18R-C timing chain questions

**lunar_c** · 05-05-2007, 02:01 PM

Hi guys and girls,
I'm not at all familiar with the 18R-C .. I have a friend with an old Celica who asked me to take a look at a noise on her car last night and it's got the loudest rattliest timing chain I've heard in a long while. It's diesel-tastic!
It's likely it's been in there for donkeys years .. but as I'm not familiar with the engine I was wondering if you guys could help me out with a few questions :

The front of the motor's gotta come off .. so how labour intensive is this on the 18R-C? (It was dark and I only had a pen light so I didn't get a good look) ..

Any other parts (tensioner mechanism, tensioner pads etc?) known issues on the 18R-C or is this simply wear and tear (highly likely) ?

I just want a rough idea so I can advise her on quotes (whether they're reasonable for the ammount of work involved) ..

Thanks guys and girls!
Regards,
Ben

**ian** · 05-05-2007, 02:24 PM

hi lunar c
i have the same problem when the motor is cold
it is the timing chain tensioner by the sound of it
there was one for sale on one of the threads not long ago
river would know he is a wealth of knowledge on these , i am not sure if the tensioner is adjustable or not
i will have a look in the manual and get back to you
cheers
ian

**MWP** · 05-05-2007, 03:01 PM

Tensioners are readily available, i think i got a kit (tensioners, gaskets, etc) from Repco a few years ago.
If you cant get them elsewhere, then Toyota should be able to get them in for you.

Not the easiest things to replace, takes a lot of screwing around getting the chains back on in the correct place along with the covers.

Time spent... took two of us a decent part of a day.

**airfireman1** · 05-05-2007, 03:44 PM

IT is best to buy a timing chain Kit, it will come with the upper and lower chain, tensioner and guides, sprockets.
You can get away with just the chains and tensioner, guides but you are only fixing half the problem and it will come back again sooner than you want.Chains,wear and stretch just like sprockets wear.
look at it as if it it was a motorbike,you would not put a new chain on without changing the srockets as well.
Rollmaster do a complete kit including, the sprockets but it does not have the tensioner and guides or gaskets Part number is CS9030.
I purchased this one on Ebay for around $60.00 so it was good value.

**lunar_c** · 05-05-2007, 03:59 PM

Thanks guys .. so it's a two chain system? One from the crank to the water pump? or a balance shaft? or idler sprocket? then to drive the cam? I'm not sure I get what you mean?

**airfireman1** · 05-05-2007, 04:12 PM

There are two chains. One from the crankshaft to the dizzy drive shaft and one from there to the camshaft.
I have replaced the top chain without dismantling the engine.Just removed the link pin and joined the new chain to that and wound it on then joined it again. It was just a short term fix to quieten it down a small amount until it could be all replaced. very fiddely though and you never want to drop anything inside the timing chain cover. ONLY FOR THE BRAVE

**lunar_c** · 05-05-2007, 04:30 PM

Cheers airfireman

I can't take on the job .. I have exams .. but at least now I have a rough idea of the labour involved to do the job so I can advise on the legitimacy of quotes she gets from mechanics other than me.
Cheers,
Ben

**jeffro ra28** · 05-05-2007, 05:55 PM

holden v8 has same timing chain as 18rc. if that helps at all.

**wheel rim** · 06-05-2007, 08:11 PM

Hi Ben,
I have an RA 40 with an 18RC that had a "Death Rattle". All I did was change the oil to penrite HRD 50 and added some Moreys oil supplement, the noise has gone.

Cheers,
Wheel Rim