Timing belt help

In the middle of doing my timing belt/water pump and for the life of me I cant get the bracket behind the AC condenser off. I took the 4 bolts off holding the AC condenser off so i could access the 4 bolts holding the bracket blocking the tensioner. This is the setup I'm using with no luck.

http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i224/Chipm2005/image1_zpsjdlwwpzs.jpg

 

If I remember correctly, I removed my skid plate and used a box end wrench on the front bolts. I can't remember how I got the back bolts. It took an eternity because the threads are so damned long. I have an '03, so it may be a different setup though.

Edit: I definitely remember getting the front bolts from underneath. They came out 1/4 turn at a time. It was a pain.

 

yeah i have my skid plate off and got three of them out but this last one is a nightmare, im really stuck. and i cant find any good write ups to help me. I feel like Im almost working on the wrong thing at this point.

 

I added a couple more pics so you could see what i was working with
trying to get that black ac bracket out of the way, so i can put a new tensioner in

 

If it's what I'm thinking, those were a total pain in the ass (more like pain in the knuckles). Box wrench with 1/50th of a turn each time.

 

Hmmm. I guess I still am not understanding. I see the black bracket you want to remove, but you are trying to remove the AC compressor to get to it, did I get that?

I removed my compressor first, then the bracket attaching it to the engine block. Then, I was able to get that black bracket off, if I remember correctly.

Can you MS paint an arrow onto the bolt you are struggling with?

 

Makes me glad I have a timing chain.

Really, there are some repairs on these trucks that suck moose c**k (rear axel u-bolts, leaf spring eye bolts (if you don't cut them off that is) etc...).

Sorry for the diversion OP...good luck with the repair.

 

Let us know the outcome OP. Here to help if I can.

 

Remove the compressor. Don't crack the lines, obviously. I don't see how there's room to get the t-belt tensioner out with the compressor in the way. The added bonus is you have room to get to that last bolt.

Also, there's a tool out there that will compress the tensioner before removal. Look for Blue Point part# YA9730.

 

If your tensioner is not leaking you don't need to replace it. It comes in the kit, but I can tell you with 100% confidence you don't need to replace it if it's not dead.

If gone through 2 belts and still have the original tensioner 193,xxx

 

Hi Chipmmm. I did that job a few years back. I had to look up my past forum post to remember any details - I posted a piece of that thread discussion below with a parts diagram that might help (see full thread at https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads...y-1998-tacoma-v6-engine.387564/#post-10645721) Like others mention, you will need to remove the a/c compressor (tie it up out of the way) and then remove the a/c bracket. Old thread:
↑
"I am replacing my water pump, timing belt, and hydraulic tensioner. I removed the water pump but before I mount the new one I want to replace the tensioner. The tension pulley is already removed. Now it appears I need to move the A/C pump (!!??) .

Can I replace the HT without moving the A/C pump? If not, if somebody could tell me what to do I would really appreciate it. I'm afraid of removing the wrong bolts and discharging the A/C system.

Right now the PS pump is disconnected and out of the way and the radiator and front scrape pan are off. I can work from underneath the engine. Looking at the parts illustration, the part that's in the way of one of the bolts holding the HT is called a "compressor bracket". Which bolts do I remove to let me move the bracket and get to the HT?"


Click to expand...
'Yes to your diagram questions, 1,2,& 3 as I recall. I just replaced my timing chain this spring so it's still fairly fresh in mind. Pull the four bolts holding the a/c unit to bracket and move the a/c unit as near the firewall as you can. You can zip tie or baling wire it to gain the most room. Then you need to pull the bolts holding the bracket in place (four or five? of those).

No need to remove any a/c hoses, and those connections are very hardy so the unit is not going to discharge on you if you stick to the bolts you outlined.

XCMTB83's advice sounds like a possible solution. It really depends on what tools you have. Some of those a/c bolts were not in the friendliest access spots, but I use a battery ratchet and flex sockets as needed so much simpler to pull difficult bolts. Wouldn't have been that big a deal with a wrench either as I recall.'

 

I just did this last week. You CAN get a 3/8" extension with a u-joint up from the bottom and get to that rear tensioner bolt.

 

I've used a nice set of wobble extensions for 30 yrs. I don't remember ever having to take those brackets off using them straight up from below.

 

Sorry I took a break and had a beach day yesterday. The photo below was great so i could see the bolts. The orange bolts are loose and moved the AC to the side, the red is the bolt im failing at getting out, I have the pink bolts loose too. I dont have a huge tool selection, but might have to invest in a wobble just to get this sucker out. The kit came with a new one so I figured that i would replace it. Ill take some more photos because the AC is loose and pushed to the side as much as i could get it, and when i was going in through the wheel well I could actually see and get to the bolt but just couldn't get it to break free. (i was using a 3/8 drive with a swivel and extension.

 

Seems like when I did this job, it took 4 different combinations of sockets, extensions, and wrenches to get the 4 bolts out. And figgering out which combination yielded the right one for each particular bolt took at least 3 tries...

 

Update: thanks for all the responses. This morning I picked up an adapter for my impact and still couldn't budge it and honestly I'm just so frustrated and defeated at this point I'm just going to tow it to a nearby shop as is and have them finish the job. This was a big job for me and I guess i just bit off more than i could chew.

 

Just one more thing to consider...

You will have a LOT more room if you are willing to remove your air conditioning compressor from the vehicle. The only downfall to that would be, you will have to get it vacuumed and recharged. That will be about 100 bucks, but you will still save a lot doing the job yourself.

 

Your frustration is understood. I don't think the job is out of your reach. You got this far with it, and now you are one bolt away from the next step. I think most of us have experienced a similar roadblock at one point or another, with one repair or another, Tacoma or not. I rarely let the task beat me, and maybe I take that to the extreme sometimes. But I have paid for repairs when I don't have the time or the right tools. Do you have someone who can give you hand, and maybe has other tools?

 

I ended up not replacing the tensioner when I did mine.

Whatever you do, hang in there. You're close to the easy part (putting it all back together). I spend 2 days on those bolts and never got the last one.

Times were different then, my skid was seized on so space was tight. When you do these jobs you make things easier for the next time.