Timing Chain 2TR-FE

Hey!! I’ve got camshaft/crankshaft sensor lights popping up and slight slipping became noticeable recently. Decided to take the plunge in timing chain. Opened it up and I see the marks on the top gears but no orange links. Look down farther and first orange link is down a ways. Is this indication of major slippage?

 

Is cylinder 1 at TDC? Rotate the crank by hand. Eventually the marks will line up

 

I was curious about that. TDC will be with the piston one at it’s highest position correct?

 

Yes, TDC would be at the very top of its stroke.

 

Perfect! I assume you mean putting a socket on the main pulley and cranking by hand that way?

 

Exactly

 

Yes, easier if you pull the plugs. For TDC I always just used a piece of coated wire, not fancy but always worked for me.

 

The colored links are only used for initial installation of the chain, they will not line up after the engine is rotated.

Mechanical timing is checked by lining up the physical marks on the crank and cams with the marks on the block and head.

 

Thank you for that clarification. I have it at TDC now and the markings line up correctly. I am not super eager to remove the chain if I don’t have to. Can you tell me what I should look for in these pics to know if a new chain is needed? No noises heard when manually turning the chain. No grinding or clicking. I did notice the oil level was low when I drained it. My fault there. I read on another thread that might be enough to cause trouble. Would low oil trigger the code for camshaft/crankshaft issues?
Finally, I know the centerline bearing, or main drive shaft bearing, is bad and needs to be replaced. Could that be the more likely cause of my noises if the chain looks ok?

 

Low oil can absolutely cause timing codes as the VVT system is controlled by oil pressure, the second most common cause of timing codes is a sticking/faulty VVT oil control valve.

If your timing marks line up and the chain tensioner is not overly extended the chain should be fine.

 

Only way to see the tensioner is to pull the timing chain cover though correct? I would LOVE to avoid that

 

The 4.0L has a small access cover for the tensioner, I'm not sure about the 2.7L.
It's not very common for the chains to stretch though unless oil changes were neglected and/or your at really high miles (200k+).