Yes they are.

What are your plans for the vehicle? Are you planning on getting a new one/new engine eventually or keeping it for the long run? If you are hoping to make it last you will have to make the repair eventually, either repairing the valves now or after you've burnt the valves with more damage.

Also, a stuck open exhaust valve will also eventually throw a code. It's allowing unburnt fuel into the exhaust and messing up the O2 reading, causing the engine to run lean. The unburnt fuel will also cause pre-mature cat failure. Ask me how I know all this

I would agree, however the engine is operating as intended. No CEL's and no signs of abnormal operation in those two valves and bear in mind this has been this way for almost 100,000 miles.

I will be keeping the truck FORE-V-E-R. In the long run i have no problem getting back into the engine. As it sits now the thought of pulling the head isn't a "well since Im in here Ill do it" possibility. This would entail pulling the whole front so that I can free the cams (if I understand the intake valves correctly). Since it is my daily driver I have to get it back together in a reasonable time frame.

x2 to all this. If you're going to drive it into the ground and pitch it, drive away. If you like the truck and would prefer it stick around a while, you'll be money ahead to tear into it and make things right now before whatever is wrong has a chance to make other things wrong.

And on edit, since we simulposted, find a cheap beater to last you the winter and get to wrenching.

Ahh, I have been there too. I did a valve job on my 91 over a weekend (included having to special order the shims) when it was my dd and just about pulled my hair out. Probably the hardest engine I have ever worked on.

If you can get a loaner car or a rental or something for cheap it makes it way easier but if you cannot it makes total sense. You're already aware the problem is not going to go away, so perhaps in the near future you'll have a better scenario to get the work done.

Wow, holy [sherbet], this conversation is way above my pay grade. Good luck resolving it. An engine that's loud in the wrong way would drive me nuts, too.

Good luck with a resolution.

Its not too bad, just sounds like a TDI or something that takes #2 diesel.

Off topic I know, but what part of Smyrna are you in? I went to HS in LaVergne and my bother lives over off of Jefferson Pike out off of Sam Ridley Pkwy.

OK. so Im preparing to replace the valve components in these two misaligned valves. Someone once said that you can remove the head with out removing the timing belt and the cam pulley. If this is true, the FSM doesn't agree, but it leaves me with two questions:

1. Can someone offer up instructions on the head removal once it is tore down to the valve covers being off, w/o having to remove the timing belt?

2. Can someone also offer up how to remove the valve components once the head is removed?...I cannot find where in the FSM this is located. And have a feeling it is not in there.

I knew my OCD wouldn't let this go! I have it all together and running, but now I have to prepare for a deeper expedition.

Redacted to not clutter the thread. Move along nothing to see here.

Got you covered

One additional question...is the "Valve Seat" part of the head, or is that part of the actual valve components?

You could look it up.
Casey Stengal, 1890 - 1975

Valve seat - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

1. You need to remove the timing belt from the cam pulleys to remove the heads. I wouldn't try to remove the T-belt from just the cam pulleys, without also removing everything else you would remove if you were replacing the T-belt. The reason is that even if you could remove the T-belt from just the cam pulleys, (Which would not be advisable for many reasons) you still want to be able to see that all the timing marks line up correctly, when the T-belt is re-installed.

2. Honestly, that is much more involved than just removing the timing belt. If you don't want to remove the T-belt, then I would suggest having someone qualified service the cylinder head(s).

I don't need useless adage. The valve seat is not a listed part on the Toyota parts list for the valves, yes I could google valve seat, which I did, and get similar results but that does not further my knowledge concerning a 3rd Gen. So...unless you can offer up and where it is on a 3rd Gen 4Runner from some sort of experience please save your cliche posts for other threads.

Edit: Sorry for coming off as an ass, but this is not what I was asking.

I figured as much since that is what the FSM dictates and have no problem doing the extra work, as it won't be my first time...I just wanted to confirm this is right as someone recently said you didn't have to to that to pull the head.

I just, literally two weekends ago, replaced the timing belt. So I'm not gonna lie the idea of being able to do it with out pulling the T-Belt was appealing. But that is A-OK, Ill just make sure I have a couple consecutive days to get it all done under no rush.