I'm rebuilding my 22re after the ***** hit the fan. My '89 4x4 up and died on me while going to work one morning, and I quickly found that the chain had popped off the cam gear, and the cam gear was cracked. After removing the timing chain cover I found that the oem chain guides were obliterated and only about 50% of them were still attached to the front of the block. The chain was eating through the driver side chain guide bolts and the chain cover. Its no wonder it popped there was so much play in it. This is the reason you drop the oil pan in cases like this.



The po of this truck must have been special... I'm not even sure what some of the stuff I found in the bottom of the pan is! And a Penny!!??? You've got to be kidding!! Anyway, I just thought I'd share the treasures I found

Can anyone tell me if that spring was actually supposed to be somewhere in the motor?

I think the spring is intended to keep the penny company.

Wow.

Spring looks like the timing chain tensioner's internal spring, perhaps from a previous tensioner? But yes, you should drop the pan for exactly the reasons illustrated by your picture.

Your truck is worth more than you thought!!! <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Haha no kidding.

lol... what year is the penny.
might give a clue as to if the motor was built with it in there or if it came some time after...

holy cow.. amazing what all can be in a motor and it still run..

I would say the spring cam from oil pump relief valve,although I dont have a clue how it could have made it through the gears.I would say the penny was from the philly mint. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Not sure what the spring is for, but my mechanic did the same thing and he found most of my old clutch in the pan, the timing chain guide and a whole lot of other unidentifiable crap.

Yeah, now that I think of it, I think this is the correct answer.