I recently revived a ‘95 pickup with a 22 RE. It has 110k miles on it.

I haven’t heard any noise from it, but I pulled the valve cover off to inspect.

It looks like the original plastic guide is intact (see pics). The chain also seems to have very little slack/wear in it. I’m pretty confident that it’s never been replaced though.

Am I safe to leave it alone for a while unless I hear it making noise. I probably only put about a thousand miles a year on it.

Thanks for any advice!

 

the oem chain & guides can last for 250k miles, but are usually changed before that. that said, yours would be 31 yrs old if original, so even with low mileage, it probably would be smart to think about replacing it. i suggest (and have used, twice) the OSK timing chain kit. very high quality, and uses the plastic guides, which i prefer.

 

Thanks for that info. Can anyone tell me if that is in fact the original OEM guide? Does it look fully intact?

 

You verified it is still intact and functioning properly. If it runs well, I can see not wanting to just jump in and change it right now. I probably wouldn't change it now or be afraid to drive it, but that's just me.

I'd personally start getting the parts together to have on hand to minimize your down time when it does need to be changed.

If you have the luxury of it being a project that you can slowly work on and fix up to be a reliable driver, maybe now is the time to get it done?

Good luck with it.

 

I can tell you that the cam sprocket is not original, as the original OEM sprocket has holes in it and this one is solid.

I cannot say for sure if the whole timing chain set has been replaced, but it most likely has. It is very unlikely that only the sprocket was replaced.

The driver's side guide (which is visible on your picture) looks fully intact.

Personally I would not worry about the chain for now. Just listen for unusual noises and pop the valve cover every now and then to check on things.

 

yeah, aftermarket. says "usa", too.

 

Wow, good catch. I’m the 2nd owner and know the original owner well… they said they never did the timing chain and their records show that the dealer recommended it a couple times during other services but I don’t have any paperwork for the job.

I’m glad I don’t have to worry about it immediately.

 

You wouldn't know until you took the oil pan off and see the oem guide inpieces. If you plan on keeping the truck get a quality chain kit for the shelf.