I replaced my chain, guides, tensioner, sprockets, water pump, hoses and timing cover last weekend. I bought my timing set and cover from
engnbldr.com . He's well known on the 4x4wire Toyota forums and his parts get good reviews there. I got
the entire kit with metal backed guides and a new timing cover for $80.00 in a closeout deal he was offering around last Christmas? Currently the kit w/ metal backed guides (without cover) is $64.00.
My motor is a wrecking yard replacement and I'm pretty sure that this is not the first chain job that it has had, judging from the RTV sealer on the oil pan lip and the head gasket. In fact, the head gasket was so tattered that I had to break it off flush with the front face of the block and smear the top of the timing cover with a thick coat of sealer to fill the gap. It. It has a very tiny oil leak in that area now, but I need to pull the head for a new gasket and valve seals soon anyway so I'm not worried.
I also had the bolt on the front of the head where the power steering bracket attaches break off from being totally seized and corroded in place. I had to drill it out and retap, which added some time to the job (I had to wait until the next day to buy a 10mm x 1.5 tap).
When it was all buttoned up I was overjoyed to have it start instantly on the first turn. Amazingly the ignition timing was only 4 degrees off.
Now the motor is so quite and smooth it seems like a new motor. I even seem to be getting better performance and gas mileage (and chicks dig me even more than when my motor was ticking like a time bomb
) -- Matt
it's dollars and cents
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