shaun

Is there any reason when replacing a timing chain on a 86 4runner to separate the transmission from the motor. The reason I am asking is ... okay the hole story.
well first there is a new oil leak on the head right in the front. He has tried to "Fix" it twice now. Not a pressure leak just "when it is shut down" then it drips.
Now after running the truck about 60 miles all the sudden it just lost all its power and could not make it up a hill.(towed back home).
It now has lost all its tranny fluid from the front of the housing. Dripping like a siv and it is bent out of shape. The old dirty truck also has a nice shiny spot right where it is leaking from .... cleaned and worked on?
We have not drivin the truck much in the last two years but there has never been a leak from any of those spots. let alone the tranny fluid.
Help what do you think. I think I was screwed.

btw we have had the truck for 5 years and the only place it leaked was the front main. Now it leaks everything everywhere, and now dead in the water.

DanStew

You can do the timing with the engine in the vehicle. For him to pull it out, it would be a bit easier for him to repalce the chain but now you have much more labor because he has to pull it out, which would be more work for him. So it sounds like he buggered up the tranny while reinstallnig it. I would be asking fo reasons why he did it the way he did.

rustypigeon

There is plenty of room to replace the chain without pulling the engine or separating the transmission. I can't possibly imagine why anyone would separate them to do a timing chain job. Not being able to see this shiney spot you are talking about, is it possible that the tranny fluid washed the dirt away? I would be looking at the transmission mounting bolts, and the torque converter bolts to see if they have the telltale signs that they were removed.

AJsArmor

Having recently done a new timing chain and from previous experience in pulling a 22re...it's quite a bit more work to pull the motor. Have you asked him about it yet? If he says he did pull it then drop it off and tell him to fix his screw up or you'll take it to another shop and have it done and see him in court.

Duelertoyota4x4

In the shop where I work I am more or less the go to guy any time anything Toyota comes in. And I can honestly say, between my own trucks and the ones I work on I have probally changed near a hundred timing sets. And I have never had to remove the engine from the truck to do it. And I know that all the labor estimating books I have ever looked in have never allowed labor time to R/R and engine just to change a timing set.

That being said it is easier to see everything on the front of the motor with it removed but not cost and time effective in a shop setting to do so. If you were doing it at home and you had a few other things you wanted to do to it or you wanted to clean it Id say yea , but in my opinion he shouldnt have "had" to pull the motor. But without having been there and seen or asked him why he did do it I cant honestly say what he did was wrong. Every tech has his/her own way of doin stuff and as long as he didnt charge you for the labor to pull the motor Id say all is good with that. But that brings us the the new tranny leak,

If he did pull the motor for any reason and has caused a leak that wasnt there before it is his responsibility to fix the problem, especially if he only pulled the motor for his convience. Anything outside of what the labor books tell you is nessacary is the sole responsibility of the tech/shop. Unless it has been conveyed to and understood by the owner of the vehicial.

That is about the best explaination I can give you on he libability to fix it.

Now the question I have for you is this. Did he charge you the labor to R/R the engine for a timing chain swap or did he only charge you labor for the timing chain work. If he charged you labor for the R/R on the motor , then yes you got hosed , if not you are ok as far as that goes. But he is still responsible for fixing the problem he created when he pulled the motor.

Junkers88

How much did he charge you if you don't mind? The reason I ask is because the local Bend-over-for-your-butt-lube shop quoted me 1700$ (just in labor) to do a timing chain because they "had" to pull the head. Then it was 1000$ in parts for the chain, water pump, oil pump and seal kit not to mention the cost for the head gasket and they wanted to sell me a valve job while they had the head out.........

I think you should talk to the mechanic (use that term with care) and find out what all he "had" to do to replace the timing set.


And for future reference do everything you can on your own and keep that rig out of the shop.