96 2.7 liter Timing chain problem

What kind of oil are you using? few extra dollars on good oil goes a really long way.
But maybe, as an engineer working for Castrol, I am a bit biased

 

This motor got this wany from the previous owner

I think the cam that runs the timing chain is the one that locked up,

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That’s for sure.... geeezus, look into a JDM motor. Cheap money and just broken in

 

JDM Motor ?

 

Exactly. Google Japanese Domestic Motors in your area. Apparently the Japs mandate people replace their engines periodically for pollution purposes. Extremely low mileage. Stickers haven’t burned off the valve covers. You can buy one for 1600-1800 or so. They are COMPLETE. You might have to swap some of your stuff around. I nearly bought one before deciding on replacing the head. They have them on EBAY if you want to read the description and look at the pictures

 

Wow, that's by far one of the worst sludged modern Toyota engines I've seen. Must've been run for a long time on the same oil, and hot by the look of it. Even with 10k mi change intervals they don't look so bad. Even if that head was savable, and I doubt it is because of cam journals and I bet it's never had a valve adjustment judging by the maintenance... I'd still want another engine haha

 

Yep, that head is scrap now. Odds are that the bottom end is a hurt too. 3RZ main bearings can be extraordinarily whooped out before it becomes symptomatic. I’ve pulled 2 sets of trashed mains out of my 3RZ’s that still met all the oil pressure specs from Toyota