02 Jeep has developed a lifter tick.

[Chris142]

4.0 inline-6, 44K miles.

The Jeep engines have always been very noisey but reciently mine has developed a very audible valve tap.

It's definatly a stuck or sticky lifter since it happens at 1/2 engine speed.

Goes "Tack,Tack,Tack" at idle, real loud @ road speeds even with the radio on.

I'm running QS 10w-30 and only have 2300 miles on the oil and filter.

I bought some Rislone stuff...........Then came home and read about it here. Seems it's not a popular additive with BITOG people. I have not put it in yet.

Should I put it in and see what happens? Change the oil @ 3000 or now? Change my oil and filter now using Chevron or QS since I have 3 cases of each?

Or buy some Rotella, Delo etc and run that in hopes that the detergents will clean out the lifter?

Auto Rx? Seafoam? Marvel?

 

[Gilitar]

I would try Auto Rx. It's a long shot so don't expect it to fix the problem. You are probably going to have to end up having it worked on.

 

[Ramblin Fever]

Personally, I'd run either Rotella or Delo 5w-40 HDEO for a few cycles and see where that gets you.

I wouldn't readily choose to use an engine flush, but some do and have either had good results, or no changes at all.

 

[Gary Allan]

That's very young for a lifter tick. The sad thing about it is that you have to pull the head to replace the lifters (if that was necessary).

Are you sure this isn't something else? This has to be a very loud tick to be audible at road speed in the tin can body of a Wrangler.

Do you have any running problems (miss, etc.) with this noise? I would pull the valve cover and see if the bridged rockers look okay.

Although the 4.0/4.2 has a naturally noisy valve train/timing chain/etc. ..and they do develop lifter ticks frequently (they depend totally on lifter pump up for lash adjustment - there is no adjustment for preload at the rocker), it's not usually that pronounced a condition.

I would surely use AutoRx ..but I might also go with a heavier oil .just to see if it lessens the condition.

Timing chains can also make this sort of noise ..but, again, this engine is very young to be having this type of problem.

Since you bought it ...go ahead and throw the Rislone in. I'd just plan on using Auto-Rx on the next oil change ..and maybe a 40 weight (your climate looks good for it). I'll still say pull the valve cover (about 15 minutes - it has no special issues of obstruction).

 

[Chris142]

Gary.
It runs fine, just noisey. I had a 2.5L Jeep that had the same problem @ 66k. I replaced all 8 lifters in it w/o pulling the head. Is the 4.0 different?

I went ahead and dumped the Rislone in. It smells very strong

You know how BITOG members like to sniff oil.

I'm thinking of running down to the store and picking up some 15w-40. Then change the oil and filter this week.

 

[Triple_Se7en]

Let the Rislone do it's thing for a month. It resolved a lifter tick I had a few years ago. Did you buy the small concentrate or the liquid quart jug? I always buy the liquid & use the entire quart.

 

[Chris142]

Small jug of it.

 

[Gary Allan]

Yes, the 2.5 can be done without pulling the head. The 4.0 you can't

. I don't know how they managed this considering that they redesigned the 4.2 head to comform to the 2.5 head's superior flow characteristics ..and the 2.5 was based on the 4.2 block

. Then again, I don't know what made them hack the two wrong cylinders that made none of the transmissions compatable between the two engines either (among other things)

I have no doubts why AMC went down

.

Hopefully the chemical and viscosity changes will ease the problem. If so, then I think the investment in AutoRx is warranted.

 

[Ramblin Fever]

You know, at 44k miles, mind you I don't know a thing about the warranty on jeeps - but aren't you still covered under the powertrain original warranty?

 

[Chris142]

Well I went out last night and within 2 miles of home the noise went away. I don't think that the Rislone worked that fast.

When I left the engine had cooled so I'm thinking that the cold oil and higher oil pressure might have something to do with it. Maybe whatever it was got pushed out by the higher pressure?

I was definatly suprized since I was listening for the noise and it just went away suddenly.

Picked up some Rotella-T 15w-40 and I'll stick that in this week. The cases of Chevron and QS I already have will have to wait

If it comes back I'll definatly stick a screwdriver up to the injectors and take a listen there.

 

[Chris142]

Ramblin Fever
Member
Member # 7927

posted November 13, 2005 01:03 PM
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You know, at 44k miles, mind you I don't know a thing about the warranty on jeeps - but aren't you still covered under the powertrain original warranty?

When I bought the Jeep they were offering a 7/70K warranty. Last year I got a letter in the mail saying that they had dropped it back down to 3/36K.

I had some warranty work done @ 36,050 and they gave me some flack but I had made the appt before it hit 36K so it (sensor problem) was repaired.

 

[Gary Allan]

I bought my 02 just before they offered the 7/70. I wondered why the salesman was so keen on getting the deal completed that week. He probably got a $200 insentive for getting it in before (or they were taking a $200 hit if sold after).

I should have sensed his anxiety and exploited it ..but I didn't. I still saved about $2000 off of list

 

[99]

Before writing off a lifter just yet, it could be a fuel injector that is going bad. They WILL make a lifter-like rapping/tapping noise when this happens. I had it happen to a couple of mine (97 4.0). I was ready to tear into the engine when a buddy of mine told me to make sure the injectors weren't the cause. Sure enough...the #1 and #4 cylinder injectors were the cause. Hit them a few times with a screwdriver handle and the noise went away. Prior to this I was 100% convinced the noise was a rocker or lifter going south. The rapping eventually came back so I just replaced all of the injectors. It's been fine for a couple of years now. I got my Bosch D9Bs from Bruce at
http://www.fiveomotorsport.com/Injector_Sets.asp

Edit-Also make sure the water pump, power steering pump and/or serpentine belt tensioner pulley aren't the causes either. There's so much going on in such a confined area that it's kind of tough to determine where the noise is really coming from.

 

[Rhinebeck]

Good Morning...hey, before you do any lifter work...check the little back box mounted on the top of the left wheel well. This is some kind of emissions valve and the ticking it can make sounds just like lifter problems. Just put your ear near it and it will be unmistakable. I replaced mine and and got ride of my tick. Just a thought. Good Luck...

 

[Ramblin Fever]

Also, don't know if you have an EGR valve - if you do, clean/check it, it too will sound like a lifter tick.

 

[99]

No EGR on Jeep 4.0s. The only emissions equipment they have are a catalytic converter(s) and the fuel vapor recovery system (that black canister setup on the left fender.) Some would say the CCV, Jeep's version of a PCV, could also be an emissions part depending on how you look at it.

Jeep/Dodge killed off the 7/70 warranty because the consumers didn't want it-they claimed it wasn't a value added feature or some crap like that. Dodge promptly responded by dropping it back down to 3/36. We have our fellow "Jeepers" to blame for that.

 

[MNgopher]

'87-90 4.0's have an EGR (not that it matters in this particular case). These engines have the Renix fuel injection system with an EGR and a knock sensor, which were both dropped with the switch to a Chrysler system in the '91 model year.

 

[tenderloin]

Leave the Rislone in for at least 700 miles then drain and refill with your oil of choice. Should be good to go, in many instances the stuff works

Reason I say at least 700 miles is on their web site the chart used to show cleaning, it has the majority of cleaning done in approximately 700 miles.

http://www.rislone.com/engine-data.htm

I used it for years pouring in the "add anytime" formula at least 700 miles before an oil change.

[ November 15, 2005, 05:48 PM: Message edited by: tenderloin ]

 

[Chris142]

I panicked and changed the oil yesterday morning. It got Rotella 15w/40 and a ST8A clicker filter.

I cHanged it out because the click went away the 1st day I put the stuff in and I just don't like having additives in there.

Seems to run smoother with the Rotella though.

 

[Jerry]

Had same issue on 01 4.0 @65K miles, one treatment of auto-rx did the trick. Quieted them down with in a few hundred miles of dosage. Have ran various dinos 5w-30 and 10w-40 and thing has been real nice sounding since now at 84K miles.