waterdog3

When I pulled the TB the cams moved. Not sure what direction or how much. As it sits now the new belt is on and the Crank and cam marks are all lined up with the marks on the belt. When I pulled the Crank pulley I rotated the crank to TDC and then rotated another 50 degrees to line up with the guide pulley as instructions said. The instructions said to rotate engine until cams and crank were all at TDC (or 12 O'clock) and then move 50 more degrees. All marks could never all line up at TDC! So just rotated crank to TDC and then moved 50 degrees. Cams were where ever they were. Is there any way to know if I have everything right? I have not moved the crank at all. It's still at 50 degrees from TDC. Belt is on and all lined up. But, I may be off on the cams. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Thank You.

Lavrishevo

iTrader: (1)

you need to to post your year.

waterdog3

sorry! 1997

LScowboyLS

do you not have the factory service manual set? (you really shouldn't be doing a TB without it)

there are a number of checks and balances in it that you can verify that everything is lining up correctly after the timing belt is installed and you also rotate the crank gently 360 degrees a couple of times after the installation, feeling for any resistance, and make sure things are meshing as per cam pulley and crank pulley marks lining up as the service manual specifies.

I will try and locate my 1996 service manual as post the appropriate pages here - 95-97 are the same on TB

waterdog3

Thank you. No I do not have manual. I will go buy if the following isn't correct. Looking at car again I see two marks on the metal things behind the cam sprockets. They both have a mark on them. RH one at about 2 o'clock and the left being at about 10 o'clock. I am betting that the marks on the sprockets (and belt marks) should line up with those? I also need to move the crank BACK to TDC when aligning them? Then rotate crank two rev's and make sure they all come back to alignment? What I am? or were missing was the cam sprocket alignment marks on the cover plates? (the metal plates I removed to get to the cam seals)

There are also two marks on the rotor housing. They do not align with the marks (I'm hoping they are marks) on the metal plate behind the cam sprockets. The ones I had to remove to get to the cam seals.

Thank you again for any help! Much appreciated!

LScowboyLS

I will search my computer, the online version is somewhere here - I don't have a scanner to scan the actual book

and you can't really just run out and buy the manual, a Haynes or something really doesn't explain it clear, the real Lexus shop manual is the only way to go, it is expensive ,but you can catch them cheap on ebay sometimes, mine was supposed to be over $200 but I got it for $55 on ebay by waiting and watching for a few months

another option if I can't find my digital factory version is the Toyota factory lets you log in online and see the real factory manual for $15 bucks for like a 3 day pass - I can get you the link for that, and it is immediate gratification!

LScowboyLS

here ya go!

waterdog3

Thank you so very, very much!!!!!!

jhdezls400

I have the pdf manual for 1995 ls400 I hope it helps this pic..

LScowboyLS

the main thing is, don't crank the car up until you have rotated the crank several times and are SURE that both cams, and crank are all lining up as they are supposed to - this is an interference engine, if you crank up the car before it is completely right, you are screwed! (and about $3000 poorer)

sometimes I have been OCD and turned the crank like 5 complete revolutions, triple checking everything! - lol



PS - never turn the crank counter-clockwise, if you miss your mark even a tiny bit, go all the way back around again, only turning clockwise

waterdog3

does it matter if I have to move the cam pulley (s) to line up the belt marks once the crank is at 0 and the belt is on? Does everything line up at first? Meaning... the cam marks, with the belt on those marks and on the mark on the crank. I don't see any way to make that happen? To install the belt I have now moved the crank back to 0 (TDC)

LScowboyLS

the most sure fire way is to follow the procedure in the service manual to the letter - and yes you will possibly have to move one or both cam pulleys to get everything to line up correctly - you will know you have everything right when it is all back installed with the tensioner tensioned and you can pass the test of maintaining all the alignment marks being dead on as you do multiple revolutions of the crank, thereby turning the whole engine including cams, and the alignment marks stay dead on, and outlined in the manual

waterdog3

But if I move the cam pulleys to put the belt on (to line up belt with marks) the cam pulley (s) won't be lined up any more. Does that matter? Will the cams come back into alignment because the belt marks are correct?

waterdog3

So....here's where I sit. Belt is on. Belt marks are lined up with marks on the cam pulleys, the cam pulleys are no longer lined up with the rear plate marks. The crank is at 50* from TDC. According to the destructions I should rotate the crank two revs from 0. Everything should line up? If not, I do it again. Sound about right?

LScowboyLS

forget the 50 degrees - with the belt on completely including around the cams, gently rotate the crank clockwise to TDC, feeling for any hard resistance, when the crank is back to the 0 mark (TDC) - then re-do the installation steps in the manual I sent, and then everything will be lined up, then you can check it by turning the crank multiple times like the book says