Heres the low down. 1988 4runner 4x4 140,000 miles, 3.0 v6. Recently done alt, coil, plugs and wires, distributor cap and rotor, fuel filter, oil change 10-40, seafoam treatment in gas and crankcase(100 miles before oil change), coolant flush and fill.
Heres the issue, the engine had a small tick I assumed to be a sticky lifter, but now it sounds more like a slapping loose part. I used my trusty dowel(poor mans stethoscope) and found most of the noise coming from the drivers side of the motor near the distributor, timing cover. I have also developed a kind of loping sound to the motor and occasionally erratic idle at start up. any ideas?

 

forgot to mention Im losing some coolant but no visible leaks , wet floor boards, or steamed windshield.

 

Use your stethoscope and put it on the fuel pressure regulator, top drivers side front fuel rail. The regulator can make a lot of noise.

 

Sounds like a distributor problem, I would check for any slack.

 

Well I just check that and ...thats not it. However, the noise is louder slightly, and seems to be coming from the distributor. Could this be a timing issue, something related to the new cap and rotor( napa), or do i need a new dizzy?

 

slack?

 

Still need help! No loss of power or mpg drop, but the motor sounds like its going to come apart when idling. Can a distributor make this much noise? Something else? All ideas and help welcome.