thewjsand

Mechanic took off my top to adjust valves, it appears one of the guides are broken. How imparitive is it that i change out the timing chain and guides? I don't have $2000 so i will be doing it my self. Where is a good site to get genuine toyota parts? From what i've reda on this site the FSM and 2-4 days is all i need. True?

misterzee

It shouldnt be tough to find a good shop that'll pull the head and timing cover and replace the timing set and head gasket for less than $1000, but if you do it yourself, you can proly do the whole works for under $150 in parts.
get your parts from engnbldr, and read HERE and follow some links out to other sites as well, there's TONS of writeups on it. IF you have an IFS truck, I highly recommend dropping the front diff so you can remove the oil pan, remove the trash-old guide pieces, and reseal it. actually, if you have enough miles like 200k, think about doing the head gasket as well.

thewjsand

It's a solid axle truck.

So should i go for the single chain from engnbder.com or go for duo through DOE or LCE???

The Head gasket was replaced recently by the previous owner. Is there a way to change the chain without pulling the head and dropping the pan?

I'll continue my search... i do have the FSM and it says to remove the head ... i believe. If anyone knows of a site with pictures that would be priceless! Thanks.

yodercrawler55

if you never wanna deal with the timing chain again install a double timing chain that comes with metal guides it will be the last one ever installed. It also helps quiet down engine noise. If your doing it yourself buy a Chiltan or Hanes manuel they take you through it step by step, i reccomend Hanes it is more detailed in steps

Rocketwrencher

No need to pull the head. The oil pan doesnt need to com off either. Just make sure you remove the front oil pan bolts. The distributor will have to bee pulled to get to the hidden bolt from the head to the timing cover. There is also a hidden bolt behind the oil dipstick. It does make it easier if you pull your radiator to get the crank pulley off though. Good luck. If you have any more questions just ask. It should only take a 1-2 days.

drew303

I just did this on my brothers 85. Took me i dunno, 6 hours. Would of taken less but I made him do all the labor. It's not a hard job at all, just time consuming and can seem overwhelming when you're trying to figure out which bolts go back into the cover.

I reccomend pulling the pan, especially if the guide is broken (his was). I'm rebuilding another 22R right now who's driver side guide was worn through and both guides where they stick out past the head were broken off. The pan was filled with the debris and the oil pickup nearly clogged from the fragments. So yea, TAKE THE PAN OFF =)

The head does not need to come off. There is a bolt going through the front of the head into the cover (as mentioned in previous reply) It's covered by oil so you wont see it, just feel it.

You also don't need to remove the radiator. Put the truck in 5th gear, parking break on. Get a 19mm socket and ratchet and a 3-4ft cheater bar. Lefty lucy. It will come off. I've never needed to use the starter to get one of these crank bolts off, ever.

Keep track of your bolts and do whatever works best for you to remember where each one goes (will make reassembly much easier). If for some reason you do get them all mixed up its not a big deal. What I do is put the cover on the ground and start putting the bolts through and then check to see how far past the inside of the cover surface they go. They should all push through about a half inch. Mixing the bolts up isnt a big deal here as long as they stick through equally you're fine.

Make sure you get all the mating surfaces spotless and residue clean. For the oil pan your going to find that oil will continue to drip down no matter how many times you wipe it up off the black. This is where its hard to get the pan to seal right again, you don't want to spray the crank with any cleaner cuz yo want that oil to stay in the bearings. If I were to do this all again I'd let the motor 'drain' persray for a day or overnight then reassemble the pan on in the morning. Less chance of oil getting onto the pan mating surface and ruining any attempt at a seal.

Theres a good writeup on 4x4wire if you search to. I think the HANES/CHILTON manuals are worthless =) FSM is good tho

Wardamneagle

If you want to go dual row on the timing chain then it's more involved than just the chain. You have to buy the entire conversion kit with chain, gears, new timing chain cover, etc.

Oatmeal

I've done several timing chains and yes, remove the pan....you'll want to get the debris out of there. By removing the pan, it won't be necessary to pull the head. The timing cover is sandwiched between the head and pan so by dropping the pan' it'll relieve the pressure and allow the timing cover to come out easier. You might as well pull the radiator because you'll be draining the coolant (water pump has to come out) anyway and it will give you more room to work. A good way to keep track of what bolt goes where is to, draw a diagram on a piece of cardboard and pierce the cardboard diagram with the bolts as you remove them. Speaking of which, make sure and remove the bolt directly under the distributor drive, it'll be impossible to get the cover off otherwise.....it's real easy to miss as, it's usually submerged in oil! Don't wait too long though, if the chain wears through the driver's side guide, the timing cover is next and there is a coolant passage right there! Do yourself a favor and buy a quality timing set (Japanese) I buy only OSK brand sets (same as OEM).......comes with both gears, a new tensioner, chain (of course) and gaskets for about 1/3 of the dealer price! Don't forget to buy a new oil pump O-ring while you're at it however, I've found the aftermarket ones to be too thin and suggest getting that from the dealer. This place sells all Japanese parts for decent prices www.22re.com Take your time, don't get flustered and you'll do fine.......and save a bunch of money!--------Hans

Rocketwrencher

Putting the truck in gear is a good idea to not have to use the starter method of loosening the crank bolt. I didnt see that you have a 5 speed when I responded earlier. Mine is an auto, putting it in gear doesnt work. As far as removeing the radiator, you will find that it is easier if you remove it to have enough room to use the puller on the pulley (puller on the pulley, that is funny). As far as the hidden bolt in the head goes, use an old rag to soak up the oil and you will see the bolt. Plus, once you do remove the timing cover, you wont have that oil dripping down the front of the block and all over you garage floor, AARRGG. It is not necessary to remove the oil pan to remove the timing cover. With that being said, I agree with the above post in removing it anyway to clear out all the guide debris and to ensure you get a good seal from the block to the timing cover to the oil pan. One other thing to be carefull of is the head gasket at the head, block, timing cover mating surfaces. Do not bend or tear it or you will need to remove the head to replace it. I agree with the need of a FSM. Wish I had one when I did mine but I am the type of guy that has to learn from his mistakes. One good benefit though, I know my motor inside and out. I also read a good idea on here about using a piece of cardboard to hold the bolts for the timing cover. Draw a sketch of the cover and the approx. loc. of the bolts and as you remove them, stick them through the cardboard. Dont for get to prime your new oil pump. I did and it cost me a spun bearing. Again, I learn from my mistakes.