I got the same leak lol, it just makes the front of my motor nice and clean lmao.

Brian, no I didn't remove the head but I did use some RTV and it doesn't appear to be leaking from there.

That's what's so weird about this leak. Before the timing chain swap it leaked a little around the oil pan but didn't leak at all around the timing chain cover. So I know it was something I did or didn't do.

Noticed I'm leaking down there as well. Funny, I may have missed it, but I didn't see anything in the either the FSM or the write-ups about sealing one of those bolts. I could've missed it, though.

yep .. sounds like you need a speedy sleeve .

seal wears a groove (over time) into the crank pully .. just needs to be refreshed .

new to the forum, but owned and worked on many toyota 22r's. I once did a timing job (the easy way, as you all call it) on my 87 4runner and had the same problem. the leak ended up being the front main seal. there are little "fins" on the inside of the seal and one had a small rip in it, maybe I did it, maybe it was like that, who knows, but it leaked a fair amount of oil and flung it all over since it was behind the main pully. might give that seal another look, you will have to take off the oil pump again as i remember. hope that helps

for the record there is an even easier way to change that timing chain and guides if you all have not found. if you modify a wrench with a grinder and a torch you can do the whole thing with out taking off the timing cover at all! just the valve cover and oil pump, if you have done it you know it takes some steady hands, head lamp, and a few curse words as well but you dont run the risk of messing up the head gasket.

"for the record there is an even easier way to change that timing chain and guides if you all have not found. if you modify a wrench with a grinder and a torch you can do the whole thing with out taking off the timing cover at all! just the valve cover and oil pump, if you have done it you know it takes some steady hands, head lamp, and a few curse words as well but you dont run the risk of messing up the head gasket. "

zacarro: can you give us some details ? never heard of this before...
i'm sure it will interest many here.

I am sitting here trying to figure out how the chain can get past the crankshaft without damaging it.

Everything else, I can figure out.

I would still want to drop the pan, and clean the debris out... And the tools used would DEFINITELY have to be magnetized.



Probably easier in the end to remove the cover.

so it sounds it may be possible to change the tensioner without pulling the cover?

I would NOT leave that mess in the oil pan! Not after the pieces I pulled out of that motor.

But thanks for confirming my suspicions zacaroo! <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/kewl.gif" alt="" />

yes the mess would be a problem. this type of fix only works if you have not let it get to the point where you have a big mess or need to fill weld a hole in your timing cover. when i did my first one i had to pull the cover because the chain wore a little hole through the cover and oil and water mixed. now i know what to look and listen for... my uncle is the one who came up with the idea. he has now done a few jobs with out taking off the cover. by bending a couple of wrenches and grinding them thinner he has made a set of tools for getting in the small space. doing this a few times he has got kinda good at it. This way thought is more for those who want to get back on the road fast and dont care too much about a few frags of plastic that may not have made it out (in my opinion). He does this for customers that can't afford the full blown take down. i personaly would pull the cover and get a good look at it if i have to do it again and have the time. but the ones that he did with his modified tools are still running and doing fine. the first one he did almost 10 years ago! I'm not sure if this would work for a double chain though, seems like that may be harder to get out with the limited space. has not come up though, maybe someone else can figure that one out. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />