#Ticking noise problem - Toyota Corolla AE101 1996 4AGE 20v

I have been getting ticking noise whenever the engine is in underload.. Here are the scenarios:

The ticking noise only happens when the engine is at operating temp or at least near it. These scenarios don't happen if I drive it cold to warm it up.. It also only happens when in gear.

1st gear, rolling 10kph and sudden fully throttle, it would tick from 1k-2.5k rpm
Rolling 20kph, 2nd gear and half throttle at around 1k-2k rpm would make the same noise
Uphill where I apply moderate amount of throttle to accelerate would tick
When lugging the engine like 20kph at 3rd gear then going half throttle (I know this bad, but its just an example to show that it only happens underload)

This never happens when in neutral, revving it from 1k-2k, and even 3k to redline, I also tried it coasting, it doesnt happen.. It

What I tried:
Changing gear oil, engine oil, clutch fluid..

Try tightening the bolts, a component could be slightly loose

Possible you got some pinging? Try a tank of higher octane fuel, at least as a diagnostic test. If it goes away with the high test stuff, it’s pinging and you should look at your timing.

If something is loose, then wouldnt revving when coasting would produce the same noise? It wasnt doing that noise when I tested that

Would try, just gotta wait til I almost empty my tank

Though if it was pinging, why would it produce the noise when underload but not in neutral?

That was actually my clue. Pinging usually presents itself when it’s under load and at temp

That's interesting..
I could check my timing today but I still have 3/4 of fuel.. Do I really need to check timing after I change to higher octane fuel?

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Oh no, fuel was just my lazy way of checking. You can check timing if you already know how (I’m not sure on this engine)

Only if you drop it

Cars of that year that require 93 will explode on 87

Running at 95 RON at the moment..
Not sure what its equivalent in a different rating

Slr
Just wanted to say that the timing was way off, it was at 25 degrees..

After changing it to 10, it was still pinging, went fot 12, still the same.. and 16 was also still the same.. going any lower didnt have any effects too

The first couple replies here have some good info on setting timing - including a reference to hampering a check connector. https://www.toyotanation.com/threads/ignition-timing-4-4age.280637/

Set it according to those specs and then we will at least know it’s correct and if it’s still pinging we continue to troubleshoot

I’m also interested in how it got so far off

I think that's basically what we did, we first make sure that we are at diagnostic mode (TE1 to E1) when setting the timing.. which should be at 10

from what I gathered on the internet, the standard is 10, but can go from 12 to 16

Ok, next up: is this engine stock/unmodified, and does it have the correct heat range of spark plugs? Or maybe pull and plug and see what part number it is, verify it’s what the parts books call for. Can inspect condition of the plug for clues too.

https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mbworld.org-vbulletin/1092x1020/spark_plug_condition_chart_1_6e20be2ceb61e4fd03636c3096a2e0170486ea3a.png

my engine (SVT) is stock but using blacktop electronics in order to run open itbs.. but the thing is, it ran perfectly fine til one day it became like that
I dont remember what plugs its currently using but it from what I recall when I pulled it, it looked like this on all plugs

It’s probable whatever the condition is that’s causing this, has been gradually worsening but the the timing had enough margins for error that it didn’t start pointing until the condition got bad enough. That’s why you got a “suddenly started doing this.” But you said something interesting: what is the recommended fuel for the black top engine?

I think it should be 100 octane, that is Japanese fuel..
tho, my friends and local mechanics told me that in our fuel, 95 should be enough for it.. Surely enough when I switched nothing much happened.. unless this was it

You have a timing light?

Good deal

Japan uses RON, which sounds like what you’re using, and if the engine electronics are from an engine that uses 100 RON, that’s what you should be running. Having said that, you have a few options. Pull the head and decarbonize the combustion chambers (slow carbon buildup reduces the volume inside the cylinders which gradually raises compression over time). Increase your cooling capacity. Reduce your timing even more. Use colder plugs. Run higher octane fuel. Or revert it to stock.

Since this worked ok when it was first put together, let’s focus on what can have changed, I’d service the cooling system first, it’s possible it’s not working quite as well as it used to, putting it juuuuuuust over the threshold where you’re getting pinging. If not that, decarbonize.

What’s SVT?

Slr,
SVT is silvertop

Anyway, Ill try to revert back to higher octane. Might take awhile because of how much fuel is still in the tank, ill just accelerate slower for a mean time so it doesnt ping..

The timing, not so sure since when we lowered it, nothing happened much when driving it..

Been thinking of replacing this engine anyway, just wanted it to run okay before I sell it..

For the sparkplug.. I need a new set of tool.. I tried to remove one earlier, my socket from the rachet came off and got stuck inside the hole.. took a good 10 minutes of removing it..

Tho from what I recall, the previous owner of the car changed it so it should be good unless he bought a wrong set of sparkplug..

The heat range I should be aiming for this engine is 6 (NGK heat range rating)

I think I blew the engine lol

Cylinder 2, oil fouled

The rings are broken.. the rest of the cylinders are fine

My friend noticed it started to blow blue smoke at higher rpms

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Oh boy. Good find, bad news. Sorry to hear that!

Yeah... Anyway, just confirmed the sparkplugs are the right heatrange for the engine..

No use finding the reason of pinging. I gotta get this engine rebuilt or swap in a better one. Thanks for the support!

Rebuild it yourself

I dont have the tools for it

Compression test is in order.

You could have blown valve stem seals.

Just had a leakdown test an hour ago.
we confirmed that air was leaking thru the rings cause we can hear it through the dipstick.. Tho we did hear also leaking in the exhaust valve, but that's on cylinder 3

Oh snap. Yeah time for a rebuild. You should invest in some tools. Don’t need anything special to do a rebuild honestly.

You can take the head to a machine shop and they can verify if the head is square, fix and valve seating issues, install new valve stems, etc etc