Thank you sir. The Aisin kit then doesnt seem to come with a tensioner though. The Delco does. So do most folks use that Aisin kit and buy the tensioner separately?

 

I would think so. rock auto will have the tensioner. also, if you look at the master cylinder it says Aisin on the side. so it's OEM parts

 

Thanks man. IS there anything about the AC Delco kit that would cause one to stay away from it? IVe generally heard good things about their stuff too and theyre an OEM for many companies. Their kit seems to have everything included

 

you doing the timing belt on the LS?

 

If by me you mean personally, then no. Ill be having it done professionally at a shop

 

I just did the timing belt on my 2006. I used this forum for a lot of background, but I also found Youtube to be very helpful as well. A few things I discovered:
You don't need an impact wrench if you have two good breaker bars and the Schley SCH64300 tool from ebay. This thing saved my butt. I happen to have a 24" bar and a 36" bar. Put one against the upper radiator hose outlet from engine block that was plugged into the Schley tool and bolted into the harmonic balancer and used the big bar on the crank nut. One good shove and she let go.
Also, you need a 3/8 and 1/2 calibrated torque wrench. You need the big wrench for resetting the crank bolt to 191 foot pounds and the 3/8 wrench to make sure you don't over tighten all the small bolts because they are really easy to strip.
If you can pull all the spark plugs it will make your life a lot easier when you go to rotate the motor to check that everything lines up correctly after you have installed the new timing belt.
Make sure you buy the belt from Lexus so it is pre-marked. Then all you have to do is align with the timing marks on the cams and crank after setting it to 50 degrees past TDC.
Plan on pulling both idler pulleys in order to reinstall the timing belt. Then reinstall them. This will cut out all the wrestling.
If the cams shift on you while you are reinstalling grab a metal band type oil filter wrench and put it on the front of the cam and rotate it clockwise till you get it back around to the proper spot.
You do need a 10mm Allen Wrench socket.
Plan on replacing the accessory belt drive idler and tension pulleys then you won't be screwed when you discover one or both are bad. If you spin it and it makes any noise toss it.
Make sure you have some medium strength Locktite. You'll need it on a few bolts.
Make sure you have some white lithium grease. It was handy for the crank shaft when putting the harmonic balancer back on.
I used zip lock bags and a sharpie to keep parts and fasteners that were related together.
There was a sensor inside the driver side cam belt cover. I couldn't get it to unclip. So I unbolted it from the engine.
I had one darn spark plug that wouldn't come out. Sprayed it with PB Blaster and let it sit overnight. Then ran it back in some and then back out some. Sprayed it again. Let it sit. Next day out she came. You will need a short 2" extension on your spark plug socket and a swivel along with a good long extension to pull all of the plugs. So plan accordingly.
Check your crank and cam seals. My cam seals weren't leaking any oil (everything was pretty clean), but my crank seal was leaking (oil goo splashed around). My car has 212,000 miles on it so not exactly a big surprise. The kit I bought on Ebay included these three oil seals. I took an awl and punched a hole in the rubber ring. Then took a pick type tool with a hook like your dentist uses and stuck it in the hole I made and pulled. Came out without too much trouble. I packed the backside of the new seal with white lithium grease and pressed it back into place. A big socket would have made this really easy, but you can work it in and use a blunt tool to tap it all in. Make sure you lube it up really good.
If you have a high mile car like mine plan on a new radiator core as well. It is really easy to swap out while you have the car apart and they don't cost that much. Same goes for radiator hoses and replacement clamps. Get all new clamps.
I also bought my coolant from the Toyota parts counter. It was a lot cheaper than the Lexus store for the same thing.
Keep a drain pan under the car when you pull the water pump. There is a lot more coolant in there than you can imagine.
You may need a new foam seal around your radiator. I used double sided carpet tape and 2" caulking backer rod on the top and both sides. I left the bottom without for drainage.
I did everything in the driveway with drive on ramps. If I can do it so can you.
Irontoad was great for parts.
My belt had 120,000 miles on it from last change. No teeth were broken, but the belt was clearly brittle when folded back on itself. I wouldn't want to push it a lot further.

Give yourself plenty of time. Three day weekend isn't a bad idea for your first time. I found it made it a lot less stressful.

 

Thanks for posting this. I am removing the engine on my LS 430. When I get a used engine I will likely install a new timing belt asap before re-installing.

I will use my old engine as practice.

Your documentation will really help.

Thanks!!!

 

I finally got around to replacing my timing belt, tensioner, and water pump last weekend before driving it to Vegas in 100+ degree weather.
This thread and the links were really helpful.

The only hiccup was that one of the upper coolant hose clamps lost its tension and some coolant seeped out before I replaced it with a regular screw on clamp.

 

Just finished replacing two timing belts (one @80k miles and 10 yrs, the second @90k miles and 10 yrs)....here are my comments and recommendations:

1 Save yourself some hassle, leave the radiator in place....cut a piece of plywood that is 17 x 30 1/2 inches and drop it in to protect it...attach a large flat washer to the stock bolt next to the top radiator neck to hold it in place while your working

2 Plan on purchasing and replacing the water pump....both had failed (seeping from lower drain hole)

3 Be carefull that you do not damage the timing position sensor on the drivers side camshaft when removing or installing the water pump (or remove it to be cautious)

4 Clean out the timing bolt idler assembly bolt hole with a thread restore tool (the tensioner pulley) as it has thread locker

5 Don't accept any new parts that have any play in the bearings, especially the timing/tensioner idler pulley assembly

6 Put a new plate washer behind the timing/tensioner idler pulley assembly to ensure smooth movement

7 Use a good torque wrench on everything to avoid disasters (aluminum parts everywhere) and take the time to tighten bolts in increments to avoid warping aluminum parts

8 Clean the throttle body while you have everything off

9 Examine the condition of rubber hoses under the hood....several where age hardened and heat damaged (cracks) and needed replacement (PCV to valve cover, Fuel vapor to intake manifold, coolant bypass, etc.)

10 Replace any pulleys that show any movement, noise, unusual friction...you will not regret the dollars spent now versus the long term inevitable removal and replacement of the worn part later...my experience...needed the usual timing belt idler pulleys and tensioner, and drive belt idlers and tensioner...Afterwards...engines run smooth and silky quiet

11 Mark down the mileage (and radio stations) before disconnecting the battery....so that you have it when its time to create the "timing belt service label" that you put on the engine

 

Anyone have any ideas? In the middle of doing my timing belt and can't get the idler assembly off. Took what I think are all the bolts, including the one on the AC compressor, off but bracket won't slip off. Was it difficult for you guys to take off? I have all covers off just need this bugger. Car is an 01 LS430. Thanks and Happy New Year.

 

I did mine not long ago, small pain. Make sure that you have "both" (2) bolts out that come up from the bottom through the A/C bracket. Best way to see them is from underneath. Bolts are not shown in picture above

After I was sure that all bolts were out, a little help from a rubber hammer helped.

And then I went to Lexus and bought a new one because the bearing was shot.... Get your check book out if you have to replace....

Hope this helps...


2001 LS 192K

 

Thanks guys. I was missing the bottom bolt. Finished the job today and changed 7 spark plugs. Yes I was lazy and didn't feel like pulling the battery. Wil do the last one tomorrow. Did crank seal, oil change, new hoses, air filter, spark plugs and serpentine belt. Fired her up and running a touch rough. Hoping it's the last plug as the alternative is not a pleasant though. I made darn sure the timing belt was lined up on all the marks.

 

So i called around to many different dealers and got a quote to do the job and alot were $2-3k.
Having done a gs400 about 10 years ago and reading this post I jumped right in and completed the job and feel really good that there's not a giant hole in my pocket. As far as the process goes i would say its more of a difficult puzzle. Hardest part is remembering where all the brackets, nuts, and bolts went. It was quite overwhelming. I had an Ingersol impact for the crank bolt and was not able to cheat and leave the radiator in. It took me about 5 hours from tear down to waiting for all the bubbles to be fully removed from the radiator. So fear not CL you can do this too! just clear you schedule and get after it.

 

Great idea, rkw. Thats the only way to go!

 

Why don't post #4 and #5 photos show up?