Timing Chain

What's up fellas? I'm wondering if anyone has any information on timing chains. Or more specifically when they should be changed. My truck is coming up on 110,000 miles. I change my oil regularly using moble1 oil and trd filters. I've never had any trouble with this truck but it has come to my attention that the timing chain should be replaced around 120,000. This is not a cheap or quick trip to the shop. But I know the alternative could prove to be catastrophic. So I guess the question is "does everyone do this at 120k ? And if not, when do you do it?

 

Belts need to be replaced at normal intervals (usually every 90-100k on late model cars) or you will have hell to pay. Timing chains however are a different story and will generally last the lifetime of the engine. There are no prescribed timing chain replacement intervals.

 

If you can hear it, it probably needs to be changed.

 

Right on thanks guys. I was thinking chains would typically last the lifetime of the vehicle. But I had gone down an internet "rabbit hole" reading various comments about the subject and began to wonder about my own ride. It doesn't make any more noise than the typical 5.7 so I believe she'll be with us for at least another couple hundred K. Thanks again fellas.

 

Your engine will go long before you’re chain breaks. I’ve never had to replace a timing chain on any Toyota model. There’s no service interval to answer your question. Your chain can stretch but again I’ve never had to replace one. I do know other techs have though. Your chain tensioners have pretty good length of lash to compensate for any stretch. However if you hear your chain chattering/rattling I’d take it in to be looked at.

 

Can having a bad tensioner be the exception to this? I think my driver side tensioner is going. 60-90secs of noise on very cold days, then fine.

 

THIS right here ^^^. Read no further.

 

You’re tensioners are hydraulic. They can wear and no longer retain hydraulic pressure, basically bleed off and rattle until they build pressure again. Usually 90 or so seconds after running. So yes your tensioners can definitely go bad. On a side note though, you also have hydraulic lifters under the rocker arms in you’re valve train. Same thing. They go bad, rarely but it does happen and they bleed off pressure and rattle like a mother fucker until they pressurize again. It’s important to determine if the rattle is coming from the front of the engine where the tensioner is or the top of the engine where the lifters are.