Oil pan removal required!? to replace timing chains on 2015 Toyota Sienna 2GR-FE?

[cswanson]

Make

Toyota

Model

Sienna

Year

2015

Miles

105K

Engine

2GR-FE

I'm hoping to replace the timing chains and the service manual is very clear the engine needs to be removed as an initial step. I'm hoping to skip this step.

However, the service manual also requires the lower oil pan components to be removed before removing the timing chain cover.

Is this necessary? And, does the engine really need to be removed?

 

[grcauto]

You do what looks good and let us know how it goes.

 

[cswanson]

You do what looks good and let us know how it goes.

Is this the type of answer to expect from BatAuto now?

 

[billr]

No! Many of us strive to do better than that! Wait for a reply from <nickb2> tonight or tomorrow morning, he is our Toyota expert/fan.

 

[Mobile Dan]

I looked at some videos. Looks like the oil pump is built into that "timing chain cover". The oil pickup fastens to the cover at the bottom. Until the pickup is removed, you cannot slide the cover off the crank. The only way to remove the pickup is to remove the pan, which gives you access the the fasteners that attach the pickup tube to the bottom/back of the cover.

 

[cswanson]

This is great. Thank you.

Now can this be done with the engine in the vehicle?

 

[Mobile Dan]

Labor time for 1 v/c gasket is 3.5 hrs. Labor time for both v/c gaskets is 35 hrs. This tells me that you can't remove rear valve cover without removing engine. Could you remove mounts, sag the cradle, etc? I don't know. It is curious, however, that the labor time for "timing chain replacement" is 19 hrs.
My labor times were found in Motologic.

 

[cswanson]

Right. I found a video that demonstrates the removal of the timing chain cover with the engine in the vehicle for this engine in a Lexus, but I can now appreciate that the engine should be removed for internal work involving timing chains. Mostly due to the requirement that the surfaces need to be spotless for the sealant to seal. Getting a die grinder to all of the surfaces will be too difficult if not impossible to achieve in car.

Thus, I am not going to replace the chains. The engine still runs well, it's just my wife is very rough on all aspects of the van. (she tore a CV boot and lost a dust guard on a strut as examples of her demands as a driver. )Therefore, I figured the chains should be overhauled. The water pump bearing was making all the noise, so all of the belt drive components shall be replaced.

If anything, this is the first time I worked on this engine, so at a later time I may choose to yank it and do the job properly. For now, let's hope the chains hold.