Engine question for the tech heads

[-Nemesis-]

Ok, i've just pulled the front off the 3VZE V6 in my 1994 Toyota 4Runner RV6. I'm doing so to replace some noisy idler arm bearings on the timing belt.
Anyway, according to my fairly lousy manual (unused till this point) the left hand side (looking at front on) tensioner pully on the timing belt is supposed to have a tensioner spring set up.
However, there aint no spring in my vehicle that i can find. Whilst playing with the idler bearing i have to take off somehow, the belt has loosened a little. I'm just wondering if anyone could suggest what the hell it should be doing?
At first i thought the spring might have come off when removing the fan bracket, but there isn't even any spring mounts/hooks. The tensioner pully/arm will move when i use my hand, but there's not much tensioner on the belt at the moment. Just wondering if it is meant to self tension once it's running or something?
Nothing is ever straight forward......

The reason i asked is because i vaguely remember the early V6's had a recall for some reason. I thought perhaps Toyota may have changed something in the last few years of production. I don't really wanna bolt it all back together with a slack timing belt eh....

??? ??? ???

[pete_novo]

Hey mate.
The tensioner arm should definately NOT move when you try to move it. I have a 3vz-e 4runner and its a locknut on the tensioner to the lock in specific tension (tension tension phew). I cant specifically remember but I vaguely remember a spring being visable.

Cheers
Peter

[-Nemesis-]

Yeah they must have changed it in the latter years. I just discovered the fan pully bracket or whatever it's called has a hydraulic type ram which must push the tensioner arm. Just gotta work out how to reset it now.

[pete_novo]

hey cool I didnt know that, now that you mention that I vaguely remember 1994-> 3vz-e's having a different timing belt when I went to do mine.

Peter

[-Nemesis-]

The main mission now which i think is futile is to get the centre idler bearing/pulley off. I don't think it's gonna happen without taking the cam sprockets off in order to remove the backing plate, just so i can get to the nuts holding on the bloody water inlet/idler bearing assembly.