Timing Belt w/o Removing Crank Pulley

Hey ya'll! Needed to replace the water pump on 2001 Tacoma. Rather than removing the crank pulley, I removing the middle idler pulley and moved the timing belt to the side. Replaced water pump with no issues.

Question to the group: The timing belt is still looped around the crankshaft. Can I re-install the belt around the camshafts and middle idler pulley without removing the crank pulley? That would be AWESOME!

Looking forward to see what y'all say!!

 

I didn't take off the lower cover or crank pulley. I took off the upper/middle idler pulley. That gave access to the water pump.

 

But he did....no?
Maybe not

Can you answer his question more importantly ?

 

Ooooo.
Word!

 

Appreciate the feedback! Yes, it's only a 19mm socket, but it takes 2 offensive linemen to get the damn thing un-torqued. With this engine, timing it is pretty easy, timing belt, not so much.

 

There's a tool from blue point you can get and it helps set the tensioner with having to remove it but you really should remove the crank pulley to make sure that the belt is on correct and spin it a vew times to double check the timing is right when your done.

 

Awesome I always new I was way stronger than I thought!, I can get em off any Toyota 5VZ.

 

I did the old breaker bar resting against the frame, bump the key trick and it worked just fine. NOT easy on the nerves, but that's what beer is for. Took 10 seconds and it was off. If the crank pulley doesn't come off by hand, spray some penetrating fluid where it joins the crank snout, let it set, then wiggle it off. I dicked around with 2 different pulley pullers for an hour before I figured that one out...just do it

 

Another vote for the breaker bar on the frame. It works fine.

The harmonic balancer pulley has timing marks you can use (spin everything over and recheck all marks) and the tensioner can be taken out and reset BUT unless you've done these at least before, I don't know that I'd trust knowing if you got it back all kosher under there. It would prob. take a couple tries at least i would think.
JMO.

 

I plan on doing the Tim the Toyota-man method.

 

A vise works for that, just need a small nail to hold it.
edit: Don't close it too fast. (might) break internally. Never have broke one but they like to close slow.

 

I think most of would say why not go ahead and change the belt while you're this far...it's not expensive to ebay one.

 

I don't know why everyone is insisting to take the pulley off. If you can get the belt back on with the tensioners and the crank and cams are aligned correctly then it should be fine. Toyota will say the belt's teeth should be aligned to the same teeth on the gears they were aligned before removal if you're reusing the belt.

 

Well, he can't see the bottom timing gear is why. Yea, it can be done as long as you know what's going on down there in the dark by rote.

 

Theres no way your getting that belt back on with the tensioner set you either have to remove the tensioner and put it in a vice or use that tool like I said.

 

Why does he need to see the gear? TDC can be set by the mark on the pulley. He just needs to get the belt onto the gear inside of the guide.

I agree it might be better to replace the timing belt and seal while he's in this far, but maybe he doesn't have the time and tools to do that right now.

 

He doesn't if he's familiar with what goes on down there. I don't think you can pull the keeper pin on the tensioner with the bottom cover in place though. Maybe a piece of flexible wire going down below, that you can pull with pliers. Sounds like more of a pain than taking off the balancer though.

 

I didn't know there was a tensioner behind the lower cover on the V6. From the picture it looked like it was possible to get by without removing it.

 

Oh well, he hasn't checked back so it may be fixed one way or the other.

 

First off, there's a right and wrong way to do things. With how much you're taking off to get to that point, why stop at the crank pulley?

Second, the amount of time you'd spend fucking around with getting the belt on and off and getting timing correct, you could have easily taken the pulley off.

Why does everyone insist on half assing everything?