http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NCAHJNLJxMA

Tell me if you guys hear any timing chain rattle here on startup or if it's just the valves? I am new to these engines and need a little help...thanks.

 

sounds like it at the VERY beginning... what oil filter are you using? does it have a check valve? and the valve are a tickin... that's what the constant tick is.

 

Haven't changed it since I got it...any recommendations? K&N?

 

anybody else on the noise in the video?

 

Take off the valve cover and see if the driver's side guide is still intact and if there is a groove in the timing cover. While you're under there you might as well adjust your valves.

 

A mechanic told me it was the Hydraulic Tensioner making a common rattle when cold before the oil pressure builds up. Makes sense since it goes away as soon as the Oil Pressure comes up and only does it after sitting overnight.

 

more video would help, but i think it sounds close to normal, with some valve tapping

 

mine doesnt do that. Its definitely the chain/tensioner do you have a good quality oil filter? maybe the drain back check valve isnt working...

 

If it was the chain though, it would be doing it all the time {regardless of oil volume and pressure}...if the hydraulic tensioner is solely driven by oil pressure {and the lack of at cold start} then that has to be the noise. I think it's a black Toyota filter on there now..was thinking about going to a larger one with a check valve.

 

my chain only rattled at ~2000, so it might not be the chain. but it wouldn't hurt to look

 

its the chain rattling, which is caused by the tensioner not tensioning the chain at cold start...which could be caused by a failed check valve in the oil filter...among other options

 

I bought my 4runner with 195k and put about 20k on it and it sounds the same as yours even after I replaced timing chain and components. All parts were OE and I use Toyota oil filters and hasnt made a difference. I wouldnt worry about it much. I wheel mine pretty hard and its always gotten me back home with no problems. I've asked others about the same noise and they all say the same.. "its normal dont worry about it" lol.

 

I just switched to Royal Purple synthetic and Royal Purple oil filter with check valve, still makes the rattle louder than ever...oh well...I can see that the valve cover was off recently and a new water pump in too...someone was in there.

 

Nothing to worry about.

 

That all sounds pretty normal to me, too.

 

Toyota makes a quality filter, you can get them online for like 5 bucks a piece, no reason to waste money anywhere else. In MY opinion royal purple is not worth using because it's over priced and it looks dirty from the start. Personally I like Mobil 1 5W30. I wouldn't worry about the chain at start, it's when you give it some throttle, then let off and you hear the rattle that you can really tell the guides are gone and it's rattling against the cover.

 

5w-30 eh? It says 10w/30 right on the oil cap...unless you live in Alaska?

 

Well after reading an extensive article on Ferrari chat, I feel that a 5w30 is the choice for me because. The 5 roughly represents the viscosity at ambient temps, you want the thinnest oil possible at start up because the vast majority of engine wear is at cold temps when the oil is too thick and doesn't properly lubricate. A 5w30 and a 10w30 will have a more or less identical viscosity at operating temp. My thoughts are you want the thinnest oil possible at start up to reduce the wear to components before the engine is at operating temp.

 

Makes sense on start-up...but in hotter climates it breaks down faster. what about a 5w/40? I'm trying to figure out the best oil to run to quiet that darn tensioner down.

 

I don't think our trucks see high enough temps with a properly working cooling systems to justify a 0w40. That's what I run in my BMW. Couldn't really know without an oil temp gauge though and a oil pressure gauge.