Timing chain issue (1 Viewer)

[GatorPlater]

Still learning to read "plug".
What's the crud on plugs 3 and 4? Did the latent PM cause that?
And did your corrective actions resolve? (other than just changing the plugs)

Yes, waiting over 100k to swap out plugs would be the main cause of the buildup of byproduct deposits. I would guess that most of that is byproduct of crappy gas and ethanol fuel combined with the head gasket that after 400k needs to be replaced. There are traces of burnoff in the antifreeze, which can be seen in the radiator after all of these years.
I picked up this truck with 125 on it and have driven it for 300k more. Over the last 100k, I have not been the primary driver, so unfortunately I did not keep up with the PM as it should have been. Fluid changes have still happened as well as an axle service and some other PM Items, but it was always in service as a work truck.
Crazy that a truck with 400+k on it has been a reliable work truck for YEARS...
When I first bought it 10+ years ago, I baselined, did all the fluid changes, did the axles, brakes, ignition, all the cooling system hoses, etc. She is a great truck and I am giving her some much needed love.

 

[LINUS]

Glad that worked out.

Would it have also worked and been easier than the valve cover to just pull the distributor cap to check for top end movement while cranking when you suspect a timing chain break?

Good question for @BILT4ME

Am I having a brain fart or would that work? A lot easier than the valve cover to remove, and rotor shouldn’t spin without a timing chain turning the cams.

IIRC, you could go even lazier w/ 2 people - pop the oil fill cap & have the spotter watch the cam gears while the labor/grunt (us) are down under with a good sized rachet/breaker bar on the crank pulley bolt.