It's the Timing Belt, Stupid!

Broken Timing Belt

Yeah, it was probably obvious from the start.

I was really, really hoping it wasn't, though, because I really, really didn't want to tear into the engine and then try to put it back together again, especially since I have no easy way to move it into the 3rd bay so that I can work on it without disrupting the other cars that need protection from the winter blasts.

Which means I'll have to work on it where it sits.

Sigh.

Actually, the Camry isn't nearly so bad as the old Subaru Legacy, since it only has two notches to line up on the various sprockets (one on the cam and one on the crank). For the Legacy, I had to count notches! Yikes!

But I'm a long way off from lining up notches. I still have to pull off the timing belt cover. Then the timing belt. Then put it all back together again. Correctly.

Upper Timing Belt Cover: Removed!

There are actually two timing belt covers: upper and lower. There are 6 bolts holding the upper timing belt cover on. Another six on the bottom. First you have to remove the upper timing belt cover, then you have to remove the crankshaft pulley (also known as the harmonic balancer), then you have to remove the sprockets before finally removing the lower timing belt cover.

You have to remove both of them before attempting to replace the belt. Really.

And there is also the fact that there is very little gap between the side of the engine containing the timing belt, and the side of the engine bay. Very little. Like maybe a couple inches. With the power steering hoses in the way, there is not much room at all to get a wrench or socket in there and remove the bolts that hold the timing belt covers off.

I do hope that none of those bolts are rusted. Especially the ones up near the water pump.

Which, by the way, also needs to be replaced. That's the rule: change the timing belt, change the water pump. (It's also kind of a rule to change the oil pump, and the crank seals, and anything else that might be connected with the timing belt because you don't want to have to do this again for at least another 100,000 miles!)

Oh, by the way -- in order to remove the harmonic balancer and the lower timing belt cover, you have to jack up the front passenger side and remove the wheel, then remove a wheel well cover in order to access the lower portion of the engine.

That's not the hard part.

The hard part is getting the harmonic balancer bolt off. Because without the timing belt in place, the crankshaft spins when you try to loosen the bolt, so you have to jam something against the flywheel (potentially snapping a flywheel tooth) or use an air impact wrench, which I don't have.

I won't be able to do it all today, but I'll do as much as I can.