Timing Belt Questions and Observations

[drunken_panda]

So I finished the job last night. It was a PITA. I can imagine it going a lot quicker if everything went according to the pictures. I have one question and a few lessons learned/observations.

Question: It won't rev past 5200 RPM. If you keep your foot down it will just hang there until you let up a bit then it will up shift. Is the timing off or did I do something bad. Otherwise it runs fine. If I drive normally, meaning having it shift at 3500, I don't notice any difference.

Observations:
No matter how good of a job you do, your car won't start with the spark plugs disconnected.

It is also useless to remove the old belt, then put it back on. Make sure you put the new one on, they all look the same.

We were using generic coolant from 96 until 2002 before that it was Toyota Pink now its Toyota Red. There was quite a bit of scale that I could see when I removed the water pump.

I ended up having to buy 4 new bolts. 2 snapped, 1 had an already partially rounded head and one had destroyed threads. The people at Oreilly Auto Parts, Helpful. Home Depot, not so much.

As always the pictures in the fantastic write up in the stickys make it seem there are huge yawing chasms to work with. No, not at all. I am now bleeding from more places than GM is.

[dc_98_cam]

I've only done this job once, on a 98 5s-fe, and I'm no expert, but it seems like there are two or three things to look at before you replace the upper timing belt cover. #1 is whether the timing mark on the crank pulley is lined up with the TDC mark and also that the cam pulley alignment hole is over the little notch on the bearing race. ... Don't get it mixed up with the dot at 12 o'clock. ... #2 is whether you have little or no slack in the deflection of the upper timing belt, on either the upper or lower side of the cam pulley. You adjust this latter parameter by loosening the idler pulley and rearranging the timing belt teeth on the cam pulley. .... Also, you don't just tighten the #1 idler pulley down and expect it to work correctly. You turn the crank pulley slowly from TDC, clockwise, two full revolutions, and recheck the timing marks, and then you turn the crank pulley an additional 1 and 7/8 revolution, stopping at the 45 degree mark on the timing cover, before TDC. Then you can tighten the #1 idler pulley bolt to 31 ft.-lf. See the link here, somewhere around pp. 26-27.:

http://www.camrymanuals.com/manuals/...hanical_I4.pdf


This info is for a Gen 4 .... Not sure about Gen 5. If your car is Gen 5, maybe you should switch forums.

[drunken_panda]

So I should have said this is for my 93 4cly. I did rotate it 720 deg and everything lined up. The slack seemed even over the entire belt when I tightened the idler. However, i tightened the idler when at tdc not the 45 deg mark.

[dc_98_cam]

Originally Posted by drunken_panda

So I should have said this is for my 93 4cly. I did rotate it 720 deg and everything lined up. The slack seemed even over the entire belt when I tightened the idler. However, i tightened the idler when at tdc not the 45 deg mark.

Sounds like something to do.... not sure if that is the main problem though.

The only other thing to consider is whether the two idler pulleys are in good condition. The upper #1 idler pulley has an arm that moves and adjusts the belt tension, and would be more likely to wear out .... some kind of sealed bearing .... Remove and examine reverse side for oil leaks. The lower idler pulley just rotates .... but also has a sealed bearing. Some timing belt kits come with the timing belt and the upper #1 idler pulley, ... maybe the lower idler pulley, too. How many miles on your '93?

[drunken_panda]

I have 210K miles. Repalced both bearings and timing belt with a kit from Gates. The spring was within spec.

So right now it is not really bothering me, because this it is a simple thing of lifting your foot. Will this damage anything or cause bad fuel economy. Will it fix itself as the belt gets worn in?

[dc_98_cam]

Don't know .... 'hanging' just doesn't sound right .... maybe something else is wrong.

I have seen recent posts about shift solenoids, within the transmission, .... freezing up.
How is your transmission fluid? Red? ... Black?

[drunken_panda]

Just changed it. It worked fine after that.

[dc_98_cam]

Can you check engine diagnostic trouble codes?

If no DTC shows up, there is something else that could be linked to the problem.
Just below the upper timing belt cover, the Cam Shaft Position sensor is bolted onto one of the lower bolts, on the upper case. I think you might describe it as being at about the 7 o'clock position, as you face the upper timing belt cover.
There isn't a lot of room to work, but should be able to get some kind of socket or wrench on that one bolt.
I think the thing to do would be to disconnect the CSP sensor, and spray the connector ends with contact cleaner, reassemble it, check for anything obviously wrong, and then reinstall it. .... I think it's just a magnetic sensor that picks up
the rotation of the cam shaft pulley. However, if you disturbed it while working on the timing belt, it might be the cause of your shift problem. .... In fact, first thing, don't even unbolt it. Just see if it will move (rotate) a little .... whether it is
fastened down securely or not.

[drunken_panda]

Well since its OBD-1, and its not throwing a CEL, I don't know what else to check.

[drunken_panda]

bump

[ycartf]

I can tell you that you didn't get the timing off. I am not sure about why you are hanging at 5300rpm (or why anyone needs to get to 5300 rpm) but if you got the timing off it would be painfully apparent and also moreso at lower idle speeds. Good luck.

[drunken_panda]

Since I am not the main driver, I am afraid that one day someone will be driving and need to get the car to go ie a truck is coming down on you, they will put their foot down and the car will not upshift properly and someone gets hurt.