Personally I don't think you need to practice, seems like a waste of time honestly. If you are worried about it I'd find a friend or relative who can help you. The hard parts of a t-belt don't really get easier with practice, removing the crank pulley is probably the hardest thing, and it's going to be way harder on a car without a battery to bump it loose. For removing the old seals, just get the right tool. Getting everything lined up after isn't hard, and even if you practice on a junkyard car, how would you know if you got it right - it's not like you can start it to test.

Won't the junkyard be pissed if you go tearing in to the engines they are trying to sell?

 

Ahh I see, that makes sense. I actually asked the junkyard management and they said that it's fair game as long as I let them know beforehand. They've had others do it previously for interference engines so I don't think it's too uncommon.

And yeah, that's true. I have a 2 ft breaker bar and a 4 ft cheater pipe + PB blaster. I thought that'd be enough torque to remove the crank bolt haha. Should I consider renting an impact wrench/gun and buying some impact sockets to help me get that crank bolt off?

 

The Car Care Nut channel over on Youtube is a great resource for 3rd/4th Gen Camrys .. Here's a video you should check out:

 

Haha, I actually watched that video yesterday! He's great, and showed the removal steps which I really appreciate.

 

Time to start gathering various "kibbles and bits".

 

I took several weeks to prepare the first time I did a timing belt job (on a 1991 Civic). The first time just getting the correct tools together was a chore.

I support watching youtube videos first, which you are already doing. Also consult threads here dedicated to the V6 timing belt.

Get the necessary tools together. If you think a trip to the junkyard for some "education" would help, I say: do it. The greatest value the yard had for me was when I was fabricating my own, custom TB tools and did not want to take apart my own Toyota to get the "fit" right.

Often one of the biggest hurdles is freeing the crankshaft pulley bolt, but it sounds like you know this.

 

Sounds good! It sounds like a key point of it will be to practice removing the crank pulley bolt haha.

I believe I have a good set of tools on hand, I just need the pulley removal tool and a tool to hold the camshafts. The rest, I believe I have with my toolset.

 

You might want to invest in a $25 pulley holder. Toyota put threadlocker on that bolt at the factory. But after 90K miles, the bolt can be nearly as tight.

Pardon Our Interruption...

And might as well take off the upper and lower intake manifolds in the junkyard to get at the rubber bypass pipe, and the valve covers. If you remove the valve covers I would do a valve clearance check.

Practicing removing and installing the rear bank cam seal is good too. You might want:

https://www.lislecorp.com/specialty-tools/shaft-type-seal-puller

Forum DIY on Gen 4 1MZFE:

DIY - 2001 Camry XLE - 6cyl - Timing Belt, Water Pump...

This DIY is for a 2001 Camry XLE, 1MZ-FE, 6-cyl with 99,700 miles on the clock. I bought this car January of last year with 88,000 miles on it, and no service history. There was no sticker on the timing belt cover to say whether or not the timing belt was ever changed, so I'm assuming it wasn't...

www.toyotanation.com

DIY - 2001 Camry XLE - 6cyl - Timing Belt, Water Pump...

Continued from Part I http://www.toyotanation.com/forum/103-3rd-4th-generation-1992-1996-1997-2001/505025-diy-2001-camry-xle-6cyl-timing-belt-water-pump-crank-cam-seals-part-i.html Once the timing belt is removed you can remove the camshaft sprockets. From earlier if you used the "Batter Up"...

www.toyotanation.com

1998 Camry V6 1MZFE - Top End Work: Spark Plugs, Knock...

Hey all! Decided to post these pictures of my work. I did some top end maintenance on my 1998 Camry LE V6 1MZFE engine. I wouldn't consider this a full DIY as I'm just going to go over the brief stuff I did according to the pictures. Guess you could use this more of a reference. Regardless...

www.toyotanation.com

 

You might want to invest in a $25 pulley holder. Toyota put threadlocker on that bolt at the factory. But after 90K miles, the bolt can be nearly as tight.

Pardon Our Interruption...

And might as well take off the upper and lower intake manifolds in the junkyard to get at the rubber bypass pipe, and the valve covers. If you remove the valve covers I would do a valve clearance check.

Practicing removing and installing the rear bank cam seal is good too. You might want:

https://www.lislecorp.com/specialty-tools/shaft-type-seal-puller

Forum DIY on Gen 4 1MZFE:

DIY - 2001 Camry XLE - 6cyl - Timing Belt, Water Pump...

This DIY is for a 2001 Camry XLE, 1MZ-FE, 6-cyl with 99,700 miles on the clock. I bought this car January of last year with 88,000 miles on it, and no service history. There was no sticker on the timing belt cover to say whether or not the timing belt was ever changed, so I'm assuming it wasn't...

www.toyotanation.com

DIY - 2001 Camry XLE - 6cyl - Timing Belt, Water Pump...

Continued from Part I http://www.toyotanation.com/forum/103-3rd-4th-generation-1992-1996-1997-2001/505025-diy-2001-camry-xle-6cyl-timing-belt-water-pump-crank-cam-seals-part-i.html Once the timing belt is removed you can remove the camshaft sprockets. From earlier if you used the "Batter Up"...

www.toyotanation.com

1998 Camry V6 1MZFE - Top End Work: Spark Plugs, Knock...

Hey all! Decided to post these pictures of my work. I did some top end maintenance on my 1998 Camry LE V6 1MZFE engine. I wouldn't consider this a full DIY as I'm just going to go over the brief stuff I did according to the pictures. Guess you could use this more of a reference. Regardless...

www.toyotanation.com

Thanks for the suggestions! I'll definitely get that pulley holder tool and the seal tool. From what I've seen on other forums, people used a flat head screwdriver to pry out the seals, but I think that seal tool will work great.

I'll read those forums for more info, thanks!

 

Hi i just did my 2000 needing shoulder surgery .so pretty much 1 armed .my surg is bein done this thur.. its real easy ..

 

I've seen more engines damaged (including one of my own) by using screwdrivers and other types of seal pullers to pull seals. That Lisle tool linked above is definitely the one you want!

 

I say do it so you don't have to pay in the future... follow all instructions... even buy necessary tools or borrow

 

And yeah, that's true. I have a 2 ft breaker bar and a 4 ft cheater pipe + PB blaster. I thought that'd be enough torque to remove the crank bolt haha. Should I consider renting an impact wrench/gun and buying some impact sockets to help me get that crank bolt off?

You might be able to find a used cordless electric impact driver on craigslist that you can purchase for much cheaper than new. That might be more cost-effective then renting, if you need it for the practice session, then later for the real thing. Additionally, if you later have to do anything on the car that requires removing and/or replacing an axle, the impact driver will be a life-saver for removing an axle nut. Plus it makes quick work of removing lug nuts, if you do tire rotations or winter tire swaps. I picked up one off CL a few years ago, and I'm pleasantly surprised at how frequently I use it.

 

Buy the AISIN kit from Rock Auto for sure. It comes with EVERYTHING you need to do the job. I bought the kit that includes a new belt tensioner so you don't have to mess with compressing the old one. If you do the cam and crank seals you will also have to buy a cam sprocket tool to hold the cam still while you remove the bolt. Don't buy aftermarket seals, I did and am having to replace them a little more than a year after because they are ALL leaking. If they are not leaking leave them alone.

 

you will also have to buy a cam sprocket tool to hold the cam still while you remove the bolt.

Note there is a hex shape cast into the cam, in between lobes, for a wrench to hold it while undoing the pulley bolt (accessible while the valve cover is off).

 

Okay, there's no issue this time haha. This is me wanting to be on top of preventative maintenance. Previous owner was an older lady who would always take this car to the dealership for service. Last time the timing belt was done, it was at 100k miles and my car is approaching 180k (service interval is 90k miles). So, timing belt replacement is coming + water pump + seals (camshafts and crankshafts).

I called a few local mechanics (my family's previous one retired a few years ago) and for the timing belt alone, they're quoting $940-1070. For the water pump + seals, it's an additional $400. This quote is for affordable timing belt kits, not the AISIN one on RockAuto as far as I know. With these quotes in mind, this is definitely pushing me to want to do it myself. I have spring break coming soon, so I will have an entire week to completely focus on doing the timing belt replacement correctly.

When I last went to the junkyard, they had a ton of 1mzfe's available (perks of a living in a major US city). I noticed that some still had their timing belts on and I'm thinking of practicing removal and reinstallation on them before I do my own. Thankfully, the 1MZFE is non-interference so I can't truly destroy anything haha. Plus, there are a ton of guides available: My repair manual, the DIY guide here on toyotanation, and youtube videos from TRQ and the Car Care Nut.

To get to the point, although I am a novice wrencher, I think I can tackle the timing belt job on this car with the resources available to me. Would y'all say that practicing on a junkyard car can give me enough exposure to the job to do it successfully on my own? There's a bit of room for error since it's non-interference which gives me enough confidence to spend a few days trying to do it.

Go for it. I love having 2 (parts) Camrys to practice on before tackling the real job on one of Camrys that I drive. Its great practice on your cussing technique. You may even come up with few new ones. The thing that really sucks about timing belts or any work needed done UNDER those dam plastic covers is a chore and time consuming. In the salvage yard you do not need to put everything back together. Start by pulling the wheel, the little dust stopper attached to the fender well. Back up top, remove the engine stablizer bracket, the bracket it attaches to, etc etc. Its a chore. And yes, practice never hurt anyone. New timing belts come with timing marks on them. Pretty straight forward. Good luck

 

I like to cut a piece of the old timing belt long enough to wrap around the whole pulley once, then use a chain wrench to hold the pulley. The old belt prevents the pulley from being damaged. I have seen the tools that hold the pulley with pins actually dent the spokes - probably not enough to matter in reality.

 

I like to cut a piece of the old timing belt long enough to wrap around the whole pulley once, then use a chain wrench to hold the pulley. The old belt prevents the pulley from being damaged. I have seen the tools that hold the pulley with pins actually dent the spokes - probably not enough to matter in reality.

Darn clever. I wish I had thought of that a year ago when I changed a 1UZ belt, or 6 years ago when I did a 2JZ belt. :head slap:

 

Interesting, it was a Toyota master tech who pointed it out to me, explaining that was what it was for.

But, if one is not removing the valve covers for the timing belt replacement job, it being there wouldn't be any help.

Interesting, it was a Toyota master tech who pointed it out to me, explaining that was what it was for.

But, if one is not removing the valve covers for the timing belt replacement job, it being there wouldn't be any help.

Valve covers?? You lost me. Why would you 'remove' the valve covers to do a Timing Belt job on a 1MZFE 6cyl engine? How does one become a "master tech". I prefer '*******'. Toyota tried to keep it simple for all of us DIYs,

 

Valve covers?? You lost me. Why would you 'remove' the valve covers to do a Timing Belt job on a 1MZFE 6cyl engine? How does one become a "master tech". I prefer '***'. Toyota tried to keep it simple for all of us DIYs,

Sorry to cause confusion. When I did my TB I had pulled the engine for other work and forgot the valve covers are not necessary to disturb.

"How does one become a "master tech"?" - it is the highest rating Toyota gives to their dealer technicians which comes after enough training and experience. Often, the ones we encounter at the dealer are the lowest level / least well trained ones (oil changes, brake jobs, stuff like that). Unfortunately, dealers are independently owned, so the quality of their management varies WIDELY.

 

Great advice yall! So I went to the junkyard today to try it and it was moderately successful. I think I know what I'm doing. The crankshaft pulley bolt was a nightmare though, holy hell. I had a 4 ft cheater bar + PB blaster and it didn't give. One of the guys pulling apart a car saw and tried it with his impact gun. It did not budge at all. He came back with a stronger impact gun and it just barely worked. I hope my car doesnt require something similar cuz holy hell, that was tough. I may have to try the starter bump method as I've seen elsewhere (like the stickied DIY timing belt thread) https://www.toyotanation.com/thread...s/diy-2001-camry-xle-6cyl-timing-belt-water-pump-crank-cam-seals-part-i.505025/.

I did get a few question though:
1) Is it harmful to use the starter bump method? The DIY thread mentioned it as the easiest method so I'm tempted to give it a shot, but I'd like to be aware of potential consequences of using it.
2) When I loosened the front (towards bumper) camshaft bolt on the junkyard car, the cam slipped out of alignment a tiny bit - right about the 1:30 position on a clock. I read that it's okay to rotate it back some to get it back into alignment (and I did on the junkyard car), but to what extent is that true? Say it slipped to about the 4 o'clock position - would I still be able to rotate it backwards (counter-clockwise)? Or do I rotate it clockwise two full rotations to get it back to TDC?

 

You can turn the cams as much as you want in either direction to get them lined back up, it's not going to hurt anything on this engine. They will prefer to "snap" in to a few positions from the force of the valve springs, just be prepared for that so you don't get pinched or send a tool flying.

The key with the starter bump method is to make sure the breaker bar is up against the chassis, and perpendicular to the bolt. Then it's just a bump of the key - not any long longer than that, just a little bump. Don't have anybody watching or standing nearby just in case. I don't know how many t-belts I've done, easily close to 100, and I have never damaged anything doing this and also have never failed to get a crank bolt loose this way. It's also how everyone else I worked with at the dealership did it ¯\(ツ)/¯

 

Perfect! That's good to know prior to doing my own. I'm glad I practiced then so I could get this question answered

 

The key with the starter bump method is to make sure the breaker bar is up against the chassis, and perpendicular to the bolt.

To reiterate and clarify what Steve is saying here, perpendicular to the crank bolt axis AND, where the breaker bar is resting against the chassis (the lever force application point, if you will) preferably in the same plane as where the crank bolt socket is sitting on the crank bolt. So that the leverage is exactly perpendicular to the bolt axis, to reduce the chance that the socket will get levered, off-axis, off the bolt head.

Also, it should go without saying, a 6-point socket should be used, not 12-point. To reduce chance of rounding off socket or crank bolt head. (That would be a real bummer.)

 

Hello! Somewhat small update:

Toyota sent me the wrong seals when I was going to do the replacement so I had to wait for the right seals. Then the weekend after, it rained quite hard. So I got to it this weekend. Everything went extremely well up until actually putting the belt. I got the crankshaft bolt off with just a mid-torque impact wrench, I could remove the harmonic balancer by hand, the water pump came off easily, seals came off easily, etc. However, putting the timing belt back on is impossible apparently.

I followed the DIY guide stickied in this forum and tried the methods in some of the video guides I found (YouTube: speedkar, car care nut, TRQ, hardly moving productions, Auto Fix) and I've made no headway on getting the belt on. So I gave up and came here before I pulled the grenade pin on the tensioner.

Here are some images.

A bit blurry, but the crankshaft.

The front (towards the radiator) camshaft

The rear (towards the firewall) camshaft

Here's a video of me inspecting the tension of the timing belt everywhere.

The grenade pin has not been pulled yet so I'm able to course-correct in case something is wrong, but I'm just not able to figure out what I'm doing wrong. The crankshaft and rear cam look like they're fine and in alignment (I think at least), but the front cam refuses to get there. No matter what I do, the front cam gear is always out of alignment by like half-a-tooth. I'm tempted to just send it and pray it works, but I wanted to double check here. Is there something else I'm missing that may be contributing to the front cam being out of alignment? The arrows on the timing belt are facing the passenger-side fender of the car, it's the AISIN kit so I didn't order the wrong belt and it should fit, and the cams are torqued down.

 

Move (rotate back, with a wrench) the front cam gear back 1/2 tooth towards <- the tensioner, then pull the pin.

 

Interesting solution. I've wrapped it today and will do it tomorrow, but can I ask why? I didn't read this or see this anywhere else haha.

 

And the stripe on the belt for where it is on the crank pulley lines up with the dot on the crank pulley? I didn't see that in the video or pics. I can't remember for sure when I did mine (different engine, of course) if each stripe is labeled with "crank" "cam1" "cam2" or whatever. It was a couple of years ago, but it was a kit from the dealership.

 

Yup! I forgot to include it earlier, but it lines up. I had to pull on the belt a bit to get it to fit there, which is probably why the front cam keeps slipping forward. And no, unfortunately my belt doesn't have labels. From what I know, the line of dashed dots goes on the crank. With that set, the other lines only fit on one of the cams.

 

It seems like you should be good, but perhaps wait for another person with more belt changes under his/her belt (no pun intended) to chime in. I did my 2JZ that way with an Aisin belt and it works fine. The 1UZ also the same, but it hasn't been installed yet, so no running proof yet.

If you pull the tensioner pin, you can always reinstall it before you put the cover back on, but it is difficult depending on engine, installation, access, etc.

 

Will do! I'll wait a day in case there are additional comments. Glad to hear there isn't a major error so far haha. I was puzzled when I kept struggling on aligning these gears for 2+ hours; felt like I definitely did something wrong.

 

No, I wouldn't - doing that will just 'transfer' all of that belt slack by the tensioner -> back to the Cam and Crankshaft side of the belt .. you don't want to do that. (You'll probably just have to reset timing alignment .. all over again.)

If you are confident the marks are aligned and correct, "go for it" - pull the tensioning pin: then you can rotate 2x, to verify that mechanical timing alignment stays the same / is correct.

 

Ah, bummer. Good thing I clarified haha. Okay, I'll get to it shortly, thanks for the clarification!

 

I've made a new thread haha. Still struggling consistently.

 

I'm sure you're already aware of this, but avoid turning the engine backwards. The tensioners on engines are located on the "slack" (relatively speaking) side of the belt (from the last cam pulley back to the crank) and are not designed to support the tension on the belt that is required to rotate the cams. Hence, there is very little flex (along its length) in the belt from the crank to the first cam (in normal direction of rotation) so the cams stay "in time" with the crank.

 

Got it, thanks for the advice! I haven't rotated it backwards but I have rotated the cams a bit back and forth to get it in alignment. I've read (and have inquired) that it's safe to do . I only rotate the crank clockwise when needed

 

+1 rotating the cam a little for adjustment is ok. Just be careful the valve spring force kicks it over, maining catching fingers (engine is non-interference).