GrimReaperXJ4x4

I have a 2001 jeep cherokee sport 6 inch lift. Has 4.0l inline auto with 194k miles. Drove awesome regular fluids changed and i was comin home from work and noticed a tick not a knock it got louder as you gased it then the next day was headed to work and about 20 mins into driving i hear a clacking noise like something was catching or jumping around then it died and hesitated to crank when i had it towed home ans when i got it to crank it made a loud squealing sound and bad ticking but i just cut it off when i herd that. Previous owner has had head rebuilt any ideas what you guys think it is? Thanks in advance! Need her back on the road or sold if not fixed

SeriousOffroad

Pull the oil pan and have a look.

Oddballmotorsports

I wonder if thats a cracked flexplate.. how was the oil pressure? if it was good before yer buggy crapped the bed, a cracked flexplate can knock like that, and since it just died it might have lost crank signal too from the cps..

robsgotit

Pull the serp belt and crank it before you go nuts. Could e as simple as a seized pulley/alr/compressor. Something like that

scottmphoto

I had a problem similar on my old '92. Turned out to be the idler pulley bearing had seized up. It didn't die on me but it made an awful noise. It started by clicking and got louder and finally a full-on clanking until it threw the belt. First off, like said above, pull the belt off and check all the pulleys before anything else. It's easy, fairly fast and it's free to check.

GrimReaperXJ4x4

All my pulleys seem okay my ac compressor is brand new is it possible that it could be a timing chain considering it wont stay running without dying? Im new to jeeps so im kinda lost. Thanks for the answers guys! Any help is appreciated.

GrimReaperXJ4x4

Also the oil pressure would drop when the vehicle slowed down or come to a stop but once gas was pressed it would go back up to normal and keep moving as you stopped and drove

Platime

Mine did that same thing when my steering pump went out. Like previous post said, pull the belt off and see if it cranks easy. If it does, then it's just a process of elimination.

GrimReaperXJ4x4

Okay i will be doing that tomorrow been busy so havent got around to it will keep you updated what all i have found out.

Oddballmotorsports

so it will run and quit? that really doesn't sound like a bottom end issue if its not squeaking and knocking, when it does run now is the oil pressure ok? or low to none? as a spun bearing will usually bleed off oil pressure so you wont have any oil pressure, some times a spun main will cause intermittent oil pressure drop, but that usually trashes the rod bearings after and then it knocks.. where is the knocking coming from? any chance from the bell housing area? a jumpped timing chain wouldn't cause an intermittent no run condition either.. it would either not run at all or run like total crap.. I would still check for a cracked flex plate or bad bottom end bearings....

GrimReaperXJ4x4

The sound was more of a tick than a knock i had another cherokee with rod knock and sounded alot worse and louder this tick was coming from more along the front of the motor but im atleast hoping either way its a simple fix when i get a chance im gonna check the things you guys have answered with cant pull motor out so gonna be difficult to check flexplates and other hard to get areas.

elkwagn

Normal to see oil pressure drop at idle, they are mechanical so the more rpm's you have the higher the oil pressure. Also a cracked flex plate will not make it run poorly, I would look into the valvetrain. If it has a broken timing chain it will not even start, could be a rocker arm, broken spring, bad valve, etc.

salad

So did you check all the pulleys with the belt off?

GrimReaperXJ4x4

I have checked valves lifters etc they all look good nothing loose the push rods look like they are giving a good amount of oil i had the belt off but could never get jeep to crank it turns over but wont crank up

GrimReaperXJ4x4

I believe im falling more towards a bad flex plate lots of people with similar symptoms turned out to be bad flex plate any suggestions or steps how to do that? I know where its located and transmission has to be dropped but i dont have a shop nor paved driveway so think like a poor person i do have a toolbox full of tools lol.