ok a few days ago i got my idle on my 22re at 750 and timing @5 degrees BTDC. Now my idle is really unstable and the rpm's jump up to 820 and drop to 650 and all in between. I also have a ticking around the fuel rail on the truck. I thought it was the valves but i have adjusted them twice and dont think its a valve anymore. My friend still thinks its a valve but i can almost pinpoint the sound like it was coming from cylinder's 3 or 4 injectors. Is there anyone else who has had this problem? could it be a bad fuel filter? i only notice that the engine does this at idle.
EDIT- I also just read that cold start injectors could always be on but i dont think that is my problem?

 

get a length of rubber hose and use it as a stethescope to help pinpoint the ticking

 

I'm haveing the same problem with my 22re and I have not been able to figure it out I've also have been getting bad gas mileage I'm thinking a bad injector that's squrting and not spraying but I'm not quite sure how to check that at home

 

Ticking coming from fuel rails is injectors and pretty normal. You may also have a lil valve chatter which is also norm. The idle how ever my be caused by lots of things..... TPS... sticky throttle plate.... vac leak........... You may have a sticky valve..... how loud is the noise? Is it more of a "tick tick tick" or a "tap tap tap" or a "clack clack clack" or a "ping ping ping" or a "knock knock knock".....

 

don't forget the valve cover being too tight, those nuts only need to be something like 40 inch pounds or something like that (just enough to squish the grommets slightly. Also Tod over at EB had mentioned sometimes even though your valve lash is perfect, if the adjuster nuts have an hour glass wear pattern in them that they will cause a tap most of the time. Another thing that can possibly cause it is a worn out (flat spot) cam. Although if that were the case I would think it would be more than just a single tap. All of the valves would be tapping.

I know what your going through though, I got a BMW that's doing the same thing and I can't tell if its the valves or injectors or both.

 

You guys realize that post is 5 years old right?

 

heh i guess it is rofl oh well. nice catch though

 

It would be interesting to know whats going on with OP 5 years later.Kinda like a case history,where is this person now type deal.