lifter clatter....

My 00' XJ 4.0 has a worsening lifter clatter problem. Use to be on really cold days or sitting for long periods upon start up it would have lifter clatter for a few seconds. Yesterday it decides to get much worse. Clatter now lasts for a few minutes. I changed the oil and filter, still the same. I started using MMO on the last oil change thinking I might be developing a sticky lifter. Maybe I have since washed away the grime that kept it working. Either way is there anything else that could be causing lifter clatter aside from faulty lifters? I pulled the pan last year and checked bearings still look good, cleaned about a 1" of sludge off of the bottom of the pan, new pump and pickup. maybe the pickup screen is getting clogged again? The oil press seems fine, does take a few seconds to come up to normal, about 45-50 cold at idle, 13ish hot idle. The pressure hasnt changed recently or with this worsened clatter.

1" of sludge from the pan? Wow.

The pickup could be lose in the pump letting it pull air in. I have also ran into an issue where a standard flow and high flow pump would hit the block, lifting it off its mating surface. 13psi hot idle is a bit concerning.

Talyn said:

1" of sludge from the pan? Wow.

The pickup could be lose in the pump letting it pull air in. I have also ran into an issue where a standard flow and high flow pump would hit the block, lifting it off its mating surface. 13psi hot idle is a bit concerning.

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That 13 psi is right at FSM minimum. (old school rule of thumb is 10 psi at idle, 10 psi per 1000 rpm)

Ok. Oil make, viscosity? Oil filter make?

I agree with Talyn, if you put in a high-volume pump (recommended) you may not have a tight mating surface.

Did you really have to fight and bang on it to install the pickup tube to the pump? You should have had to fight it. Was it a new pickup tube? I have reused them on my personal vehicles but only after resizing the tube for an extremely tight fit.

Even if he banged on it it may not have gone in straight and is lose. I had that happened once.

BTW, how do you resize the tube?

Talyn said:

Even if he banged on it it may not have gone in straight and is lose. I had that happened once.

BTW, how do you resize the tube?

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Round stock locked in a vise, drive the tube over it enough to expand it after heating it slightly.

Not something I would do with a customer's vehicle, but it has worked for me in a pinch a couple of times.

Using 10-40 Valvoline 1qt MMO, napa gold filter, Im pretty sure I got the pickup in right used a open end wrench with a hammer to bang it on and it was a biotch to get on. Thing that makes me think sticky lifter is the off and on nature of the clatter. At the third day it stopped. That MMO could be doing its job, I may wait till it acts up again to tear motor apart. MMO may free the lifter/lifters for good, but they could be bleeding down too if worn.

Oh and it was a new pick up and its a std volume, I asked here if I should go hv and everyone said no.

I recently replaced an engine with a bad lifter/cam (?). When I removed the NAPA GOLD filter, it was empty. I expect to make a little mess changing the filter.

The replacement filter seems to be holding pressure overnight.

milehigh said:

Oh and it was a new pick up and its a std volume, I asked here if I should go hv and everyone said no.

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Did you have to clearance the pan for the pump body or the pickup?

mike hows it going? always heard napa was a good filter, hope that hasnt changed. Mine always has fluid in it, I tried for awhile with another filter but nothing changed. Seems to be very temp dependent or viscosity dependent. No, no clearancing required.

Napa is a good filter. You just need to make sure you use the correct part number with an anti-drainback valve. For the price, it is hard to beat a Motorcraft filter. They have all the good stuff inside and are just about the least expensive filter on the market. Plus if you use the FL1A it has a bigger capacity than the stock filter.

I think its the right one, its what they have listed for a 00' xj gold series, 1085 I think. Really a FL-1A fits!, lol, thats what my galaxie(FE) uses. They are good filters.

milehigh said:

I think its the right one, its what they have listed for a 00' xj gold series, 1085 I think. Really a FL-1A fits!, lol, thats what my galaxie(FE) uses. They are good filters.

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Ya as long as you have the 3/4" thread on the oil filter mount. If yours is the horizontal then you might have clearance issues.

milehigh said:

mike hows it going? always heard napa was a good filter, hope that hasnt changed.

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I hope so as well. I don't blame the filter for the problem.

You otter give me a hollar some time. The RMFTC crew is having a meet-n-greet up here on Sunday.

Im guessing that was last sunday? I decided to take a break from school for awhile so I will have some free time on my hands. Gotta finish that front axle first. Will have to do some wheelin next year, didnt do any this year.