Timing Chain P0018 P0302,304,306

@craigs1 I’ll be starting the cleaning process this morning while I wait on parts. On the actuator it is actually a scratch from where the refluctor broke off. I’ll order the tensioner this morning. I am having trouble trying to find the actuator online though. If you have a good idea of where it’s available let me know if you don’t mind. I also did notice that the small chain on bank two has slack in it so should I go ahead and replace all chains?

@Torspd I think that’s where I went wrong on the oil. During my changes I never was consistent with a specific brand but now I will be. What’s your recommendation that I should stick with from here on out?

 

Any good 30 or 40 weight, depending on your climate and mileage. Castrol synthetic, Mobile One synthetic, or other top brands. Toyota filter, and stay away from the 20 weight oils. They burn off too quickly, and are not well suited for hot climates. (I already know I am going to catch for that last statement. Toyota knows best...blah blah blah. Lol)

 

Sub'd because I like following these kinds of threads. OP, RockAuto is a good online source for many parts. My beer fridge is covered in their magnets, LOL.

 

Toyota part # for the actuator is:13050-0P010

And RockAuto lists an aftermarket part as "Variable Valve Timing (VVT) Sprocket".

 

Thank you @craigs1 also do you know if it comes with the reluctor wheel or do I need to purchase that separately?

 

Same here, my vehicles get synthetic Pennzoil Platinum High Mileage or Mobil 1 High Mileage in 10W-30 during warm weather and 5W-30 during cold weather.

 

Comes w/ the reluctor wheel pressed in and ready to bolt up. Soak your new chain(s) in clean motor oil before you hang them, and apply engine assembly lube to the guiderail & damper sliding surfaces so things aren't dry during initial startup.

 

Sorry for blowing up this thread but just a few more quick dumb questions. When I pick up the main chain to replace and as well as the drivers side small chain, as far as putting them on, does it matter where exactly the new chains line up or is it the camshaft and crank shaft that I need to focus on lining up? Because looking at the new chains they didn’t have any marks on them.

 

Disregard last message, wasn’t thinking correctly because the timing chains online didn’t have pictures of the marks on them. I found a kit online that comes with all new chains, rails, and tensioners for $115 would you recommend or am I better off using the OEM parts that are on it

 

Chain installation and alignment of the timing marks and color-coded chain link plates are covered in the shop manual link I posted. There's also this very handy YouTube video posted by Wells, was a tremendous help when I was researching my project: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UR50da0sDOc

As far as parts selection, it's your call. I avoid chinese aftermarket parts regardless of the low cost. Toyota parts are expensive, I get it. I would consider spending a bit more than the $115 kit, but significantly less than Toyota OEM parts, on the Cloyes, or Sealed Power kits listed on RockAuto:

https://www.rockauto.com/en/catalog/toyota,2007,4runner,4.0l+v6,1434454,engine,timing+set,5756

EDIT: removed the Melling kit from the list, as the pic shows the chains *NOT* having color-coded chain links. You will absolutely want these, based on my experience. Not sure if the Sealed Power kit has color-coded links, I'm checking now.

 

I have an opinion, but I'm not the expert on this one (I've only done the chain on my old '92 22R-E). You've already got the cover off, and it sounds like getting it back on is one of the trickiest parts. I would also look at the sprockets for signs of wear or damage and either do it all (chain and sprockets) or leave the chains and sprockets on and replace just the tensioners and guides. However, the fact that your one tensioner was already extended tells me that the chain is worn (they don't really "stretch") and likely the sprockets are worn as well. As @craigs1 said, it's not apparent yet why the chain skipped in the first place, and that one piece was broken. I wouldn't want to have to pull it apart again.

 

Cloyes makes good stuff

Also, chains do stretch. It may not be what caused your current jumped tooth problem but they do stretch. I've done chain jobs on nissan/Infiniti engines where all the guides, tensioners, and actuators were intact but the chains would stretch out and set (p0340) " camshaft position sensor" codes (and it ain't a cam sensor problem). We would verify it by using a lab scope and watching the cam and crank sensors to make sure they were in sync.

Granted, we don't see a lot of tacomas coming in with chain problems anyway.. But that's a lot of work to put it back together and then still have a problem. If it was me I would replace the chains..

 

Agreed on points raised by b_r_o and TenBeers. I think a good outcome can be had with the RockAuto $297 Cloyes kit that comes with new sprockets, guides, tensioners, and chains as well as the $157 VVT actuator.

The #1 chain tensioner on my engine is a Cloyes piece installed last year while I was ruling out tensioner failure. No point replacing it again this year when I did the chains & whatnot, it works fine.

Again, soak the new chains in fresh motor oil before installing them (Pennzoil high mileage has nice high concentration of molybdenum disulphide and zinc/phosphorous anti-wear additives which are terrific for new metal parts during break-in). Apply engine assembly lube to the guiderail sliding surfaces so they won't be dry during initial startup.

EDIT: also apply engine assembly lube to the crank sprocket bushing surface facing the block, as well as the idler (center upper) sprocket bushing surfaces.

 

This is exactly what was wrong with the 4Runner I bought as a project last year, and the guy in the Wells video I posted, and the FJ Cruiser guy I linked earlier. Elongated #1 chain, over-extended tensioner, but everything else looked fine. Didn't need an oscilloscope to diagnose mine, I just followed the shop manual diagnostic procedure for P0016. Place the crank at the 0 mark, remove the passenger side valve cover (easy), and see that the intake and exhaust cam timing marks were several degrees retarded relative to the bearing cap index marks.

It's possible that Toyota got a bad batch of chains during 2007 production...my neighbor runs a garage, and found that the terms "P0016" and "timing chain stretch" were the top two search terms for 2007 4Runner 1GR-FE vehicles on his online shop service. Happened to GM with their 3.6L DOHC V6 around the same timeframe, but theirs failed earlier and were covered under warranty.

 

Sorry, didn't mean to derail anything, just meant to point out that the metal doesn't stretch in the chains. The holes and pins wear, which results in a longer chain, which is reasonably called stretching. Technicality that is immaterial, but understanding what is going on can point to other issues.

The point is that either poor materials were used (possibly a bad batch of parts like in the above example) or contaminants just wore things down. If contaminants, the sprockets are likely worn as well. Putting a good chain on worn sprockets may help, but it's better to get everything back into spec if you are going that far anyway. Cost of the sprockets is like 1 to 1.5 hrs labor.

Personally, I'd get that Cloyes full kit and button that thing up with all fresh stuff. I'd also check all the oil paths that have already been mentioned and make sure there isn't something going on with lubrication.

 

Great point to raise for clarity. On mine, it was the link pins and likely the pin bushings. The endplate holes showed no wear as evidenced by the tight fit against the link pins. During research, I found examples of earlier 4Runners and Tacomas with far more sludge than mine...and no extra extension of the #1 tensioner or other indications of chain elongation. Very strange, and the examples of this failure I found were '07 and a few '08 1GR-FE engines in 4Runners and FJ Cruisers. Not a single '06-earlier, or '09 model.

 

@TenBeers I see what your saying but if chains didn't stretch there would be no need for ratcheting tensioners to take up the slack.

Edit.. also just saw your clarification..

 

No worries, shouldn't have gone there. Props to the OP for taking this on, and especially to all the folks that have pitched in to help him along. Great thread, and what TW should be all about. Wish I was there to help wrench.

I need to get a broke old beater so I have something to actually work on rather than living vicariously. But...the wife unit...

 

Here's a pic of my new Toyota chain and the factory chain, both hanging level pin-to-pin at the top. Shows nearly 1/2 link elongation (at the chain's midpoint, so nearly a full link at total length) in the factory chain, with no visible play between the endlink pins and the plate holes. The wear was in the pins/bushings, and this was enough to cause the tensioner plunger to extend nearly 3/4".

 

This is a great thread!!