Been hearing some noise at front of engine.
Removed serpentine belt to eliminate the possibility of noisy accessories.
Noise is still there. Was thinking it was going to be timing belt / water pump related (bearing, tensioner etc.) Traced noise to driver side, near cam cover (using heater hose "stethescope").
Pulled plastic front cam cover and fired up engine again. Placed hose close to void and was fully expecting to hear noise coming up from behind timing cover. Did not hear much at all. Noise appears to be loudest right near cam gear itself.
Was thinking it might be something to do with cap/rotor on that side but not getting much feed back from there.
Comes through the loudest with the listening device right up over the cam gear.
Has kind of a metallic (bearing on the way out) sound to it but I could be mistaken.

Does this sound familiar to anyone?

 

Firstly, is is nearly impossible to diagnose engine noise location with a stethoscope or any other method. Many people have tried and failed. Post a video otherwise we'll be making wild guesses.

 

Has the timing belt/water pump maintenance been done? Have the cam seals been done? Is it possible that the bolt that holds on the cam gear has become loose?

 

That's interesting because I've done it quite a few times. Just can't quite pinpoint this one.

 

Yes, back in 2014. Mileage in nowhere near the next interval though. Pretty sure the cam seal was done on that side for sure as the cam was removed for another reason. Also quite some time ago (8-9 years approx). And no "noise" from that area up until very recently. Interesting thought on that bolt coming loose. Anything is possible.

 

The user manual will tell you the recommended interval for the timing belt is 90k miles, or every 6 years, whichever comes first. And as I'm sure you know, that service is not just about the belt. Plenty of people pull out 10+ year old belts that look pretty good. It's also about the pulleys, the water pump and everything else you also replace as part of the kit.

So, by the book, you're overdue for a timing belt service by several years. Whether that 6 year interval is excessive or not I'm not here to judge, that is an endless internet debate. However, my opinion is: I trust the Toyota engineers with degrees in mechanical engineering more than I trust people on the internet "I went 12 years and my car is fine" survivorship bias. Judging by the quality of the rest of the car, the Toyota guys seem to know what they're doing.

As for your noises, Lex2k is right. You need to post a video with the best audio you can capture. Without one, we're just blindly guessing.

What "other reason" was the cam removed for? That seems relevant if that's also the side that may be making noise. What work has been done to that bank of the engine?

 

Noisy lifter (follower). Fairly common on these. Intake followers for back three cylinders replaced. This was done even before the last timing belt job. Engine dead quiet for 10+ years. I would be surprised if this had something to do with it but anything is possible I suppose. Diagnosed as a rotational noise ... so not followers or valves directly.