[kathyricks]

All Toyota / Lexus V8's have adjustable mechanical valve lifters (except the 2007 on up Tundra 5.7 liter V8 & 2006 on up Lexus 4.6 liter V8) and your Scheduled Maintenance Guide calls for an "audible valve clearance inspection" every 60,000 miles.

Three caveats:

1) Fuel injector ticking noise and exhaust manifold leak ticking noise are commonly mistaken for valve lifter ticking noise. So the concerned owner should listen to another 2UZ-FE V8 to see if it makes the same ticking noise when the engine is cold and warm or is quieter.

2) The valve clearances rarely ever get out of adjustment on the Toyota V8's, even after 200,000 miles. And a valve with a too loose clearance will tick when the engine is warm as well as cold.

3) Considerable labor is required to check the valve clearances and alot more to adjust any clearances if necessary (because camshaft removal is required). For these reasons, Toyota advises doing only a no cost (or low cost) audible clearance check every 60,000 miles; i.e. a valve with an overly loose clearance will tick when the engine is warm as well as cold. So if an owner notices a tick only when the engine is cold, it is nothing to worry about as it does not mean the clearance is too loose. However, if the cold engine ticking noise is something new that the owner never heard before, the owner should have the truck checked for a possible exhaust manifold gasket leak.

The owner should also be alert for abnormal engine vibration at idle; i.e. if the V8 engine shakes a bit instead of being buttery smooth, it might mean some valves have developed overly tight clearances (tight valves will be quiet). But again, it is rare for the clearances on the Toyota V8's to ever get out of adjustment unless the engine has been subjected to some kind of trauma like overheating or driving a long time with the engine missing and misfiring due to ignition system problems, etc.