »

Cheers Jim, it's now in the Knowledge Base :D

http://www.imoc.co.uk/forums/kb.php?mode=article&k=132

Information like this really needs to be kept on record and not hidden in a disappearing thread. Please keep the articles coming people :thumleft:
Steve-O 2007
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Re: [Mk2] [Generic] How to: Cambelt Change Walkthrough

Post by Steve-O 2007 »

nice guide. I think the reason people dont attempt this themself is they just take one look at the amount of space, one look at the other online guides that near enough tell you to strip half your car down and think fook this and pay for someone to do it instead :mrgreen: (like me lol :oldtongue: ). If I saw this guide before I got mine done I think I would have done it myself, looks easy now...
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Re: [Mk2] [Generic] How to: Cambelt Change Walkthrough

Post by Icsunonove »

Steve-O 2007 wrote:nice guide. I think the reason people dont attempt this themself is they just take one look at the amount of space, one look at the other online guides that near enough tell you to strip half your car down and think fook this and pay for someone to do it instead :mrgreen: (like me lol :oldtongue: ). If I saw this guide before I got mine done I think I would have done it myself, looks easy now...


Well exactly, the BGB guide is absolutely ludicrous! :thumbdown: I am not surprised that people take one look at that and give it to someone else to do. :roll:

Of course there's a bit more to do on a 3SGTE engine. The intercooler hampers space and due to the stupid brackets Toyota fitted to it it's awkward to get out due to fouling the air conditioning compressor and idler.
carterredmr2

Re: [Mk2] [Generic] How to: Cambelt Change Walkthrough

Post by carterredmr2 »

im in the middle of changing the cambelt after the head gasket but i cant undo the 19mm bolt on the pully got any idears????????????
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Re: [Mk2] [Generic] How to: Cambelt Change Walkthrough

Post by Icsunonove »

Remove the lower flywheel cover. You'll need to remove a bracket off the gearbox to do this. Jam a large flatbladed screwdriver in between the flywheel ring gear and the bottom of the engine. Then try undoing the pulley bolt.

Best of luck :+:
carterredmr2

Re: [Mk2] [Generic] How to: Cambelt Change Walkthrough

Post by carterredmr2 »

HAVE U GOT ANY PICTURES M8 2 HELP ME OUT??????
Icsunonove
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Re: [Mk2] [Generic] How to: Cambelt Change Walkthrough

Post by Icsunonove »

Not of a 3S-GTE. However here is a picture of my 4AGZE with a screwdriver jammed in between the ring gear and the engine. On the 3SGTE you need to remove a gearbox bracket to get the lower flywheel cover off. It's the same principle though:

Image

HTH
BLZ-8027
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Re: [Mk2] [Generic] How to: Cambelt Change Walkthrough

Post by BLZ-8027 »

Great write up mate ,how do you delete comments in the knowledge base? i posted a couple of query's on there before i saw this thread ,and now my questions have been answered :oops:
carterredmr2

Re: [Mk2] [Generic] How to: Cambelt Change Walkthrough

Post by carterredmr2 »

well m8 i got the cover off and put a screwdriver in one of the teeth.but i still couldnt get the bolt undone.
going4the1
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Re: [Mk2] [Generic] How to: Cambelt Change Walkthrough

Post by going4the1 »

Assuming you have been able to lock the crank in place - all that is required is enough leverage.

A 1/2" breaker bar with a 2 foot length of scafolding pipe is more than enough to do the job.

BTW, I always use a mirror to see that the cam pulley is lined up correctly.

Also - it is wise to turn the engine over a couple full revolutions using the wrench on the crank and re-check the alighntment befor buttoning things up. This is much easier with the plugs removed.

Excellent write-up. long overdue.
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Re: [Mk2] [Generic] How to: Cambelt Change Walkthrough

Post by Icsunonove »

As above really, you probably just need to use more force. I used a 2' breaker bar and a 4' quick jack handle over the top to get it off. Be very careful though as the head of the breaker bar is quite liable to fracture.

If you can get hold of one I'd recommend using a 3' or 4' 3/4" drive breaker bar if you can....

Best of luck :thumleft:
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Re: [Mk2] [Generic] How to: Cambelt Change Walkthrough

Post by Icsunonove »

going4the1 wrote:
Excellent write-up. long overdue.


Yes it is both an excellent writeup and very long overdue. Well done Jim :clap:

I have been looking through my photos of a cambelt and water pump change on a 3S-GTE. There are some things to add for the turbo engine. If I get keen I will add an Addendum to the KB regarding this. Or (with Jim's permission) maybe I could add my additions to his excellent article.... :-k
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Re: [Mk2] [Generic] How to: Cambelt Change Walkthrough

Post by Driftlimits Performance »

Don't forget, when the tensioner has been pulled, refit the bottom cover, and lightly put the crank pulley back. Rotate the crank twice check things still line up.
carterredmr2

Re: [Mk2] [Generic] How to: Cambelt Change Walkthrough

Post by carterredmr2 »

yeah still cant get it undone.but just2 check im going the right way its 2wards the front of the car 2 undue isit it????
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Re: [Mk2] [Generic] How to: Cambelt Change Walkthrough

Post by Driftlimits Performance »

power tools are the way forward. That, and scaffold poles :oldtongue:
davyboy
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Re: [Mk2] [Generic] How to: Cambelt Change Walkthrough

Post by davyboy »

carterredmr2 wrote:yeah still cant get it undone.but just2 check im going the right way its 2wards the front of the car 2 undue isit it????


:shock: :shock: :shock: =; =; =;

If you are asking questions like that you worry me changing timing belts :lol:

Lefty loosy, righty tighty :thumleft:
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