Help! Possible Snapped Rod

Hey Guys, this is my first post:

So I was towing a 2005 tundra with my 2011 from Georgia to Virginia, about 200 miles into the trip (going 55mph and no sudden acceleration). I heard a loud pop, followed by awful clanking coming from the engine. Check engine light came on and I pulled over immediately.

I suspect a snapped rod, but there aren’t any metal shavings in my oil (checked from dipstick), no smoke from the exhaust or engine, no oil leaking anywhere. The truck still fires up right away but idle surges from 500-1000 rpm. The clanking doesn’t start up until 2500 rpm, and calms down around 3500 rpm. I was able to pull codes off of it which were:

P0300, P0301, P0303, P0305, P0351, P0365, and P2438

Multiple misfires on cylinders 1,3, and 5.
Ignition coil 1,
Cam position sensor
And air injection system.



I still suspect a snapped rod just because of the loud pop. But I’m praying it’s not that severe. I was wondering if anyone has run into something similar or can offer advice on how to proceed?

I should add I can’t continue diagnosing it as the truck is stuck somewhere in South Carolina at a towing yard (thankfully the owner was kind enough to let me store it there for free until I set up transportation), and I’m in currently in virginia and can’t go back until the weekend at the earliest.

Any advice helps. Thank You

 

Thanks for the reply, and yeah any bit helps. once I figure out how to get it up here I am prepared for the worst. It definitely sounds expensive so far. If I snapped a rod then I’m looking into an engine swap but you definitely don’t find many Toyota engines at the pick n pulls here and it’s looking like a few grand for a decent 5.7 liter

 

TJ --->Stalker status Haha

 

Welcome Eddie. I hope it's not as bad as suspected.

 

Wouldn't call it stalker status, more of trying to be helpful.

 

haha

 

As I remember to turn mine on....

 

I’m gonna take a stab at a guess here. Timing chain tensioner. Engine runs but makes noise at certain rpm’s. I would stop driving it and check that out. Hopefully it didn’t skip a tooth yet.

 

That sucks but hopefully its not a total engine failure. I am in the process of replacing an engine on my sons Dodge(sometimes they have to learn the hard way) Think he might buy Toyota next- haha

 

My SIL is a mechanic. If you're in the Tidewater area he would probably be willing to look at it.

 

I have a 4.6 if I need to do a swap I’m going to try and find a good 5.7

 

It just hit 196k before it busted

 

I really hope you’re right, I pulled over and had it towed to the shop as soon as I heard the snap, and It’s currently 400 miles away from me so it’s not being driven

 

Could you message me his info please? Will probably be hitting him up as soon as I get the truck up here

 

Please post when you figure out what’s going on. I always like to see conclusions here. Good luck sir!

 

Alright quick update, I spoke to a mechanic who took a look at it down in SC, he confirmed the timing is way off but also says the loud knocking is something mechanical. No word on whether or not it’s the timing chain tensioner but he’ll continue looking at it tomorrow.

 

I would think the only reason the timing would be way off is because of the tensioner and/or it skipped a tooth. If the chain broke it wouldn’t run it all. Hopefully all your valves are good and it will just be new chain and tensioner. Might as well do the water pump while you’re in there. And any other disposable items that you have to take off to get to it.

 

I’m hoping it’s just that and not a spun or snapped rod, my fingers are crossed hoping for the best.

Also anyone else experience or have heard of the truck putting itself in 4lo, and traction light coming on with the check engine light? It did that last week only to find the air injection system was missing a fuse altogether and ran like a top after I put in a new fuse. And it did it again with this current issue. Is that a “limp mode” or is the ecu just wonky? (I don’t think my current problems and air injection fuse problems are interconnected).

 

if your timing is "way off" then there's a chance that you've hit a valve with a piston. On my 1st gen a mouse chewed a hole through one of the plastic covers for the timing belt and then made a nice home for his family. Well until I started the engine. At least one body got crushed between the belt and a cam gear causing it to jump two teeth. The engine would run but barely. I suspect that your chain also jumped. How did the mechanic verify that the timing was way off? Did he pull a valve cover? I would do a compression check on the driver's side cylinders.

 

I don’t have the details on all the tests done, the only information I have so far is that the timing is off and there’s a mechanical knocking noise, but as of yesterday he hadn’t physically checked the timing chain tensioner and can’t confirm where the sound is coming from. He said he’ll continue diagnosing today but I haven’t received a phone call from him so I’m going to wait until tomorrow afternoon before I give him a call. I’m hoping the piston didn’t hit the valve but my hopes and dreams are all I have until I have more information to go off of. Will update this thread as soon as I know.

Using a screwdriver on the block “ghetto mechanics stethoscope”, while stuck on the side of the road, The knocking is definitely louder on the driver’s side. So you might be on to something with the driver side compression. All I can do now is wait and see

 

Alright latest update is bad news. Rod definitely spun or snapped, and timing chain skipped some teeth. So if anyone has a low mileage 5.7 or part out truck please dm me.