Rav4 1999 2.0 GX 3dr Cambelt Problems!

[Neiln]

Hi All

Cambelt went at the weekend, while doing about 40mph.

AA guy confirmed it and towed me to my mother in laws house.

Bit of a bummer as I only bought the car a month ago!

Am I correct in thinking this car (1999 2.0 GX) has a non-interference engine, so all the valves etc should be OK, and this just a smaller job, rather than head off, top end rebuild?

A garage just quoted me £1600!

Thanks

Neil

[Mike169]

Hi Neil.

You haven't said what engine you have, petrol/diesel etc so...…………………………………………..

Yours in a non-interference engine. Should be fine. Here's a list for future reference. Toyota • 1.5L (1A-C, 3A-C & 3E) Interference • 1.5L (3E-E & 5E-FE) Non-Interference • 1.6L DOHC (4A-F & 4A-FE) Interference • 1.6L DOHC (4A-GE & 4A-GZE) Non-Interference • 1.6L SOHC Non-Interference • 1.8L Diesel Interference • 1.8L DOHC Gasoline Interference • 2.0L Non-Interference • 2.2L Diesel Interference • 2.2L Gasoline Non-Interference • 2.4L Diesel Interference • 2.5L Non-Interference • 2.8L Non-Interference • 3.0L Inline 6 (Except 1998 2JZ-GE) Non-Interference • 3.0L Inline 6 VVT-i (1998 2JZ-GE) Interference • 3.0L V6 Non-Interference • 3.3L V6 Non-Interference • 3.4L Non-Interference * 3.5L V-6 Non-Interference • 4.7L Interference

Mike.

[Neiln]

thanks mike

its a petrol 2.0 litre from 1999 so it should be fine?

Do I need any special tools to do it myself? I've done similar jobs on my old Volvo so I have a little experience.

 

[Mike169]

Hi Mate.

If you have done one  before you should be ok, worst case scenario is either you come on here for advise with photo's or you tow it to a garage and show them the engine is a non interference type.

Mike.

[daveh_rav4]

LOL £1600 for a cam belt... chancers!  Yup, a 2ltr petrol should be a non-interference.  Only thing that might confuse a mechanic is if any carbon deposits detach from the combustion chamber and get between the top of the piston and the cylinder head giving the impression that the engine has locked up or a piston is hitting a valve.  A genuine Toyota cam-belt and tension spring should be about £50 (avoid using a cheap belt... its not worth the hassle of changing again).  Also worth considering replacing the waterpump and idler bearings/springs while you have it all stripped down.  Because the engine is a transverse the offside chassis member gets in the way... so the engine mount that side has to be disconected/removed and the engine supported with a jack.  Not an easy job as on some cars.... but if you do it yourself; plenty of Youtube vids showing how.  One good trick I saw was to cut the old belt in two longways while still on the engine, remove half the old belt, fit the new belt halfway on while everything is holding together then cut the old belt off and push the new belt fully home... keeps all the timing in shape 🙂  That Fuzz Townsend fella  has a Youtube  vid showing how its done ^

I would have thought a garage would charge about... £400 - £500.    That garage quoting £1600 needs to be avoided... the vehicle is probably not worth that!

[gjnorthall]

A significant difficulty with this particular model is access limitation by the ABS unit mounted on the RH inner wing. It's best to persist without removing or disconnecting the unit since the brake system may be very difficult to bleed if air enters the unit. Timing belt kits don't include the tensioner spring and the old spring will probably be weakened. Many mechanics fit the belt by measuring the deflection rather than relying on the spring to position the tensioner.

[daveh_rav4]

My last vehicle, a Ford XR2 (1600cc) had a cam belt and I had to change it every 40,000 mile (PIA, as I had to change it three times)...  this 98 2ltr petrol Rav4 has to be changed every 60,000 miles (although most claim it will do 90,000 <?>).  Cam belts are a pain... and I have personally resolved never to buy another vehicle with these damb things fitted again!  I would rather put up with a bit of chain rattle than having the exspense and inconvieiance of these cam belts!

[Mike169]

Hi Dave.

I have many years experience in the car trade. Any car I have had with a cambelt each year I would change the cambelt when it was service and MOT time, doing it myself for the sake of a £10 cambelt I thought it was worth it. Nowadays i'm not as supple as I used to be so it's a main dealer job and luckily I have a chain on my car but cars are so much more complicated nowadays making it harder for the average man or even certain garages to repair their cars, I think it is all part of the governments master plan to 'up' the quality of repairs of cars, perhaps I am just cynical?

Always good to read your posts, Mike.

[daveh_rav4]

Hi Mike.. well, I am over seventy now so major car jobs that include skinned knuckles and laying on my back doing contortionist tricks I leave to younger fitter fitters 🙂   I am seriously considering buying a fourty year old plus Land Rover if I can find the right one.  Tax exempt, MOT exempt and insurance as a histotic vehicle works out at about £6 - £10 a month!  The good thing about a vintage Land Rover is that they don't stand out in a car park like other historic vehicles as they have not changed body shape and looks much since they were first introduced in the late fourties; so probably won't get trashed as othe vintage vehicles would if left to the mercy of car park vadals.  I don't do a high milage these days... so any extra fuel consumption would not be so much of an impact.  Plus... the fun factor of an older car far out strips the fun to be had driving one of these modern all plastic, electronic semi-computer cars that are almost impossible to work on and seem to stop working or goes into slow-mo mode as soon as a sensor starts getting flaky.  As long as It has four wheel drive, I don't care if it has sliding or wind-up windows or if it only has an ignition key, a light switch and a wiper switch.  I also don't care if the dash is all metal with just a speedo, an ignition and oil light fitted...  My grandson and myself spotted a Delorion yesterday while out driving... not sure if it had a flux convertor fitted but it looked great!  Take me back to when cars were fun (and cheap) LOL

Call me a Luddite... but I know what I like ^

[Neiln]

Spent the weekend with this, took ages to get everything off and ready to start putting the new parts on - tensioners, water pump etc.

The tensioner bolt was pretty seized and i ended up rounding it off trying to undo it. go it off eventually with a lot of work, but now I need another bolt.

I guess this is a main dealer only part?