Need help - can I exchange timing belt, drumbrakes by myself

[tmike]

Hello

here's mike...this is the first topic in this forum. A friend recommend it me...so i hope you can help me. but at first a few information to my car

Toyota 4runner hiliux 1988
4WD LN61 ....engine 2L(2.5 litre)
Engine runs about 300000 kilometre
I have been checked the car and there are only 2 Problems....the timing belt and the drumbrakes.

My question is....can I exchange it by myself....i mean ...is it simple to do these things. I have a book about this car (including manual to repair this car), I have the tools which i need....and i understand as far as possible the manual....so would you recommend me to do these jobs by my own or in a garage....I think a could made it...but ive never done it before...

I live in perth/northbridge....maybe there's a possibility that someone could help me for the first time....that would be great....cause i want not to destroy my car by any mistakes.

Thank you very much....if this topic already exists than give me the link please...

see ya...

best wishes Mike

[tehekho]

Not a difficult job by any means - can just be tight/fiddly as buggery in some vehicles.

[Sam.BMX]

^^ agreed

it took me and my old man 2 sundays to do the timing belt in my lux, wasnt hard, just lots of little things you gotta remove. as long as you have a manual that goes through the steps you'll be fine.

we also had to put new cylinders and shoes in the drums for a RWC. the hardest thing was actually getting the damn drums off! unless the threads are alright in yours? there were also a few little fiddly things in the brakes, like little circlips and pins and things but it took us a weekend.

best of luck mate

Sam

[tmike]

Thank you very much....the man from the garage recommend me to replace the czyinder as well....why must i do it???? and can anybody say how much is the timing belt kit and all the parts for the drumbrakes(shoes, drum, and maybe the cylinder)

but thank you very much...

greets mike

[DUDELUX]

Hey Mike, welcome to the madhouse that is Outers.
When I replaced the Timing belt kit in my 2L Lux, the kit cost me around the $220 mark, from a place in Sydney, the kit came with everything I needed, it also included power steer and air con belts, which I dont need.
I had a mate come over and I helped out where I could, but hes a qualified diesel mechanic, so we had it done in a few hours, that included the time spent on puling bits out of the way, and putting it all back together.
As for the rear brakes, rear wheel cylinders, and rear wheel bearings, rear wheel bearings have to be pressed off and pressed on, I think I paid about $250-$300 all up for parts then an extra 300 or so on top for labour.
Ive spoken to mechanics that hate the job of doing rear axles. Which is why I sent it off to get done.
Ive done most of the work on the Lux myself, but this was way over my head.

[Sam.BMX]

mate the cylinder are just a consumable item that needs replacing every so often, just the same as shoes or brake pads
im pretty sure we didnt spend any more than $150 on the rear brakes - this was shoes and cylinders

cant quite remember how much the timing belt kit was but we also reaplced all of the other belts, and while we had that part of the engine apart, we installed a new water pump, the old one wasnt buggered but better safe than sorry.

Sam

[tmike]

okay....thanks for your advice....i will drive to supercheap tomorrow i aked how much it is..........

but another queastion....is anybody from Perth or surroundings.....cause i think i will need some help....cause my girlfriend and me want to drive through Australia....and i think it s better something to know as nothing to know (is this phrase correct...dont know )

okay...but thank you very much..

cheers Mike

[DUDELUX]

You could probably buy the rear brake shoes from SCA, but Id be looking at a bearing supplier for the rest of the bits, they specialise in the bearings, and they will get you the right parts, the first time.
And the same goes for the timing belt kit.

Check out Perth4x4, they do 4x4 stuff.

[drr]

You would be better off buying the brake parts from a brake and clutch mob, they will re-line the old shoes and usually do them on a changeover basis. They are usually very cheap.
Just a word of caution, if you haven't replaced a cam belt before be very careful or get someone else to help/do it for you. You will cause major damage to your engine if it's done wrong. At the very least make sure you turn the motor over by hand a few revolutions before trying to start it.

[tmike]

thx....can you give me an adress about a brake and clutch mob.....????

I try to find a person in Perth....but i have no success:D

okay but thank you...

see ya

[drr]

thx....can you give me an adress about a brake and clutch mob.....????

I try to find a person in Perth....but i have no success:D

okay but thank you...

see ya

No idea, I'm on the other side of Australia.

[tmike]

allright....

to the timing belt....should i replace all gears(crankshaft gear, idler, tensioner camshaft gear, injection pump gear) as ...and if yes....why????.....and the book describe the timing marks from the camshaft gear, grankshaft gear and the injection pump gear....are these the points which are very important???

mike

[mutilated]

A good website for finding parts suppliers would be http://www.yellowpages.com.au" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[drr]

allright....

to the timing belt....should i replace all gears(crankshaft gear, idler, tensioner camshaft gear, injection pump gear) as ...and if yes....why????.....and the book describe the timing marks from the camshaft gear, grankshaft gear and the injection pump gear....are these the points which are very important???

mike

You must line the marks up properly. If they are not, the car won't run and could damage itself (pistons hit the valves). Replace the idler pulley/tensioner bearing and the belt. The other gears are fixed on the crank/cam/pump and don't need replacing.

Follow the steps in the book and remember that unless you're 100% sure that it's correct don't try to start the car.

[tmike]

And whats happend when the timing marks are only a bit different....is this okay...or must it 100% correctly

[drr]

It needs to be 100% correct, the clearances in diesel engines are small. They may be slightly out with the old belt as it could of stretched, it would be a minimal amount though.

[Hamo]

Hello

here's mike...this is the first topic in this forum. A friend recommend it me...so i hope you can help me. but at first a few information to my car

Toyota 4runner hiliux 1988
4WD LN61 ....engine 2L(2.5 litre)
Engine runs about 300000 kilometre
I have been checked the car and there are only 2 Problems....the timing belt and the drumbrakes.

My question is....can I exchange it by myself....i mean ...is it simple to do these things. I have a book about this car (including manual to repair this car), I have the tools which i need....and i understand as far as possible the manual....so would you recommend me to do these jobs by my own or in a garage....I think a could made it...but ive never done it before...

I live in perth/northbridge....maybe there's a possibility that someone could help me for the first time....that would be great....cause i want not to destroy my car by any mistakes.

Thank you very much....if this topic already exists than give me the link please...

see ya...

best wishes Mike

Ill be the kill joy here

If you have to ask i'd say NO you can not do it your self! go and pay some one to do it for you

Can you afford a new motor if you stuff it up?

And if you muck the brakes up you could kill some one

Just pay the money

[tmike]

@Hamo...

It s not about the money....i'd like to learn it...to fix my car by myself..and i cant learn it when i bring my car in a garage....and if im not 100% sure...i bring it in the garage...i know what you mean hamo....

greets Mike

[tmike]

so i ve found a mecanican who do the jobs for 500 bucks....is the price okay...or too expensive...??????
mike

[904Runa]

While workshop manuals are great, they are no substitute for experience or someone standing by who knows what they're doing. Manuals can only give you a general idea on what the job entails but things can be very easily thrown off course, usually by a broken or frozen bolt.

eg for a timing belt job, the manual will say for one of the steps 'Remove crankshaft pulley bolt'. In manual - land, you will attach the correct - sized socket to the bolt and undo it with no trouble. But in reality, this bolt will seem like it's been welded onto the crankshaft. You will put the car in gear and heave on the bolt with a breaker bar and the car will start moving before the bolt even looks like loosening. You'll spend an hour on this and may never get it undone.

Then if you do get the bolt undone, the harmonic balancer will be stuck on the crankshaft and you'll spend just as long getting it off with a puller and bucket loads of WD40. By this time, you'll be physically and emotionally spent and thinking that mechanics labour charge of $80 / hour isn't looking so bad after all and you'll start to do stupid things like putting removed parts in a box and then putting that box somewhere where you'll never remember where you put it later.

And the manual doesn't tell you how important things are. Like with the crankshaft pulley bolt, it will say do up to recommended torque of 120 lbs-ft. Seems simple. But in reality, it's best to overtighten it a bit and put a bit of locktite on the thread because vibrations from the motor over the next few years of driving between timing belt changes will try and work this bolt loose and if it does come loose, you'll be up for thousands in repairing a flogged out harmonic balancer and crankshaft keyway and pulley bolt thread.

I reckon with mechanical work and a lot of other things in life, 90% of the job can be done by anyone, but it's that 10% that only the experienced and professionals know about that makes the difference between something being done right and lasting versus being a total disaster.

If you are determined to give it a go, you should have a back-up plan in place. Be prepared to put it on the back of a truck and get it towed to a shop to be finished off (with the shop people telling you you shouldn't have tried to DIY) if it all gets too hard. Have a second car handy to run down to somewhere to get a tool you don't have or replace a bolt you broke.

I would say $500 for this job is ok, if it includes the brake work, then it's a pretty good rate.

[bribiesurf]

mate, both are all within th erealms of the verage bloke, but as the last post said, the reality check if it has been fkd before,
basics, full timing belt kit ebat @ $160, use toyota manual, loosen crank bolt with starter first, remove all rad etc, then just follow good mech procedure replace keyway FFS $2.82 at toyota, change crank and cam seal (incl in kit ) follow the marks, too fn simple, must have done 20 by now, if you don't have a good quality puller set don't bother, these fkrs can really sieze on.
rear drums, new slaves, new linings, get drums machined, photos and follow the book, really simple

[a1 mech]

If u are wanting to learn a bit about your truck and mechanical work then the hilux is the perfect teacher. However you are probably best starting with smaller tasks and working up. The timimg belt and front end overhaul is straight forward but u WILL encounter unforseen problems which could make a straight forward task a horror.

Id have a crack at the brakes DIY as they are easy, just take note of how it was originally with a photo if you are unsure. You will need a decent socket, spanner and screwdriver set as well as sum brake cleaner, WD40 and a decent hammer.