Stevesk88

I'll keep it as short as i can. I picked up an 87 2wd 22r single cab last night for 150 bucks. Has a stretched timing chain that decided it wanted to chew through the cover. Coolant in the oil and its filthy under the hood. Its got just over 300k on it and it was a cali truck. I dont know anything about the p-o other than she must have been super short (Block taped to the clutch) lol and the truck came with a list of starting procedures:

Check coolant
Pump the hell out of the gas
Turn key on
Push button for starter (jimmy rigged button on dash)

I'm a little weary that she may have put a few miles on it while it was mixing coolant and oil just by reading that.

Now i work at a Napa/Machine shop that can do the block rebuild for 20% off. Should i throw timing set and all the nessesary parts at it for 75$ and hope the motor lasts awhile or should i just pull it out and get the bock rebuilt. I really want to get this thing going as soon as possible because my 85 burns about a quart of oil a week and has 266k on it and is ready to be retired to a trailer queen status.

Whatcha'll think?

Stevesk88

I'll get some pics up tomorrow when i can take some in the light.

thefishguy77

iTrader: (1)

If it hewed through the cover you have to replace the cover and chain and sprocket. I would buy all my gaskets and timing chain products from engnbldr down in Portland. Steel back guides to prevent this from happening again and rear prices. Defiantly use a oem head gasket. Don't use felpro you will have to redo it in under 100k miles more likely than not. Also don't put bosh parts on these trucks. They really don't like them. NGK denso Aisin those are the parts to use if you only want to do it once. Pull the head and see how bad the cylinders are. Might be ok and might need to boar it out. Won't know till you open her up. But if you have water in the oil probably want to inspect the crank bearings as well. Something about water and bearings the water always seems to win

Stevesk88

All of that i already knew. I was planning on running a compression test also. But i'm not pulling the head if i do do it. I've done several timing covers without pulling the head and it worked just fine. No noob here bud. Just want some opinions. I'll be taking the timing cover with me to the junk yard to match one up. They have several here.

thefishguy77

iTrader: (1)

Damn. I want to not be new. I have been working in Toyotas for over 15 years and I still learn stuff all the time. Maybe you should have not posted in the newbie section and maybe just the 86-95 truck section. My bad

Stevesk88

More traffic here thats why its here.

Grego92

iTrader: (4)

If you want this to last and plan on keeping the truck I think you need to pull that engine out and rebuild it.

If you know the coolant and oil mixed for sometime already because the timing chain ate through the cover then you have multiple issues. The biggest being you have coolant everywhere that oil goes to in the engine. For example, rod bearings, main bearings, crank, cam shaft, etc... Coolant damages those components. The quicker you can get that mixture out the better. And with 300K on the engine it's probably due for a rebuild anyhow.

You could try (but I'm not recommending) that you do a complete timing kit replacement job with new cover and flush the engine multiple times with fresh oil and maybe some flush additive stuff. Maybe it will buy you some time so you can do a proper rebuild on the 86' and then when that's done you can come back and do a proper rebuild on the 85'.

Seems like you're in a dilemma.

Stevesk88

I pulled the drain plug this morning and there was probably a gallon of water in the engine or more haha. I do have a buddy with an extra block but i'm hoping i can put this one back together and get at least 20 thousand more miles out of it. I'm only out about a hundred bucks in parts and fluids if i do so. And my time of course...but i'm okay with that. Keeps me out of trouble right? 8)

I'm going to see if i can track down the girl that was driving it and see how much she drove it.

SoCal4Running

Buy cheap buy twice.


Or in Yota talk: cheap out on parts and rebuild twice.

Stevesk88

Was just told its only been broken about a week and she changed the oil twice in that amount of time. Whew..... Goin to pull the motor tonight to work on it and check bearings anyway.

Stevesk88

Also going to strain out the oil/coolant mixture and look for brass

Stevesk88

Everything checked out. Pulled the head anyway so i can get it cleaned/checked. Timing chain wore a hole through the right side of the cover right where the water pump outlet is. Best way to tell you ask? Well i looked down through the outlet and noticed a small crack. Take a flat head screw driver and give it a small tap inside the crack. Mine took two small taps before going right through the cover. Everything was all original, even the guides!!! Not bad for 301k on this little truck.