someone in my area is selling a 97 tacoma for a decent price. he says they put on a new head, timing chains, and gaskets, but the timing is off. I am relatively mechanically inclined, but i dont want to get myself into more than i bargained for. Do the pistons and valves overlap on these motors? How do they compare to working on the 22re? I have never owned or worked on a toyota, but i have a basic idea what im doing and probably have all the necessary tools, and have heard the 22re is very easy to work on compared to the v6's. I would assume changing timing wouldnt bee too hard, but if you guys could enlighten me about what has to be done, or what to look for to see if there are other things that might be wrong that the seller is blaming it on.

 

It depends on whether or not it is ignition timing or cam timing. If the ignition timing is off, then it's probably a question of a bad sensor, because in 1997 they switched from a distributor to coil packs on that motor. If the cam timing is off, you'll have to disassemble the front of the motor and re-time the cams to the crank. Basically redoing the timing chain job.

 

that doesnt sound too bad...or is it a real nightmare? my only major fear is if pistons and valves overlap, so if the timing is off there may be bent valves or something...

 

I do believe that that is an interference motor. I'm not sure how hard it would be to do the job, as I've never done it.