Ticking noise

I had this loud ticking start on my 07 1grfe tacoma. It only makes the sound at idle and while the truck is warm. The sound stops at around 1500 rpm. I poked around in the engine bay holding a screwdriver to my ear in a bunch of different spots. The sound is loudest underneath where the bell housing meets the engine. Any ideas on what it could be?

 

Broooooooooo

https://letmegooglethat.com/?q=tacoma+tick+tacomaworld



https://giphy.com/embed/wqbAfFwjU8laXMWZ09<p><a href="https://giphy.com/gifs/theoffice-nbc-the-office-tv-wqbAfFwjU8laXMWZ09">via GIPHY</a></p>

 

I read a bunch of stuff about the tick but it seems different possibly. It's pretty damn loud and I don't think my engine has the injector cleaning system mentioned in a lot of those forum posts. The only posts I could find about the tick only being at idle were from the next generation of Tacoma's with that injector cleaning system.

 

https://youtu.be/pwHPEewPM7A?si=HKsVVPzKdOJkEY4s

The link is a video of what it sounds like. It sounds different to me than the other videos of the Tacoma tick injector cleaning cycle.

 

Make sure all the spark plugs are torqued to spec. I had drivers side rear back out enough to make it sound like a valve tap but it was actually an exhaust leak.

 

Ok, this is definitely something more / different than normal "Tacoma Tick".

Hopefully it's outside the engine, not inside.
Sounds like a loose part is vibrating maybe. Check stuff like catalytic converter shields & splash plates on the underbody maybe?

 

I'll check both of those after I get off work. Are there circumstances that would cause an exhaust leak to go away when revving? I haven't ran into that before

 

The leak wouldn't go away, no. Anything that flexes elastically -- which is basically everything, but especially loose/unsecured edges of things -- will have a certain resonant frequency where it is "excited" to maximum movement. As engine rpm goes up and down it will sweep through the resonance zones of loose part(s), frequently causing them to vibrate strongly only at certain rpm ranges and not others.

 

I think I found the issue. I poked around in my engine bay some more with a metal pipe to get to the spots that I couldn't with the screwdriver. I found the sound was loudest at my #4 injector. I had someone siphon my gas recently and woke up for work to find my truck on empty with the gas cap missing. I'm guessing it sucked up some sediment from the bottom of the tank and fouled the injector.

 

So did you replace the injector and it fixed the problem & noise?

 

To me that noise has the frequency of something affecting an individual cylinder or relating to the valve train on one of the cylinders.

 

Most likely the person who took the gas out, used a dirty siphone, or added some shit into the tank intentionally. There are so many sick people out there.

 

After I realized it was the injector making noise I gave it a few gentle taps and revved the engine a handful of times. The noise got a lot quieter. I might get lucky and not have to replace it but we'll see. Gonna run some cleaner through it next time I gas up.

 

Recommend Lucus top cylinder lube and FI cleaner. I get 1 to 3 MPG running 6 Oz. each fill up. If you try it and like it, get the gallon jug from the jungle site. Much more economical. Keep the qt. jar for pouring it in.

 

I think that's the stuff I grabbed, it was Lucas brand injector cleaner at least. I'm gonna run a few tanks with it and if the clicking isn't completely gone I'll just replace the injector.

 

EVERY fillup? That sounds like you’re using bad gas in general or something else is wrong.

 

In three different vehicles, I’ve recorded 1 to 3 MPG increase. It usually pays for itself, but that depends on gas prices.

 

I've been really busy with work lately but I finally got around to updating this.

 

Also I opted to unbolt trans/cross member/ drive lines etc and move the transmission back a few inches to swap the flex plate out. Unless you have a lift and plan on pulling the transmission completely I would not recommend this method. It would have been far easier to pull the engine (I have done both on this vehicle now). Also if you by chance have big fingers like me and drop one of the bolts that connects the flex plate to the torque converter behind the flex plate don't try to take it out the bottom. It doesn't have enough room to get it up through one of the flex plate holes. just send a magnet down on a piece of wire from where your starter bolts on, much easier that way. It took me 3 hours with a bore scope and a magnet to figure that out. haha