Avensis timing belt...a pain in the ass or just me? (rant!)

Kencollins

Hi all,

I started a timing belt job on a 2L D4D Avensis on the driveway a few days ago. I have never had a more un-cooperative car in my life! I am starting to wonder is the Avensis timing belt job more difficult than the other cars that I have done, or is it just me!

Firstly the really long (and stupidly designed) power steering tensioner bolt sheared. The bolt is simply too long for an M8 and twists as soon as any amount of torque is applied to it. The Toyota dealership sheared the same bolt the last time they had this car.

The bolt it'self is only 3 euro, but the tensioner retaining bolt that it threads into is not available to buy separately. This means I have to drill out the bolt, or fork out 100 euro for a new tensioner. (add an hour)

Then there is the matter of the most AWKWARDLY placed timing belt cover bolts. It really is a blind mission to get some of those buggers out.

Next we move to the stupid left hand engine cover, which for some reason is held in with 9 large bolts. Two of these have to be removed from underneath also, another blind venture.

Once we FINALLY have removed the under-tray, lower engine cover, PS belt, ALT belt, PS bracket, PS tensioner bracket, PS Pump, crank pulley, top timing belt cover, ALT belt tensioner pulley, bottom timing belt cover, LH engine mount, injector driver, LH engine cover....we can now remove the timing belt! (yaay!)

Sadly some brute had over torqued the 8mm HEX bolt holding on the tensioner, so I had to use a 80cm breaker bar with a cheater bar to get it off, slamming my knees into the bumper in the process!

Refitting the new timing belt was also a pain. The fuel pump has nearly no resistance on the pulley, so when you are trying to line up the belt it keeps turning. It easily added 30 mins to the job trying to get it all lined up and happy.

So, picture this...I am tired, dirty, and it's now raining. I cleared up all my tools and put everything away. The refitting of all the removed bits can wait until tomorrow. The last thing to do is put away the tray in which I had placed all of the many many bolts that had come out of everything.

Well, I tripped over the extension lead and dropped the bloody thing. All of the bolts are now mixed up. Long ones, thick ones, little ones, clippy ones, random ones...everywhere.

Tonight is going to be fun putting it all back together.

George Dalton

They aren't much fun. The water pump is also ridiculous as it doubles as the bracket for the high pressure fuel pump.

Kencollins

I noticed that alright. The pump was replaced 50,000 miles ago, isn't leaking, so it will be returned to the motor factors this evening! I am not going to prolong this job any more!

aujopimur

The joys of kerbside motor repairs.

Kencollins

Indeed.

The only tool I missed was the special service tool to hold the fuel pump pulley.

landmarkjohn

Kencollins wrote: »

Well, I tripped over the extension lead and dropped the bloody thing. All of the bolts are now mixed up. Long ones, thick ones, little ones, clippy ones, random ones...everywhere.

LOL (apologies, shouldn't laugh really, you could have hurt yourself) On the bright side the nut that gets leftover and you have no idea where it goes is probably hiding under a bush and so won't bother you. Good luck with it, sometimes after a tough opening round it all falls back into place.

Kencollins

I only had one bolt left over. It was an M12 15mm, no idea where it should have gone! I may have mixed up one of the similar ones that went into the engine cover, so i'm not too worried!

I did give myself a nasty cut and concussion though. When I was refitting the engine mount I had to crowbar the engine forward a little bit. The bar slipped and I got the pointy end into the scalp. Lots of blood, blurry vision, and a lovely headache!

Total time 7 hours, I never want to see that bloody car again!