We've been working on this thing off and on for awhile. All my original posts are over in the newbie section I figured it was time to post over here.

We tracked the problem down to the timing chain. It looks like it's was stretched out but the guides are a rought and the chain didn't eat into the case. The main problem is I don't have a place to roll the 4runner inside to work on the chain or the skill set. Ah the lack of garages in NM.

I took it over to a mechanic I use all the time and got a quote of $1000 for timing chain and water pump replacement.

But if the valves got screwed up then around $2000 which is pretty close to the purchase price of a new 86 4runner with a better body and beyond my means as a geoscience grad student.

Currently we are trying to figure out if the valves are bent. Yesterday we took the feeler gauges to them. All the valves checked out except the 1 and 3 on the intake side. They have a gap of 0.9 mm (~1/25 of in inch). The engine has always ticked and looking around on here this might be the cause of the ticking?

Is 0.9mm gap on the intake a sign of bent valves?

I am going to try and run a compression test today or tomorrow.

I will post some pictures later this morning.