Very nice! I really need to do my timing belt...Any problems at all?
Ha ha ha, where to begin?
First major problem was getting the crank pulley bolt loose. This is the 27mm bolt. Basically you cant use a strap wrench and a breaker bar, just wont work (at least not for me). The problem is obviously the pulley wants to move if you apply a torque on the bolt, so you have to keep the pulley still while moving the bolt. Or you can think a little different and reverse that logic. Hold the bolt still and move the pulley. Much Much easier. Just put the 27mm socket on a 2 foot breaker bar, and tie it to the frame (or in my case the OEM recovery hook) on the passenger side of the car, and use the starter to break the bolt loose. Just enough to break it loose, then remove the bolt by hand.
Second problem. Getting the pulley off once the bolt is out. This thing will usually be stuck on the crankshaft pretty good. You'll need to get a "Harmonic Balancer Puller." I rented mine from O'riellys. If you rent it from O'riellys, then the bolts that come with it are sufficient. Otherwise, you might need to get two 6x1.0 hex bolts of 60mm length or more. The puller screws into two small holes in the crank pulley, and then the center rod goes and presses on the crankshaft, thus pulling the crank pulley away from the crankshaft.
Third problem. Getting the camshaft sprockets off. You'll have to put the crank bolt back in the crankshaft with the old timing belt still on, hold everything still using the "tie the breaker bar to the frame" method, and get a second breaker bar to loosen the camshaft sprocket bolt.
Fourth problem. Getting the crank & cam oil seals out. I used this method (
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ri8xnBnF4yk), it worked wonderfully. Just make sure to be really careful when drilling, you don't want to scratch the camshafts.
Fifth problem. Scraping the old gasket off the block for the new water pump. I used a chisel that I had freshly sharpened. Still took a lot of elbow grease. Just have to make sure you get every last bit.
Sixth problem. Getting the new timing belt on. The FSM says to put on the Timing belt tensioner first, then fix it in the loosest position and put on the new belt. I found it was much easier to put on the belt, making sure the alignment marks are correct, then put the tensioner on and adjust it.
After that, it should be pretty easy. Just make sure to tighten everything to the right torque and you should be good. Fill it back up with coolant and fire it up.
