Timing belt tensioner pulley missing washer

Hi it seems that when my mechanic did the timing belt on my 2006 tundra 4.7L V8 DC, he forgot to install the washer for the timing belt tensioner pulley. This washer is apparently very important as it is quite large approx 1/4” thick.

The engine is now leaking oil from behind the timing belt tensioner pulley. I’m hoping the engineer block isn’t cracked. It seems it could the oil pump housing that was damaged.

Has anyone else run into this issue before and have experience?

 

Sounds like that mechanic will owe you a long warranty on that engine..

 

Any reputable shop will have a 12 month and or 12,000 mile labor warranty. If your leak occurred due to negligence, that is considered subsequent damage and will fall under their warranty.

 

Do you have a picture?

 

"Forgot", how do you miss it if it's quite large? And how do you not just wonder, "HUH, I WONDER WHERE THIS HUGE THICK WASHER CAME FROM?!" when you see it laying around after doing the work. Such a f'n joke. He probably didn't properly tuck away the crank position sensor harness either.

My ass would be marching back to the shop and demanding they fix that shit. And if not, if you paid by credit card, dispute it with the CC company.

 

Where does it go specifically?

 

So here's where the conversation gets awkward... I forgot mine too.

I was talking to someone as I removed my tensioner and I removed the pulley bolt instead of the pivot bolt. At the end of the project I found the washer and could not figure out where it went.

Since I pulled the tensioner apart, I assumed the washer was related to the pulley on the tensioner. Thinking that, I then assumed I replaced it with the new assembly.

So, I've put 10,000 miles on my truck with this "plate washer" missing.

I'm going to tear into it this weekend and get it fixed before the cold weather comes.

I'm thankful I opened this thread. I'll give you guys the damage report next week. I don't have any apparent leaks but who knows what I'm about to find.

This is embarrassing.

 

Mistakes are a powerful learning experience. Sharing your mistakes the best way to turn "learning" into "teaching". Props to you for that.

 

So to answer your question, I'm one of the dumbasses who finds the extra washer and says "Fuck it. Ship it."

Seriously though, I hope I didn't fuck anything up. I'm broke.

 

not so concerned with the cost of the timing belt replacement. Very concerned about the cost of repairing the subsequent damage. I used a smaller mobile mechanic who works out of his truck. I am praying that he has insurance or it could lead to a lengthy process through court.

 

I hate it for you. Very expensive lesson learned.

 

Perhaps I'm mis-understanding but are you meaning the "drive belt tensioner pulley" or the "timing belt tensioner" ?
If either of those, I'm perplexed how they can cause an oil leak.

Any chance you can post pic of where your referencing and pic of washer, with say a quarter as a reference beside it.
There's only a couple washers that size I recall but memory not what it used to be.

 

It’s the plate washer that you highlighted. The bolt that attaches the pulley to the motor goes through the oil pump housing and bottoms out at the block of the motor.

I’m not a mechanic, but from my understanding that washer is intended to allow the pulley freedom to move. Without it, the pully is right up against the oil pump housing which can cause unnecessary friction. This friction could lead to failure of the oil pump housing. From my understanding the bolt could also potentially get torqued down to cause cause damage to the block without the washer as well. This is what I have been told by the new mechanic that found the issue and from a Toyota tech.

 

That I will agree with and reason for highlighting given it's the only odd thick washer that if not done properly could definetly cause an oil leak....not drive belt nor timing belt tensioners.

Hopefully you get it all straightened out with out much heartache.

 

How many miles did you put on it without the washer?

 

It pretty much started leaking immediately for me. I have seen posts on other forums where someone forgot to put the washer on and it still operated fine. Would highly recommend not forgetting that washer though as it can be disastrous.

 

I'm about 95% sure I left mine off. Your explanation makes perfect sense with it wearing on the aluminum block. Definitely parking mine until I can tear into it.

This thread may have saved my engine. Didn't even occur to me until I your post this morning.

I hope you are able to get your situation resolved!

 

I don't get all the fuss here. I did my timing belt about a month ago and found there was no plate washer on the the back of the old tensioner(pulley*). There was no noticeable wear and the surface behind it seems to be designed to take some rubbing.
My truck had been running that way for at least 4 years I believe. It's not like this tensioner(pulley*) is wagging back and forth?

 

I tore mine apart today. Waiting on the plate washer. Hopefully it will be here soon. Looks like we are going to have no Fall again, straight to winter within the course of a week or two, so I need to get this thing back together. I'd rather do it in 70 degree weather than have something shit the bed in 15 degree weather, if that became the case.

Looking at my tensioner pulley, there is clearly a 1/8" strip where the belt did not contact.

The tensioner was definitely contacting the engine, thankfully I did not torque the bolt down too tight at all. A little bit of contact, but not too bad in my case.

In the second pic, you can see the strip where the timing belt was not contacting the pulley. The belt would have worn out prematurely if this was not fixed.

 

I never have found a mechanic that I would trust to work on my truck. I hate to say it but if you want a old truck, you got to be able to work on it yourself or else you run into crap like the OP did here. I had it happen with my alignment.