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Water Pump and timing belt replacement 1HD-T

Ale

New Member
Joined
Jun 13, 2013
Messages
47
Further to my earlier post on whether to go OEM or aftermarket parts for my Water Pump and Timing Belt / Idler. I decided to go OEM after all the various comments. I also replaced the thermostat, cam cover oil seal, timing belt tensioner and aux drive belts.

I thought I'd post a picture up of my water pump after I'd taken it off. It seems the internal seal had gone, causing the water pump to drip water through its weep hole. The previous owner had left it in this state for some time - topping up with just water! So my old coolant was rusty water, and the bottom corner of the engine block with some light surface rust.

Handy to know about the weep hole, as I think this is visible from the front of engine block without removing anything.

waterpumpleak.jpg

Apart from my inexperience as a mechanic, most things went according to the service manual. The few problems I found:

- No 1 Cam pulley. This was hard to remove from the end of the camshaft. I used a screwdriver jammed through its spokes to stop it rotating when undoing. I also didn't have a puller to remove it, and the one I did borrow just wasn't working.. In the end I used a kettle full of hot water poured over it to help it expand, a few blows from my rubber mallet (not sure if this did anything), and levered it off with a spanner (just level with the Cylinder head to avoid bending the cam cover).

- Tensioner.. Not sure what Toyota make the spring from, but its might strong! In absence of the SST I tried the tip from another site to use a screwdriver as T-handle with some metal wire forming a loop. I didn't quite have the strength for this, but in the end I found a genius solution. Using a breaker bar with the socket end removed, I threaded a small loop of galvanised wire through this and tied it securely. The I looped the breaker bar over the tensioner and threaded this down through the engine bay to the right hand side of the crankshaft pulley. I then used this as a lever point to pull out the end of the tensioner spring. Took maybe 2 minutes doing it this way - with the help of an assistant to line the end of the Tensioner up with the fixing screw. Then simply cut the wire when fixed in position, and job done... Sorry no pics of this!

- Alternator... For some reason I just couldn't free up the alternator to get close enough to the engine to fit the new aux belts. Even with the bolts undone, and adjuster removed. In the end a bit of brute force using an old drive belt, I was able to pull it towards the engine. Getting it back was a struggle too.. Still none the wiser what was stopping it moving.

It was a nerving moment starting it up for the first time, but now have no water leaks, a slightly smaller list of jobs and a bit of experience under my belt.
 
That's the way to do it, step by step and if in doubt, ask or look it up.

You'll learn quickly and without too many bloopers, by the sounds of it! Enjoy!
 
Well done!

The weep hole is therefor 2 reasons:-
1. It gives early indication of a seal failure.
2. It stops the water going into the pump bearing which could lead to a sudden and more urgent problem.

There is only a weak spring in the tensioner. The piston you are trying to push in is hydraulic and when you are pushing it in it is forcing oil through a small hole into a reservoir. The way to do it is with a vice or large clamp very slowly otherwise you might damage the internals. Then put a pin through the holes as the piston pops out very quickly. Put the tensioner on then pull the pin out. It's a one way system to accommodate belt wear whilst keeping a constant pressure on the belt.

Very glad you used OEM parts. Some other parts fail straight away or won't fit. Pointless taking .........well not even a risk really.

Frank
 
thanks Frank. Though I think you might be referring to the 24v engine. On the 12v 1HD-T, unless I'm mistaken!, there is just a spring holding the tension for the idler.
 
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