Timing chain!
 

Hey I just have a quick question... I searched all over but couldnt find the answer for some reason... I know I've seen it around but can't remember...

How often are you suppose to replace the timing chain?

Thanks

Ian

I looked in my factory manual and it did not say when you should change the chain. I have owned 4 toyota trucks w/22r/e. I have seen them last 300k or as little as 120k. Most I have seen break had about 150 to 180k. I hope this helps

Link no worky

Alright thanks.. well my headgasket messed up so we have it all apart and I was just thinkin whether or not I should change the timing chain... I got 66,000 miles on the 4Runner and I am sure its the original chain... I am also going to buy a new cam while its all apart but dont know what one I want... need to do some research on them...

lol sorry msw0085 but that link didnt help at all... I searched for a long time and didn't find an exact answer when people replace them... I saw someone said everyone 100,000 miles and another said 60,000 so probably around there...

Ian

Go on D.O.A Racing or LC Engineering and order the metal timing chain guides (approx. $80). Hell, while you're at it, you could change the whole shabang, tensioner, gear, and install the steel chail guides.
That, as it happens, is the 22re's Achilles Heel. The stock chain guides are plastic, and the chain, being metal, eventually wears through the OEM guides, and then the chain eats through the coolant channels in the timing chain cover, and it ruins your engine!!! But with 66k you dont have to worry about that anytime soon... Just preventative maintenance.
I am about to do this to my P/U... I'm clocking 207,000 miles, and I hear the death rattle... Scary!!!!

Donny

ps. If anything, spend the $80, if you can spare it, on the metal guides and just replace the plastic ones. You will easily see 300k with JUST this one repair alone... Along with regular maintenance. :great:

Alright cool thanks a lot I will have to pick that up then... ya I got the money right now... graduation money :bigok:

One more question though! Which cam should I get for the 4Runner... its a 22RE... which one is the best just to gain some power?


Ian

ian, look in my thread called upgraded timing chain guides....

www.engnbldr.com is where i will get all my other stuff from, but lce or doa is where i will get both metal backed timing chain guides from... the stock ones are plastic

engnbldr has a single side metal backed guide kit that some people swear by, and his is good quality stuff, but i am paranoid and will be replacing both guides with the metal backed ones from lce or doa, and goint to engnbdlr for the standard timing chain kit as well as a pan gasket, oil pump for the turbo and water pump

How do you know when it is the time to change the chain and the guides - mine rattles at startups for about a second or two-is that critical?
Thanks

take the valve cover off and look for damage

What exactly should I look for ? :dunno:

Thanks.

Take off the valve cover, sight down the driver's side of the timing cover with a flashlight and look for a plastic guide with broken pieces. Either the guides are broken or not. Determining if the chain is stretched beyond the limit requires actually taking it apart. I don't think the timing chain is an interval thing, but rather something you are supposed to check. So, IOW, you are supposed to disassemble the front of the engine, pull the timing chain off and measure it's length. Yeah, right, if I've pulled apart the front of the engine I'm gonna even consider putting the old chain and gears back in!

shine a flashlight down the front of the engine...where the t-chain is...it's obvious once you get the valve cover off...

there should be a plastic guide on each side...usually it is the driver's side guide that gets munched (it may just be broken or it may be gone all together)...then the chain will start to eat a groove in the t-chain cover...you'll know it if you see it.

if your rattle is only on startup and lasts only a second, it's prolly nothin'...sometimes it just takes a second for the oil pressure to build and extend the t-chain tensioner, so the chain sometimes rattles a little on startup.

if you have a rattle at around 2700-3000RPM all the time, your driver's side guide is most likely munched. only takes a few minutes to pull the valve cover and check for sure, though.

Thanks guys, things are much clearer now :bigok: