timing belt died in my '91 Corolla

[gew88guy]

How hard is it to put one in ? I'm fairly mechanincal when it comes to my '64 Fairlane and '68 Dodge 3/4 ton and I've heard that it's a pretty easy job - any thoughts ?

[fredk]

the 4afe is great to learn on, pretty good amount of room and it wont bend valves, just use puller on crank pulley and have at it, the bolt will need an impact

[tnmk]

I just did that plus rings and valve seals in my '93 Geo Prizm. Pretty much the same car I think.

If your mechanical as you say, I would say around 3-4 hours without a manual, 2-3 with.

The belt is only about $15.00, but the tensioner wheel (if you need it) is about $60.00

Valve cover
alternator
cooling pump pulley (That's a pain to get off)
engine mount (belt goes around it)
Crank Pulley (I had to make a special tool for that, but I guess there are other ways)

I can't think of what else you need to remove off hand, but I'm sure I'm missing something.
3 covers

[94_Rolla_Guy]

wouldn't be all that different then changing a timing chain on one of your V8's i think it would be easier

[ghost_ryder35]

so easy,
take the passenger wheel off,
take the splash guard off,
support engine using jack and wood,
remove passanger side motor mount,
take all belts off,
remove valve cover (3 screws),
remove timing belt cover,
drain coolant,
align engine at TDC,
remove crank pulley (soak it with WD-40 a day before and it will be easier, also use an air hammer),
loosen tensioner and remove timing belt.
Piece of cake. Hardest part is not over torqing the timing belt cover screws because they are rusty

[gew88guy]

Guys thanks!!!

[retiredat44]

Wha????!!! There is no room,, and to tell that to someone who worked on old American cars where there was enough room to sit next to the engine while working on it and have room for a sandwhich and a drink too! The damned engine and water pump is 1 inch from the F$$# fender....

no room at all! it a fr$$# nightmare... all because of no room...

when someone asks how hard it is, it would be very simple if there were room, but there ain't!

at least it is has no room in the 1989 Corolla SR5. Nightmare!

[Rookie_One]

theres more room in a 4door, althought its a little cramped, but still not too bad

[91boz]

Originally Posted by retiredat44

Wha????!!! There is no room,, and to tell that to someone who worked on old American cars where there was enough room to sit next to the engine while working on it and have room for a sandwhich and a drink too! The damned engine and water pump is 1 inch from the F$$# fender....

no room at all! it a fr$$# nightmare... all because of no room...

when someone asks how hard it is, it would be very simple if there were room, but there ain't!

at least it is has no room in the 1989 Corolla SR5. Nightmare!

It would help to have a 10mm offset box wrench to remove the water pump pully. Just slip it in between the fender and the pully and start cranking away.

[retiredat44]

Originally Posted by 91boz

It would help to have a 10mm offset box wrench to remove the water pump pully. Just slip it in between the fender and the pully and start cranking away.

yes,,

also, only use an air impact wrench on the crank pulley bolt (the best way to remove and replace that without having to lock the crank in place..),, the other bolts will snap if you use power tools..


while you are there,,, the water pump should be done too... always replace the timing belt tensioner bearing with the belt. also a good time to check motor mounts... I mean what the hell, while it is halfway in pieces, best time to do all this stuff..

[wheredoesthisgo]

I'm kinda middle of the road on this one for difficulty. I had to make a tool to take the crank pully off which wasnt a big deal if you have a welder. I cut a piece of scrap to look like a big open end wrench and drilled two holes in line with the threaded holes on the crank and then welded a spare socket on to the handle section. Held it with that tool and used an air hammer to remove. The tool comes more in handy for installation because you can apply the right torque to the crank bolt. Absolutly change your pullys and water pump while your in there. I think I even changed my front crank seal for the hell of it 6.00 bucks .Oh yeah by the way the welder I got is a cheap piece of dukie from HF. 70.00 bucks. You do have to take alot of stuff off and work from above and below. Scale of 1-10 its a 4. Bought my 4afe at 90,000 miles for 500bucks. I have 140,000 on it now. Just a new distributor and a head gasket. Still runs like new. I change the tranny fluid every 30,000.

[blb]

Originally Posted by ghost_ryder35

so easy,
take the passenger wheel off,
take the splash guard off,
support engine using jack and wood,
remove passanger side motor mount,
take all belts off,
remove valve cover (3 screws),
remove timing belt cover,
drain coolant,
align engine at TDC,
remove crank pulley (soak it with WD-40 a day before and it will be easier, also use an air hammer),
loosen tensioner and remove timing belt.
Piece of cake. Hardest part is not over torqing the timing belt cover screws because they are rusty

Why drain the coolant if you are not replacing the water pump?

[rockerrock]

Removal (1988-92 Corolla)

1. Raise and support vehicle. Remove right front wheel and engine undercover. Remove washer tank. Loosen water pump pulley bolts, then remove all accessory drive belts. Remove valve cover.
2. Disconnect engine wiring harness from upper timing belt cover. Rotate crankshaft so that No. 1 cylinder is at TDC of compression stroke. Notch in crankshaft pulley must align with "0" timing mark on timing belt cover.
3. Support weight of engine with a floor jack. Remove engine mount at timing belt end of engine.
4. Remove water pump pulley. Remove crankshaft pulley bolt. Using gear puller, remove crankshaft pulley. Remove timing belt covers. Remove timing belt guide (large washer) from crankshaft sprocket.
5. If reusing timing belt, mark direction of rotation on timing belt. Match mark timing belt with marks on both sprockets for installation reference. See Fig. 3 . Place arrow on belt to indicate original direction of rotation.
6. Loosen idler pulley (tensioner) bolt. Push idler pulley as far to the left as possible, and snug tighten bolt. Remove timing belt.

Inspection (1988-92 Corolla)

1. Check timing belt teeth for cracks or damage. If tooth damage is found, ensure camshaft and crankshaft sprockets are okay. If wear or cracks on flat side of belt face are found, check for nicks on idler pulleys. If wear or damage to only one side of belt is found, check belt guide and alignment of each pulley and sprocket.
2. Check free length of idler pulley tension spring. See Fig. 4 . Replace spring if free length is not 1.51" (38.4 mm). Check tension at installed length. Tension should be 8.8 lbs. at 1.976" (4 kg at 50.2 mm).

Installation (1988-92 Corolla)

1. Ensure No. 1 cylinder is at TDC on compression stroke. Crankshaft key will be at 12 o'clock position, and timing mark notch on crankshaft sprocket will align with timing mark on oil pump housing. See Fig. 1 . Hole in camshaft sprocket must align with mark on bearing cap. NOTE: Engine should be cold when installing timing belt.
2. Ensure idler pulley (tensioner) is pushed as far to the left as possible and pulley bolt is snug tight. If reusing old timing belt, install belt and align match marks made during removal. Install new timing belt.
3. Loosen idler pulley (tensioner) bolt and allow pulley to move against belt. Rotate crankshaft CLOCKWISE 2 revolutions from TDC to TDC.
4. Recheck timing mark alignment. If timing marks are not aligned, remove and reinstall timing belt.
5. With idler pulley bolt still loose, measure timing belt deflection at midway point of belt longest run. See Fig. 5. Deflection should be .20-.24" with pressure of 4.4 lbs. (5-6 mm at 2.0 kg) applied. If deflection is not as specified, readjust tension on belt by moving idler pulley (tensioner).
6. Tighten idler pulley bolt to specification. See TORQUE SPECIFICATIONS . Install timing belt guide to crankshaft sprocket.
7. Install timing belt covers. Install crankshaft pulley. Tighten center bolt to specification. See TORQUE SPECIFICATIONS . When installing valve cover, ensure sealant is apply in correct positions. See Fig. 6 .
8. Install water pump pulley. Install accessory drive belts. Adjust drive belts to proper tension. Final tighten water pump pulley bolts.
9. Install front wheel and engine undercover.

[Flashmn]

You dont need to remove the washer
You dont need to loosen the waterpump bolts
You dont need to remove the waterpump, unless you want to change it.

Rockerrock, are you a bot or did you just cut and paste that from somewhere?

[rockerrock]

I have access to a online repair manual which I have found to be very useful as of late and my specific model 1992 AE91 does need the washer fluid canister removed to make for better location of my timing light since I go ahead and verify and adjust dizzy cap. I also replaced the water pump while the engine is up since it's right there, better to do it now instead of having to do everything again.