DrJazz

I just bought a 1993 Pickup. RWD, 5spd, standard cab short box. 103k original miles, one owner, has the 22re. It has zero rust and is very clean. I am new to these but know that they are VERY reliable. I was hoping a couple of my questions could be answered and a list of maintenance could be made for use down the road.

The idle seemed kind of high, has no tach so I was going off sound. Drives nice. When it's idling and you turn the AC on, it starts a pulsating action where the engine drops in RPMS drastically, then revs back up, then down, then up (until turned off)... vacuum leak? When I turn the AC on while driving it seems to not do it at all. AC does work and blows cold air! There is a very small oil leak from the half-moons from what I can tell.

Apart from the AC issue, I don't have any concerns over the mechanical aspects of this truck. I would love to do a full tune-up on her ASAP! I would love it if someone could make a list of everything I should replace (even if not necessary, but optional) so I can get a blank slate on the vehicle!

Thanks so much!

osv

sounds like sweet truck... you probably got maintenance records with it?

what was the mileage on the last valve adjustment, and the timing chain replacement?

starlord718

OSV: is there a service interval to replace the timing chain? Asking because I just bought a '94 myself and wondering if it needs to be done (195K)

JJ'89

Probably has been done at least once already. Mine was at 155,000 miles, and was rattling a lot until oil pressure on the tensioner took up slack after startup. It had been cutting into the aluminum timing case for a while. On yours it might be worthwhile to at least take a look at it. If it was mine and not rattling on startup, I wouldn't worry about it.

starlord718

Hi JJ. I doubt that it had been done, no service records and... it is still running on the original spark plug wires I am planning on replacing the valve cover gasket and half moons because there is a leak and I was going to do maintenance (plugs/wires/, rotor/cap) and so I am wondering if I should just do the timing chain (and metal guides) now.

osv

when you remove the valve cover, shine a flashlight down along the timing chain, inspect the guides for wear and breakage https://www.reddit.com/r/ToyotaPicku..._timing_chain/

starlord718

Thanks! Those pics in that link make me thinking if I should just do it and replace it all now instead of wait and constantly look and wonder when the plastic guides break.

OP, sorry to hijack your thread, but I'll start the list. Keep in mind I'm a fellow newbie with a similar vintage truck as you and looking for a similar list : here is what I got so far, please everyone add/correct this list:

- PCV valve and grommet (and hoses)
- valve cover gasket, billet half moons, and new valve cover grommets
- spark plugs, distributor cap and rotors
- oil change with new oil filter and drain plug gasket
- radiator hoses
- radiator itself?
- timing chain with metal guides

Jimkola

I replace all fluids. engine oil, coolant, transmission (transfer if equipped) diff(s). Interestingly, Redline oil did make my powertrain quieter over regular 80-90 gear oil. I wouldn't have thought that.
Hoses I scrutinize pretty closely. On the 22R# there's two lower radiator hoses, and one is hard to see behind the alternator. It's also the one most likely to get covered in oil(oil ruins rubber hoses unless designed for it). Make sure to inspect that one.
I'll replace sparkplugs(regular resistor, not platinum or iridium), cap, and rotor with Denso brand if not already equipped. I prefer sparkplugs with solid terminals. I'm not fond of the ones with screw caps.
I'll remove any aftermarket wiring that doesn't serve any useful purpose and solder/shrink tube back together. under the driver's dash is often butchered wiring.
Pull the wheels and check the brake life and look for signs of leaks. Especially at the rear. Any oil at the rear brakes typically means the axle seal is leaking.

No factory schedule on timing chain. But a rough average was about 100,000 miles on an oem chain.

osv

i was reading some threads where people were choosing to remove the head when doing the timing chain, which would complicate things.

since there aren't any maintenance records, you don't know how much oil it's using, etc., maybe do a compression check first? make sure that there is a solid baseline to work with.

i'd be inclined to check the valve lash and do a visual on the chain, if that looks good then just drive it for a 1000 miles to see what the oil consumption is like... there wouldn't be much point in doing an unnecessary timing chain if it's guzzling oil.

JJ'89

Regards the timing chain job...I have the factory manuals for my '89 pickup and '08 Corolla. My general shade-tree DIY selfer (like me) outlook, on working on stuff, is factory recommendations and procedures and parts preferred. But I am lazy too. You should remove the cylinder head and oil pan to do this job right. That's a lot of work and the good parts aren't cheap, and although I am a reasonably competent engine teardown and re-assemble DIYer, I might need to use an automotive machine shop. Finding a good one never was easy 60 years ago, and it's worse now. There is a workaround for the timing chain job, that bypasses the cylinder head and oil pan removal. I used it successfully on mine at 155,000 miles. Part of my rationale for doing so concerns getting a good no-oil-leak seal on the pan, and a durable installation on the cylinder head, plus being lazy. As far as I'm concerned, the original factory assembly would be the gold standard. I've got about 47,000 miles on mine since I did the timing chain and it runs like a champ and doesn't leak oil or coolant. The broken chain guides so far have not obstructed the inlet to the oil pump.

Just an anecdote and one man's $0.02

Jimkola

22R# headgaskets and timing chains have remarkably similar life spans. So close, it seems shameful not to do them together. And at the same time you reduce the chance of an oil leak by a factor of 10. As far as saving time by leaving head on? Well, That's debatable. If you go in with the plan of removing the head from the start you spend much less time dicking around trying to figure out all the work arounds. Plus you now have access to all the stuff under the intake, like the fuel filter, that's a pita to access when the head is on.

osv

if i'm pulling a 22re head that has 100k miles on it, i'm giving it a valve job... i'm on the coast in socal, no more machine shops in the area so i'd probably have to drive up to l.a. to find a reputable shop.

fortunately i have nylon intake manifold gaskets and a remflex exhaust gasket, so i can re-use those, no added cost.

yeah the 22re will benefit from a fresh valve job, but i didn't buy into the platform knowing that i'd have to yank the head every 100k miles... the last timing belt i did was on my '97 miata, which is a far better-engineered engine and a breeze to change the belt on... the 2008 honda fit that we own has a timing chain that's good for the life of the engine.

Jimkola

On the central CA coast, also. Machine shops are getting scare. All the cheap "new" heads from overseas ruined their business, unfortunately.

osv

the auto parts store that turned my 4runner brake drums a couple of years ago had a lathe they used, but they are out of business, not sure who could do it these days.

if i had to rebuild a 22re, i have no idea where i'd find a machine shop that had the knowledge and equipment to evaluate and machine the block... when i worked on old air-cooled vw's we'd go to rimco in orange county, they even had a custom jig that could rotate the crank and check it for straightness... they could turn cranks, rebuild rods, etc., and then sell us the correct bearings that were sized to whatever machine work they did, including align-boring the case.

JJ'89

I call mine Metusala at 201,939 mile on the (analogue) clock. In my cheapskate and slothful world, not doing work that does not need to be done counts a lot. If it wuz my old Stinson 108-2, I'd probably take a different point of view. Those ops and serious off-roading have similar considerations in many ways. Kind of all about constraints and probabilities...