My lifter clack is back.

[Chris142]

My 4.0L Jeep engine is very picky about oil. If I run Chevron, Havoline or Valvoline it will get 1 noisey lifter @ 1800 miles into my OCI.

I can't explain it either.

Pennzoil, QS,Warren and Shell PCMO will last 3k w/o it getting noisey.

Last time I used Rotella T5. I'm @ 1800 miles and that one lifter is clacking away! This one started clacking @ 1500 miles into the OCI.

I dug through my stash and dumped a qt on MMO into it 200 miles ago but so far I'm still clacking away.

It's not just a tick but a loud clack like the lifter is stuck bottomed out and I can feel it if I place my hand on the block near the #4 cyl.

I don't want to dump the T5 with only 1800 miles on it but I guarantee that if I do the clack will disapear. No sludge in this engine either.

Anybody care to try to explain this? Why exactly 1800 miles into my OCI every time?

 

[JHZR2]

hmmm. Have to wonder if it is due to a certain percentage of the light ends boiling off and then causing different flow performance?

Seriously, Id try zMax. Worked for me.

 

[chubbs1]

VII's are wearing out of the oil, shearing. Just a guess. You have a mechanical problem, not an oil problem. Get help. Your Jeep needs it...lol I drove a jeep like this making the noises people told me the rod bearings were failing and my jeep only had weeks to live. Well, I drove it 46K more before I traded it to get my Altima. It still ran tough, noisy but tough. Keep using Shell Products and get it checked out if you want. I miss pullin up to a light next to a car full load of hot chicks with that outrageously loud lifter noise...ahh I miss that Jeep.

 

[Steve S]

Try swapping out the lifter?

 

[oilboy123]

Auto-RX helped take care of my lifter clack. If you run dino I would say more of a chance it would work.

 

[Chris142]

Originally Posted By: Steve S
Try swapping out the lifter?
This involves removing the head.

I'll just keep changing the oil @ 1800 miles I guess. I've got loads of T5 and Chevron oil but no Pennz, Qs etc.

 

[SuperDave456]

I have a 1998 Ford F-150 with the V6 that has had a tick since I got it a year or so ago. I started with a 5w30 and ran it for 3000 miles to see if it would go away, then added MMO to thin that 5w30 down for the last 1000 miles. That did nothing.
The next OCI I added a conventional 10w40 so see what it would do.

No change. It runs like a top although it is noisy.
Since it is our weekend car and I like it because I can haul a 4'x8' sheet of dry wall and close the tailgate I don't have plans to get rid of it.

I'm convinced that some engines are just noisy. Not much you can do about it.

 

[MrMeeks]

Try a different brand of oil filter.

 

[JetStar]

Back in the 70's, on my first car a '65 corvair, I used to get a stuck lifter once in a while. I suspected varnish. I used to use an oil additive from Wynn's that worked fast. Was never able to correlate it with oil changes or type of oil. Not familiar with it, but perhaps an auto RX run would work as mentioned above.
Never worked on a 4.0 straight six, but I'm surprised you have to remove the head to change lifters. Normally just the rocker cover and the tappet cover on the side of the engine.

 

[Eddie]

Yes, on the 4.0 you must remove the head to change lifters. I too suspect varnish and would try Auto-RX. I also have heard and my father used Reslone to great advantage on unsticking lifters.

 

[akheathen]

x2. first thing to do is spin on a new filter. most likely, another filter of the sme brand is going to get you another 5-600 miles, and a different brand filter could possibly make it to the 3k oil change, and it could possibly only make it 2-300 miles..... this, is just a band-aid, however. usually it's a result of blow-by, but could be just a collapsing lifter, or worn lifter/lobe. of coarse, the only way to fix blow-by is to rebuild, but i would start with resetting the lifters, which only requires pulling the valve cover and adjusting to spec. ow, as to what brand oil does what- i believe that the certain oils that do not cause it to happen, rather the detergents are not keeping the deposits down in the engine and letting them just build up. the ones where it does start the clacking, are keeping the carbon from forming as much, and rather flushing it through the filter and letting it plug up and run on bypass. when this happens, you are sending the deposits through your bearings, which is not good, so a new filter will help in that area, too

 

[demarpaint]

I'd try another filter, and leave the MMO in longer. 200 miles is not enough for MMO to free a lifter up if it is dirt causing your problem. It could also be a bad lifter or cam, but before you start digging into your engine, change the filter and give the MMO some time to work. JMO

 

[Steve S]

Originally Posted By: Chris142
Originally Posted By: Steve S
Try swapping out the lifter?
This involves removing the head.

I'll just keep changing the oil @ 1800 miles I guess. I've got loads of T5 and Chevron oil but no Pennz, Qs etc.
Turn up the radio!!!!

 

[Chris142]

I removed the Napa oil filter and cut it open. Absolutly nothing in the media so the plugged filter thing is not it.

Put on a Microguard (Fram. Oh no!)because I had one. No change.

TackTackTackTackTackTackTackTack I go LOL.

Runs fine, just annoying especially at the drive through where I can really hear it.

I'll change the oil today if I get a chance and report back.

 

[Chris142]

Originally Posted By: JetStar

Never worked on a 4.0 straight six, but I'm surprised you have to remove the head to change lifters. Normally just the rocker cover and the tappet cover on the side of the engine.
There is no tappet cover on these and once you get the rockers and pushrods out the lifters still won't fit through the pushrod holes. No adjustment other than bolting the rockers down.

Ya is kinda dumb.

 

[Herz]

my 2.0 does the same thing, it used to tick all the time, now it only ticks 1k miles into the oci. it has 250k miles and no major engine work has been done, so I think I am safe to say your jeep will be fine. lol

 

[Chris142]

Originally Posted By: defektes
my 2.0 does the same thing, it used to tick all the time, now it only ticks 1k miles into the oci. it has 250k miles and no major engine work has been done, so I think I am safe to say your jeep will be fine. lol
Ya probly. I just hate driving around sounding like a hick.

 

[demarpaint]

Originally Posted By: Steve S
Originally Posted By: Chris142
Originally Posted By: Steve S
Try swapping out the lifter?
This involves removing the head.

I'll just keep changing the oil @ 1800 miles I guess. I've got loads of T5 and Chevron oil but no Pennz, Qs etc.
Turn up the radio!!!!



LOL I sold a woman a Toyota Camry, used. She complained about squeaking and had it in the shop three times. Each time they had it in the shop I got charged back on my paycheck. She called a 4th time complaining to me about it and I told her to turn up the radio. Needless to say the next day the GM called me into his office to discuss my comment to the customer. We had a good laugh.

 

[Herz]

Originally Posted By: Chris142
Originally Posted By: defektes
my 2.0 does the same thing, it used to tick all the time, now it only ticks 1k miles into the oci. it has 250k miles and no major engine work has been done, so I think I am safe to say your jeep will be fine. lol
Ya probly. I just hate driving around sounding like a hick.

yeah its great in cold winter when i start her in winter in a parking lot a guy stopped me, holy [censored] man turn her off! What? it has no oil! Nah, its just a jeep.

 

[Chris142]

Well a whole bottle of Seafoam dumped on top of the T5 and MMO stoped the clack in 10 miles. I picked up some Shell PCMO 10w30 and a Purolater 30001 filter.

With all that in the oil now I have a reason to change it?