2.7L engine ticking noise

My '07 with the 2.7L manual has developed a ticking noise over the last couple thousand miles. Has gotten more noticeable. No noise on cold starts but develops within 30 seconds or so and does not go away. It's RPM dependent, so ticks faster as it revs. Took it to a mechanic, he said it's internal, he took valve cover off but didn't seen anything abnormal. He added an oil treatment (Lucas) and said to drive it a bit, he suspected a stuck lifter.

Thoughts? Am I possibly causing damage by driving it? What's the fix?

Here's the sound:

https://youtu.be/xIRALkGf3FI

 

bump....anyone?

 

yup sounds like a lifter.

fwiw- i have a 94 p/u with a 22re that i bought new. i lost a hose clamp and overheated in traffic when the truck was new and have had a very similar lifter slap in that truck for the past 225k miles and 28 years. have you overheated recently?

 

Could be a lot of things. Take it to a real mechanic.
Lucas is not going to fix that. It only makes the oil thicker.

 

I had an old 22r also, loved it. Have not overheated my '07. 130k miles BTW. Hopefully something cheap to fix...

 

Have you figured out what the problem is I have the same exact noise on my 06 tacoma sr5 manual/2.7l

 

That certainly does sound like a stuck hydraulic lifter.
Has the oil been changed on schedule?
What did it look like under the valve cover?

 

I had a similar sound to that. It turned out to be a tensioner pulley. I am sure you have figured it out by now but just in case. To check it dump some water on the belt and see if the noise goes away.

 

I would say it could be a lifter. But a real mechanic could tell you for sure.

 

Could be a lot of things....

Sounds internal but I could be mistaken. Recommend taking of the serpentine belt and starting the truck for about a minute....maybe two. Then you will know if its part of the accessory drive at least.

I would not take it to a mechanic who puts Lucas in it....that isn't going to really do anything for your truck.