L33mur

Hey guys, I have a 91 4runner, 5 speed 22re. I have an interesting problem. If I were to start my car after a night of rest so completely cold engine it sounds fine. Sounds like a normal purring engine. However if I were to put it into gear say 1st and accelerate I get a ticking thats really loud and gets louder and more repititous as I accelerate to higher rpms, however it goes away after a warm up period and also goes away if I were to lower rpms (not as loud basically). This doesn't seem to affect performance in any way that I know of, and the engine is relatively new in terms of miles, perhaps 10,000 miles since complete rebuild. So any ideas? My guesses are either my valve train just needs to be readjusted since it hasn't happened since rebuild or that its piston slap... I have heard that its common on the 22res and goes away with warm up. I am just confused why it only happens when I am in gear, does the add torque to the engine cause the noise? Thanks guys I'd appreciate any ideas.

L33mur

bump!

idanity

it may throw off the balance of the engine.
and perhaps your timing chain is in need of replacement (they wear through into the block).

can you pinpoint the noise w/a stethoscope or long driver ?

MMA_Alex

could also be a small exhaust leak.

i had a similar issue, only it happened all the time under load, but i couldn't get it to happen while just sitting there so it was hard to pinpoint and i tried everything.

finally ended up being a bad exhaust manifold gasket.

my thought on yours is that it could be a crack in the manifold that heats up when warm, and seals off. that's fairly typical for a small exhaust leak

L33mur

Umm I can't really pinpoint it cause it only really happens while driving and taking a stethascope to a running engine sounds scary to me lol, but what MMA_Alex said seems to make some sense, exhaust is kind of rusted perhaps I have a leak in the manifold, I am not sure how to test for that though? I mean wouldn't it make sense that if I reved the engine up without it being in gear that I should hear that noise. And the timing chain, well i hope its not that because thats not going to be a fun fix, thanks guys i appreciate the ideas a lot

ozziesironmanoffroad

only happens when driving it cold? let her warm up.

MMA_Alex

well go ahead and pull the valve cover to check the chain. its just the vacuum hoses, and a couple of 12mm nuts, and it'll come right off. you can check the condition of the chain, and guides.

as far as the exhaust leak goes mine was actually audible without being in gear, but you had to have your head right by it. it was only audible in the cab when in gear.

if you find a good mechanic they'll usually figure out whats wrong, and quote you a price for free, and they have a much better ear for these things.

thook

Yes, it does seem as though the added torque is exaggerating the issue.

It kind of sounds like the timing chain given the symptoms, but I would hope that was replaced during the rebuild. Unless it was just installed incorrectly or it was a junk chain kit (as in defective or just very poor quality), it seems unlikely to be the problem. You could always pull the valve cover and check.

The valves make more sense, though...either out of adjustment or an exhaust leak. If they've not been adjusted in a while, you could check them at the same time you inspect the timing chain.

For the exhaust, you could spray some soapy water (Dawn works good...nice and sudsy) around the gasket and O2 sensor (not on it). You would likely have a power loss were there a leak, though. Plus, you should have a new gasket from the rebuild. However, the studs/bolts can loosen up after a servicing.

Check it all. The stethoscope would be a good idea....would save you from having to take anything apart immediately. That or a long screwdriver or narrow piece of pipe/tube.