jwoyshnar

Hello all, i have a 94 4runner with the 3.0. Ive had it to 2 garages in the past month to help resolve a ticking noise i have. The noise starts out pretty loud then gets quieter as it warms up. The sound level changes also with outside temperature. the warmer it is, the quieter it is. It really doesnt make the noise while idling. It only happens while driving. the noise goes with the rpm's. I put the truck in gear with the e-brake on and with a stethescope i still cant find where it is coming from. It sounds as if it is coming from under the plenum. Any help with this will be great. the last garage wanted to tear my motor apart til they found something wrong. Not one place on the motor sound loud. Injectors are the loudest things along with the fuel regulator.

Jeremy11

I have the exact problem. Ive been told its just a Toyota Tick that alot of Toyota's do it and to just turn up the radio and itll be gone..

JigsN Rigs

try using thicker oil and let us know if it persists.. what are you using for oil. also people say that the injectors can be noisey.. i dont know if that could be your problem

jwoyshnar

I use mobile 1 synthetic 10w 30

tj884Rdlx

how long as this been occurring? can you isolate it to one side of the bay or the other? do you think it's not oiling up properly at the top end when it's cold? you could dump a half can of sea foam in the oil filler, drive around about an hour, then do an oil change to a semi-synth 10w40. if you've got any blockage that should clear it. if it's a matter of too slippery an oil, that oil swap should quiet it.

what about exh. leak at the manifold to the head? take the heatshield off and feel around for air leaks? if it's injectors, putting a scope on each should have isolated it.

hmm...just thinking aloud here. what's the chance of a bad lifter? are those hydraulic? (i have 22re) good luck man!

jwoyshnar

the lifters i believe are =not hydraulic. I had regular oil in there and changed it to mobil 1. same result with both oils. It may be an exhaust leak. It actually sounds that way to me. with the stethescope where the crossover pipe and the drivers side meet down to the converter it is the loudest. there is hardly a noise coming from the valve covers.

tj884Rdlx

tick tick under load is a good indicator of exhaust leak.

when the motor is cold, pull that heat shield off. be careful, the bolts can snap. (i know this) after you get the shield off, start it up, then run back to the motor, hand twist the throttle link, and feel around for leaks. START AT THE BACK of the head, feel way back there first. (that's where i found my leak) then feel around the rest of the manifold. you'll feel the air coming from the leak if you're giving it gas. YOU'LL ONLY HAVE A COUPLE SECONDS before it gets too hot to mess with.

if your manifold has an O2 mounting point covered with dummy plate, check around that too. the little gasket may have failed.

JFCruiser

theres a method for listening for timing issues. These clicking noises might just be normal. Thicker oils might help. I heard some vehicles can have readjustment of their cam or valves or sumthing in that nature.

swampfox

If it has an auto trans ,it might be a cracked flex plate. If it is louder when on fast idle.To check pull up to a tree, set the parking brake, put it in gear and get under it and listen at the bellhouseing area. it should stop when in park. it is safer to have someone hold the brake but the tree is a good stop.a friend had his flexplate crack and the is how we found it .

jwoyshnar

Thanks everyone! It is an auto. I will try thr tree method later today. I really think its an exhaust leak. If you get the rpm just right it doesn't sound like a tick anymore, it sounds like a puff of air. I will check all ideas when I get out of work.
Thanks again

theAuthority

exhaust leak.

eugenedbrooksiii

You can hunt for an exhaust leak with a length of 3/8 inch
fuel hose, sticking a short length of copper tubing in the end
to avoid burning the hose on a hot manifold. Hold one end
to your ear while you run the end with the copper tubing in
it around the edges of the manifold where gaskets are.
If it catches a leak you will hear it clearly. No need to risk
burning your fingers.

Eugene

jwoyshnar

Hello all, thanks for the replies. Found the problem. I was actually 2. A leak in the crossover pipe and the fuel regulator. Thanks again to everyone for the ideas. sad thing is i had it to 2 garages locally here and they couldnt find it. One wanted to tear apart the engine, the other i think either didnt want to be bothered or really had no idea. i wont be back to either.

tj884Rdlx

man, the best thing to do, is get a copy of the FSM from the web (there's free ones on a local chapter TTORA site but i forget which state) and read a lot of threads here.

you can do almost every thing to this truck yourself with only a reasonable amount of tools.

i've been going from shop to shop where i live, because my cycle injuries ruin my desire to do much work myself that requires leaning over the bay, or twisting under the dash. but i keep learning the hard way that i may as well try to, even if it takes 5x longer, cuz everytime i go somewhere, i wind up wishing i didn't.

this site has ALL the info you could ever need for working on a toy truck. and the peeps here, while some are ball busters or crabby, there are plenty who will offer immediate advice, and plenty who've already posted pics of what you plan to do.

glad you got your issues resolved. have a good weekend
Tj