so I am new to the jeep life (super excited) don't know much about these 4.0s

heres the story
picked up a 97 XJ 4.0 couple about a week ago and it has a top end tick, this tick is constant, its there when its cold and hot just gets a bit more quiet when its hot
you rev it up in park or neutral and this tick goes away at about 1500-1800 rpm but if your in drive its there at all rpms and gets faster (not louder)
one thing I found interesting is when I pull the number 2 injector connector the tick becomes almost non existing
I have not pulled the valve cover yet and inspected the valve train (I plan to do so tonight)

all ive done so far in change the oil 10w40 with a quart of lucas oil stabilizer and frame PH8A filter (ive read some bad things about those filters thinking about changing it out)
and run a can of seafoam with half a tank of 91 octane but haven't used the entire half tank yet

any tips or common problems with the valve train on these? I fear a stuck lifter in cylinder #2 anyway to get it unstuck with out pulling the head?

any advise is appreciated and thank you in advance!

 

Are you sure it's not the purge valve solenoid (try disconnecting and see if it goes away). It's near the firewall

 

I don't think that's my issue, way to consistent to be a purge valve, ill check it anyway though

 

Ditch the Fram first.

 

Get underneath and pull the flex plate inspection cover off.

Your noise is consistent with what I had.
It turned out that the flex plate to torque convertor bolts were loose.

Mine had wallered out the flex plate so I had to pull the AW4.

 

Here is how:

https://www.cherokeeforum.com/f51/ho...ocking-125547/

 

ive read up on that and don't think its my issue considering when I pull the #2 injector the noise go away but is there when I pull any other injector
I took the valve cover off last night and inspected the valve train and everything seems good, im starting to think its a bottom end issue

 

Next step is a compression test.

 

Does it misfire when you pull each injector wire?