Hilux 4x4 Forum

I decided that this long weekend is going to be the weekend where I replace the timing chain on my bakkie. The bakkie has done just short of 150 000 and I not knowing how long you can drive with one chain, decided to change mine just in case. I took some photos of the job and the spares required: Item (Toyota Part Number) - Price Excl (4 Apr 2009)
Timing Chain (1350635030VP) - R 141.55
Timing Cover Gasket (1132835030) - R 87.80
Timing Cover Gasket (1132935030) - R 67.32
Crankshaft Sprocket (1352175010) - R 359.66
Camshaft Sprocket (1352335020) - R366.52
Tensioner (1354035011) - R 574.96
Damper (1356135020) - R 223.95
Damper (1356235020) - R 155.52
Oil Seal (9031145011VP) - R 89.00
6L Toyota Coolant (0888980089) - R 36.59 X 6
Rocker Cover Seal (Did not know I was going to need one so ended up buying one at Autozone today)
5L Engine Oil
Castrol Red Rubber Grease R 163

• Disconnect the battery terminals.
  Working under the vehicle loosen and remove the stone guard from the vehicle
  Drain and remove radiator
  Loosen the drive belt pulley locknut and turn the adjusting bolt anticlockwise, until the drive belt can be removed and withdraw the belt from the vehicle.
  Loosen the air conditioner adjusting bracket and remove. Also remove the AC drive belt

  

  Loosen the alternator drive belt adjusting and pivot bolts and remove the drive belt
  Loosen the distributor cap and place clear of the work area
  Make a mark on the engine and the dizzy where they meet so as to be able to align afterwards.
  Using a socket and bar, turn the engine clockwise, until the mark on the crankshaft pulley aligns with the 0 mark on the timing cover and the rotor arm in the distributor is pointing to the no. 1 cylinder segment in the distributor cap. Mark the position of the rotor arm on the distributor housing.
  Loosen the distributor retaining screw and remove the distributor from the engine.
  Loosen the bolts retaining the power steering pump and place the pump to one side clear of the working area ( DO NOT DISCONNECT THE HOSES)
  Remove the bolts retaining the belt pulley bracket and remove the bracket
  Unbolt and remove the power steering pump upper and lower brackets
  Disconnect the wires from the alternator. Remove the remaining bolt holding the alternator in place and remove the alternator

  

  Remove the 4 nuts retaining the fan and coupling assembly and remove the fan and pulley
  At this stage I put the dizzy back to make sure that all is still aligned

  

  Remove the pipes and anything connected to the rocker cover. Remove the nuts and rubber seals retaining the rocker cover and remove the cover.

  

  Lock the engine in place and loosen the bolt keeping the crankshaft pulley in place. There is various methods of locking the engine in place. I took a strong piece of cotton rope and wound it around the pulley on one side and around the hook, bolted to the engine block for hoisting the engine out of the engine bay, on the other side. If you have a assistant, you can remove the starter motor and use a lever through the starter motor mounting aperture and lock the engine at the ring gear teeth.
  Ensure that the timing mark on the crankshaft pulley remains aligned with the 0 mark on the timing cover and the rotor arm in the distributor is still pointing to the No 1 segment in the distributor cap.
  Use two large screwdrivers to lever the crankshaft pulley from the crankshaft

  

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  Remove the distributor again.
  If you have a mechanical fuel pump (mine don't - EFI) mark the hoses and remove the pump from the engine
  Insert a suitable lever through the camshaft sprocket to prevent it from turning. Remove the bolt retaining the distributor drive gear and fuel pump cam. Withdraw the drive gear and the cam from the camshaft.

  

  Remove the bolt retaining the cylinder head to the timing cover

  

  Remove the alternator support bracket and bolts
  Remove the bolts retaining the metal heater pipe to the timing cover on the left hand side of the engine

  

  Remove the timing cover retaining bolt from below the heater pipe

  

  Remove the sump plug and drain the sump of all the oil. After the sump has drained replace the sump plug
  Remove bolts retaining sump and remove sump from engine. Take care not to damage the surface where the sump and engine meet.

  

  Remove the remaining bolts keeping the air conditioner compressor in place and put the compressor to one side away from the working area.
  Loosen the bolts retaining the A/C compressor bracket and remove the bracket.

  

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  Using a soft faced hammer, gently tap the timing cover to break the adhesion of the gaskets. Manoeuvre the timing cover from the engine.
  Note the installation position (shoulder and teeth) of the oil pump drive sleeve and remove it from the crankshaft

  

  Remove bolts retaining the chain tensioner and remove the tensioner
  Carefully prise the sprocket from the camshaft.
  Disengage the chain from the camshaft sprocket and carefully lower the chain and remove the chain from the engine.
  Noting the installation position remove the crankshaft sprocket from the engine.
  Remove the bolts retaining the timing chain guides and withdraw the guides from the engine.

  

  Place the timing cover on a soft surface and remove the oil seal from the oil pump cover and replace with new seal. Use liberal amounts of red rubber grease to grease the contact surface where the seal and crankshaft meet.

  

  Note the old seal next to the rubber grease. An easy way to remove the old seal is to drill a small hole in the seal and screw in a self tapping screw and then extract using pliers.

  

  The installation is the reversal of the removal process. There is a few things to note though.
  Renew all seals and gaskets and make sure joining surfaces is clean of previous gaskets etc.
  Install the new guides and crankshaft sprocket. Insert the timing chain and the camshaft sprocket noting to match the bright links on the chain to the marks on the sprockets.

  

  Use gasket sealant to add to the points where the timing cover, engine block and cylinder head meet. (see following photo)

  

Like I said previously I'm not sure at what mileage one is supposed to change the chain. I compared the old chain with the new chain and if I hanged then side by side the older chain was about 2mm longer. Then there was the tensioner. Below is a comparative photo of old versus new The rest of the guides and sprockets still looked in good nick.
The whole job took me about two days (with interruptions) and this is how you look like after day 1 And last but not least, my assistant, quality inspector and advisor..

Excellent report Cassie, and a job well done!

Have made it a "Sticky".


-F_D

Looks like that job was a bit of a mission .... a lot to be stripped just to access the chain. Whew! Rather you than me! :D

P.S. almost as bad as a B M Trouble U motor.

Thanks guys. Must say halve way through I wondered what got in to me :? But now I'm glad I did it and I know everything is genuine Toyota. Don't have to wonder if the mechanic used cheap gaskets etc.

All I can add is that it is much quicker and easier to replace a timing belt on a 1300 2E motor (my old conquest)

Wow, I had no idea the 22R's timing chain is such a mission to replace! Thank goodness I got a 4Y, 2 hours work including interuptions... and so few parts!

Well done! I refitted my dash on Saturday, also a lot more work than I thought... got started at 1pm, finish at 12.10 the morning...

B

Mooi Cas. Wanneer os ek my bakkie vir n naweek daar by jou?

lekker report, better than HAYNES manual

ToyX4 wrote:Mooi Cas. Wanneer os ek my bakkie vir n naweek daar by jou?

Jy kan hom hier los..... jy gaat hom net self moet was as ek klaar by Chloorkop was

2.8 d/cab SFA wrote:lekker report, better than HAYNES manual

My bakkie s'n moet ook gedoen word.
Sal my report ook dan post (invoice scan en post )

ToyX4 wrote:My bakkie s'n moet ook gedoen word.
Sal my report ook dan post (invoice scan en post )

Go Riaan go..... you can do it!

Het jy enige defekte op die ketting gesien toe jy hom uitgehaal het,en hoe het jy geweet jy moet hom vervang.Toyota kan my nie n reguit antwoord gee nie.

Johan, you would usually hear when a timing chain is clattering. This happens once the chain has stretched a little and the tensioner guide pad is worn down. This results in the spring of the tensioner becoming relaxed to the point where it no longer is able to maitain a taut chain. One would need to neglect it for a very long time, becoming very noisy, before it gets slack enough to jump a tooth on the sproket, which may cause engine damage (pistons / valves).

Hi Cassie,

Excellent report, please mods, make it a sticky!! Apparently when the chain is too long for the tensioner, one can hear it clattering against the housing, it can chew through and then you have big trouble.

Cheers,

Chris

Hey guys. Unfortunately there is no clear way of determining the correct mileage on a chain. On mine I some times heard a clattering noise when the engine was cold and that was about it. But as Chris says, if the chain becomes to loose it can jump a tooth or actually start to eat through the other guides and the the engine wall.

On mine the tensioner was I think at the end of life but the guides practically was almost brand new but I replaced them anyway seeing that I had the motor open.

To inspect the chain, if you already removed it, is to take a vernier and measure the distance on a taut chain between 18 pins / rollers on the chain at three different places on the chain. If the distance at any of the three spots exceed 147mm you have to replace the chain.

Here is a how to inspect the chain...

legend35 wrote:Het jy enige defekte op die ketting gesien toe jy hom uitgehaal het,en hoe het jy geweet jy moet hom vervang.Toyota kan my nie n reguit antwoord gee nie.

Johan

Willem Grimsel (3RZ) sal beter weet maar sover ek kan onthou pla die 3RZ se timing chain nie soos 'n 22R sin nie. Meeste engines se chains word normaalweg vervang as jy die motor oordoen tensy jy hom hoor raas maar op die 22R het baie ouens al issues gehad. Maar ek is seker jy kan maar rustig slaap.

O ja Cassie well done.

EK moet sê Cassie like 'n challenge, met 'n vrou wat 7 maande swanger is tackle hy wragtig toe nog die job, toe ek vandag daar by hom aankom het die ou nogal heel uitgeput gelyk.

Well done!

Maybe in the interest of science you should also do a KZTE

When I do mine I can "call a friend"!

Dankie vir die info.Daar is baie inligting oor cam belts maar min oor die timing chain.Goed gedoen Cassie.

Excellent Report Cassie and Job Well Done

It looks like a similar procedure to a Nissan Hardbody; a serious mission nê

Mine broke a plastic guide rail and I only tackled the job after driving it another 2000kms; the chain had eaten into the crank casing so badly that it had to be seriously welded up which cost me more than the genuine parts.

Basically a good rule of thumb is; It's never too early to change a camchain :!: :!: :Geek:

Peace of mind is under-rated nê

Job Well Done Cas

Thanks Guys :)

The bakkie also idles smoother, feels like it has a little more power (not sure about this one, could be the colder weather) and much more peace of mind :)

Hi Cas,

You are not imagining things, valve timing is super critical, and as the timing chain/gear teeth wear the tolerances go out of spec, and so the valve timing suffers, which is manifest in a slight loss of power/torque... fitting the new timing chain and gear bring this all back to spec...

B

were there any noises and what did it sounds like that convinced you to do the operation

Nardus wrote:were there any noises and what did it sounds like that convinced you to do the operation

There was the odd noise emitting on start-up but not really anything that really bothered me. The main reason I did it is because my bakkie has seen a lot of off road driving and the kilometers on the odo is much less than the engine "actually did" working off road and for peace of mind.

I could probably have done another 50000 km without any problems.

Great Report!!!!!

But gets me thinking that my Hilux is sitting on 179 000km and i don't know if the timing chain has ever been changed....... and also thinking of it i have though for a while now that it feels slightly under powered..... :evil:

gonna price all the parts tomorrow and then find someone that can do it...... now that's the question, any suggestions lol

michael01 wrote:Great Report!!!!!

But gets me thinking that my Hilux is sitting on 179 000km and i don't know if the timing chain has ever been changed....... and also thinking of it i have though for a while now that it feels slightly under powered..... :evil:

gonna price all the parts tomorrow and then find someone that can do it...... now that's the question, any suggestions lol

I would suggest Louis (4x4megaworldpta on the forum). He is in Pretoria and always does an excellent job.

Hello Hiluxers!
i recently acquired a 2003 Hilux 2700i 4x2. It's done 156000km and is still in overall great condition. I've asked around about the timing chain replacement and also read on this forum and others because the timing chain hasn't been replaced on my car. From everything I've heard/read, the chain should last for ages. Others say it should only be replaced if necessary, in the words of the person at McCarthy: when it starts sounding like a diesel...
The thing is, when the engine is warm, it does sound a little bit like a diesel :wth: at the current mileage, the chain should still be perfectly fine so any ideas what would be causing this sound? or is the sound normal?

Your advice would be appreciated!

I have been hearing a very faint noise coming from the front of my motor. I replaced the bearing on the jockey pulley and the noise was still there, so I decided to replace the timing chain. Got all the spares in the week ( from Gemini Parts ). The quality is not bad at all. Today I started to do the job, after reading this thread, I was not looking forward to the task at hand but it had to be done for peace of mind. I am sorry that I did not take any photos but after I got it all stripped I had the shock of my life and did not even think of photos. Dalux has almost 200 000 Km on the clock, and I do not know if it has been replaced before. The guide on the right hand side( the long one) was almost non existent. There was almost no damage to the casing :o I still cannot believe how lucky I am. All back together now and running like a dream. Had a bit of help from a friend of mine who is a mechanic. To all our friends out there, if you are unsure about your timing chain, do not wait too long to have it replaced. I was just one lucky person, as I said there was only a small noise when it was cold. Sorry again that I did not take photos.

Thanks for the report Roger!

I cannot of course say with certainty, but with the wear you describe the chances are that the chain was never replaced before. Glad you caught it in the nick of time. I don't know what the manual says, but I would imagine you should safely get about 150 000 km on a chain .... a belt is of course a different matter (100 000km max).

Mud Dog wrote:Thanks for the report Roger!

I cannot of course say with certainty, but with the wear you describe the chances are that the chain was never replaced before. Glad you caught it in the nick of time. I don't know what the manual says, but I would imagine you should safely get about 150 000 km on a chain ....a belt is of course a different matter (100 000km max).

Not so Andy... The 4afe motors belt only need replacement every 150 000km

I wouldn't take that chance ..... most motors that use a belt are OHC, and if that belt snaps or starts to jump teeth .... well, eina, lets not even go there ...... I've seen some messes where the belt didn't last anywhere near 150k. So even if they say 150k life, I'd be a lot happier replacing it early. Just my opinion.

Hi all,

Great write up.. New to the 4x4 scene, recently bought a SFA Hilux Very happy with it but need to attend to a few things. The biggest one being the timing chain.

Was told it has to be replaced. I got a quote of R9500, is this normail? Parts cost R4600 and requires 10 hours of labour.

Thanks

DuneSurfer wrote:Hi all,

Great write up.. New to the 4x4 scene, recently bought a SFA Hilux Very happy with it but need to attend to a few things. The biggest one being the timing chain.

Was told it has to be replaced. I got a quote of R9500, is this normail? Parts cost R4600 and requires 10 hours of labour.

Thanks

Sounds about right time wise... Can't recall the pricing on the parts but don't think it came close to R4600.

Nope. Not that much for parts. The Chain, Guides,tensioner and few gaskets is usually the parts that have to be replaced. The gears are usually hard and always measure to specification.

Parts should be nothing more than R1800. The labour, well that is a different story, 10 hours will be correct.

Great write up! subscribed for future reference:)

lovetowrenchit wrote:Great write up! subscribed for future reference:)

Awesome. It's now 5 years later and all is still working perfectly