Changing Timing Belt

Gaztech · February 19, 2009

Hi Everyone.

So, I settled down last Saturday to change the timing belt on my IS200 using Kev Watkins brilliant instructions on the forum. (Nice one Kev!)

Stripped everything down - all went fine until I came to removing the main pulley bolt. No amount of hammering or jumping on my "shifter" bar would make the bolt budge. There just seemed to be too much take up in the crude method I was using to hold the pulley. Wow - was this bolt tight!! Serious!

After 2 hours of cursing, swearing and generally getting more and more frustrated I was forced to concede defeat and give up.

I never give up - so it must have been REALLY stuck. As you can imagine, I'm not happy about this.

What are the chances of anyone on the forum having the tool to hold the pulley properly to remove this bolt?

Has anyone fashioned a tool that I could hire/borrow/beg? This is a serious dent to my pride - beaten by a single bolt!

Anyone have any ideas? I REALLY don't want to send this to Toyota to do as changing the belt is essentially a very straightforward task and they charge a fortune to do this.

Please HELP!!

sparkystav · February 19, 2009

The way ive seen it done is to remove something on the side of the gearbox so you can clamp the engine.

is it just turning the engine or just not coming undone?

Have you put the car in gear as well?

Stav

Sheeldzy · February 20, 2009

Hi Everyone.
So, I settled down last Saturday to change the timing belt on my IS200 using Kev Watkins brilliant instructions on the forum. (Nice one Kev!)

Stripped everything down - all went fine until I came to removing the main pulley bolt. No amount of hammering or jumping on my "shifter" bar would make the bolt budge. There just seemed to be too much take up in the crude method I was using to hold the pulley. Wow - was this bolt tight!! Serious!

After 2 hours of cursing, swearing and generally getting more and more frustrated I was forced to concede defeat and give up.

I never give up - so it must have been REALLY stuck. As you can imagine, I'm not happy about this.

What are the chances of anyone on the forum having the tool to hold the pulley properly to remove this bolt?

Has anyone fashioned a tool that I could hire/borrow/beg? This is a serious dent to my pride - beaten by a single bolt!

Anyone have any ideas? I REALLY don't want to send this to Toyota to do as changing the belt is essentially a very straightforward task and they charge a fortune to do this.

Please HELP!!

Mine was the same, I eventually managed it with the hammer and a friend holding the timing belt on the cam pulley with a set of big water pump pliers but my next course of action was to put the breaker bar against the subframe or the floor and just flick the starter over. Old trick I used to use on my old bmw. Have to literally just juickly turn the starter on and off again though!

Gaztech · February 20, 2009

Hi Everyone.
So, I settled down last Saturday to change the timing belt on my IS200 using Kev Watkins brilliant instructions on the forum. (Nice one Kev!)

Stripped everything down - all went fine until I came to removing the main pulley bolt. No amount of hammering or jumping on my "shifter" bar would make the bolt budge. There just seemed to be too much take up in the crude method I was using to hold the pulley. Wow - was this bolt tight!! Serious!

After 2 hours of cursing, swearing and generally getting more and more frustrated I was forced to concede defeat and give up.

I never give up - so it must have been REALLY stuck. As you can imagine, I'm not happy about this.

What are the chances of anyone on the forum having the tool to hold the pulley properly to remove this bolt?

Has anyone fashioned a tool that I could hire/borrow/beg? This is a serious dent to my pride - beaten by a single bolt!

Anyone have any ideas? I REALLY don't want to send this to Toyota to do as changing the belt is essentially a very straightforward task and they charge a fortune to do this.

Please HELP!!

Mine was the same, I eventually managed it with the hammer and a friend holding the timing belt on the cam pulley with a set of big water pump pliers but my next course of action was to put the breaker bar against the subframe or the floor and just flick the starter over. Old trick I used to use on my old bmw. Have to literally just juickly turn the starter on and off again though!

Hey - neat trick. Might just be possible. I think I'll have another go in a couple of weeks time. This time I won't strip everything down until I manage to loosen the bolt! Thanks.

Gaztech · February 20, 2009

The way ive seen it done is to remove something on the side of the gearbox so you can clamp the engine.
is it just turning the engine or just not coming undone?

Have you put the car in gear as well?

Stav

The problem seems to be that not only is it VERY tight but it's impossible to stop the engine turning completely. I found that there was far too much "flex" in the holding method. Car was in gear but still not solid enough to undo the bolt. The problem is that if you can't get the engine locked off any whack with a hammer is just absorbed in the flex of the holding method. Tricky one this.... Maybe mine is just mega-tight.

Talisker · February 20, 2009

I might be able to help you. You need a special tool to hold the pulley in place while you undo the bolt. If you're any good at fabrication you should be able to knock one up without too much trouble. I made this one in about 20 mins.

If you can see the front of the bottom pulley there are two holes drilled through the body of the pulley opposite each other. You might be able to feel it if you can get your hands down there, i only removed the fan unit so the space was more limited than if i had removed the radiator.

I drilled a couple of holes in this length of angle iron and put the bolts through and welded them in place. The distance between the centre of the holes is 75mm. If you haven't got access to a welder you can always thread nuts on to secure the bolts.

I made the cut-out by chain drilling then cutting between the holes. The cut-out is so you can get a socket on the pulley bolt.

Once the special tool was on, with the bolts running through the holes in the pulley, i basically stood on the end of the length of steel so it wouldn't move and undid the pulley bolt using a socket on a breaker bar.

I think the pulley bolt is torqued up to 220Nm. It took a bit of effort to undo it.

Hope the explanation is easy enough to follow and i hope the pictures give you more of an idea.

Gaztech · February 20, 2009

I might be able to help you. You need a special tool to hold the pulley in place while you undo the bolt. If you're any good at fabrication you should be able to knock one up without too much trouble. I made this one in about 20 mins.
If you can see the front of the bottom pulley there are two holes drilled through the body of the pulley opposite each other. You might be able to feel it if you can get your hands down there, i only removed the fan unit so the space was more limited than if i had removed the radiator.

I drilled a couple of holes in this length of angle iron and put the bolts through and welded them in place. The distance between the centre of the holes is 75mm. If you haven't got access to a welder you can always thread nuts on to secure the bolts.

I made the cut-out by chain drilling then cutting between the holes. The cut-out is so you can get a socket on the pulley bolt.

Once the special tool was on, with the bolts running through the holes in the pulley, i basically stood on the end of the length of steel so it wouldn't move and undid the pulley bolt using a socket on a breaker bar.

I think the pulley bolt is torqued up to 220Nm. It took a bit of effort to undo it.

Hope the explanation is easy enough to follow and i hope the pictures give you more of an idea.

This is more like it! Looks like a very good idea. Very practical. I'll definitely give this a go!

Much appreciated. Thank you.