deano1982

Hi all.
I am trying to remove my timing chain cover without removing the head or the oil pan. I have all the bolts out including the infamous hidden ones. Is there a trick to getting this thing off? Or do I just keep tapping on it? It is a 1990 22re.
Thanks in advance.
Deano.

92 TOY

at the very least it's held on by a sealer at the pan and at the head

deano1982

So what do I do to get it off?
Deano.

92 TOY

if you are sure you have all the bolts off and everything detached from the back of it....hold a block of wood and rap on it a bit

deano1982

Where at? On the bottom? Sides? I don't mean to sound stupid. This is my first timing chain.
Deano

92 TOY

well....1st of all....it CAN be done with the head and pan on but can cause problems down the road......crunching the head gasket and getting a poor seal at the oil pan. but it can be done.

there is (or should not be) any sealer other than a few DABS where the cover meats the head and a bead of it where the pan meets the timing cover.

are you sure you have the pipes disconnected from the rears of the cover??

if you are certain, I would just take a short length of 2x4 and hold it here and there and over there and rap it with the hammer to get it to budge.

xxxtreme22r

Did you take the oil pump off already?

deano1982

Everything is off the cover and all the bolts are out. I just am afraid to hit it too hard. And there isn't much room to swing except underneath.
Deano.

92 TOY

yup....it's snug in there. might want to consider at least dropping the pan

deano1982

I am trying to avoid dropping the front differential.
Deano.

92 TOY

I hear ya....

but I did.....and I didn't EVER do anything like this before....EVER.

xxxtreme22r

You don't have to drop the front diff to do that timing cover. I did mine without pulling the oil pan, and it leaks more now after a full rebuild then it did when I did the timing cover.

92 TOY

see....it's OK......Oh, wait a minute

xxxtreme22r

yeah it only leaks more now because I used that stupid cork gasket w/ RTV instead of just RTV. Just be careful putting it back on and not pinching that part of the headgasket above the cover. Because once you do, it will kea till ya take the head off for a headgasket job. Don't ask how I know.

deano1982

Should I use rtv where the cover meets the head gasket? Or just use the gasket? Same question for the oil pan.
Deano

xxxtreme22r

RTV (TOYOTA FIPG) on the oil pan. And RTV just in the corners where the timing cover meets the block on the top. But not on the whole thing.

And just an FYI when you go to put it back together, put the bigger bolts in first for the timing cover but leave them slightly loose to where the cover can move around a little bit and then tighten the hidden bolt on the top of the cover to spec first before tightening any of the timing cover bolts. This will allow the top to seal better.

Also some reports including myself, that the timing cover gaskets tend to be a little long and usually have to get shaved down a bit on the top and bottom where the head meets the cover. You may or may not be able to catch this with the head still on so look for it.

I think the only reason was in my case is because my block was shaved by .010" and the bottom was also shaved just a slight amount to make it flat and true.

deano1982

There really isn't much cork gasket on the exposed part of the oil pan anyway. I thought about scraping it off and using fipg. As far as the head gasket that is exposed, i wasn't sure if rtv and cork would like each other. So just a dab on the four corners of the top of the cover? Thanks for your help.
Deano

xxxtreme22r

There's a cork gasket on there? Looks like someone has already been in there at least once already. The later model 22r/22re's all had FIPG only and no gasket. I am surprised it wasn't leaking to begin with.

deano1982

So should I remove the cork on the exposed section of pan? And also why not use the form in place gasket at the head?
Deano.

xxxtreme22r

You can use the FIPG but only in the corners. It's listed in the FSM where to put it at. I would leave the cork in place unless you were removing the whole pan. Otherwise you might get even a worse seal.