Tinonline

Can anybody help Tarun? Yep I looked at AISIN a lot, I went for the complete kit - bonnet struts is an ok job with a fiddle and brush to prop one side of the bonnet to take the weight...

"Would you buy a car from this man?" errr nope. Methinks he hath too much to say 'pon so little... I don't like 'bad' buyers or sellers in any walk of life as it is just poor manners. No offence intended to the seller in question, I believe he is misguided. The price is too high for a SORN and listed as spares or repair for the bonnet struts well, that's a poor story. Kind of looks ok if the history is there but...there is reason for SORN. If it was near you could look...but I think the price expectation would be too high. Only voicing my opinion, that's how I react/respond/would do to it...

Hi Steve Big torque wrench - very lucky to have bought this via Gumtree from a retired engineer who used it to torque up boat propellors! 10mm allen key socket - I have allen keys but I dont want to break them or get them stuck in sockets... Harmonic Puller - ebay 18" Breaker bar - take the weight out of uncracking bolts - I'll use the torque wrench for undoing/tightening crank bolt - it's a beast 22mm impact socket - for c/shaft bolt, if I hire impact wrench I'll need this, but tougher than my current set anyway Light - can't get enough of it at my age... Most folk don't lock the cams but set at 50 degs to avoid/minimise rolling. I've seen a workshop manual where they are not used and a pulley holder is used to move the cams to position to slip the belt on to each camshaft pulley. Leaves me with another question though...how hard to move the camshafts/pulley then?!

Yes thanks - true. On more research I noted that for the later 400's the timing mark on the crankshaft does indeed line up with the belt's mark on the ridge of the belt. Earlier versions are slightly different.

Hi I readying a cambelt change on my Year 2000 LS400, studying posts, tutorials, fretting, pacing and ordering a few extra tools that I need to make the job possible. After much deliberation, a great deal more than 'much' in fact...I opted for the Gates kit: TCKWP298; its the 5 piece with water pump and tensioner. Even with all the issues around Jaguar tensioners, having owned Jags, I prefer chains. They are on for life. Noisier? No. Heavier? So? Jags are amongst the quickest in class on engine size. This is what's in the box: The descriptions of contents is really poor and I've read posts where folk complain about not having seals and gaskets etc. and I do believe it's an easy up sell to give options to customers. This kit does have everything to do the job: including the square inlet gasket, small round seal and larger one for the outlet (?) plus bolts and washers for the water pump. Gates probably made the belt, made in the USA. The pulleys are Koyo from Japan and the w/pump is from China. (Nothing wrong with that as long as it's not knock off or built to poor specifications). The tensioner is a NTN...anyway they have sourced other components for 'their' kit. Rock Auto need to pad the internals of the Gates boxes for transport - there is plenty of bumps and bends to the w/pump gasket and a compression injury to one of the pulley plastic covers. The instructions are present but are of a poor quality. By the way this kind of detail is not expensive...so add a few $ or £ to cover and make margin. I bought the kit from Rock Auto as it included VAT, shipping etc, for £160 inclusive. First thing I did was to take a look at the timimng marks on the belt: The crank mark is on a ridge of the belt. That's not as expected having read all the tutorials, even the specific later engines. Comments most welcome...

Given the work involved that's pretty good going. A water pump and pulleys should be, or ought to be good for 100,000 miles....for an average motor but for a quality product I'd expect double. Don't you hate this commodity approach? Well all the related bits should be replaced etc etc. No they should last the lifetime of the vehicle.

Hi That's a great idea. I managed to get a beefy torque wrench for £20 picked up from a Gumtree ad. Bargain. My wrench fell short of the required torque. This one looks like it will do steam engines. The guy also threw in a couple of huge spanners too...let me get my tape measure out...see if I can replicate Mikael's method. Another question: leave water pump studs in? Or have to take them out? Need to obtain extractor socket(s) if the latter. Waiting for the parts to arrive at the mo whilst collecting tools together.

Think I'll hire it for £20...I'm going to need to torque it too and my wrench "only" goes up to 210 nm. :eerrrmm:

Very interesting...I was taking a look at the owners of BluePrint parts the other day as it can be an indication of quality/direction etc.. Glad to hear you give the OK to Gates. I was looking at Airtex too as I'd fitted an Airtex water pump to my Jag 4ltr (20 mins job) and it was by far superior to the original. I was impressed with the update notes and instructions too.

Hopefully the belts will be marked up. I've ordered a Gates kit - I know some will be heavily drawing breath at that...I'll post again on OEM topic when I've conquered this particular mountain! I'll look into hiring the impact wrench. But how do I stop the pulley from turning?

Thanks to all - yes a 'short cut' can end up a 'long cut' and I want to do a good job. I share a dread of the crankshaft bolt along with Keybasher 2, I don't want to spin the engine on the starter or wedge the flywheel. The US are well served by parts and tool suppliers...not much choice in the UK. That leaves buying or hiring a crank pulley holding tool. I'd look to set the timing at 50 degrees on the mark after TDC to set-up the belt having looked at other info on the subject.

Another question... Why have marks on the cambelt? If the pulleys line up and the crank is TDC too then the marks act as a help only?

Thanks for the replies - this is great and is on my PC's favourite bar...as I keep going back to it. I don't want to over complicate the job: either by over doing it or under doing it! Most workshop manuals will have you dismantling the entire vehicle to repair a component...great for service charges but a little OTT for us owners. I want to do it efficiently. Maybe I can try it. I've got the engine fan + coupling...nothing fancy/upgraded.

Hi I've spent time reading up and researching the cambelt change. Sourcing parts, additional equipment I'll need to buy etc... plenty of great tutorials too. I'll make it a project over a number of days. Question: Do I need to remove the radiator...detach the ATF hoses etc? Can't this job be done with the rad in situ? As you remove the components you begin to create more space as you move into the engine? Having recently bought a 70k miles 400 with full service history but essential service routines...no cambelt change at all, naturally I plan to replace water pump, pulleys, tensioner and probs crankshaft seal. I have to do this myself... Car is a Year 2000 Interested to know your thoughts and experience.

Hi Steve Thanks...I've read many of your posts. I have contemplated the cam belt change but I'm not sure I have the range of tools/patience. I changed the thermostat yesterday (slightly faster warm-up and now temp gets to mid-point) but made such an easy job more complicated I'd be worried about getting stuck with the cambelt! Removing the rad looks like a pain and the crankshaft pulley torque... However I should be capable of doing it... I have seen the washer float repair tutorial...I'm going to have a go at that. Now I wonder what colour of nail varnish will be on offer..? I tend to grade jobs in terms of number of swear words required.

Thanks! :D

Hi fellow Lexonians It must be over 10 years since I last was last on these forums, with my GS300. I sold it and continued my long standing purchase of vehicles and kept my wife’s Jaguar S Type 4ltr. for a decent run or for a fun trip. Then flirted with a 4.2 XKR - wow - wife was cheaper to run and more reliable so it went...the XKR that is. My next door neighbour gave up driving and this presented me with the opportunity of regaining a second car, I ended up paying £750 for his year 2000 LS400 with 71k on the clock and a regular history with Lexus albeit essential services - as he did such low mileage. Now before you think I’ve ripped my neighbour off here are the mitigating facts: 1) Car had no MOT 2) Battery was u/s 3) One ignition key had snapped, the other had a flat battery 4) Crease to front wing and ditto to rear wing, poor paint up of parking damage to front & rear corners 5) Car is a metallic dark green 6) No evidence of a cambelt change 7) Wheels are rough 8) Bought as seen The good: 1) 71k that’s a new car in Lexus world 2) I know the owner... 3) Lexus invoice history back to 2010 but full set of up to date service stamps 4) Interior superb 5) Non-damaged areas of bodywork superb 6) Last serviced November 2014 and the oil is clean and golden 7) I managed to get some copy invoices back to 2005 thanks to Lexus, Reading 8) Tyres excellent 9) Number plate worth a few bob Work completed: the bad 1) New battery 2) Carpet fixing clips - no excuse for not having these: get those carpets fixed down! 3) Remove paint overspray from chrome areas & fog lights...had to buy wife new bottle of nail varnish remover... 4) Repaired ignition key with superglue to be used as a spare and put new battery in second key: all worked perfectly...I was worried about reprogramming etc. but there were no issues. Planned: the ugly 1) Drive belt - looks solid, but it’s old and a bit thin (done today, take a look at the pic - whoops). 2) Thermostat - maybe the LS400 is a bit slow to warm up but hey it’s the original so...(fan clutch?) 3) Gearbox oil change 4) Cambelt kit plus waterpump 5) Tracking, steering wheel is not straight and I have experience of this...too many timesxtyres 6) Some shimmy on breaking, maybe above +/or warped discs 7) Washer fluid float is u/s 8) Bonnet struts don’t strut their stuff anymore 9) Bluetooth convertor for the aftermarket Nokia phone kit installation I can’t believe the willingness and pull through the range. It’s not as quick as the S type...but it goes. I’m not saying that you can notice the difference either. For goodness sake the gearbox - how can this be so smooth? I can tell you I’ve read heaps on sealed for life gearboxes, here’s my take on it: B****. Change the oil and filter on sealed for life boxes. Jags with auto boxes were fitted with ZF which stands for “zer f***ed”. Banging and crashing, delayed response, total failure were all design features. BMW and Range Rover suffered the same issues...all fitted with that ZF box. All sealed for life but you had to have an expensive oil and filter (complete plastic sump bottom with integrated filter) change minimum although it was never in the service schedules. The ZF story is bad enough for me not to replace my year 2000 S type with the later 4.2 (sublime engine...). I have the earlier gearbox and that’s still complete rubbish too. As for Lexus...the clue is in the drain plug...it’s designed to be touched now and again. The strainer etc. I wouldn’t touch until I had racked up high miles. But a fluid change every year will be good. I’ve just completed a 500 mile round trip. Faultless. So here I am again...