Bad lifter noise!

[CaliXJ]

Ok so over the passed few weeks i've had this ticking / lifter noise and now its just getting out of control. I NEED HELP!! I know engine noises on the net are sometimes hard to hear but you can't miss this one. When it starts ticking it gradually gets louder. Then when you think it can't get any louder it just stops for a few seconds and starts again. Oil pressure is good. (have mechanical gauge to check) and doesn't do it all the time. I am running 10-40 Royal Purple with one qt. MMO sub.
It's a 91 HO with 95K on the ODOM. Tell me what you all think.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PMx_bXMmxu4

Starting to sound like a diesel jetta.:smsoap:

 

[winterbeater]

Have you checked the torque convertor/flex plate bolts?

 

[CaliXJ]

Have you checked the torque convertor/flex plate bolts?

I have and there all tight. When i open the oil fill cap the sound in consistant with the movement of the rocker arms. Gonna pull the valve cover and check the torque on the rocker arm bolts.

 

[CaliXJ]

:helpme:

 

[JJacobs]

Sounds (and acts) like a sticky lifter.

 

[CaliXJ]

well ok.... What would be a recommendation for a fix?

 

[garr]

How long have you been running the Royal Purple?
My Jeeps lifter noise seemed to get louder when I used Royal Purple, Then I swapped to Mobil 1 & It quieted down.
I know its strange, but who knows!

 

[CaliXJ]

Haven't run it for to long and i actually went back to Valvoline Full syth. tonight. I thought i might have been the RP to. Kinda shot myself in the foot using it. I also have a 04 KJ and used RP in it once to. Same situation there to... I'm sure it's great stuff but i'm beginning to think that it's just not made for jeeps. After the oil change tonight..... Problem still there. Maybe my 25 mi. drive to work will change that though?

 

[JJacobs]

Fix for noisy, stuck lifters is replace and inspect associated components. Head has to come off for that.

I would never bother with Royal Purple. It's a Jeep, not a race car. I've personally seen RP add power, but I've also heard of a lot of race engines blowing up with it.

 

[skylinergtr]

does it tick all the time or after its warmed up? mine is ticking exactly the same way however it doesnt tick until the engine is full warmed up. driveability/performance has not changed.

 

[CaliXJ]

does it tick all the time or after its warmed up? mine is ticking exactly the same way however it doesnt tick until the engine is full warmed up. driveability/performance has not changed.

X2 I mean it ticks alittle in the morning but what XJ doesn't? But after its warm :wierd:. Changed oil last night and seemed to be a little better when i got to work.

 

[98 jeepjeep]

i also had bad lifter noise...sounded like a diesel....i Replaced mine.

Some Were Dead! when i say dead the spring inside would"nt even hold the plunger at the top of the lifter...

 

[jeepman121]

Sorry, but that's a collapsed lifter. Yank the head and replace them all.

 

[jeepman121]

FYI Royal Purple is a good choice, but expensive. It has ZDDP (zinc) which our flat tappet camshafts need. Only a few other oils have the 1100 ppm that the 4.0 need. I use Rotella 15w-40. ($20 an oil change)

Newer cars have roller cams which don't need zinc. Also, they found that zinc causes the cat converters to not be effective. - Not that they clog, they just don't trap pollutants as well.

 

[xjbubba]

With 95K miles, a well-taken care of engine probably wouldn't have excessively "ticky" lifters; But since yours does, you could try one of those "stop noisy lifter" concoctions; sometimes they work-- if not only temporarily.
Next option, remove and replace the lifters(including the cam, etc). But if you're going to do that, I'd rebuild the engine, or consider a replacement.
My '88 4.0L had 85K miles or so when a couple of lifters started ticking. The off-the-shelf cure cleared it up for the most part. But an inspection of the valve train indicated a poorly taken care of engine by the previous owner. I found an unbelievable amount of sludge around the valve springs, inside the valve cover, etc.
Not long after, the compression rings on one cylinder broke, forcing me into action. Since I'd already decided to swap engines, but not "this week", I pulled the lifters, while doing a "ring and bearings" replacement, and thoroughly cleaned them by completely disassembling and soaking the parts in "parts dip".
They worked fine, and were relatively quite over the next 4-5K miles I drove the engine, before dropping in the SBC; however, the bottoms of the lifters shown excessive wear, as did the cam lobes. If I had intended to keep that engine, I would have put new lifters and cam into it.

 

[CaliXJ]

Thank you all for you thoughts on this.... After the oil change last night it seemed to quiet things down alot. Gonna look in to the things suggested aswell. Hoping that i won't puke it's guts out any time soon. It will have to wait to be torn apart for a replacment.

 

[98 jeepjeep]

as long as the foot of the Flat tappet Lifters isnt scored or pitted...I see no Reason why New ones cant be installed over the old cam....I havnt had any issues yet.