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Narrow down my ticking(seems to be going around)

iwannadie

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Gilbert, Az
97 4.0 auto 4x4 all in good order no issues running and driving. Ran castrol high mileage for 10+ years and last year switched to Rotella, always ran napa gold filter. As a result of the tick I ran MMO this oil change but have yet to try the rev trick to free the lifter. I thought since it is onlt at start up it is not sticking?

I have a loud tick on cold start ups. Driving increases the speed of the tick until it can't be herd over engine noise. It will go away in about 1-2 minutes. Sitting and idling it can't really be herd and if I idle it for 1-2 minutes before driving the tick will barely be there. Revving while in park will cause it but is hard to hear over the fan(zj clutch). Starting the engine and hearing the tick, shutting off and restarting result in no change. Warm starts have no tick or very minor.

Oil pressure sender is about 2 years old, oem part. My oil pressure at idle flutters up and down a little bit. While driving also flutters, in both cases it is minor. Crusing on stock gauge it goes from half between 40 to the next mark and back, actually maybe less, it is a minor fluctuation but it is there and I don't remember it there before the tick.

I am thinking the lifter is bleeding off oil due to a failing oil pump also causing pressure fluctuation, my pump is factory original with 213k miles on it. I haven't hooked up a mechanical pressure gauge to confirm the stock gauge.

Anything else I should look at or suspect?
 
Have you tried using a mechanic's stethoscope, or a piece of heater hose, to listen to and locate the location of the tick?
Ticks can be caused by many things.
My 2001 eats cam synchronizer drives, where it engages the cam and oil pump.
A new one will be quiet for, maybe, a thousand miles, then the tick returns.
It gets quieter as the engine warms up.
Same thing can happen to a distributor drive.
 
I tried to shut off and restart, no change.

I had more time today to look at it. The tick at idle is unrelated(noisey injector). I can not get the ticking while in park ideling so I am back to square one.

It starting to sound rotational like something hitting the fan blade/or flex plate that type of thin metal tick, tick, tick. I pulled the transmission inspection cover and no sign of trouble there. No cracks that I could see, bolts were all tight. I may leave the cover off and drive it and see if the noise is louder. I have no transmission issues, fluid is good, I have a temp gauge and it operates as it always has.

I followed the axles both directions, nothing near them that could be making contact. Differentials have good fluid. Didnt check the tcase but will I guess.

Summary:
Rotational tick at cold start up only while driving(forward or reverse) that goes away in under 2 minutes.
 
I checked some stuff today after work.

Started and put in drive and caused the tinking. Drove forward with tinking and shifted to N, no effect(same sound). Then while in N I reved the engine, no change(same tinking at same speed). Seems that shows it is not engine related?

Stopped and shifted to Reverse and while backing up same tinking.

I swear it is coming from front passenger side. After it sits over night I will jack it up and spin the wheels and listen. Also, check ujoints on the axles and driveshafts and give everything around the wheels a good check.

This has me stumped and annoyed it goes away so fast and only while driving I have a small window to chase it. Next step will be up on jack stands while someone "drives" it while I listen.
 
Then again, it can't be anything axle related because it goes away when I idle in park. Transmission then, it has to be hmm.
Sorry thinking out loud. :gag:
 
I took some time to check over things and found my front passenger axle shaft ujoint is bad and has play. It fits the location(front left) and seems to fit the type of sound(I think it is vibrating the brake dust shield). However it makes no sense that if I sit at idle for 2 minutes before driving I get no sound. How can sitting at idle have an effect on the ujoint making noise?

I am replacing the ujoint regardless and will see hopefully soon enough if that is my cause or not but it seems weird to me and doesn't line up.
 
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