03 taco 3.4 timing belt installation help

Hi guys and gals. Thanks for letting me in on your site.

Anyhow...changing the timing belt. It has 200 000 km on it. The water pump went.
Couldn't take the a/c unit off. So after 3 hours I managed to get the tensioner bolt in going between the oil pan and a/c bracket. So put the new shiny belt on. Everything is lined up. And it won't go on.

I like my little truck...so how do I get this belt on?
I been working on this for probably 16 hrs this weekend.

 

The tensioner is still pinned back?

 

Not following here.

 

Anyway.

You can let the tensioner down a bit to get a lil more stretch, then snug back up.

and welcome to the site. We'll get you hooked up.

If you got the tensioner on w/o dropping the comp. you got it licked.

 

the tensioner is spring loaded and it is all the way out. there is a tool to force the spring back in and then you lock it in the "loaded" position, put the belt on and pull the pin.

$40 Schley (SCH97300) Toyota Timing Belt Tensioner Compressor

https://www.amazon.com/Schley-SCH97300-Toyota-Tensioner-Compressor/dp/B009RXWMNE

 

Yeah the tensioner is still pinned...
Not going through that hel again..putting it on.
I loked YouTube that you can either loosen the top idle, or the bottom.
And sneak in on..but no one actually doing...just before and after....
It's just sitting the garage for two days...crazy man.

 

Not following you here man. So you cannot get the timing belt back on? Is there a way to verify it is the correct belt, if it seems too small?

 

Try this order of operation - 1. pulley on top right (drivers side) then fit the belt tight to left pulley (passenger side) then work your way down to the bottom. make sure to keep TDC ( top dead center ) ( I noticed when doing mine that TDC was not exactly as perfect as I would have it but the yellow paint marker was on the money correct... I followed that ) the passenger side cam pulley was not perfect TDC but the yellow paint mark was perfect... That helped me get the belt on nicely and keep TDC - Top dead center

I did it this weekend and these referenced links helped me out -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Xv11NRc5Xg

https://adventuretaco.com/step-by-s...r-3-4l-v6-5vzfe-also-4runner-tundra-and-t100/

his list is here of order of operations ( sounds like you are on step 5 maybe? )

Install the new #1 and #2 timing belt idler pulleys and timing belt

1. Install the #2 idler pulley. Torque to 30 ft-lbs.
2. Install the #1 idler pulley using a 10mm allen head wrench, making sure to also install the washer between the pulley and the engine. Torque to 30 ft-lbs.
3. Replace the crankshaft timing gear.
4. Ensure that the crank shaft gear mark is at top dead center.
5. Place the timing belt on the driver side cam shaft pulley, aligning the left cam pulley with the driver side arrow and notch.
6. Thread timing belt under the #2 idler pulley and over the right (passenger) cam pulley.
7. Using two clamps, secure the timing belt to the cam shaft pulleys.
8. Thread the timing belt over water pump pully (driver side).
9. Thread the timing belt over the timing gear, making sure it is tight with the water pump pulley.
10. Holding the belt tight on the timing gear, and with the timing belt tensioner loosened, push the belt onto the #1 idler pulley. Note: this requires that no tension be applied to the #1 idler pulley by the timing belt tensioner (which shouldn't be installed at this point).
11. Install timing belt tensioner by
    1. Thread in the 12mm front bolt of the timing belt tensioner halfway - enough to hold the tensioner, but allow for installation of the rear bolt.
    2. From the bottom of the truck, using a long extension, swivel and 12mm socket, reach between the frame of the oil pan and wire harness to a swivel to thread in the 12mm bolt.
12. Torque both timing belt tensioner bolts to 20 ft-lbs (240 in-lbs - good and tight).
13. Using the Performance Tool W89208 Cam Pulley Holder SST, rotate the cam pulley's clockwise until the crank pulley gear completes two full rotations and then ensure that all marks on the crank pulley and cam pulleys are aligned top-dead-center. NOTE: the marks on the timing belt will not line up - this is OK. Align the notches in the metal pieces (pulley's and gears).
14. Pull the pin on the timing belt tensioner to tension the belt.

 

Hi guys...sorry about the poor explanation.
Yes have pully#1and #2 on.
Tensioner is pinned.
Belt is right..checked..
When I try to put the belt on
No slack?
Looking at windshield facing front of truck, left side cam gear moves , can get the two top tdc with
Cams and idlets...but as I continue, there isn't enough slack
To put belt on..
Luke I said.
Both belts,new and old , matched them up.
Same lengths .
What's the trick here I'm missing.?
Never have a problem like this putting a timing belt on...
I can post a pic.

 

Yeah post a photo! Send me a dm!

 

Look at the information @Mcp58 provided you specifically Step #11. If you back off the tensioner bolts a little, this will allow the idler pulley to rotate a little further down and to the left so it's easier to slip the belt up onto the pulley. It's the technique we show in the video below, because like you, we at first had major difficulty getting the belt on.

https://www.youtube.com/embed/mErd7xoBS9I

 

The tensioner needs to be backed off almost to the point that it isn’t bolted up. Super loose. And tap the the tensioner pulley downward so that to create more room.
Let us know where your at with this.

 

Well, I wouldn't go as far to say it has to be nearly unbolted, because with a little hand strength, you can get it up onto the pulley with the bolts backed off just a little bit. I wouldn't risk having a bolt come out knowing how hard that rear one is to get to.

 

I had my ac unit and bracket off so it was easy to get to. I could see it being tough if you don’t have that removed...

 

I struggled with this too. But for a different reason. I thought something was wrong because my belt went on too easy. The Timmah video shows a lot of problems and he had to get some motorcycle tire levers to pry the belt on. Mine went right on easy. I thought something I did was wrong. it was not . what I did was remove the crank timing belt cog. when that slides freely on and off the crank snout, the belt goes on smooth as silk. My crank cog came right off with no puller needed. I got luck and attribute it to never running the truck without the front splash pan on. I know it has a plastic cover, but I think it still can get stuck on there.

 

That sounds like a good idea...to slack off the tensioner a bit..?
Will try that...will post a pick.
Thanks guys....
Never worked on a Tacoma 3.4.
Leaning curve.

 

I just did mine and struggled to install on crankshaft cog as well. Got it on but was one tooth off on cam gear on first try which caused a few choice words to slip out. Use clamps to hold belt on cam pulley's if you have not tried that. I also ended up having to turn my crankshaft slightly to get the belt grooves lined up with crankshaft teeth to get it to slide on and keep most of tension on non tensioner (drivers) side. Once on it was pretty tight even before tensioner bolts were snugged up or pin was released.

 

No issue installing a new timing belt last summer. Turned out to be a walk in the park.

Here's a trick that I used to provide some slack so the belt would slide over the tensioner.

Put the belt on the crank pulleys at the TDC location as your see in the picture. Then use some clamps to hold the belt on the pulleys.

Rotate the pulleys in opposite directions to draw the belt up tight against the upper idler pulley bearing.

Since I replaced the tensioner, I had it pinned during installation.

Tightening the belt around the upper idler creates slack in the lower part of the belt as you can see in the picture.

The clamps keep you from losing your upper timing position while you work the power part of the belt.

 

Im jealous you were doing this work with the motor out of the truck! What a dream!

 

Hey guys....I think I just had cold feet....I went out today...it is -3 out.
And I put the belt on. Loosened off the top idler.
Everything set right...and put the top idler on.
Turned 3 times, all timing Mark's lines up ok.
Put just the bottom oullybon and
Started it ...ran fine...reassemble.
Filled her up.
All good.
Thanks for are your help.
Seems run better....or is it just
Wishful thinking.
Thanks again for all your help...
With all your motivation....she done.