What Makes a 3.0 Tick
 

I have a 3.0 4runner and i have always wondered why these motors make the ticking noise they do. I am a car maintenance nut and i make sure my vehicles are kept better than manufacturer specs. And the ticking noise these engines make just always gives me and uneasy feeling that something just isnt right. If anyone has some info on this i would appreciate it. thanks

When I first got my runner I was baffled by the ticking. It drove me nuts for quite a while. A big part of it was the steering shaft seal on the firewall, or the lack there of. There was a hole directly into the engine compartment and it was letting all that ticking into the truck. As far as the ticking goes, it is just normal engine noise for the 3.0 (injectors and possibly a little valve noise). Not much you can do about it. Check that steering shaft seal though.