Toyota Repair: timing belt, toyota 4 runner, weird noises

Question
Hi ted, i have a 1986 toyota 4 runner 22RE engine 2.4L, 4WD. I never have had the timing belt changed yet. It just hit over 96,000 miles. My dad only use to drive it on the weekends. It's been very reliable and i was just wondering is it time to change it yet and how much does something like this cost to do. I don't want to over pay on this. Where can i get one at that will cost me a good price for the timing belt. I don't want the auto shop to, or they will mark it up outrageously. How about a new ignition? Do those ever need to be replaced? I just changed the starter, because it wasn't turning on right away,

Answer
You seem to worry too much, this is one of the most reliable engines Toyota ever made(300,000 mile service life, if maintained properly) first of all it doesn't have a timing belt,it has a timing chain which lasts much longer(belts have to be replaced at 60,000 miles)there is no set interval to change the timing chain, gears, etc.,when the chain starts to have a problem it will let you know, there will be a rattling noise when the engine is cold and then go away, so unless there are weird noises in the engine don't be concerned.
I don't quite know what you mean by new ignition, maybe you mean a tune up which would be a good idea, replace the spark plugs, plug wires, distributor cap, rotor,air filter, fuel filter and adjust the valves, the key is to just keep it maintained with regular oil changes and changing the coolant once a year and the transmission and differential fluids about every 30,000 miles.