[Cressidaadr]

On my first and previous Toyota Cressida, I seemed to have learned from an experienced Toyota tech that the timing belts should be checked and re-tightened after ~10-20k miles. It appeared that the belts did loosen enough to notice - but I don't know why. (I don't think they are suppose to stretch at all?)

This was on a 6 cyl. DOHC engine so maybe the belt length would be much longer than on our 4 cyl Camry.

Nevertheless, I have never seen anyone mention the need to go back and check the Camry belt for proper tension after it has been installed.

So I take it that that we don't need to recheck and adjust timing belt tension again after installing the new timing belt?

I will mention that setting the tension on the Cressida (5MGE) was very similar in that it had a idler pulley with a spring and after turning the engine one would then tighten down the bolt so that the spring was out of the picture.

Another thing was on that engine, it was noticeable that the belt tightened up after the engine was up to operating temp so you needed to start off a bit loose. I think this was attributed to expansion of the large engine block (straight 6). Once I recall installing or re-tensioning a belt and it was just fine (quiet) at start up but after a few minutes the belt would start a noticeable whining noise. I had to go back in and loosen that belt a bit and the noise never appeared again and the belt worked fine for years.

Does the 5SFE timing belt do similar in getting tighter as the engine heats up?

For those of you who have done several timing belts, do you really let the spring set the tension or do you fudge on that spring just a bit by pushing on the pulley (one way or the other) to tweak it like you think it should be - tell the truth now...

 

[OBwan]

I've lost count on how many I've done. Probably ten plus. I've never had to re-tighten a belt. I do position the belt, release the tensioner then add some pressure onto the pulley before I lock it down. Never had a problem.

1988 Camry w/3SFE to 517k
2000 Solara w/5SFE to 300k
1999 Camry w/1MZFE to 160k

 

[Kingdom934]

When I did my first timing belt (lo and behold, a 1987 Cressida 5MGE), I placed everything on time and attached the belt. I had to play by ear the ignition timing since I didn't have a timing light. Didn't recheck the bolts but the first time around I had the driver side cam off by one tooth and I had some idle, pinging, running sligtly warm issues. Readjusted that without issue.

Car hasn't been driven as Much as I want to, but it's been a few years since then and the car runs fine when I warm it up. I gotta do the cam tower gasket again though....leaking oil again.

My second (and sorta third) timing belt job was on my 98 1MZFE. I did the same thing and once everything was lined up, I installed the belt tensioner and made sure I rotated the engine manually a few times to see if the markings lined up fine. Torque wrenched everything this time around and reassembled.

 

[BMR]

The way the timing belt tensioning system is designed on the 4 cyl, I'd retension it after a year or two, maybe 20k miles, even though the FSM doesn't say to do that. This came up in a recent thread, and someone with an I4 said there's an access hole in the cover to loosen the tensioning pulley's lock-down bolt. These belts DO stretch with time and use. When I replace the belt on my Avalon's 1MZ V6, I compared the old belt to the new. The old belt was stretched about 2 teeth longer.

Both the V6's used on these Gen Camrys, the 1MZ-FE and the 3VZ-FE have hydraulic tensioners. So they constantly adjust themselves. No need to retension.