Toyota 4-Runner vs Dodge Durango (1 Viewer)

[Scott Strang]

Let me guess; after putting the dash back together it became a rattle trap.

 

[Malcolm R]

Too soon to tell. Seems OK so far, though.

 

[Steve Schaffer]

The '04 4Runner service manual section on replacing the timing belt on the 2UZ-FE (4.7 liter V8) states on page 14-109:

"Notice:
If the timing belt is disengaged, having the crankshaft pulley at the wrong angle can cause the piston head and valve head to come into contact with each other when you remove the camshaft timing pulley and camshaft, causing damage. So always set the crankshaft pulley at the correct angle".

Translation: this is for sure an interference engine, meaning that if the timing belt breaks the valves and pistons are gonna try to occupy the same space and very expensive damage will result.

 

[Steve Schaffer]

Depends on how carefully the dash is taken apart and put back together, which in turn is largely dependent on whether the dealership is paying the tech the actual time needed to do the job or only the pittance the factory allows.

The mfgs issue their own flatrate manuals which are used to determine labor pay for warranty work. In many cases these are a cruel joke, especially with regard to interior trim and body hardware repairs. An example would be the 1.7 hours allowed by Toyota to replace the entire dashpad assembly on some Camrys (usually necessitated by overapplication of armor-all to the dash and the resulting delamination of the surface "skin" from the underlying urethane padding). The entire HVAC ductwork and main dash wiring harness as well as the instrument cluster, audio head units, passenger airbag, HVAC controls, are mounted to this part and must be transferred to the new one, total time to do this right and not have any rattles is 3 to 4 hours. A good dealership will go ahead and make up the difference to the techs, a bad one won't and as a result the workmanship is likely to be subpar.

 

[Mike Lenthol]

That's something new! What other Toyotas before that has belt and were interference? This is just for general education

 

[Steve Schaffer]

Mike,

The diesel pickups Toyota sold over here for a few years back in the mid-80s were belt and interference. They had a T-belt warning light on the dash that came on every 60k miles.

Toyota also sold diesel Corollas and a turbo-diesel Camry in the mid-80s with belt driven cams but I don't remember if they were interference or not and we may not still have the service manuals on them to check.

Corolla and Camry 4s with belts that were gas engines are all non-interference. The Camry 4s still routinely get towed in with broken belts, maybe once or twice a week we'll see one. Usually happens at anywhere from 90 to 120k miles. These engines use the cam belt to drive the water and oil pumps and it's "path" is quite convoluted so it doesn't last as long as the belts on the Corollas which just run from the crank to the cam with one idler pulley.

We routinely send out coupons for timing belt changes for $189 or so which is not really a major expense every 60-90k miles.

Some of the newer vvti V6s in the Avalons, Camrys, Siennas, Highlanders, Solaras may be interference from what I've heard, as they have the same cautionary note in the timing belt replacement section of the service manual.