KidVermicious
New member
I feel like I just dodged a bullet.
I mentioned the slight coolant leak that made me reseal the timing cover? Apparently it wasn't slight on the inside, because when Mike and I popped the valve cover to see if the knock was a loose rocker, the cylinder head was full of milkshake. I drove for about 20 minutes with that crap in there, and I'm amazed the motor survived without damage. So I tossed some fresh oil in and started it back up, it was quiet for a minute and then the knock came back. So it was time to drop the pan again.
I mentioned that I was quite sure that I'd retorqued all the rod bearing caps? I missed one. The cap nuts on #2 weren't even finger tight, they were spun freely on the studs and the cap was rattling loose. That was the knock. You would think the bearing would have been thrashed, but I pulled the top and the bottom bearings, and they were still perfect. I'm amazed again - more coolant than oil in the pan, and a loose bearing cap on top of that, and the bearings and crank pin were unscathed. I love Toyotas.
So I pulled all the bearing caps again just to check them (all good), and triple checked the torque on every bolt down there, flushed the coolant and refilled the oil, and took her for a spin. The "chuckle" or chain slap is definitely gone, so I'm gonna blame that on the tensioner or oil pump. The zing sound that I thought was the chain rubbing on the case turned out to be a bad alternator bearing, so that $200 hunk of crap is on it's way back to Quality Power and we'll see what they say. I've still got some wrestling with the valve lash to do, I think I've got them too tight now. And I can hear what sounds like another exhaust tick developing. But this chapter is over. Timing chain service completed, and next time I get into the bottom end of this motor it's going to be on a stand, because fvck that noise.
I mentioned the slight coolant leak that made me reseal the timing cover? Apparently it wasn't slight on the inside, because when Mike and I popped the valve cover to see if the knock was a loose rocker, the cylinder head was full of milkshake. I drove for about 20 minutes with that crap in there, and I'm amazed the motor survived without damage. So I tossed some fresh oil in and started it back up, it was quiet for a minute and then the knock came back. So it was time to drop the pan again.
I mentioned that I was quite sure that I'd retorqued all the rod bearing caps? I missed one. The cap nuts on #2 weren't even finger tight, they were spun freely on the studs and the cap was rattling loose. That was the knock. You would think the bearing would have been thrashed, but I pulled the top and the bottom bearings, and they were still perfect. I'm amazed again - more coolant than oil in the pan, and a loose bearing cap on top of that, and the bearings and crank pin were unscathed. I love Toyotas.
So I pulled all the bearing caps again just to check them (all good), and triple checked the torque on every bolt down there, flushed the coolant and refilled the oil, and took her for a spin. The "chuckle" or chain slap is definitely gone, so I'm gonna blame that on the tensioner or oil pump. The zing sound that I thought was the chain rubbing on the case turned out to be a bad alternator bearing, so that $200 hunk of crap is on it's way back to Quality Power and we'll see what they say. I've still got some wrestling with the valve lash to do, I think I've got them too tight now. And I can hear what sounds like another exhaust tick developing. But this chapter is over. Timing chain service completed, and next time I get into the bottom end of this motor it's going to be on a stand, because fvck that noise.
