Gulfstream Greg Posted September 9, 2012 Share Posted September 9, 2012 OK this was no fun job. Actually most of it was pretty easy but time consuming (been a backyard mechanic all my life and have allot of tools including a puller to get the harmonic balancer off.) except for one item. I think its the #2 idler pully assembly. It's a big one that is wrapped around the top radiator water assembly between the left and right cam shaft sprockets. Getting to those bolts was a #%$@#. There are some steel lines that run directly over the bolts and the lines will barely flex and not enough to get past to the bolts with ease. There is also a steel fuel line under those. Eventually I was able to move them a little and force a socket and extension onto the bolts. Anyhow this job was an emergency in a way. We had planned a trip and so the day before I started it up and one of the idler pulleys started squealing. It had squeaked before but went away. This time it did not. For me it was about an 8 hour job. I had been quoted around $1300 to do the job so I guess I saved some bucks. It was due. 103 k miles on the engine. I believe my gas mileage went up! I do though hear this belt at lower rpm's. It sounds like a coged blower belt on a dragster. I don't know if that is good or not. We did about 500 miles on it during the trip. I plan to pull the cover and check that the tension is good. Of course pulling the cover is no simple task, one must first drain out some coolant and remove part of the upper radiator hose to engine assembly in order to remove the cover. Before doing this job I always assumed that the V6 water pump was driven by one of the fan belts. WRONG. The timing belt drives the water pump and the water pump is one of the idler pulleys. The water pump is behind the timing belt and all its fixings. If your V6 water pump starts leaking guess what you have to do? So this job is more than the belt. Its a kit that includes all the idler pulleys. Water pump and gasket. I also replaced the thermostat since its in there also. New hoses. New fan belts. The #2 idler did not come with a gasket for the radiator hose assebly so I had to make one. Maybe they make one but as far as I could see OEM was just RTV sealant, I did not trust that so that's why I made a gasket. So other than the coged dragster blower belt whine all seems fine. Anyone have a comment on the coged dragster blower belt whine then please say something! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
90toydolphin Posted September 9, 2012 Share Posted September 9, 2012 thanks for sharing. sounds like a serious undertaking. don't remember anyone on this site doing it. when and if the time comes with mine i think i'll get it towed in to fix. at 1300 sounds like not a bad price for what has to be done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gulfstream Greg Posted September 9, 2012 Author Share Posted September 9, 2012 when and if the time comes with mine i think i'll get it towed in to fix. I don't know for sure because no one has ever reported loosing a belt but there is a possibility that when the belt goes it will destroy the engine, IE bent valves, holes in the tops of the pistons etc.. Recommended change out is 80,000 miles. I don't think you want a "when and if". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skydancer2992 Posted September 9, 2012 Share Posted September 9, 2012 The 3VZ is a non-interference engine. If the timing belt breaks, it will just stop. Toyota puts timing chains on its interference engines and timing belts on non-interference engines. My 91 Warrior had over 200,000 miles when I bought it. Not knowing its history, I immediately changed out the timing belt, all the other belts, plugs, rotor, water pump, distributor cap, radiator hoses, engine oil, oil filter, air filter, transmission oil, and rear differential oil. After learning a little more about the 3VZ, I'd probably have checked the valve clearances while I had the timing belt off. It's easier to remove the shims if you can take the cam shafts out. I'm very impressed with the 3VZ. It's an easy engine to work on. Toyota did a good job standardizing the nut and bolt sizes. With 10, 12, 14 and 16mm sockets, you can just about dismantle the entire engine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maineah Posted September 9, 2012 Share Posted September 9, 2012 Greg what you can do is grip the belt between two fingers at the longest point you should be able to twist it 90* no more if you can't get it 90* it's too tight. A tight belt is hard on bearings (like water pump) a tight belt will make a kind of whine like a super charger belt. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skydancer2992 Posted September 10, 2012 Share Posted September 10, 2012 The timing belt tension is provided by a coiled spring. I don't recall that there is any way to adjust the tightness, other than to get a different spring. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gulfstream Greg Posted September 10, 2012 Author Share Posted September 10, 2012 The timing belt tension is provided by a coiled spring. I don't recall that there is any way to adjust the tightness, other than to get a different spring. The spring appears to just create the initial tension. There is a locking bolt on the idler that the spring is attached to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gulfstream Greg Posted September 10, 2012 Author Share Posted September 10, 2012 Greg what you can do is grip the belt between two fingers at the longest point you should be able to twist it 90* no more if you can't get it 90* it's too tight. A tight belt is hard on bearings (like water pump) a tight belt will make a kind of whine like a super charger belt. OK maybe next weekend I will get a chance to pull the cover and have a look see. That's what I am hearing, a super charger belt whine at low rpm's. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maineah Posted September 10, 2012 Share Posted September 10, 2012 The tensioner is spring loaded but they can over tighten the belt depending how it was tensioned. If you find that you can twist the belt to 90* then that is the way it is I would not change the tension. It is a huge belt by comparison to other timing belts all most twice the width so it is bound to make more noise then a Honda. Your discription sounds like a tight belt but it maybe fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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