Timing chain tensioner - does it need to be replaced?

There are so many posts on this subject, but mostly about diagnosing the issue. I know I have a timing chain tensioner on the driver's side that seems to take a nap when the truck is cold. I purchased my truck with just under 120k miles, now have 126k. I'm the second owner, but the maintenance history looks acceptable. When it's cold, I get the infamous timing chain noise in cycles on the driver's side that persists for maybe 5 minutes. I have tried Sea Foam and it quiets it up a bit, but it comes back, so now I'm staring down the barrel of replacement.

Here's my question: How many of you have had this and let it go unfixed? Is there imminent danger in letting it clank around for a few minutes until it's warmed up? I was recently quoted around $6,000 to do the job by multiple mechanics and don't want to shell out the cash if it's more of an inconvenience than a danger.

Thanks!

 

To be clear, the $6k quote was to swap the whole motor to a new one with a good timing chain tensioner? It’s a $100 part if purchased on the webs.

 

No, this was labor and parts to disassemble the front end of the truck and replace timing chain, tensioners, guides, and water pump (I asked for this since they're in there anyways). 14 hour job at a minimum, so at $120-150 an hour in labor costs, I don't see how the snapshot you sent could be accurate. However, I did anticipate it being closer to a $3,000-$4,000 job.

 

I would think that a competent professional mechanic should be able to pull that job off in 5 to 8 hours. Lots of work but these guys work fast. Put about $500 in parts with that labor bill and you are maybe touching $1,600 to maybe $2,000.
At $6,000 we are talking about more than 30 hours of shop time. No way!

 

I’ve put up with the ticking tensioner for a little over a year now. Just finally did the repair a few weeks ago. 30 hours for labor sounds close, if not just barely over. The part itself isn’t all that expensive, but labor is pretty extensive.

Everything needs to come off: valve covers, spark plug coils, intake, radiator, fan, water pump, crossover, intake, alternator, compressor, etc.

 

Anybody do a Post Mortem on one of these tensioners? What is failing on them?

 

I bought my truck 2 years ago at 180k miles and am currently at 225k.

I've had the tensioner noise the entire time. Usually the worst in the morning when cold when the engine is not under load.

It was likely present for much longer but I'm not sure since I did not own the truck when it started.

I do not plan of fixing it at this point.

Just my anecdotal evidence, I've been going 2 years and nearly 50k with no issues.

I think the main concern would be from metal on metal wearing if the chain is hitting the engine case. It would take a lot for it to wear through or to wear enough to break the chain.

 

Thank you for the anecdotal evidence! I did take a peak down in the oil fill tube and the noise doesn't seem to be the chain hitting the case, but maybe the guide or tensioner moving against the chain. I know it's not great to have any of these symptoms, but I have learned long ago that chasing noises down can be expensive and not necessary in all cases.

 

You may be correct.

This video really helped me to understand what was going on. After watching it again, I think it's the chain against the tensioner guide that is making the noise.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mlezTAbtjoY

 

That is EXACTLY what I saw moving back and forth when the noise would occur. When the noise stopped, the guide was stationary. When the noise began again, the guide was bouncing back and forth on the chain. My assumption in this case would be the danger is wear on the guide from the bouncing around, but the chain and case should be safe. That being said, nobody wants a broken chain guide in their engine, so I suppose I ought to start putting this issue on my radar. Thanks for the video, that is very helpful!

 

Here's a great couple videos i watched recently
https://youtu.be/CEwUC7cxGz8?si=EvyuBsX80aJumGZ
This one he cuts apart the tensioner to try and diagnose it
https://youtu.be/6scPpRqln7Y?si=R5fNIHjG9H-it2wu

 

I saw this! Interestingly, I see so many people calling out 'poor maintenance' or 'OCI too long' in the forums relating to this issue. It seems like the slightest bit of residue can cause this issue. Any motor with 100k+ miles is going to have some sort of build-up, so seems like it's just a poor design.

 

I don't think I have that noise yet, and I've had some delays in maintenance, but mostly have been on time.. Or maybe the 07s were overengineered as mine is an earlier one and they slacked off a bit after???

 

I bet he could have just simply replaced the tensioner instead of everything else and would have been fine but I guess might as well do everything while you're in there. I'll be sticking with 5k OCI though.

 

Sounds like another reason to run thicker oil. Thicker oil = higher oil pressure = more chain tension.

 

Mine clacks a little bit. Usually when I start it up first thing in the morning and have the truck parked in our driveway (slight incline so nose is higher) as I run inside to grab the kids and put them in their car seats. Already running 5w-30 so don't believe I can increase viscosity much more than that.

Either way, my kids are well aware of the clacking sound and know its time to move their a$$ when they hear it. I try not to let the truck idle too much and put the hammer down as soon as the engine turns over. If SS ever pulls through with my supercharger, ill go in and replace the tensioners during install

 

Hard to make noise at 4,000 RPMS

 

I run 15w40 in the summer time, my oil pressure is 3/4 on the gauge on a cold start. Then I switch to 5w30 in the winter. The 5.7 can handle up to 20w50 so as long as you're not in a cold climate you can definitely run higher than 5w30.

 

Truth

 

Oil pressure when cold? When my tuck is cold the oil pressure is limited by the by-pass. You can see the gauge climb and then fall back when it opens. It stays at this higher level till the oil warms. At that point the pressure falls slowly as the oil warms.
Thicker oil would not give higher oil pressure when cold or warming up because the by-pass limits oil pressure. This is when the noise is the worse or at least it was on my 2015.

Speaking of maintenance. I was religious about putting 0w20 Mobil 1 in that truck from 25,000 miles till 105,000 when I lost her. The noise started somewhere after 90,000 miles. Maybe it was the first 25k of dealer oil every 5,000? The does not seem right either.

Can I please just have a timing belt back? A few hours every 100,000 miles to change my belt vs. a few days every 100,000 miles to fix my chain. And the Tundra is not alone in vehicles that have timing chain problems.

 

There is absolutely a difference in pressure according to the gauge with heavier oil. I run 15w40 in the summer time and the pressure is definitely higher than when I switch to 5w30 for the winter.

 

When warm you are absolutely correct. However, when cold the engine caps oil pressure (on most engines this is about 80 psi). I am pretty sure it is just a spring and a ball that open and let the excess pressure bleed off. This should be the one for the Tundra: https://autoparts.toyota.com/products/product/spring-oil-pump-rel-151320s010
Either way, the pressure is higher when the engines are cold that is when the problem occurs. The pressure drops as the engine warms and so does the occurrence of the issue.
There is more to this than simple oil pressure.
Has anyone made the clatter while cold go away with heavier weight oil? I know that many see less general clatter with thicker oil but I am specifically asking about this failing tensioner clatter?

 

I have tried 5W-30 and it didn't do anything. Sea Foam did nothing. Nothing makes it go away except the truck getting warmed up.

 

I have a 2008, with over 200k. It barely does it at cold start, ever. Once started cold, now and then it starts after it runs for approx 5-10 minutes. Other times, it starts after I already drove down the road a mile when warm, but then normally disappears. Dumping Lucas in it, I went about a month without it ever happening. This was after I bought Toyota branded (mobil 1?) 5w20 and changed the oil. I heard Toyota oil is a different make-up than Mobil1 etc and had a higher % of one of the wear additives. I am at a loss. I just drive it idc. I even had it to the floor, up to 110mph, and the engine held together so whatever LOL

 

Wouldn't the higher oil pressure from thicker oil be from the resistance of the thicker oil, thus it takes longer to get to every part of the engine because it takes my effort to pump thicker fluids. The higher oil pressure is because it's harder to push the oil in small areas. Thus ending up taking longer to pump the tensioner up with oil?

 

I've got the same noise now at 127k miles. Will take some of the advice on oil weights, but don't plan on shelling out $2k+ on it any time soon.

 

Mine quieted down a bit after changing to 5w30 Mobile1.

As oil change interval nears(5k mi) it clacks.

Non issue IMO. Just like the cam tower weap.

Currently at 148k mi.

 

It's not the pressure per se, but the viscosity of oil and thickness of its laminar flow in the vicinity of walls in oil passages. The thicker that film is, the slower the pressure is building up.

But the thicker oil also builds a stronger film, so parts of engine without oil pressure reaching them yet do survive for longer.

Also there's an oil rings tension in pistons. 0w20 is indicative that they are low tension, so can't go a few viscosity grades up without increasing oil consumption via rings significantly.

5w30 in moderate climate is a good compromise for engines where 0w20 is called for.

 

Its a long shot, but try running the Valvoline Restore and Protect for an OCI or two. It might clean and free up the tensioner a bit over time.

The Car Care Nut on youtube has addressed this issue in a few videos, according to him, he has never seen it cause an engine/chain failure. But he does say it "needs" to be fixed. Interpret that as you see fit.

 

Someone on here just claimed a bolt backed out and wiped out their engine after ignoring the chain slap for an extended period. I’ll see if I can find it…