Hello everyone, so about a month ago I bought my Sc400, 1998, with 175k. I’ve done some maintenance items on it, but now it’s time for the timing belt.

I opened the timing covers and the belt is bad. I mean, really bad. Cracked everywhere. It could be the original.


Timing belt cracks

Inside or timing cover

Behind cam gear

Inside other timing cover

Behind cam gear

Crankshaft and balancer area


Anyway, I am needing to change the timing belt, but now I want to understand the other seals I should change while I’m in there. I would like to avoid changing the cam seals since I don’t want to remove the camshaft, plus I just fixed my valve cover gaskets and stopped that leak, which was really bad.

in your opinions, do these seem related to the cam seals, or maybe the crank seal leaking on the belt and carrying it around, or possibly from the previous bad valve cover gaskets?

 

On the Sc300 you can just remove the Cam Gear and get the seals in with the cams in place. Crank seal is the other seal back there for oil, pull the balancer and it should be accessible too

I'd do a water pump while im in there too

 

that is true on pre VVTI motors, but with the VVTI you have a timing tube that goes through the seal, and to remove that tube you have to remove the cam.

 

Just to follow up and close this.

It seems the crank was leaking, and the belt carried it around. Crank has been fixed and stopped the overall leak. Timing belt has been changed from this horrible looking one, all is good.