Topic: 22R with Dual Timing Chain

[79-83earlyota]

I feel like I should know the answer to this question with the amount of 1st gen 79-83's i've owned (hence my username, lol)....but it seems i've never been able to come up with definative, consistent answers.  I was hoping you guys could help with this...what better place to ask?  

Anyway.....so i've been doing some searching on this site of past posts, as well as on the internet, concerning which years the 22R motor came with a dual row timing chain from factory.  As mentioned, i've come up with a lot of mixed reviews.  There seems to be no question that ALL of the 1979 & 1980 20R engines had dual timing chains.  In 1981 Toyota introduced the 22R in 4x4 trucks, and from there i've come across several varying opinions as to when they discontinued the dual t-chain.  Most of the information i've found says that Toyota installed dual chains in the 22R until at least 7/1982.  Some say as late as 8/1983, and even fewer claim some 84's.  Does anyone know the true skinny on all of this?    I am thinking about buying a 1981, and wanted to check ahead of time to make sure it had the dual set up.  I thought that might be better than unbolting the guys valve cover in his driveway before I even buy it to have a look! Haha.    

[79coyotefrg]

7/82 was the last from the factory,  but any 22R up till 8/84 will accept a dual row kit,  say you get a 84 block, all you need to do to put a dual row on that engine is buy a timing kit for a 20R,  then bolt it on

after 8-84  the deck height and the timing covers where different

[wakkjobb]

...so the dual row I saved from a 79 20R won't fit on the spare 87 engine I got last week? Well crap...

>>Dan

[79coyotefrg]

...so the dual row I saved from a 79 20R won't fit on the spare 87 engine I got last week? Well crap...

>>Dan

nope, sorry


you can always hope its a early block somebody installed in the 87


if its a 87 block it will look like this,  if it doesnt have that "saturn" shaped thing its not "short deck" aka 8-84 and newer

[el picas82]

i found that the dual row came in 81 to 82 22rs. if u need u can pick up a new set for like $52 bucks that's  what i paid for mine it came with every thing but the gaskets ..at www.partsdinosaur.com   

[bleakhorizon]

dono if it helps or not, but my 87 had a engine from an 84...  had dual row chains.... dono if it was factory but there was lots of work done to the engine...

is there enough slack to throw a new front cover and dual row chain on a later block?

[emsvitil]

dono if it helps or not, but my 87 had a engine from an 84...  had dual row chains.... dono if it was factory but there was lots of work done to the engine...

is there enough slack to throw a new front cover and dual row chain on a later block?

No.   you need the LC conversion kit.

The newer chains have 2 less links in them.