Hi guys, just picked up a 1988 Pickup to keep the miles off my car. I really like it and want it to last as long as possible. It will be my DD for the next two years and may see some mild offroad and winter playing, but I don't plan on being too mean to it.

So far I've put in a new radiator and done all the basic, boring fluid and filter changes. I ordered a new shifter seat and bushing from Marlin Crawler to cure the slop and will be going to my local stealership to get some Toyota filters for future oil changes and the idler arm bushings.

I'll fix it up when I get through school, but for now I just need it to run for the next two years without anything stupid happening, with it eating as little cash as it needs to survive. I have heard about timing chain guide issues on these, and I don't know if mine have ever been done. I haven't noted any weird noises and will pull the valve cover soon to have a look-see. If everything checks out, is it something I will have to fix by midnight or else a man will kill me in my sleep at 3 am, or can it slide until next summer as long as I keep an ear on it? I have a feeling that when I do it I'll either cheap out, just buy the necessary gaskets and chain kit, and then the w/p will die, the head gasket will blow and I'll do the whole thing again... or I'll replace everything and the head gasket still won't seal right and the replacement w/p will be defective.

If you just skimmed everything leading up to this sentence, I don't blame you, and I really just have two questions:
1. How dire is it to do the T/C if the guides are still in tact? Can I just drive it and do regular oil changes with Toyota filters until it rattles, or does it just up and go and need to be changed right now?
2. Other than the T/C and basic universal auto maintenance, are there any other annoying little issues or design flaws that should be addressed to keep the truck from going full retard and grenading itself?
Thanks!

 

Miles? Motor? Pictures? Any records from PO?

 

Where are my manners?
170,000 miles, 22RE, and the important stuff



No records from the PO but it doesn't look abused... no mods, no dirt caked up anywhere, and he had old titles proving that it had been passed around in his family for a while. Other than the cracked windshield and the typical bed rust it's in pretty good shape with typical wear and tear for a 24 year old truck as far as I can tell.

 

If there are no records of the tc being changed about all you could do is pop the valve cover off and take a look see, good time to adjust the valves while you have the cover off. Besides the normal slapping sounds if the guides look ok I'm thinking that's about all you can do without replacing. I would think with 170 it should have been done at least once? But heck I would just drive it if it goes it goes. But I'm not much of a mechanic I'm sure some one will chime in with more you could check.

 

if the guides are still intact then do regular oil changes and maintence and your good, a timing chain isnt a hard task to do if your mechnically inclinded enough, pop the valve cover off and have a look see and see what there looking like, if the head gaskets good and the timing good you should be good, the trucks just not gonna blow up, i had an 82 with 266k on it and it was still good on the headgasket (little low at 90psi but still ran fine) and a good timing chain, if the truck was maintained and not beat on then you shouldnt have an issue

 

I wouldn't dig in there until it snaps the guides off the top driver side/if you see that when you pull the cover. If you don't hear lots of noise up there... you could leave the valve adjustment alone as well. Start digging in there when nothing's gone wrong yet and you'll increase risk of something breaking, etc. Just wait til it's time and then do the full kit from engnbldr.com, it's not that pricey with the steel guide and OSK Tensioner, H20 pump, oil pump, etc. You'd have a new front main seal at that point too...and personally, if I didn't know the life of the HG I'd probably do it then as well, clean up the head a lil and call it a day for another 100K or so

If you want to check things out a bit.... Do a compression test. Can't hurt to know that... BUT, be prepared, ..this Toyotaticulitus can lead from one test like compression to SWAPPING IN SOUTH AFRICAN TURBO DIESEL TOYOTA MOTORS! lol.... But seriously, compression would be good to know.... it might give you an idea, more accurately, as to how much life you got left in her. (also free)

Do the gear oils and T-case fluid and trans fluid, you said? GOOD, IMHO... if you're not sure how long it's been. At least to take a look at the fluids is a good idea.

Grab some air filters(at least one) while stealership-ville'in it! lol. Toyota filters are GOOD quality... Can't go wrong, and are preferred as you've obviously read. Also change the fuel filter if it's not been done/or if you don't know when it was last done. Grabbing a PCV wouldn't be too pricey or a bad move while there, either. (reading back, sounds like you might have done most of this already, in this paragraph).

YOU COULD clean the Throttle body, CAREFULLY, and it's tiny lil vacuum ports... it's NOT a big job, but it's VERY helpful to have that gate clean and free from gum! .... DO NOT SOAK THE THING with the TPS on..... And I mean, even drowning it with a can of spray cleaner. I used throttle body cleaner or alcohol with a lint-light rag and wipe it down really good, AFTER SPRAYING THE RAG, not all over in there. Since it seems to be running nice... LEAVE the TPS where it is... do not remove it. No need to learn to adjust it if it's not necessary. It's fun to learn that stuff on these.... but why bother if it's running fine, right?

My plenum vacuum ports were pretty plugged up.
LOTS you can do that are fairly cheap preventative maintenance and, well, just free 'spring cleaning' type stuff, ya know?

Congratz, and have fun!

PS> Like Josh, above, my 87 here was a freak of nature(in the eyes of Jeep and Nissan owners! hehehe), in that it ran 256K with the original timing kit and HG..... was running 110-121-117-133..... Still ran fine, but leaked like a pig! Wishing at times I'd just left it be and fixed the leaks/chain kit, seen what I could have gotten out of it... But then, I wouldn't have met some GOOD friends on here that I have/actually in person in many cases, got to work on their rigs/they on mine

 

these are great trucks but getting a little older every day

Parts will fail!!

In this area my concerns are for the steel brake and fuel lines this liquid brine sprayed on the roads just rusts them in about 2 winters.:wabbit2: