Toyota Timing Belt Replacement (PART 2) for 3.4L V6 5VZ-FE (4runner, Tacoma, Tundra & T100)

[@MadtownBob24]

My brother and I changed the timing belt, all drive belts, water pump, and crank and cam seals on my 2001 Taco today. Your two videos were so informative and well done that the job went smoothly and I was back in service very quickly. Thank you so much for taking the time to prepare this and for all of the clear explanations and tips. You and Sean are a great pair!!

[@TimmyTheToolman]

Hey Robert that's great to hear our videos helped you get the job done. That's nice you get to spend time with your brother turning wrenches. You're very welcome. We appreciate you taking the time to comment and share your success story with us. Happy Wrenching!

[@fatherdoug]

I did this job for the second time in 2 years due to a bad water pump gasket. I watched the video as a refresher and, once again, it was a lifesaver. Thank you for taking the time to do these videos. I found another way to start the bolt back behind the hydraulic tensioner. I bought a tool called a catspaw, which is a 2 foot flexible tool with 4 spring loaded "fingers". I put the bolt head in the fingers and that allowed me to start the bolt into the hole without flopping around. Thank you, Tim.

[@TimmyTheToolman]

Glad our video has been a helpful reference for you. I like that idea with the catspaw. I have something similar that's a tool grabber so maybe I'll try it out when I do my next timing belt job. Your'e very welcome and Happy Wrenching!

[@02markcal]

Thanks for showing a real world repair, where everything doesn't go perfectly and you show your mistakes, so others can learn from them too. ~ GREAT JOB Tim!!

[@TimmyTheToolman]

Thanks for the comment. We felt it was important to share the problem we had because we figured there would be a good chance others could experience the same stripped bolt hole for the #1 idler pulley. The cool thing about having to dig back into Sean's engine is it allowed us to show an easier way to get the belt. I wasn't satisfied with the bicycle tire lever trick and was happy we could showcase an easier way to get the timing belt on.

[@caucasianafrican1435]

Yes, this is a very helpful video... Thank you.

[@brucewayne2773]

I remembered struggling with the timing belt over the tensioner , I put the tensioner on last after the timing belt lined up with both cams and crankshaft and that made it so much easier.

[@TimmyTheToolman]

Yep, you did it like the Toyota factory service manual instructs to do. We missed that step when reading the manual. We did make a Part 2 of this video because we had to tear back into the engine to investigate a noise that surfaced after the job. This time when we were ready to put the belt back on, we installed the tensioner with the bolts only installed partially. This made it easy to get the belt on. So, sort of the same technique. Here's a link to Part 2 if you're interested: kzbin.info/www/bejne/o3bVlWqupKeGb6s

[@dominicfischio8153]

hi tim - i apologize for the long message, but i wanted to thank you for both videos, parts 1 & 2. i watched several videos including yours, which taught me how to do this repair. for the first time ever, i just performed my first timing belt repair & i successfully changed the timing belt, water pump, timing tensioner, both idler pulleys, and a/c tensioner in my 2003 tacoma (stick) and i discovered something very cool which i wanted to share with you and anyone else working on timing belts on tacomas or whatever. i had the belt in position & lined up everywhere, but i was having difficulty wrestling the timing belt on that last gear at the bottom when it occurred to me to remove the upper idler pulley, then slip the belt on the bottom gear, then slip the upper idler pulley over the belt at the top and then reinstall the bolt into the pulley & tighten it up to manufacturers torque specs. it was so quick & easy, i couldn’t believe it! i haven’t seen any other videos showing this technique, and i couldn’t believe nobody else thought of it. anyway, perhaps you could try this next time you do this repair, and feel free to share with your friends or your viewers. cheers 😃

[@TimmyTheToolman]

Hey Dominic, glad our videos helped you out. The technique you mentioned about removing the upper #2 idler pulley to facilitate getting the timing belt on easier is a documented trick that people have used. I guess nobody has shot a video showcasing this technique though. We actually mention this technique in the video description in Part 1. I like the trick we showcase in Part 2 of backing off the tensioner bolts to make it easier to slip the belt onto the lower #1 idler pulley.

[@dominicfischio8153]

Timmy The Toolman yes - i agree and i like that idea as well. i actually didn’t see part 2 until after i finished the job. every video i watched was helpful, but yours was probably the best & most informative & accurate. so thanks again!

[@TimmyTheToolman]

@@dominicfischio8153 You're welcome Dominic.

[@more_jello]

@@TimmyTheToolman Tim, there's a video from 2022 showing this method. The guy appears to be a master mechanic and it looks like he's at the dealership doing a timing belt. His YT channel is Shop Time With Drew. Search for "3.4L Timing Belt". Around 25min in. He leaves the #2 idler pulley off completely until the end. Then he snugs both cams inward to get the slack needed to pop on the pulley. Another trick was when removing the p/s adjuster bracket to clean the hell out of the threads, then when re-installing you just use your fingers to hand tighten it. Looks like he never laid a tool on the adjuster bolt. I bought the "kit" and plan to do my TB, WP, cam seals, and thermostat sometime this week. I'm stoked. Will have my tablet in the engine bay with me going through your steps. I do plan to install the belt like above as it looks so simple. Next will be the brakes, which, after getting quoted $1400 from a shop, I will do myself as well. Thanks again for your detailed videos!

[@TimmyTheToolman]

@more_jello I heard about that technique a long time ago. The thing that worries me about that technique is cross-threading the bolt for that upper idler pulley because there will be tension on the pulley from the belt while you're trying to get the bolt threads started. That's a risk I wasn't willing to take. Make sure you read the comment I pinned (1st comment you see) for updates on the job. There is a timing dot on the crankshaft timing gear that you align the "CR" line of the belt with. It's easy to miss. Good luck with the job.

[@vonzipper2712]

Hi Timmy... I’m official part of the timing belt club for the 5VZ engine... It took me 4 days and about 36 labor hours... I cleaned everything in there and put on brand new gaskets on all 3 timing covers... It was worth it in the end... Couldn’t have done it without your video... The advice about being extra careful with the aluminum oil body bolts was invaluable...

[@TimmyTheToolman]

Glad to hear you were successful with the job using our video as a tutorial. What was your experience with the lower idler pulley bolt that thread into the oil pump? Did you notice any damage to the threads when you pulled out the bolt?

[@vonzipper2712]

Timmy The Toolman When I backed it out I had someone watching closely with a light to make sure they didn’t see any threads coming out... Along with me making sure it didn’t feel rough while slowly turning...The bolt and washer were in pretty good condition.. The only bolt that may have been stripped was 1 of the 4 bolts holding timing cover #1 in place by the crank...

[@TimmyTheToolman]

@@vonzipper2712 Gotcha. I think it's luck of the draw if you have problems with those oil pump threads. Several people have contacted me after making this video and have reported also having to install a helicoii because of the threads being damaged in the oil pump housing. I guess it can happen but it's not super common.

[@astang1072]

A tip for standard transmissions: if you don’t have the special service crank pully tool the starter trick works to get it loosened, just be careful and keep clear of the flex bar. To retighten it, put it in 5th gear and chock the wheels, you’ll be able to torque it no problem then.

[@carywood3946]

Why 5th gear? Would you want the tallest gear to resist the engine turning over? So 1st or Reverse in 4Lo?

[@astang1072]

Think of the gearing. You’re literally trying to turn the engine over when tightening it. The engine will turn over easier with less resistance (and move the drive train) if it’s in 1st rather than in 5th. The idea is to keep the engine from turning. Try a hill start in 5th. The engine probably wont want to turn over. That’s the idea.

[@carywood3946]

@@astang1072 Good point! So I tried torqueing the crankbolt in 4Lo 1st gear. Engine would turn over super easy. Went to 2High, 5th gear and had tons of resistance and got the ~217 ft-lbs. Thanks for the good tip!

[@astang1072]

@@carywood3946 No problem!

[@frankroyal2931]

I made the same mistake you did on my 96 tacoma. 5 years ago.we all make mistakes .i respect the fact that you made a second video correcting the mistakes.. I now have a lot of respect for you.

[@TimmyTheToolman]

Yep Frank, we all make mistakes. Being able to admit them and learn from them is important. Thanks for the comment. I appreciate it.

[@jacksonmcneil7857]

Wow this is a great video really glad I found your channel. I’m a first year mazda technician but I own an 87 4Runner and 99 4runner and found this video very helpful in doing the timing belt on my 4Runner.

[@TimmyTheToolman]

Hey Jackson, glad our video helped you out. I'd actually like to own a 1st Gen one day. You've got a good combo with a 1st and 3rd Gen.

[@KevinCODunn]

Hey Timmy, good stuff -- everything's a learning curve. Your videos are very complete. I have the same 3.4L so my timing belt is the same drill. I just turned 290K and it's coming up... however, there's more. I got the first check engine light in the truck's history two weeks ago (290K). The symptoms are, starts great, idles well, accelerates as always but when the motor gets to speed and the load falls off, the power falls off as if you took your foot off the pedal. As I went around to get the code read, nobody could read it. The truck won't communicate. Even Toyota couldn't get it to read, so the truck had a stroke and I've sent the brain off to be refurbed... in the meantime, what I think might have happened is the crankshaft spline, the spline at the bottom of the timing belt triangle, is slipping, like if the keyway failed and there is lateral play in it. This would confuse everything. Nobody would know what to do, the spark-plugs would fire wrong, the fuel would be lean or rich ... chaos. Any ideas? How would that be corrected?

[@TimmyTheToolman]

Well, if you suspect the woodruff key on the crankshaft has been damaged and the crankshaft pulley (harmonic balancer) is actually spinning on the crankshaft, I'd pull the pulley and take a look. Because, if it's indeed spinning on the crankshaft, it's doing damage. I've seen this a couple times before and the end of the crankshaft can get gouged and eaten away. The woodruff key is a replaceable part.

[@Dmccali86]

So glad I came across your videos! I'm doing timing belt/water pump to get at leaking cam seals in my '97 tacoma. Thanks for taking the time to make these!!

[@TimmyTheToolman]

You're welcome Dan. Glad you're making use of our videos.

[@swansonlandscapeservices]

Great Video! I appreciate your honesty more than anything on things that do not work out the first time. In process of doing this myself.

[@TimmyTheToolman]

Thanks Russell and you're very welcome. Sean and I aren't perfect and there's plenty of times we don't get it right the first time. The important thing is we let people know the best information possible at the time we post the video. After the video is live, we quite often update the video via the video description, a pinned comment, or in this case a Part 2, because we will learn more about the job after the fact from people commenting letting us know there was a better or easier way to accomplish something. We are always learning and that's one of the cool things about running our channel. People learn from us but we learn from them as well. Good luck with the rest of the job Russell. Let us know how it went for you.

[@jsabowabo]

Timmy - Awesome video. There's are super useful even with the FSM. Really appreciate you taking the time to do them.

[@TimmyTheToolman]

Glad you found our video helpful. Thanks for taking the time to comment. We appreciate it.

[@tylerbirchfield3741]

You're the man, Tim! Your video is going to get a hit put out on your head by the WARSO(worldly auto repair shop organization).

[@TimmyTheToolman]

Thanks Raymond. I however don't think good shops are wanting for customers. For every guy like yourself that's willing to turn wrenches on his own vehicle, there's got to be at least a 100 that won't. Unless a shop gets bad reviews from doing crappy work, I don't think they are having any problem finding customers. But, I guess we are taking some money out the auto repair industry's pockets by providing helpful videos for people to use. Anyway, Happy Wrenching!

[@markfrancis697]

Best way to learn, from a mistake, really locks it in there. Thanks Timmy! Mark from Aus.

[@TimmyTheToolman]

Yep, we learned some things from doing this job for sure. You're welcome and Happy Wrenching!

[@israelrodriguez6986]

Oh yea, backing those timing belt tensioner bolts looks like the way to go when I get to doing this myself...great video guys! Keep up the great work!!!

[@TimmyTheToolman]

Thanks Israel. I know how detail oriented you are and I know you'll be successful when you get around to doing this job. It's really not a hard job when you know all the tricks but it is time consuming for sure.

[@astang1072]

That’s exactly what my brother and I did yesterday. Back those two tensioner bolts off about 1/4”-3/8” and the belt slid right on. My 5VZ-FE is running like a champ today. This (and the part one) video was a great help.

[@SuperLilDeuce]

Your teaching skills are fantastic! Thank you for the great video.

[@TimmyTheToolman]

Thanks for the nice compliment. We're glad you like our video. Happy Wrenching!

[@rickywiseman9471]

Thanks

[@transformer889]

Hi Tim, I recently changed the timing belt on my 1997 4runner SR5, I like to make a couple of observations on this subject, please note the orientation is as you are facing the car, 1: When the tensioner idler pulley has swung all the to the right, it will not sit properly on the body by a fraction of a millimeter and that is enough to pull the thread when the bolt is tightened 2: Here is a helpful hint, Install the timing belt on the right side including the top idler but before installing it on the crankshaft timing gear turn the gear one tooth to the left from the correct position and do the same on the left cam but this time one tooth to the right, then finish installing the timing belt and turn the crankshaft to the right one tooth to the correct timing position and watch the cam moves to correct spot. This procedure makes the timing belt very easy to go over the tensioner pulley 3: I had no luck removing the tensioner bolt from below, the the car, I had to remove the A/C compressor's bracket 4 I bought a complete kit from eBay but not from the guy you mentioned, every seal on the kid leaked, so I had to do the job again with replacement seals

[@TimmyTheToolman]

Thanks for sharing your information. 1)The tensioner pulley didn't strip when I tightened it. When watching the video footage, one camera angle showed directly into that bolt hole and I could see threads hanging. So, the damage was done upon removal, not installation. Toyota used a thread locker on those threads because it is a through-hole, meaning engine oil could travel along the threads and leak out. It's my belief the thread locker Toyota chose was a bit too aggressive and the soft aluminum threads sometimes pull out. If my theory is wrong, then the damage was done by a previous mechanic. Since making this video, many others have reported their idler pulley threads stripped out as well. 2) I now do something similar as you do. I slacken the belt to make it easier to get the belt on properly to the crankshaft timing gear. I have added a pinned comment to update the job and maybe you read it. I learned that there is a timing dot on the front face of the timing gear. It is easy to miss. That dot should align with the "CR" line on the belt. With that timing mark lined up and the other cam marks lined up, you essentially know you have the belt on perfectly. You should finish off with a couple rotations of the engine just to be sure, but knowing that timing dot is there makes the belt installation much more straightforward. 3) Others have reported giving up on getting to that back tensioner bolt. A 1/4" extension and socket can get in there easier. A wobble extension is now my go-to extension because it eliminates the need for a swivel. 4) Finally, you unfortunately learned the hard way that not all Ebay sellers are created equal. We promoted the Air Cabin Man seller because nobody ever reports having issues with it. People go cheaper and find out that was a bad decision. Thanks for the comment!

[@transformer889]

@@TimmyTheToolman Tim, thank you for posting the most informative and detailed repair procedures on your KZbin channel, that has always been the first place I check when I need information or repair procedures on my 4Runner. My comments were only precautionary, and I wanted to share my experience with people wanting to change their timing belts.

[@TimmyTheToolman]

@@transformer889 You're welcome and I'm glad you were willing to take the time to share your experience with this job.

[@catherinelpstv]

Great videos. Used your videos for replacing mostly everything under the 97 4runner. Neither video for installing the timing belt addressed having the timing belt line CR line up with the dot on the crank pulley. I let my grandson install the belt (his car) and the line on the belt didn't line up with the 90 degree dot on the gear. I readjusted it. Thanks again.

[@TimmyTheToolman]

We didn't know that dot existed on the front face crankshaft timing gear until after we shot the video. We never saw it. We thought the only timing mark was on one of the teeth of the gear that lines up with the timing mark on the water pump housing. Somebody else mentioned this fact recently and we added a note about it in a pinned comment. This is why we instructed people to pull the belt tight between between the watee pump pulley and the crankshaft timing gear. Any slack would have meant the timing would have been off. It's also why we told people to perform two revolutions of the timing gear after the belt was on to confirm all 3 timing marks lined up before pulling the pin on the tensioner and putting the engine back together. I wish we would have noticed that mark on the gear so we could have instructed people to use it for the belt installation but it's a faint dot and easy to miss. It took several years for anyone to bring this to our attention, so I'm guessing most others missed it as well or didn't bother to comment and let us know. We strive to give people the best information as possible in our videos. Once a video is live, the only way we can make a correction is with a note in the video description or making a comment and pinning it so it's the first comment people will see. If we wanted to correct the actual video, we would have to delete it off our channel losing the view count and all the commentary which isn't ideal. Thanks for being another person to bring this to our attention and good to hear our videos have helped you out with your grandson's rig. That's cool you're turning wrenches with him. He'll never forget the time he spent with you doing it. Happy Wrenching!

[@transformer889]

Always start a bolt by hand, thanks for posting

[@TimmyTheToolman]

We subscribe to this as well. At first I thought for sure a previous mechanic cross-threaded that pulley bolt but now I'm not so sure. Since making this video, others have commented and have said the same thing happened to them. Toyota used a thread locker on that bolt. I think most people don't have this problem, but for the unfortunate few, the bolt comes out with some of the aluminum threads.

[@transformer889]

@@TimmyTheToolman Toyota uses a special permanent locking thread that if you just torque the bolts it either twists off the head or breaks the threads inside. I always tap the wrench handle with my hand while applying a moderate torque until I hear the breaking sound of the thread locker this is a kind of mimicking the action of an impact wrench but this way you have absolute control.

[@TimmyTheToolman]

@@transformer889 Gotcha. Thanks for sharing your technique. I'm going to try it when I do my next timing belt job which is coming up soon.

[@alannido6349]

You just earned another subscriber!!!! Great job!

[@TimmyTheToolman]

Welcome aboard! thanks for subscribing

[@katherinezhang1318]

what a great job done and nice instruction. Big thumb up to you. I did same job just yeaterday. I started putting the belt from the crankshaft gear all the way to RHS cam pulley and clamped belt with the same tool u have then I left the top idler pulley loose. I then lined up belt on LHS cam pulley. I have some slack somehow on my belt and was ok to put it over onto tensioner pulley. I tightened the top idler pulley bolt slowly and torqued to spec. From what I learned before is that if u were having hard time putting belt back on the pulley it means the pulleys have moved tiny bit on its own due to the spring tension. You can turn the pulley back and forth one or two degrees during the installation just to line up the belt. Once you line uo the belt on pulleys then line up the pulley back by turning the pulleys back. The tricy part is that the pulley is under spring tention. Tiny bit if movement will cause it to jump. I did it hard way removing the tensioner because my truck was so messy and very hard to get under cover off. I remove ac compressor and five bolts on bracket. once bracket was off it is wide open for removing tensioner. I did have hard time removing the crank pulley. I ended up using a small three jaw puller. it took very small mount of force to crack it loose on the shaft. once it loose I was able to pull it out by hand. I saved some time by leaving the rad in place and puting a piece of cardboard in front to protect it. I used long bar to loosen the tensioner pulley bolt. It was soooo tight and I was so worried about breaking it.

[@TimmyTheToolman]

Lei Ma Hey Lei, thanks for taking the time to share all this. The technique you used to get the belt on was mentioned to me by a few folks and they swear by it. I'm pretty much sold on the way we did it in Part 2 but there's obviously more than one good way to get this job done. Glad you had success with this job and we're stoked you think our video is well done. Happy Wrenching!

[@north2mn]

Timmy, thanks for the videos. Just doing this project now and I'm glad I watched part-2. I appreciate your video. BTW, cool beanie in prt2. Ride on!

[@TimmyTheToolman]

You're very welcome. You must be a fellow mountain biker to recognize that beanie.

[@user-hd1qx2bd1r]

Wonderful photography! Super clear and it feels like we are right there doing it with you, I'm totally confident I'm going to get success, as I'm about to do this same repair. I'm actually now looking forward to it!!! Awesome explanation too, the "why" we're doing, Thanks so much!!!

[@TimmyTheToolman]

Hey Jim, thanks for the compliment. Be sure to watch Part 2 because we share some important info in that video that will help you out. Good luck and Happy Wrenching!

[@user-hd1qx2bd1r]

@@TimmyTheToolman Thank You, Will do!

[@TimmyTheToolman]

@@user-hd1qx2bd1r You're welcome.

[@carlossantiago9318]

Hi Tim, nice job on video as always with detailed information. I did this job on my 2000 4runner last year. Unfortunately i don't believe your video was posted at that time. I had the same issue with the threads stripping inside the aluminum head. I ofcourse freaked out as i had never done a timing belt replacement before. I read online about the helux but wasnt too satisfied with a wire to create a new thread. So i found and settled in the Time-Sert (M10x1.24 ) inserts and tao guides. This did the trick. Tap drilled then added some permanent lock tight. This worked like a charm. Hope this helps.

[@TimmyTheToolman]

Hey Carlos, Thanks for sharing this. The Time-Sert looks like an even better fix. I was a little pessimistic about the heli coil working but it worked great and fixed our problem. What exactly is a Tao Guide?

[@carlossantiago9318]

Timmy The Toolman Sorry about the typo, I meant tap guides.

[@TimmyTheToolman]

Carlos Santiago Gotcha. Thanks for the clarification.

[@iansmith9806]

Thank you. NIcely done video. Clear instructions, no bs. Super helpful. I dont recall hearing the torque spec on the main crank pully bolt. But i can look that up. Thanks for doing this.

[@TimmyTheToolman]

Ian smith Hey Ian, glad you like our video. All the torque specs are in the video description of Part 1.

[@jonp.6131]

I've also read that the torque spec changes with the year and I believe '99+ has a higher torque spec than earlier years. You may want to verify this; I get mixed signals

[@rogermolina8733]

Thanx for the GREAT Detail!. I'm getting ready to change my T-Belt this weekend using your vid as a reference guide. Thanx again.

[@TimmyTheToolman]

You're welcome Roger. Be sure to watch Part 2 also. Good luck with the job and I hope it goes smooth for you. Happy wrenching!

[@teamground0229]

Just bought a 98 4runner that is going to need a timing belt. Thanks for being thorough. I have walked into land mines like your stripped tensioner pulley bolt. Sick feeling. Wonder if previous mechanic removed the bolt while belt was under tension. Then on the reinstall, they drove it home with an impact tool. Good detective work fixing things. Subscribing!

[@TimmyTheToolman]

Sorry you ran into that same problem but you're not alone. Other people have told me the same thing since we published this video. I assumed at first it had to be a mistake by a previous mechanic but now I believe it's just a case of a steel bolt into an aluminum housing. I also think Toyota put thread locker on that allen bolt. When you remove the bolt, sometimes some of the aluminum threads come with it and the damage is done. When we did a clutch job recently, we tried to remove the bell housing to access the input shaft seal to replace it. Three of the bell housing bolts ended up breaking off when we tried to remove them. There's a corrosion that can happen between steel and aluminum and it can basically weld the two together. I don't think that's exactly what's going on here but I do think it might have to do with the thread locker Toyota put on the threads. I think when I get around to doing a timing belt job on my rig, I'm going to heat up that bolt a bit in hope of loosening the bond of the bolt threads with the oil pump housing threads. I'll let the bolt cool down because it might have expanded a bit from the heat and then I'll try to remove it.

[@stevanrose7439]

Great video. This information is what I have been looking for. 👍👍👍. I’m gonna change my belt this week.

[@TimmyTheToolman]

Thanks and good luck with the job.

[@joejoe-dr9br]

Excellent job on part one and two. I will suggest that the best method to removing crank pulley bolt is taking your old power steering belt and double wrapping it on crank pulley and hooking it on water pump housing bolt to hold it. Had no problem braking it free and torquing to spec. Just double wrap it the reverse way to hold it for tightening.

[@TimmyTheToolman]

Thanks Joe. Would you happen to have a picture of how you had the belt wrapped around crank pulley and then hooked on one of the water pump housing bolts?

[@edwinthetechnician6578]

Great video Timmy this will be helping me alot when I have to redo the timing belt and water pump on my wife’s 01 4runner keep up the good work.

[@TimmyTheToolman]

Thanks Edwin. We're glad you like the video. Be sure to read the video descriptions and pinned comments for other helpful information and tips to make the job go smoother for you. When you do the job, check back in and let us know how it went for you. Thanks for taking the time to comment. Happy Wrenching!

[@edwinthetechnician6578]

No problem Timmy I just had to give you and Sean credit for such an amazing and well described video definitely takes alot of effort also one question do you have links to the specialty tools you used in the part 1 of this video like the cam sprocket retaining tool and the crank pulley tool? Would be awesome and I’d be interesting in buying them I’m the kind of guy who would go out to buy that specialty tool no matter the price lol if its going to make the job easier specially a job like this one where it’s not too difficult but definitely is time consuming

[@TimmyTheToolman]

Hey Edwin, links to all those special tools are in the video description.

[@edwinthetechnician6578]

Timmy The Toolman awesome thanks alot

[@haterproof17]

Well this video has been great. Helped me a ton. I took my time with this project. Ordering tools when I needed them. I did learn after the "first" time I could install the belt tensioner after I got the belt on. I'm only now seeing this part 2. Lol. For some reason after fighting my belt the first time and pulling the pin not double checking my timing gears that they both moved backwards. Had to take the belt off. In doing so I damaged it. Order another. Take off the tensioner and use a vise to close it. Put new belt on and they roll back again after I put the tensioner on and tighten the belt. 🤦🏼‍♂️ Take it all off. This time I moved each camshaft pulley forward a tooth and put the belt on. This time as I tightened it they rolled back into place. Why? I don't know why. Put it all back together. Pour in coolant and watch it leak. 🤣 Take it ALL off only to realize I missed some old gasket. FML!!! Do it all over again. I got it all together again and started. Burped the coolant. Ran it for about 30 min but haven't driven it yet. All seems okay. +200 experience points. 👌 Thank you for such well made videos.

[@TimmyTheToolman]

Hey Chris, you had some mishaps but you finally got it done right and that's what's important. Running into unforeseen issues and making mistakes comes with the territory. Like you mentioned, you gained some great knowledge from doing this job. Glad our video helped you out and you're very welcome. Happy Wrenching!

[@saharcus]

Wrenchin on my 3rd gen with a buddy upcoming on 6/30. Thanks greatly for the videos. I appreciate the necessary detail. Cheers!

[@TimmyTheToolman]

You're welcome and I hope the job goes smooth for you guys. Happy Wrenching!

[@Mike_44]

Awesome follow up! Great work fixing that tensioner mounting threads.. I hope that never happens to me or anybody else. Crazy that the whole motor has to come out to replace the oil pump. Some of the work on these 4Runners seems similar to that of Subaru motors. I’m very glad this is NOT an interference engine though. Thanks a lot for the video!

[@TimmyTheToolman]

It has happened to others Mike because they have reported in and told us. I believe the issue is Toyota used a thread locker on the threads of that allen bolt because the bolt hole is a through-hole and the Toyota techs feared engine oil could end up seeping through the threads. So, with a steel bolt with thread locker going into an aluminum oil pump housing, it's not hard to understand how aluminum threads can end up pulling out when you remove that bolt. But, it does seem like it's pretty rare. If it were more common, I'd hear about it on the Toyota forums.

[@Mike_44]

@@TimmyTheToolman Well, that makes sense.. My ‘01 Forester which I did every single repair on, from completely overhauling its engine to its suspension parts, brakes, emissions, etc was totaled recently by a girl that ran a red light. Needless to say, I will miss that car :( But now I want a 4Runner, always liked them. I know with proper maintenance they last a long time and your great videos/very detailed work/explanations is just what I was hoping to find on KZbin. Thanks for the reply. I’ll keep referring to your work. You know what you’re doing. 👍🏻😎

[@TimmyTheToolman]

@@Mike_44 I had a Subaru Outback for a very long time and did lots of adventures in it. But, at the time I owned it, I wasn't into turning wrenches as I have been the last 5 years running our channel. The Subaru is now gone and I'm all about 4runners. Now I'm game to do almost anything on these rigs with a few exceptions like speciality jobs like rebuilding an automatic trans or rebuilding an engine. Certain jobs should be left to the guys who do it day in and day out that have all the special machines and tooling to do it right. Enjoy your rig. If you have any questions along the way, you know where to find us. Happy Wrenching!

[@Mike_44]

@@TimmyTheToolman The Forester was my very first AWD car and I enjoyed it for 2 years. I don’t yet have a 4Runner lol but I figured I started learning about them. I saw a ‘00 RWD V6 yesterday in great shape, no rust and only 126K miles. It has a few minor cosmetic issues and what seems like a left valve cover gasket leak, could be a 1/2 moon leak too.. But it also needs the T/B changed and front lower ball joints. I know I can do the job on it, especially following your videos now. But I do understand what you mean of leaving certain works for the professionals. They have the experience and the right tools to do things right without damaging anything. The seller wants $5K for his car, but I feel I should pay a bit less with all I have to do on it. We’ll see if the deal on goes through..

[@TimmyTheToolman]

@@Mike_44 Ok. If you plan on doing any off-roading, I'd hold out for a 4x4 model unless you want to go through the pains of doing a 2x4 to 4x4 swap. Good luck with the search!

[@8953147]

No worries brother we learn from every video! I noticed on my 2000 4Runner, that the tensioner pulley bolt had Thread Lock which made resistance on the threads as I removed the bolt...maybe that's what happened.

[@TimmyTheToolman]

That's a thought. I've worked with aluminum parts quite a bit, mostly with bicycles, and I've never had threads come out like that when removing a bolt. I really think the previous person who did the timing belt, whether it was the owner or a mechanic, wasn't careful installing that bolt and cross-threaded it. The reason why I think this is this is the 3rd fastener I've found stripped on Sean's rig. Whoever worked on it, worked fast and wasn't careful.

[@8953147]

I knew a person who managed to weld a bolt in it's hole, when he continued tightening even as he struggled with sweat!

[@TimmyTheToolman]

What do you mean that he welded a bolt in it's hole? Was he trying to remove a bolt by turning clockwise?

[@8953147]

Timmy The Toolman As he tightened the bolt, which was crossthreaded, he managed to weld it in the hole...it was amazing that anyone could kill threads like he did😂

[@TimmyTheToolman]

jake ounce Yep, some people should not take up auto mechanics if they don't have the patience to do things right.

[@greenflintriver]

I love your videos and your honesty!

[@TimmyTheToolman]

Thanks Rob. We appreciate it. We don't always get things right the first time. When we make a video, we always try to give the best information possible at the time we're shooting the video. Sometimes, there are things we learn after the fact that would have made the job easier and that's when we usually add something to the video description or a pinned comment to share that information. In this case, we felt the need to make another video on this timing belt subject to share some things after we filmed Part 1. Thanks for the comment and Happy Wrenching!

[@jt4277]

It's easy to strip out the #1 idler pulley if it's turned clockwise on its pivot when you tighten the pivot bolt. Make sure to install the pulley before putting on the belt and that the pulley is rotated to the far left (counter-clockwise) on the pivot bolt. If it is rotated clockwise, as it is tightened, it will come into contact with the crank seal, which sticks out further than the rest of the oil pump housing.

[@TimmyTheToolman]

Interesting. Thanks for mentioning that. We tightened that pulley with it resting against the timing belt tensioner.

[@Brian-fo8sh]

Thank you. Awesome video!!! Saved me money.

[@TimmyTheToolman]

You're very welcome. Great job doing the work yourself. Happy Wrenching!

[@MM-hc9nr]

1 additional timing mark for us nervous jacks. The crank time gear has 2 threaded holes on 1 of those teeth it has white dot timing mark that lines up with the belts (cr ➡️ marking). I’d sub twice if I could 😂 great vids

[@TimmyTheToolman]

Yep, I learned about that timing dot on the crankshaft timing gear after we filmed this video. I never saw it while doing this job and I reckon others have missed it as well. I mention this in a comment I pinned in Part 1 to let people know about it. Thanks for subscribing. Happy Wrenching!

[@justintowers8230]

wow awesome. ive watched both videos!!! you guys are the best. im tackling this in a few days!!!

[@TimmyTheToolman]

Glad you like the videos Justin. Please report back and let us know how it goes for you. Happy Wrenching!

[@hansrose7404]

You are awesome, Tim.

[@TimmyTheToolman]

Thanks Hans but don't forget Sean. He's just as responsible for the production of these videos as I am. Thanks for taking the time to comment. Happy Wrenching!

[@ProPilotPete]

you answered my question on the first video here about the bolt. thanks for great videos, keep them coming!

[@TimmyTheToolman]

Pete Brown You're welcome Pete. We have lots more stuff coming down the pipe and we don't anticipate running out of ideas for videos for a long time. Happy Wrenching!

[@kbob871]

loved videos both, i have used heli coils on steel and cast iron dont like them on soft metals i use time serts in stead thanks

[@TimmyTheToolman]

Hey Tom, glad you liked the videos and thanks for sharing your suggestion for using a time sert instead of a helicoil.

[@rodproduction5955]

I

[@AntonioClaudioMichael]

Good update with some new methods

[@RollingOwls]

Thank you so much for such a high quality and detailed video :)))) Amazing job !!!

[@TimmyTheToolman]

You're very welcome. We appreciate your compliment on our work. Happy Wrenching!

[@providentpathfinders219]

I had a heck of a time getting the slack out of the water pump side. What I did was made sure the cam pulleys were set and bet was set. Clamped them in place per the video. I used the crank pulley to pull the slack out of the belt. Made sure crank pulley was left of center just a little. Turn crank clockwise while feeding belt on and it pulls the slack out.

[@TimmyTheToolman]

Yeah, the belt can be a little tricky. Good job getting it done.

[@AntonioClaudioMichael]

Great work Timmy

[@biff1tannen]

Another Great video guys😃🇧🇻 I like honest mechanics🛠️😃

[@timothyfisher8063]

Great video. I found that extra care was needed when pulling the belt around the water pump pulley. Didn't help me that the mark on the belt was not located precisely at driver side cam. On my third try I realized I wasn't pulling the belt tight enough around the water pump. This was the third replacement timing belt but it seems the cam and crank seals had not been replaced before. Glad you included that info and I got the complete parts. My cam bolts were overtight as well. Do you think those bolts get tight with time, or that the factory deliberately overtightens them for some reason. I had a 4 foot pipe on my cam pulley tool to hold it. Don't think the 2x4 tool would have worked!!

[@TimmyTheToolman]

Glad you like the video Tim. I don't know why those cam pulley bolts are so freaking tight. I hurt my shoulder when we shot this video breaking those bolts free. An impact gun would be the way to go.

[@johnb6163]

Great helpful video, great video quality from your camera! I learn best from mistakes and try to not do them the second time so this helps a lot. Looks like from all the bikes you must have 10 or more kids, haha!

[@TimmyTheToolman]

Hey John, glad you like the video. Yeah, hopefully this video helps you get the job done smoothly. The bikes are all mine except one for my girlfriend, no kids. I raced bikes for years and then I got into collecting vintage bikes. I do need to get rid of some of them but it's hard to part with them. Thanks for taking the time to comment. Happy Wrenching!

[@fourutocone]

Just wondering If there is a good way to keep the Cam Pullies from jumping Right or left when you are putting the belt on the tensioner pulley. It sometimes jumps about 1 -1 1/2 off the timing marks of the backing plate. The crank mark is fine.

[@TimmyTheToolman]

There really isn't a way to keep the cam pulleys from jumping. You're probably pulling too hard on the belt. Did you follow our suggestion and only partially install the tensioner bolts? If you did and you're still having issues, pull the tensioner all the way off, get the belt onto the lower idler pulley and then reinstall the tensioner.

[@fourutocone]

@@TimmyTheToolman By the way you all have Great videos. I did leave the Tensioner out & when I put it back in & tightened it down guess what it jumped about half to a full tooth back . The crank is fine .I think it's going to take 2 more hands to hold the cam's from kicking . I turned the crank 2 times still out .I also pulled the plugs I think the cam's have to much down force . I appreciate your time & and all you do for the people that can't afford to send the car to a garage . Thank you Dale

[@TimmyTheToolman]

@@fourutocone Hey Dale, it's interesting you're having so much issue with the cams jumping on you. I haven't had that experience the times I've done this job. But yeah, get someone to help you, maybe even your wife or girlfriend if you've got one. I've relied on my wife to help me many times when I needed an extra set of hands. Let me know when you finally get it and you've got your engine all back together.

[@fourutocone]

@@TimmyTheToolman You got it thank you Dale.

[@TimmyTheToolman]

@@fourutocone No problem.

[@finarollerz]

to get belt on, Ive seem some leave top pulley out, feed belt from bottom -onto cams, put wrenches on cam bolts and rotate together slightly and pull enough slack to put in top pulley.

[@TimmyTheToolman]

That could work too. What we show here in part 2 is accepted as the best way by the general public after discussing it in length on the forums.

[@carlosduque2089]

Thanks alot for your patience

[@TimmyTheToolman]

You're very welcome Carlos.

[@legitimateballer1236]

This helped me so much.

[@TimmyTheToolman]

Glad our video helped you out. Thanks for commenting.

[@jhovannyoliveros5185]

Would love to see a video on replacing a charcoal vapor canister.

[@TimmyTheToolman]

Jhovanny Oliveros I assume we'll do this job at some point but nobody local to me has hit me up for this yet.

[@MovementMedicine-ji9so]

Some folks recommend replacing the front main bearing seal. To do this I need to remove the pulley that the timing belt rides on. I tried a nut based puller and it did not budge! Any ideas? I'd love to see a video (your video) on this. Thanks for all the good work!

[@TimmyTheToolman]

@MovementMedicine-ji9so Are you talking about the crankshaft seal to the oil pump? We replaced that seal in Part 1. If it's not budging, you need to use a puller with M6 x 1.0 pitch bolts to draw it off the crankshaft. You're not going to see a video on this from us, but if you use a puller like the one we used to remove the harmonic balancer, you should be able to get it off unless it's stuck on there really good from corrosion.

[@duanedonaldson2262]

If you are going to remove the oil pump from around the crank, you may want to remove the KEY from the crank keyway first so if it is a loose fit, it won't get bumped and fall down into the oil pan. I do not remove the oil pan and all the work you were talking about to reseal the oil pump cover, thanks again for another great video. Did this oil pump cover have an o-ring on the back or sealant? I mentioned this area as a problem oil leak area in Part 1 video and additional seal included in the timing belt kit offered.

[@TimmyTheToolman]

It seemed like the oil pump pick-up tube would get in the way of the oil pump coming straight out. Good to know the pan doesn't need to be dropped.

[@andyrodriguez7186]

Thanks for the excellent instruction.

[@TimmyTheToolman]

You're very welcome. Thanks for commenting.

[@arechj]

Excellent video thanks. I wonder if the tensioner pulley hole stripped because you didn't remove the tensioner first which put a lot of lateral torsion on the bolt as you removed it. I'm doing mine soon and love your videos! Very educational! Thanks again!

[@TimmyTheToolman]

Interesting theory but the tensioner pushes tension on the pulley which pivots and not on the body off the pulley which is what's bolted to the oil pump. What I think is the problem is Toyota used a thread sealant on those bolts and it's a steel bolt going into an aluminum housing. Since making this video, others have let us know the same thing happened to them. So, I believe it's just luck of the draw. It's not super common but it does happen. Great to hear you are finding our videos helpful. You're very welcome and good luck with the job. Be sure to watch Part 2 because we share other helpful information like an easier way to get the timing belt on.

[@michaelbaldwin7156]

Tim, I just finished a timing belt on my 2003 4 Runner 4.7 V8 and I put both pulleys on after I put the timing belt on. The belt went on very easy in the correct slots and the pulleys were very easy to put on after the belt was on. I have a 1998 4 Runner, a 2003 4 Runner V8, and a 2005 Sequoia Limited. I really enjoy watching your video's. I have often wondered with your knowledge if you were a Toyota mechanic at a dealership?

[@TimmyTheToolman]

Michael Baldwin Hey Mike, that's good to know it works to get the pulleys on after the belt is on. With that technique, I just worried that you might be more prone to strip a bolt hole if there was tension on the pulley while you're trying to get the bolt started in the threads. I'm just a DIYer that does lots of research in the factory service manual, on Toyota forums and viewing other KZbin videos before I tackle a job. What I'm finding is a DIYer can often know more than the professional mechanics because of the wealth of information now available to us because of the internet. We're glad to hear you like our videos. Thanks for taking the time to comment. Happy Wrenching!

[@DylanCyr]

I did this today, and tensioning that hex bolt on the tensioner pulley made it so the pulley couldn't move back and fourth easily. I had to back it out from the torque spec so that it would move freely.

[@TimmyTheToolman]

Did you remember the washer that goes on the back side?

[@DylanCyr]

@@TimmyTheToolman I did yeah, not sure why it was so tight, but I'll definitely double check. After watching your video I realized that I also should have replaced those bearings on the crank and camshafts. Thanks!

[@TimmyTheToolman]

@@DylanCyr Hope you figured out the issue with that tensioner pulley.

[@DylanCyr]

@@TimmyTheToolman unfortunately no, I went back and rechecked for the washer and it's there but once I crank it down to 30 ft lb It just won't budge. I ended up putting the old one in and I was able to torque it down and it was just fine. So I ended up leaving that one in because the bearing still felt good

[@TimmyTheToolman]

@@DylanCyr Where did you buy the tensioner pulley from? Sounds like the design isn't right.

[@justintowers8230]

I would highly recommend a 1/4" 12mm socket 6 point and two 6 inch extensions to removed and install that 12 mm bolt for the tensioner that is hard to get too. I tried the 3/8 and the socket didnt quiet seat on the bolt and slightly stripped it. Im 6 feet 185 lbs and I got up in the engine bay between condensor and the front of the engine to make sure the socket was fully seated. took 5 min to remove tensioner

[@TimmyTheToolman]

Hey Justin, sorry that happened to you. I was able to get it with the 3/8" extension the first time and went to a 1/4" extension the second time. I do agree that the 1/4" is probably a better way to go.

[@boogs4304]

When I took off the plastic covers I noticed they used silicone to seal them. There was no mention about the factory gasket or silicone to seal the covers from dirt and grime. Is there a preferred method?

[@TimmyTheToolman]

Hey Chad, the covers came with a small foam/rubber seal to get dirt, oil and other grime out. The person who owned the truck before you or the mechanic that worked on it last added that silicone because maybe the OEM seal fell off or was so damaged they scraped it off. You could probably buy replacement seals from Toyota for those timing covers but I could see silicone working too if it was rated for high temps.

[@boogs4304]

Got the the grey high torque, gasket in a cool can. Controls application well. Permatex 85084. Thanks for the great videos. Got through it all perfectly. Didn’t get to seals because hurricane was coming. They looked good anyway. Again, thank you!

[@TimmyTheToolman]

Hey Chad, glad the job went well for you. Hope there's not too much devastation from that hurricane. I haven't been up on the latest news the past few days.

[@boogs4304]

Timmy The Toolman we are fine here. But there are a lot of people suffering deeply. Record rains and flooding.

[@outlawtrailrider]

While removing the cam shaft pulleys I moved the right one so I turned it around to the timing mark I think I messed up , can I fix this when I put the new belt on and check the timing marks before releasing the tensioner? Really enjoy your channel .

[@TimmyTheToolman]

The 5VZ-FE is a non-interference engine. You can turn the camshafts (clockwise) independently of each other and independently of the crankshaft. The important thing is to have all the timing marks lined up when you get the belt in place. Once the belt is on, you want to do two revolutions of the crankshaft to confirm all the marks still line up. If they do, you can pull the tensioner pin and put the engine back together. You might find after the two revolutions that the timing is minutely off, not even as much as one tooth, but once the timing belt tensioner is putting pressure on the belt, it will take the slack out and then if you turn over the engine a couple more times, the timing marks should be lining up perfectly. One thing I didn't mention in the video that I mentioned in a pinned comment (1st comment you see) is that there is a small timing dot on the front face of the crankshaft timing gear. It's very easy to miss. Line up the "CR" line on the timing belt with that timing dot on the crankshaft timing gear. This will take any guesswork out of the equation, so you don't have to wonder if you stretched the belt tight enough between the water pump pulley and the timing gear. I hope what I said helps you out. We're happy to know you enjoy our content. Happy Wrenching!

[@adeelcyril3339]

Superb presentation! This is so awesome....

[@TimmyTheToolman]

we very much appreciate the kind words. We hope our videos help with your future repairs!

[@badhoopty]

it's a bit more laborious, but you can slip the balancer on and muscle it to turn the crank and cams once you have everything together.

[@TimmyTheToolman]

Could you describe this method better? I think I understand what you're saying but I'm not 100% sure.

[@badhoopty]

you just slip the balancer on and turn it with your hands the two revolutions to double check the marks. like i said its a bit more labor intensive but it avoids dealing with the crank bolt.

[@TimmyTheToolman]

Ahh, now I understand what you're talking about. Yeah, I thought about just putting the crank pulley on and the bolt and turning it a couple revolutions since I was pretty confident the timing was right, but I figure I'd show doing it the other way.

[@CrazyforCruiser]

What do u do with that many bicycles in your garage?

[@williamb2854]

Thank you so much for you how to...VERY WELL DONE. The one thing I would change..is the belt tensioner bolts. The underneath bolt, should be accessed from the top. I would think the engineers, would either notch out the A/C compressor bracket or change bolt to the top...just saying. You'll know what I am talking about, if your 3.4 has A/C ....

[@TimmyTheToolman]

Glad you like the video. I think it's hard for engineers to build things and always be thinking how this will affect people that are going to work on them. For the most part, this 3.4 liter engine is pretty easy to work on. No argument about the tensioner bolts. It would have been easier if the bolts came in from the top.

[@underratedgarage]

My timing belt kit came with a new #1 idler, and when installed, the tensioning bracket on that idler wouldn't pivot without using a pry bar. It turns out that the washer on the back of the bracket is supposed to butt up against the ridge on the shaft of the bolt, but the body of the new bracket was about 2mm thicker than the original, so the bolt was tightening the bracket directly onto the washer against the engine block, with no room for it to swivel. I had to reuse the old #1 idler assembly. If the tensioner bracket on idler #1 doesn't swivel easily, do not use it.

[@TimmyTheToolman]

I'm guessing you didn't buy the kit we suggested in our video. This is the problem with some kits sold on Ebay and Amazon. I've heard of this issue multiple times. One of the benefits of following suggestions from trusted sources, one of them being our channel, is you have some reassurance the parts and tools you're getting have been already been vetted. Thanks for the comment and remember what I said so you don't repeat the same mistake in the future.

[@underratedgarage]

@@TimmyTheToolman correct, I hadn't seen your video until I went searching for info on that idler when installing it. I bought the kit from a supplier that I normally have great luck with, but you can't win them all! I'm just happy I didn't put it all together before finding the problem!

[@dylan-reece]

This is such a great Video ! I could watch your videos all day. you have a great teaching style. Do the 2 cam sprockets ALLWAYS line up with the Tick marks? I suspect my Belt needs to be replaced its looking cracked. and when my Right Cam is on the mark? the Left Cam is at about 3 O'clock. Are they always Supposed to line up? I know the belt wont after a few revolutions. but am i correct to assume that both of those Cams will always be on the Tickmark at the same time no matter what ?

[@TimmyTheToolman]

Are talking about the timing notches on the cam pulleys lining up with the timing marks on the cover behind or are you talking about the timing lines on the actual belt not lining up? The cam pulleys should always be in time with each other. If one has it's timing notch lined up at the 12 o'clock position, the other one should also be at the 12 o'clock position. I'm happy to know you like our videos and my teaching style. Thanks!

[@dylan-reece]

@@TimmyTheToolman Thanks for the reply. Yeah your videos are fantastic! I found you on the Forums after watching your Fixing High Coolant Temps video and you are a great help to every one. Yes sir, I did mean the Timing notches on the cam Pulleys lining up with the marks on the back cover. not the belt. I understand from your videos that the belt arrows will be off after a few rotations. I opened my upper timing cover on my 2002 today and my right mark is at noon and my left is at about 3.. It has been sitting for a while after a thermostat failure on my wife..( Desert climate) Now the belt is all cracked looking and at different positions.. Soooo sounds like its belt Kit time for me. I have been looking on Amazon and cant decide what kit to get? Any suggestion's that wont break the bank ? With a belt that has the arrows ? Once again thank you for these videos! Instant subscribe and shared on Twitter today for all my Friends. Your style is great Tim!

[@TimmyTheToolman]

@dylanreece4579 Thanks for the nice compliment for our channel. I really appreciate it! Also, thanks for subscribing and sharing our channel with others. Be sure to read the comment I pinned in Part 1 (1st comment you see) for further helpful information. Your timing belt obviously skipped a bunch of teeth to be that far off. The kit we link in the video description is a great one. Hundreds of guys have used it without complaint. It's sold by the Ebay seller aircabinman. To expand the video description, just click on "more" and you'll see the full list of parts and tools we used for this job. Good luck and Happy Wrenching!

[@Prodagyxx]

Hi Tim, did you seal the oil pump with fipg to the engine? Or is there a gasket you need?

[@TimmyTheToolman]

The oil pump doesn't have anything to do with this job really other than one of the idler pulleys bolts to it. The one I show in the video was just a prop. I pulled it off another engine. If the oil pump was leaking and you wanted to reseal it, you would have to remove the front differential, drop the oil pan, remove the oil pick-up tube and then you could remove the oil pump. It doesn't have a gasket. You would seal it to the block with the black 103 FIPG.

[@alfredobaysa5122]

Nice tip, good job.

[@TimmyTheToolman]

Thanks Alfredo. Glad you like it.

[@jasoncordova7993]

Awsome video

[@TimmyTheToolman]

Thanks Jason. We're glad you like it.

[@ProPilotPete]

Did you pull the spark plugs to make it easier to rotate engine via crank bolt?

[@TimmyTheToolman]

Hey Pete, no we didn't. It doesn't require that much force to turn over the engine.

[@kegcoffeetable]

Excellent Man!

[@it4dps]

Hi Tim, thanks again for another great video. Question - have you ever seen the fan bracket studs, thermostat housing studs or any of the water pump bolts leak without sealant on the threads? I did the full timing belt/water pump kit about 15,000 miles ago with only the Aisin gasket. All was fine until it started leaking about 2 weeks ago. (..losing enough to empty the overflow once a week..) I took the top timing cover & fan bracket off and the water pump looks great. My only other guess would be one of those bolt holes is drilled all the way through the case and into the water jacket. There is rust indicating a leak down there, but it's not entirely obvious exactly where it's coming from. Is this one you've seen before? Looking for ideas before I go at it with Permatex. (..really don't want to tear it all apart again..) Thanks again!!

[@TimmyTheToolman]

None of the things you mentioned are through holes into a water jacket channel. Run the engine with the upper timing cover off and maybe you'll spot the leak. It's either the water pump, thermostat neck housing, dripping down from the upper radiator hose connection or water neck or it could be leaking from somewhere else like the intake manifold and the coolant is gathering in the valley underneath and dripping down.

[@it4dps]

@@TimmyTheToolman 👍 Thanks for the reply. I'll keep looking.👀

[@javierguevara7948]

Very good instructional and informative videos. I saw both of your videos and Oscar Ruiz’s videos to research how to replace my timing belt on my 2001 Toyota 4Runner 3.4 liter. My question is, I replaced camshaft/crankshaft seals, water pump/seal, thermostat/seal, and was attempting to put on the new timing belt. Everything was on tdc, however, the right camshaft turned clockwise about 7 teeth forward as I was attempting to put on the new timing belt. Can I rotate the right camshaft clockwise all the way back to the tdc mark separately from the left camshaft and crankshaft without damaging the engine? Can each camshaft be rotated independently of the other to get it back to the tdc mark without damaging the engine or throwing the timing off? Do I need to rotate each camshaft an entire revolution to get everything back to the tdc marks? If I do that, do I also need to rotate the crankshaft one revolution also? I read that the 5vfze 3.4 liter Toyota engine is a non-interference engine. However, I haven’t been able to find any info regarding if it’s ok to turn the camshafts a complete revolution, independent of the other camshaft or crankshaft if they’re off tdc.

[@TimmyTheToolman]

Javier Guevara Hey Javier, the 3.4 liter V6 is a non-interference engine. You can turn the crankshaft and camshafts independently of each other without fear of damaging the engine. Just make sure to turn the crankshaft and camshaft clockwise as you're facing the front of the engine. If one of the camshafts ends up moving off it's timing mark. Just rotate it around clockwise until they line back up. The right cam seems to be harder to get set because TDC seems to be right at the point where it wants to pop over from the compression.

[@javierguevara7948]

Ok, so just to clarify, (timing belt is off) once I turn the right camshaft all the way clockwise to its TDC mark, do I then need to also turn the left camshaft separately to its tdc mark? Do I also need to rotate the crankshaft clockwise to its tdc mark? Or can I just rotate the right camshaft clockwise to its tdc mark and leave the left camshaft and crankshaft alone since it was only the right camshaft that turned clockwise seven teeth? Sorry for all of the questions, it’s just that this is my first time attempting this and I don’t want to mess up the timing on my 4Runner. Thanks for replying back

[@javierguevara7948]

Ok, so just to clarify, (timing belt is off) once I turn the right camshaft all the way clockwise to its TDC mark, do I then need to also turn the left camshaft separately to its tdc mark? Do I also need to rotate the crankshaft clockwise to its tdc mark? Or can I just rotate the right camshaft clockwise to its tdc mark and leave the left camshaft and crankshaft alone since it was only the right camshaft that turned clockwise seven teeth? Sorry for all of the questions, it’s just that this is my first time attempting this and I don’t want to mess up the timing on my 4Runner. Thanks for replying back

[@javierguevara7948]

Ok, so just to clarify, (timing belt is off) once I turn the right camshaft all the way clockwise to its TDC mark, do I then need to also turn the left camshaft separately to its tdc mark? Do I also need to rotate the crankshaft clockwise to its tdc mark? Or can I just rotate the right camshaft clockwise to its tdc mark and leave the left camshaft and crankshaft alone since it was only the right camshaft that turned clockwise seven teeth? Sorry for all of the questions, it’s just that this is my first time attempting this and I don’t want to mess up the timing on my 4Runner. Thanks for replying back

[@javierguevara7948]

Ok, so just to clarify, (timing belt is off) once I turn the right camshaft all the way clockwise to its TDC mark, do I then need to also turn the left camshaft separately to its tdc mark? Do I also need to rotate the crankshaft clockwise to its tdc mark? Or can I just rotate the right camshaft clockwise to its tdc mark and leave the left camshaft and crankshaft alone since it was only the right camshaft that turned clockwise seven teeth? Sorry for all of the questions, it’s just that this is my first time attempting this and I don’t want to mess up the timing on my 4Runner. Thanks for replying back

[@budbarber4748]

Happy New Year TTT, well almost anyway... jut finishing my water pump, timing belt, and valve cover job and wanted to share a few things that might be helpful along the way. Let me know if you've got an email address where I can send you the notes and a few pics. Hope you are well, and thank you again for the videos. They're an incredible resource for the DIY ers.

[@TimmyTheToolman]

Hey Bud, instead of sending me an email with notes and pictures, maybe you can just share them on T4R.org in the threads below so other people can benefit from what you want to share. Here's the link for the timing belt thread I started: www.toyota-4runner.org/3rd-gen-t4rs/246069-toyota-timing-belt-replacement-part-1-3-4l-v6-5vz-fe-3.html And, here's the link for the valve cover gasket thread I started: www.toyota-4runner.org/3rd-gen-t4rs/215069-3-4-liter-v6-5vz-fe-valve-cover-gaskets-how-video.html Glad you're liking the videos.

[@MM-hc9nr]

This might be a dumb question I ordered hoses for the radiator but these didn’t come marked white n yellow for in n out… would new ones matter what direction they go as long as it’s upper n lower correct?? Thanks for the help dude :)

[@TimmyTheToolman]

Not a dumb question. The orientation definitely matters. Just match up the new hose to the old hose before pulling it off the old hose and make marks on the new hose so you know what side goes to the radiator and what side goes to the engine. Good luck with the job.

[@bar20bbq70]

Curious as to why you didnt use an impact on the cam pulley bolt?

[@TimmyTheToolman]

Because we wanted to show how to do it for those don't have an impact gun. When I do this job again on one of my rigs, I'll definitely use one of my guns because I hurt my shoulder holding those cam pulleys firm with the Schley tool while Sean broke the bolts free with the big breaker bar. An impact gun is definitely the way to go if you've got one in your tool arsenal.

[@bar20bbq70]

@@TimmyTheToolman Thank you Sir for replying back , i am literally minutes away from starting on my 02.it has 240k and is a virgin.You have know idea what a big help you and your videos are,thank you so much.Also, what happened to the dropdowns on the videos listing all the tools and parts and torque values, did YT remove that for some reason? Thanks again.

[@TimmyTheToolman]

@@bar20bbq70 All the parts and tools links are in Part 1. Good luck with the job. Hope it goes smooth for you.

[@SteveOkamoto]

Hey Tim, the Vanilla Gorilla says "hi" :). he's my neighbor.

[@TimmyTheToolman]

You know Brian huh? We're old mountain biking buddies.

[@jirojosephesman8175]

Great video...do you have any 2000 sienna Timing belt procedure thx

[@TimmyTheToolman]

jirojoseph esman I'm sorry but this is our only timing belt vixeo.

[@JohnSmith-dt7gu]

Check out the Camry and Lexus early 2000 model I’m sure they have videos because that car has the same engine as it

[@more_jello]

About that helicoil. Did you simply screw it in a bit more or did you need to replace it? I've never installed one and I hope I never have to :)

[@TimmyTheToolman]

@more_jello I just screwed it in a little more so it didn't interfere with the idler pulley.

[@danayo8852]

Tim, the belt I bought doesn’t have timing marks. Fortunately I counted the teeth between the left and right cam pulleys. My count is 47 teeth. It matches the length of the original belt when compared side by side. But when I install the belt on the cams, the belt is short 2 teeth. The belt is pulled tight. Any ideas. Also when the hydraulic tensioner pulley is torqued it comes in contact with the engine block and doesn’t swing up and down. The original washer is installed between the block and pulley. Your videos on the Toyota timing belt installs are excellent. Do you have a method to receive funds as a token of our appreciation?

[@TimmyTheToolman]

The belt without the timing marks does make it a bit more difficult. The amount of teeth not matching is troubling. Along with the issue with the tensioning pulley, I'd send that kit back and get the one we recommend and link in the video description. I have heard of people having issues with the tensioning pulley and it seems it's due to a manufacturing flaw from whoever made them. I would replace that pulley with a better one. You obviously got a bad aftermarket version of it. We do have a method to receive funds for those that would like to donate to us. On our home page, right under the picture of me is a "Tip Jar" link that you can make a donation via Pay Pal. I would not stick with the kit you got. It sounds like it will be more trouble than it's worth. Good luck!

[@danayo8852]

@@TimmyTheToolman Thanks, Tim. I counted the wrong mark on the timing belt. It was a long day. After a good nights sleep the issue was determined after only minutes in the morning. The only issue with the kit was the tensioning pulley. Turns out the aluminum bracket was not machined properly to fit my motor. Ended up putting the new roller and bearing on the old bracket. Things went well on the job. Your video had a lot to do with the whole job. Much appreciated, Dan Ayo Thibodaux, LA.

[@TimmyTheToolman]

@@danayo8852 Good to hear you figured it out Dan. Good job getting it done.

[@felipevalles8041]

Thanks for showing the mistakes as well ,very few people does that,how did you fixed the heal coil,new tap or just pushed it deeper..? thanks again.👍🏻🙏🏻

[@TimmyTheToolman]

Hey Felipe, we think it's important to share the mistakes so people can learn from them. To fix the helicoil, I just used the special tool the kit comes with to turn it in a little bit more so no part of the coil stuck out. It basically needed about a 1/4 turn more.

[@AWOODLA24]

I am wrapping up my head gasket job. And I’m doing my timing as well. For the head gasket I know my #1 cylinder is at top dead center. But with putting the cams back in how do I know those are in the right position? Further, the crankshaft timing gear has spun/moved how do I know that’s in the right spot as well? I just feel a little backwards doing it after my head gasket.

[@TimmyTheToolman]

This is a non-interference engine. You can turn the camshafts and crankshaft independently of each other without fear of damage. If you got the camshafts properly installed into each head using the timing dots on the backside of the gears, all you have to do is get the cam pulleys on and line up the timing notches on the pulleys with their respective timing marks on the cover behind. Then you turn the crankshaft timing gear clockwise until the timing mark on it lines up with the timing mark on the oil pump housing behind it. I'm guessing you didn't watch our Head Gasket series. If you did, you'd know how to properly install the cams into the heads. In Part 5 of our series, we cover how to get the camshafts properly installed. I'm not going to try to explain it in this response because it would be too much effort to do so. Sean and I have done the work to make the videos. You have to do the work and watch the video to learn. kzbin.info/www/bejne/mZ-XqGqXYq2SgNksi=uEb6RqazVtwRs5s0 Good luck!

[@AWOODLA24]

I didn’t mark the crankshaft timing gear. Is the timing mark on the crankshaft the single dot?

[@TimmyTheToolman]

@@AWOODLA24 Start watching this video at play time 12 minutes and 56 seconds. It will explain everything you need to know about getting the timing belt on properly. kzbin.info/www/bejne/iKCwmIF-drGGo5Ysi=ykuCPrwHNfzdk8AH

[@AWOODLA24]

Got it all figured out. Thank you for these videos. Head gasket was not fun but glad to be done.

[@TimmyTheToolman]

@@AWOODLA24 Good job getting it done. That's a lot of work.

[@jimm3322]

How would I know if I should order the kit that comes “with oil pump” or “without oil pump” ??

[@TimmyTheToolman]

We don’t show replacing the oil pump in our 2 part timing belt replacement series… that’s a whole other ordeal in itself. The product link we have for the kit does not include the oil pump assembly. *Timing belt kit www.ebay.com/itm/Toyota-3-4L-V6-Complete-Timing-Belt-Water-Pump-Kit/190521450224?hash=item2c5bf69ef0:m:m4Q2V_w5K7vUbSPcBeUhWfA&vxp=mtr&mkcid=1&mkrid=711-53200-19255-0&siteid=0&campid=5338641100&customid=&toolid=10001&mkevt=1 - Sean

[@aarryn123]

Great video. Mine also stripped out on me. I have a 5 inch lift on mine. Being the front differential is already dropped do you think I'll still have to pull it out or can I get by with not pulling it.

[@TimmyTheToolman]

I'm guessing you're talking about the stripped tensioner pulley threads in the oil pump? You can drill it out, retap and install a helicoil like we did with the oil pump on the rig. There's a chance some metal shavings will end up in the oil pan but I don't think that's a big deal. The oil pick-up tube has a strainer on it to keep large particles from being sucked into the pump.

[@aarryn123]

@@TimmyTheToolman yes I'm talking about the tensioner stripping from the oil pump. I was just gonna replace the pump because I feel like I would mess it up installing a heli coil or it wouldn't last lol. My question is being my truck has a 5 inch lift kit do you think I will still have to drop the front differential. And is there anything special I need to install the oil pump

[@TimmyTheToolman]

@@aarryn123 You'll need Toyota FIPG to seal it to the engine block. Are you sure you don't want to try the helicoil? You'll have to drop the oil pan and reseal that as well. I think you can save a bunch of time and money drilling, tapping and installing the helicoil. All you have to do is make sure you're using the right size drill bit, drill straight as possible, tap the threads as straight as possible and insert the helicoil. It's really not that hard. I just made the mistake of not inserting the coil all the way in the first time.

[@aarryn123]

Thanks for the info. I may give it a try. Do you know by chance what size heli coil kit I would need? Any tips? Lol

[@aarryn123]

M10x1.25?

[@robgeebo]

What size Helicoil on the tension pulley bolt? mine stripped too. Great stuff, thanks for vid!

[@TimmyTheToolman]

Hey Rob, bummer that happened to you as well. You need a M10 x 1.25 helicoil.

[@victormoran6460]

my tencioner was also hard to move when i put it back on aswell wat kind of noise did it make?? ..was it like a clapping or knocking sound or just a rubbing sound? Great info and video by the way!

[@TimmyTheToolman]

I can't describe the noise it made but it was pretty clear it was coming from area around the crank pulley. I don't remember it being a knocking or clapping sound. That tensioner pulley should move very freely. If it doesn't, you might have the same situation we had where the tensioner couldn't keep the belt tight once the engine warmed up and the belt stretched a bit.

[@kriskeener4010]

Do you have a link for the service manual you’ve been referencing?

[@TimmyTheToolman]

Hey Kris, I actually own the physical 2 volume set of factory service manual for my 2000 Toyota 4runner. I bought the set around 4 years ago for $300. I think they are now selling for closer to $150. If you do a Google search, I'm sure you'll find an online version for your year. If you can't find your particular year, look for other years. The 3rd Gen 4unners were made from 1996-2002. I did a quick search and found this: web.archive.org/web/20101220181917/ncttora.com/fsm/1996/SIL/index.html

[@andrewhuebner4778]

Hey there Timmy where can I get this manual

[@TimmyTheToolman]

Do a search on Ebay for your year and model. You'll most likely find the set for sale.

[@W7DSY]

Well, thanks for showing what happened. I guess the "tips" jar will be empty this week, though.

[@TimmyTheToolman]

At first I was annoyed we had to tear apart Sean's engine again but I now think it was good for the extra video footage we get to share with everyone.

[@charlesreyna5645]

yes what was the torque on no.1 pulley allen bolt.

[@TimmyTheToolman]

Hey Charles, all the torque specs are in the Part 1 video description.

[@juantroudart1791]

Excelente precentaciones y explicaciones pirfa ayudeme con el castellano

[@TimmyTheToolman]

De Nada

[@big4guitauditor509]

I'm going to follow this combined with some videos for the 4.7 V8. Any major differences come to mind? Thanks!

[@TimmyTheToolman]

There's major differences between these two motors. The 4.7 V8 is an interference engine so you'll have to be careful and follow the proper steps. I don't know how much our video will help you other than in a very general sense.

[@big4guitauditor509]

@@TimmyTheToolman Thanks for pointing that out. Your video is great. The demonstrations on how to wrench / get things removed; and tools are very helpful. I'll study up on the difference with the interference 4.7. Many of your tips will apply. Zip lock bags with notes inside, replacing the crank pulley bolt, re-use coolant, maybe removing the radiator, the options for pulley tools etc.

[@TimmyTheToolman]

@@big4guitauditor509 We're glad you like the video and are finding the general tips we offer helpful. Good luck with the job and let us know how the job turns out for you.

[@big4guitauditor509]

@@TimmyTheToolman will do! I might do the power steering pump and timing belt at the same time (power steering pump just gave up the ghost).

[@TimmyTheToolman]

@@big4guitauditor509 If the pump is just making a lot of noise, it might be a clogged reservoir screen. Check out this video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/a5yZYn6Oh7BrmK8

[@TheRealitarian]

When you tapped the oil pump, did you think any pieces of aluminum went back inside? Did you do an oil change after this?

[@TimmyTheToolman]

There's a good chance some bits of aluminum went to the bottom of the oil pan but this is something we realized after the fact. We didn't do an immediate oil change and everything is fine with his engine. The oil pump pick up tube does have a strainer on it so it will prevent large pieces of metal from circulating through the engine. An oil change after drilling and tapping the oil pump housing would be a good idea though. Thanks for the comment.

[@TheRealitarian]

@@TimmyTheToolman Thanks for the response...love your channel. I just got a 1999 Limited 4x4 4Runner and your channel is absolutely awesome...I appreciate your time and effort for these videos.

[@TimmyTheToolman]

@@TheRealitarian You're very welcome. Great to hear you like what Sean and I are doing.

[@TheRealitarian]

@@TimmyTheToolman your information/content is great...I've been binge watching your channel for the last few days...learned so much already...can't wait to learn some more.

[@TimmyTheToolman]

@@TheRealitarian Thanks! Good to know you're learning some things from our videos. Happy Learning and Wrenching!

[@ToyotaKTM]

I never make mistakes, except I have lots of experience with Helicoils. Does overtightening and stripping threads count as a mistake?

[@TimmyTheToolman]

I'm not exactly sure what you're trying to say here. I don't know if you're talking about yourself or you're talking about me. Of course over-tightening and stripping threads counts as a mistake. If you're talking about me, I guess you're referencing the stripped threads in the oil pump for the idler pulley? What I've learned is we're not alone with this happening. Several people have told me the same happened to them. There seems to be an issue with steel bolts into aluminum housings. We ran into a similar issue getting steel bolts out of an aluminum transmission housing when we were getting a bell housing off of a manual transmission. 3 bolts broke off trying to back them out of the transmission housing. With the oil pump housing, the idler pulley bolt came out rough the whole way out. When I went to put the bolt back in with the new pulley, there was no over-tightening involved. The bolt just kept turning. When I was editing the video, there was a camera angle at one point that showed the inside of the bolt hole and threads were hanging. So, the damage was done just by removing the bolt. By the way, that was my first time ever using a helicoil.

[@michaelcachon5199]

What are the torque specs on a 10 mm Allen Bolt?

[@TimmyTheToolman]

All the torque values are listed in the video description of Part 1.

[@songfrancesx8300]

First of all, thanks for this great guide video. I just did my timing belt. However, the truck is not starting. I am pretty sure I have lined up the teeth of Cams and Crank. What will be the issue I am facing here. The engine is cranking but will not turn on. Will it be the fuel is not in the fuel system, I have tried turn the ignition a few times and push the gas pedal. Still not starting. need some advises here.

[@TimmyTheToolman]

Sorry to hear this. You're going to have to retrace your steps and make sure everything looks right. Common sense says if it was running before you did the job, and now it's not running, something you did wasn't right. Maybe the cam position sensor wasn't reattached? If you take your time a double check everything, I'm sure you'll figure it out.

[@songfrancesx8300]

thanks man, I will do this weekend.@@TimmyTheToolman

[@TimmyTheToolman]

@@songfrancesx8300 You'll figure it out. Just take your time checking and double-checking everything. If you have any questions, just ask.

[@songfrancesx8300]

I tried start the truck tonight, again cranking but no start. And I can't smell fuel at all while I was trying to start the truck. The truck is currently sitting on a ramp. Not sure the fuel will not go in the spark plugs. Is it possible the ECU detects missing aligned cams or crank , so it will not pump the fuel. I sure will check this weekend. And let you know what I find out. I am no mechanic, first time doing timing belt, took me about 20 hours last week. This time maybe 10 hours :)

[@TimmyTheToolman]

@@songfrancesx8300 I don't know the answer to your question regarding the ECU not letting the injectors fire if it senses the camshafts aren't aligned properly. Hopefully you'll notice something is off, you correct it and the engine runs when you're all done. I wish I could be more help to you. If you want, you can email me some pics if questions come up and you need clarification. Here's my email: [e-mail]