Hi all...
I was stopped at a light when the engine started hesitating and barely made it pass the light when I immediately pulled over, placed transmission in parking and open the hood and observed the timing belt dust cover moving as if something wanted to break out.

First thing I assumed was belt just broke and its bunching up and then the engine died. This was in Nov 2014.

Fast forward to today and Im finally able to work on it. Wife is tired of lending me her car and I dont blame her.

First off, I'm very mechanically inclined and have most tools, patience and time. What I don't have is a steady job and a bulging wallet. I'm in my 50's and full time jobs offers are not abundant here in Florida.

Car is jacked, right front wheel removed. I've been able to pull alternator and belt. Loosen power steering pump and remove belt.

Timing belt is not broken nor any other belt but definitely will be replaced.

I do have new:
timing belt;
alternator belt;
power steering belt;
water pump;
valve cover gasket and a few other rubber gaskets that the toyota dealer suggested along with a few copies of diagrams of where they go if Im lucky and able to do it.

Upon removing the upper dust cover noticed the water pump gear/pulley(?) is what is not aligned and even saw a ball bearing sitting on bottom of lower dust cover. When trying to turn by hand it wobbles and hard as well.

This is what most likely was making dust cover bulge/move to begin with. No clue why engine would died due to that but im guessing belt may have jumped a cog or two. No engine light came on nor high temp gauge. Hopefully nothing was damaged intenally.

I am now stuck and unable to remove this lower dust cover.

Been searching for an online manual. Seen youtube videos but they lack or skip details. They seem to be more like "look what I can do" rather than a genuine tutorial.

This forum did helped me once back in 2012 with replacing a rear door glass and trim. I actually received a detailed diagram just for that body part and its now long gone with a hard drive crash. Not that it would help me with the engine anyways.

Unrelated to the engine dying, I had purchased new engine mounts/insulator.
I had already replaced the transmission anti-torque that looks like a dog bone. That's the one on top left and the easiest one to do. The other two I have not. I have not purchase the one(s) that go under the transmission.

Next will be struts and spring AFTER I get her running again.

For what its worth, the engine ran like a sewing machine in any rpm range.

I once again am at the mercy of any help this forum and its "can-do" folks can throw my way.

Ah yes...more details. The timing belt tensioner does not free wheel/spin like one would "assume" it should like a ball bearing would. The dealer told me it should not free wheel/spin, otherwise it would need replacing as well. So Im good there.

I also did find engine oil pooled on the header/manifold in the rear. I am assuming it's the valve cover that needs replacing and I already have a new one standing by.

I'm already $600 in parts alone ($400 in engine mounts/insulator) and car is not going anywhere anytime soon. (duh...)

Once again thanks and looking forward to anything I can get out of this phenomenal forum.

I love my camry...thanks.

 

I have no idea on the 2001, but $15 will get you everything you need to know to remove and re-install everything - Toyota TIS:

https://techinfo.toyota.com/techInfo...pmanager/t3/ti

You will get a 2 day subscription and will have access to every FSM, TSB, and wiring diagram. Were I you, I'd spend a day saving sections of the FSM to PDF; you can't just download it, and can only look at subsection parts, but you can ask it to PRINT - PRINT TO PDF to save a PDF copy of that section. Do every component - you'll have lots of PDFs but you can then PDF them all into a single file and voila - FSM for $15.

 

If you don't have any money skip the engine/trans mounts and struts. Buy lower price quality parts online from sites like Rockauto, Partsgeek, Amazon, etc.

The dog bone and other solid mounts can be inspected. If a hydraulic type mount, check for fluid leakage.

The struts can be checked for worn struts.

Why can't you remove the lower cover, something stuck or lack of info?

If looking for online info, this engine (5SFE) was used from around 1992-2001. Search on replacing timing belt 5SFE. There are threads at this forum on replacing the timing belt, use the search function

Not sure what the dealer is stating about the tensioner pulley not spinning. There are two idler pulleys having bearings. One is fixed bolted to the engine, the other bolts to a plate that can rotate to move the bearing and apply more tension to the belt. Once tension is set, the plate is bolted down and this pulley location is also fixed.

Might also consider replacing the oil pump drive shaft seal. There is a thread on doing this at this site.

Post back with answers to these questions.

 

DIYdad...
Thanks for TIS link. Considering that as well as purchasing the two volume manuals on ebay for $100 given that I will drive this car until its unrepairable nor feasible to spend more cash on her.

***********
Toyomoho...
If you don't have any money skip the engine/trans mounts and struts. Buy lower price quality parts online from sites like Rockauto, Partsgeek, Amazon, etc.

Already purchased mounts and cannot return them as its pass their 30 day policy to do so (Toyota dealer). One had to be "special ordered" and definitely no return on that one. Im ok with purchasing OEM.

Its not about the lack of funds but rather finding a reputable mechanic that wont gouge my hard earned money. I just don't know any mechanics and hence have a hard time trusting a stranger. The dealer is out of the question as they charge the most from what Ive heard but not experienced.

The dog bone and other solid mounts can be inspected. If a hydraulic type mount, check for fluid leakage.

Already replaced that one. Its solid, no liquids. Just metal and rubber. The rubber where bolts go through were broken/ruptured. Definitely needed replacing.

The struts can be checked for worn struts.

They are worn. They are the original ones that came with car. Figured springs need replacing as well given their age. aka metal fatigue. Of course, I could be wrong. I have not purchased any...yet.

Why can't you remove the lower cover, something stuck or lack of info?

Lack of info at first. I screwed up and removed belt and turned pulleys by hand without marking anything first. The lower pulley free spins when trying to remove bolt. I need to find a means for such a bone head move. Im thinking perhaps removing starter and finding a means to keep flywheel from spinning in order to finally remove this bolt.

If looking for online info, this engine (5SFE) was used from around 1992-2001. Search on replacing timing belt 5SFE. There are threads at this forum on replacing the timing belt, use the search function

I did use search but did not find visual references/diagrams. To my understanding this type of engine is the non-interference type so even if the belt would have broken there should be no internal damage. Im sure I will be further educated on such.

Not sure what the dealer is stating about the tensioner pulley not spinning. There are two idler pulleys having bearings. One is fixed bolted to the engine, the other bolts to a plate that can rotate to move the bearing and apply more tension to the belt. Once tension is set, the plate is bolted down and this pulley location is also fixed.

What dealer parts man told me was that the tensioner pulley(s) should not "free spin" like one would think/expect them to such as ball bearings do. It should spin but not for long when done by hand. Maybe like three full rotations before it stops...unlike ball bearings that spin longer. Perhaps its how I'm trying to explain it that makes it confusing. Sorry.

Might also consider replacing the oil pump drive shaft seal. There is a thread on doing this at this site.

I did purchase seals and gaskets as per the dealer recommendations given this quest. Reading the receipt, I seem to have the GASKET,OIL part #15188-03011.

As per the printed diagram they gave me from the oil pump, its a small donut ring. I also have a larger one. The diagram has them labeled as 15100C (the small one) and 15101A (the larger one).

Also have gasket 15100B. Dont know if these numbers mean anything to you.

*****
DISCOVERED today...
I have a very small pool of liquid which is not oily so it has to be antifreeze. It was a very minute drip. I have not removed nor disconnected any hoses to the water pump. Looking at the antifreeze reservoir, its empty. Looking inside my radiator I can see the fins and so it seems empty as well. Before this I had nothing dripping under car. Even after placing car on jacks.

Im thinking that if water had seeped out of the water pump bearing and the water level dropped below the temperature sensor, it would not register overheating and the gauge would not display such. This could explain the loss of power before engine shut down. Given I can move all pulleys by hand, I can only "assume" nothing is seized.

Im going to work on removing the starter to continue this quest.

Once again, thanks all for patience, time and any other advise forthcoming.

No clue how to make attached thumbnail any bigger. Just a visual reference.

 

Most people just replace the struts unless the springs are sagging.

It would have not made any difference in removing the belt or not.

You are going to need to retain the pulley while loosening the bolt. Toyota has special tools for this but you can make your own.

The pulley has two threaded bolted holes on its face. Find a section of board and drill holes to allow attaching the board to the pulley face with bolts plus a hole for the socket for the crank bolt. Make the board long enough then when the crank pulley rotates the board binds up no the chassis or floor.

Or some folks install a socket wrench, the wedge it against the floor and with engine ign disconnected hit the starter. This will loosen the bolt but I don't recommend this approach.

Once the bolt is removed, if required use a bolt on puller attached to the pulley with the same bolt holes to pull it off. Don't use a jaw puller as the pulley is two piece with a rubber material holding the two parts together and can be pulled apart.

Just replace both idler pulleys with new parts.

See link below for info on changing the timing belt.

http://bgbonline.celicatech.com/93ce...ngbelt5sfe.pdf

When installing the belt, it may not have dots as per the directions. Just line up the crank and timing belt pulleys are shown in the diagram.

Look at the diagram in the link below for the two oil pump seals needed. One is the donut seal (15100C) and the other is a preformed o-ring (15100B). Your engine part numbers might be different. You will need to take the pump off its housing, then unbolt the pulley. When removing the pump take note of a mark on the face of the large driver gear. The mark needs to be in the same orientation when the pump is re-installed.

Apply some grease or oil the faces and sides of the gears to seal the gaps and allow the pump to prime when engine is stated.

TOYOTA MR2 ENGINE OIL PUMP

Check for signs of coolant on top of the plastic shield under the radiator, leaking out of the water pump shaft area, plus hoses, and out of small hairline cracks on the upper radiator plastic tank.

Yes, if all water leaked out, the water temp sensor would not show any temp.

 

Follow up...
I did use a breaker bar against frame and a quick pulse to the starter did loosen the bolt with no mishap. Only had to do it once. Yes, I took a chance but it payed off. Timing belt was off camshaft pulley.

Bolt came out by hand as well as pulley. Did not need to use a pulley puller.

Ball bearing from water pump were all on the bottom of lower belt timing cover. Its an oily mess in there so seals will be replaced as planned. There seems to be no damage to any of the pulleys cogs.

Today I will be cleaning the oily mess and further inspect cogs to assure no visible damage from bearing *****.

There seems to be no leakage, ruptures or any other indicators from radiator as well as hoses. Radiator still had anti-freeze which was finally drained via peacock. There was maybe half a gallon left in radiator. Once I disconnect water pump, Im sure more will be had.

I will find out for sure if there are any leakage once its refilled. Car in on a slight incline of driveway. For what its worth, rear wheels are chucked, emergency brake on. Just letting you know that safety is my main concern. No OEM parts for this guy.

Seems when car was jacked making the radiator higher than the water pump, the leaking occurred until it self leveled and why the small pool of anti-freeze. Hope that makes sense. I can only hope there was no internal damage due to the coolant lost such as piston rings or whatever else gets damaged.

The timing belt link does not exactly match my engine (such as mounts) BUT I do get the idea of aligning marks and where they should be. The hardest part was getting to where I am now given I have never done it.

The diagram link for the toyota mr2 oil pump matches the one the dealer printed for me. The numbers match and I will be replacing 15100A, B and C.

As for the springs, I know there is a way to find out by measuring the height of the wheel wells and compare to original specs. However, I do not have original size tires on it. They all are 225/40R18. I know it steals some gas mileage but damn they look nice. So chances are I wont replace springs, just the struts. If you can recommend something equal or better given my tires, that would be great. I dont drive as fast I used to anymore despite wanting to.

As usual, thanks for your time and links.

 

Update SAT May 30th

Done cleaning the oily mess. Took several hours and rags as I did not use degreaser to keep driveway stain free...so far.

As per the PDF "how-to" diagram, I was able to remove the crankshaft timing pulley by hand (vs using screwdrivers) in order to get to the rubber seal (15101A).

How does it get removed? Do I use some type of pointed metal and ***** it out?

Is there anything behind it that could get damage by doing so?

By looking at the new one, its hollow, hard and the only "rubbery" part is the inner diameter area that touches crankshaft.

I have yet to remove the oil pump pulley to also replace the smaller donut seal. This one should be easier since Im also replacing 15100B gasket/seal and should be able to push the small donut from inside the "plate" once its removed.

Its a slow progress but things are moving along.

Thanks.

 

As to tires, check out the recommendations at TireRack.com. I like Michelin but the cheapest ones are $650 + tax, mounting, etc. If short on cash suggest shopping for used set of tires.

For crank and cam seals there are various types of removal tools. Lisle makes a low cost tool p/n 56750. Basically a pry tool having a hook that inserts through the rubber part of the seal into the grove in the metal part. The internet has posts and video's on this.

There is nothing behind the seal how when using any seal removal tool be careful not to nick the crank surface.

The seal is metal shell having a rubber insert. The metal housing is slightly larger then the hole allowing a press fit.

To install the seal there is another tool. This is a hollow round dowel having a ridge around the outside. The seal is positioned in the hole, then pushed in via the dowel or the dowel hit with a soft head hammer. When the seal is fully installed the ridge contacts the block to stop the installation.

If the crank seal is leaking oil, check the surfaces where the seal contacts for groves or other damage which can cause a leak. If damage there is a metal sleeve that can be pushed on the crank end to cover the damaged area.

The only pump seal can be driven out from the back using a hand tool socket.

 

Tires are new. Barely had 100 miles on them when engine died.

I was looking for recommendations on the STRUTS based on the tires, if such is an issue.

Will most likely pick up this tool at harbour freight...
Seal Puller w/2 Tips

As for the inserting tool, wondering if a board with a hole for shaft will do.

Woodworking is a hobby/passion of mine, so making anything special with wood is not an issue. I build RC planes, fly, crash, repair, repeat. ;-)

Heading out shortly to have some RC fun. Car can wait until Monday.

Thanks for tips and above all your time.

 

Struts. I use KYB. If you want something comparable to OEM then Monroe, KYB, Gabriel, Sachs. If you want low cost struts (economy) then Sensen plus Monroe has a line.

The above also make strut assys having the spring and upper mount. For low cost strut there are FCS and Unity. Monroe makes an "Econo-Matic strut assy that is just about the same cost of a one of the Monroe OEM struts.

The Economy parts may not be up the same quality and have the same ride as OEM type parts.

The Harbor Freight (HF) tool appears to be a knock off of the Lisle tool. However as can happen the HF tool quality seems grossly lacking given the negative comments. If you buy this tool make sure you can return it for a replacement if it breaks. HF is typically pretty good about returning broken tools if shortly after purchase.

As to installing the seal, most DIY's don't have the proper tool. They use whatever works. A board could work. Before you start to install the seal, make sure the seal is aligned with the hole and not cockeyed. The seal will not self align if it is too cockeyed in the hole resulting in being installed at an angle.

When installing make sure circumference of the metal part of the seal is installing uniforming. Meaning one side of the seal is not further in then the other.

You could find a section of pipe having an ID large enough to slide over the crank stub. The hit the pipe against the board.

If you have a wood lathe, can make a wood dowel.

Before removing the seal, take note if its location in the hole to compare with installation of new seal.

RC planes, what size?