Hello guys..

I have a 1996 XJ with a 4.0 i6.. and I can hear a ticking noise when I start it up.. it is louder at startup and 'seems' normal when then engine gets warm enough. It is related to the RPMs of the engine.. the higher the rpm the higher the frequency of the sound. Also please note that it DOESN'T go away when the engine is at operating temperature, just that the noise is not as loud as when its started up in the morning.. my little search on the internet has concluded that its the tappet / lifter w/e it is exactly.. and can also happen if the engine oil pump is weak.. anyways.. I would like to know what can one do to make it go away.. what would be the most cost effective way to do that..OR from where should I start? 210,000 kilometers on the engine.

 

i dont know about making the knock go away but along w/ the notorious rear main seal leak there is another lifter knock that happens too a buncha 4.0L i got a few friends that got it hard core... i just wanna figure out my gnarlyy idle. its an '88 w/ 168XXX and when she is cold i can jump from 500 RPM to about 1200 RPM and give or take the same idle at operating temp..

 

ya i got the same thing at about 161000 on my 91 and im pretty sure its a lifter and a lil bit of a exhaust leak

 

try running a thicker oil. like a diesel weight. that will slow the leak and wont hurt the motor. It will actually raise oil pressure a little. I run 15-40w in mine and it runs like a top. grant it its a little slow but hey, who needs a fast jeep lol

 

bump!

 

is it coming from the under the valve cover??

 

Are you sure the ticking's not coming from the evaporative control solenoid?

 

I have a ticking also on my 91 with 245K miles on it, Would it cost allot to get fixed if it is the lifter or would I need a new engine?

 

how would you go about finding out if it is coming from the evaporative control solenoid?

 

it is actually coming from the valve cover.. as I said before, its proportional to the RPMs of the engine..

 

If you put your hand on the solenoid, you can actually feel the ticking. A mechanic's stethoscope would also confirm the source.

 

it is NOT coming from the solenoid.. it feels and 'sounds' like its strong.. its the engine!

 

ya like i said i have it on my 91 and im not worried about fixing it its a stuck lifter and it doesnt effect anything other then my nerves

 

If it's a stuck lifter, it can damage the cam shaft. The ticking noise is metal hitting metal, AKA, bad!! You can replace bad lifters...on a side note, sometimes cracked exhaust manifolds will sound like a lifter, and they do get quieter as the motor warms up.

 

see my lifter only sticks on a cold start then after that its ok but i still have ticking and its a tiny exhaust leak