I own a 1994 Toyota Truck extra cab, standard shift, with the R-22 4-cylinder engine. I have loved and cared for this vehicle for all 223,000 miles. I have had the head gasket redone twice now. The second time was very recent and I think it was done right. However, now what has happened is that the front housing for the timing chain has sprung a leak for god knows what reason. Any fluid I pour into the radiator goes directly into the oil pan. Should I bother with the repair or just let the old girl go and look for something newer? Looking for advise.
I was fooled once by a leaking freeze plug in the area you are speaking of (It was a Datsun) put coolant in the oil.You may want to pull the cover and look before you give up on it.
The 22R engines are renowned for their longevity. I’d do a compression test first, but if the truck is in otherwise good shape, I’d go ahead and fix it and while you’ve got everything apart do the timing chain too, since most of the labor is the same and this is about the age that it might think about stretching, assuming it hasn’t been done earlier.
Another way to look at it might be that if you are sort of done with the truck, this might be a good time to sell it. Because these engines are so easy to work on and because they’re so sought after in many places you can still probably sell the thing for a pretty good price even with a minor mechanical repair like this being needed. Especially if it’s a 4x4.
This engine is junk and served a great life at 14 years/223,000 miles.
22R’s are not infalliable like everyone thinks in the 90’s. Timing chain issues were common due to plastic parts used in the guides that feel apart. Also head gasket issues cropped up in the 90’s. But the Toyota badge glow puts blinders on people and the conventional wisdom keeps mustering on.