i'm gonna dive into my engine this week and change out my timing chain. i got a 89 4-cyl 4runner (22re). anyone have any tips for me to make the process a little easier? (step by step would be EXCELLENT, but i understand that that is time consuming). i've never changed a timing chain before, and i'm a little nervous because i know that if i time it incorrectly after everything is done, then BOOM i need a new engine. and i don't want that to happen.

 

First off, relax, it is very difficult to mis-time it badly enough to cause serious engine damage. If you do miss, it will only be a tooth or two and the truck will run like crap if at all, nothing more. The timing chain itself is easier to change if you remove the head but overall it is more of a hassle that way. Dropping the oil pan is an alternative but with IFS this isn't exactly easy either. One or the other really should be removed, if you broke a plastic guide the choice is clear: drop the pan to remove the broken pieces. If you didn't break a guide, I have heard it possible to just loosen the pan a little bit up front to allow reinsertion of the timing chain cover but I haven't ever tried it that way.

 

I did mine without having much mechanical experience. I tried the easy way (without removing the head) and it leaked after i put everything back together. going from the feeling of being finished to the feeling of having to do the entire thing again is very frustrating. i would recommend doing it the right way first. the factory service manual came in very handy as well. if you do not have one, definitely consider it. keep an eye on ebay. I can help if you have questions, but writing a step by step would take me a lifetime.

 

for a 22r but prob similar:

http://www.4x4wire.com/toyota/maintenance/timingchain/

Take note of the hidden bolt.

Do some searches, there should be lots of info on this. Having the fact. manual helps, but I didn't remove the head and only loosened the oil pan in the front. A bit of RTV in the corners where the cover meets to oil pan worked fine, no leaks. Being methodical during the teardown and noting which length bolt goes where makes reassembly pretty straightforward. I was worried about being a tooth off on the timing chain but it all went smoothly.

If you don't have the parts already you may want to look into a metal-backed guide.

ed