06 Toyota Sequoia timing belt

Hey guys, 

A friend of ours has an 06 Sequoia that they're looking to replace. It's a limited model with 216k miles on it. Some scrapes and scratches, but overall pretty good. Brand new frame recently and the steering rack was replaced about 2 years ago. It appears everything works perfectly fine even including the DVD player. Rides good and is garaged. 

Problem is the timing belt was last done at 104k miles, so way over due. Is this a job that a regular Joe that knows his way around a car for the most part, or better to pay a professional? Is it hard to do? If paying a professional, what should it cost. Also is it a ticking time bomb at this mileage? 

In reply to Mazdax605 :

I just helped (mostly watched and held the light/handed tools) a mechanic friend replace timing belt, water pump, accessory belt, t-stat, tensioners and radiator + coolant  on my 'new' 06 Tundra. Same 2UZ engine. Friend has done a lot of these, and it took about 4.5 hours start to finish. 

Nothing was real complicated other than the crank bolt - it just required diligence. If you are confident and methodical go for it. You will have to r/r the radiator. I paid $300 for the labor and all the parts listed above were about $550. Local shop quoted $1100.

I would change that belt just for peace of mind. These seem to be very durable engines.

I've done a 1UZFE in a LS400, which is a very similar engine.  It was about a full weekend job for me.  One day to take down, one day to put back together, at a leisurely pace. All the accessories have to come off:  AC, alternator, PS pump, etc.  That's the bad part.  They don't have to come all the way off, just loose and out of the way.

I guess also I should ask if it would be a dumb idea to buy a Sequoia with 216k miles? I know that Toyota has been really reliable to me. Also I believe that someone put a million miles on a tundra not long ago, and Toyota bought the truck back and tore it down to check out the wear. Probably the 5.7 litre engine, but I can't imagine the 4.7 is all that different. 

In reply to Mazdax605 :

I wouldn't fear that mileage, especially if you know the history. I took a chance and bought this 1st generation Tundra because I wanted a truck and didn't want to spend new truck money. I've spent a fair amount on deferred maintenance (and some cosmetic) items but quite happy with it overall. If your baseline is known, all the better. Especially with a new frame since you're in rust land.

Mazdax605 said:

Hey guys, 

 

A friend of ours has an 06 Sequoia that they're looking to replace. It's a limited model with 216k miles on it. Some scrapes and scratches, but overall pretty good. Brand new frame recently and the steering rack was replaced about 2 years ago. It appears everything works perfectly fine even including the DVD player. Rides good and is garaged. 

 

Problem is the timing belt was last done at 104k miles, so way over due. Is this a job that a regular Joe that knows his way around a car for the most part, or better to pay a professional? Is it hard to do? If paying a professional, what should it cost. Also is it a ticking time bomb at this mileage? 

I did it on my 05. It's not difficult per se, it's just time-consuming because you have to remove a bunch of stuff that is in the way, all while leaning over a tall bumper. It was the first timing belt I had ever done, and it wasn't difficult. There are a billion youtube tutorials on 4.7 timing belts out there, which are very useful. On a scale of 1-10 for difficulty I'd say it's a 5 at best. Just make sure you have the entire day.

Mazdax605 said:

I guess also I should ask if it would be a dumb idea to buy a Sequoia with 216k miles? I know that Toyota has been really reliable to me. Also I believe that someone put a million miles on a tundra not long ago, and Toyota bought the truck back and tore it down to check out the wear. Probably the 5.7 litre engine, but I can't imagine the 4.7 is all that different. 

216k on a 4.7 I wouldn't think twice. Those things go double that mileage or more without major problems. If the frame isn't rusty, I'd have no issue with a 200k 1st gen Sequoia.

5.7 is more powerful, but a buddy of mine just yesterday was telling me of something major going wrong with his Tundra 5.7, and he only has like 40k miles on it. IDK what the long-term reliability of the 5.7 is 

One thing I will chime in on is that when I did the belt on my 4Runner, I got the gates kit and the timing belt tensioner went bad after less than a year, and I had to replace it all over again. Luckily nothing got damaged when it skipped a tooth. I'll only go OEM on them from now on.

As for the mileage, don't sweat it, just do the belt quickly and catch up on any other maintenance you have to do (transmission, diff, etc.)

In reply to irish44j :

Are the 4.7 and 5.7 from the same engine family? Was the million mile Tundra a 5.7 or the 4.7?

In reply to Mazdax605 :

The tundra was 4.7

Just had to re-do the timing belt job on my 4.7L Tundra after only 15k because the shop that the PO used a parts kit with a crappy water pump gasket.  It should be MLS, but this was a composite gasket and it started leaking coolant.  

Use a genuine Toyota timing kit that includes everything and you'll be all set.

Mazdax605 said:

In reply to irish44j :

Are the 4.7 and 5.7 from the same engine family? Was the million mile Tundra a 5.7 or the 4.7?

Million miles was 5.7 I believe. I know it was the 2nd generation body style.

Both engines after 2005 have SAIS (emission secondary air injection system) failures. Google it. Some extended warranty may be available for newer ones.

I had SAI failure in my 4.7.  Bought a SAI pump defeat box for $250....fixed.  Pumping extra air directly into the exhaust manifold to decrease emissions is cheating anyway.  

SAI defeat took about 20 min to install.

Brett_Murphy said:

One thing I will chime in on is that when I did the belt on my 4Runner, I got the gates kit and the timing belt tensioner went bad after less than a year, and I had to replace it all over again. Luckily nothing got damaged when it skipped a tooth. I'll only go OEM on them from now on.

As for the mileage, don't sweat it, just do the belt quickly and catch up on any other maintenance you have to do (transmission, diff, etc.)

Damn you, I have the Gates kit on mine and now that's gonna be in the back of my head forever :/

Gates makes a whole butt-load of OEM timing belts.  I wouldn't worry about it.  Now, if you had put the Xing-Ping-Chou brand kit on it that you got on eBay drop shipped from China, I'd be more concerned.

I’m in a similar boat. My 04 4Runner just turned over 180k, so it’s due. I bought the Aisin kit, but I’ve never done a timing belt before and I’m kinda nervous that I’ll ruin my DD. 

Turbine said:

I’m in a similar boat. My 04 4Runner just turned over 180k, so it’s due. I bought the Aisin kit, but I’ve never done a timing belt before and I’m kinda nervous that I’ll ruin my DD. 

wow, yeah it's due. I did my 05 Sequioa 2 years ago, and it only has 120k miles.

Like I said though, it's not hard and it's pretty straightforward (try doing a Porsche timing/balance shaft belt...) and hard to screw up. It just takes a while because you have to remove so much stuff to get to the timing case.

Dr. Hess said:

Gates makes a whole butt-load of OEM timing belts.  I wouldn't worry about it.  Now, if you had put the Xing-Ping-Chou brand kit on it that you got on eBay drop shipped from China, I'd be more concerned.

Some Gates kits are using the Chinese parts now. A local Subaru shop used to use the Gates kit and quit because of two failures they had after Gates started using Chinese parts. Yes, it is a small sample size, but with something like engine timing, I'd rather not mess around.

Of course, I guess there is no guarantee that the (OEM) kit you're getting isn't made on the exact same line. 

Is the 2uz interference? My gen I 1uz isn’t. The gen 2 1uzfe and 3uz are interference. 

In reply to irish44j :

Whoops. I worded that weird. The PO changed it at 90k, so it’s still in decent shape, but I’d rather be safe than sorry. Timing belts are just one of those jobs that I’ve always been scared of. I guess it’s time to get over it lol 

I've done that job. Some things are especially well designed, and some things raise eyebrows, but ultimately it's fairly normal in difficulty. One thing i would suggest is checking the fan pulley bearing very closely. It's made into a large central bracket that other things bolt on top of so now would be the best time to replace it if it's failing. I got an OEM one on amazon for $125. That's a lot for a bearing but it's also cheaper than i would charge in labor getting back to it if you put the truck back together and the bearing failed soonish after, so that's something.

Pumping extra air directly into the exhaust manifold to decrease emissions is cheating anyway.  

I'm no lover of air injection systems but i think that's an unfair characterization. It's there to warm up the cats faster, not 'dilute' the harmful exhaust gases.