Jump to content

Toyota Tacoma V6 3.4L Water pump repair


Midnight

Recommended Posts

So recently my truck decided it would be best to grace the land of this planet Earth with antifreeze. And wouldn't you know, it couldn't be a simple leak but instead the water pump has gone out. 

 

In my truck (and I'm making this sound simpler than it really is), the water pump is run by the timing belt. So I would need to take off the timing belt to replace the water pump and thermostat. Since there is a lot of labor involved and Murphy's law, I was going to replace the timing belt as well with the hydraulic tensioner. These all come in a kit, naturally, which is roughly $500. 

 

My question is: As a noob to car repairs (meaning I normally don't do anything extensive) would it be wise to replace the timing belt myself? The worry is lining up the two cam shafts and crakshaft with the belt. If I do mess this up, I was told the care wouldnt start. Does that mean start until the belt is realigned correctly or never start ever again?

 

I ask this because the labor it going to cost just as much as the parts and money is super tight.

 

TIA

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Good question..is it due for timing belt soon? As far as design...is this interference setup..meaning valve goes and meets piston (major fail) if not on proper alignment..i would youtube to see if someone has done..I'm like you ..mostly a bolt on guy..I would mark pulleys positions and take lots of pictures...all input I have..good luck..anyone else?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just watched a video of it. It is an honest to god a cock sucker to a fix just to get to the water pump. On a scale from one to ten I would give this a 7 . Literally. I didn't know they actually ran the water pump with the timing belt (who the heck does that ! Well some diesels did in the past...stupid bastards). Also V-belts (most manufacturers got rid of it once the late 80's, early 90's arrived). It is a lot of patience to do this.

 

 

I honestly don't like scaring people but doing a timing belt isn't bad if you are not rushed and take it easy. But if you don't make sure you mark pulley positions and pictures of everything,  the worst case scenario is that your piston will slap your valve and crush it scaring the cylinder and the head....pretty much you will need a new engine.

 

My best suggestion is if you have never done anything to your car before, bring it to a dealership.

 

If you are somewhat mechanically inclined but you can do it. It is easier with a friend which is my advice. Get a manual from the library (they might have an alldata login where they actually help you with a step by step process and proper torque specs for all the accessories). Also lastly don't use a haynes manual (guys in school would tell us of haynes horror stories).

 

I remember my dad gave me a call that he couldn't get his belt off his 2006 honda civic and used a breaker bar on the tensioner and slipped chipping the corner of his headlight. He was using a haynes manual when I came over. The book said "turn the tensioner counter clockwise" and I was like "did you ever try going clockwise? Oh look the belt came off lol".

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

Thanks guys for the help. Funny thing is I am using a Haynes manual. I looked online and watched many YouTube videos about the replacement. All in all I traded in the truck and bought a new care. It wasn't worth my time or money, and frankly the amount of money and repairs that I have put on the vehicle in the past year already surpassed the Kelly Blue Book value of the car. But I really appreciate the comments and posts.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Unfortunately, your content contains terms that we do not allow. Please edit your content to remove the highlighted words below.
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use.