Toyota's Hammer Trick for Checking Tundra Engines: A Clever Fix or a Quirky Shortcut?

Toyota has come up with an unusual way to check certain Tundra engines for a specific defect: technicians hit the engine with a hammer. But this isn't a random whack, it's a specialized tool used in a V35A Crank Bearing Inspection, designed to spot damaged bearings without tearing the whole engine apart.

According to reports, the method is more involved than it sounds. Toyota's technical instructions show technicians striking the crankshaft pulley while an accelerometer and diagnostic computer measure the feedback. The process is repeated several times to get a consistent reading, which then helps determine whether the engine needs a closer look or a full replacement.

The inspection targets certain 2022-2024 Toyota Tundra pickups with V35A twin-turbo V6 engines. Toyota found that machining debris can be left inside the engine, potentially damaging main bearings and sometimes causing engine failure. Engines built after 2024 reportedly got an improved No.

1 main bearing designed to better resist such debris.

A Toyota spokesperson explained via email that the remedy was developed to effectively identify if an engine needs replacement in a covered vehicle. The inspection uses the resonant frequency of the front of the crankshaft to assess the #1 main bearing's condition. After testing numerous engines to spot frequency differences between normal and abnormally worn bearings, dealers use inspection software and vehicle drive data to confirm the bearing's state.

If the software can't guarantee the bearing will be free from abnormal wear, dealers replace the engine.