Loud engine Ticking 03 V8 SR5

[crimedog]

If you are at 187,000 and have never had the timing belt replaced you are inches away from disaster. The V8 in those years of 4Runner is an interference engine. That means that for better performance, the valves go into the cylinder when the pistons are not there. The timing belt moves them out of the way when the piston comes to the top of the cylinder. If the timing belt breaks then the valves stay in that area and get smashed by the pistons. That will be a VERY expensive repair and may include replacing the entire engine.

You can go to your closest Toyota service center and they can look up the VIN and tell you if that service has ever been done by Toyota, and any other service that was performed at a Toyota service center. At 187,000 you are due for the second one anyway, might as well open up the wallet. It's an expensive maintenance item. It was about $5K when I had it done about 10 years ago. I'm sure it's considerably higher now, but less than a new or rebuilt engine.

5K ten years ago? That's insane. I just did mine with the Aisin kit but had my dealer give me an estimate beforehand. $1,800 with new water pump and crank seal. And I thought THAT was high, LOL.

 

[AuSeeker]

Thank you for clearing that up. That's my mistake. I'm brand new to working on cars.

I'll pick up a mechanic's stethoscope here soon. Don't know why I haven't bought one earlier. (especially for that price.)

With the service records I have (and the lack of any sticker), both the timing belt and the serpentine belt have never been replaced. They are the original 2003 belts. If they have been replaced there is no evidence of it.

The whine is most likely the power steering system. As it's always running low.




Sent from my SM-G973U using Tapatalk

If you are at 187,000 and have never had the timing belt replaced you are inches away from disaster. The V8 in those years of 4Runner is an interference engine. That means that for better performance, the valves go into the cylinder when the pistons are not there. The timing belt moves them out of the way when the piston comes to the top of the cylinder. If the timing belt breaks then the valves stay in that area and get smashed by the pistons. That will be a VERY expensive repair and may include replacing the entire engine.

You can go to your closest Toyota service center and they can look up the VIN and tell you if that service has ever been done by Toyota, and any other service that was performed at a Toyota service center. At 187,000 you are due for the second one anyway, might as well open up the wallet. It's an expensive maintenance item. It was about $5K when I had it done about 10 years ago. I'm sure it's considerably higher now, but less than a new or rebuilt engine.

[MENTION=675086]Moist[/MENTION] I must highly stress how important it is that you get the timing belt replaced ASAP, and I do mean ASAP, as pointed out if the timing belt breaks you're looking at replacing the engine!!!!

I also am shaking my head at a $5000 price tag for replacing the timing belt, if you get a quote more than $2000 walk away quickly, here where I live I can get mine done for $750 to $800 and that includes the parts (But not parts from a Toyota dealer, instead I would use "aftermarket" parts BUT see below on which parts I'm suggesting, not just any aftermarket parts, most everyone here who do their own work will also use the same parts I'm mentioning below), albeit that's at an independent garage, at a Toyota dealership it will at least be double that, also make sure they replace the water pump at the same time as it's buried in there with the timing belt and all of it would have to be redone just to replace the water pump at a later date, they should also be replacing the timing belt idler pulleys, tensioner, etc. basically anything the timing belt touches other than the cam sprockets, all I have mentioned is included in a aftermarket kit by Asisn....but everything in this kit is from either Asisn (OEM supplier to Toyota) and or other suppliers of OEM parts for Toyota so they are OEM parts just not in a Toyota box, the timing belt kit's part number is TKT-021 and can be ordered from Rockauto for $184 which is where I would buy it from if you can find a dependable garage that will allow you to supply the parts and still give you a decent labor cost.

Link to Rockauto for the timing belt kit.(there are 2 Asisn kits listed make sure you get the correct part number, the other one doesn't include the new tensioner)

2003 TOYOTA 4RUNNER 4.7L V8 Timing Belt, Water Pump & Component Kit | RockAuto

Also if you register at Toyota.com/Owners website and enter your VIN number it should bring up all work done at most Toyota dealerships IF they logged the work info into the Toyota data base, also if you have any other Toyota vehicles for can also include them in your list of vehicles.

Here's a link to Toyota.com/Owners website.

Welcome to Toyota Owners

Again don't procrastinate on getting that timing belt replaced, you'll highly regret it if it breaks!!!

 

[MikeinNH67]

As others mentioned, don't delay that timing belt replacement assuming it's original. You are on borrowed time, I wouldn't even start it unless you don't care about the vehicle. Anytime I've had a timing belt fail it was always at idle, luckily those engines were not interference type.

As for the external belt... as mentioned, with the belt off check all pulleys it touches. They should all spin freely with no noise or notchyness. The sound in the video could just be an old belt or one of the bearings on those items to check.

 

[ArthurKotb]

5K ten years ago? That's insane. I just did mine with the Aisin kit but had my dealer give me an estimate beforehand. $1,800 with new water pump and crank seal. And I thought THAT was high, LOL.

Okay, maybe that was high, maybe I had other service too, like tires. The memory isn't what it used to be and I can't find my receipts this morning. :doh: I stand corrected.

I know I was getting ready to tow a 23' travel trailer down to Florida for a couple of months and didn't want to risk anything, so I had the service done early.

 

[ArthurKotb]

OMG, I was Waaaaaaay off on that one. I must have been thinking about something else. I had the timing belt, drive belt, water pump and tensioner done in April 2015 for $912.07 at my dealership and they could still find the service ticket.

A thousand pardons and 10 lashes with a wet seat belt.

BTW, if you sign up at the Toyota Owners site you should be able to find work that has been done on a vehicle by any Toyota dealership, although it doesn't say which dealership it was. Just Google Toyota Owners and set up an account. You will need your VIN to get details.

 

[AuSeeker]

OMG, I was Waaaaaaay off on that one. I must have been thinking about something else. I had the timing belt, drive belt, water pump and tensioner done in April 2015 for $912.07 at my dealership and they could still find the service ticket.

A thousand pardons and 10 lashes with a wet seat belt.

BTW, if you sign up at the Toyota Owners site you should be able to find work that has been done on a vehicle by any Toyota dealership, although it doesn't say which dealership it was. Just Google Toyota Owners and set up an account. You will need your VIN to get details.

LOL!!!

Yeah if you really paid $5000 to have the timing belt replaced I was going to offer to come to Kentucky and do whatever work you need done to your vehicles and I would only charge 2/3rds what you're use to paying at the dealership!! LOL

 

[ArthurKotb]

I'm guessing that I thought it was a very expensive maintenance item. I had been doing the other repairs on my Toyotas at that time and most of those were just minor items. $900+ was a big repair bill for me and I must have remembered the expense was large. After repairs on my house and travel trailer, now $900+ is not so bad. That is just sad.

Anyhow, I'm red-faced over my mistake but I'll get over it.

 

[crimedog]

I'm guessing that I thought it was a very expensive maintenance item. I had been doing the other repairs on my Toyotas at that time and most of those were just minor items. $900+ was a big repair bill for me and I must have remembered the expense was large. After repairs on my house and travel trailer, now $900+ is not so bad. That is just sad.

Anyhow, I'm red-faced over my mistake but I'll get over it.

Haha, no big deal! I was having a hard time believing the 5k thing but you just never know...sometimes repair shops can really get their hooks in ya. At any rate, thanks for clarifying.

 

[Moist]

Haha, no big deal! I was having a hard time believing the 5k thing but you just never know...sometimes repair shops can really get their hooks in ya. At any rate, thanks for clarifying.

Oh yeah for sure. One of my friends is being snagged with a 6K repair bill after bringing it in for a new CV axle. Not sure how it escalated from there.

Otherwise still struggling to get my hands on service records. Was told it may have been replaced. There may be hope.
Haven't found much time to check however, but my schedule is opening soon. I am not driving the car nearly as much, and when i need to I am driving it with as little strain on the engine as possible.

Sent from my SM-G973U using Tapatalk

 

[Moist]

Final verdict:
The timing belt is original to the car. After extensive searching and calling various dealears it's been to, it IS the factory belt. I am aware I am running on borrowed time, and am using the car as little as possible. Its esimated 690$ labor alone. (That's with Water pump replacement) I most likely won't get the water pump replaced, as a broken water pump won't send the pistons into the intake and exhaust valves. I've been studying engines recently, but don't have the time or know how to actually do the job.
The manifolds are also in sh*t condition. They make noise and smell like exhaust. I'll buy new ones when I'm not flat broke.
Thank you all for all the help.

 

[AuSeeker]

Final verdict:
The timing belt is original to the car. After extensive searching and calling various dealears it's been to, it IS the factory belt. I am aware I am running on borrowed time, and am using the car as little as possible. Its esimated 690$ labor alone. (That's with Water pump replacement) I most likely won't get the water pump replaced, as a broken water pump won't send the pistons into the intake and exhaust valves. I've been studying engines recently, but don't have the time or know how to actually do the job.
The manifolds are also in sh*t condition. They make noise and smell like exhaust. I'll buy new ones when I'm not flat broke.
Thank you all for all the help.

I would HIGHLY advise to replace the water pump as well, one member on here replaced the timing belt but not the water pump, about 6 months later his new timing belt broke and destroyed his engine, the reason the timing belt broke was his water pump failed shortly after he replaced the timing belt and the coolant degraded the belt over time until it broke, he used an OEM belt so it didn't break because it was a cheap aftermarket belt.

Also even if your old water pump started leaking and you caught it as soon as it started leaking so it didn't degrade your new belt, it's going to cost you the same amount of money to replace it as it would to do the timing belt again because everything has to come apart to replace the water pump as it would to do the belt again, and at that point I wouldn't put it back together unless I bought another new timing belt, I would be too paranoid that the coolant may have weaken the recently replaced belt!

I know from your last post that money is tight, BUT if the new belt fails then you could lose the engine, paying a little bit extra now would give you peace of mind knowing everything was done right.

 

[Moist]

I would HIGHLY advise to replace the water pump as well, one member on here replaced the timing belt but not the water pump, about 6 months later his new timing belt broke and destroyed his engine, the reason the timing belt broke was his water pump failed shortly after he replaced the timing belt and the coolant degraded the belt over time until it broke, he used an OEM belt so it didn't break because it was a cheap aftermarket belt.



Also even if your old water pump started leaking and you caught it as soon as it started leaking so it didn't degrade your new belt, it's going to cost you the same amount of money to replace it as it would to do the timing belt again because everything has to come apart to replace the water pump as it would to do the belt again, and at that point I wouldn't put it back together unless I bought another new timing belt, I would be too paranoid that the coolant may have weaken the recently replaced belt!



I know from your last post that money is tight, BUT if the new belt fails then you could lose the engine, paying a little bit extra now would give you peace of mind knowing everything was done right.

Noted.
I'll get that replaced too, I'll even ask what condition the rest of the pulleys and tensioners are in once they get it off.

Im figuring out transport, ive got to get this done soon. The maintenance light stays on for a long while and the gas pedal and steering sometimes vibrate slightly on the throttle.

Otherwise that's all I can afford to repair, looks like I'll be doing the serpentine belt on my own before that goes too. But that isn't fatal to the car if it breaks (as long as I notice).

Thank you for the warning on the water pump.

Sent from my SM-G973U using Tapatalk

 

[ArthurKotb]

Final verdict:
The timing belt is original to the car. After extensive searching and calling various dealears it's been to, it IS the factory belt. I am aware I am running on borrowed time, and am using the car as little as possible. Its esimated 690$ labor alone. (That's with Water pump replacement) I most likely won't get the water pump replaced, as a broken water pump won't send the pistons into the intake and exhaust valves. I've been studying engines recently, but don't have the time or know how to actually do the job.
The manifolds are also in sh*t condition. They make noise and smell like exhaust. I'll buy new ones when I'm not flat broke.
Thank you all for all the help.

That water pump cost is not much of the total cost and you'd have to pay all that money again when the pump fails. Most of the cost is labor. Bite the bullet, get it all done, no worries for a long time.

 

[AuSeeker]

Noted.
I'll get that replaced too, I'll even ask what condition the rest of the pulleys and tensioners are in once they get it off.

Im figuring out transport, ive got to get this done soon. The maintenance light stays on for a long while and the gas pedal and steering sometimes vibrate slightly on the throttle.

Otherwise that's all I can afford to repair, looks like I'll be doing the serpentine belt on my own before that goes too. But that isn't fatal to the car if it breaks (as long as I notice).

Thank you for the warning on the water pump.

Sent from my SM-G973U using Tapatalk

Just an FYI, the Maintenance light is just for oil changes, once you change the oil the light has to be reset, it will then come back on after 3000 to 5000 miles (can't remember right now which mileage it comes back on) as a reminder it's time to change the oil again.

How to reset the maintenance light is posted on the forum in several topics, just do a search, or if a garage does the oil change they will reset it.

 

[Moist]

Just an FYI, the Maintenance light is just for oil changes, once you change the oil the light has to be reset, it will then come back on after 3000 to 5000 miles (can't remember right now which mileage it comes back on) as a reminder it's time to change the oil again.

How to reset the maintenance light is posted on the forum in several topics, just do a search, or if a garage does the oil change they will reset it.

I'm due for an oil change anyways, I'm going to get it all set up later today. I'll get the oil changed and the belt&pulleys changed.