Cam Belt Change: Good Start But Now Stuck...

[Tinonline]

Hi

Got the project off to a start this morning but now stuck: how to get in thermostat/inlet housing off?

Removed the x2 bolts, can't see any other fastener - won't budge and I can't get enough leverage without fear of bending the left hand dist cover.

What I've done so far:

1) Removed engine cover, trim covers

2) Removed air intake pipe

3) Removed radiator ducting, top hose to rad end off

4) Removed fan and coupling

5) Removed Under tray

6) Removed aux belt

7) Drained rad at radiator

Any help gratefully received!

[ambermarine]

Simon

If there is nothing holding it in the form of fasteners take a wooden ,leather or Rubber hammer and hit around the edges do not use any metal objects to strike the housing it will give way after a bit of patient tapping. .

[Tinonline]

Thanks - I'll have another go with a mallet and some wood...

[Tinonline]

Thanks - done it with wood/hammer and lots of wiggling.

Finding the hose clips tough going...god bless jubilee clips.

Couple of outstanding points: can't locate the engine drain plug or inspection cover at flywheel...

At least I'm moving again! :luck:

[Tinonline]

Thanks - done it with wood/hammer and lots of wiggling.

Finding the hose clips tough going...god bless jubilee clips.

Couple of outstanding points: can't locate the engine drain plug or inspection cover at flywheel...

At least I'm moving again! :luck:

OK here's an update

I found the engine drain "tap". It's a long brass body with a small or short tube, opened up by a 14mm socket to the nut. Passenger side if you are UK. Access from behind the wheel & suspension.

Left cam cover off ok.

R/h is a pta.

So far it seems the small things are taking ages: disconecting hoses, connector on r/h cam - can't work out how that separates, and how to remove it from the clip attached to cover. Access on this side is fiddly.

Anyway taking a breather and will probably come back to the cam cover after doing something else on it!

[Malc]

..... plenty of coffee called for then !

Malc

[ambermarine]

Simon

All the causes of frustration are there and it is always the case on a unfamiliar project,your approach up to now with research and ordering parts as been fine, follow it through with a patient and methodical job, do not rush and do the dismantle in as close to the correct sequence as it states in the tutorial.

It is a fairly long and complicated job even for a techy who does them all the time, so don't rush.

Oh ! and take pics at every stage so you are confident when it comes to putting it back together you are doing it right.

[Tinonline]

Simon

All the causes of frustration are there and it is always the case on a unfamiliar project,your approach up to now with research and ordering parts as been fine, follow it through with a patient and methodical job, do not rush and do the dismantle in as close to the correct sequence as it states in the tutorial.

It is a fairly long and complicated job even for a techy who does them all the time, so don't rush.

Oh ! and take pics at every stage so you are confident when it comes to putting it back together you are doing it right.

Thanks and that's good advice.

Today some of the steps went well: alternator moved, pulley came of the steering pump with a gentle tap, drained the engine. The anti-freeze is certainly tired!

Troublesome steps were the connectors and especially the bracket attached with 2 screws to the fan housing bracket - near the AC piping. I managed to strip the head on the hardest to reach bolt and had to saw a groove into the head to remove it with a 1/4 ratchet, socket and screw driver head - took ages.

The 14mm bolt on the fan bracket won't shift at all with a spanner and 1/2 drive set is too big. I'll re-visit that another day and re-read the instructions.

I've bagged sets of bolts (freezer bags so you can write descriptions on them) and arranged the covers with the accompanying bolts in the boot to aid reassembly.

Job coming up is removing the flywheel cover - can't locate that - to assist in reoving the crank nut.

I set the timing and got the cam covers off. Belt looks OK - I'd say shiney and on the thin side so well worn but OK. You can see the white 50 degs mark in the crank pulley photo.

[Malc]

.............. superficially, and from what you can easily tell right now, how does the old belt look compared to the new, shiny and teethwise ? and what mileage has it covered please

Thanks

Malc

[Loathecliff]

Get a grip man! - Is it too late to remark that the timing belt on one of these highly thought of (& highly Toyota, despite the badge), beasties can be changed in twenty minutes?

& this

was £25 at Morrisons last week.

[keybasher2]

Chopped/resprayed popemobile?

[Tinonline]

.............. superficially, and from what you can easily tell right now, how does the old belt look compared to the new, shiny and teethwise ? and what mileage has it covered please

Thanks

Malc

Hi Malc

Belt is original: covered 72,000 miles. No cracks to teeth, as mentioned shiny with shadow or imprint of teeth on the flat outside surface.

Some pics attached for you.

Is this what you expected?

Simon

[Tinonline]

Get a grip man! - Is it too late to remark that the timing belt on one of these highly thought of (& highly Toyota, despite the badge), beasties can be changed in twenty minutes?

& this

was £25 at Morrisons last week.

quite right - it's the fear of getting really stuck but I have put aside time to do it.

Today I cleaned up a few parts: cam covers, including using Turtle wax black polish on the seals and grommet as it cleans, protects trim and rubber really well. Cleaned the fan and the coupling as best as I could.

I have the little pitter rattle of tiny bearings in the drive belt tensioner pulley and some movement in the fan bracket pulley. So there's no way I can avoid replacing those.

For that tricky bolt on the side of the fan bracket, I've ordered a 1/4 drive socket which will go on to my 1/4 drive torque wrench - that'll fit and should be more comfortable to grip and put some torque on it.

After that it's crank bolt time.

[Malc]

............. I'd say it's in pretty good nic tbh ......... no flaking teeth and no sign of deterioration really ....... on mileage it would do 100,000+ miles but on years maybe it's

5yrs over the usual limit.

When the first Ls400 was introduced there was no time limit nor mileage criteria for changing the cambelt ............ this confused everybody BUT when the original belt was made of Kevlar ( effectively ) it would probably be just about indestructible ................ they used kevlar to build bomb proof containers etc.

I recently tried to ascertain from Lexus the construction quality of new replacement Lexus cambelts and was given the runaround and no answer !

I've only ever once read of a cambelt ( USA Forum ) on a Ls400 snapping, under test conditions and at 150k miles continuous running I think it might have been.

But the service schedule says 10 yrs / 100k miles so best be safe and do it eh !!

Hope your journey thru' cambelt change land continues with great success and not too many frustrations on the way

Malc

[Malc]

. so how's it all going ??

Malc

[Tinonline]

. so how's it all going ??

Malc

Hi Malc

Taking a breather at the moment hope to put a day or so in this week.

I need to remove the fan pulley bracket next and am waiting on a 14mm 1/4dr socket. Plus the crank bolt needs to be dealt with now. All parts have been cleaned and I'll clean the cams and crank gear too so as soon as I set-up the timing the reassembly will be a straight through process. I won't be using brake cleaner here on in - just a cloth and cotton buds.

I've ordered a new drive belt Idler pulley and drive belt tensioner as they are both not worth putting back on the car. There's bearing noise and rough running from the tensioner and movement on the bracket pulley. I'm a bit surprised for 72k miles, probably some mileage left in them but not worth the risk and it would be a poor job putting them back on.

Quite struck at the moment how poorly we are served for Lexus parts in the UK. Again I've had to go to Rock Auto as for £84.00 all in I can get a Gates idler tensioner.

I've spent £244 on parts in total: Cam belt, waterpump, belt tensioner, idler; drive belt idler pulley, drive belt tensioner. That's fully inclusive. I'll replace the anti-freeze as it's old.

I'm not sqeamish about non OEM as these are ancilliary service items of good quality.

I'll post an update when I've done more.

[Tinonline]

.

. so how's it all going ??

Malc

Hi Malc and my Lexus friends

What a day!

I have the front of the car up on axle stands. I checked the security of these and put them up a notch to give me more room underneath the car. One could have been better positioned so I moved it. The trolley jack is under one side although not bearing full weight, just there in case.

1) Found the inspection cover. It faces the front of the car, held on by 2 bolts. You need a screw driver to pry it out as it has a retaining lip. The rubber gasket around the plate is cracked and worn - I'll see if I can replace that.

2) I used the substantial allen key in the hole method. Facing the driver's side as you insert the angled part into one of the holes. It isn't going anywhere and is secure. Then with my impressive torque wrench and impact socket I prepared to fight. Actually it is more a question of getting comfy, the best angle so as not to hit anything...take up the slack...yep looks good...couple of pulls and it's done like undoing a normal bolt! No excessive or outrageous force required.

I used a cheap as chips pulley remover and although the bolts were unwilling to screw into the pulley at first they did eventually. I suspect this was dirt inside the hols/threads.

3) I did the crank nut back up and turned the crank to get the timing to 50% on the white dot. Holding the pulley I re-undid the nut. Nothing moved. Cam marks are on the T markings on the body passed TDC.

4) With fiddling and identifying what relevant bolts needed to come out for the pulley bracket, I managed to get the 14mm bolt free from underneath the car. So much for ordereding the 1/4 drive socket - was only a few quid, might help when I put it back together. Wiggling and tapping got that out. I had to gently hammer a small 1/4" drive 10mm socket onto the coolant pipe bracket as it would not easily fit on and a spanner was impossible. This did the trick.

5) Time for the timing belt to come off:

I started with the tensioner, then the tensioner pulley with the allen key then the idler pulley. All the time I was watching the cams and belt and crank to observe for any movement. As the belt slackened - everything remained in place. The belt came out and I noted in a couple of places the metal is begining to peep out like strands of wires on the belt ridge.

I noted wear on both pulleys and very slight play on the water pump pulley.

Then I removed the water pump - more wiggling and gentle prying.

Before I start the rebuilding process, I'm going to clean up the pulleys and see if I can buff up the cam pulley covers too.

Felt good and everything went to plan. :hocus-pokus:

[ambermarine]

Good to hear you have done the hard bit successfully ,just a reminder of the procedure for putting the coolant back when you have completed the rebuild .There is a tutorial somewhere and it is important to follow or you will get airlocks and blow back through the expansion reservoir otherwise.

[Tinonline]

Good to hear you have done the hard bit successfully ,just a reminder of the procedure for putting the coolant back when you have completed the rebuild .There is a tutorial somewhere and it is important to follow or you will get airlocks and blow back through the expansion reservoir otherwise.

Thanks - I'll check it.

However - I'm stuck again. This time fitting the timing belt - I expected a tight fit but this is horrendous.

Fitted belt to crank mark, slipped the retaining plate on.

Belt around the cam with the lip L/H side. Had the cam slip where it springs forward but using the old belt I moved it back to where I wanted it. If it flicked the other way I did the same with a rachet to turn clockwise.

Fitted the belt and buggered about getting as much tension on that side as possible.

Then to R/H - or the other pulley without the lip. Well it was way off fitting and I checked the belt length - same and couldn't fit the old belt back on either.

Panic...

Checked the pulley sizes against the newly fitted - all the same.

Buggered about the R/H side and got close but not enough to get the belt on. Closer but not enough. Can't see how I can do this. Belt is tight with good tension all the way around when I'm trying to do the last bit.

Any ideas?

[ambermarine]

If you go back to the tutorial I think you have to draw back the tensioner to get the belt on .When refitting the tensioner it should be held back on the piston with a allen key .Pull that key when the belt is on.

[Malc]

. remembering Steve2006 on here and the tightness of a belt, maybe the cambelt ....... maybe send him a message ?

Malc

[Tinonline]

If you go back to the tutorial I think you have to draw back the tensioner to get the belt on .When refitting the tensioner it should be held back on the piston with a allen key .Pull that key when the belt is on.

Yes

It's a new tensioner "bolt" so the pin has not been pulled.

I tried removing the tensioner pulley but getting the unit back in with the allen key bolt proved too difficult and I didn't want to strip th thread.

It might be worth another go but I was struggling to see the bolt hole with a light and the pulley/belt in the way. It has to fit square the do up so any pressure or misalignment messes it up.

There must be a way...

[Tinonline]

. remembering Steve2006 on here and the tightness of a belt, maybe the cambelt ....... maybe send him a message ?

Malc

OK Thanks Malc - will do...

[Loathecliff]

We are with you all the way Simon

http://thumbs.dreamstime.com/x/couple-laptop-beach-18605501.jpg

[ambermarine]

I think the belt guide on the bottom crankshaft pulley goes on after you have placed the belt on all the pulleys .If you have reassembled it before placing the belt on the camshaft pulleys it won't go on ,is this the case?