[Leadbelly Jones]

I posted here a few months ago with a problem concerning the wiring between the alternator and the Crank Position sensor getting gobbled up by the accessory belt- I hadn't known that when I posted, I got it to a Firestone and they did... Well, a terrible job, I can't recommend that place, but they found the problem and mended it back together.

Anyway, fast forward a few months and some road trips later, intermittent wiring problems were making my car buck for a few days before it caused my timing belt to jump a tooth or two and stranded me. A shop near by tells me I need a new engine, I've got low compression in cylinder 3, and the timing belt stretched. I say no way, get it to a friends house, replace Water Pump, Pullys, and timing belt. Had hell with a stripped screw on the water pump (wtf?) Rewired the Crank Position Sensor and ran it around the side of the engine bay instead of precariously close to the belts and pullys.

Car was back together, it runs wonderfully, however I can't get a bolt into the bottom of the alternator mounting bracket. I'm about to tear it down tomorrow and redo it, but I thought I'd ask first... With every other bolt to the water pump in place, is it possible, would you guys think, that the pump and gasket may not be flush with this last bolt hole even though every other bolt is? I'm an amateur..


TLDR is in bold

 

[Ken Allistone]

The water pump will only fit one way, if all the other bolts are in then this one should too. Have you got the correct bolt for the hole?
I have changed my water pump but it was 18 months back so I'm a bit rusty,
Sorry I can't help more, if possible send us a picture, it may help
Good luck

 

[Leadbelly Jones]

Thank you for a response! I bought a mirror and took a peek- There's a bolt end broken off inside. Apparently this bolt is supposed to protrude out the other end of the hole, but it's in there about a milimeter or two. I'd actually thought that too, but some nosy neighbors convinced me otherwise.. On another topic, people recommend accessing the back side of the bolt by taking off the radiator hose and (maybe?) a part to the power steering pump and score it with a dremel. I'd need a new gasket for that and it isn't a sure fix with it being partially 'out' (literally, in), so I think I'll go now to buy a right angle drill and an extractor bit and try extracting it through the front.

Again, thank you for a response, I'll post my results when I'm finished for reference.


-Edit- to clarify, everything on my car is together sans alternator. If I can't get it off the front, I think it'll be easier to take a wack at those two parts I've named that I don't have experience with than to get my timing belt and pullys and all the rest of that crap off again.

 

[Leadbelly Jones]

To add to the mystery, there is no broken bolt head.. We lost this bolt or it was already missing, and neither of us remember breaking it. I had to buy a new bolt from a junk yard, but it's needed to tension the alternator, so I'm really at a loss as to explain what happened, lol. The only thing I can think of is that they just wedged in the incorrect bolt and the tension was so high that it never jiggled away. We brought in so many spares that I don't know what was original to the car when we started and what we brought in later to try and get in there.

 

[Leadbelly Jones]

No way to fit the drill in there, I need to take ot the ac condensor. Shcks...

 

[Ken Allistone]

If it helps then send me a private message (pm) through here with your email address and I will take some pictures of mine (if I can get close enough ) or send me a picture of the offending bolt hole and I will compare it to mine.
The alternator should be bolted up tight but as you will see there is a sliding adjuster which makes tensioning the belt very easy, maybe the mounting bolt was loose anyway and it all held into place by the tensioner?

 

[Ken Allistone]

I found the bolt and bracket on mine, looks like the only way is as you say to remove the compressor.....
The bolt has a head size if 12mm if that helps but if you strip the thread getting it out then you could also put a nut and bolt through the hole.
I don't envy you.... Good luck.

 

[Leadbelly Jones]

Heh. I meant compressor, yeah. Envy me not, took the compressor, radiator hose, and oil filter off to find that I still couldn't get a straight shot at it, and I couldn't score it without grinding away at the water pump housing.

On to plan two, took the waterpump and a second (front) engine mount out, eased the engine down and jacked up the frame of the car to drill at it from the front.... Broke my drill bit inside of it.

Soooo, we tapped the water pump and now the alternator is mounted directly to that. We did all of this yesterday, didn't adjust the tension properly so it fell out of time. It's just me for now, but as it stands my crank is on time and my cam is off one tooth. Tension is good, I actually had it right but thought it was wrong so now it's just a matter of cooling off and going out there to do it again, lol.

I'm feeling kind of like I want to pay this car off asap and start a piggy bank for the next one. Bad valve stem seal, oil leak, custom water pump, yadda yadda, this puppy is a time bomb. Only 108K, I bought it 10K ago, who knows how long it'll last, probably a few years, but I'll drive it to death. I only bought it because I needed one quick after some dumbass blew a redlight and destroyed my Accord.


Edit- This has been a fantastic learning experience. Given that the bolts to the power steering resv. broke out in the engine bay for no good reason, I don't think all of these problems were our fault for being inexperienced, but definitely we created some headaches too.. Nine days into a two hour job, and I'm not ready to say that this hasn't been fun, lol.

 

[Leadbelly Jones]

I'd take pictures, but I don't know where my camera is. This isn't my house I've been staying at and doing this, but two new adults and two kids have moved in over the weekend.. And I've been driving my buddy's civic to work while he drives his Daytona, today the lever to engage reverse fell apart on the Dodge.. It's a party!

 

[Ken Allistone]

Glad you were able to work around the problem, sorry to read you have had/got so many problems with it. It sounds like someone has been neglecting it over time and you have acquired all these problems as a result. Mine was like that but luckily for me I have another car and consider my Rav as a long term project or hobby even. It looks like a new car, I have dismantled so many things I know it inside out, still got an annoying clunk and hesitation but have almost given up curing these. I like the way it drives and that its not too heavy, the build quality is also good, the European ones were built in Japan.
Stick with it, there's a few of us on here been around them long enough to help you!