[Stelly]

Got it done. Took a little more than 3 hours (about 5) but we drank a lot of coffee to calm my nerves after the ice I was driving on to get there.
The water pump bearing was real bad at 87,000 miles. The upper idler bearing (tensioner) was very bad. shavings were coming out of it. The timing belt looked good yet. The power steering belt was ready to be replaced and the alt/air belt was ok but we replaced it.
We cussed at Toyota for the way the motor mount bracket comes out but didn't run into any problems.
My advice - don't cut corners and make sure you replace the idlers and water pump with the timing belt at the recommended maintenance time.
My cost for parts $204 USD.
PS - this is my 3rd water pump and 4th timming belt I have put in my RAV's. The last three pumps and belts with my brothers help at his home shop in Vancouver, Washington. (he is the lead mechanic at a truck repair shop in Portland.)

 

[plee]

No problems other than the motor mount? Great. I hope to do the same thing soon. Waiting for payday. I do plan on changing both idlers and springs. I'm not afraid of doing it myself but this engine has less room to work than my old Corolla with the 4afe engine. The first time I did the t-belt in that car, the index pin that held the idler pulley in place fell out after I had put everything back together and ended up in the bottom of the timing belt cover where it proceeded to dig into my new timing belt. Luckily it didn't break the belt and i was able to put a new one in in about 1.5 hrs.

Paul

 

[Stelly]

After you take the motor mount off getting to the bolts on the bracket where it bolts to the engine is very close. Of course, like you said, not much room for anything. Getting to the bolts on the cover are close too, you need smaller fingers than I have.
The one thing to remember when setting to timing is in the Haynes manual it shows the engine setting straight up and down - but it really is at an angle as it is mounted in the car, so the cam shaft timming mark hole is shown straight up on the engine, not the way it is in the car.
After doing a couple in the RAV's you just get out the bandaids for the fingers and go for it! :lol:

 

[737tech]

TIme for the timing belt

I'm getting ready to change my timing belt, pump and idler bearing too if I can borrow a garage from a friend.
My question is how hard is it to get the bottom pulley off? Do you need a puller? Thanks......
1997 RAV, 117,000 miles, original pump and idler bearing.
Last time I get the dealer to change the timing belt but thought I'd like to do it myself this time.

 

[Stelly]

Ahhh, the bottom pulley! Interesting you are tuned in there. They tell you not to use a puller with the claws that go around it to the back, you could bend or break the pulley. After you remove the bolt that holds it into the crank it is just on with a drift key but does need a little help getting it to slide off. There are bolt holes to screw bolts in to use that type of puller to take it off. BUT, my '98 we had to go to the hardware store to get some metric bolts to screw into the pulley. So when I did my 2000 we just got those bolts out (put them in a special place and even painted the heads red so we would remember what they were for) but the 2000 used a different size bolt! Go figure!! So I hope you have a hardware store close..... or a good bolt assortment on hand. But it does just slide off after the first nudge. Put some anti-seze on it when you put it back together and next time it should slide right off.
Happy timing!!