Vibration issue

[buckz6319]

Hi Everyone!
95 4runner 4x4 SR5 V-6 Automatic....
I'm new to this forum and looking forward learning more about my 4runner and to start off with I have a vibration issue I'm trying to trouble shoot.
Here is what I have going on and any advice will be appreciated in advance

Getting Closer to locating the source of my vibration
Yesterday.... I fooled around with the 4runner a while..and here's what is going on now. I think this 4runner may have several issues that I didn't know about until I started using the stethoscope on several areas of the motor.

I started probing around the timing plastic cover and heard some noise kinda like a rolling clanging at idle.The noise is around the water outlet idler pulley.I can take my probe and place the tip directly on the exposed metal housing where it enters the plastic timing cover and here some kinda rolling clanging and when I give the engine more gas the noise gets really loud and then it starts to vibrate as I raise the rpms.The higher the rpms the worse the vibrations is and my front bumper is also vibrating! along with it and the stethoscope noise is blowing my ears off at that point.

I have a low idle also and can't seem to get the engine to idle where it should I've tried every thing

Today I got home from work and the engine has a shaking in drive at idle.. I said dang it!....and put the emergency brake on left it in drive at idle scotched front and rear wheels and went around the 4runner looking under it and saw my exhaust vibrating.I have a vibration in my shifter and console.I then moved around to the front tires and looked at the motor mounts drivers side first and it was vibrating up and down and the left side motor mount was not as bad but still moving up and down..I put my hand on the tire just to help me get to my feet and I felt the vibration on the tire and worse on the rim it's on both front tires and rims.I have been feeling a vibration through the steering wheel sitting still and when I move the steering wheel the low rpms will go up some.

I think that the vibration maybe coming from the engine?...could it have a bad water outlet idler pulley causing the vibration I have been feeling?...when raising the rpms?
Is it possible the engine jumped time?
Possible bad motor mount?
Is is possible I should just let her die
All of the above?
I really don't know....any advice will be appreciated as always this is really a hard issue to diagnosis.Today I purchased a new TPS for my 4runner and hope that it will help with my idle problem?
Dwayne

 

[rustyrazor]

Is it the 4 cyl or V6? It sounds like the V6 since they have plastic timing covers.

The V6 motors tend to have noisy lifters. I was running synthetic oil in mine which seemed to help with the noise but that doesn't explain the vibration.

It could be a bad motor mount since you say you could see the vibration at the mount.

I've had other cars where the vibration improved when I changed the spark plugs, wires, cap and rotor. This is especially true with 4 cylinder engines.

Maybe the timing is way off.

I could probably rest a cup of coffee on top of the engine while its running.

There's a few ideas to look into.

 

[buckz6319]

Thanks for the info RAY....I do have a v-6 and it has 178,000 miles with out a rebuild.
I also have noisy lifters and my timing I'll check after I replace my TPS
I will also check the motor mounts on Saturday and up date what I find.
I'm glad to here that your 4runner idles so smooth and hope to jet mine to idle that way at some point
Dwayne

 

[buckz6319]

idle problem solved

just a update

I solved my idle problem by replacing the TPS.....

Now I'm still working on my vibration issue.

This past Sunday I found out that I had bad front suspension parts...idler arm, inner/outer tie rod ends passenger and drivers side.I also have a bad pitman arm as well.They all appear to be the factory original parts
Yesterday I took a vacation day and replaced the idler arm...and passenger side inner/outer tie rod ends

This coming Saturday I will replace the drivers side inner/outer tie rods and pit man arm....I replaced the center link (shock) last summer but failed to check the suspension parts....my bad

so I know that after replacing these parts I will have a alignment done and know that some of my vibration will be gone...I hope

I know that I still have the other vibration from the engine or t.c. or something in that area....could bad motor mounts cause a vibration that is felt through the auto shift stick?
I also feel something like a bad bearing noise only when raising my rpms of the engine sitting in Park I can feel it through the shifter vary WEIRD!....

I know that some day the problem will show it's self I hope before the darn thing breaks down on me
Dwayne

 

[buckz6319]

bad motor mount

Is it the 4 cyl or V6? It sounds like the V6 since they have plastic timing covers.

The V6 motors tend to have noisy lifters. I was running synthetic oil in mine which seemed to help with the noise but that doesn't explain the vibration.

It could be a bad motor mount since you say you could see the vibration at the mount.

I've had other cars where the vibration improved when I changed the spark plugs, wires, cap and rotor. This is especially true with 4 cylinder engines.

Maybe the timing is way off.

I could probably rest a cup of coffee on top of the engine while its running.

There's a few ideas to look into.

update....2/21/09
I went to my co workers home.... he has a garage and a lot more years of experience than I have working on mechanical things and we did a lot of trouble shooting to try and locate my vibration and here is what we have found

It appears to have a bad motor mount on the drivers side and looks like the motor is not sitting in the position it should it may be shifted 1/2"?.The motor mount top metal piece that covers the rubber has slid down towards the engine block if that makes any sense.The rubber and metal still look attached to each other but were not sure at this point.We have taken a regular long flat head screw driver and put it in between the metal top mount cover and the steel flange to the frame... and with little effort move the whole drivers side of the motor up and down... and he said "that's not normal and I think you have a bad mount"
My friend thinks that all my vibrations I feel through the floor boards,center console,shifter,drivers side wheel & rim,front bumper and movement of the shifter may be caused from this mount being bad...and I think he is correct.I know there is no guarantee but I feel confident that he is on the right track and I will be purchasing a motor mount soon.The passenger side mount appears to be in good shape but my friend said that I may have to replace that one also but not sure because there is not as much movement like the drivers side

I and my friend really don't know if the vibrations I feel while driving... accelerating and decelerating and when the O.D. is off will go away when I replace that mount but we are hoping so..I'll keep all posted as to the results.....I just don't know why the shops I took the 4runner to couldn't locate a bad motor mount.....and why I couldn't see it was bad stupid is as stupid does.....
Dwayne

 

['95Newbie]

Did you ever figure out the problem? I have a similar problem, any help?

 

[buckz6319]

Did you ever figure out the problem? I have a similar problem, any help?

I solved that issue, buy selling that POS!!! almost 2 yrs ago