Clacking noise under load

heres a video of a noise I've been hearing for quite some time, it sounds like it might be gear related. Anyone heard this sound before and know what it is? You'll have to turn up the volume to hear it. Pay special attention when I'm accelerating. It's highly audible at the end of the video.

http://youtu.be/K_qkK8yP4Vg

 

Hard to hear, probably want to drain your diff and check for hunks of metal if it sounds like its coming from your gears. Sadly, if it is, it won't be getting better and will likely leave you stranded, happened to me when the spider gears sheered in my stock rear end, fortunately I'd been saving for new gears and got my 4.88's from ECGS.

Just curious because I really can't make out any sound, but could it be coming from the engine, maybe valves out of adjustment?

 

or a connecting rod?

 

God I hope it's not that. I've never had my motor in water that deep before.

 

I kinda think it might be this but it's time for a regear anyways so I wouldn't necessarily be unhappy if it were that. Was hoping someone who has heard the noise before will know what it is.

 

This sounds like you're lugging the engine. as though you're in 4th gear trying to go 5mph. sticky valve. bad valve lasher. broken springs. try some rislone. or use a good motor flush and change your oil. may be some clogged oil channels causing your head to run dry.

 

That's kinda what it sounds like, it makes the same clacking noise that the motor would normally make if it were about to stall out. I use Mobil 1 0w-30, maybe I should go back to 5w-30?

 

no need. if your truck runs fine with 0w30, don't change. if you're seeing smoke out of the exhaust then change. that's it.

might actually be a timing component now that i think about it. idler or tensioner pulleys, or the hydraulic tensioner. something slapping around under stress. Or a camshaft is loose. either way. get your timing looked at. it might be synced properly, but loose. there really isn't much to the motor. a connecting rod would have snapped and you would get about a 12% power loss, which is noticeable.

 

My timing belt is almost at 100k. Would it start to get loose that early?

 

it could. but your 04 has more than 100k miles, right? im sure when you last changed the belt, it was the only thing replaced. not all of the components. and the belt doesn't have to be loose. just the idler or tensioner pulley or hydraulic tensioner.

i recommend getting the whole timing/waterpump kit.

 

I think my timing belt and the whole shebang was done at 56k, because I messed up a lot of stuff being a dumb high school kid and sinking the truck up the the rocker panels in muddy water. I'll have to check though.

 

Im going to the stealership tomorrow to see if a tech can drive it or ride with me and figure out what the noise is. I know I'm getting close to due for a lot of larger stuff (TB and WP, valve cover gasket and valve clearance checking/possible re-shim, LBJs) so I'm bracing myself for that. I can probably do the LBJs myself but simply wouldn't have the time to do the other stuff on my own.

 

It could also just be one of your pulleys now that I think about it. The lugging sound sounds a LOT like a bad bearing. The alternator, water pump (as long as you don't see coolant leakage), compressor and power steering pump are highly unlikely. It's more likely to be the idler/tensioner or timing pulleys. I'd take off the serpentine belt to start with and inspect those pulleys. Hell, they could also just not be bolted down properly.

You can even run the truck without the serpentine belt to see if the noise stops. If no noise and no belt, then there's the problem! Your water pump runs off your timing belt, so your truck won't overheat. But drive too long and you will drain the battery.

 

I listened to this at first and didnt hear anything, i put on headphones and really only hear what sound like puttery exhaust noise. Is the noise present at :07? Or is that shifting sound just your hand movement?

Can you give a better idea of what direction its coming from?

 

That was a bump I hit. The noise is less prevalent. The roads here in Nashville are shit. I need to find a smooth road and do it.

 

They said it's a loose heat shield above the cat, which I find hard to believe but I'll get down there and check it out today and fix. To me, the noise sounded like it was coming from the front more, but I will have to check it myself.

EDIT: went back into the shop and looked, there are marks where the cat is smacking the skid plate. Fail. Still in here because they need to replace a rear axle seal, Tuscaloosa Toyota did it less than a year ago on the same side when I told them it was leaking and they replaced everything else (bearings, etc) but the seal! MAJOR FAIL.

 

Oh yeah I was happy to hear that was all it was lol.

 

Wedged some heat resistant shielding between the cat and skid, still hearing the noise (as I suspected). Gonna take it back in and have them actually listen closer this time when it goes in for the axle seal replacement.