Yeah... the timing chain issues in the SOHC are the worst part about it. But, all things considered, it's still a great motor. The tranny problems and tcase failure you mentioned aren't real typical. Timing chains... well, obviously, that is a typical problem.
To anyone getting it done, DO THE WHOLE THING AT ONCE. By this I mean, don't do the recall on JUST the front chain. Logically speaking, if you're going to pay the labor to have one done, buck up and get them BOTH done. Save yourself the time and money. If one chain is failing (or failed), it probably won't be long before the other goes too. Get them fixed together, save yourself the hassle, and be done with it!
As for how long an engine will last without maintainence, well... We have numerous customers come through the shop with 300,000+ mi on their rigs, with ZERO actual repairs to date. Ironically, I can think of a couple offhand whose rigs live in the dirt, day in, day out (farmers). Why do they last so long? Extremely rigorous about oil changes and appropriate service work. Oil changes, trans/tcase, differential servicing, etc, are all performed to the T. And they reap the benefits of it. The initial cost is somewhat more, but the long-term benefits are huge.
