Which domino to tip first when it comes to a water pump.

So now that I've fixed the problem with not being able to get the engine to run over 3000 RPM, I'm going to replace a leaking water pump. I've watched all the Youtube vids as well as reviewed the process in my Haynes manual but I've got a question. Everyone states that, with a truck like mine, a 1999 3.4L V6v Tacoma, you have to remove the harmonic balancer when replacing the water pump and the timing belt, which means buying a breaker bar and a new 200 Foot pound torque wrench for that 184LB crank bolt replacement moment but here's the thing. I don't know why it needs to be removed. When I look at the pics on youtube, it looks like where the harmonic. balancer goes is way below the water pump and that it was unlikely that the pump would foul with the balancer when removing it. Am I just hoping I can be lazy and cheap and not have to pull the balancer? If it does have to come out, will putting my rig in gear along with the emergency brake provide enough "hold" that i can just put my impact wrench to it and I won't have to buy the special crank pully holder tool? Or should I just do the breaker bar against the frame and bump the starter approach? Also, in the Haynes manual it makes a big deal of using two screw drivers to pry off the balancer and NOT!!!! to use a gear puller. What's with that? Would it really hurt something If I used my puller? Finally, It looks like the previous pump was replaced rather recently, should I really worry about also replacing the idler pulleys, belts, timing belt and the rest of that stuff if everything looks and moves good? By the mileage on the sticker, it looks like things should be good for another 92,000. As always, thanks for any and all suggestions. It' clear, after replacing the crankshaft position sensor that you guys probably saved me over a grand in needless travel expenses and shop time. THANKS!!!!

 

Most people replace the water pump when replacing the timing belt. I also replaced the idler pulley & tensioner pulley. My water pump (original) wasn't even leaking when I changed my timing belt which should have been the second timing belt change at the time (I didn't do the timing belt until 214K mi).

Harmonic balancer needs to come off to take off the lower timing belt cover. Ok I get there may be cases where the water pump needs to be changed & the timing belt doesn't. You can get the water pump off without taking the lower timing belt cover off. But at the least you do have to remove the tensioner for the timing belt, I don't remember if that is possible but then again I wasn't paying attention to that since I took off the lower timing belt cover.

So let's say that it is possible to remove the tensioner without taking off the harmonic balancer & lower timing belt cover. Technically you don't have to fully remove the timing belt to change the water pump. But it'll make it much harder lining up the timing belt marks. Sure you can mark the belt or even better set the engine to TDC before working on it. Without taking off the lower belt cover you can't see the crank timing mark. I suppose you can rely on the timing marks on the pulley. I like to turn the engine over a couple.of rotation to verify the marks line up after installing the timing belt & tensioner. I rather be safe than sorry when it comes to engine timing.

Don't know what kind of impact gun you have. My M18 Mid-Torque & old IR 2131 wouldn't budge the crank bolt. I think the radiator had to come out for them to fit, I forget, I needed to take the radiator out regardless. M18 High-Torque wouldn't fit unless the ac condenser came out but that wasn't gonna happen (freon). You can do the breaker bar on the frame & hit the starter trick but you still need a tool to hold the harmonic balancer in order to torque it back to spec (if you care).

It's a time consuming job compared a 4cyl Honda, I rather replace the timing belt, water pump, & 2 pulleys while I'm at it. Not worth the labor having to take it all apart to replace one of things if it fails, well unless you have other cars to drive. Knowing that my stock ones lasted so long, the 2 pulleys I would replace every other timing belt (if not using cheap aftermarket parts). Your call on whether to replace them if you think they were replaced not long ago & still good.

Torque wrench you can get for not a lot of money & will be useful for other things if you want to wrench more. The tool to hold the harmonic balancer, I just made my own for $10 in materials from the big box hardware store.

 

You should post up some specs on how you made this tool. It would save other TW members(Like Me) some money from buying the "Special" tool required.

 

I'm pretty sure I did. I believe there's a thread about all the various harmonic balancer holding tools members have made & I remember posting mine in there. I forget what the thread was called.

 

Thanks for the reply, I'll see if I can find it.

 

Found it. Looks like I only posted pics in that thread (says I spent $15, not $10) but I did post my specs in a differnt thread. There's a link to it though. Plenty of others' home made tools to go by too.

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/homemade-crank-pulley-tool.140646/page-5#post-20394453

 

Thanks Zero4. That was hugely helpful! Looks like I've got a good excuse to buy some more tools! Gotta say, your pictures look like they were done by a studio pro! That set of shots of your take on the harmonic balancer tool are going to save me a bunch of bucks as well. I sure appreciate all the information and knowledge that the forum members share. It's really generous to spend that much time helping someone like that, and between this job and the last one where I was trying to deal with a high RPM miss, the forum members help has probably saved me something like two grand. Unreal!

 

No problemo. Oh BTW, there's 2 different types of crank bolts & they have different torque specs. Don't take my word for it, it's been a while so I forget, but the crank bolt with the removable washer is 184 ft/lbs. The crank bolt with the captured/non-removable washer is 217 ft/lbs.

I'm not sure if older years came with the removable washer bolt or what. Mine was the non-removeable, torquing to 217 ft/lbs was a bitch for me. Had to do it from under, laying on the ground with my foot pushing against the frame.