*opps, i posted this in the tundra forum. anyways, I was wondering if I can get some help.

1. I was told that the timing chain is suppose to last as long as the engine, is that true? or do they need to be replaced every 100k miles?

2. How much can the 4 cyc tow?

*the truck is a 94 with 122k miles. Its a 4x4, 4cyc, auto, regular cab. The price is 4800$

the car at the dealership has some after market shocks and new exhaust, and the body and engine, from what i can tell, look in good condition.

should I purchase? Is there anything else i could check before buying it this weekend? I may give it like a 20min test drive. thanks.


Thanks,

 

1. NOT TRUE, my timing chain lasted about 165,000 before it broke.

2. I'm not sure of the actual towing capacity. My truck has a hard time pulling even a empty trailer at highway speeds. Not sure where you live but in NC we have hills and mountains which makes towing anything a chore for the 4cyl.

Shop around. See if it is a good deal. Have it checked out.

 

thanks for the reply,

when your timing chain broke, was it expensive to fix?

 

Usually on the 22R, the guides break, not the chain. It is around $1000 to have a shop replace the chain, guides, etc. I believe a 22R manual truck is rated at 3500 lbs and the automatic is rated at 2000. I have towed about 1500 pounds with my truck (22R carbureted 5 speed) and it seems like a lot of weight going up some of the hills where I live, but flatter highways are not much of a problem.

 

When my timing chain broke, I bought a timing chain kit and did it my self. Wasn't to expensive or that challenging, and I got an excuse to do some head work and put a cam in it.

 

hi guys,
thanks for the replies. is there a certain range of mileage that the guides tend to break? the truck I am looking at has 120k miles, is this something i should do as soon as I get the truck, or wait for a little bit.

thanks again,

 

120,000 is what my chain started to go at. So I would recommend doing it. Its cheaper replace the part before hand than replacing the part and everything it broken when it went.

 

In my humble opinion the dealer wants too much for the truck. Start at 3200 USD. In the end you may be buying someone elses junk. Manage the risk.

 

i know, im kind of nervous. sometimes it just seems better in the long run to just take out a loan and buy new car. if i buy the truck + extended warranty and dump 2k in repairs over the next 2 yrs, ill be quite upset.