kirkerik

Hey all,

I am getting this new kinda buzzing/rattling noise coming from the engine. I can't seem to pinpoint it but it sounds like it's coming from the back, or the front depending on where i stand?

I don't see anything loose in the engine bay at all, so i am wondering if it's the timing chain guides? I have 99,000 miles.

Any ideas? When do they usually go bad?

EDIT: At what mileage do the guides typically break? I just discovered mine here at 99K.

I did some searching but thought it may be helpful to have mileage stats all in one place...

Thanks,
Kirk

Teuf

Going bad varies. I have 280k and have not yet had do do a timing chain, (22re).
Some auto parts store have stethoscopes to aid in finding hard to hear engine noises. Remove your valve cover and peek down for a visual inspection. Good luck.

kirkerik

Well, actually i just pulled the top cover and lo and behold, the T chain grooves!

So now i guess i'm in for at least the front end and winter is coming in. Hmmmm

The good news is i caught it before it broke on through to the other side. Maybe the truck i saw listed recently may do the trick for this winter. I have been also looking to do the head gasket as i have a slow coolant leak somehwere. (about a liter per week) The body and frame need some paint protection too. I don't want to drive it in the salt without some protection because the truck is in good shape and i want to keep it that way.

That winter rat is looking better and better! 94 PU 2WD 22Re. Same motor, might help in the long run. Really rusty though!

redbayredneck

I have 146,000 miles on my 22RE and I don't think its ever had a timing chain done.
I know that I haven't done it, the P.O. I bought it from didn't do one, and the Original Owner kept meticulous records of all work done and never noted where he had done one.

Still running like a top

kirkerik

Mine runs great too, but you may want to take a look and see if that factory plastic POS guide is still there based on what i just found. I only have 99K on mine and my guide is gone.

Pulling the cover took me only five minutes and if i had not and just let it go i would have had coolant in my oil before too long.

Thank you for Yota Tech and all the good knowledge provided here!!


Kirk

kirkerik

It's weird, I did the stethoscope thing and could'nt hear it. Of course the power steering pump and the distributor were in the way.

It's also weird that it sounded like it was coming from the back of the motor when standing in front. But clearly from what i just found, the TC is what was making the racket.

kirkerik

How far or how long can i drive it until the inevitable? I think im gonna park it!

Maybe a better question in the first post would have been:

At how many miles does the factory plastic guide typicall y break?

kirkerik

You can see some light marks on the inside of the head. There is plenty of slack in the chain on the right side although not from wear but a missing guide.

kirkerik

Here you can clearly see the grooves! In the second image you may be able to make out the side of the broken guide (black plastic).

kirkerik

bump....

stock87

My original chain made it 175K when the guide finally broke. I caught it right when it started, so it was a simple replacement job for me.

It's a quite doable job for a home mechanic, just take your time and keep track of bolt locations.

SqWADoosh

iTrader: (1)

I need to check mine to see if it has happened to me yet. Were all the connections on top of the valve cover air lines? I'm asking so I know whether or not I need to worry about coolant.

Streetgrinder

Hi, I'm just looking at doing a timing chain, too. What I'm wondering is if I can get away with just dropping the oil pan to do a timing chain replacement. New intake and exhaust gaskets, and I don't want to deal with cylinder head if I don't have to. Thanks for any opinions, facts or ideas.

Streetgrinder

Went on youtube and found this video that says yes you can leave the cylinder head in place while you replace the timing chain. Also good video of what breaks. I found my driver's side guide is broken.

kirkerik

No coolant. Just vacuum lines and maybe a wire to disconnect. I took a couple photos for reference but labeling or tagging them can help keep them in order. There is also a vacuum hose routing diagram on the underside of the hood if u get mixed up

kirkerik

Streetgrinder,
Did you just find the broken guide? I hope you caught in time like stock87 did.

It seems to me that this factory TC guide is the proverbial achilles heal of the 22re. I bet many headgaskets and rebuilds could have been avoided if it was made like the newer metal reinforced ones are.

Nothing beats regular maintenance though...

JJ'89

Yes, you can replace the timing stuff without disturbing the head or the pan. Search this site, and you should find links to a couple of DIY guides. Factory service manual links is here too. You have to be very careful and maybe a little bit lucky and you can remove the cover without damaging the gaskets. I used a combination of rockauto, engnbuilder, and toyota parts. Been working good for 25,000 miles now. The pieces of the old guides are somewhere in the pan. I don't worry about it...mine had 150,000 miles, had been rattling for some time before I bought it, and the slack chain had deeply grooved the cover on the drivers side...

Streetgrinder

I was lucky to notice a buzzing noise, Kirkerik, and checked it out while the driver's side tensioner was just broken at the upper bolt location, and is still fairly intact. The timing cover looks good with just a small abraded spot starting to form. If I don't have to drop the pan either, this won't be that difficult. (knocking on wood) Thanks for the info!

Streetgrinder

Kinda a dumb question, but what do I have to do to take off the oil pan on a 1988 4wd truck? It looks like the front diff is in the way? I'm thinking a new oil pan seal wouldn't hurt.

Streetgrinder

Answered my own question again: https://www.yotatech.com/forums/f116...kup-how-14413/