Small Tick in 4.0L Jeep

[racer12306]

We picked up a 2002 Jeep Grand Cherokee with 86k miles with the 4.0L in it. Everything sounded good at the time of purchase. I checked the oil and it looked pretty dark, but not excessive. But since the service indicator was saying that service was due, I changed the oil. I used Castrol GTX 10w30 and a Purolator PureOne PL14670 oil filter.

I noticed when I was resetting the service indicator that it was set for 7500 mile oil change intervals. So, I am going to assume that it has had 7500 mile oil changes its entire life, and probably with conventional oil. I believe I took a Valvoline filter off of it so it was probably serviced at a quick lube its entire life.

Now with fresh clean oil it is making a nice little tick, what sounds like a lifter tick. It is not there 100% of the time. It likes to go away every now and again but a min or so later it comes back. So far this has been an idle and off-idle tick. When you get the engine up to speed, >1500ish rpm, it goes away. Or its too quiet to hear.

I know the PureOne filter is a superb filter, but it has been known to be a little lower on the flow numbers than others. I am wondering if I should put a higher flowing filter like a Purolator Premium Plus on it, or if going straight to Auto-RX would be the better option. I know the cheaper option would be to put the Purolator Premium Plus filter on it.

Also, if there is room would it be beneficial to run the taller filter that was commonly used on the 4.9L, 5.0L and 5.8L Fords. I know the Fram number is PH8A, but I would get the Purolator version of it.

And for those interested, I am planning on changing the oils in the front and rear diffs, as well as the transfer case, transmission (with filter), coolant, thermostat and maybe a couple other things, I have a list at home.

Your input is appreciated.

 

[D189379]

Are you sure there wasn't a tick before you changed the oil? It's pretty common for the 4.0 to have a bit of lifter tick now and then. I don't see why changing the oil would change anything.

In regards to the oil filter, I use a 5.0 mustang filter on my Jeep without incident. It's nice to have a bit more capacity.

 

[Schmoe]

The 4.0's here at work have that same thing.

 

[Brian Barnhart]

A couple other things to check (that may sound like lifter noise).

1) Distributor (if so equipped)
2) Evap. Canister Air purge solenoid.

Both of these have made lifter like noise on my 1996 4.0L. In my case, I notice the solenoid noise primarily in cold weather (below freezing). It’s also worth noting that the solenoid noise doesn’t vary with engine speed. I don’t recall the exact nature of the distributor noise (I just remember that replacing it eliminated a noise until the solenoid noise started).

Of course, there is no reason why these problems would suddenly appear after an oil change. Is it possible that you are listening more closely now?

I’ve tried several different filters on the 4.0, including PPP, Pure1, Frams, Mopar, Wix/Napa, Mobil1, and ST, and have noticed no difference with regard to engine noise (though I personally prefer a filter with a front end bypass).

I also recall some lifter like noise when I used some 5W50 Castrol Syntec several years ago. Other than some minor cold engine noise, the engine is now very quiet when warm with 10W30 (mostly M1, PP, or Havoline Dino (no Castrol)) or Rotella T syn.

Mobil 1 ATF has worked well for me in the transfer case. I also use Mobil 1 75W90 gear lube in the front diff. Have always used (with success) Mopar with Mopar limited slip additive in my LS rear diff. Mine's a manual so I have no recommendation for the auto trans.

I drain the radiator and clean the reservoir bottle about every other year and add new coolant (never flushed). Thermostat never changed.

 

[racer12306]

Thanks for the info.

I am pretty sure that the tick was not there. I was not present when the vehicle was purchased, my fiance and her dad was. She probably would assume that it would be normal if she heard it from day one, but she asked me about it. I didn't notice it prior to the oil change, but did after, as did she.

The 02's no longer have distributors. And this tick has been noticed in 60+*F weather.

How loud was the solenoid tick? Was it noticeable at engine speeds >2000 rpm?

What would be a filter with a front end bypass?

I was planning on sticking with ATF+4 for both the trans and the transfer case. Both the front and rear are recommended to use 75w140. I was going to get some Redline for both of those. Its crazy that Redline is $9/qt and AMSOIL is $13, Mobil 1 is $15, even SuperTech is $10.

For coolant I was planning on Zerex G-05, as it came with the Mopar HOAT coolant.

 

[ZJ JIM 96]

You seem like you'd know the difference, so this is not meant as an insult, but are you sure the tick is not coming from a slight crack in the exhaust manifold? I'm not sure if it was still a problem in the 2002, but I know the 93-98 models would often crack. I replaced mine with a Doug Thorley header, but I certainly remember the original tick sounding like you're describing.

The oil filter I use is the Wix 51515/NAPA 1515MP, which is the extended filter spec'd for the Ford 5.0 engine. If you were soliciting recommendations for the other fluids, I went with Redline 75-140 in the diffs, Zerex G-05 in the cooling system, and Valvoline in the transmission.

If you're not already aware, a lot of good info on Grand Cherokees can be found at the following links:
http://www.wjjeeps.com/jmenu.htm
http://www.nagca.com/nagca.htm
http://www.jeepsunlimited.com/forums/for...&forumid=51
http://www.mallcrawlin.com/forum/index.php
http://www.jeep4.0performance.4mg.com/

 

[racer12306]

No insult taken. I never thought of it being an exhaust leak. I am familiar with those, we had a nice little exhaust leak on our race car that I thought was a tick until my dad showed me so now I am pretty aware of those. I will take a look at that.

Thanks for the other links, I already knew about wjjeeps and jeepsunlimited.

 

[Brian Barnhart]

Quote:

---

How loud was the solenoid tick? Was it noticeable at engine speeds >2000 rpm?

---

Loud enough to be heard inside my regular Cherokee at idle and slightly above, perhaps up to 1500 rpm. Above that other noise masks it or it went away (not sure which). I can touch the thing and feel it tapping to the sound. On my '96 the solenoid is mounted on pass side near heater valve, but could be completely different on your newer Grand. Could even be an entirely different type evap system.

Quote:

---

What would be a filter with a front end bypass?

---

Wix/Napa, some/most Mopars, K&N, Mobil1, and SuperTech (though the ST one is a cheapie). All Fram, STP, Bosch, and Purolators I've seen don't have front end bypasses. However, I believe someone posted that the Pure1 PL14670 had been upgraded to the front, so the Pure1 would be worth another check.

 

[RKBA]

4.0 injectors can tap pretty loud also.

 

[ThirdeYe]

Keep in mind that the service station could also forgot to reset the service reminder light. When I first purchased my car, I took it to a nearby dealership to have the oil changed and the maintenance light came on a few weeks later, in other words, they didn't reset the light. Reset the light myself and started doing my own oil changes

 

[racer12306]

Yeah, thats possible, but the oil was darker than your typical 3000 mile oil changes for the life of the engine.

I've been doing my own maintenance since I was 16

 

[Eddie]

Time for an Auto-RX cleaning?

 

[MrCritical]

Sounds like the engine may have had an additive in the oil to disguise the ticking before you changed the oil.

 

[Chris142]

My 02 thats had it's oil changed every 3-4K does the same thing. Rislone made it go away for about 4 months. Seems to start with 2k on the oil.

 

[mikeg5]

yeah its common in those motors. i had 2 of them.. ---- good motor.. i had the exact same suv as yours. i had lots of problems with it over 75k miles.. so just giving you a heads up.. TAKE CARE OF THE Transmission. they are weak in that year for some reason.. very good riding trucks though i do kind of miss mine other than a bunch of electrical and transmission issues but the motor is good for over 300k. i had 200k on my wrangler. and i tore it up and i only used GTX 10-w30. you should only go 5k mile oci's.. 7500 is a little much bc it is chain driven and CAN be hard on oil. i would go ahead and tune her up

-new champion 30k mile plugs (factory spec)
- distributor cap and button if it has one, yours may not
- maybe seafoam treatment
clean intake
change diff fluids and T-case (4x4)

it might have original plugs, it may help the ticking but it may not. do frequent drain and fills, you will thank me later

 

[Zaedock]

258's, 2.5L's and 4.0L's have non-adjustable valvetrains that can sometimes make a little noise when cold. The injectors in the EFI models can be audible too. The 2.5L in my YJ trail rig has a little tick when cold and when I hold an injector, I can feel/hear when it opens. It's not a big deal, IMO. You may not have heard the noise before you changed the oil if the old stuff had thickened up(especially with 7500+ miles on it). The 4.0L in my '89 XJ makes no noise at all.

 

[racer12306]

I was very happy to see that the transmission fluid was of a slight redish tint, so it seems like the trans wasn't abused. I was so relieved when I saw that.

Thanks for the tips.

 

[racer12306]

I grab the injectors to see if I can feel it.

You are suggesting that since it had a slightly thicker oil in it, that the thicker oil may have helped/masked the situation.

Would it be beneficial to dump in a qt of Rotella 5w40 or a 15w40 oil? This would make it 5qts 10w30 and 1 qt 5w40 or 15w40, aka 83% 10w30 and 17% 5w40/15w40.

 

[mikeg5]

no dude 10w30 is fine.. trust me those motors are bullet proof!! they can take a beating. just change the oil like you should and call it a day.. look out for selenoids going bad in the transmission, the cooling fan relay.. the cooling fan relay WILL go out. mine went out at 80k miles so keep an eye on the temp guage!! seriously... the relay is on the passenger side behind the bumper. its a ---- to get to. but it can be done. so go ahead and save up some $$ you will need it for repairs for that model GC.. i hate to say it but its true.. it is a nice ride though and again i miss mine just got tired of puting that thing in the shop

 

[Triple_Se7en]

I would switch to 5w30
Do an Auto-Rx treatment or change the lifters.

... or if money's tight, just do 5w30 with a 32 oz bottle of Rislone.

I had several years of Chrysler engine tick with a former 318 sengine - always quieted with Rislone.

A 2nd alternative to Rislone would be a bottle of Marvel Mystery Oil added to the crankcase. It works too.