Failure Analysis: Toyota V6 Timing Belt Failure

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Tomioka

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2000 Toyota Tundra V6 5VZ-FE got towed in for sudden loss of power and unable to start so first I check for fuel pump operation and pressure. Seems right. Truck also has 125,000mi so maybe the timing belt snapped. Pulled the timing belt cover to see this.

GjXvMQG.jpg


Did the idler pulley suddenly fail and lost all it's marbles?
UwmZxYH.jpg


Nope. (Don't mind the dirt I threw the water pump into a dirt pile.)
pB0kPTn.jpg


A failed water pump impeller shattered causing the water pump to lock up wiping out the whole belt.
q18pf62.jpg
 
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OMG! That is probably what happened. Is the motor interference and damaged as a result?
 
A perfect example of vehicle neglect. Seventeen years with no coolant attention, no timing belt attention, likely no plugs or other belt attention. Brakes were likely pad slap jobs and tires are were bought used from the local scrap yard.

I don't get it.
 
My sister's husband changed the water pump and timing belt at the same time on their Toyota Highlander 2005 version. I'm glad he did that based upon this carnage.
 
Originally Posted By: Kibitoshin
UwmZxYH.jpg


This ^ was the 'original' culprit.
The others are artifacts.
 
Originally Posted By: GMBoy
OMG! That is probably what happened. Is the motor interference and damaged as a result?


It's a non interference motor so nothing got damaged. All new parts and it's back on the road.

Originally Posted By: FowVay
A perfect example of vehicle neglect. Seventeen years with no coolant attention, no timing belt attention, likely no plugs or other belt attention. Brakes were likely pad slap jobs and tires are were bought used from the local scrap yard.


I replaced the spark plugs, brake pads, and accessory belts earlier this year. This is my neighbors work truck so its just another typical beater work truck. For maintenance he brings it to the nearest Firestone so I have no track record on maintenance. It looked like the cooling system was worked on before, someone used blue RTV on the t-stat housing, worm clamps, new radiator. I've seen timing belts go way past their recommended replacement schedule without catastrophically failing.
I made a post on doing the front brakes here: https://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubbthr...ake#Post4417775

Originally Posted By: bbhero
My sister's husband changed the water pump and timing belt at the same time on their Toyota Highlander 2005 version. I'm glad he did that based upon this carnage.


My bro's Lexus LS430 original timing belt is pushing 150,000mi knock on wood.
 
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That used to be common on the Mitsubishi V6 too - water pump in the centre..seizes, and sometimes it's all over. I've seen them running with a seized pump...the smoke is the clue, if you are deaf.
 
Originally Posted By: zeng
Originally Posted By: Kibitoshin
UwmZxYH.jpg


This ^ was the 'original' culprit.
The others are artifacts.


What's that stuff in there? Looks like there's bearings too.
 
I don't understand how the water pump impeller break can result in the idler bearing to fail. Conversely, I don't see how the bearing failure can cause the impeller to break.
 
Looks like idler pulley failure to me...

Didn't you say that you threw the water pump into a dirt pile? Did the impeller get damaged by that, perhaps?

Either way, this thing was making some serious noise for a while before the belt finally croaked. I've never seen one that bad...
 
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Whenever I change a timing belt I always recommend changing the water pump at the same time, along with idler pulleys and tensioner.
Most cam belts come as a complete kit (but not a water pump) anyway.

Claud.
 
When I bought my beater 1999 Solara 2 years ago, it had 184,000 miles. It also has the 1Mz-fe. I did the timing belt myself. I found that the water pump was original! Had the 99 date code stamped on it! I couldn't believe it! Owner neglect is one of the most shameful non-criminal behaviors to me. Why neglect so expensive a machine?
 
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This thread is not titled properly, it is not a timing belt failure rather a timing belt idler pulley failure. The pulley and idler do not last nearly as long as the belt, when I did the second timing belt change on my old 1MZ-FE the pulleys felt fine so I left them in place. About 30,000 miles later the idler started to make a knocking sound and I had to take it all apart again to replace both of them. But never have I ever seen any sort of "wear" on the belt itself.

And despite that water pump being thrown into the dirt, those deposits on the impeller and inside the housing are absolutely the result of owner neglect. My Photobucket pictures are now broken but even at well over 300,000 miles the inside of my engine has no deposits whatsoever using Toyota red and a reasonable change schedule.
 
WOW! This thing needs love! My timing belt was original when it was changed at 160K in the 5S. It didn't look horrible but was overdue for sure. It was a family owned vehicle and the first two owners were old females who didn't know any better. The third owner didn't even know it had a timing belt, let alone it required attention.
 
Originally Posted By: dlundblad
Originally Posted By: zeng
Originally Posted By: Kibitoshin
UwmZxYH.jpg


This ^ was the 'original' culprit.
The others are artifacts.


What's that stuff in there? Looks like there's bearings too.

Yep, the 'cage' of the idler (ball) bearing gave way ......... first, before all the others.
 
How would an idler giving out cause the water pump to fail? Too much axial load that was once on the idler being shifted to the WP or other reason?
 
Originally Posted By: Astro14
Looks like idler pulley failure to me...

Didn't you say that you threw the water pump into a dirt pile? Did the impeller get damaged by that, perhaps?

Either way, this thing was making some serious noise for a while before the belt finally croaked. I've never seen one that bad...


Once I separated the water pump from the block I heard some metal drop on the frame. Yep a piece of the water pump that luckily never went into the engine.

Earlier this year when I performed work there was a knocking/rattling noise coming from the front of the engine. I didn't offer to replace the timing belt at the same time I was replacing the accessory drive belts so I was kinda expecting the worse to happen.
 
Originally Posted By: Kurtatron
When I bought my beater 1999 Solara 2 years ago, it had 184,000 miles. It also has the 1Mz-fe. I did the timing belt myself. I found that the water pump was original! Had the 99 date code stamped on it! I couldn't believe it! Owner neglect is one of the most shameful non-criminal behaviors to me. Why neglect so expensive a machine?


Exactly, just like you said, it's non-criminal.
I personally know of some people who, if they could, would abandon their children/refuse to feed/shelter them but because the law binds them, they cannot.

Side note, these are not people I associate with/ever, but am related to.

True story
 
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