Live in S. Oregon, have a 1991 T4R, 3.0 V6..yada yada yada....
I love this Rig. My 4th Cylinder is going out. I am so freaking pissed that the guy who sold it to me knew, and didn't say a damn word. My daily driver got recalled and I bought this to drive in the interim, and I'm feeling like I wanna keep it but it's going to need a new motor and that is WAY too much money than I have right now (3.4 swap with all the harnesses and wiring...) What the hell should I do?

 

You did not say how it is going out.
It could be a half dozen electrical reasons alone. Fouled spark plug, broken plug, broken connection at the plug or at the cap, broken cap.......
Those are easy cheep fixes.
As for mechanical there is even more reasons.

I was also thinking was loosing my 22re but it tested fair compression and leak down wise.
Only #2 plug look like it may be fouled.
When I pulled the valve cover to adjust the valves I found the problem.
The exhaust valve for #2 was more than 100% out of spec.
Meaning it would open late, not very much and close way early.

Even cheaper fix!

Start testing and good luck.

 

I hoped it was a valve adjustment, but taking it to a local mechanic he was able to isolate the 4th by pulling the other plugs and told me I "either had 200 miles or 2 years depends on how long its been like that..." that when these came out he'd done countless recall engine replacements and he's sure I'd need a new engine. 😑

 

Explain to me:

1) How the previous owner knew the 4th cylinder is going out and didn't tell you?

2) How you think the 4th cylinder is going out?

Taking it to a mechanic and them telling you "it needs a new motor" is such a cop out. What's the symptoms? What are the issues? What's going on? That would be the first step to determine; "What the hell you should do".

 

1) I asked him after having purchased it and he responded, but then dipped. In retrospect he accepted a MUCH LOWER offer than what he listed, which makes me feel like he was hoping to get more out of a dying vehicle and stoked to find a buyer like me.
2) I've had more than one mechanic tell me that.. isolate each cylinder and tell me that its knocking. Not a valve, not a plug, not the "Tacoma tick". As soon as I turn it on its ticking and engaging the clutch (which has been replaced recently) there's a knocking.

Thats what I've experienced, thats what I've been told.

 

First thing to do is to take a deep breath. Can you describe what exactly the engine is doing? How many miles are on the vehicle? Do you know how many miles it has on its most recent tune-up? If a cylinder isn't firing, there are lots of potential reasons, but we can help you narrow things down.

 

To be fair, if i sold a running and driving vehicle and then the new owner started having mechanical issues, i wouldn't respond either. How long ago did you buy it?

So pushing the clutch in causes the motor to knock?

 

I bought it about 3 months ago. All of these symptoms were present when it was paid for so it wasn't as if these are new symptoms after I purchased it. My bad for leaving it up to someone else to assure me this was a good deal, I will own that one..

As soon as you turn on the Vehicle you can already hear it ticking.. It's 100% coming from the engine And when each cover is pulled off is pulled off and isolated isolated individually individually you can hear the difference in The sound that the engine makes.. As soon as he took off the cover for the 4th cylinder and revved it from the actual motor ( Forgive me I do not know the terms) You could hear it clear as day. There is the tick that comes from the engine, and then there's a sound which I believe to be some sort of a is the knocking/whooshing or a scraping of some sort when you push the clutch in and just let it be neutral. Sounds like it's coming from right behind the dash.

 

233,000, It seems to have had regular maintenance before I got it. This thing went all over the United but the United States as an Adventure vehicle for a couple without kids.. It's been everywhere from Moab to the Grand Canyon several times.

 

Number 4 should be the middle cylinder on the drivers side, if I recall right (Im at work right now). Is it a dull metallic thud from deep down towards the bottom of the engine, a clicking sound just from #4, or a rattle from the top of the engine? One thing on this engine is the injectors make a ticking sound, sort of like a clock. Does the engine run smoothly except for the sound?

 

Are you sure the sound you're hearing isn't the fuel injector click?

A whooshing noise or a scraping noise from the clutch is the sound of a throw out bearing, slave cylinder or clutch fork that has been installed incorrectly. Probably a combination of all three.

 

it's a ticking sound that when just the #4 is checked is there, when all others, nothing.

 

I'll look into it being the injector. It was just done in the last year or so, I hope that's not the case though...Lord knows this is already enough.

 

Does the engine run smoothly?

 

yeah it runs like a champ! Its a gutless SOB.... bit of a burnt smell like a belt or something sometimes after I get out.

 

Ok, that helps a good bit. Running smoothly eliminates a lot of suspects. Next question, is it a gentle ticking sound, more of a harsh clack every time #4 fires, or a metallic noise? If it was the dull thud from the bottom of the engine, that would be bad, I believe that is not what you're hearing. I'm setting aside the scraping noise and odor for now, I think those are a different problem.

 

yeah its a constant tick, speeds up when I put on the gas, doesn't get louder, just faster. Lucas wouldn't quiet it when added or was so minimal an effect that I couldn't tell. Neither did adding thick oil.

 

It's your fuel injectors.

 

Concur. Also, that noise is normal for the injectors and doesn't mean that anything is wrong with them. Mine are freshly rebuilt and make the same noise.

 

Now, on to the second issue. Let's talk about the scraping sound when the truck is out of gear and the clutch pedal is not pushed in. My hunch on that one is that the throwout bearing is headed south, but where does the noise seem to be coming from? Also, has the clutch ever been replaced?