It's a little harder to check but the flex plate bolts to the crankshaft. Theses tend to back out from time to time and or the flex plate can crack around theses bolts.

 

Yea, I'm only about 15 minutes from Butte. I go to MT Tech on the south campus during weekdays. I could meet up with you sometime and try to help you locate the noise. If you want to, just shoot me a PM and I'll give you my phone number.

 

Just a wild guess....but could the crankshaft have worn thrust/main brg allowing the crank and torque convertor to "walk" when under load??

 

If you still have the inspection plate take it off.....take it for a ride...It happened to me...drove me nuts for a week....let us know if you find it..

 

One of the things that can happen with the auto tranny is a crack in the flex plate. The cracks are generally up near the crank shaft and circle the area where the crank shaft bolts on. Really tough to see. It is a common problem.

 

Well thank you everyone for responding. It makes the noise only when im driving at all speeds. It does not make noise when i am just idling or in park. I power braked it and I can't get it to tick. All flexplate to converter bolts are tight, also the crankshaft to flexplate bolts are tight. Like I was saying, when I let off the gas and just coast it's fine, no tick. Took the dust shields off and i still get the noise. My exhaust is fine, i used a smoke machine and i am good on that. All intake/exhaust manifold bolts are tight. ( Brand new motor, flexplate, starter, converter.) I had this problem prior to these parts being replaced. Thanks all!!

 

It's somewhere transmission back. Could be bearings, tcase, driveline, rear end.

 

If it's only happening when moving then you'll need whichever parts only move when the vehicle does. So if it's not doing it in park or neutral, then how about checking the driveshaft u-joints or wheel/axle bearings for looseness?

Also check trans/ x-fer case mounts. XJ engine mounts seem to have a habit of disentegrating and allowing movement of the engine that might not be seen unless it's under a load. However, when my motor mounts went out, it sounded like more of a clunking noise rather than a ticking. Still it's a possibility.

I just thought of one other thing. I had a rubber hose come loose after I moved up to MT and it laid across the exhaut. The smell gave it away so it was easy to find. Is there any possiblity something came loose on yours and is hitting the drive shafts? You wouldn't hear it unless the shafts were turning.

That's all I got for now. I'll post up if I can think of any thing else it could be.

EDIT: I remember having a ticking after I just got my XJ a couple of years ago. It turned out to be the exhaust hitting the x-fer case crossmember. It wouldn't do it unless I was driving as well. Maybe check your exhaust hangers for sagging and the pipe for clearance from obstructions.

 

Try taking out one Driveshaft at a time, and driving it like that. you'll have to run her in 4WD when you take the one drive shaft out, but it's easy to do, and helps locate the problem with front or rear pretty quickly.

 

Or find out if its between the d.s. and the engine.