I was wondering if anyone knows what could be making this ticking or clicking noise coming from the motor.

It's a 1987 4runner with a 22re motor.

It sounds a lot like an exhaust leak, but i've rulled that out because it's just as loud inside both fenders and since the manifold is only on the drivers side that ruled out an exhaust leak. (I checked the manifold anyways though and everything was fine)

To give you an idea of what the it sounds like....the added clicking noise almost makes it have like a very very slight noise like a diesel engine. It speeds up with the motor as well.

It is loud from inside both fenders, loudest at the lower rear portion of the motor near the bellhousing, and almost not noticeable from the front of the truck at the grill. So it appears to be coming from something in the rear bottom of the motor.

It's is most noticealbe while either idling or letting off the throttle and the motor is slowing the truck down. It's been doing this for a while and that motor runs completely fine but the noise is getting on my nerves.

I've checked and regaped the valves, the timing chain and oil pump are in the front of the block, and any type of bearings don't make clicking sounds when they are wearing out.

I wondered if it could actually be something in the bellhousing but I don't know of anything that could make a clicking noise in there either.

If anyone can help please let me know, I need this fixed because it's driving me crazy.

Thanks

 

keep in mind that on the 22R-E the injectors are quite loud. if it's doing it while idling i'd suspect that the timing chain might be getting loose.

also, just for kicks, try loosening the bolts a little on the valve cover. on the '85-95 engines, if the valve cover is on too tight, the rockers hit the baffle cover. i noticed i was getting a timing chain-like rattle and nearly pulled my hair out over it, spend 3 minutes loosening a couple bolts, and it was gone....

 

Yeah, I know what your talking about, but it the sound comes from deeper in the motor. If it was the valve cover it would be coming from the top of the motor.

 

Ok, here is what i found out when i went down there and listened to it.

It make no difference whether the motor is under a load or not, the noise stays the same.

It seems to be loudest somewhere at, infront of, or above the bell housing.

The noise is heard loud up at the block, but something i just found out is that if I followed the exhause pipe from the manifold to the tip the noise got really loud once I got to the catalytic converter. Like the noise is travel through the exhaust pipe, but it can't be heard at the exhaust tips, prolly because of the muffler filtering it the noise though.

I would almost say that the noise is more like a tapping sound than a clicking or ticking sounds.

It also seems to get worse once the motor is hot.

Hopefully this information will give someone some more ideas.

Thanks.

 

Sounds like a problem I had on my old 87 if I recall correctly it was the heat shield on top of the cat that was coming loose. Theres is also some kind of heat shield stone guard type thingy on the double cardan joint on the front drive shaft sometimes it rusts loose and starts to dance and bang around. But with the clicking noise I'd bet on the cat shield the sound carries really well side to side.
Some thing else I just thought of you might want to check up around the top of the tranny and the tranny mounts you may have picked up some road junk thats stuck up there.
Oh and smiley smiley the 22re is the engine not the tranny haha. [not flaming just LOL]
hope this helped aviator

 

off road 2 just saw your latest post I'd say its almost definitely the cat it could be the heat shield or the inside parts od the cat coming loose. cheers aviator

 

my bad on the 22re tranny, my brain works faster than my hands.

I'll check the sheild, but it seems that the noise is being transfered through the exhaust pipe from somewhere else and is just louder at the cat for some reason. You can tell it's not just coming from the cat. If it was something not related to the motor like a shield or road trash though, the tapping wouldn't be so uniform and vary directly with the rpm's of the motor.

 

Not saying your wrong but my heat shield rattle actually did. Where it went was one of the tack welds at the corner of the thing, the whole thing picked up the vibrations from the motor/driveline.
On the worse [more expensive side] one of the piston 'arms' [I don't remeber the name of the part just now] could be coming loose from the crank shaft or something.

 

I checked the covers on both the cat and the manifold and there both tight. i even held them with a welding glove really tightly while running to see if the noise stopped, but it didn't even phase it.

I guess I'm just going to have to start checking more serious things that could be causing it.

Thanks.

 

There is a small pipe (called the Secondary Air Injection Manifold) that goes from your exhaust manifold, around behind the head and connects to the PAIR valve. Check that for leaks. It's right above the bellhousing area.

 

Alright, I'll check that, I didn't even know anything like that was there. Whats it for?

 

From what I gather, it stands for "Pulsed Air Induction Reed Valve". My "guess" would be that it has something to do with recirculating exhaust gases. Someone correct me if I'm wrong.

 

Thats what I originally thought, but have since learned that it actually injects air into the exhaust, helping the cat? I dont know where it gets the air from, but thats what I read.

 

it helps clean up the exhaust emissions by putting fresh air into the exhaust. the old system(before '84 or so) used a horsepower robbing smog pump, afterwards it uses some reed type valve to suck fresh air in. still haven't figured out completely how it functions, but it is a much better system that doesn't suck power.

 

could it be timing chain or valves ticking? i mean the valves are right there and the timing chain is kinda close. just tossin it out there.

 

Pull the spark plug wire for #4 cylinder and see if the sound stops. Don't run the engine that way for a long time, only long enough to see if there is a change.
My vote is for wrist pin.
Just a guess.

 

You may find a doc's Stethoscope useful. They can be bought at medical supply stores starting at about 15 bucks, up to how ever much you want to spend. I have one I picked up for 12 bucks. Put it on and rest the part they put on your chest on the motor. Moving it around you will most likely find the problem.

They are also good for finding Vac-leaks. If they can hear things in your lungs or even just air moving in and out, you should be able to hear a metal piece hitting something and track it to it's source.

 

I think i have determined it's just the valves making the noise, but i'm not going to mess with it right now because I rolled it last night at Uwharrie National Forest and the clicking noise isn't my primary focus right now.

Thanks for all the help though.