Symptoms
Unknown history, a cracked or glazed belt, a weeping water pump. A snapped belt leaves you stranded.
The fix, step by step
- Drain coolant, remove the fan, shroud and drive belts, then the crank pulley and timing covers.
- Set the engine to TDC and mark the belt and pulleys.
- Replace the belt, tensioner (and spring), idler and water pump, confirm the timing marks after two full turns of the crank, then reassemble and bleed the cooling system.
- Forum members suggest Aisin parts over bargain kits.
Tools & part numbers
- Crank pulley holder and puller
- torque wrench
- paint marker
- LCE timing belt kit (3VZ 1988–92 or 93–95)
- water pump
- thermostat
Where to buy the parts
Timing belt kit — 3VZ 1988–1992LC Engineering ↗Amazon ↗
Timing belt kit — 3VZ 1993–1995LC Engineering ↗Amazon ↗
3VZ timing belt tensioner spring (1988–95)LC Engineering ↗Amazon ↗
Water pump — 3VZ 1993–95LC Engineering ↗Amazon ↗
Hunting a used or discontinued part? Search eBay Motors for Toyota 4Runner 2nd Gen parts →
Rated for a competent home mechanic with a decent tool kit. Confirm torque figures, fluids and procedures against the factory service manual for your VIN, support the truck on stands rather than a jack, and work at your own risk (disclaimer). Some parts links are affiliate links, which pay us a small commission at no cost to you.