rattle??

90' 4.0 aw4 242 almost all stock motor (cai)

so its done it since i got it but i finally am thouroughly bugged by it and want to get an idea of why it does it. when it gets somewhere above 3k rpm it gets this rattle sound for a sec right befor shifting only. ive had it run up a hill at 4k rpm steady and it doesnt do it. seems to only be befor it shifts. reminds me of lifter chatter but doesnt make sense to be lifter chatter. flex plate or something along those lines maybe? i will say when i first did my oil change i swear i didnt hear it for a day but its definately there again so im not sure

EDIT: forgot to mention that i also hear it for a second when it does its rev when it starts

flexplate bolts are a good start. is it definitely coming from the engine? could it be an exhaust clearence issue somewhere?

ever weirder than our screen names is that our jeeps are almost alike as well. mine is a 4.0, aw4, 242 also. yours a white laredo? haha

na shes a white limited, my last one was a red loredo but 4.0 ax15 231. how big is your xj? im on 6" lift 33s and cragar soft 8s, i want to see how twin like we really are

also im not possitive that its from the engine, but being that it does it in park on start up im thinkin its probly lifters now that i put 2 and 2 together(that ='s 5). maybe ill get up some motivation tomorrow and take my valve cover off and have a look see whats goin on under there

hmm could be. i have found that since i started using lucas oil stabilizer i no longer get any top end noise. i used to get the occassional ticking on start up. i would think the flex plate bolts would be easier to check first

mine is lifted about 5.5" and on soft 8's too.

o shat twin names and xj's. ill probly start with flex plate bolts just cuz ya never know if theyre loose. still might just go ahead and take the valve cover off, im curious to see if my motors clean inside or all sludgey. probly do these tomorrow since im off work and post up my results