98 1uz-fe Timing Belt And Water Pump Replacement How_to

[landar]

With 94k miles on the clock and 11 years of service, I decided to retire the old timing belt and water pump along with pulleys, tensioner and thermostat. It took me about 10 hours to disassemble and about 8 hours to assemble. Not to mention the countless hours researching everything. Now that I know, I could easily cut that time in half. I took lots of pictures along the way and put together a little tutorial for the 98 LS400.

The 98 does not have distributors or high voltage wires like the first gen. so that is a major difference and there are other smaller changes.

Total cost for parts was around $450 with all Toyota OEM parts (got them at the dealer).

My old belt was definitely getting tired but of course could have gone longer. How much is anyone's guess.

I have included a photo of it for those interested. Of particular interest to me was the fraying threads around what looks to be an assembly seam.

And there was a lot of belt "dust" all over the place. Material shaved off the old belt. The belt markings were completely gone with a shiny gloss to the

backside.

The old girl runs fine now. No different than before but now she's got new innards.

This job is tough but not terrible. Do a lot of studying before attempting and you will do fine. However, it is not for the beginner or faint of heart, thats for sure.

I have two links to the tutorials. One is for removal and one for installation of new parts.

If you have any questions, let me know. I have tried to point out some of the "stickier...maybe trickier" aspects of the job.

Hope it helps.

Removal -> http://www.flickr.com/photos/landar/sets/72157622883357340/

Install -> http://www.flickr.com/photos/landar/sets/72157622886015670/

[landar]

Here is a list of parts installed(Lexus p/n) and price paid:

1) Belt, timing $41.86 p/n 13568-09070

2) Pump, water $114.46 p/n 16100-59275-83 (comes with gasket)

3) Idler #2 $71.06 p/n 13503-0F010

4) Idler #1 $70.76 p/n 13505-0F010

5) Tensioner $44.93 p/n 13540-50030

6) Thermostat $15.19 p/n 90916-03100 (later 1998 models, earlier require different)

7) T/S gasket $4.46 p/n 16325-62010

8) Antifreeze $18.19 per gallon (x2 = $36.38) p/n 00272-1LLAC-01

9) O-ring $2.63 p/n 96761-24019

10) Serp. belt $49 Gates(NAPA)

Total cost: $450.73

Dealer wanted $1800 for the complete job. So, I figure I got paid $1.98/hr for my time.

At least there is no W2 form to fill out. ;)

[dcfish]

Super nice writeup I am sure this will help many of our members...

[steve2006]

That is a fantastic set of tutorials, many thanks for taking the time and trouble to show fellow members the complete proceedure on the later engine.

[eatingupblacktop]

I agree, nice work Landar! You beat out Carl in posting a tutorial for the '98.

Just curious, how were the bearings on the tensioner and idler? Btw, $1.98/hr prob isn't much different from a lot of us who like to do our own work. :P It's not the money but the satisfaction of knowing exactly how the job was done. ;)

[landar]

I agree, nice work Landar! You beat out Carl in posting a tutorial for the '98.

Just curious, how were the bearings on the tensioner and idler? Btw, $1.98/hr prob isn't much different from a lot of us who like to do our own work. :P It's not the money but the satisfaction of knowing exactly how the job was done. ;)

Thanks for the encouragement, all. Not looking to beat out anyone, just decided it was time to replace the TB in the 98 and did not see many "tuts" on that generation.

You know, I was thinking the same thing about the bearing wellness and trying to assess the old bearing wear. I wiggled them while still bolted in and there was some slop. Having no way to gauge the amount(purely subjective) I would say there was a little slop but not bad. Not like catastrophic and ready to fail. The new bearings were definitely tighter. My gut feel is that I could have left the bearings in there until the next TB change (which BTW, is what the Lex dealer probably would have done) but after doing all the teardown, I am not about to cheap out on the bearings. My time is worth more than that. And the water pump was in excellent shape. No slop in the shaft at all. So, I have all of these original parts ready to be thrown out and it seems a shame. Anyone want some "lightly" used parts?:whistles:

I agree on the $1.98. This is a hobby...nay, more than a hobby. A quest for oneness with the vehicle. I get tremendous satisfaction out of conquering the beast. Eh?? Ok, I am a cheapskate AND don't trust someone else to wrench on my Lex(not even the "pro's) :D BTW...everytime I get in there to work, I think this is one heluva well-designed vehicle...still awed and amazed by the engineering excellence.

[curiousB]

Terrific job many will benefit from your great effort to document this.

I plan to do my TB next spring as I roll over 90k miles (2004/LS430). I am leaning to your suggestion of the allen key in the flywheel opening to lock the crankshaft while you go after the bolt on the harmonic balancer. I've heard horror stories about how frozen this bolt can be. It sounds like yours wasn't too bad. Did you use a regular impact wrench or one of those high torque types?

[landar]

Terrific job many will benefit from your great effort to document this.

I plan to do my TB next spring as I roll over 90k miles (2004/LS430). I am leaning to your suggestion of the allen key in the flywheel opening to lock the crankshaft while you go after the bolt on the harmonic balancer. I've heard horror stories about how frozen this bolt can be. It sounds like yours wasn't too bad. Did you use a regular impact wrench or one of those high torque types?

The allen key idea came from a post by "IS400" in the Workshop Tutorial section of this club. I was a little skeptical about wedging something in the flywheel but after looking it over, I decided to give it a try. The last thing I wanted to do was mess up the flywheel. After using this method, I gained confidence that the key was not going to get stuck or damage the flywheel. You slowly turn the crank bolt until you feel the flywheel lock, then give her several good(forceful) tugs.

I also went with a 6-point 22mm socket over my 12-point socket. With that much force, I was concerned about potential damage to the bolt head.

My impact wrench is rated to 250 ft-lbs @ 90 PSI but it would not even begin to budge the bolt. I cranked the compressor up to 120 PSI(wrench only rated to 90 PSI) but still no luck. I thought about buying a better impact wrench, however one detail was bugging me...even if the bolt comes out via the impact wrench, how do I retorque it properly? I did not want to invest in a torquing impact wrench(if there be such an animal). I realize that the bolt is to be torqued to 181 ft-lbs. Although I really dont think it is extremely critical, I still wanted to get it somewhat close. Even bought a torque wrench to go to 250 ft-lbs. In the end, w/o an impact wrench, you need to lock that crank. I toyed with making a tool like in the FSM but that was too much work.

The worst part about using the flywheel is that I had to take the additional undercover plastic protector off. That took most of the time.

By far, one of the most critical details about this job with VVT engines is to set the crank at the proper angle so that when you take the belt off, the valve(s) will not hit the top of the piston(s). And they(the cams) will move somewhat, not a lot but some (maybe 5-10 degrees?). The FSM for my model indicated 50 degrees ATDC. I would double check the 430 to make sure it is the same (would imagine so but good to verify).

[black_LS]

Amazing tutorial.

[RDM]

My '92 LS and a '94 SC400 I did both had amazingly tight crank bolts. In fact, a 2.2L Camry I just did was the same way, seems Toyota has some magical impact wrench that goes to 600ft-lbs. On both of the Lexus cars I did I took one of the bolts out of the torque converter, then threaded a much longer one in so that it would hit the bottom of the engine when rotated, even one of those jobs the bolt bent a good bit before I broke the crank bolt loose. On the Camry I had the engine out and actually had to drop the oilpan and wedge a prybar into the crankshaft to keep it from turning, my impact couldn't touch it either. I've never had to go through that much trouble on any other vehicle I've ever worked on. I like the allen key idea a little better for the next one I end up doing.

[rtd111]

Here is a list of parts installed(Lexus p/n) and price paid:

1) Belt, timing $41.86 p/n 13568-09070

2) Pump, water $114.46 p/n 16100-59275-83 (comes with gasket)

...

etc

...

I see this is the list for a 98 LS400 but still a 1uzfe -- same engine as my 91 LS 400.

Can anyone think of why I can't use the same parts?

Many thanx in advance.

[Just hanging on]

With 94k miles on the clock and 11 years of service, I decided to retire the old timing belt and water pump along with pulleys, tensioner and thermostat. It took me about 10 hours to disassemble and about 8 hours to assemble. Not to mention the countless hours researching everything. Now that I know, I could easily cut that time in half. I took lots of pictures along the way and put together a little tutorial for the 98 LS400.

The 98 does not have distributors or high voltage wires like the first gen. so that is a major difference and there are other smaller changes.

Total cost for parts was around $450 with all Toyota OEM parts (got them at the dealer).

My old belt was definitely getting tired but of course could have gone longer. How much is anyone's guess.

I have included a photo of it for those interested. Of particular interest to me was the fraying threads around what looks to be an assembly seam.

And there was a lot of belt "dust" all over the place. Material shaved off the old belt. The belt markings were completely gone with a shiny gloss to the

backside.

The old girl runs fine now. No different than before but now she's got new innards.

This job is tough but not terrible. Do a lot of studying before attempting and you will do fine. However, it is not for the beginner or faint of heart, thats for sure.

I have two links to the tutorials. One is for removal and one for installation of new parts.

If you have any questions, let me know. I have tried to point out some of the "stickier...maybe trickier" aspects of the job.

Hope it helps.

Removal -> http://www.flickr.com/photos/landar/sets/72157622883357340/

Install -> http://www.flickr.com/photos/landar/sets/72157622886015670/

This is a great explanation of timing belt replacement!!

[ono8ono]

Really really great write up ! Now I have more confidence to replace mine.

"T/S gasket $4.46 p/n 16325-62010

O-ring $2.63 p/n 96761-24019"

BTW, what is t/s gasket t/s stands for?

Also what is the O ring for? Is that for the water pump? Thank you.

[ono8ono]

here is the PACKAGE deal from lextreme.com for 98 LS400

Water Pump & Timing Package

Item Price

LS400, SC400 and GS400 Timing Belt

#1uzfetimingbelt $70.00 USD

Crank Seal Front

#cranksealfront $8.00 USD

Camshaft Seals (2)

#camshaftseals $16.00 USD

Idler Pulley (Tension)

#idlerpulleytenson $120.00 USD

Idler Pulley Left side

#idlerpulleyleft $74.00 USD

Air Filter

#airfilter $21.00 USD

Fan Belt

#fanbelt $65.00 USD

Disstirbutor Rotor (2)

#distirbutorrotor $22.00 USD

Distributor Cap (2)

#distributorcap $38.00 USD

Water Pump

#waterpump $186.00 USD

my question is:

do I need Crank Seal Front

&

Camshaft Seals (2)?

and I wonder why they include distributor rotor and distributor cap ?? 98 LS400 has no distributor rotor and cap, right??

[landar]

You do not want that package...way too expensive. You are correct that there are no distributor caps/rotor on a 98.

The "t/s" stands for thermostat.

The water inlet housing has an O-ring.

As to whether you need front crank seal and/or cam seals depends upon whether or not they are leaking and how many miles you have.

[Bali26]

Thanks for taking the time to do this. This should be a sticky.

[ono8ono]

+1.

thanks for your reply landar; will buy the parts from toyota dealer.

[landar]

+1.

thanks for your reply landar; will buy the parts from toyota dealer.

You are welcome. Just some advice when you go to the dealer, be it Toyota or Lexus...if the prices are not in-line with those mentioned in my earlier post, tell them so AND ask for a discount. I do this all the time with dealers and they have always given in. Usually a 20% discount (which is what they sell to Indies).

[ono8ono]

+1.

thanks for your reply landar; will buy the parts from toyota dealer.

[ono8ono]

my socket wrench only go up to 140 ft. lbs. ; so do I have to buy a bigger wrench to tighten the crank bolt to 181 ft. lbs?

[landar]

my socket wrench only go up to 140 ft. lbs. ; so do I have to buy a bigger wrench to tighten the crank bolt to 181 ft. lbs?

Essentially, yes you need a larger torque wrench. I had to invest in a new one just for this job. Got it at an autoparts store for something like $60.

There is too much distance between 140 to 181. Now, if you only get it to 180 lb-ft instead of 181, I think it will be OK ;)

[aljunior]

Thanks for the very detailed and informative tutorial Landar. I am in the middle of replacing the timing belt, however I got stuck with the timing marks. When I removed the old timing belts, I set the crank pulley to 0 degrees. Tried to install the new belt, but cannot align the belt markings on the camshaft. Tried to rotate the right camshaft but there is resistance and did not force it. I am wondering if the crankshaft rotated when I tried to removed the pulley with the cam belt already disconnected. I don't know now the position of the crankshaft in relation to the camshaft. I hope you can help me. You seem to have a deep understanding of this. Thanks a lot.

[landar]

Thanks for the very detailed and informative tutorial Landar. I am in the middle of replacing the timing belt, however I got stuck with the timing marks. When I removed the old timing belts, I set the crank pulley to 0 degrees. Tried to install the new belt, but cannot align the belt markings on the camshaft. Tried to rotate the right camshaft but there is resistance and did not force it. I am wondering if the crankshaft rotated when I tried to removed the pulley with the cam belt already disconnected. I don't know now the position of the crankshaft in relation to the camshaft. I hope you can help me. You seem to have a deep understanding of this. Thanks a lot.

You were wise to not force the cam. Having said that, it is normal to feel some resistance when moving the cams to mount the belt. This is due to spring pressure and not valve-piston contact. By now you may be realizing that you should have set the crank timing to 50 ATDC. You can still wiggle the crank pulley back onto the crankshaft key and recheck your crank setting. And probably move it to 50 ATDC carefully. This setting is useful to keep the valves from contacting the pistons if (when) the cams rotate a few degrees during reassembly.

If you left the cams in roughly the same position as when you removed the belt, I think you will be OK in carefully moving the crank to 50 degrees After Top Dead Center. However, if you meet any stiff resistance, stop immediately. Take a careful look at the tutorial pictures (both disassembly and reassembly) and notice where my cam pulleys are when the crank is properly set. If yours are close then you are probably ok to proceed. Hopefully, you did not rotate either the cams or crank by more than a half a revolution(180 degrees) without the belt.

[Burn'Nsensation]

...Alright, give it to me straight Doctor... I heard the infamous "BOOM" associated with a broken timing belt and the symptoms that come with it yesterday while on the freeway. Got it towed home, instead of the dealership (confident with all the work on my 1999 GS400; 150k on 1uzfe). Given that it's an interference engine, should I even bother with changing the TB? How do I know/check/tell if the pistons damaged the valves at all? Any advise as to where I should start, prior to shelling out $500 for this job? Thanks for the help guys! ~Kay

[landar]

...Alright, give it to me straight Doctor... I heard the infamous "BOOM" associated with a broken timing belt and the symptoms that come with it yesterday while on the freeway. Got it towed home, instead of the dealership (confident with all the work on my 1999 GS400; 150k on 1uzfe). Given that it's an interference engine, should I even bother with changing the TB? How do I know/check/tell if the pistons damaged the valves at all? Any advise as to where I should start, prior to shelling out $500 for this job? Thanks for the help guys! ~Kay

You now got that 'Clank'Nsensation'?

The first thing you might do is to verify what you suspect by taking the cam covers off and doing a preliminary examination of the belt(if it is even visible anymore). If the belt is broken, you may have damage or, IF you have lived a very clean life, maybe damage is minimal. You could perhaps put a new belt on it ($50) and then do a compression test to assess damage. BTW, a bad/seized water pump is likely to have contributed to causing the belt to shred so you would want to change that too.

They do sell a little inspection camera on a flexible hose that can be inserted into a cylinder to have a look see. Other than that, you would have to pull the heads to have a better look.

But first verify your suspicions by doing enough teardown to inspect the timing belt. The first 1/3 of the removal section of the tutorial should get you there.

Let us know what you find.