CriticalVery commonEngine

Toyota Hilux: 22R / 22R-E timing chain guide collapse and timing cover wear-through

22R / 22R-E timing chain guide collapse and timing cover wear-through is a very common engine fault on the Toyota Hilux on the 1984–1997 cars, and we rate it critical. Putting it right costs $1,200 to $3,500 at New Zealand independent workshop rates. Below is what goes wrong, the symptoms to notice on a test drive, where to look, and what to ask the seller before you hand over any money. It is one of 59 documented faults on the Toyota Hilux.

Vehicle: Toyota Hilux
Engine: 22R-E
Years: 1984–1997
Fuel: petrol
System: Engine

This page covers the Toyota Hilux as a model. Some faults only affect particular engines or build years — enter a plate below to narrow the list to one car.

All Toyota Hilux faults59 documented faults on this model

What you are looking at

What goes wrong

The 2.4-litre 22R and fuel-injected 22R-E run a single-row timing chain against plastic guides. Past roughly 150,000 km the guides go brittle and shatter, the chain goes slack and starts slapping, and the loose chain then saws through the aluminium timing cover. There is a coolant passage directly behind that spot, so once the chain breaks through, coolant runs straight into the sump and the bearings are destroyed in short order. The tell-tale is the 'death rattle' - a rattle from the front of the engine on start-up that gets longer and louder over months. Toyota never issued a recall for it; it is simply a wear-out point every high-kilometre 22R reaches, and on a thirty-year-old ute it is the single most likely way this engine dies.

What you would notice

Rattle from the front of the engine for a few seconds after a cold start
Rattle that has become constant, or louder over recent months
Coolant level dropping with no puddle under the ute
Creamy or milky sludge under the oil filler cap
Rough running or hard starting, as though the timing has slipped

How to check it

Where to look. Front of the engine, behind the crankshaft pulley and fan, under the aluminium timing cover.

Start the engine from stone cold - turn up early, or ask the seller not to warm it up before you arrive - and stand at the front guard listening for a rattle from behind the crank pulley in the first five to ten seconds.
A short rattle that clears is a warning; a rattle that stays is chain and guides already gone.
Take the oil filler cap off with the engine cold and look at the underside for creamy brown sludge, which means coolant has already found its way into the oil.
Look into the coolant reservoir and the top of the radiator for a film of oil sitting on the surface.
Shine your phone torch down the front of the engine where the timing cover meets the block and look for a coolant weep or a rusty stain running down the cover.
Ask for receipts showing a timing chain, guides and tensioner kit has been done, and at what kilometres.

Parts involved: Timing chain.

What it costs to put right

$1,200 to $3,500 at New Zealand independent workshop rates. That is for this job on its own, not for the car.

An estimate, in NZD, for the repair as normally carried out. What a specific car costs depends on which part has failed and what it damaged on the way — treat this as the floor for a negotiation, not a quote.

Ask the seller

“Has the timing chain, guides and tensioner ever been replaced, and at what kilometres?”
“Does it rattle for a few seconds when it is started cold in the morning?”
“Has the timing cover ever been off, or has the engine ever had coolant in the oil?”

Now check the Toyota Hilux you are actually looking at

Everything above is true of the model, and it is free. What it does not tell you is whether THIS car has been looked after: its odometer history and whether the reading has ever gone backwards, whether there is still money owing on it, whether it has been reported stolen, how many owners it has had and what it is really worth today. That comes from the official records for that plate. Enter the plate for the free details, or get the full history and a market valuation from $13.49.

Not sure what you would be paying for? See what a full KickTyres check includes.

Where this comes from

The failure described above is documented in the sources below. The inspection instructions and the cost estimate are KickTyres’ own interpretation of them.

Go-Parts technical article: '1985-1995 Toyota 22R/22RE Timing Cover Failure: The Timing Chain Death Rattle Explained'
ToyotaNation forum thread: 'Replacing the Timing Chain Guide on a 22RE'
ToyotaNation forum thread: '22re Timing chain guides'
Rising Sun 4WD Club forum thread: '22R timing chain guides?'

Toyota Hilux buyer questions

Is 22r / 22r-e timing chain guide collapse and timing cover wear-through serious on a Toyota Hilux?

We rate it critical and very common on the Toyota Hilux. The 2.4-litre 22R and fuel-injected 22R-E run a single-row timing chain against plastic guides. Past roughly 150,000 km the guides go brittle and shatter, the chain goes slack and starts slapping, and the loose chain then saws through the aluminium timing cover. There is a coolant passage directly behind that spot, so once the chain breaks through, coolant runs straight into the sump and the bearings are destroyed in short order. The tell-tale is the 'death rattle' - a rattle from the front of the engine on start-up that gets longer and louder over months. Toyota never issued a recall for it; it is simply a wear-out point every high-kilometre 22R reaches, and on a thirty-year-old ute it is the single most likely way this engine dies.

How much does it cost to fix on a Toyota Hilux?

$1,200 to $3,500 at New Zealand independent workshop rates. That figure is for this job on its own. A car showing the symptoms on this page is usually worth either walking away from or negotiating down by at least the repair figure.

Which Toyota Hilux years are affected?

Our research records this fault on the 1984–1997 Toyota Hilux. Build dates move around, especially on imported cars, so treat the range as the years to look hardest at rather than a guarantee either way. The official records tell you the exact build and first registration date for the car in front of you.

How do I check for it before I buy?

Start the engine from stone cold - turn up early, or ask the seller not to warm it up before you arrive - and stand at the front guard listening for a rattle from behind the crank pulley in the first five to ten seconds. A short rattle that clears is a warning; a rattle that stays is chain and guides already gone. Take the oil filler cap off with the engine cold and look at the underside for creamy brown sludge, which means coolant has already found its way into the oil. Look into the coolant reservoir and the top of the radiator for a film of oil sitting on the surface. Shine your phone torch down the front of the engine where the timing cover meets the block and look for a coolant weep or a rusty stain running down the cover. Ask for receipts showing a timing chain, guides and tensioner kit has been done, and at what kilometres. Look here: Front of the engine, behind the crankshaft pulley and fan, under the aluminium timing cover.