Help re RX300 timing belt

[James Morse]

Well, even with the correct tool to hold the crankshaft pulley, the crankshaft bolt still won't come out. He's putting a lot of force on it.
He is putting car back together and says he is going to take it to a lift (this was mentioned earlier) so he can get under it and get a better angle on it.
Any ideas on getting that bolt out?
In my experience you can have a couple things happen if you keep messing with stuck bolts, either the head breaks off or the hexagonal head gets so messed up a wrench won't grab it.
Either of which would be basically disastrous. Torque is supposed to be 300 ft lbs but it's stuck in there some multiple of that.
His electric impact wrench wouldn't touch it. So maybe big air wrench could break it loose.
It's a mess, you can't change timing belt (let alone water pump) without getting that bolt out.

 

[2011Supercab]

My "Magic 8 Ball" says

"Outlook not so good"

 

[James Morse]

You're telling me....
But surely this has happened before. What do they do, swap out the whole engine?! Or run w/ old timing belt until stuff blows up.
I'm still hoping it comes out. Which it will, if the adhesion in the threads is weaker than the bolt itself.

 

[CrabGuy]

Sorry for all the problems he's having. I now feel even better that I took mine to a Yota specialist and paid dearly for the same work. Knowing my low patience level I would have probably resorted to the gas can and match Car B Q if I was doing the work.

 

[James Morse]

Yeah I feel bad for him. For me, too, because this kind of turned into a nightmare.
If he gets it done I bet he'd be a specialist by then. He put it all back together of course it still has the same problem which is a squeaking pully which I would say the bearing is shot, that was the original problem of course.

 

[sgtsandman]

Sounds like it’s time for a big 1/2” drive breaker bar and make sure he’s turning the bolt the correct direction.

If the front of the engine is on the driver’s side, the engine runs counter clockwise instead of clockwise. If I remember correctly, that bolt has left hand threads but I emphasis if.

Heat might be a good idea too. Just watch what gets heated since there will be rubber in the crankshaft pulley for balancing and vibration purposes.

 

[James Morse]

Well yes I did mantion that with him.
The front (where water pump is) is on the passenger side.
Yes he was saying it (engine) runs clockwise that's why sometimes they take them off with this bump-start routine (didn't help). If the threads are normal right hand threads that would be correct.
But now if the threads are reverse - I said to him - 'are you sure they aren't reverse threads?' then of course he'd never get it off he'd only be tightening it more.
So it sounds like I need a definitive answer are they reverse thread or not. Pretty sure they are normal threads, all the vids I see, they're normal. This is where a shop manual would be nice.
He said he's sure it runs clockwise as you look at the front of it (the passenger side) so if that's true reverse threads would make sense so it would not loosen itself. I think - if my mind is working.
However, everything I find on it says they are normal threads.
As to heating, he said would rather not for the reasons you mentioned.
THANKS.

 

[James Morse]

And I'll mention, one of the tries was me holding the upper timing belt pulley still with a socket wrench while he reefed on the crankshaft bolt (didn't help). When we were doing this, a couple times there was like click noise and the upper pulley turned a little (crankshaft pulley did not). That makes me think the belt jumped a couple notches (he thinks so as well). All back together (without parts replaced), it runs, but got CEL (no CEL before). I don't know enough about it to know if the timing belt is mis-synched by a notch or two would the thing still run, I'm going to guess, apparently it runs (if I'm right about the belt jumping a notch or two, which I think I am), just not runs well. Blah. It has to drive a little bit because he's lining up a lift to get under it, you see some vids they got like 3' of breaker bar on the thing and you can see the breaker flexing substantially, they are really reefing on it, so he though if he could get it up in the air and get under it he could get more force on it. So I'm going to hazard a guess that if it runs, and doesn't make horrible noises, it can get a few miles. I'm telling you this has gone way past anything I envisioned.

 

[RobbieD]

I would confirm RH thread or LH thread beyond a shadow of doubt before trying anything else.

 

[James Morse]

Um. Yeah. agree. I am searching Google, all the vids I see they are normal threads but could be oddball. Not sure where I am going to find this out for sure, suppose I could start searching Toyota/Lexus forums.

 

[fastpakr]

It really sounds like it's just on there tight. No way it would be a unicorn 1MZ with backwards threads.

 

[RobbieD]

Um. Yeah. agree. I am searching Google, all the vids I see they are normal threads but could be oddball. Not sure where I am going to find this out for sure, suppose I could start searching Toyota/Lexus forums.

Short of access to a Toyota/Lexus shop manual, call around and see if a local Toyota dealership parts department has a replacement crank bolt in stock; if so, go look at it.

 

[fastpakr]

DIY - 2001 Camry XLE - 6cyl - Timing Belt, Water Pump...

www.toyotanation.com

Nothing in this discussion indicates left hand thread.

 

[James Morse]

Yes. All the replacement ones I see on the web so far are normal thread. But that's a terrific idea and I will mention it to him. Might not be a horrible idea to replace it anyway once it's out.
I read a bunch of posts about it and most are saying it just takes a tremendous effort to get it off. Thanks.

 

[James Morse]

Yeah fastpakr those are regular threads in that post, thanks. Left hand would be something one would think would be noted visibly and strongly.