Replace the Timinc Chain????

[jaybirdy2k]

I purchased an 1989 4Runner from a guy that had it for a short period of time and had no clue what services were done. I looked at the water pump and timing chain cover and they looked new or cleaned very well and looked to be a fresh blue gasket that was not dirty so i thought they had been replaced.

I took off the oil pan and found pieces of the timing chain plastic.
So i bought a kit to install well once i took the alternator, power steering pump, fan, radiator out. The next step was to take off the valve cover and to my surprise the timing chain looked brand new and the plastic guides are intact.

Should i just go ahead and replace the chain? Really hate to spend the money replacing a possibly new chain.

Any signs i should look for if it is old?

The bolts are all intact and so are the plastic pieces.

How could the timing chain plastic fall into the pan without someone noticing? the piece was about 3" long and a bunch of small pieces.

 

[fourwd1]

If the TC was replaced, maybe whoever did it didn't pull the oil pan to get the big pieces out.

 

[92 TOY]

hey look...bigger pics. yup. same response as above and same response I gave ya over on YT. probably just an incomplete timing chain / cover etc etc etc job where they where unwilling or incapable of dropping the pan to clean it out.