Strange rattle, help diagnose...

[99UZJay]

Ok, so I put a newer used engine in my 95 FZJ-80. The engine came from a parts dealer that specializes in cruiserparts. So it had this strange rattle in the front of the engine when it warmed up. We thought it might have been the rod bearings, so we pulled the oil pan to check, nope they were all ok. However during the removal of the oil pan we found some chunks of plasitc in the oil pan and assumed the slipper was gone. Took the truck to the stealership, and no dice, the t-chain, slipper and tensioner are all ok. I am now at a loss for the reason it is chattering. It does not sound like valve chatter + there is no miss. Any ideas????

 

[99UZJay]

Bump for help!!!!

 

[Brian894X4]

The engine is warm when you hear the rattle? Is the rattle heard at start up, right after start up or after it's been running for a while? How long does it last? Does it rattle at start up when the engine is cold or first thing in the morning?

 

[99UZJay]

Starts after it has warmed up, is constant but less noticeable when driving. When engine starts up it is not there, it starts ~ 1-2 min after start up.

 

[gotmud]

Only at idle, or a specific RPM range? In gear or neutral?

 

[99UZJay]

You hear it thru the low RPM's, but when it is driving you can't really hear much. When it takes off it kind of rattles a little, it is a head scratcher....

 

[sdbrassfield]

So you must be hearing it at idle too.?.This may sound funny, but check your o2 sensor heat shields. I had a loose one and it drove me crazy trying to find it...

 

[chitown40]

I know of this sound you speak of.

I believe my truck has it as well... you might say it has a slight diesel-sound only heard at idle or just above. Once at higher rpms, the engine sounds normal.

I have no answer for you, but I agree it is coming from the front of the engine. I've been searching for the cause of it for a year now -- but the truck runs great so I'm not overly concerned.

 

[Brian894X4]

Well that definately doesn't jive with the timing chain, so you can at least rest easy there. The timing would start to rattle at cold start up, sometimes warm start up, before oil pressure gets up to the top of the engine and starts to spray down the chain to quiet it down, when loose, stretched, worn tensioner or worn or busted guides.

Fortunately the 1fz doesn't seem to have many timing chain issues. I'm very familiar with this issue, however, being a former Toyota 22R owner.

 

[99UZJay]

Well it is still at the dealership, and I guess they will have some kind of answer for me soon I hope. Hopefully it isn't too bad due to the fact that I dropped 1500 on the engine, not to mention the man hours it takes to put one in a FZJ. Or maybe it'll drive forever with a weird chinky noise, who knows.

 

[nat88toy]

I know of this sound you speak of.

I believe my truck has it as well... you might say it has a slight diesel-sound only heard at idle or just above. Once at higher rpms, the engine sounds normal.

I have no answer for you, but I agree it is coming from the front of the engine. I've been searching for the cause of it for a year now -- but the truck runs great so I'm not overly concerned.

i know the sound you speak of, i was concerned also at first until i listened to 6 different 80's all with the same noise i believe it to be oil splashing around the upper pan

 

[99UZJay]

Ok, so toyota says it may be the snap ring around the cam gear? The timing chain was ok, but they replaced the chain, tensioner, slipper and guide. I am getting charged around 1k for the job, and the FSM says that timing chain replacment requires removing the head, they didn't do that. Should they have removed the head and replaced the gasket for 19hrs worth of labor?? Any more ideas concerning the noise? Like I said, they think it could have been something on the cam, and it is slipping within, not sure what else it could be....

 

[IdahoDoug]

Well, since there is no snap ring around the cam gear or anywhere under the cam cover for that matter, I think you misunderstood. The exhaust cam gear has a neat setup to reduce noise that essentially splits it in two and has a tensioner between the two - perhaps that's what they referred to?

I'll be curious if anything changes. Before you assess this, park it nose down a steep hill and listen to it idle, btw.

DougM

 

[99UZJay]

Would that rattle if it were messed up? Would that call for a complete R&R of the exhaust cam? What does pointing it downhill do?

 

[snowwolf]

Strange you mention about pointing the car downhill, the cold start up rattle on my car is not there if the car is pointing downhill when I start her up?

 

[99UZJay]

See mine is not there when I start up, but begins after it warms up a little, which doesn't make any sense to me or most mechanics I speak to.

 

[99UZJay]

So I took apart my old head and pulled the exhaust cam out to look at it. I had pulled it out to remove the old head from the block. I did noticed the split gear and the snap ring with crush washer was out of line on the old one. If the new one were out of line would you expect it to make noise when the engine is running? Also would the chain not keep it together? I am down to small things that might be making this rattle in the front of the engine, but am out of ideas. Anybody else got any good ideas? Also if that turned out to be the problem would it cause any long term damage, other than wearing the cam unusually fast?

 

[99UZJay]

Bump for help

 

[Eicca]

Doubleposting bumps don't work... Drives me insane.

Bump

 

[99UZJay]

How much noise could valves make? Would a valve adjustment be something one might do?