Power steering belt

BROX · Apr 28, 2012

Steering is a bit lumpy for the first couple of minutes from cold,then its fine.I suspect the belt is slipping a bit on fast idle on start up.(fluid changed a while back)

Had a quick look this morning ,looks a bit tight for space(getting at the 2 bolts etc),any tips on changing the belt please. (i will do both as the alternator belts needs to come off anyway)....Thanks

Ken Allistone · Apr 28, 2012

Just did both of mine, the alternator/aircon pump is straight forward, you'll see the adjuster etc from under the bonnet. Slacken off the adjuster and the pivot bolt and drop the belt down.
Before you get under the car to do the power steering belt, put the steering on full lock, if the belt is slipping you'll certainly hear it then.
To change it, remove the cover under the car on the pulley side, hope you have had it off before as the bolts (10mm) usually snap due to rust, then remove the alternator belt.
You'll need a couple of ring spanners to get at the power steering belt adjuster and a drop of WD40 or penetrating fluid!!
I could not get enough leverage on one spanner so I locked the other on the open end-end, efectively doubling the length and the bolt came undone easily. Then undo the pivot bolt, its the top bolt of the two and swivel the pump down so you can just about get the old belt off. It's tight, mind your knuckles!
When I put the new one on I used a length of wood to push the pump back up and tension the belt, the whole thing is quite stiff and it held while I tightened the bolts up again.
Should take about 30 mins to do both if all your bolts undo ok,
Good luck!

Madams · Jun 8, 2014

Hi,
I''m currently attempting to change the power steering belt on my 99 2WD RAV4. Ken Allistone, I noticed in your first post on this thread you mention "removing the cover under the car on the pulley side". Can you give me a little more detail as to what this part is? Or, I'm wondering if this part is even on my vehicle, seeing as how mine is a '99 (not a '98) and is a North American-market model instead of a UK-market model (as I'm assuming yours is...). I ask because getting a socket wrench (or any wrench for that matter) onto the pivot bolt is proving to be very tough because of the lack of space around that particular bolt. Thanks for any tips!

BROX · Apr 28, 2012

Thanks Ken....i was thinking the process was something like that,i'll give it a go soon.....the p/s belt feels very soft and spongy,i think its been there a long time.

Luckily i replaced all the bottom cover bolts with stainless steel bolts and washers (and grease)....and drilled out and re tapped the broken ones.

rmr1 · Apr 29, 2012

Thanks Ken for the information as I'm also thinking of renewing the power steering pump belt. On my 1999 RAV4, there's an intermittent squeal on full lock which I assume is the belt slipping rather than a failure in the pump or the steering rack. I tried squirting belt conditioner onto the belt but it's very difficult to get there even with a long nozzle.

The bolts holding the plastic pans are part no. 90119-06355 (bolt, w/washer). I got 14 from Toyota as I've already sheared some when taking off the left side pan to do a transaxle oil change.

Ken Allistone · Apr 29, 2012

Sounds like it is the belt, I changed mine as it was the original and did not want it to snap on me, when I fitted the new one I ran the engine and put it on full lock and it slipped, you really have to tension it quite hard to get it right and of course you can't get your hands in there too easily to check the tension either!
Push it as hard as you can with a length of wood and 'nip' up the bolts, the check it
Good luck and thanks for the numbers, by the way, your car and Brox's look good..... what a coinsidence!

BROX · Apr 30, 2012

It cost me approx £3 to replace the under cover tray bolts with stainless steel allen head M6 X 25mm bolts and washers along with a good covering of grease on each....its a nice tidy looking job,the covers were mostly held on with cable ties before i got it.

BROX · May 3, 2012

All done...not too bad,wouldn't want to do it too often though.

rav4kid · Sep 16, 2012

Im in the process of acquiring a 99 w/A/C and have been told by a shop the belts are not for long.dry rot i was told...its got 124K on it..what tools specifically are required to do this change as Im gonna have to buy tools when I get to the place Im getting the car from..its an 1800 mile or so drive home...mostly freeway too...
I dont wanna get stuck in the middle of nowhere and not be able to replace one or both if needed...

- r4k

Pim · Sep 16, 2012

Holy smitherines.
1800 miles travel to get a car... Also in bad condition (dry rot on the power steering belt? The car has to be in poor condition to get that).
Why oh why would you do THAT?
Greetz

Pim

rav4kid · Sep 16, 2012

Thats what the shop says...could be them just trying to get some business from me...it wouldnt be the first time thats happened...
The price is fair and its all contigent on my final okay once I do see it for myself...but given Ive seen these belts go for alot longer then that...Im just thinking for emergency purposes...if they arent used during the trip...they will go back to the store...
I once drove a bit further to look at another car(which I didnt get) years ago...drove down in my 84 Celica...all was fine till about 1/3 way down...started pushing water bigtime...LOL...I kept going the rest of the way down and back...head gasket had let go....at least the water jacket portion did...power was fine...so Im pretty confident in Toyotas

- r4k

Pim · Sep 17, 2012

1800 miles would for me mean crossing all of Europe.
The range i look at cars is max 50 miles.
And there are a lot of RAV4 on sale here.
Greetz

Pim

Dr. Dyno · Sep 17, 2012

Pim said:
1800 miles would for me mean crossing all of Europe.
The range i look at cars is max 50 miles.

I'm sure he means 900 miles one way. That's a good distance here too, but often justifiable even at our gas prices at $4/gallon.

When I bought my RAV4 I flew to Florida and drove it 1,300 miles home.

Coeur d'Alene, Idaho where I did my DRZ riding posted here:
http://www.rav4world.com/forums/93-off-topic/91679-dr-dyno-play-drz-idaho.html
is 2,800 miles one way from my home. Of course that was done in conjunction with my money making Dr. Dyno trip to Sturgis, 7,500 miles all told. The Sturgis-Coeur d'Alene 900 mile section was done in one day each way at speed limits of 70 & 75 mph. We have a big country over here! :thumbs_up:

Kestryn · Aug 17, 2013

Hi, Ken. I was searching for tips on changing the power steering belt on my '97 Rav4, and found your tips. I'm having a heck of a time getting a wrench or socket on the Power Steering Pump Pivot Bolt (14mm, the top one), and was wondering if you used spanners for that as well? This one had me walking away for the night with the Rav on jack stands, and googling my rear off trying to find the answer. I suspect there is a common mechanic's trick that I just haven't learned yet.

Anyhoo, thanks for any help you might be able to lend, and apologies for replying to a year-old post, but that's the internet for ya!

Zach W.

Ken Allistone · Aug 17, 2013

Hi Zach,
I know I only used wrenches/spanners (open one end, ring the other) and linked them together for leverage, like you say, it was over a year ago and I cannot say for certain but I am sure I would have only been able to get a ring on the pivot bolt.
What you may want do is grab a length of 2 x 2 wood and wedge it behind the pump and against the chassis and try and lever the pump forward.
I hope that overnight maybe the WD40 or penetrating fluid may have worked it's magic and you can get it to move now - one way or the other!
Good luck,
ps. I did not remove the pump pulley - just in case you were wondering!

Kestryn · Aug 18, 2013

Ken,

Thanks for the reply - I did finally get things to move, but I had to make a trip to sears and get one of the new ratcheting, articulated wrench/spanners, in 14mm: Sears.com

Pretty handy tool! I was able to get some decent torque on the pivot bolt (after applying some penetrant), and though I never felt it break, suddenly noticed that the belt was loose! Apparently my torque had simply moved the steering pump closer to the engine a bit.
I swapped the belt, and then pried the pump back with a breaker bar, against the engine block, tightened up the locking bolt, and applied torque to the pivot bolt (still didn't feel any movement).

I *think* my belt is tight enough... we'll see tomorrow morning when I start 'er up - battery is still charging, so I couldn't do it tonight. Did the alternator belt and bled the brakes while I was at it. Tomorrow - rear shocks!

Seeya, and thanks.

rmr1 · Aug 18, 2013

Kestryn has beaten me to it!

A new style spanner with a ratchet ring end (14mm) is invaluable. The ratchet end should have an articulation or joint so that the ring sits well on the bolt head but the arm of the spanner can clear the engine.

Ken Allistone · Jun 11, 2014

The cover I mentioned is the plastic splash guard which you almost certainly have off, the bolts will be rusty so use PB blaster or WD40 penetrating fluid on them and try to remove as much of the rust as you can, then use a ring spanner on the bolt, one that has an open ended spanner on the other end, then get another one and link the ring end onto the open end to effectively double it's length and give you more leverage.
Try and work the penetrating fluid around the rear of the bolts.
Yours will be the same as mine, I agree it is hard to get at but it can be done, you just have to deal with the rust,
Good luck!

Power steering belt

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