FJ80- Timing chain or Timing belt? (1 Viewer)

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Searched the forums but didnt find any artivles whether the FJ80 inline-6 has a chain or belt. Mine has 144k miles now and runs great but I sometimes wonder about the chain or belt whether it is still good or not. At what mileage did you guys change yours at??
 
Neither. The cam is gear driven. It's old school, but it lasts a long time. Do you have a FSM? That would have answered your question and shown you a picture. Highly reccomended.
 
Thanks. I dont have an FSM since I dont major engine work to my rig. I leave that to my mechanic. Does this gear ever need to be repalced and what are the signs of it going bad? Thanks. These Cruisers are such amazing trucks.
 
Okay, I am showing my ignorange here, but I thought I saw a timing chain in the FSM.

Or is that because I have the FZJ-80 and not the FJ-80 in my '96?

Charlie
 
Right Charlie-93 and up have a timing chain. His is a 92.
 
So which engine is technically better not comparing the power and size of engine? The Gear drive or chain driven? I know both FJ and FZJ are great engines.
 
It is very difficult to use a gear drive on an overhead cam engine. The complexity and expense don't make sense. A gear drive is positive and less apt to fluxuate timing. The gears can and do wear over time. The gear drive typically lasts the life of the engine.
 
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92FJ said:
So which engine is technically better not comparing the power and size of engine? The Gear drive or chain driven? I know both FJ and FZJ are great engines.

Here is my non-expert opinion, hopefully someone like Robbie will chime in.

The FZJ is superior in every way. It has 7 main bearings instead of 4, It has a really cool oiling system that sprays a jet of oil at the base of each piston for better cooling, it makes way more HP per liter of displacement, the fuel injection is much more sophisticated, it's more fuel efficient, more smog friendly, blah, blah, blah.

I also have two 2F motors, which are basically carbed versions of your motor. They do have their charms. They are simple, make great torque at low RPM, they seem to last a long time, and will run fine at crazy up-angles. I have 202,000mi on my FJ60, and 185,000 on my FJ40. I would guess that a 3FE like yours with a meticulous owner could last almost forever.
 
Agree with Andrew's observation but I understood the question in a different light. I look it as which method of driving a camshaft is best, other factors not withstanding.

The 1FZ and the 3FE are on totaly different levels and decades apart in evolution.
 
anyone gotta pic of the chain? never seen one.
 
92FJ said:
Thanks. I dont have an FSM since I dont major engine work to my rig. I leave that to my mechanic. Does this gear ever need to be repalced and what are the signs of it going bad? Thanks. These Cruisers are such amazing trucks.
Even if you don't do major work, you will enjoy the FSM, as it covers just about everything you could imagine for your Cruiser. It is a text book for learning, if nothing else. Plus, you will see how easy alot of the stuff you've been paying to have done, is. :)
 
Wow, thanks guys for the info. Really releived me now that I dont have to worry as much about it. I really take good car of my autos so this shouldnt be a problem in my book. Without Land Cruiser, what would the world be like? LoL
 
Go buy the FSM and be your own mechanic. I would not trust a mechanic who does not work on cruisers, as they "try" to use parts from autozone, etc. They also do not have the FSM, a dealer does, so they break out the same book that you can potentially have.
I opened up my rear differential last night for the first time ever, all thanks to the FSM and the locker installation guide.
FSM is good bathroom reading too...
 
Or toss the FSM in your truck and when you go to your mechanic let him use it! My dad does just that because how many folks even know a LX450 is a Land Cruiser in rural Wyoming? The 91 and 92 manuals are cheap compared to the FZJ manuals.

As for which motor is better, which ever one is powering your Cruiser! I had a FJ80 and a FZJ80 simultaneously. I hated the power of the 3FE but that motor was never an ounce of trouble. Reliable and easy to work on. The 1FZ is a lot tougher to work on for the backyard mechanic. It has more HP which is the big plus for me, but I don't like that I can't do a lot of things.
 
So my 97 Land Cruiser has a timing CHAIN?
I see nothing in my service schedule about replacement or checking it. What's the deal here?
 
Yes it has a chain, look at my avatar to the left it is in the foreground, so far I have not heard of anybody breaking the chain, it only gets replaced when you rebuild the engine, supposedly the 1FZ was designed to be rebuilt every 300K and can be rebuilt 3 times.

There have been some problems with broken chain slippers (chain guide) breaking especially in the earlier 1FZ's supposedly an updated part in the later motors reduced this,

I have an unsubstantiated WAG theory the breakage is connected to cold start rattle, the chain tensioner is oil pressure actuated and can allow the chain flop a little until the oil pressure comes up, the WAG part comes in that I think the chain slapping the tensioner is what causes it to break, there were similar problems in the earlier 4 cylinders where the chain would cut through the aluminum timing cover into the water pump cavity after a lot of miles.

Those that have had broken chain slippers have not known it until the valve cover was removed, the engine will run without it, unlike a broken timing belt that often trashes the engine.
 
MH_Stevens said:
So my 97 Land Cruiser has a timing CHAIN?
I see nothing in my service schedule about replacement or checking it. What's the deal here?
Yes, it has a timing chain, you know you need to replace it when it is time to rebuild your engine :D , IOW it should last the life of your engine. :cool:

EDIT: Simultaneous post :doh: , who woulda thunk it, at 1:26 AM no less.
 

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