Engine Question

Don't think of it as an expensive repair on a truck with "only" 150,000 miles. Think of it as the first big repair it's needed in over 15 yrs. Its been a reliable truck up until now, give it some credit.

Other manufacturers often need 3-5k in repairs before they're even 5 yrs old (cough..german cars..cough). Ford Focus transmissions are blowing up, Subaru CVTs are blowing up.

Be glad that money is going into a Tacoma and not something else. If done right, it will only increase the value of the truck.

 

It’s a big job and one I wouldn’t want someone rushing through. Definitely a job I’d want to do myself to make sure it’s done right.

And since it’s an ‘05, I’d do head gaskets while your in there.

 

If I'd ever thought my Taco's would need $3200 worth of repairs within 150,000 mi. I'd not own a Toyota. To me, that just seems ridiculous. Earlier ( in post 15 ), I wasn't say'in buy the cheepo ebay eng. kit for $365. Just showing how far out of line a $2400 timing chain kit is. I Looked again, "Genuine Toyota" Timing chain kit , 1st gen. 4.0L= OEM parts $180 + S/H $170= $350.00 long way from $2400. OP, don't you know co-workers, classmates, church members, or friends that can recommend a reputable mechanic? Most here have never been to NH. Good luck

 

3-5k repairs for a BMW? Sign me up! Lol jk, I had an e46 m3 and it was more like 2k a month... But it was 15 years old. Taco is much much better and doesn't require any if at all very minor maintenance.

 

Realistically this is not a hard job. Hardest part is fighting the balancer and exhaust parts. One will probably be rusty, the other requires special tools and impacts that usually don't fit with a radiator in place. We used to put a breaker bar and pipe against the frame rail and bump the starter.

Other then that is text book take apart, clean, reinstall. Not tough for a DIY with the right tools. Expensive if you have to pay like everyone else but what doesn't suck you dry.

I don't know where a $3200 repair in 150k puts someone off. You could spend that each time your Chevy half ton transmission explodes every 60k. At least the vehicle holds value. If it's too much trade it and pay the monthly penalty.

 

I've replaced the timing chains & whatnot on my 4Runner, and it was unpleasant. Balancer bolt came off easily with my 1/2" drive impact gun and the compressor cranked to 120psi. I didn't remove any exhaust parts. I didn't remove the front differential and oil pan, which made reinstalling the timing cover more of a challenge...adhering the oil pump pickup o-ring to the cover was key to keeping it in place as the cover slid onto the engine and oil pan.

Not sure what the book calls for in terms of shop hours for this job, but it took me 6 days working mostly in 4-5 hour increments here and there. About a half day of that included cleaning bolt threads and holes, sealing surfaces, and the components removed during disassembly.

 

Toyota prices for the main chain and each of the 2 side chains are shown below, just the main chain is $273 retail and $182 at discount. Each of the 2 side chains is $82 retail and $55 discount.

The "Genuine Toyota" kit almost sounds too good to be true...

 

Not sure what you looked up but the 1st gen has a 3.4 and a tbelt. No comparison.

 

OP is working on a 2005 with 4.0L V6. Chain drive.

 

I was quoting rphillips he put genuine oe kit 1st gen 4.0.

 

Fair point, the kit is likely junk but the "1st gen" may be referring to the single-VVT 1GR-FE engine rather than the newer dual-VVT version.

 

I looked up the kit @rphillips mentioned on eBay, the packages have Toyota markings and appear to be new old stock parts. The main chain is the original part #, not the current superseding part#. It's coming from Venezuela and their currency is screwed vs. the US dollar, it may actually be Toyota parts.

 

Aside from manufacturing defects, what kills timing chains is oil change neglect. The abrasive particles that accumulate in oil, too small for the oil filter to catch, wear out the endlink pins & bushings and cause the chain to elongate or "stretch". I bought my 4Runner from the original owner who ran ~20K mile oil change intervals and wore out the chains.

 

i'm in the process of replacing mine. 4.0 with 430 k on it. no codes or issues with engine. it is alot of work and right now i have alot of time on my hands. the state has closed my business due to pandemic. i brought all high quality parts and should be here tomorrow and fri. i watched the video posted by tacoloist and it helped me alot. thanks for posting!