Timing Belt Job

[Raver too]

Hi all

I'm halfway through changing the timing belt on my 98 rav-4, 2.0L petrol, 4.1 model. But I have 2 questions

1)the crankshaft bolt is on tighter than a high street bank (no offence to any bankers here!) . Just to check, does the bolt have a left hand thread before I get rough on the bolt? I'm assuming it is not unnusual and will unbolt anti-clockise as would any other bolt / or nut.

2) the instructions I had kindly emailed to me by another TOC member, state to get the #1 cylinder to Top dead position. I'm assuming that the #1 would mean the cylinder nearest the driver's side wing - i.e. remove the spark plug lead and spark plug, check with long pointy implement and a torch for when this piston reaches the very top, as well as lining up the crankshaft notch with the '0' on the scale above the crankshaft pulley.

Otherwise, so far not too fiddly a job - apart from the engine mounting plate (between the two plastic covers) having 2 bolts that are so well nestled they are near impossible to get at let alone unbolt!

Cheers

Rav-er too

[anchorman]

It is a right hand thread in other words it tightens clockwise and undoes anti-clockwise.

Yes No 1 is at the driver side - pulley end.

[bothwell_buyer]

My number 1 RAV has suffered a bit from its number of miles and grit on the roads so that undoing bolts that have been there for 15 years often leads to things shearing. Number 2 RAV in comparison has lived most of its life in London area, and has half the mileage and the bolts and nuts undo properly! Amazing how 2 identical 15 year old cars can be so different.

[mrbilly]

to undo the bolt at the bottotm use a impact drill or a breaker bar, with all 4 wheels on the ground put it into 3rd gear, foot off the clucth put bar onto nut ask someone to put foot on the brake and pull till it loosens. this is a job i had done twice a coupe of weeks ago. there is no need to jack the car up or remove the wheel at all for this job. also use a mirror to find the match up on the cam shaft as strut wall is in the way. let us know how it went. i can do this job now in 4 hours not bad for a amature

[jedi134]

I read on a forum somewhere, may have been this one, that one guy had the same problem, (very tight crankshaft bolt) He wedged the socket and wrench against the sub frame somewhere, In the right direction, and then quickly blipped the starter motor and this undid the crank shaft bolt.

I would also make sure you stand well back in-case it fly`s out at your ankles. :ffs:

I bit John Wayne but it might work if all else fails

[PhilGee]

I would also make sure you stand well back in-case is fly`s out at your ankles. :ffs:

Thats gota hurt! :(

[Raver too]

Thanks guys, I think I'll try impact , then maybe breaker bar.

I have a long torgue wrench (I know you are not supposed to use for the real muscle jobs) which I think got it to sqeak, I thought I was going to win 1-0. But, unlike on previous cars (more like bangers that I would be happy to write off) I just wanted to do this correctly.

I was hoping to use a relatives' air line and air powered wrench, .. but he'd removed the air line several months ago!

Think I'd have tried that first

The other things that bug me:

the crankshaft bolt is only 19mm, is slightly rounded from previous replacement I assume which would have been done by Toyota and would explain the good condition of the belt as I'm sure they'd have used a quality belt. If the bolt starts to round, it makes us seems all the more stupid to a local garage when we turn up and explain what you've done wrong. You could understand a mechanic if they turned down the job :(

And the 3 bolts holding the angled steel to the block which attaches to the engine mounting. They are a nightmare to get at - spanners won't touch 2 of the bolts as they are slightly recessed, and a socket set is too much for the narrow space. Maybe a drop spanner or even a socket spanner would do the job.

This makes me wonder if garages lift the engine up or out to do this in a good setup workshop.

I would have been on target for about 4 hrs total job I think, I helped a neighbour do simialr job on a skoda recently so was prepared for the job.

Rav-er too

[PhilGee]

The engine mount bolts should be accessable with a socket and bar. As for the bolt being tight, in the past i have warmed up the bolt base with gas bottles and that usually breaks the bolt free. Just dont over heat it too much.

[Father Ted]

Can I ask a "THICKO" question please?

What is the interval for changing timing belts on these 2.0 engines? I 'm looking to buy an earlyish Rav4 roundabout a 96/97 reg so I think these are Rav4.1?

Cheers.

EDIT - just had a look at the page in that manual and see its 63K - sorry for being a numpty.