Hey guys I'm thinking about changing my own belts (thanks to jefftsai's youtube how to postings). Here are some logistical questions.

1) Did you jack up your car? Drive on ramps?
2) It is a pretty tight fit between the front of the engine and the radiator. Did you remove the radiator?
3) Do you think 18'in breaker bars are good enough or do i need to invest in longer ones?

Any other tips? Thanks.

 

1. car was on jacks
2. Not sure about the radiator ( I did remove the fan and shroud on my sc)
3. 18" would do

Crank pulley bolt was the most difficult to remove

 

On the crank pulley bolt which tool did you use? The toyota one?

 

I am more handy than most and in my experience with or without a "how to", if you are asking these questions then you should not be doing this yourself.

 

Hey Bernie I appreciate your comment

I've worked on cars before. Mainly hondas, so these kinds of repairs are not new to me. I just never did a timing belt on the Lexus before, hence advance preparation before I start. I don't want my car all ripped up then to realized I should have had it up on jacks.

Normally I would use my impact gun to get the crank pulley bolt out but there is not enough room unless I remove other things. I'm just trying to leverage other people's past experience so as to minimize my own mistakes.

Remember the 6 P's - Proper Planning Prevents **** Poor Performance!

 

On my Supra I removed the radiator. I used a 3/4" drive impact on the crank bolt and needed everything Ingersoll-Rand could deliver to get it off. Lots of Supra guys use the starter to cheat. I'm not terrifically excited about using the starter.

You're going to need a REALLY strong wrench to install the crank bolt to full torque. If you use the Toyota tool AND a long torque wrench (I have a 1/2" drive SnapOn that still needed a crowfoot type extension because it only goes to 250 ft-lbs), you'll be able to get it tight again. You absolutely need impact sockets. It is not uncommon to crack standard sockets trying to get the bolt off.

You don't absolutely need to raise the car, but your back will appreciate it if you do. I did mine on four 6 ton jackstands.

 

I am just trying to prevent people that are not familiar or have not worked on cars from getting into a situation that they cannot get themselves out of. I was not trying to discourage you. There are some interesting comments posted in these forums and at times a bit scary.

Good luck and if you are able to do a DIY!