sovietlexus Posted July 21, 2005 Posted July 21, 2005 ok heres the deal, after i changed the oil for the first time after i bought a 1993 es300, the engine started making a grinding/ticking sound every 1-2 seconds..... i figured that the guy whom sold it to me poured in thicker oil for it to go away and some sucker to come along and buy it. well i did....now ive searched through here and found it might be the valve clearance. anyone have a step by step guide with pictures by any chance, also what tools are needed. I have a lot of time on my hands so trial and error isn't a problem for me. thanks B)
sovietlexus Posted July 21, 2005 Author Posted July 21, 2005 btw toyota quoted me $800 and lexus quoted $1000+
monarch Posted July 21, 2005 Posted July 21, 2005 Search the LS400 forum using "valve clearance" as your search words and you will find alot of info including links to 1 or 2 websites that cover the procedure for the '90-'97 LS400. The early-mid 1990's ES300 has a very similar valvetrain, but there are no step-by-step websites / tutorials available. The procedure is also covered in the factory manual. If you do have alot of time on your hands it would be best to practice the procedure on a junked early 90's V6 Camry that you can probably find in a local self service auto junk yard.
sovietlexus Posted July 21, 2005 Author Posted July 21, 2005 hmm...if i do decide to leave it alone, how long can this last me?
monarch Posted July 22, 2005 Posted July 22, 2005 You said "a grinding/ticking sound every 1-2 seconds" Actually, this noise you are hearing may not be due to loose valve clearances because loose valves on Toyota / Lexus engines result in MULTIPLE TICKS PER SECOND. Although it's common for the Lexus V8 to have some valves with loose clearances after 75,000 miles, I can't remember a single post from a V6 owner complaining of ticking noises due to loose valve clearances. Some V6 owners have hear ticking noises caused by the fuel injectors and they are normal and unharmful. As a rule, it's normal for a Toyota engine to have a bit more audible mechanical noise after an oil change which gradually subsides as the oil gradually gets dirty again.
Toysrme Posted July 22, 2005 Posted July 22, 2005 It's not valve ticking. The valvetrain rotates at a bare minimum of 350rpm. Toyota's modern hydraulic bucket lifters can easily go a half million miles without needing the bucket shims to be replaced. Stick your head in the engine bay and find where the noise is comming from with your ear.
monarch Posted July 22, 2005 Posted July 22, 2005 They're mechanical lifters, not hydraulic. So that means they are not self adjusting which is why Toyota specifies a valve clearance check a minimum of every 60,000 miles. Although the clearances may stay within specs for 300,000+ miles on a perfectly maintained and unmodded engine, most of the early 90's Lexus owners on this forum bought their cars used and that means the clearances could have gotten out of spec due to the prior owners poor preventive maintenance habits, overheatiing, engine mods, etc. Stick your head in the engine bay and find where the noise is comming from with your ear. ←
sovietlexus Posted July 22, 2005 Author Posted July 22, 2005 ok i did and the noise is coming just to the right of where the timing belt "holder thing" is.....the sound is getting worse.....it sounds like if you put a plastic pen in a house fan. like in and out.
sovietlexus Posted July 22, 2005 Author Posted July 22, 2005 ok i have a picture of where its coming from.....btw today the sound is significantly less......i donno when i changed the oil they suggested prolong so i put that in there. maybe its working?
sovietlexus Posted July 23, 2005 Author Posted July 23, 2005 ok its getting worse and when i say worse its all the time now.......gets louder and faster as i rev the engine...i dont like this.......opinions?
monarch Posted July 24, 2005 Posted July 24, 2005 The location of the noise is around the rear cylinder head. Maybe one of the three spark plugs in the rear head has come loose and the noise is air escaping because it wasn' tightened correctly. But there are other possibilities so it looks like you should pay a Toyota dealer to diagnose the noise. If the diagnosis sounds fishy and costly, get a second opinion for a second dealer or Toyota specialty shop.
sovietlexus Posted July 24, 2005 Author Posted July 24, 2005 so maybe not the vlaves? okay first thing int he morning im going
sovietlexus Posted July 26, 2005 Author Posted July 26, 2005 ok so i went toa reliable mechanic.......it was the water pump ....can u beeleive that? anyway while he was there he changes timing, tensioner, and 2 holding thingies i forgot what their called.......$400.....pfffttt....and you guys said valves...
Toysrme Posted July 26, 2005 Posted July 26, 2005 To clarify... Both myself and Monarch told you it wouldn't be the valvetrain. You said it was the valves. I can believe it's the waterpump. The mechanic is talking aout the idler pullies. He's buying you the full timing belt kit & replacing the pump. Not just the belt and pump. $400 is actually a pretty good deal. He's not making any more profit than he should be. Call around if you want, but you're not going to find better. He's doing this plus changing the water pump. Which... is a pain in the !Removed!. I wouldn't do that at the house for less than $450 if you asked me to LoL!
mscott Posted July 27, 2005 Posted July 27, 2005 Dude, I paid $1250 for that service on a '97 in January. Consider yourself lucky on your choice of professionals, provided the work is solid...
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