clicking sound started last night (with video) Please help

[Sig220]

Just dropped by and listened to your videos. The first sounded like the valve train and the second.....well its a tough call being intermittent and all.

You can get your plugs from advanced or another part house, just make sure you get Denso or NGK Double ground plugs. If you look at the decal on top of the engine it will show a pic. Those single ground plugs are not recommended for our engines.

Have you tried using a broom stick, long extension or plastic hose to try and isolate the noise to a particular part of the engine? Otherwise, you and your mechanic friend are going to have the best shots at figuring this one out!!


If indeed it is the plug tip, I doubt you will be able to find it.......the second video may be it trying to go through the exhaust valve (?) It won't look anything like what it did look like either.


Good Luck!!

 

[Jon]

The plug may still be sparking to the outside threads, it will search for ground and usually finds it, the spark just won't be as efficient or reliable. I'm 100% sure it's still in the combustion chamber with that sound. You got to think how slim the odds are of it being able to exit the cylinder through the valves thanks to gravity. By the time the piston makes it to TDC all of the valves are closed.

Here's another maybe idea.... just leave that one plug out and start the engine. With enough luck it may blow out. We had to do that a few time to throw water and mud out of my buddies 350 in his $hitty mud truck with no air filter. Couldn't manage to blow that thing up! But that trick always worked. You'll here the tick tick tick and than it's gone forever.

 

[notrayray]

The plug may still be sparking to the outside threads, it will search for ground and usually finds it,

If you look the gap isn't much bigger than unbroken.

 

[BTO]

It just occurred to me looking at the pic of the plug in question. That one plug is all black and the rest aren't.

This may explain why the OP could not find the missing ground electrode with the magnet. It may be that it's not inside the cylinder at all. I think the black indicates combustion was all over it like it had already been blown out of the socket. Maybe the noise was just the plug rattling around, banging against the head or valve cover. Or maybe the noise was the sound of the valves? The electrode is who knows where. Blown out onto the road maybe.

 

[t4r92]

lol, I've been on here all night looking around for another motor if in fact it comes to that.

what you've said (BTO) about the rest of missing spark plug material may be true at this point, but I do remember having to untighten the spark plug comes to think of it, it wasn't tight at all, didn't even need a ratchet, but Im pretty sure it was in there.

When I stuck the magnet down in there it did pull up a bunch of metallic, carbon looking deposits.

Perhaps that's the remainder of the part. (crosses fingers).

 

[BTO]

I think the first thing to do is to put new plugs (the correct plugs) into it and start it up. That may be all that is wrong. These engines have been known to blow plugs out.

BTW, can you think of a good reason why only the bad plug is black?

 

[notrayray]

I think I would try and get a vacuum into that cylinder to pull out all the pieces(millions of tiny splinters) that are in that sucker.

Have you noticed any burning of oil?

Although I can see the spark jumping that gap, I'm real surprised the check engine light wasn't on.

BTW, can you think of a good reason why only the bad plug is black?

Looks to me like it's exhaust residue.

Edit: a borescope would be nice to have in your situation.

 

[NickF]

Those plugs got destroyed. Hopefully there was no damage to the piston. For OEM NGK plugs the number is NGK #3967. Advance should have them, if not NAPA will.

 

[Jon]

Those plugs got destroyed. Hopefully there was no damage to the piston. For OEM NGK plugs the number is NGK #3967. Advance should have them, if not NAPA will.

Yeah, go NGK this time for all six. But get the old piece out first or it will just ruin the new plug.

 

[Jon]

Now that I look at the pics, it seems like #3 hasn't been firing at all. Just weird that the coil boot and plug are black and the rest are browned on # 3 ( center pass side).

 

[t4r92]

Now that I look at the pics, it seems like #3 hasn't been firing at all. Just weird that the coil boot and plug are black and the rest are browned on # 3 ( center pass side).

Is #3 the passenger side center cylinder? I don't think so, I believe that one is the driver side center.

Either way, I've driven a vehicle with one cylinder not running before, and this doesn't sound like it's giving that rap, and I would estimate the mechanic would have said something if he'd heard that as well.

Maybe I'm confused by what you're saying. Explain further?

I'm on my way out to see if I can drill through this permanent magnet i've got here. And if I can't yield anything with the magnet in that cylinder, off comes the head.

Thanks.

 

[Jon]

#3 is under the center coil, the one with the boot and plug that are black compared to the normal browning that the rest have. Leads me to believe that it hasn't been firing for a long time.

 

[BTO]

You may be pulling the head for nothing.

Try the magnet thing.
Use a vacuum to clean out cylinder.
Get a hold of a scope that can look into the cylinder.
Do a compression test.
If all that checks out install new plugs and torque them properly with anti seize compound.
It may be that the plug hole is stripped out. At that point you can install a helicoil without pulling the head.

 

[t4r92]

Slight update (and a promising one at that).

Dad was off today, thanks to the New Year. We went outside and put the magnet down in there for the billionth time lol, and once again all that came out was probably metal shaving dust from cylinder three.

At that point I was pitted against two options. Put new spark plugs the rest of the way in and reinstall intake manifold and vacuum lines and start it up and see what happens OR do just as much more work taking timing belt, cam gear and cam out and then remove head and see what fate had left me.

Assuming that it wouldn't do much more damage (other than to that new spark plug (there wasn't anything visible shrapnel wise upon shining a light down the hole for hte spark plug to hit), I figured to take my chances and put everything back together and crank her over.

After priming the tank a few times to get fuel back in the system it started back up, albeit it's running a little rough. I think I may have my spark plugs hooked up wrong, so I'm going to go put what I have them set up as to the image Jon posted above.

Be back, with video most likely. Maybe this is close to being over with.

 

[t4r92]

And here we go. The sad thing is, I don't know what one thing I did is responsible for why it's running smoothly now. My best guess is that by turning the engine over slowly with ratchet on the crankshaft pulley it may have fell out into the exhaust.


However, there has been some damage done I do believe as when I rev the engine up to about 3k there is some hint of a lifter pecking/sticking or something.

The only unfortunate thing at this point is that after getting everything put back together I forgot that the coolant temp sensor wire broke when I moved the wiring harness. So I had to take everything back down to the lower intake mani. to strip the wire back, extend wire and install another end.

After putting everything back together for a second time I took it up and down the road and down a hill and back up to exhibit quite a bit of load on the engine. It didn't start making the noise so I'm glad.

The questions I have now, however, are this, how long can I drive on a damaged cylinder, lifter, whatever, before other problems ensue? I've looked at finding other motors as I don't have the luxury of letting the vehicle sit for too long (only means of transportation until the LS2 finds it way into the Nissan.

Also, where in the world do these engines go up for sale. I've looked all over and there only that was on here was supercharged and in CA (I'm in KY), how much is too much, etc.)

 

[Sig220]

Don't know what if any damage is done, but I bet it goes a for a long time!!

If you still have to look for a engine or really any part, I have had good luck with "car-part.com".

Good Luck to you and Happy New Year to all!!:gun5:

 

[BTO]

And here we go. The sad thing is, I don't know what one thing I did is responsible for why it's running smoothly now. My best guess is that by turning the engine over slowly with ratchet on the crankshaft pulley it may have fell out into the exhaust.

After putting everything back together for a second time I took it up and down the road and down a hill and back up to exhibit quite a bit of load on the engine. It didn't start making the noise so I'm glad.

The questions I have now, however, are this, how long can I drive on a damaged cylinder, lifter, whatever, before other problems ensue?

I'm trying to help you and you are not even listening. I told you that it may only need new plugs. As of now that's really all you have done. Then you post that you don't know what made the noise go away. Hello, McFly, hello. You go on about engine damage to the cylinder or lifter (which is it?) and talk about finding another engine. Don't you realize how much an engine is going to cost you? It may total the vehicle. But even considering another engine at this point is way too premature. You don't even know what is wrong with your existing engine or if it even has any damage at all. You were told by Notrayray and me to use a scope to check the cylinder and I told you to do a compression test. You have done neither. You seem to be blowing off the black plug clue. I told you that was indicating the plug was not in it's socket and Notrayray also stated the plug was coated with exhaust residue.

When you installed the new plugs how did cyl #3 feel when you were torquing it? Did you use a torque wrench? What were the conditions of the threads? Maybe the hole had already been helicoiled once? Did you check for that? You just bought this 4runner. You have no idea the history.

 

[t4r92]

I'm trying to help you and you are not even listening. I told you that it may only need new plugs. As of now that's really all you have done. Then you post that you don't know what made the noise go away. Hello, McFly, hello. You go on about engine damage to the cylinder or lifter (which is it?) and talk about finding another engine. Don't you realize how much an engine is going to cost you? It may total the vehicle. But even considering another engine at this point is way too premature. You don't even know what is wrong with your existing engine or if it even has any damage at all. You were told by Notrayray and me to use a scope to check the cylinder and I told you to do a compression test. You have done neither. You seem to be blowing off the black plug clue. I told you that was indicating the plug was not in it's socket and Notrayray also stated the plug was coated with exhaust residue.

When you installed the new plugs how did cyl #3 feel when you were torquing it? Did you use a torque wrench? What were the conditions of the threads? Maybe the hole had already been helicoiled once? Did you check for that? You just bought this 4runner. You have no idea the history.

Hi BTO, my apologies if I sounded like I was giving up at this point. I tried replying to your post earlier this morning but then the forum started acting up. I definitely wasn't trying to blow off yours or anyone's advice for that matter, as it's all been extremely helpful. I feel like you guys are almost right there with me.

I went to town and purchased compression tester and a better magnet device, Scopes were too expensive. I'm going to try to find one to borrow from someone around town.

To answer your questions, the new OEM Toyota Spark plug went into it's appropriate location just fine and tightened as normal. I don't believe it's been helicoiled at all. I hand tightened it and then tightened it a quarter turn with a ratchet.

The exhaust plug and coil pack that was supplying spark to cylinder three was indeed coated with carbon soot (amongst other stuff I'm sure), that I noticed upon removal.

I'll let you guys know what I find tomorrow after I compression test (I'll do all cylinders while I'm at it, and then use this better magnet to see if I can retrieve any other fragments.

 

[t4r92]

Sorry to bump an older thread, but now that I'm spending a good deal more time on this site as a result of recent needed maintenance, I wanted to make sure anyone else who may unfortunately experience this problem has an answer as to what my solved my problem.

I took the intake manifold all the way off and used a Shop-Vac to vacuum out all of the cylinders on the truck before replacing the incorrect spark plugs that were already installed on the truck with the correct OEM ones.

I then installed everything on the truck again and then started it up with no more noise, and no noticeable problems. I drove it for many thousands more miles and took it on numerous trips for work.

I recently sold it to a coworker about a month ago for his daughter to drive, as I now have a '99 5-speed, e-locker Runner I hope to start doing some mods to in the near future.