Timing belt shredded apart; I am looking for an alternative way that I can possibly find the correct location for the camshafts to be.

MATTBMENIFEE

MEMBER
1998 TOYOTA TACOMA
3.4L
V6
2WD
AUTOMATIC
250,685 MILES

Hello,
I have the vehicle listed above Prerunner with a 5vz-fe engine and my timing belt shredded apart, so the truck got towed home. Anyhow the service manual along with videos I've watched all show the camshaft pulleys at 12 o'clock being the position they should be at to successfully get the timing right. I've set the camshafts at that spot and many more positions with no luck. So basically, I'm looking for an alternative way that I can possibly find the correct location for the camshafts to be positioned?

Thank you in advance,
Matthew Buchowicz

4 Replies

KEN L

MASTER CERTIFIED MECHANIC
48,363 POSTS

Here is how the timing belt should be installed. If you have the belt on correctly you could have some bent valves causing no compression problems. If you could upload a short video of the problem, I could tell you what the problem is. Check out the images (below). Please let us know what happens.

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Monday, April 3rd, 2023 AT 1:53 PM

MATTBMENIFEE

MEMBER
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The engine is non-interference which is a great thing because I would be rebuilding / replacing the motor again. More history on the truck. I replaced the belt 30,000 miles ago because the no.1 idler pully was grinding so I bought an OEM belt kit and replaced every pulley, tensioner and belt. When doing so I put the timing marks to the factory locations on the cam sprockets and it wouldn't start. Never doing a tong belt before this I didn't know much about timing and what I was really looking at so anyhow whomever did the belt at 170,000 miles (according to the sticker on the belt cover) made new marks on the back plate with what looked like there finger and some paint. These marks were slightly to the right of the stock timing marks on both banks. The belt shredding apart this last time rubbed those paint marks off. So, I'm basically just shooting in the dark on where the paint marks were on the back plate. I guess the question I have now would be
What would cause the timing to move forward to the paint marks that someone put there from the factory marks on the back cover?

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Monday, April 3rd, 2023 AT 2:34 PM

MATTBMENIFEE

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I'm going to remove the valve cover on the cyl.#1 side and see what's going on with the valves when everything is lined up to the factory timing marks.

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Monday, April 3rd, 2023 AT 2:39 PM

KEN L

MASTER CERTIFIED MECHANIC
48,363 POSTS

That is a good idea, I have seen the drive pulley for the timing belt become grooved at the keyway allowing the timing to become off, so keep that in mind.

Here is information on the engine.

Yes, the 1998 Toyota Tacoma with the 3.4L V6 engine is an interference engine. This means that if the timing belt breaks while the engine is running, the valves and pistons can collide with each other, potentially causing severe damage to the engine. Therefore, it is essential to replace the timing belt at the recommended intervals to prevent this from happening.

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Tuesday, April 4th, 2023 AT 9:44 AM