Stu Pidasso

I purchased an 86 4runner as a project not to long ago. I have worked very hard to get it to a status of reliable again. After replacing the axles, thirdmembers, entire braking system, doing a rear disc conversion, LC Engineering Header, LC Engineering cold air intake, 82 Supra MAF, and then tuning it up. Well as luck with have it yesterday I pulled off the side of the road to make a phone call. While sitting there with the truck idling the timing chain decided to check out on me. Because of this I am now faced with what I feel is a hard choice. The motor has 296k miles on it. The head was re-worked and an aftermarket cam was sourced for it before I bought the truck. This week I was already planning to replace the worn cluthch. I have already purchased a clutch kit and flywheel from LC Engineering. We all know the proccess of replacing a clutch. My truck has been SAS'd and is pretty high off the ground with the combination of lift and tires so doing the timing chain will not be quite the ordeal it has been for some others. I am seriously considering pulling the engine and replacing it. I am really not sure which route to go. Please let me know if anyone has some solid advice for me. By the way I am a 100% disabled veteran so I have time on my side. I am not rich but I have time. I did use the search function before making this post so that I could see what was involved with some of the repairs I need to do. I also hoped that I may find someone who was in a similar sittuation and see what they did. I did not find anyone with the same circumstance.

My99

So what's your question exactly? Are you wondering whether to do a completely refreshed engine versus just pulling the head off and getting it checked / reworked if necessary?

RBX

Pull the head, you probably have some bent valves. With bent valves you can't do a compression check to see if the rings are still good.
Not to sound like a jerk, but the first thing anyone should do when they get a 22re is check the timing guides or replace all together. The PO could have neglected a timing chain change.
If I were in your shoes, I'd yank the head, examine the piston walls and have the head serviced. If the piston walls look good throw it back together. If not, rebuild it yourself, lots of info on the web to help you do this.

Stu Pidasso

I actually cannot agree with you guys more. I am about to head out to town to get some white electrical tape so that I can start taking everything apart and labeling it. I am going to pull this motor out and make sure that the problem is completely fixed. I already did about everything else you can do to this 4runner. So here goes nothing....

Stu Pidasso

Got it out and as of today got it all apart. While taking it out I realized that someone else had been in here before me. I knew that the head had been replaced at some point in the game but I was not aware that the bottom end had been out of here before. So I got it all torn apart and off to the machine shop where I am going to get the head set up with over sized valves and a 268 degree cam from Engbldr. I found pieces of timing chain in the oil pan. The top driver side guide broke just like all the other plastic ones do. Really nothing exciting or new to report here. The bottom end will be getting a balanced crank and rods. I am not sure if I will re-use the block or not. I am not interested in boring out very much. I would prefer to keep it as close to stock as I can just balanced correctly. We will see how that goes. It may be that I can simply re-ring everything. I will post more as I go along with this. I have labled, bagged, and boxed everything I took off. I have replaced pretty much everything attached to a 22re at one point or another. So as for setting up the motor when I get it back in long block configuration I am not too worried. Not the most confident with timing but I am sure I can get it figured out. I will be replacing the starter, alternator, oil sending unit, and knock sensor when I put it back together. Of course the oil pump will be knew and the water pump was done recently. Basicly anything that can wear out or brake will be swapped out or replaced. I hate looking back at things when I am done and saying I wish.