95 Camry Timing Belt Attempt/Advice
 

I have a 95 Camry with 355K miles. Its a 4 cyl 5 speed manual tran with the 2.2 L engine. The engine still runs strong and smooth.
I want to attempt this job myself. The timing belt is still good but Im sure my oil pump gasket is bad
as I am leaking quite a bit of oil. I assume it is the original oil pump gasket seal. So I am thinking to do everything
while in there - Alternator belt, PS belt, water pump w/gasket (as that is original and Im sure leaking a tad since I do add antifreeze every now & then), 2 new idler pulleys & tension spring, cam seal, crank seal, oil shaft seal and oil gasket seal. Am I correct there is a oil pump shaft seal like the cam & crank as well as the internal oil gasket?
So my question is I have done brakes, changed lug studs, replaced all suspension links, sway bar bushings, many cap,rotor,wires and plugs, removed the distributor to change the ignition module. Knowing that is the extent of my mechanical skills at this point is this a job for me? If it is I do have concern about loosening and re-tightening (to correct torque) all the pulleys involved with this job as well as getting the cam/crank and oil seals out and back in. I have no air tools.
Is there a special tool to remove and reinstall the pulleys or seals? Im assuming with my belt still being good I can mark the existing belt and pulleys and transfer the markings to the new belt. Another concern is the tension on all the belts - Alt, PS, Timing - how do I know what the correct tension is? Does the engine need to be supported since the engine moving control rod (torque mount or "dog bone") is being removed.
I do have a Haynes repair manual and read through it but I figure you guys will know if this is something I should attempt and offer the tips and tricks the book doesnt have. Thanks for any advice.

How many miles on the current belt?

Recommended belt change is 60K miles. If planning to keep the car longer then the next belt change interval, consider changing the belt now.

If you want to reuse the old belt mark the belt direction of travel to reorient the same way when installed. There is no need to mark the belt with the pulleys but you can if wanting to.

You can align the cam/crank pulley orientation marks per the manual then install the belt. Rotate crank 2 times CW and recheck marks. If not correct reorient belt until the marks remain aligned after rotating 2 times.

The oil pump has a lip seal like the cam/crank shaft. The seal is what typically leaks and will do so when the engine is running and pump under pressure.

The oil pump gasket is a preformed o'ring. Make sure to obtain this o'ring before doing the work.

The pump will need to be taken apart to change the seal. The drive rotor will need to be secured without damaging it to unbolt the pulley nut.

Reinstall the driven gear in the same orientation as when removed. The gears have dots on one face to orient them. Apply a thin film of grease or oil to the gears including the outside radius of driven gear. This will help insure priming of the pump when first started.

The internet has many posts on getting the crank/cam seals out. To reinstall there are purpose made generic tools that can be used to drive or press the seal into the hole.

Homemade tools can also be fabricated. Some owners have fabricated installation driver tools consisting of a ring made of metal, plastic or wood perhaps a section of pipe that faces up to the seal.

A pry bar can then be used. The cam/crank bolt can also be used with a large diameter washer to press against the driver tool when screwed in and press in the seal.

The caution is to make sure the seal installs straight and does not cant in the hole. Review internet posts and videos to see how this is done.

Cam seal installation will be more challenging due to lack of clearance in front of the seal but it can be done.

Removing and reinstalling the crank bolt requires holding crank still. Review the numerous net post on what others have come up with to accomplish this.

Prior to taking the engine apart align the crank/cams to DTC on No 1 cylinder. There is no need to support the engine.

If concerned about torquing bolts buy, rent or borrow the appropriate size torque wrench

Most owners just guess at belt tension. There are tension gauges or one can use belt defection. Don't over tension as this can cause bearing failure.

Research the above prior to starting work. Search under changing 5SFE timing belt. Plan for a weekend of work if not having done the job.

Thanks for the advice.
Dont get mad but we bought the car new in 95 and did the first belt at 65K (dealer), the 2nd belt at 142K (dealer). At 200K my wife wanted a "new" car (got a used van) so we didnt do the timing belt. My truck was a gas guzzler so I decided to drive the camry as a daily driver and stopped using the truck. So the belt hasnt been changed in over 213K miles and it still runs like a top and gets 31mpg on the highway! To be honest I wasnt sure if the car was going to last being so old but it kept on going and going so then I got nervous that if I changed the belt some shop would screw it up. Since it was a non-interference engine I decided to take my chances. It would lose about a quart of oil every 3K but now I wouldnt chance driving it the oil leak is so bad. Its just like you described when the engine is running and pump under pressure.
So yes the intent is to tackle everything at once if I attempt this, new everything.
I always did oil changes and tune ups but have been venturing onto bigger/newer repairs. Last job was inner & outer tie rods on my wifes van. This would be a big job for me. My logic is either way I can always throw the tire back on it and have it towed to a shop if I mess it up (correct?). The last 2 times I brought this car to a dealer for stuff I couldnt figure out the dealer did a horrible job. It seemed like with a car this old they put their worst guy on it and didnt care as they want you to buy a new car from them.

So what I think your saying is I really dont need to mark the old belt and transcribe it to the new belt as long as I align the cam and crank properly.
If done that way it doesnt matter where I start to put the belt on. Im guessing match marks might give me a better feeling of at least being close to where I should be for timing.

I did do alot of research (Im one of those analysis / paralysis guys) so far and have seen tools made of wood or metal with some bolt holes to hold the sprockets to take the bolts out of the pulleys and back on, or the use of pry bars but I really dont see how a pry bar will help on the crank that is on with 80 ft lbs. And Im not comfortable with the pry bar as I do not really know what I could damage if I pry in the wrong spot. I did see someone suggest an electric impact gun or a breaker bar and bumping the starter. I also saw where you can remove the valve cover to access a hex area on the cam to hold it still while making an attempt at the bolt.

I did see some guy suggest raising the engine to access the cam seal, not sure how tight it really is. Do some of those seals have springs on them, I could have sworn my Haynes manual mentioned to be careful of the spring popping out of place when installing the crank seal.
I do have various torque wrenches and have been building up my tools with past jobs as needed.

213K miles on a belt! WHAT! (@*#&$&@#@#@! LOL.

Obviously that's a lot. Good old Toyota parts. They do break. Suggest a new belt. Perhaps from a Toyota dealer or other quality product. Toyota buys spec'd parts from name brand manufacturers who also sell to the public.

If looking for car parts brand names such as AISIN, Koyo, Mitsuboshi, Denso, Bando are good. There are others of course. Suggest avoiding your auto parts chain store branded parts unless you know who made them.

Keep track of the oil leak as it can become very bad quickly. Bad enough to be a quart low in a 35 mile hwy drive.

Yes, professional mechanics can be good or bad. If willing to learn and have the time one can educate themselves, buy/make tools the tools and have at it. If doing it wrong, typically then can have at again and still be ahead $$ wise.

It appears some timing belts came with marks. However could rotate the engine to TDC for No 1 cylinder (align cam pulley sprocket hole with mark on bearing cap), then mark the belt AND pulleys. Then match belt tooth count between marks on the old belt with new and match up these with marks on pulley.

This may have some advantage as when the tensioner is released the cam pulley can move as the belt slack is taken out. Then the timing marks are off. A set number of teeth between marks (belt and pulley) would keep things honest.

When done with ANY belt installation. Rotate crank 2 times CW to check cam/crank timing marks. Removing spark plugs makes rotation easier.

Toyota has a handled wrench having two pins at the end to engage the holes in the cam pulley arms. The pins engage the holes to hold it firm when removing the cam bolt. You can make a tool from wood, etc, and use bolts as the pins.

The crank harmonic balancer is two piece (outer/inner) with a "rubber" material in-between. Using a pry bar on the outer ring could cause separation of the two parts. Toyota has a handled tool having a flat round plate at one end that bolts to the inner part. Once attached the handle can be aligned to bind with the chassis or floor to hold the pulley.

A simple tool can be made out of a section of lumber. Drill two holes for the small bolts that attach the board to the pulley (threaded holes can be seen on inner pulley face. Then a larger hole to allow a socket access to the crank bolt. A 1/2 drive breaker bar should be able to undo the crank bolt.

You may need to use a puller on the harmonic balancer if stuck. Use a bolt-on pulley (bolts to inner part with same holes as the above tool) and not a claw type which pulls on outer part and could pull the it off the inner part.

The bump starter bolt loosing method seems to work OK but never used it. Would avoid the holding the cam method.

The seals have springs. If doing the job correctly they should not pop out. The key is making sure the seal installs straight when installing and does not bind. If you using a hammer to install the seal, fabricate a striking plate. Or make a press system.

A tip is to obtain 6 point box wrench for use on the bolts that hold the upper mount bracket to the engine bolt. The bolts can be tight! A 12 point or open end wrench could start to round over the bolt flats. With limited access to these bolts, this can be a problem.

Unbolt the furthest bolt first as these bolts cannot be removed from the bracket. Both bracket and bolts must come out at once.

Thought Toyota came up with a superseded tensioner spring (assume more tension). If so to be totally up to par might pick one up at the dealer (low cost).

Again plan take your time and not be rushed to need to use the car. There is a learning curve. Harbor Freight has cheap tools. Many larger metric bolts such as the crank and lug bolts can safely removed using an US sized socket.

Thanks again for the great advice, I have decided to give it a shot and I plan to order my parts from Rockauto. From the reviews they seem good and have the AISIN, Koyo, and Mitsuboshi parts you mentioned in a timing belt kit. The water pump says "with housing". Does that mean it is fully assembled with the gaskets and RTV and all I have to do is just bolt it in?
Alot of people suggest getting all the seals from the dealer, do you agree or would I have good luck with rockauto on these as well.
I will locate a 6 point box wrench for the mount, hopefully I can find a long one. I like the idea of using wood to make a crank removal tool.
Also I read that since my car has a manual / standard transmission that if I put it in gear the crank wont spin when I take the breaker bar to it,
is that true?
Should I give the area a good shot of break cleaner to get all the dirt and oil off of everything as I start taking it apart or is that a bad idea?
I'm excited to give it a shot!

There is the water pump and the housing it bolts to. The housing bolts to the engine block.

If the pump is with housing the seals and gaskets are included as shown in the photo. If you want to use RTV, you need to obtain this.

Installing the pump and or housing is bolt on operation. The housing takes a little more work as it needs to be attached to the coolant pipes. One pipe joint is bolt-on pipe flange, the other is tube that slides into the housing and is retained by a clip.

For the oil pump you want to get both the shaft seal and the preformed o'ring gasket.

Seals and gaskets from Rockauto are fine. Toyota buys products from various manufactures. All the oil pump seals listed are name brand.

Try Harbor Freight for a low cost wrench. You can always you a second open end wrench to mate up the open end section if needing more leverage.

Never tried loosing the crank bolt with the leaving in gear method. There may be too much play in the drive train to make this a practical method. This play results in "winding up" the wrench before being able to apply any real torque.

It is always a more enjoyable experience to work on a clean engine. Not sure on brake cleaner as issues are what it contains and its effect on paint. Might try engine cleaner. When hosing off avoid spraying into areas such as wiring harness connections, etc. There is not much of this in the timing cover area.

OK so I finally gathered up all the parts (combo rockauto & dealer) and tools. got the 6pt wrench off ebay.
So I am planning on starting today. I did take a diversion and changed the valve cover gasket last week as a warm up and confidence builder!

I plan on chocking rear wheels and only jacking up the passenger side front and placing my jack stand on the pinch weld. Does the entire front end need to be lifted for this?

Also when I am using the breaker bar to spin crank to align TDC does the car (5 speed manual tran) need to be in neutral with the e-brake on or do i leave it in 1st gear? I will remove spark plugs to ease the spin force.
I have no idea what to expect when i turn the engine crank and none of the videos i watched were on a manual tran. Im assuming if its in 1st gear and i crank the engine it will try and make the tires rotate. correct? or am I missing something - Again have no clue of what to expect here.

One big question I have is what will happen if the engine rotates COUNTER clockwise when i am trying to remove a pulley? I heard you should avoid that but what could happen?

I saw some sites where it said to try and loosen all pulleys under the timing belt tension and other sites said that was not a good idea.

I am going to fabricate a pulley holder out of a 1 inch wide by 1/4 inch thick piece of 3 foot long metal stock from home depot. It will have a 6 inch piece that is screwed into main bar with a bolt hole that matches up to a bolt hole in the main bar. My biggest concern is getting the pulleys on and off for the seal change. I am going to remove alternator completely and once the TB is off start by replacing the water pump first. Im assuming theres no particular order that needs to be followed for water pump, cam/crank seals, oil pump seals and idler pulleys?

Need only jack up the passenger's side of the car. When you do so, the rear passenger tire suspension will also rise up taking some load of this tire. Suggest you also block the driver's side tire and engage emergency brake.

If one driven tire is off the ground on a non-limited slip differential. Rotating the engine when in gear may do nothing as only the passenger's side axle may rotate. However have the trans in neutral.

Rotating the engine backward will not harm the engine. There is really no need to do so unless trying to finalize the location of the crank timing mark.

The crank pulley does not engage the crank seal. There is a timing belt pulley behind the crank pulley that locks into the crank via a keyway. Remove this pulley to access the seal. If you can not pull the pulley off by hand, use a bolt-on puller. The timing belt pulley also slides onto the crank.

There is no order to removing the other parts or need to line up the oil pump and water pump pulleys.

Suggest the biggest issue is in not taking your time. The crank bolt may be difficult to loosen leading to frustration. Unbolting the upper engine mount takes time due limited access. These bolts may be tight. Installing the seals needs care to not damage them or install at an angle.

If you need to have the car running again in a few hours for say work and this is your first time at the job. The result may be a rush and making mistakes.

Do take off the alt (disconnect battery). The alt wiring harness plug can be difficult remove from the alt, take care not to break the plug lock.

Remove the upper dog bone mount completely. Remove the upper timing belt cover.

Make sure the engine is at TDC on the No 1 cylinder compression stroke before taking off the belt (cam/crank marks in the correct spot). Otherwise you will need to rotate the pulley by hand which is more difficult.

Once completely done with belt installation. Rotate engine 2 times CW and recheck timing marks.

If your concerned about issues you can install the lower crank parts/timing belt cover and start engine. If all is OK, install remaining parts.

HELP! OK looks like I messed up, I was taking off the Alternator adjusting bolt and i snapped it off.
I thought I had broke it loose but I was wrong as you can see from the picture.
I just started the project today and was about 15 minutes into it! Not good!
I was trying to remove the alternator completely because I am installing a new water pump along with the timing belt.
So are my choices to try and drill it out? I have some of those screw remover bits where you drill first then swap bit to unscrew.
I also have a tap & die set.
Or can I try and take off the alt bracket. I do have the pivot bolt out. If I took the bottom bolt off the alternator bracket would that free up the
belt? I assume it would be easier to work on it off the car. I have never snapped off a bolt before - its always been a big fear of mine.
Does that adjusting bolt actually go into the alternator itself or does it just wedge itself some how against the bracket?
Maybe I should be buying all new bolts for this? The alternator and parts are all original. I had sprayed everything down with PB blaster a while ago but maybe I should have given it more today but it seems like it would be hard to get much into those threads anyway.

The long bracket (adjusting bar) that the "pivot" block bolts to is attached to the engine at its bottom end.

The pivot block bolt attaches the alt to the pivot block. The adjusting bolt goes through a mounting eye on the alt.

The lower alternator mounting hole on the alternator flange bolts to the engine block.

To adjust belt tension. The lower alt mounting bolt and pivot block bolts need to be loosened. If the lower alt bolt is not loosened, the alt can not rotate to allow the belt tension to be adjusted.

The bolt snapped at what location? At the pivot block?

Do you now have the block pivot out of the car? If not, unbolt adjusting bar from engine and remove the bolt holding the pivot block to the adjusting bar. Then remove bar, block, broken bolt from car.

The threaded tensioner assy is used to set belt tension. Once set the pivot block is tightened down and the lower alt mounting bolt.

The tensioner assy is not needed to adjust belt tension. One can use a pry bar to force the pivot block to slide to on the bar to adjust belt tension. Then tighten the block bolt, alt bolt, etc.

If the bolt broke inside the block. Apply penetrating solvent to the threads/block. Rotate the bolt out as much as possible, then apply solvent on the newly exposed threads.

Then rotate the now sprayed bolt back into block. Repeat the bolt screw out/solvent on new threads/bolt in routine until the bolt is free or it is not possible to continue.

If the head of the bolt is broken, use vice grips to rotate the bolt.

Yes I think we're talking about the same thing. I was calling the larger 14mm bolt in the rear of ALT the pivot bolt as that is where the ALT
pivots up and down on. I got that bolt off fine. On the ALT tension adjuster bracket I have not loosened the bottom bolt yet where it attaches to the engine. The "pivot" block bolt which I am calling the adjusting lock bolt is the one I snapped the head off. I have not tried to remove the
actual long adjusting bolt (in the picture that is the one I marked with white to reset tension to roughly the same area) as I thought I had to loosen the adjusting lock bolt first on that pivot block. So I just now realized that there are no threads in the pivot block which could save me!
I thought it was threaded but it appears to be smooth and the only threads are as you said in the alternator itself. I did not see that with all the corrosion on my car. I thought there was something on the bracket that made it lock. So I will follow your advice and remove the bottom engine bracket bolt.
This should allow me to pull the bracket with the pivot block still attached via the long adjusting bolt. After that i should be able to see threads and hopefully grab on with my vice grips and keep oiling. Do you think it would be OK to hit that part of the alternator with some heat from a propane torch? I know when I switched my sway bar links out it was much easier with them heated up. I just dont want to damage the alternator. Thanks.

The broken bolt screws into the block. The bolt goes through the ear on the alternator and into the block. Unbolt the adjusting arm at the bottom and remove the arm and block.

Was the broken bolt frozen in the block and broke off? Some thread will be exposed. You can try vice grips.

There are lots of posts on removing stuck bolts. Best route is to drill a straight smaller hole in the middle of the bolt. Then increase the drill size as much as you can without damaging the threads. Drill from the back side of the bolt which is flatter.

A standard right flute drill from the back will encourage the bolt to unscrew.

Use caution when drilling as you don't want to break the drill off in the hole.

There should be no reason to heat the alternator. Caution the body is made of aluminum.

Project update
 

I am at the point to "pop" out the crank & cam seals, any quick or easy way to do this? I tried sharpening a paint can opener to try and get it between the crank shaft and lip but no luck. i am thinking of drilling 3 holes in the crank seal and putting in some 4 inch long wood screws and attaching them to my pulley puller. I could only find 3 inch long metal screws which arent long enough but the wood screw threads seem similar just dont know how tough they are.
Would that work?
It seems as if the cam seal might be easier to remove since the outer edge is accessible to grab with some kind of tool since it sits flush at the lip which is further out than the outer portion of the camshaft housing. But I assume it will be in there extremely well since it been so long.
Any advice on how to get these out would be appreciated as well as any re-install tricks.

Here is my update if any interest. The old belts i pulled off that had been on the car for 213K miles and almost 15 1/2 years were a genuine Toyota timing belt and power steering belt and a Bando alt/AC belt. The timing belt looked surprisingly good, only 1 tooth was starting to fray, the other 2 drive belts seemed stiff and cracked, I am shocked they never snapped! I am prodding along. I dont get very much free time to work on the car, 10 min here 15 min there if im lucky 1/2 hour. I did have to drill and retap the alternator fin where the adj block locks it up as I did snap that bolt early on in the project. It also was a chore to get the 90mm long adj bolt free (almost snapped that - definitely twisted it a hair) - I ran that through a die and also tapped the adj block and its nice and smooth now. Used alot of heat, oil, wax and a cordless impact gun which I ended up buying to get it unstuck! The cordless impact gun also took my crank bolt off pretty easily.
Ive had to make 3 custom tools to hold the crank, cam and oil pump pulleys. I have changed out the water pump & thermostat ( i used a Stant thermostat that didnt have a jiggle valve, it didnt seem as good quality as the Toyota thermostat that has been in there for 9 years). I have completed putting in the new oil pump shaft seal and o-ring gasket. I have cleaned up everything pretty good except for the timing belt covers themselves. Any advice on how to remove the sticky black oily mess on the covers? I tried alcohol, brake cleaner, soap & water. Who knows maybe I am melting the plastic over. When I started I aligned all timing marks and marked the old belt and sprockets so hopefully if these next two seals go well reassembly should be quite easier!

Great job to date!

The link below my help for seal removal with screws:

Replacing the propeller shaft seal without disassembly

Be careful not to drill into the block or nick the cam/crank shaft.

Try something like kerosene or diesel and a plastic abrasive pad.

So I was able to get out the crank seal by drilling three 1/16" holes. The link you supplied was very good. I just drilled SLOW until the bit just broke thru the seal. I used #6 x 3/4" metal screws and then pulled them equally with a pair of vice grips.
I tried using a pick at first but had no luck and I didnt want to mess up the crank shaft. Im thinking my seals are hard as rocks they are so old. I will be attempting the removal of the cam seal tonight (hopefully if I get some free time after this post). I picked up a 90 degree angle drill attachment at Home Depot today to drill the cam seal.

My question now is my seal kit came with a tube of lube. I know I definitely lube the inside lip of the seal but do I also do the outer edge and should I also do the housing the seal sits into both the outer edge and inner shaft? I have cleaned the shelf where the seal will sit with brake cleaner and a q-tip. Will lubing everything makes these seals slide in easier?

I made a pusher from 2" PVC pipe for the crank and a pusher from a 1 1/2" PVC pipe for the cam seal. I will use a large washer with the respective bolts to push in these seals.

Assuming all goes well and I start to reassemble everything my question is should I just hand tighten the cam and crank pulley bolts and then put the timing belt on? If I try and torque the cam to 27 ft lbs and crank to 80 ft lbs I assume there is a chance the shafts could move and
make me out of time. So then once I get the belt on would I then torque to full specs? Or just torque both pulley before the belt goes on.
I do have my homemade tools to hold them but I think there is a little play in each one just not sure if its enough to screw up the timing marks or not.

If all goes well with the pulleys and belt and then 2 CW revolutions says timing is good I would then want to start the engine before buttoning everything back up. Would I start it without the drive belt pulley attached or is that dangerous or do i just put the crank bolt in with just the timing belt crank pulley & belt guide, there again meaning can the crank bolt just be hand tight or somewhat tight versus torqued up to 80 ft lbs?
I guess this is where im confused, to test the engine is it ok to just have crank timing pulley with belt guide and then crank bolt or do i need to put back the crank drive pulley that accommodates the alt, PS, & AC drive belts and have it torqued to 80 ft lbs?
Thanks

Great job!

The link below will provides all you need to know about installing seals.

https://sealing.com/fileadmin/docs/L...stallation.pdf

You want the lube on the shaft and lip of the seal. Not on the outer case circumference.

Note in the link the use of a cone on the shaft. The idea is to prevent nicking the seal doing install.

Examine the shafts for a groove caused by wear of the lip of the seal over time. If there is a groove problem and there is travel room in the hole. The seal can be installed a little deeper to move the lip passed the groove.

There are also thin sleeves available that slide over the shaft.

For the belt install. Suggest the following:

Torque the cam bolt upon cam pulley installation.

Install crank parts required to install timing belt. Install belt with with cam/crank pulley aligned. Install lower timing belt cover and crank bolt but don't tighten bolt to spec.

If the spark plugs are out. The crank can be easily rotated CW to check for proper belt installation. Rotate crank CW as you outlined to check marks. You want these marks to be spot on!

Once satisfied tighten crank bolt using the same pulley holding tool you used to loosen the bolt. Don't be concerned about the pulleys moving as they will move together.

You could start the engine at this point. Make sure any electrical cables connected to the Alt are protected from being grounded, touching each other, etc.

Most times if the belt is installed OK, the engine will run normal on the first start up. It has happened, even with a properly installed timing belt (cam/crank pulleys aligned), the engine runs poorly. Why? Then over a few starts up (in garage, etc) runs normally.

If this happens don't go looking for something that may not be wrong.

Once satisfied with the belt install. Reinstall all the other parts, belts, etc. Be sure to again disconnect the battery prior to installing the alt.

The key here is making sure the cam/crank pulleys are aligned AFTER rotating the crank 2 times CW.

During belt installation it has happened the cam pulley moves but the crank pulley does not. Then the cam/crank timing is off.

Once the belt is installed, the crank can be rotated all you want. The cam/crank alignment will not change.

This issue is when installing the belt, one pulley can move as the belt is installed but the other does not.

Good discussion I have to do the timing belt on my car and understand how you only have time for 30 minutes one day and 15 minutes the next. Sometimes it takes me a few weeks to repair but I would rather take my time and do it right.