i have a 1995 cherokee sport with the high output 4.0. the motor has a valve tap (or at least is sounds like it, its an even ticking sound that goes away with increased engine speed). i looked up the valve lash adjusting procedure on ALLDATA and it told me that this engine has hydraulic lifters, is it possible to have a valve tap with hydraulic lifters? and how would i correct this problem?

 

That taping is considered normal for Jeep I6 motors.
If you find a way to make it go away you will become the most popular Jeep owner on the planet.

 

Yes, it is possible but unlikely. Hydralic lifters are fed oil by the oiling system to expand to the correct size to keep tappet gap correct. If the lifter was plugged with sludge it is possible for them to malfunction.

Take the oil fill cap off the rocker cover and stick your finger in there and root around (cool engine, obviously). If you come up with a finger full of goop, you have a grubby, sludged up engine. Sludge can cause a host of problems and is always a sign of "deferred maintenance" issues. That means the DPO did not change the oil.

Some guys here use Seafoam to help with this. I don't know much about this - can't help there.

 

i figured it was a characteristic of jeep's. this is my first jeep so im just trying to put my mind at ease about the clunks, pings and ticks of good ol' american engineering. i actually kind of like the tap, sounds sorta like a diesel from inside while idleing